Aelfgifu: Yeah, sure, she can be 15. . .a petite 15. Hey, as long as it
makes sense.
A/N: I went insane at school today. . .so if anything seems a bit *too* weird. . .that would be the reason. I knew I would crack one day. . .
Disclaimer: Yes, I'm *also* a crazy LotR obsessor who wishes she owned the whole concept, but really doesn't so spends her spare time writing fanfiction instead! BAH!
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The next morning, Pippin opened his eyes to see Merry by the fire, cooking breakfast. Iris was nowhere in sight. Pippin sat up, looking around. He hadn't gotten very much sleep, and it showed.
"Morning, Pip, glad you're finally awake!" Merry greeted, then looked him over. "Or. . .just up I suppose. You don't look very rested to me."
"I'm not," Pippin replied. "Merry. . .did you hear anything last night?"
"Like what?"
"I dunno. . .a voice. Like, whispering, I suppose." Merry thought a moment then shook his head. He held out a small plate of food to his cousin.
"You should eat," he said. "You need to get some strength for our walk today." Pippin took the plate and began to silently eat. Before long, Iris appeared again with a small bag of mushrooms in hand. As Pippin studied them, he realized that they were rather familiar. They looked like. . .he gasped. . .Shire mushrooms!
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A/N: GAH HA HA HA!!! I'm sorry, but that sounded so funny. Ok, back to the story again. . .
________________________________________________________________________
"Iris? Where did you find those?" he asked, setting his plate down. She glanced at the bag, then at Merry. He shrugged, beginning to put out the campfire.
"They're about a mile that way," she replied, pointing off into the trees. Before either of them could say another word, Pippin shot off in the direction she had pointed. Merry stood and they went after him.
Pippin jumped excitedly through the trees, not caring as a passing branch scraped his face and leaving a light cut. He soon found himself running up a slope and. . .ah! There it was! The Road! Nearby, a patch of mushrooms! Yes, he knew this place! He and Merry - in his dream - had come down the small, yet steep, hill that rose over the patch of mushrooms slightly.
Merry and Iris appeared as his sides. Merry's face became sort of solemn, yet in his eyes was a tiny flicker of excitement. Pippin turned to him, grinning.
"You recognize it, don't you?" he said excitedly. "Merry! We're home! We're home! Byrn said it wouldn't happen, but look, it has!" He jumped up and down, laughing happily. Just then, the sound of voices reached his ears. Familiar voices. He turned and looked up the path. Someone was coming. Suddenly, he was being dragged into a large bush.
"What the - ?" His voice was silenced by Merry's hand, which flew over his mouth and clasped there tightly, keeping him from crying out. The voices became figures, and one had recognizable brown hair and large blue eyes. Pippin's eyes widened and he struggled against Merry's grasp.
'Frodo! It's Frodo!' he thought happily. But Merry held him to the spot. Frodo and the other Hobbit, whom Pippin recognized to be Samwise Gamgee, passed by. Merry waited a few moments, then released his cousin. Pippin gasped for air, turning to Merry with wide eyes. "Why did you do that? It was Frodo and Sam, Merry!"
"I know," Merry said shortly. "Come on, Pip, we have to get back to camp."
Pippin was confused. "But. . .Merry? Aren't we going home?"
"No."
"But. . ."
"Pippin! Come on! We're not going home!!" Merry stood and began to walk away. Iris glanced at Pippin, a bit remorsefully, but followed Merry. Pippin sat, rather discouraged. He thought about leaving them to themselves and going home, but he couldn't leave his cousin alone with a human in the forest. What would he tell Merry's family? No one would ever think the same way of him again!
Pippin gave a last glance to the Road, and hurried off after his companions.
* * *
A few hours later, as they trudged through the underbrush, the thought of being so close to home without actually being there still plagued poor Pippin. He wanted so badly to rush back to his family and friends. . .but Merry was his best friend. He couldn't go home without him.
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A/N: Yes, many many author notes. . .time for the first bit of Merry POV. . .ever!
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Ahead, Merry's thoughts were swirling about his mind. How he had yearned to go home, but at the same time his heart ached to stay with Iris. He didn't know why he had done what he had done, but something had almost forced him to.
He felt like he was in such agony, torn between his love and his best friend. True, he had just met Iris, but she was so beautiful and so kind, very much unlike her companion. Thinking of which, Merry began to wonder just where Byrn had wandered off to. Granted, he had never really spoken to the Man, but he was Iris' father, so it didn't make sense for him to simply take off.
As the sun began to lower in the sky again, Merry's feet became heavy with wanted rest. They seemed to scream, "Sit down! Stop walking, you stupid Hobbit!" but he kept going. He kept going, despite his tired feet, long into the night. Iris seemed to show no signs of stopping, but it was clear that Pippin was feeling the same as he was.
"Iris?" he said softly. "Don't you think we should stop? My feet are getting a bit tired. . .and I think that Pippin is going to pass out if he walks anymore."
"We have to at least reach Buckleberry Ferry," she replied.
"Where are we even going?" Merry questioned, keeping his voice low. "You never told me that."
"You will see when we get there," said Iris.
'That helps a whole lot,' Merry thought. 'Next she'll be blindfolding us and throwing us in the River!'
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A/N: A rather witty note to leave off on. Not a very exciting chapter, I'll admit, but hey, at least it keeps the plot a-rollin'! Don't forget to review, please and thank you!
A/N: I went insane at school today. . .so if anything seems a bit *too* weird. . .that would be the reason. I knew I would crack one day. . .
Disclaimer: Yes, I'm *also* a crazy LotR obsessor who wishes she owned the whole concept, but really doesn't so spends her spare time writing fanfiction instead! BAH!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, Pippin opened his eyes to see Merry by the fire, cooking breakfast. Iris was nowhere in sight. Pippin sat up, looking around. He hadn't gotten very much sleep, and it showed.
"Morning, Pip, glad you're finally awake!" Merry greeted, then looked him over. "Or. . .just up I suppose. You don't look very rested to me."
"I'm not," Pippin replied. "Merry. . .did you hear anything last night?"
"Like what?"
"I dunno. . .a voice. Like, whispering, I suppose." Merry thought a moment then shook his head. He held out a small plate of food to his cousin.
"You should eat," he said. "You need to get some strength for our walk today." Pippin took the plate and began to silently eat. Before long, Iris appeared again with a small bag of mushrooms in hand. As Pippin studied them, he realized that they were rather familiar. They looked like. . .he gasped. . .Shire mushrooms!
________________________________________________________________________
A/N: GAH HA HA HA!!! I'm sorry, but that sounded so funny. Ok, back to the story again. . .
________________________________________________________________________
"Iris? Where did you find those?" he asked, setting his plate down. She glanced at the bag, then at Merry. He shrugged, beginning to put out the campfire.
"They're about a mile that way," she replied, pointing off into the trees. Before either of them could say another word, Pippin shot off in the direction she had pointed. Merry stood and they went after him.
Pippin jumped excitedly through the trees, not caring as a passing branch scraped his face and leaving a light cut. He soon found himself running up a slope and. . .ah! There it was! The Road! Nearby, a patch of mushrooms! Yes, he knew this place! He and Merry - in his dream - had come down the small, yet steep, hill that rose over the patch of mushrooms slightly.
Merry and Iris appeared as his sides. Merry's face became sort of solemn, yet in his eyes was a tiny flicker of excitement. Pippin turned to him, grinning.
"You recognize it, don't you?" he said excitedly. "Merry! We're home! We're home! Byrn said it wouldn't happen, but look, it has!" He jumped up and down, laughing happily. Just then, the sound of voices reached his ears. Familiar voices. He turned and looked up the path. Someone was coming. Suddenly, he was being dragged into a large bush.
"What the - ?" His voice was silenced by Merry's hand, which flew over his mouth and clasped there tightly, keeping him from crying out. The voices became figures, and one had recognizable brown hair and large blue eyes. Pippin's eyes widened and he struggled against Merry's grasp.
'Frodo! It's Frodo!' he thought happily. But Merry held him to the spot. Frodo and the other Hobbit, whom Pippin recognized to be Samwise Gamgee, passed by. Merry waited a few moments, then released his cousin. Pippin gasped for air, turning to Merry with wide eyes. "Why did you do that? It was Frodo and Sam, Merry!"
"I know," Merry said shortly. "Come on, Pip, we have to get back to camp."
Pippin was confused. "But. . .Merry? Aren't we going home?"
"No."
"But. . ."
"Pippin! Come on! We're not going home!!" Merry stood and began to walk away. Iris glanced at Pippin, a bit remorsefully, but followed Merry. Pippin sat, rather discouraged. He thought about leaving them to themselves and going home, but he couldn't leave his cousin alone with a human in the forest. What would he tell Merry's family? No one would ever think the same way of him again!
Pippin gave a last glance to the Road, and hurried off after his companions.
* * *
A few hours later, as they trudged through the underbrush, the thought of being so close to home without actually being there still plagued poor Pippin. He wanted so badly to rush back to his family and friends. . .but Merry was his best friend. He couldn't go home without him.
________________________________________________________________________
A/N: Yes, many many author notes. . .time for the first bit of Merry POV. . .ever!
________________________________________________________________________
Ahead, Merry's thoughts were swirling about his mind. How he had yearned to go home, but at the same time his heart ached to stay with Iris. He didn't know why he had done what he had done, but something had almost forced him to.
He felt like he was in such agony, torn between his love and his best friend. True, he had just met Iris, but she was so beautiful and so kind, very much unlike her companion. Thinking of which, Merry began to wonder just where Byrn had wandered off to. Granted, he had never really spoken to the Man, but he was Iris' father, so it didn't make sense for him to simply take off.
As the sun began to lower in the sky again, Merry's feet became heavy with wanted rest. They seemed to scream, "Sit down! Stop walking, you stupid Hobbit!" but he kept going. He kept going, despite his tired feet, long into the night. Iris seemed to show no signs of stopping, but it was clear that Pippin was feeling the same as he was.
"Iris?" he said softly. "Don't you think we should stop? My feet are getting a bit tired. . .and I think that Pippin is going to pass out if he walks anymore."
"We have to at least reach Buckleberry Ferry," she replied.
"Where are we even going?" Merry questioned, keeping his voice low. "You never told me that."
"You will see when we get there," said Iris.
'That helps a whole lot,' Merry thought. 'Next she'll be blindfolding us and throwing us in the River!'
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A/N: A rather witty note to leave off on. Not a very exciting chapter, I'll admit, but hey, at least it keeps the plot a-rollin'! Don't forget to review, please and thank you!
