And Drink To Me Yet
Chapter 6 - Doors Best Left Locked
A dark figure threw itself before Pippin, shoving him back into the hallway. He stumbled back against the opposite wall as the door slammed and the figure whirled to glower angrily at him. Pippin raised himself up, sword still in hand. "Let me pass, Draug!" he demanded as the prince continued to block the door.
Draug glared at Pippin, back firmly against the door. "Do not pry too deep, Master Hobbit. Get back to your rooms, this is no place for a halfling."
"Merry's my friend!" Pippin shouted. Draug leapt forward, clapping a hand over Pippin's mouth.
"Then I advise you to stay silent," he hissed, "and come with me."
Pippin nodded dumbly, and allowed himself to be led through the halls. At last the young prince entered a door and pulled Pippin in after him. It was a small bedroom, sparsely furnished and crammed with volumes uncountable. Pippin managed to glance at a few title as he was directed to the only chair in the room. Most were in some form of Elvish.
When the hobbit was seated, the Elf moved to sit on the bed. It sagged, even under his light weight. Draug settled in, then faced Pippin. "So," he asked quietly, "What did you see?"
"Enough. What was your father doing?"
A faint, dark smile passed over Draug's lips. "Father deemed that your friend Meriadoc's loyalty was slipping away from him. He was merely securing it."
Pippin's eyes grew wide with terror. "That's... that's..."
"Impossible?" Draug prompted, voice dripping with sarcasm, "Unthinkable? Inhumane? Cruel? But you know not the half of it, Master Hobbit."
Here the Elf lowered his fair dark eyes. "You have seen how he treats his advisors. Not how he treats his own kin."
"It cannot be worse than that!" Pippin scoffed, but a look from Draug silenced him. The look held so much pain, so much terror, that now the hobbit it was that looked away. Pippin could not imagine anything worse than what Aragorn had been doing to Merry, but apparently Draug could. He looked up when the prince spoke again.
"It not the pain I mind so much. It's hearing Alataestel screaming, and holding her when she cries afterwards." His eyes, usually so dark and threatening, now seemed soft and oddly wet. Pippin rose and crossed to the boy. Yes, when you got right down to it, the hard figure before him was no more than a young boy, a mere child. He sat down beside Draug, and placed a hand gently on the prince's shoulder. Draug didn't seem to notice as he looked down at his hands, blinking hard. Pippin's heart went out to the child beside him, but before he could say anything, a voice was heard.
"Pippin? Pippin? Peregrin Took, where have you gotten to?"
Draug jumped at the voice, but Pippin smiled. He rose and said, "Waen is looking for me. Perhaps I had best leave."
The Elf stood as well, eyes once again glaring from a cold face. "I'm not going to just let you go back there. I'm not stupid."
"Fine. You can walk us back." Draug nodded and pulled the door open. Pippin stepped out and quickly glanced around, forming a clear mental image of the corridor. Footsteps hurried toward him. He turned to see Waen hurrying to his side as Draug shut his door, scowling about the hall.
"Pippin! We were all worri-" Waen cut herself off as she approached and saw Draug. She bowed slightly, "Pardon, m'lord."
Draug was silent, scowling at the wall behind Waen. She knelt down beside Pippin and lowered her voice, "Father, Gimli and I have been searching for you, but to no avail. Where have you been?"
"I was speaking with the young prince," Pippin dropped his voice, "and now I wish to speak with you. Come, I'll explain later."
Waen nodded, standing. She shot a sweet smile at Draug, who looked away. "It is late, m'lord. We should all get some rest." They walked in silence, all in thought. At last they came to the correct door. Pippin pulled it open, and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Draug.
"Small master," the Elf said quietly, "Remember this one wisdom: Not all doors may be opened." Pippin nodded, and the prince removed his hand. The hobbit turned again and entered the room. Waen moved to follow him, but now Draug's hand fell upon her shoulder. He spoke to her softly in her native tongue, and she paused. Legolas peered over Pippin's head and out the door at his daughter. She smiled and made a sign to him. Her father frowned but said nothing. Waen nodded to Pippin, called a good night to Gimli, and pressed her father's hand. Then she stepped away from the door, and Pippin watched her and the young prince slid down the hall, conversing rapidly.
Pippin turned back into the room, whispering, "We have to talk."
Legolas nodded, and Gimli added, "Yes we do, Master Hobbit, yes we do."
((Hmm, nm to say here. Keep R&Ring, or the lazy but creative side of me may go on strike!))
Chapter 6 - Doors Best Left Locked
A dark figure threw itself before Pippin, shoving him back into the hallway. He stumbled back against the opposite wall as the door slammed and the figure whirled to glower angrily at him. Pippin raised himself up, sword still in hand. "Let me pass, Draug!" he demanded as the prince continued to block the door.
Draug glared at Pippin, back firmly against the door. "Do not pry too deep, Master Hobbit. Get back to your rooms, this is no place for a halfling."
"Merry's my friend!" Pippin shouted. Draug leapt forward, clapping a hand over Pippin's mouth.
"Then I advise you to stay silent," he hissed, "and come with me."
Pippin nodded dumbly, and allowed himself to be led through the halls. At last the young prince entered a door and pulled Pippin in after him. It was a small bedroom, sparsely furnished and crammed with volumes uncountable. Pippin managed to glance at a few title as he was directed to the only chair in the room. Most were in some form of Elvish.
When the hobbit was seated, the Elf moved to sit on the bed. It sagged, even under his light weight. Draug settled in, then faced Pippin. "So," he asked quietly, "What did you see?"
"Enough. What was your father doing?"
A faint, dark smile passed over Draug's lips. "Father deemed that your friend Meriadoc's loyalty was slipping away from him. He was merely securing it."
Pippin's eyes grew wide with terror. "That's... that's..."
"Impossible?" Draug prompted, voice dripping with sarcasm, "Unthinkable? Inhumane? Cruel? But you know not the half of it, Master Hobbit."
Here the Elf lowered his fair dark eyes. "You have seen how he treats his advisors. Not how he treats his own kin."
"It cannot be worse than that!" Pippin scoffed, but a look from Draug silenced him. The look held so much pain, so much terror, that now the hobbit it was that looked away. Pippin could not imagine anything worse than what Aragorn had been doing to Merry, but apparently Draug could. He looked up when the prince spoke again.
"It not the pain I mind so much. It's hearing Alataestel screaming, and holding her when she cries afterwards." His eyes, usually so dark and threatening, now seemed soft and oddly wet. Pippin rose and crossed to the boy. Yes, when you got right down to it, the hard figure before him was no more than a young boy, a mere child. He sat down beside Draug, and placed a hand gently on the prince's shoulder. Draug didn't seem to notice as he looked down at his hands, blinking hard. Pippin's heart went out to the child beside him, but before he could say anything, a voice was heard.
"Pippin? Pippin? Peregrin Took, where have you gotten to?"
Draug jumped at the voice, but Pippin smiled. He rose and said, "Waen is looking for me. Perhaps I had best leave."
The Elf stood as well, eyes once again glaring from a cold face. "I'm not going to just let you go back there. I'm not stupid."
"Fine. You can walk us back." Draug nodded and pulled the door open. Pippin stepped out and quickly glanced around, forming a clear mental image of the corridor. Footsteps hurried toward him. He turned to see Waen hurrying to his side as Draug shut his door, scowling about the hall.
"Pippin! We were all worri-" Waen cut herself off as she approached and saw Draug. She bowed slightly, "Pardon, m'lord."
Draug was silent, scowling at the wall behind Waen. She knelt down beside Pippin and lowered her voice, "Father, Gimli and I have been searching for you, but to no avail. Where have you been?"
"I was speaking with the young prince," Pippin dropped his voice, "and now I wish to speak with you. Come, I'll explain later."
Waen nodded, standing. She shot a sweet smile at Draug, who looked away. "It is late, m'lord. We should all get some rest." They walked in silence, all in thought. At last they came to the correct door. Pippin pulled it open, and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Draug.
"Small master," the Elf said quietly, "Remember this one wisdom: Not all doors may be opened." Pippin nodded, and the prince removed his hand. The hobbit turned again and entered the room. Waen moved to follow him, but now Draug's hand fell upon her shoulder. He spoke to her softly in her native tongue, and she paused. Legolas peered over Pippin's head and out the door at his daughter. She smiled and made a sign to him. Her father frowned but said nothing. Waen nodded to Pippin, called a good night to Gimli, and pressed her father's hand. Then she stepped away from the door, and Pippin watched her and the young prince slid down the hall, conversing rapidly.
Pippin turned back into the room, whispering, "We have to talk."
Legolas nodded, and Gimli added, "Yes we do, Master Hobbit, yes we do."
((Hmm, nm to say here. Keep R&Ring, or the lazy but creative side of me may go on strike!))