Dinner Time!
Merry strode into the kitchen, his arms filled with herbs, carrots, mushrooms, and other such foods. Sam followed him, carrying a large turkey. Pippin and Alida exited the kitchen as they entered.
"Oy, Pip, do me a favor, wouldja?" Merry asked as Pipin reached the kitchen door.
Pippin turned. "Aye?"
"Go to the market to get some spiced apples." Merry replied.
Pippin nodded and exited.
"You want to come with me?" Pippin asked, turning to Alida.
"Sure," Alida said with a smile.
They went out the back door and started toward the market silently. When they got there, they walked to the fruitseller. He was talking to someone behind him that Pippin couldn't see.
"S'cuse me," Pippin said to the old Hobbit.
He turned around to look at Pippin and Alida.
"One second," he said, and turned around and began talking to the person behind him.
Pippin and Alida waited for at least twenty minutes.
"Look, sir, we're in a wee bit of a hurry."
The old Hobbit turned and seemed to be growing angry at their impatience.
"If you're in a hurry, take your little Elf girl somewhere else."
Alida turned and looked the other way when the old bag looked at her.
"Just give us a dozen spiced apples and we'll be on our way."
The old Hobbit grunted and tossed a bag on the counter.
"Take the blasted apples and leave."
Pippin grabbed the bag and they scuttled down the road, out of the old Hobbit's sight. On the way back, the temperature dropped as it got darker and snow began to fall. When Pippin opened the door, Merry practically jumped him.
"Thanks a bunch, Pip." he said as he entered the kitchen.
"No problem." Pippin said as he hung his cloak over the rack near the door.
He walked casually into the living room and plopped down on the sofa, Alida following him. They talked and listened to Pippin tell stories about pranks he'd pulled on the elders when he was a tween and all the pranks he still wanted to pull on them. He told funny jokes that made everyone laugh, even Gandalf, who rarely laughed at one of Pippin's jokes. Pippin was glad that Alida had become more comfortable and open with everyone.
"Dinner time!" Merry called from the kitchen.
Everyone got up and strode in the kitchen and took a seat at the long oak table. The food looked spectacular. There was Vegetable Stew, everyone's favorite, except for Alida's as she was used to eating Elven food. There were yams and potatoes (Sam's favorite) and freshly cooked fish. And in the center of the table, was the biggest turkey anyone had ever seen.
"Merry, the food looks wonderful." Frodo complimented, then stuffed his mouth full of mashed potatoes.
"Took almost three hours to make." Merry said proudly as he too occupied his hunger with potatoes.
They talked and laughed and ate a lot. After a half hour, Pippin asked Merry "Oy, where's the rum?"
"Gotchya covered." Merry said with a smug smile as he pulled a box onto his lap. He passed everyone a goblet, then took out a giant jug filled with rum.
Everyone cheered. Gandalf, realizing it was already eleven thirty at night, wanted some peace and quiet.
"Legolas, Hobbits, Alida! It's eleven thirty already!"
They all gasped, then Legolas said "Make haste, Hobbits! Santa will be here soon!"
They trudged up the stairs and then there was silence.
"A bit cruel of you, isn't it, Gandalf?" Aragorn said with a grin.
"Work's every year!" Gandalf chuckled. "Now, let's just get these presents under the tree and get to bed!"
Merry strode into the kitchen, his arms filled with herbs, carrots, mushrooms, and other such foods. Sam followed him, carrying a large turkey. Pippin and Alida exited the kitchen as they entered.
"Oy, Pip, do me a favor, wouldja?" Merry asked as Pipin reached the kitchen door.
Pippin turned. "Aye?"
"Go to the market to get some spiced apples." Merry replied.
Pippin nodded and exited.
"You want to come with me?" Pippin asked, turning to Alida.
"Sure," Alida said with a smile.
They went out the back door and started toward the market silently. When they got there, they walked to the fruitseller. He was talking to someone behind him that Pippin couldn't see.
"S'cuse me," Pippin said to the old Hobbit.
He turned around to look at Pippin and Alida.
"One second," he said, and turned around and began talking to the person behind him.
Pippin and Alida waited for at least twenty minutes.
"Look, sir, we're in a wee bit of a hurry."
The old Hobbit turned and seemed to be growing angry at their impatience.
"If you're in a hurry, take your little Elf girl somewhere else."
Alida turned and looked the other way when the old bag looked at her.
"Just give us a dozen spiced apples and we'll be on our way."
The old Hobbit grunted and tossed a bag on the counter.
"Take the blasted apples and leave."
Pippin grabbed the bag and they scuttled down the road, out of the old Hobbit's sight. On the way back, the temperature dropped as it got darker and snow began to fall. When Pippin opened the door, Merry practically jumped him.
"Thanks a bunch, Pip." he said as he entered the kitchen.
"No problem." Pippin said as he hung his cloak over the rack near the door.
He walked casually into the living room and plopped down on the sofa, Alida following him. They talked and listened to Pippin tell stories about pranks he'd pulled on the elders when he was a tween and all the pranks he still wanted to pull on them. He told funny jokes that made everyone laugh, even Gandalf, who rarely laughed at one of Pippin's jokes. Pippin was glad that Alida had become more comfortable and open with everyone.
"Dinner time!" Merry called from the kitchen.
Everyone got up and strode in the kitchen and took a seat at the long oak table. The food looked spectacular. There was Vegetable Stew, everyone's favorite, except for Alida's as she was used to eating Elven food. There were yams and potatoes (Sam's favorite) and freshly cooked fish. And in the center of the table, was the biggest turkey anyone had ever seen.
"Merry, the food looks wonderful." Frodo complimented, then stuffed his mouth full of mashed potatoes.
"Took almost three hours to make." Merry said proudly as he too occupied his hunger with potatoes.
They talked and laughed and ate a lot. After a half hour, Pippin asked Merry "Oy, where's the rum?"
"Gotchya covered." Merry said with a smug smile as he pulled a box onto his lap. He passed everyone a goblet, then took out a giant jug filled with rum.
Everyone cheered. Gandalf, realizing it was already eleven thirty at night, wanted some peace and quiet.
"Legolas, Hobbits, Alida! It's eleven thirty already!"
They all gasped, then Legolas said "Make haste, Hobbits! Santa will be here soon!"
They trudged up the stairs and then there was silence.
"A bit cruel of you, isn't it, Gandalf?" Aragorn said with a grin.
"Work's every year!" Gandalf chuckled. "Now, let's just get these presents under the tree and get to bed!"