Ch. 21

Pippin groaned. He rolled over on the bed he was lying on. He opened his eyes to meet a blurry scene. A few blinks brought a clearer image. He was lying in the hall, in the bed previously occupied by Merry. He stared across at Sam, who had not moved from the position he'd been in. Rosie lay across Sam's lap, asleep.

Pippin made to get up, but found his arms were too heavy to even move. Trying to move any part of his body, he found he was unable. Still in a stupor, he fell back asleep.

Bag End. Pippin looks around. He loves coming here. Bilbo tells the wildest tales. They make him laugh. Frodo welcomes him in. Frodo, although sixteen years older, treats Pippin as an equal. Pippin notices his friend Merry already there. Merry is taller, mainly because he's older, though not as old as Frodo.

Pippin and Merry enter the study to find a group sitting around Bilbo. Bilbo is finishing a story. ".And the Eagles came and lifted us all high into the air."

The children cheer. Frodo stands in the doorway chuckling. Merry and Pippin rush forward as the other children file out. "Bilbo," says Pippin, "Tell me the one about the trolls, Bilbo, please!" Pippin is alight with the energy that all small hobbit children seem to emanate.

"Of course, little Took! Peregrin, am I not right?"

"It's Pippin, Bilbo!" Pippin cried, hysterical. One of Bilbo's jokes is to pretend as though he does not know them well, even if he is aware of their every secret.

"Pippin." began Bilbo, suddenly serious. "Sam will die."

"What?" asked Pippin. He was only vaguely familiar with Gaffer Gamgee's son Samwise, the only boy in the Shire known as Sam.

"He will die unless you help him. No one can help him now but you. You must choose, Pippin."

"Choose what?" Pippin was now perplexed. He barely knew Sam, but was to be responsible for saving him? That seemed like such a feat for a Hobbit of nine years.

"You will know when it is presented to you."

"But I don't understand, Bilbo," complained Pippin, upset, now, that he was so confused.

"You will, Pippin. Merry, I think you know what to do." Bilbo winked at Pippin's friend behind him.

Before Pippin could turn around, he heard a strange noise like metal scraping metal. He turned to face Merry.

"Merry?" Pippin asked. His friend looked almost the same, though much older, at least by twenty years. Merry had a glint in his eye.

"Sorry, Pip," he said with no apology in his face. He withdrew a dagger with strange writing upon it and advanced at Pippin. He thrust the dagger forward, and Pippin screamed and grabbed for Merry's wrist.