Ch. 42

Pippin remained sitting in the same place for several moments. At the sound of the slamming door, all other activities ceased. Sam, Rosie, Aragorn, and Arwen became silent, and, not finding anyone at the door to stare at, they instead gawked at Pippin. Tarien and Legolas poked their heads out of their door, wiping sleep from their eyes. They followed the gaze of the others and questioned Pippin with their eyes. Galadriel and Elrond's hostility ceased, and the two elves moved towards Pippin.

Legolas and Tarien moved over to where the other couples sat. That whole group began to murmur. Pippin's eyes welled up with silent tears, so in shock he hardly breathed. A solitary tear fell into his furry foot.

He'd not heard Gandalf approach, and, even after seeing the white cloak, it did not register that his fellow wizard stood before him.

Gandalf looked around, his brow furrowing and his mouth frowning. He spanned the room, and, after a moment, his eyes grew wide and he shouted, "He's left. We cannot let anyone out on their own. Aragorn, are you well?" Aragorn nodded, and Gandalf continued. "Legolas, Gimli, your swords, hurry! Pippin, your sword and your staff! I'll need your help."

Legolas and Aragorn kissed their brides and made for the kitchen, where they'd lain their swords. By the time they'd made it to the doorway, Gimli had his axe on his back and was ready to go. The others joined him at the door.

Sam kissed Rosie and made to get his sword. Gandalf extended his staff out to stop him.

"I'm coming," Sam asserted.

"No, Sam, you are not well, enough, and you are needed here."

"Pippin's going!" he shouted. "I want to come! I can help! Pippin is-"

"Pippin is a wizard," the old wizard said, closing the argument.

Pippin had yet to move. The argument with his best friend had not left his mind. The words wouldn't leave him. It's just good to know you're against me..... How could Merry think that? They'd been friends since before he could remember.

His staff was forced into his hand by Gandalf. Pippin shook his head, clearing his mind, and walked over to the door, where Sting still lay. He strapped the belt around his waist. Not looking at the others waiting for him to venture into the night first, he stepped into the darkness.

The sky was black above him, fading to blue, then a lovely fuchsia resting on the horizon, gracing a pale, daffodil colored moon in the West. Pippin felt a hand on his shoulder. Gandalf handed to him a small pale green stone, much like his own white one, which he proceeded to place in the crook of his staff. Pippin had seen Gandalf use a stone such as this on another occasion- in Moria, from their entry, until the battle with the Balrog. Pippin followed Gandalf's example, placing the one he'd been given into his own staff. A light shone from Gandalf's staff. Pippin's stayed dark.

"Gandalf?"

Gandalf said, "Wave your hand, and command it to light."

Pippin waved his hand over the thing, thinking, Light up! Then, however, his thought turned to Too bright! Too bright!, because the thing had shone with a light bright enough to blind him.

Hobbit footprints ran towards to side, where the horses were being kept. Hoping to find Merry perhaps feeding them or something, they were unpleasantly shocked. Bill the Pony was nowhere to be seen- and his footprints ran into the grass.

"The woods!" shouted Aragorn. He was pointing at Bindbole wood- or what you could see of it. It was a good fifteen miles north, and would take until the early hours of the morning by foot. They'd never catch Merry.

Pippin took a few steps out towards the forest, trying to get a better view. All that was visible was a great green shape, barely visible. Shuffling noises sounded behind him, and glanced around. No one was there.

"Gandalf?" he called. "Aragorn? Gimli? Lego-Oof!"

He suddenly felt himself lifted into the air and had to hold tight to his staff to keep from dropping it. White hair was flying in his face, and he knew he must have been between Gandalf and Shadowfax's mane. Aragorn was on his horse, to their left. Flanking his other side was Legolas and Gimli, atop Legolas's horse.

After a half hour, they were very near the woods, when a great screeching noise reached their ears. Pippin opened his mouth in a silent scream, holding tight to his ears. He felt Shadowfax begin to slow, and opened his eyes.

Legolas and Gimli had been thrown from their horse, which sped off towards Bag-End. Aragorn stopped to get them onto his horse. Gimli stood, rubbed hi wrist, and climbed on. Legolas was another story.

Lying in one place, not moving, Legolas was terrifying Pippin. In the horror, no one had noticed the ceasing of the noise. Aragorn moved closer to the Elf, who remained still. Aragorn laid his hand upon Legolas, who promptly convulsed. Everyone jumped back. Legolas began retching and clutching his leg. Once he was still again, he could be heard whimpering.

Gandalf moved forward. Examining the leg, he spat, "Broken. Gimli, you come with Pippin and I. Aragorn, take Legolas back to Bag-End."

Pippin was the only one who wasn't around the injured Elf. He was staring South; he'd heard a strange noise, and could not see far, even with the stone. The sound, however, quickly registered as familiar.

"Barrow-Wight!" Pippin shouted. "You can't go back that way! Quickly, to the woods!"

Taking off at full speed, the woods were before them within minutes. The Wight still behind them, they took off into the forest, Legolas in Aragorn's arms.

"Oof!"

Gimli fell, and Pippin heard him mumbling. "Stupid forest, tree roots sticking up everywhere, I'll pull this.....no," he gasped.

Pippin turned around, and began screaming and crying. "Let the thing come, I don't care!" He laid his head down and cried upon Merry's bloodied body.

Gandalf walked over, and leaned down. Looking at the cuts that marked the body, he pulled up the sleeve of Merry's shirt. Elvish symbols were there, and Gandalf read them aloud:

"Elle ero nae nerte, sii' otso erin."

His eyes grew wide as he turned to the others, translating. "'There once were nine, now seven remain.'"

A moment passed as this statement sank in. Pippin's head shot up. Aragorn, still holding Legolas, spun and walked over. Legolas grew quiet, his whimpering stopping. Gimli gasped.

"It is as I feared," Gandalf said. "This foe knows us."