Yes... this is the chapter where Pippin enters the story =) This time I'm not going to apologize for the wait on the chapter, though... although I was tempted to post this days and days ago, only without the last few pages, I didn't, thus making this chapter the longest one I have yet to write by quite a few pages. Plus, I've revised (hopefully for the better) several times, and am quite proud of how this turned out! It's possibly my favorite chapter that I've ever written. So, I hope you all enjoy, and please let me know what you think! Gracias!
-Chapter Four-
A Huge Aid
For the first time in a long while, Diamond felt truly happy. As she gazed 'round at the scenery of lush green leaves and plump, full flowers, felt the warm sun resting upon her arms and face, smelt the fragrance of early summer in the air (a curious sort of smell, she thought -- the smell of cut grass and ripened flowers and numerous other things she couldn't quite place, tangy and pleasing and exciting all at once), she felt light and carefree. Nob was pushed to a musky corner in the back of her mind, not to be thought about, not to be cared about. She was here, alive, on a wondrous day, and on her way to see cousins and an aunt and uncle that she adored with a sister she couldn't live without.
Never mind the fact that she and Prisca were left stranded on the outskirts of Tuckborough with little more than a vague sense of where they should be going and a rather large load of luggage.
"Oh just wait until Mother and Father hear about this," Prisca wailed miserably. "We were promised a ride to our relatives' house, not just to Tuckborough!" She desperately gave a tug to a particularly large piece of luggage, managing to move it a few inches before letting go and stepping back, panting. Diamond giggled, causing Pris to shoot her an unpleasant look. There was something about this whole situation that Diamond found wildly amusing.
"Diamond, how are we supposed to make it to our cousins'?" Prisca moaned, raising her hands to her head as though it suddenly needed the extra support. "It's too far, and there's too much luggage! Oh that stupid driver... he promised our parents he would see us here safely..."
"Well, he did," Diamond pointed out with a grin. "We're safe, aren't we?" She knew Prisca was angry with their driver; in truth, she supposed she was too. He had claimed he had a tight schedule to keep, and he had gotten them to Tuckborough ("The deal was to drive you to Tuckborough; nothing ever was said about taking you lasses anywhere in Tuckborough."). Prisca had put up a terrible fuss ("It was assumed you would have the courtesy to take us to our destination!"), and thinking of it brought a smile to Diamond's face. Her sister could have quite the temper. Apparently, though, her temper was not enough to phase the driver... apologizing profusely (although obviously not meaning it) he had driven away, leaving Prisca shouting after him and Diamond, despite everything, snickering riotously.
"He left us on a deserted road," Prisca went on, ignoring Diamond. "So there's little chance of finding another ride... oh we told them we would be arriving today, what will they think if we don't show up? What will we do? Darned that old hobbit... he could have taken a few minutes out of his day to see us at least to our cousins' road! He promised our father, he promised him... he won't be pleased, not at all. Our parents paid him and everything! Maybe they could have been more specific with their needs, but still... Diamond," Prisca abruptly whirled on her sister, her voice taking on a sarcastic tone at Diamond's lack of worry. "don't appear concerned or anything!"
"At least it's a nice day," Diamond pointed out at once. "It could be raining or cold. And if we wait here long enough, someone's bound to come along. This road has to be used sometime."
"Perhaps," Prisca said with a sigh. Diamond thought she sounded almost defeated. "At least you're cheerful, Di," Prisca went on. "And not dwelling over... what happened any longer."
"Yes," Diamond said, with a slightly strained smile. She wrinkled her freckle-strewn nose in distaste. "It's not worth it." And indeed, she believed she meant was she said.
"No," Prisca agreed. "No, no it's not." Prisca was silent a moment, gazing down the empty road before speaking again. "It certainly isn't doing us much good standing here. Do you think, Diamond, that we should start walking some more? Anyone in a wagon would easily overtake us, so we wouldn't miss a chance at a ride."
"Yes, perhaps," Diamond said, consenting at last as he moved to help Prisca with the luggage.
-----
"I'm bored, Merry," Peregrin Took complained, kicking a stone up from the dirt and watching with little interest as it bounced across the grass. He grumbled his displeasure at the lack of action around him, and slumped against the trunk of an oak, sliding to the ground in a most maladroit way.
"You're always something," Meriadoc Brandybuck muttered, following the example of his cousin and sitting besides him. "If you're not bored you're hungry; if not hungry, you're tired; and if not tired, then you're so filled with energy that you're absolutely impossible to bear."
"Perhaps," Pippin agreed desolately, then added as a sudden (and rather clever, or so he believed) afterthought, "But at least I still have some sort of sense in my head."
Merry shot a sideways glance at Pippin, raising his brow. "Meaning?"
"Meaning I haven't lost all notions of sanity over a lass," Pippin responded tartly, not missing a beat as he brought up a familiar topic between the two, a topic that often entered the conversation as a playful banter and left at least one sullen hobbit behind as it went away once more.
"I haven't!" Merry burst out at once, playing right into Pippin's ragging, though instantly the words left his lips a smile came over them, as, once more, he was oblivious to the obvious repugnance in Pippin's expression. "Well, yes, perhaps I have... but she isn't just any lass, Pip."
"No, no of course not," Pippin agreed sardonically, something Merry missed entirely. "Not just any lass. She's Estella."
"Aye, that she is," Merry replied, his gaze drifting out over the scenery, and Pippin grunted forlornly.
"Don't you go all dreamy on me again, Meriadoc Brandybuck," he ordered strictly. "There's plenty of other time for that. Now we must do something exciting."
"All right then, what shall we do?" Merry asked.
"You think of something."
"I can think of plenty..."
"Not involving Estella!"
"Then I've got nothing."
Pippin heaved a very evident and very annoyed sigh. "Honestly Merry, I do believe I liked you much better before this Estella lass."
"She and I go back further than you can remember, I bet," Merry opposed promptly. Pippin could think of nothing to say to this, and so he kept quiet. Merry, however, was not quite finished. "You, Peregrin, are just sore that you can't find a lass of your own..."
"I could if I wanted to!" Pippin growled, half playfully and half out of true anger. He did not like where this conversation was going, not at all. Perhaps it was because what his cousin said was a smidgen bit true and a speck of jealously sometimes did rear its ugly face within Pippin... or perhaps it was because the mere talk of committing one's self to another made Pippin all around uncomfortable. Perhaps it was neither, Pippin justified silently. Yes, that was it. He just didn't like to talk about matters like this.
"Oh I bet..." Merry's tone dripped with sarcasm.
"For your information, the lasses happen to be crawling at my feet, simply begging me to look twice in their direction..." Pippin drawled lazily, his tone light and teasing.
Merry's sudden outburst of laughter at this statement startled Pippin so much that he was rendered speechless for several moments as Merry threw himself dramatically to the ground, most plainly overplaying his laughter. True, Pippin had been kidding with what he had said, but did Merry have to laugh at him, like the idea was so absolutely and completely absurd? He stared blankly at Merry, not quite understanding. Not for long, however, was Pippin to be such; as soon as his temper fully awoke within his head was he atop his cousin in a heartbeat, trying to pin him in hopes to have him begging for mercy within minutes. Merry was ready for Pippin, though, and before too long, the two were rolling across the ground, engaged in a good-humored wrestling match. Pippin was laughing now too, anger forgotten, just as hard as Merry if not harder, and the two found it a struggle to breathe. It was almost simultaneously that they both gave up the match for a draw, and lay panting side-by-side on the ground, gazing up at the baby-blue sky above them.
"You know it's true," Pippin panted, still chuckling, as he turned his head sideways on the springy grass, causing his face to itch in a somewhat pleasing way as the blades trailed across it. "Any lass would give her life's possessions just for a moment of my time."
"O yes," Merry agreed with a roll of his eyes, running a hand through his bouncy fair curls. "I hear that they're breaking out in brutal fights over you constantly all throughout the Shire..."
"You heard that too?" Pippin exclaimed with a grin. "I thought I was the only one... and to think, no one believed me when I told them..."
They both laughed, any previous tension now wholly forgotten, and lapsed into comfortable silence. Pippin found that he was overly pleased. It had been much too long since he had had a good tumble with his cousin, and even if it did start over a tad bit of anger, it ended all in good nature. He just wished more days could be like this. Now, ever since they had returned to the Shire again, both Merry and Pippin's time seemed to be constantly used up, between family and responsibilities, and, in Merry's case, Estella. It wasn't often the two got a day to themselves, and time to spend together, at that.
Merry soon pushed himself into a half-sitting position, resting his weight on his elbows. Pippin, still lost in thoughts, barely noticed, until Merry spoke. "Still want to do something, Pip, or do you wish to lay here all day?"
Pippin's curiosity perked at once. "What do you have in mind, cousin?" he questioned, gazing up at him in interest. Merry nodded in the direction of the road, quite some distance away.
"They look in need of help." He responded.
Pippin pushed himself into a sitting position, quite eager to see what Merry meant. The road he had motioned to wasn't a very often used one, only making it all the more motivating. Gazing off into the distance, Pippin could make out two lone figures, appearing quite isolated and alone and at a loss. They appeared at a standstill, unsure of themselves and what to do.
"Shall we at least go and see?" Merry asked Pippin, glancing sideways at him to catch his initial response.
"We shall," Pippin declared, a sudden rush of restlessness surging through him. "I'm quite interested to see what they're doing alone around here."
"Come on then, Pip," Merry said suddenly, standing and addressing the large field that rolled and tumbled across to the road. "Race you!" he added with a sly grin, before his long legs sprang into action and he flew from Pippin's side.
A large grin slowly spread across Peregrin's face, and, not missing a beat, he was on his feet and tearing after his cousin. Laughing and stumbling their way through the knee-high grass, not caring how idiotic they may or may not look, their long strides ate up the field before they came out upon the other road, out of breath but vastly pleased as they halted one-by-one before the two lasses they had every intention of aiding.
"Hullo there!" Merry panted as soon as he drew to a stop before the two, a considerable amount of distance before Pippin. "My cousin and I couldn't help but notice the fact that..."
He was violently interrupted as Pippin finally crashed his way over, smacking straight into Merry and causing them both to tumble helplessly to the ground in a jarring heap of legs and arms. "Pip!" Merry shouted angrily from the ground, spitting a substantial amount of dirt from his mouth and rubbing a sleeve across his face. He shoved his cousin from him, fighting to stand as the two lasses collapsed vulnerably into laughter.
-----
"No one is going to come along," Prisca moaned for about the hundredth time that hour. "We shall be stuck here forever!"
"Stop it Pris!" Diamond demanded irately, feebly tugging her luggage behind her. They were making quite good time, or so she thought. She supposed she didn't want to know how fast they were truly going, for she knew it would be a large amount less than what she figured they were doing. Just the thought of it disheartened her so much that she pushed it from her mind.
Prisca said nothing, crossing her arms adamantly as she pointedly looked the other way. Diamond sighed, letting go of her luggage and wiping her brow. The two lasses were hot and sweaty, and clearly not in the best of moods.
"Even if we have to do it all ourselves, we'll get there," Diamond maintained, shading her eyes from the sun and glancing down the road as if hoping to spot something of hope somewhere in the distance. She didn't expect to see anything, and therefore, was quite surprised when she actually did.
"Look, Pris!" She gasped suddenly, pointing across the field. Prisca sighed loudly.
"If this is something dull..." she began, for Diamond had stopped to point out several 'fascinating' things (once a tree, twice a bird) several times already. Prisca honestly couldn't care less at the time. She anticipated it to be just that, however, and therefore, began to reprimand her sister before she even caught sight of what excited Diamond.
"Diamond, to put it quite frankly, I don't really..." she stopped short and drew a breath as she followed Diamond's finger. Across the field adjacent the road they stood upon and advancing rapidly towards them were two hobbit lads. "Oh thank goodness," Prisca whimpered weakly at once. She paused. "Wait, I am really seeing them, aren't I? I'm not just imagining things?"
"I told you someone would come!" Diamond said gleefully, bouncing up and down as the two drew even closer. The closer they got, the taller they became, and even when they should have stopped getting taller to be considered of normal hobbit height, they grew more still. Diamond gawked openly as she realization suddenly hit her hard; these particular lads weren't normal, what in their fancy dressings that glinted in the sun (for now they were close enough to be observed in detail) and abnormal heights. In fact, one of them she knew to be distantly related to her family, although she had never met him in person...
And Diamond gaped still even as the first reached the two and addressed them. Even before she had a chance to speak, however, the second came barreling into the first and they went down; quite painfully, from the looks of it, yet quite comically nonetheless. She and Pris both burst into laughter (rather rudely, she thought even as she giggled helplessly) as they watched the two stagger to their feet. When they were standing once more, dirty and battered and looking positively embarrassed, again Diamond's mind was flooded with thoughts.
"You're huge," was the first thing she blurted, before either said anything else. As soon as these words floated from her mouth, she blushed a heated red and clamped her hands firmly across her face. Prisca giggled.
"I prefer the term 'tall' myself," one said pleasantly, and turning her gaze to him, Diamond knew him to be Meriadoc Brandybuck. Her eyes traveled silently to the other besides him, and figured at once that it must be Peregrin Took.
"You two saved the Shire a couple years ago!" was the next thing Diamond said, as soon as she lowered her hands from her mouth. "I know you..."
"Shush Di," Prisca instructed softly from her side. To the lads, she said, "Diamond has been absolutely enthralled with the fact that you two left the Shire before returning -- alive and apparently well -- only to toss out the Ruffians and Sharky. It was all she talked about for months after it happened."
The two lads grinned in Diamond's direction, and she felt heat creep up her neck and engulf her face. "I just..." she stuttered, before changing course entirely. "What's it like outside the Shire? Oh, I've seen you from a distance before and I wanted to talk to you, I truly did... what are the odds of meeting you two here anyway? I mean..."
"Slow down," Pippin commanded, feeling slightly overwhelmed. "We have your name, dear Diamond, but what of this other lovely lass?" He turned his beaming face to Prisca.
"Prisca," Pris said at once. "Diamond's sister."
"Well met, both of you," Merry said cheerfully.
"Could you help us?" Prisca plunged ahead before anymore was said. "I'm afraid our driver has left us stranded and without much chance to get where we're going on our own. We know how to get there -- it's just the problem of getting there that presents itself."
"With pleasure," Pippin said readily. He turned to Diamond with certainly the most radiating smile she had ever seen, and she swallowed hard as she felt a pleasant shiver course through her body. "Perhaps we can quench this young lass' thirst for information on the way, or at least douse it slightly."
"Perhaps," Diamond said with a tight smile, feeling budding excitement ripple within her. This visit was turning out wonderful before it even truthfully began. She drew a deep breath, prepared to fire any question that crossed her mind at the two. She wanted to know everything.
-----
I certainly hope it wasn't too drawn-out or anything! I decided only when writing this chapter to have Diamond genuinely interested in the Quest the four hobbits partook on and life outside the Shire... and now that I've done so, I figure that it will play a huge part in Diamond and Pippin's relationship. Just a little note =) Okay well, please review; let me know what you thought!
