And Drink To Me Yet
Chapter 11 - Bonds of Friendship
They stood in silence for a moment, gazing at each other across the room. Pippin studied the face of his old friend. The years had treated Merry well, but Aragorn had not. There were scars that burned red and black on Merry's now pale skin, and closer study revealed that his legs had both been broken more than once. Only, Pippin thought, if you had known Merry before the War of the Ring. One might have taken Merry's slightly odd stance as congenital. But Pippin knew better.
Merry's hair was showing somewhat premature grey, and his eyes had the weary look of an old man; perhaps this was an effect of the palantìr. In their moment of silence, Pippin was filled with an almost bitter sorrow to see his friend thus. For beneath the meekness of his physical condition, beneath the apparent long years in his eyes, there was a hunger. It was a hunger that Pippin had once seen in the eyes of Boromir, and was as Sam had sometimes described in the eyes of Gollum. The hunger was a direct result of years of corruption at the hands of a cruel lord, and in that hunger Pippin could hardly recognize his dear friend.
Merry it was who broke the silence. His voice was close to his old one, though a few strains of his new voice still haunted his words. "Peregrin, I suppose you know why I'm here."
Pippin shook his head dumbly, at a loss for words. For a split second, he had been on the verge of replying that Merry was there because they were friends, but the thought had barely formed before he banished it. He hardly knew this Merry.
"Oh," said Merry quietly "but I think you do. You're a friend of the Elven maid, are you not?"
"If you are referring to Waen, then I have the pleasure of saying yes." Pippin stammered in response. His own voice, he noted, seemed oddly changed. It rang solidly of his younger years, the youthful days of adventure. He noticed that Merry seemed to falter when he heard Pippin's voice, and for a moment his clouded eyes blinked almost clear.
Merry steadied himself though, saying, "Yes, tis the Lady Darkwind I alluded to." His voice once again seemed softer, and he took a step or two nearer Pippin to ensure that he was heard. "And I know it was she who stole my master's little trinket."
"I don't know what you mean." Again his voice seemed to effect Merry.
"Yes you do!" Merry spat back. His voice had gained a most disagreeable hiss, and he advanced again on Pippin. "I know she stole it and let you in on what she did!"
Merry's voice then shot up to a disturbingly high pitch. "And perhaps she gave it over to your care! Give it to me!"
With what sounded almost like a battlecry to Pippin, Merry lunged forward and caught the Took in the chest. Pippin yelped as they tumbled backward, hurtling dangerously close to the edge of the window. The scuffle was momentary; after just a minute Merry yelled triumphantly and pulled something round out of one of Pippin's pockets. While Merry examined his prize, Pippin leaned against the wall, sobbing for breath.
"It's just an apple, Merry, just an apple..." Pippin said between gasps of air. Merry sat very still, staring hard at the apple as if willing it to turn into that which he truly sought. Then with another shriek he attacked Pippin again, both of their small bodies slamming against the wall before rolling across the floor.
This time the conflict lasted longer. In the end Pippin lay exhausted on the ground with Merry standing over him, smiling wickedly. Merry reached down and grabbed Pippin's collar, perhaps with the intention of shaking him gruffly or choking him. However, as he grasped at the rough fabric of Pippin's shirt, Merry also caught up a thin golden chain hanging 'round the younger Hobbit's neck, and drew forth the charm on its end.
It was a simple charm, a golden disk of middling size, upon which was described three interlocking circles. Above the circle were two simple words in Elvish script: 'To Friends'. Upon the back were carved three sets of initials. Merry couldn't see the back at the moment, but Pippin knew that they both knew whose initials they were.
SG, PT, MB. Even now, Pippin could see them being carved into the disk in his mind's eye. It was shortly after they had gotten back from their great adventure. They had asked Frodo to have his own made and his initials added, but he had politely declined, one of the first signs that he was ready to sail to the Grey Havens. So it had been Sam, Merry, and Pippin who had sealed their friendship with an identical medallion each. Pippin had never taken his own off.
Merry halfstood, halfkneeled, transfixed by the small piece of gold. Pippin took advantage of this lull in the action to catch his breath and study his friend's face again. It was pallid and covered in sweat from the fight, with a few scrapes and bruises in addition to a few now noticeable scars. But more than that, it seemed years younger. Pippin recognized Merry now, saw his friend of old who had been shrouded by pain and that strange longing hunger.
After a long silent moment, Merry dropped the tiny weight onto Pippin's chest. For the first time in years his eyes were unclouded. His face wore a slightly puzzled expression, which swiftly melted into an expression of horror. When he spoke, his voice was his own, strong and clear as ever. "Pippin... I... you... forgive me..."
Merry seemed to choke on his last words, and passed a hand over his brow. Pippin pushed himself up to a sitting position, replying, "I understand..."
When he looked up again, there was a cloud growing over Merry's eyes. He was losing him again. Merry rose to his feet, muttering something to himself, and staggered out of the room.
Pippin tried to rise to go after him, but his body refused to move. He sat very still, just as Merry had left him, and was sitting there still when Waen, Legolas, and Gimli returned to the room. It wasn't until Waen touched him lightly on the shoulder that he looked up and noticed them. When he did, he gave them a strange smile, saying, "They will pay for what they've done to Merry. If tis mortal blood and flesh needed to save him, then they shall give it to him."
((oOo, mysterious chapter!! - - - which simply means I don't know what to say about it. ... So! There is only one chapter left of voting for who to sacrifice, so make sure you mention your choice in your review. Right now, it is thus: 2 votes for Merry, 2 for Pippin, 1 for all the royal kiddies, 1 for Aragorn. Not to be sacrificed: 2 votes Gimli, 1 vote Aragorn, 1 vote all the royal kiddies. But all that could change at any given moment! Bwah hah ha!!! R&R ))
Chapter 11 - Bonds of Friendship
They stood in silence for a moment, gazing at each other across the room. Pippin studied the face of his old friend. The years had treated Merry well, but Aragorn had not. There were scars that burned red and black on Merry's now pale skin, and closer study revealed that his legs had both been broken more than once. Only, Pippin thought, if you had known Merry before the War of the Ring. One might have taken Merry's slightly odd stance as congenital. But Pippin knew better.
Merry's hair was showing somewhat premature grey, and his eyes had the weary look of an old man; perhaps this was an effect of the palantìr. In their moment of silence, Pippin was filled with an almost bitter sorrow to see his friend thus. For beneath the meekness of his physical condition, beneath the apparent long years in his eyes, there was a hunger. It was a hunger that Pippin had once seen in the eyes of Boromir, and was as Sam had sometimes described in the eyes of Gollum. The hunger was a direct result of years of corruption at the hands of a cruel lord, and in that hunger Pippin could hardly recognize his dear friend.
Merry it was who broke the silence. His voice was close to his old one, though a few strains of his new voice still haunted his words. "Peregrin, I suppose you know why I'm here."
Pippin shook his head dumbly, at a loss for words. For a split second, he had been on the verge of replying that Merry was there because they were friends, but the thought had barely formed before he banished it. He hardly knew this Merry.
"Oh," said Merry quietly "but I think you do. You're a friend of the Elven maid, are you not?"
"If you are referring to Waen, then I have the pleasure of saying yes." Pippin stammered in response. His own voice, he noted, seemed oddly changed. It rang solidly of his younger years, the youthful days of adventure. He noticed that Merry seemed to falter when he heard Pippin's voice, and for a moment his clouded eyes blinked almost clear.
Merry steadied himself though, saying, "Yes, tis the Lady Darkwind I alluded to." His voice once again seemed softer, and he took a step or two nearer Pippin to ensure that he was heard. "And I know it was she who stole my master's little trinket."
"I don't know what you mean." Again his voice seemed to effect Merry.
"Yes you do!" Merry spat back. His voice had gained a most disagreeable hiss, and he advanced again on Pippin. "I know she stole it and let you in on what she did!"
Merry's voice then shot up to a disturbingly high pitch. "And perhaps she gave it over to your care! Give it to me!"
With what sounded almost like a battlecry to Pippin, Merry lunged forward and caught the Took in the chest. Pippin yelped as they tumbled backward, hurtling dangerously close to the edge of the window. The scuffle was momentary; after just a minute Merry yelled triumphantly and pulled something round out of one of Pippin's pockets. While Merry examined his prize, Pippin leaned against the wall, sobbing for breath.
"It's just an apple, Merry, just an apple..." Pippin said between gasps of air. Merry sat very still, staring hard at the apple as if willing it to turn into that which he truly sought. Then with another shriek he attacked Pippin again, both of their small bodies slamming against the wall before rolling across the floor.
This time the conflict lasted longer. In the end Pippin lay exhausted on the ground with Merry standing over him, smiling wickedly. Merry reached down and grabbed Pippin's collar, perhaps with the intention of shaking him gruffly or choking him. However, as he grasped at the rough fabric of Pippin's shirt, Merry also caught up a thin golden chain hanging 'round the younger Hobbit's neck, and drew forth the charm on its end.
It was a simple charm, a golden disk of middling size, upon which was described three interlocking circles. Above the circle were two simple words in Elvish script: 'To Friends'. Upon the back were carved three sets of initials. Merry couldn't see the back at the moment, but Pippin knew that they both knew whose initials they were.
SG, PT, MB. Even now, Pippin could see them being carved into the disk in his mind's eye. It was shortly after they had gotten back from their great adventure. They had asked Frodo to have his own made and his initials added, but he had politely declined, one of the first signs that he was ready to sail to the Grey Havens. So it had been Sam, Merry, and Pippin who had sealed their friendship with an identical medallion each. Pippin had never taken his own off.
Merry halfstood, halfkneeled, transfixed by the small piece of gold. Pippin took advantage of this lull in the action to catch his breath and study his friend's face again. It was pallid and covered in sweat from the fight, with a few scrapes and bruises in addition to a few now noticeable scars. But more than that, it seemed years younger. Pippin recognized Merry now, saw his friend of old who had been shrouded by pain and that strange longing hunger.
After a long silent moment, Merry dropped the tiny weight onto Pippin's chest. For the first time in years his eyes were unclouded. His face wore a slightly puzzled expression, which swiftly melted into an expression of horror. When he spoke, his voice was his own, strong and clear as ever. "Pippin... I... you... forgive me..."
Merry seemed to choke on his last words, and passed a hand over his brow. Pippin pushed himself up to a sitting position, replying, "I understand..."
When he looked up again, there was a cloud growing over Merry's eyes. He was losing him again. Merry rose to his feet, muttering something to himself, and staggered out of the room.
Pippin tried to rise to go after him, but his body refused to move. He sat very still, just as Merry had left him, and was sitting there still when Waen, Legolas, and Gimli returned to the room. It wasn't until Waen touched him lightly on the shoulder that he looked up and noticed them. When he did, he gave them a strange smile, saying, "They will pay for what they've done to Merry. If tis mortal blood and flesh needed to save him, then they shall give it to him."
((oOo, mysterious chapter!! - - - which simply means I don't know what to say about it. ... So! There is only one chapter left of voting for who to sacrifice, so make sure you mention your choice in your review. Right now, it is thus: 2 votes for Merry, 2 for Pippin, 1 for all the royal kiddies, 1 for Aragorn. Not to be sacrificed: 2 votes Gimli, 1 vote Aragorn, 1 vote all the royal kiddies. But all that could change at any given moment! Bwah hah ha!!! R&R ))