Ch. 40
Rosie had her arms about the neck of a large Hobbit whose arms were tightly about her middle. Both were shaking. Elanor was crawling on the Hobbit's back, squealing.
Arwen and Tarien stood a short ways away, smiling, yet with tears in their eyes. The soft, rosy glow on Tarien's face gave away the blood that was returning to her body. Galadriel and Elrond, apparently watching the scene in silence, were in deep mind conversation as suggested by the jerking movements their heads made towards each other every few minutes. Gandalf, from next to them, winked at Pippin. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas were opposite the others.
Frodo was still on a bed, hardly better.
"What's going on, Merry?" He knew, but the shock kept him from reaching that.
"Come on," Merry said, pulling Pippin to his feet. Merry led Pippin over to the crowd of people.
The large Hobbit snapped up his head. Grinning as he'd only been seen grinning on his wedding day or while gardening, Sam smiled at Pippin.
"S-s-s-s-s-s-Sam?" No, no, no, no, no! he thought. Sam was- is- but, I- how long- I must have- what?
"Pippin!"
"Sam?" Pippin's voice was weak.
"Frodo." Sam's voice was woozy, because he'd seen the bed in which Frodo lay. "What happened?"
No one spoke. Pippin took a breath and stepped forward to fill him in.
Gandalf stepped in front of him. "Pippin, perhaps it would be best if I were to fill him in." Leading Sam out of the hall, he began to speak.
Pippin immediately turned to Merry. "How?" he asked.
"Well, when you fell, the cloth flew out of your hand and landed on Sam's face. Rosie screamed, and everyone tried to make sure none of the stuff dripped down his throat or anything."
"Good thing it didn't."
"But it did! Whatever it was, it made Sam wake up almost right away! It, I don't know, countered the poison that was on that knife."
"So.... The whole journey.... thing.... Wasn't the way?"
"Apparently not."
"Pippin!" a voice screamed.
Pippin whipped his head around. Sam stood in the doorway, his eyes wide, shining with admiration.
"You're a wizard? And you're- the brown wizard died? So.... you.... and.... You're going to be a brown wizard?"
Merry shouted in anger. "What? You never said anything to me about being a brown wizard!"
Pippin hung his head, abashed. "Whoops?"
Rosie had her arms about the neck of a large Hobbit whose arms were tightly about her middle. Both were shaking. Elanor was crawling on the Hobbit's back, squealing.
Arwen and Tarien stood a short ways away, smiling, yet with tears in their eyes. The soft, rosy glow on Tarien's face gave away the blood that was returning to her body. Galadriel and Elrond, apparently watching the scene in silence, were in deep mind conversation as suggested by the jerking movements their heads made towards each other every few minutes. Gandalf, from next to them, winked at Pippin. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas were opposite the others.
Frodo was still on a bed, hardly better.
"What's going on, Merry?" He knew, but the shock kept him from reaching that.
"Come on," Merry said, pulling Pippin to his feet. Merry led Pippin over to the crowd of people.
The large Hobbit snapped up his head. Grinning as he'd only been seen grinning on his wedding day or while gardening, Sam smiled at Pippin.
"S-s-s-s-s-s-Sam?" No, no, no, no, no! he thought. Sam was- is- but, I- how long- I must have- what?
"Pippin!"
"Sam?" Pippin's voice was weak.
"Frodo." Sam's voice was woozy, because he'd seen the bed in which Frodo lay. "What happened?"
No one spoke. Pippin took a breath and stepped forward to fill him in.
Gandalf stepped in front of him. "Pippin, perhaps it would be best if I were to fill him in." Leading Sam out of the hall, he began to speak.
Pippin immediately turned to Merry. "How?" he asked.
"Well, when you fell, the cloth flew out of your hand and landed on Sam's face. Rosie screamed, and everyone tried to make sure none of the stuff dripped down his throat or anything."
"Good thing it didn't."
"But it did! Whatever it was, it made Sam wake up almost right away! It, I don't know, countered the poison that was on that knife."
"So.... The whole journey.... thing.... Wasn't the way?"
"Apparently not."
"Pippin!" a voice screamed.
Pippin whipped his head around. Sam stood in the doorway, his eyes wide, shining with admiration.
"You're a wizard? And you're- the brown wizard died? So.... you.... and.... You're going to be a brown wizard?"
Merry shouted in anger. "What? You never said anything to me about being a brown wizard!"
Pippin hung his head, abashed. "Whoops?"
