Author's Note
WOOHOO! I broke forty reviews! Soon it will be fifty! **partying with my dog** Wow, okay I wrote this chapter in an hour, sitting on my floor, listening to my Switchfoot cd over and over. I was in a very angsty mood.
And I messed up on that website address for unbelievably beautiful Pippin pics. It's (w w w dot somethingtookish dot org slash pippin) So that's the correct address. Anyway;
GGTgY- NOT FAIR! You got to go see the movie set! **cries** And, Yes, Denethor will be dying soon. (YAY!) Within the next two or three chapters probably. (YAY!) Death to the Pippin slaver! Umm....new fic! Awesome! I'll put on my thinking cap. (on spring break! Yeah!) You know, I have always wanted a Nobel Peace Prize.
Lady S- Oh just you wait. You'll be feeling for Pippin here in a minute. I can't wait till I finally get to the part where they find each other. I've got PLANS man. Fluff galore!
Nikki- Hehe, I rather liked the fact the Merry fought for Pippin too.
Okay, on with the chapter. Pippin again, back into the past! Muhahahaa! Bring on the evil Denethor-ness! Also, if you don't notice from this chappie, I have a special fondness for Faramir. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faramir had seen Frodo and Sam. He had been there. And they were alive With renewed hope, Pippin had returned to Denethor's side after he and Gandalf had come to Faramir's rescue in the fields.
Osgiliath had fallen to the orcs of Mordor, but Denethor still believed there was some kind of hope for Gondor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pippin knelt before Denethor, trying to remember the rest of his oath.
"Hear do I swear fealty and service to Gondor. In peace or war, in living or dying."
He paused, what was the next part...
"F-from this hour henceforth, until my lord release me, or death take me."
Pippin had hardly believed since his first encounter with him that Denethor was any kind of great "lord" or that he should have to kiss his "Lord's" ring, as Denethor now seemed to demand, his hand looming in front of Pippin's face.
He quickly kissed the ring and attempted to hold back his seething discomfort as Denethor cupped his face in his hand and made him look up.
"Fealty with love, valor with honor, disloyalty with vengeance." Denethor said, now making his way to a nearby table.
Pippin watches him eye Faramir as he says these things and begins to fill his plate with food. Faramir doesn't make a move to be any closer in distance to his father.
"I do not think that we should so lightly abandon the outer defenses. Defenses that your brother long held intact."
'Well we weren't on the brink of war then, were we?' Pippin silently muses
Faramir's expression turns slightly defiant at the mention of his brother's accomplishments. "What would you have me do?"
"I will not yield the river in Pelennor unfought. Osgiliath must be re- taken."
Re-taken? Though Pippin had not participated in this battle that Faramir had just returned from,
(He doubted he would have been any help anyway) He knew that there was no way that the small host of soldiers that Gondor had left would be able to re-take the fortress city from the numerous ranks of orcs that now resided there.
Faramir looked at his father with a sense of disbelief. "My lord, Osgiliath is overrun."
"Much must be risked in war." Denethor paused and looked up at Faramir. "Is there a captain here who still has the courage to do his father's will?"
Pippin watched Faramir's face, the hurt and sorrow evident now in his eyes. He had never been the favorite. The youngest. A mere shadow to whatever greatness Boromir had gained.
He spoke softly "You wish now that our places had been exchanged, that I had died and Boromir had lived."
Silence filled the hall, Dnethor didn't answer immediately. Pippin's heart was in his throat.
He didn't want Denethor to answer that question. He didn't want to have to see this man that he had only known for a few hours hurt. His fondness for Faramir went further than a few hours.
He knew the feeling that Faramir so clearly expressed now. Insignificance. Hurt. Pain.
"Yes I wish that."
Pippin saw the tears in Faramir's eyes. The ones that don't quite spill over and down your cheeks, but the ones that if you blink you're afraid will give you away. And Pippin suddenly hated this war more than he even hated Denethor at the moment.
It was this war and this ring that would tear their whole lives apart.
Fate, destiny, chance.
No, it was more than that.
All of it had taken Boromir, torn Merry from him, and ripped this gap between a father and a son. All of it had placed Frodo and Sam in the land of the enemy.
"Since you're robbed of Boromir, I will do what I can in his stead." Faramir turns from his father and begins to walk away, but then stops and turns back to face him.
"If I should return, think better of me, Father."
"That will depend on the manner of your return."
Faramir looks at Denethor, who is ignoring his son and has turned back to his plate of food, and then he turns his gaze to Pippin.
For a second they know each other's feelings, they know who they are, and then it's gone as Faramir retreats from the hall, the door closing behind him.
He was going to his death.
They all were. Whomever Faramir took with him would not return. Faramir knew it, Denethor knew it, Pipin knew it.
So when Pippin heard the weeping in the streets below, when he heard the trumpets sounding the departure of Gondor's brave few, he knew what this war was.
It was death. It was the ripping apart of family and loved ones. It was revenge with honesty.
War was honor and loyalty and love. It was valor in death. Courage for dying.
It was giving up everything for one cause. War was good and evil. There was no in-between.
And everyone felt it.
Pippin watched Denethor, the man who had just sent his son to his death, as he continued to consume his plate of food.
"Can you sing master hobbit?" He asked looking down at Pippin.
Pippin was a bit surprised by his question. Could he sing?
"Well yes, well enough for my own people."
His own people. He wished he was back in the Shire. Curled up in a big chair in front of a fire with Merry.
"But we have no songs fit for great halls and evil times."
Denethor took another bite. "And why should your songs be unfit for my halls? Come, sing me a song."
So Pippin began the only song he remembered from the many that Bilbo had taught him. A song that he had thought since his arrival here related very much to his state. He swallowed the lump in his throat and ignored the tears behind his eyes.
"Home is behind, he world ahead."
He sees Merry under the party tree. He can feel his warmth again, his curls between his fingers, the stars above.
"And there are many paths to tread. Through shadow, to the edge of night. Until the stars are all alight."
He's leaving Merry all over again. He watched his figure on the watchtower fade behind him. Tears that stung his cheeks in the wind. No, it's not just the memory, the tears won't be ignored anymore. Tears for Merry, who isn't here, and tears for Faramir.
"Mist and shadow, cloud and shade. All shall fade, all shall fade."
Denethor sits unmoved as Pippin finishes the song. He looks down, not wanting his tears to give away weakness, not wanting to look at the Steward anymore.
Outside the sky turned gray. The flowers thrown onto the streets picked up and carried away by the wind.
Fealty with love, valor with honor, disloyalty with vengeance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Review! As if you wouldn't....**grin**
WOOHOO! I broke forty reviews! Soon it will be fifty! **partying with my dog** Wow, okay I wrote this chapter in an hour, sitting on my floor, listening to my Switchfoot cd over and over. I was in a very angsty mood.
And I messed up on that website address for unbelievably beautiful Pippin pics. It's (w w w dot somethingtookish dot org slash pippin) So that's the correct address. Anyway;
GGTgY- NOT FAIR! You got to go see the movie set! **cries** And, Yes, Denethor will be dying soon. (YAY!) Within the next two or three chapters probably. (YAY!) Death to the Pippin slaver! Umm....new fic! Awesome! I'll put on my thinking cap. (on spring break! Yeah!) You know, I have always wanted a Nobel Peace Prize.
Lady S- Oh just you wait. You'll be feeling for Pippin here in a minute. I can't wait till I finally get to the part where they find each other. I've got PLANS man. Fluff galore!
Nikki- Hehe, I rather liked the fact the Merry fought for Pippin too.
Okay, on with the chapter. Pippin again, back into the past! Muhahahaa! Bring on the evil Denethor-ness! Also, if you don't notice from this chappie, I have a special fondness for Faramir. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faramir had seen Frodo and Sam. He had been there. And they were alive With renewed hope, Pippin had returned to Denethor's side after he and Gandalf had come to Faramir's rescue in the fields.
Osgiliath had fallen to the orcs of Mordor, but Denethor still believed there was some kind of hope for Gondor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pippin knelt before Denethor, trying to remember the rest of his oath.
"Hear do I swear fealty and service to Gondor. In peace or war, in living or dying."
He paused, what was the next part...
"F-from this hour henceforth, until my lord release me, or death take me."
Pippin had hardly believed since his first encounter with him that Denethor was any kind of great "lord" or that he should have to kiss his "Lord's" ring, as Denethor now seemed to demand, his hand looming in front of Pippin's face.
He quickly kissed the ring and attempted to hold back his seething discomfort as Denethor cupped his face in his hand and made him look up.
"Fealty with love, valor with honor, disloyalty with vengeance." Denethor said, now making his way to a nearby table.
Pippin watches him eye Faramir as he says these things and begins to fill his plate with food. Faramir doesn't make a move to be any closer in distance to his father.
"I do not think that we should so lightly abandon the outer defenses. Defenses that your brother long held intact."
'Well we weren't on the brink of war then, were we?' Pippin silently muses
Faramir's expression turns slightly defiant at the mention of his brother's accomplishments. "What would you have me do?"
"I will not yield the river in Pelennor unfought. Osgiliath must be re- taken."
Re-taken? Though Pippin had not participated in this battle that Faramir had just returned from,
(He doubted he would have been any help anyway) He knew that there was no way that the small host of soldiers that Gondor had left would be able to re-take the fortress city from the numerous ranks of orcs that now resided there.
Faramir looked at his father with a sense of disbelief. "My lord, Osgiliath is overrun."
"Much must be risked in war." Denethor paused and looked up at Faramir. "Is there a captain here who still has the courage to do his father's will?"
Pippin watched Faramir's face, the hurt and sorrow evident now in his eyes. He had never been the favorite. The youngest. A mere shadow to whatever greatness Boromir had gained.
He spoke softly "You wish now that our places had been exchanged, that I had died and Boromir had lived."
Silence filled the hall, Dnethor didn't answer immediately. Pippin's heart was in his throat.
He didn't want Denethor to answer that question. He didn't want to have to see this man that he had only known for a few hours hurt. His fondness for Faramir went further than a few hours.
He knew the feeling that Faramir so clearly expressed now. Insignificance. Hurt. Pain.
"Yes I wish that."
Pippin saw the tears in Faramir's eyes. The ones that don't quite spill over and down your cheeks, but the ones that if you blink you're afraid will give you away. And Pippin suddenly hated this war more than he even hated Denethor at the moment.
It was this war and this ring that would tear their whole lives apart.
Fate, destiny, chance.
No, it was more than that.
All of it had taken Boromir, torn Merry from him, and ripped this gap between a father and a son. All of it had placed Frodo and Sam in the land of the enemy.
"Since you're robbed of Boromir, I will do what I can in his stead." Faramir turns from his father and begins to walk away, but then stops and turns back to face him.
"If I should return, think better of me, Father."
"That will depend on the manner of your return."
Faramir looks at Denethor, who is ignoring his son and has turned back to his plate of food, and then he turns his gaze to Pippin.
For a second they know each other's feelings, they know who they are, and then it's gone as Faramir retreats from the hall, the door closing behind him.
He was going to his death.
They all were. Whomever Faramir took with him would not return. Faramir knew it, Denethor knew it, Pipin knew it.
So when Pippin heard the weeping in the streets below, when he heard the trumpets sounding the departure of Gondor's brave few, he knew what this war was.
It was death. It was the ripping apart of family and loved ones. It was revenge with honesty.
War was honor and loyalty and love. It was valor in death. Courage for dying.
It was giving up everything for one cause. War was good and evil. There was no in-between.
And everyone felt it.
Pippin watched Denethor, the man who had just sent his son to his death, as he continued to consume his plate of food.
"Can you sing master hobbit?" He asked looking down at Pippin.
Pippin was a bit surprised by his question. Could he sing?
"Well yes, well enough for my own people."
His own people. He wished he was back in the Shire. Curled up in a big chair in front of a fire with Merry.
"But we have no songs fit for great halls and evil times."
Denethor took another bite. "And why should your songs be unfit for my halls? Come, sing me a song."
So Pippin began the only song he remembered from the many that Bilbo had taught him. A song that he had thought since his arrival here related very much to his state. He swallowed the lump in his throat and ignored the tears behind his eyes.
"Home is behind, he world ahead."
He sees Merry under the party tree. He can feel his warmth again, his curls between his fingers, the stars above.
"And there are many paths to tread. Through shadow, to the edge of night. Until the stars are all alight."
He's leaving Merry all over again. He watched his figure on the watchtower fade behind him. Tears that stung his cheeks in the wind. No, it's not just the memory, the tears won't be ignored anymore. Tears for Merry, who isn't here, and tears for Faramir.
"Mist and shadow, cloud and shade. All shall fade, all shall fade."
Denethor sits unmoved as Pippin finishes the song. He looks down, not wanting his tears to give away weakness, not wanting to look at the Steward anymore.
Outside the sky turned gray. The flowers thrown onto the streets picked up and carried away by the wind.
Fealty with love, valor with honor, disloyalty with vengeance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Review! As if you wouldn't....**grin**