HMP: Yes, Iris is human. However, there are two reasons why Pippin could
reach both her wrist and her collar. First, Iris is not an adult. She's
actually rather young, about twelve or thirteen, so she's probably only
about 4'7 or 8". Also, as some people know (such as me because I'm such a
hopeless Pippin-obsesser) Pip is rather tall for a Hobbit; he's around
4'6". And Merry's pretty close to that, too. So, there you go. And
thanks for reviewing! (PS: I've never read The Hobbit, shameful I know, so
I dunno who that bear guy is! lol)
EVERYONE ELSE WHO REVIEWED: Thank you so much!! You are all my new best friends! I'm glad y'all enjoy my story!
Disclaimer: Man, if I ever tried to write a story like LotR, Tolkien would turn over in his grave.
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Pippin awoke the next morning to a rather nasty taste in his mouth. He remembered very little about the previous night, except that Iris had woken up. This made him happy, since Byrn was gone and they needed someone to protect them who knew the Wild well.
Standing, he stretched and walked out from behind the rock, only to stop in his tracks. Iris and Merry were lying together on her makeshift bed, her covered by Merry's jacket, and Merry by his trousers and Iris' shirt. Merry had one arm around her shoulders, the other on her right arm, as she had her arms around him. It was clear that neither were wearing anything. Pippin blushed and quickly averted his eyes, walking off into the forest.
'I can't believe you, Merry!' he thought angrily. 'Sleeping with a human girl! And one that kidnapped you, besides!'
As he continued walking, not really paying attention to where he was going, his emotions changed from anger to jealousy. He didn't understand why he was jealous, all he knew was when he first saw Merry and Iris lying there together, he had subconsciously wished it were him in Merry's place.
"What am I doing?" he asked himself. "I can't think about a human like that! Especially after she killed someone. . .and hurt me. . .and won't tell me the truth about anything! Why should I think about her like that? I mean, sure, she's kind and she's very brave and very skilled. . .and she's very beautiful, but she loves Merry, not me. She could never love someone like me. Not after the way I treated her."
Pippin's feelings now went to pure sorrow. He regretted having been so mean to her. Just as he was thinking this, he stumbled over something and fell on his face. Groaning in irritation, he propped himself up on his forearms and looked to see what he had tripped over. It was one half of what looked like a large stick. Looking around, he spotted the other half nearby. He was back to the scene of his and Merry's brawl the other night. As his eyes continued to scan the small clearing, he noticed something that made his stomach turn: the warg was gone.
'A body can't decompose in two days,' Pippin thought. 'Especially not one as big as that thing's was. . .but it was dead. . .I think.'
He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see who it was. It was Iris, now fully dressed. His breath caught in his throat, and his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. He averted his eyes from her.
"H-Hello, Iris," he said softly.
"Hello, Pippin," she replied cheerfully. "I. . .came to talk to you. . .about what happened the other night." Pippin was silent. "Look, I know you wish to figure out why you and Merry are in Byrn's captivity, but at the moment I am not at liberty to tell you."
"Merry knows," Pippin said.
"Yes, but Merry retained that knowledge on his own," Iris explained. She went to him and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "You will learn in time, Pip. I promise, when the time comes, I will tell you. Do you trust me?" She held out her hand.
Pippin looked up into her eyes, then nodded. "Yes. . .I trust you." He took her hand, shaking it.
She smiled and pulled him to his feet. "That's good. I better get back to camp, Merry will be looking for me."
She turned to go, but Pippin didn't release her hand. In a sudden impulse, he pulled her back to him, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her. It was an innate, impassioned kiss, and he was surprised to find that she didn't pull away, but rather he did. She looked straight into his eyes, backing up a little, removing the arm that was around her waist. In her own eyes was a look of foreboding.
"You shouldn't have done that, Pippin," she said softly.
Pippin glared, sort of angry that she was rejecting him. "And Merry shouldn't have slept with you."
Iris turned pink, as at that moment Merry meandered cheerfully into the glade, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. He looked up at Pippin grinning.
"Good morning, Pip," he said. "Have a nice walk?"
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A/N: Poor, oblivious Merry. Ah well. Please review this rather short, but important chapter. Danka!
EVERYONE ELSE WHO REVIEWED: Thank you so much!! You are all my new best friends! I'm glad y'all enjoy my story!
Disclaimer: Man, if I ever tried to write a story like LotR, Tolkien would turn over in his grave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pippin awoke the next morning to a rather nasty taste in his mouth. He remembered very little about the previous night, except that Iris had woken up. This made him happy, since Byrn was gone and they needed someone to protect them who knew the Wild well.
Standing, he stretched and walked out from behind the rock, only to stop in his tracks. Iris and Merry were lying together on her makeshift bed, her covered by Merry's jacket, and Merry by his trousers and Iris' shirt. Merry had one arm around her shoulders, the other on her right arm, as she had her arms around him. It was clear that neither were wearing anything. Pippin blushed and quickly averted his eyes, walking off into the forest.
'I can't believe you, Merry!' he thought angrily. 'Sleeping with a human girl! And one that kidnapped you, besides!'
As he continued walking, not really paying attention to where he was going, his emotions changed from anger to jealousy. He didn't understand why he was jealous, all he knew was when he first saw Merry and Iris lying there together, he had subconsciously wished it were him in Merry's place.
"What am I doing?" he asked himself. "I can't think about a human like that! Especially after she killed someone. . .and hurt me. . .and won't tell me the truth about anything! Why should I think about her like that? I mean, sure, she's kind and she's very brave and very skilled. . .and she's very beautiful, but she loves Merry, not me. She could never love someone like me. Not after the way I treated her."
Pippin's feelings now went to pure sorrow. He regretted having been so mean to her. Just as he was thinking this, he stumbled over something and fell on his face. Groaning in irritation, he propped himself up on his forearms and looked to see what he had tripped over. It was one half of what looked like a large stick. Looking around, he spotted the other half nearby. He was back to the scene of his and Merry's brawl the other night. As his eyes continued to scan the small clearing, he noticed something that made his stomach turn: the warg was gone.
'A body can't decompose in two days,' Pippin thought. 'Especially not one as big as that thing's was. . .but it was dead. . .I think.'
He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see who it was. It was Iris, now fully dressed. His breath caught in his throat, and his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. He averted his eyes from her.
"H-Hello, Iris," he said softly.
"Hello, Pippin," she replied cheerfully. "I. . .came to talk to you. . .about what happened the other night." Pippin was silent. "Look, I know you wish to figure out why you and Merry are in Byrn's captivity, but at the moment I am not at liberty to tell you."
"Merry knows," Pippin said.
"Yes, but Merry retained that knowledge on his own," Iris explained. She went to him and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "You will learn in time, Pip. I promise, when the time comes, I will tell you. Do you trust me?" She held out her hand.
Pippin looked up into her eyes, then nodded. "Yes. . .I trust you." He took her hand, shaking it.
She smiled and pulled him to his feet. "That's good. I better get back to camp, Merry will be looking for me."
She turned to go, but Pippin didn't release her hand. In a sudden impulse, he pulled her back to him, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her. It was an innate, impassioned kiss, and he was surprised to find that she didn't pull away, but rather he did. She looked straight into his eyes, backing up a little, removing the arm that was around her waist. In her own eyes was a look of foreboding.
"You shouldn't have done that, Pippin," she said softly.
Pippin glared, sort of angry that she was rejecting him. "And Merry shouldn't have slept with you."
Iris turned pink, as at that moment Merry meandered cheerfully into the glade, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. He looked up at Pippin grinning.
"Good morning, Pip," he said. "Have a nice walk?"
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A/N: Poor, oblivious Merry. Ah well. Please review this rather short, but important chapter. Danka!
