A Week. or Two
Chapter 12: The Sleeping Hobbit
"Look Pip, we're almost there!" It was the first time either of them had spoken since they had truly gotten on the road. In the distance, Bag End could be seen, sitting a top the hill under the great oak. Merry tugged on the sleeve of a sleepy Pippin.
"I don't want to mum! At least slide another cake under the door?" Merry stopped and stared strangely at his cousin. Pippin was barely awake, stumbling along with heavy eyelids, half dragging his pack behind him. Merry took pity on him and hoisted him up in his arms.
"Come on sleepy lad, let's get you to bed. Shall we?" When he didn't hear any objections, Merry began walking again, a little slower now that he had a new weight to him. He carried his cousin lovingly up Bag Shot Row, past the Gamgee's sleepy smial, and through the gate at Bag End. The moon was high in the sky now and the journey from his cousins to Frodo's hadn't taken more than a few hours. Pippin would still have plenty of time to sleep.
"Frodo! Frodo!" Merry called quietly. He didn't want to wake up the neighbors, nor the sleeping lad in his arms. However, he did want to make sure his absent minded, elder cousin had heard him, better yet, remember that he was coming. Just when Merry was about to give up and drop Pippin for the sake of banging on the door, he heard a whisper from within.
"Mr. Merry, is that you?"
"Yes, yes, yes, now hurry up and open the door before I drop him!" Merry complained, a little louder now.
"All right Sir, just a moment," came Sam's voice from within. When the door popped open, Merry quickly stepped inside.
"Where should I put him? He's getting heavy!"
"Here Sir, I'll take him." Sam took the sleeping bundle from Merry, closing the door to Bag End with his foot. He followed Merry down the hall and into the study. Merry collapsed in a chair, while Sam gently laid Pippin on the couch, covering him with a blanket.
"Oh." said Merry with a gasp. He was quite out of breath from his trudge up the hill.
"Not as small as he used to be, is he?" asked Sam, taking a seat opposite Merry.
"Not at all Sam, not at all. Where's Frodo?"
"Asleep. He had a long day and meant to stay up to wait, but he passed out about an hour ago. I put him to bed." Sam sat in the chair with a loving smile as he talked of his master.
"I know that look Sam," Merry said with a grin, for I carry it too.
"Do you now Mr. Merry?" Sam gave Merry a knowing look.
"Alright, keep your secrets. No doubt my good for nothing, elder cousin told you. Can't keep his mouth shut can he?" Merry joked back. Sam opened his mouth to defend Frodo, but was interrupted.
"Oh, don't waste your breath on me, Sam. Let him speak," came a sleepy protest. Sam rose and almost ran to the doorway, taking Frodo in his arms. Frodo swatted at Sam with sleepy hands. "I'm alright Sam, don't worry. I just woke up when I found you missing from my bed. Figured you'd stayed awake to wait for these two here, and well, here they are. Sort of," said Frodo, eyeing a drooling Pippin on his couch.
Sam protested. "Now look here Mr. Frodo, you should be asleep, you hear me? Asleep!" Sam began to turn Frodo around towards the door, intent on putting him to bed.
"Oh stop your worrying Sam. I am quite old enough to know when I should go to bed, and when one has guests, no matter how late it is, one does not sleep! Now let go of me you old fool." Sam did so hesitantly, but was rewarded with a sweet, but quick kiss. He smiled. "And don't forget it Sam!" Frodo hobbled across the room and pulled Merry to his feet and into an embrace. "It is good to see you cousin. Now, shall we go to bed or is there an urgent matter that you must attend to, for why else would you be so late to arrive and carry such a heavy burden in your very eyes?" Frodo studied him for a moment, before turning to Sam. "Sam, could you excesses us for a while, I think we need to talk, and from the looks of it, you might want to bring young Pippin with you. Give him the second best guest bed, for the first is reserved for Merry. Sound good?" he added, turning back to Merry.
"Of course Mr. Frodo, but don't stay up to late," Sam lifted the sleeping hobbit in his arms, "because I'm waking you up in time for breakfast in the morning, no matter what. You're far to thin, if you don't mind me saying so. You miss too many meals. Good night Mr. Frodo, Mr. Merry." Sam headed for the door.
"Good night Sam," called Merry.
"Good night sweet Sam, I shall be with you in a moment," Frodo called after him. He then sat down in his favorite rocker and blessed Sam for his attentiveness. There was a wonderful fire burning in the hearth and the room was warm. "So Merry, what is it? I know something must be wrong. You haven't looked so worried since the last time Pippin took ill."
"Well, you are right, in a sense. I am worried, and it does deal with Pippin." Merry sat back down and folded his hands in front of him, starring at Frodo's feet.
"Come dear cousin. Chin up! Tell me all about it." So Merry did, every last detail, starting from that morning when Pippin had dumped his mother's flour on his head.
Chapter 12: The Sleeping Hobbit
"Look Pip, we're almost there!" It was the first time either of them had spoken since they had truly gotten on the road. In the distance, Bag End could be seen, sitting a top the hill under the great oak. Merry tugged on the sleeve of a sleepy Pippin.
"I don't want to mum! At least slide another cake under the door?" Merry stopped and stared strangely at his cousin. Pippin was barely awake, stumbling along with heavy eyelids, half dragging his pack behind him. Merry took pity on him and hoisted him up in his arms.
"Come on sleepy lad, let's get you to bed. Shall we?" When he didn't hear any objections, Merry began walking again, a little slower now that he had a new weight to him. He carried his cousin lovingly up Bag Shot Row, past the Gamgee's sleepy smial, and through the gate at Bag End. The moon was high in the sky now and the journey from his cousins to Frodo's hadn't taken more than a few hours. Pippin would still have plenty of time to sleep.
"Frodo! Frodo!" Merry called quietly. He didn't want to wake up the neighbors, nor the sleeping lad in his arms. However, he did want to make sure his absent minded, elder cousin had heard him, better yet, remember that he was coming. Just when Merry was about to give up and drop Pippin for the sake of banging on the door, he heard a whisper from within.
"Mr. Merry, is that you?"
"Yes, yes, yes, now hurry up and open the door before I drop him!" Merry complained, a little louder now.
"All right Sir, just a moment," came Sam's voice from within. When the door popped open, Merry quickly stepped inside.
"Where should I put him? He's getting heavy!"
"Here Sir, I'll take him." Sam took the sleeping bundle from Merry, closing the door to Bag End with his foot. He followed Merry down the hall and into the study. Merry collapsed in a chair, while Sam gently laid Pippin on the couch, covering him with a blanket.
"Oh." said Merry with a gasp. He was quite out of breath from his trudge up the hill.
"Not as small as he used to be, is he?" asked Sam, taking a seat opposite Merry.
"Not at all Sam, not at all. Where's Frodo?"
"Asleep. He had a long day and meant to stay up to wait, but he passed out about an hour ago. I put him to bed." Sam sat in the chair with a loving smile as he talked of his master.
"I know that look Sam," Merry said with a grin, for I carry it too.
"Do you now Mr. Merry?" Sam gave Merry a knowing look.
"Alright, keep your secrets. No doubt my good for nothing, elder cousin told you. Can't keep his mouth shut can he?" Merry joked back. Sam opened his mouth to defend Frodo, but was interrupted.
"Oh, don't waste your breath on me, Sam. Let him speak," came a sleepy protest. Sam rose and almost ran to the doorway, taking Frodo in his arms. Frodo swatted at Sam with sleepy hands. "I'm alright Sam, don't worry. I just woke up when I found you missing from my bed. Figured you'd stayed awake to wait for these two here, and well, here they are. Sort of," said Frodo, eyeing a drooling Pippin on his couch.
Sam protested. "Now look here Mr. Frodo, you should be asleep, you hear me? Asleep!" Sam began to turn Frodo around towards the door, intent on putting him to bed.
"Oh stop your worrying Sam. I am quite old enough to know when I should go to bed, and when one has guests, no matter how late it is, one does not sleep! Now let go of me you old fool." Sam did so hesitantly, but was rewarded with a sweet, but quick kiss. He smiled. "And don't forget it Sam!" Frodo hobbled across the room and pulled Merry to his feet and into an embrace. "It is good to see you cousin. Now, shall we go to bed or is there an urgent matter that you must attend to, for why else would you be so late to arrive and carry such a heavy burden in your very eyes?" Frodo studied him for a moment, before turning to Sam. "Sam, could you excesses us for a while, I think we need to talk, and from the looks of it, you might want to bring young Pippin with you. Give him the second best guest bed, for the first is reserved for Merry. Sound good?" he added, turning back to Merry.
"Of course Mr. Frodo, but don't stay up to late," Sam lifted the sleeping hobbit in his arms, "because I'm waking you up in time for breakfast in the morning, no matter what. You're far to thin, if you don't mind me saying so. You miss too many meals. Good night Mr. Frodo, Mr. Merry." Sam headed for the door.
"Good night Sam," called Merry.
"Good night sweet Sam, I shall be with you in a moment," Frodo called after him. He then sat down in his favorite rocker and blessed Sam for his attentiveness. There was a wonderful fire burning in the hearth and the room was warm. "So Merry, what is it? I know something must be wrong. You haven't looked so worried since the last time Pippin took ill."
"Well, you are right, in a sense. I am worried, and it does deal with Pippin." Merry sat back down and folded his hands in front of him, starring at Frodo's feet.
"Come dear cousin. Chin up! Tell me all about it." So Merry did, every last detail, starting from that morning when Pippin had dumped his mother's flour on his head.