ONLY A DAY YET
*I am trying to post at a reasonable pace but please be patient with me - it's finals week here. In the meantime, if you need more Pippin-recovers- after-getting-squooshed-by-troll-stories two excellent ones are "Fate and the High King's Falcon" by Baylor and "Thirteen Days After, One Day Before" by Zebra Wallpaper. Praise them with great praise!
************************************************************************ Day Two/March 26
Aragorn, after tending so many of his people - some brought back to the light, others relinquished to the shadows - had been able to push his concern for Pippin's fate to the far corners of his mind. The return of Frodo and Sam by the Eagles had stirred the question of the fate of Frodo's little cousin before it submerged beneath the care and tending of the other two hobbits. Gandalf sat with them now, keeping watch like a proud moutain hawk with its chicks. Now, as Aragorn prepared to retire to his own cot, the thought of Pippin was brought back with a vengeance as he saw Legolas approach.
"Elessar! He is found." Legolas grew grave for a moment. "He lives now yet he is in great need of your skill. Gimli found him beneath the cave troll he slew."
Aragorn caught his breath in astonishment. "He slew a troll? He is fortunate indeed to be living still."
Legolas bowed his head. "Elessar, when Pippin was found, he was not living. It took the efforts of us two and the virtue of athelas to bring him back."
It did not take long for the king to grasp the full implication of how gravely wounded the hobbit was and he sent a healing woman to clear off a pallet and fetch hot water. "Where is Pippin now?"
"Gimli would have no other bear him." Legolas looked up at the door. "He comes now." Aragorn followed Legolas' gaze and beheld Gimli entering with a small body in his arms. Even at the distance he could discern the gravity of Pippin's condition.
"Gimli, lay him here." Aragorn accepted the basin of water and cloths from the healing woman with a nod of thanks. "Now then."
Pippin was so covered in blood, dirt, and filth that it was nearly impossible for Aragorn to take stock of his injuries, even after the mail shirt and outerwear had been removed. His curls were stiff with it and his skin was deeply ingrained with it. Aragorn sent for more hot water and began to gently wash away the grime.
Slowly the various wounds came to light and the ruin of the young hobbit's body nearly made him weep. The gashes on his nose and cheek caused by the helm's edges proved to be bloody but not serious, although Aragorn suspected at least one of the nasal bones had cracked. To these he applied a salve to stimulate healing and stave off infection.
Darkening patches on his face and body showed where a plethora of bruises would soon form. Nothing could be done about them so Aragorn left them firmly alone. The right elbow was twisted out of proper alignment and had to be set. Naught but a firm wrench would set it straight again. Aragorn ordered Gimli and Legolas to hold the small body still and grasped Pippin's arm both above and below the elbow. There was an audible pop from the elbow but no sound from Pippin. The arm was bound with cloth.
Pippin's hands were unbroken but the joints were swollen and stiff, especially the right, which had grasped the sword more firmly. Aragorn soaked them in water, hoping the warmth might relieve the stiffness and make easier the treatment. At last he was able to straighten the fingers somewhat and had them gentle wrapped to keep them from clenching again.
The left ankle, not the one that had alerted Gimli to Pippin's presence, was badly twisted. Aragorn gently set it right and bound it firmly in place. Several ribs were also cracked if not outright broken. Aragorn debated the wisdom of having them similarly bound. Pippin's breathing was already laboured and the bindings would hamper it further.
There was also the worrisome factor of the swelling and bruised firmness of his belly. These were symptoms of internal bleeding. Binding the ribs could further injure him and increase the bleeding.
At last Aragorn decided against it and had a tea of herbs brewed to slow the bleeding. It took many failed efforts to get the tea into the unconscious patient. The only consolation was that Pippin's paled skin began to warm from the king's gentle treatment.
"You must rest, Elessar," Legolas said at the end of the ministrations. "I will inform Gandalf of Pippin's return."
"Also send word to Merry that his cousin lives."
Legolas nodded and departed. Aragorn sighed as he looked down upon Pippin, nearly hidden from view beneath the blankets layered upon him. "The air grows chill. He must be kept warm as the night wanes. Yet the weight of the blankets is such that I do not know of if his ribs will tolerate more."
"The elven cloaks of the Lady of the Golden Woods are warm as wool and light as thistledown," Gimli said. "If he has more need of my cloak than I, he shall have it."
Aragorn nodded wearily. "Thank you. You will keep watch, then?"
"I will do so," Gimli said.
"I do not like to leave you but Legolas will surely join you when he is able."
"If he does I shall send him to his own rest," retorted Gimli. "It will not do to have all of us wearied beyond use."
Aragorn smiled. "Do as you will," he said, and departed for his tent.
*I am trying to post at a reasonable pace but please be patient with me - it's finals week here. In the meantime, if you need more Pippin-recovers- after-getting-squooshed-by-troll-stories two excellent ones are "Fate and the High King's Falcon" by Baylor and "Thirteen Days After, One Day Before" by Zebra Wallpaper. Praise them with great praise!
************************************************************************ Day Two/March 26
Aragorn, after tending so many of his people - some brought back to the light, others relinquished to the shadows - had been able to push his concern for Pippin's fate to the far corners of his mind. The return of Frodo and Sam by the Eagles had stirred the question of the fate of Frodo's little cousin before it submerged beneath the care and tending of the other two hobbits. Gandalf sat with them now, keeping watch like a proud moutain hawk with its chicks. Now, as Aragorn prepared to retire to his own cot, the thought of Pippin was brought back with a vengeance as he saw Legolas approach.
"Elessar! He is found." Legolas grew grave for a moment. "He lives now yet he is in great need of your skill. Gimli found him beneath the cave troll he slew."
Aragorn caught his breath in astonishment. "He slew a troll? He is fortunate indeed to be living still."
Legolas bowed his head. "Elessar, when Pippin was found, he was not living. It took the efforts of us two and the virtue of athelas to bring him back."
It did not take long for the king to grasp the full implication of how gravely wounded the hobbit was and he sent a healing woman to clear off a pallet and fetch hot water. "Where is Pippin now?"
"Gimli would have no other bear him." Legolas looked up at the door. "He comes now." Aragorn followed Legolas' gaze and beheld Gimli entering with a small body in his arms. Even at the distance he could discern the gravity of Pippin's condition.
"Gimli, lay him here." Aragorn accepted the basin of water and cloths from the healing woman with a nod of thanks. "Now then."
Pippin was so covered in blood, dirt, and filth that it was nearly impossible for Aragorn to take stock of his injuries, even after the mail shirt and outerwear had been removed. His curls were stiff with it and his skin was deeply ingrained with it. Aragorn sent for more hot water and began to gently wash away the grime.
Slowly the various wounds came to light and the ruin of the young hobbit's body nearly made him weep. The gashes on his nose and cheek caused by the helm's edges proved to be bloody but not serious, although Aragorn suspected at least one of the nasal bones had cracked. To these he applied a salve to stimulate healing and stave off infection.
Darkening patches on his face and body showed where a plethora of bruises would soon form. Nothing could be done about them so Aragorn left them firmly alone. The right elbow was twisted out of proper alignment and had to be set. Naught but a firm wrench would set it straight again. Aragorn ordered Gimli and Legolas to hold the small body still and grasped Pippin's arm both above and below the elbow. There was an audible pop from the elbow but no sound from Pippin. The arm was bound with cloth.
Pippin's hands were unbroken but the joints were swollen and stiff, especially the right, which had grasped the sword more firmly. Aragorn soaked them in water, hoping the warmth might relieve the stiffness and make easier the treatment. At last he was able to straighten the fingers somewhat and had them gentle wrapped to keep them from clenching again.
The left ankle, not the one that had alerted Gimli to Pippin's presence, was badly twisted. Aragorn gently set it right and bound it firmly in place. Several ribs were also cracked if not outright broken. Aragorn debated the wisdom of having them similarly bound. Pippin's breathing was already laboured and the bindings would hamper it further.
There was also the worrisome factor of the swelling and bruised firmness of his belly. These were symptoms of internal bleeding. Binding the ribs could further injure him and increase the bleeding.
At last Aragorn decided against it and had a tea of herbs brewed to slow the bleeding. It took many failed efforts to get the tea into the unconscious patient. The only consolation was that Pippin's paled skin began to warm from the king's gentle treatment.
"You must rest, Elessar," Legolas said at the end of the ministrations. "I will inform Gandalf of Pippin's return."
"Also send word to Merry that his cousin lives."
Legolas nodded and departed. Aragorn sighed as he looked down upon Pippin, nearly hidden from view beneath the blankets layered upon him. "The air grows chill. He must be kept warm as the night wanes. Yet the weight of the blankets is such that I do not know of if his ribs will tolerate more."
"The elven cloaks of the Lady of the Golden Woods are warm as wool and light as thistledown," Gimli said. "If he has more need of my cloak than I, he shall have it."
Aragorn nodded wearily. "Thank you. You will keep watch, then?"
"I will do so," Gimli said.
"I do not like to leave you but Legolas will surely join you when he is able."
"If he does I shall send him to his own rest," retorted Gimli. "It will not do to have all of us wearied beyond use."
Aragorn smiled. "Do as you will," he said, and departed for his tent.
