HMP: Yeah, so Iris is a little strumpet. Who cares? lol, just kidding. Well, back in those medieval type times, it wasn't that uncommon for young girls to get married and whatnot. I don't know. . .hey, you see weirder stuff out there. But I can see where you got confused! ^ ^

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. . .it's all been done before. (yes, that *is* a Barenaked Ladies song, hehe)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merry's smile faded as he looked back and forth between Iris and Pippin's grave faces. Their eyes were still locked together. "Have I missed something?"

"No, Merry dear," Iris said quickly, not breaking her gaze with Pippin. "I'm going back to camp to start breakfast. After we eat, we should get going. Byrn or no Byrn, we have lost too many days not to cover any distance now that I can travel."

With that, she removed Merry's arms from her waist and made her way back to camp. Merry stared after her, a dreamy look in his eyes. He sighed. "Isn't she lovely, Pip?"

Pippin shrugged, his cheeks turning a bit pink. "I suppose. . .for a human."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I just don't think that you should get so. . .involved with her. . .you know what I mean. She wouldn't fit in very well in the Shire, since she is a human and all."

"Pippin, what are you talking about?"

"When we go home." Silence. "Merry. . .we *are* going home. . .aren't we?"

Merry was silent a moment. "I. . .I wouldn't count on it, Pip." Merry glanced at him sidelong, then turned and walked out of the grove, back towards camp. Pippin sighed, looking around once more and then hurried after him.

* * *

By midday, they had started on their journey once more, without Byrn. Merry and Iris walked together, of course, but it didn't bother Pippin very much today. He was too busy with his thoughts. Now that he actually considered it, he had no idea where they were going. He had always figured, or hoped rather, that Byrn and Iris were taking him and Merry back to the Shire. But it didn't seem to be so. . .

But if not the Shire, then where were they going? Perhaps they were on their way to some country of Men, or Elves! The thought of going to an Elven city was a bit exciting, but Byrn didn't seem the type of fellow who would go to that sort of place. Pippin was almost sure that they were going to a Men city. . .and it made him quite curious. He had been told stories by his father of how unfriendly the "Big Folk" could be. . .but Iris wasn't at all unfriendly, and though she was only an inch or two taller than he and Merry, she still belonged to the race of Men.

As he thought about her, she did have sort of an Elvish air about her. . .something magical. But she was in every way human. Her hair, her ears, everything was human. Yet, he couldn't help but notice the way the sunlight seemed to illuminate her skin, or how her sapphire eyes seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. . .but otherwise she was very much a mortal, human being.

The trail seemed to linger on for years and years to him, and it soon became a tedious job simply to lift one foot and place it in front of the other. He was carrying a great deal of their supplies, and he hadn't been very happy with this idea in the first place.

"Merry, I don't want to carry all of that stuff!" he had protested.

"Iris can't do it, she's still recovering," Merry had explained. "And I have to help her, but I will carry some of it."

Iris, Iris, Iris. . .it was all Merry spoke of anymore. Pippin was starting to get a bit frustrated with his cousin. If they ever did make it back home, surely he didn't expect that she could live in the Shire happily? Of course, Merry could always choose to go with her. . .but would he? Pippin, for one, would never do such a thing! The Shire was his home and always would be. . .but he had doubts that Merry now felt the same way.

But the two thoughts that lingered in his mind above everything else was where the warg had gone and why he had done such a foolish thing as kiss Iris, and gotten mad when she rejected him. The warg was more bothersome than the kiss. . .at least there was a possible explaination for that: perhaps he, too, loved Iris? No, he didn't think he did. . .

'I shouldn't worry about it,' he thought. 'She doesn't seem to have any intention of telling Merry, and as long as it never happens again, what harm can it do?'

It still troubled him, however. Trying to fight it out of his mind, he focused his attention on the thought of the warg. Where could it have gone? Could it have still been alive, and wandered off after they left? It was possible, but not probable. Iris' dagger had struck it enough so that it wouldn't have lived for very long without care. With that in mind, maybe it had gotten up, wandered for awhile and then fallen. That was more logical than his first prediction.

Thunder boomed overhead. Pippin stopped a second, peering up between the branches of the trees. The sky looked dark and bleak, almost as if at any moment the coal black clouds would burst and send a waterfall of rain down upon the three travelers. This made Pippin wonder about Byrn. Where could he have gotten to? Certainly he was capable of taking care of himself, but it didn't seem that he took anything with him, save his pack. And why would he just abandon his daughter and his captives like that? Pippin shook his head, peering up at the sky, and trotted to catch up with Merry and Iris.

Now his legs felt ready to give at any second. He was far too weary to travel any more, but he couldn't stop now that it was nearing a storm. The air began to smell of rain, as well, warning them of the preparing downpour. Iris stopped suddenly.

"We should find a place to make camp," she said.

"'Tis about to rain, love," Merry said softly. Pippin's stomach turned as he called her "love".

"I know, but we have traveled very far today," she explained. She glanced at Pippin. "I think our trusty steed could use some rest."

Pippin scowled at being compared to a luggage-bearing animal. Merry chuckled. "Did you hear that, Pip? You're not just a mule, you're a steed!"

"Don't I feel honored?" he grumbled in response. They continued walking for a bit, before coming across a fair shelter made of branches and leaves.

'Obviously by some animal,' Pippin thought, looking it over a bit. He let the large pack fall from his shoulders and lay down. Ah. . .it felt good to be rid of that burden. Suddenly, something tickled his nose and he let out a sneeze. The others looked at him, before returning to the campfire they were building.

* * *

The sky darkened, the storm passed, and they had taken a light meal before settling themselves to sleep. Pippin soon drifted into a light slumber. The wind blew about him, chilling him deep down, so he pulled his cloak tighter around him. A light whisper blew in the wind. . .at least it sounded like a whisper.

'Probably just the wind in the branches,' he thought, half-asleep.

It came louder now. "Pippin. . ." It was very clear now. He opened his eyes immediately. "Pippin. . ." He shot up, looking around frantically. "Pippin. . ." No one was there, save Merry and Iris, who were both sound asleep. "Pippin." His heart began to pound. "Pippin!"

"W-Who's there?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"Pippin." The voice was getting softer.

"What do you want?" he stammered.

"Pippin. . ."

Pippin was afraid to move. What if it attacked him. . .whatever it was? Who was out there?

"Pippin. . ." Soon, the voice was just a faint whisper in his ear. Finally, the wind ceased, along with the voice. Pippin settled down a bit, still wondering what had happened. Laying down again, he shut his eyes tightly, and did not move until morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Muah ha ha. . .what's haunting poor Pip?? Review and I just might tell you. . .at the end! MUAH HA HA HA!!! Oh, and please, short advertisement, go and read my other story "In Dreams". It's a Fromance (tee hee) and it isn't doing very well for itself. . .but it was my first story and I liked it. Anyway, if you could *try* and take a look, please do! Dancha!