Ch. 3
"Will they be okay?"
"I don't know, Pippin," Rosie sighed. She knew what would happen, but she could not help it: she glanced at her husband, and began to cry.
"Rosie." Pippin walked over and held her up, soothing her- and himself.
Recent weeks had been terrible. Orcs ran freely over the Shire. Pippin still had nightmares.
"Rosie, we both need some sleep," he said.
"You go. I need to do some more to help Sam."
"What about-"
"Merry, too."
Pippin wandered throughout the hobbit-hole, looking for a free bed. When he found one, it was in Sam and Rosie's room. Just being in there made his heart heavy, and added to the weight of his body atop his feet, he toppled over into the bed.
A door opened at Merry and Pippin's house. It was large, so both could live comfortably in separate ends of the house. "Pippin, Merry!"
Pippin looked up. "Well, hello, Sam!" He and Merry had been at their pipes. After their adventure among the Fellowship, all three had been spoiled in riches, mostly from Elvish gifts.
"Pip, shut up! Something's wrong." Merry was louder than he would have normally been while whispering, but he was full of pipe essence.
"Merry, Pip, the Orcs are back."
"Sam, quit pulling our legs. We were there when the Orcs and the Uruk-hais were destroyed, remember?" Merry roared.
"They're back" There was no joke in Sam's voice or face.
Pippin and Merry sobered up in a "Minas Tirith second." They rose and went for the storage cabinet. Pippin grabbed Sting, a sword that once belonged to old Bilbo Baggins, and was then passed on to Frodo Baggins. Merry grabbed Elven daggers given to them by Lady Galadriel. Pippin allowed Merry to carry his, since he could handle only Sting.
They rushed out to the edge of the Shire and looked out into the mountains. A low, dark fog sped along the ground.
"Ready for another adventure, Pip?" Merry asked, looking at Pippin out of the corner of his eye.
Hobbit men and boys ran to the line of battle, following Merry and Pippin, roused by Sam.
The dark mass closed in. It was a hundred feet away. fifty. twenty. ten.
Then it exploded into a great, burning eye.
"Will they be okay?"
"I don't know, Pippin," Rosie sighed. She knew what would happen, but she could not help it: she glanced at her husband, and began to cry.
"Rosie." Pippin walked over and held her up, soothing her- and himself.
Recent weeks had been terrible. Orcs ran freely over the Shire. Pippin still had nightmares.
"Rosie, we both need some sleep," he said.
"You go. I need to do some more to help Sam."
"What about-"
"Merry, too."
Pippin wandered throughout the hobbit-hole, looking for a free bed. When he found one, it was in Sam and Rosie's room. Just being in there made his heart heavy, and added to the weight of his body atop his feet, he toppled over into the bed.
A door opened at Merry and Pippin's house. It was large, so both could live comfortably in separate ends of the house. "Pippin, Merry!"
Pippin looked up. "Well, hello, Sam!" He and Merry had been at their pipes. After their adventure among the Fellowship, all three had been spoiled in riches, mostly from Elvish gifts.
"Pip, shut up! Something's wrong." Merry was louder than he would have normally been while whispering, but he was full of pipe essence.
"Merry, Pip, the Orcs are back."
"Sam, quit pulling our legs. We were there when the Orcs and the Uruk-hais were destroyed, remember?" Merry roared.
"They're back" There was no joke in Sam's voice or face.
Pippin and Merry sobered up in a "Minas Tirith second." They rose and went for the storage cabinet. Pippin grabbed Sting, a sword that once belonged to old Bilbo Baggins, and was then passed on to Frodo Baggins. Merry grabbed Elven daggers given to them by Lady Galadriel. Pippin allowed Merry to carry his, since he could handle only Sting.
They rushed out to the edge of the Shire and looked out into the mountains. A low, dark fog sped along the ground.
"Ready for another adventure, Pip?" Merry asked, looking at Pippin out of the corner of his eye.
Hobbit men and boys ran to the line of battle, following Merry and Pippin, roused by Sam.
The dark mass closed in. It was a hundred feet away. fifty. twenty. ten.
Then it exploded into a great, burning eye.
