Okay guys I've had one false start on this chapter that I hated. Let's hope
this go around is better. Also just want to tell you all about a fantastic
fic I read last night. It's currently in production but I think it's
fantastic! Once Upon a Shire by H.J. Bender is a great fic if you don't
mind fics that are almost exactly true to Tolkien. It's very heart warming
and adorable all at the same time! It's the chick flick of Fan Fictions!
YAY!
Disclaimer: No, I don't own it! If I did I wouldn't be here telling you that I didn't because then I'd be lying and no body likes liars now do they?
Chapter Five: Wound
-----
Merry helped Estella walk out of the infirmary his arm grasping her waist firmly. Diamond followed, her arms crossed and worry lining her face.
"Are you absolutely sure you don't want me to come back with you, Estella?" she asked.
"Yes Diamond, I think that all will be well for today," she answered giving a pained smile.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head, Diamond," Merry assured, "I have everything under control."
Diamond bit her lip, "That worries me just a bit, Meriadoc."
Estella smiled a reassuring smile towards her friend then mounted the pony with much help from Merry. He jumped on behind her and turned the pony toward Diamond.
"I promise on my good name that Estella will be just fine. I would never want to cause her any harm Diamond, you know that," he explained.
Diamond nodded and began to walk off in the other direction. She stopped and turned back towards them, "Just remember what the healer said, all right?"
"Of course Diamond," Estella nodded.
"And make sure you get plenty of sleep."
"Yes, Diamond."
"And don't forget to-"
"Diamond if anything your constant mothering is making me feel more weary than I already am," Estella teased.
Diamond smiled. "Okay then, I'll be off then. Take care you two." With that Diamond turned and walked down the road and out of sight.
Merry turned the pony and trotted back towards his hole.
"Merry," Estella questioned, "I don't remember ever seeing this pony before, where did it come from?"
Merry smiled at a fond memory, "Ah, I acquired this handsome steed from King Eomer of Rohan as a thanks for my service to the Riddermark."
"Ridder-what?"
"The Riddermark, the people of Rohan, it's a long and terribly boring story," he explained.
"You mean to tell me that this happened while you were away?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes, that and more."
"Oh, Merry! I would love nothing more than to hear of your adventures!" she gushed.
"I'll tell you all about my journeys once we've settled you back in at my home."
"Okay then, but answer me this. Why exactly did you go?"
Merry thought for a moment. There was the fact that they had learned of Frodo's peril through unnecessary inquisitiveness, or that Frodo was his cousin and wasn't about to go save the world alone. But, in the beginning he hadn't really understood what it all meant, had he? All he'd really known was that they would go to Rivendell, drop the ring off, and leave. That was certainly not what happened.
"Merry?" Estella asked bringing him out of his thoughts.
"I don't really know why I went, Estella. It all made sense at the time."
"It never made sense to me," she sighed, "I didn't want you to go. What if some creature overwhelmed you and you were brought down? What if you preferred those distant lands to the Shire and never returned? I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. That's probably why I said the things I did."
"I couldn't understand why you worried so, that's why I said such terrible things. I sorely regret them, if I could take them back I would."
"Would you have stayed also?"
Merry didn't answer instead he dismounted for they had reached his hole. He helped Estella down and then they went inside, silence almost overwhelming each.
Once Estella was back in her bed and Persimmon was curled up happily by her side Merry took a deep breath.
"Well, I said I'd tell you all about my journey," he began, "But it will take long into the afternoon to tell in full."
"I don't mind Merry, it gives me something to concentrate on," she answered smiling.
Merry smiled and began his tale.
Suddenly as if by magic Estella was transported to Hobbiton and she set out on an adventure of her own. She saw, old man willow, Tom Bombadill himself, Barrow-Wrights, the big folk in Bree, the strange and shady Strider, elves in Rivendell, the mountains of Carhadras, the dark of Moria, Gandalf falling into the deep, the golden trees of Lorien, Boromir falling to save her friends, Urk Hai carrying them over the lands of Rohan, talking trees that bore them great distances, Isengard flooded, the return of Gandalf the White, the palantir, Pippin setting off on his own, riding with the Rohirrim, Oliphants, the witch king himself, the healing houses of Gondor, Frodo once again wounded and sad, and then the Shire. She was brought back home to the Shire safe and sound and a changed hobbit.
The tale was finished, and Merry was quiet. Estella was beyond herself; she had had no idea what all he had seen, the peril, the fear, the joy! It seemed all she had suffered back in Buckland was completely and utterly trivial. All she had done, all she had felt was nothing compared to his life.
"I think I might have died a few times," he said suddenly startling her, "When I was up against the Witch King, I might have died soon thereafter if I had not thought of something."
"What would that be Meriadoc?" she asked quietly.
"You," he whispered, "You're all I could think about when I was stuck in those houses of healing. 'If I do not wake up,' I told myself, 'I will never see Estella again.' That scared me beyond anything. I don't think it was Aragorn's healing alone that brought me out of the spell of the wraith. I believe that you helped me through it." He was looking directly at her, his eyes shining in the evening sun.
Estella looked away. "I want nothing more than to be with you Merry," she said softly, "But I fear my past is worse than you know. I've done things while you were away that I am not proud of. If anyone in the Shire ever found out, I'd be an outcast for sure."
"Estella!" he exclaimed, "I myself am an outcast for my ramblings over the country side. I have been an outcast since the day I left with Frodo! I don't care what you've done in your past, what evils you may have done, all I care about is you. I love you Estella."
A tear fell down her cheek. "Leave me be, Merry," she whispered, "Let me sleep in peace."
He didn't move. "Have you nothing to say? I've just admitted my deepest secret to you! I've just told you that I love you! I've loved you since the moment we met! You have nothing to say? Nothing at all?"
The tears began to fall more freely. "Leave Mr. Brandybuck," she told him curtly her voice wavering with sadness.
"Estella?" he asked but whatever else he were to say disappeared. Quietly he left the room.
Estella sobbed loudly. Her head rested in her hands as the sobs rang out in the room. Her sadness seemed to echo about the room. Persimmon mewed loudly and rubbed his head against her arm to try to comfort her, but he was of no avail.
Hours could have passed, or even minutes, she knew not which. The only thing she knew that once she had stopped the sun had set and that she felt no less awful. Thoughts buzzed in her mind, her dreams, her pain, her love. The moments before Merry left and the moments there after played over in a horrible reenactment of her sorrow. Moments then played where she was forced to do wicked things, things that made her almost vomit. The reek of her vileness made her moan. Why had she become so? Why was she reliving these terrible moments?
In pain and fury and even sadness she reached into her head and grasped a hand full of hair. Yanking hard upon it she screamed. Her emotional pain lessened, suddenly. Estella sat there, her hand still in her hair, the pained expression still on her face, but the emotions gone for a moment. She was in purgatory... and enjoying it.
In her ecstasy she remembered something that had bothered her earlier in the day. The bandages. Quickly she rolled the sleeve of her gown up and exposed the bandage on her left arm. There was no sign of blood, but who knew how much of the wrapping was there? Slowly she unrolled the strips of cloth.
The white began to turn a light pink, very pale and not alarming in the least. The pink soon became darker and turned to a deep blood red. That red itself soon turned to the dark brown of dried blood, but then as if by magic it gave way to a pink fresh scar, a scar in the shape of a Y.
"What is this?" she whispered aloud to herself and quickly began to unroll the rest of the bandage more letters appearing in front of the Y at her wrist. An R soon followed, then another R, and an E, then an M. Estella stared down in horror at the word upon her arm.
MERRY
-----
Cliffie!!!!! Okay review ya'll I ask of thee please! On bended knee I ask thee! Please, please, Please!!!! Thanks anyway!-DB:D
Disclaimer: No, I don't own it! If I did I wouldn't be here telling you that I didn't because then I'd be lying and no body likes liars now do they?
Chapter Five: Wound
-----
Merry helped Estella walk out of the infirmary his arm grasping her waist firmly. Diamond followed, her arms crossed and worry lining her face.
"Are you absolutely sure you don't want me to come back with you, Estella?" she asked.
"Yes Diamond, I think that all will be well for today," she answered giving a pained smile.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head, Diamond," Merry assured, "I have everything under control."
Diamond bit her lip, "That worries me just a bit, Meriadoc."
Estella smiled a reassuring smile towards her friend then mounted the pony with much help from Merry. He jumped on behind her and turned the pony toward Diamond.
"I promise on my good name that Estella will be just fine. I would never want to cause her any harm Diamond, you know that," he explained.
Diamond nodded and began to walk off in the other direction. She stopped and turned back towards them, "Just remember what the healer said, all right?"
"Of course Diamond," Estella nodded.
"And make sure you get plenty of sleep."
"Yes, Diamond."
"And don't forget to-"
"Diamond if anything your constant mothering is making me feel more weary than I already am," Estella teased.
Diamond smiled. "Okay then, I'll be off then. Take care you two." With that Diamond turned and walked down the road and out of sight.
Merry turned the pony and trotted back towards his hole.
"Merry," Estella questioned, "I don't remember ever seeing this pony before, where did it come from?"
Merry smiled at a fond memory, "Ah, I acquired this handsome steed from King Eomer of Rohan as a thanks for my service to the Riddermark."
"Ridder-what?"
"The Riddermark, the people of Rohan, it's a long and terribly boring story," he explained.
"You mean to tell me that this happened while you were away?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes, that and more."
"Oh, Merry! I would love nothing more than to hear of your adventures!" she gushed.
"I'll tell you all about my journeys once we've settled you back in at my home."
"Okay then, but answer me this. Why exactly did you go?"
Merry thought for a moment. There was the fact that they had learned of Frodo's peril through unnecessary inquisitiveness, or that Frodo was his cousin and wasn't about to go save the world alone. But, in the beginning he hadn't really understood what it all meant, had he? All he'd really known was that they would go to Rivendell, drop the ring off, and leave. That was certainly not what happened.
"Merry?" Estella asked bringing him out of his thoughts.
"I don't really know why I went, Estella. It all made sense at the time."
"It never made sense to me," she sighed, "I didn't want you to go. What if some creature overwhelmed you and you were brought down? What if you preferred those distant lands to the Shire and never returned? I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. That's probably why I said the things I did."
"I couldn't understand why you worried so, that's why I said such terrible things. I sorely regret them, if I could take them back I would."
"Would you have stayed also?"
Merry didn't answer instead he dismounted for they had reached his hole. He helped Estella down and then they went inside, silence almost overwhelming each.
Once Estella was back in her bed and Persimmon was curled up happily by her side Merry took a deep breath.
"Well, I said I'd tell you all about my journey," he began, "But it will take long into the afternoon to tell in full."
"I don't mind Merry, it gives me something to concentrate on," she answered smiling.
Merry smiled and began his tale.
Suddenly as if by magic Estella was transported to Hobbiton and she set out on an adventure of her own. She saw, old man willow, Tom Bombadill himself, Barrow-Wrights, the big folk in Bree, the strange and shady Strider, elves in Rivendell, the mountains of Carhadras, the dark of Moria, Gandalf falling into the deep, the golden trees of Lorien, Boromir falling to save her friends, Urk Hai carrying them over the lands of Rohan, talking trees that bore them great distances, Isengard flooded, the return of Gandalf the White, the palantir, Pippin setting off on his own, riding with the Rohirrim, Oliphants, the witch king himself, the healing houses of Gondor, Frodo once again wounded and sad, and then the Shire. She was brought back home to the Shire safe and sound and a changed hobbit.
The tale was finished, and Merry was quiet. Estella was beyond herself; she had had no idea what all he had seen, the peril, the fear, the joy! It seemed all she had suffered back in Buckland was completely and utterly trivial. All she had done, all she had felt was nothing compared to his life.
"I think I might have died a few times," he said suddenly startling her, "When I was up against the Witch King, I might have died soon thereafter if I had not thought of something."
"What would that be Meriadoc?" she asked quietly.
"You," he whispered, "You're all I could think about when I was stuck in those houses of healing. 'If I do not wake up,' I told myself, 'I will never see Estella again.' That scared me beyond anything. I don't think it was Aragorn's healing alone that brought me out of the spell of the wraith. I believe that you helped me through it." He was looking directly at her, his eyes shining in the evening sun.
Estella looked away. "I want nothing more than to be with you Merry," she said softly, "But I fear my past is worse than you know. I've done things while you were away that I am not proud of. If anyone in the Shire ever found out, I'd be an outcast for sure."
"Estella!" he exclaimed, "I myself am an outcast for my ramblings over the country side. I have been an outcast since the day I left with Frodo! I don't care what you've done in your past, what evils you may have done, all I care about is you. I love you Estella."
A tear fell down her cheek. "Leave me be, Merry," she whispered, "Let me sleep in peace."
He didn't move. "Have you nothing to say? I've just admitted my deepest secret to you! I've just told you that I love you! I've loved you since the moment we met! You have nothing to say? Nothing at all?"
The tears began to fall more freely. "Leave Mr. Brandybuck," she told him curtly her voice wavering with sadness.
"Estella?" he asked but whatever else he were to say disappeared. Quietly he left the room.
Estella sobbed loudly. Her head rested in her hands as the sobs rang out in the room. Her sadness seemed to echo about the room. Persimmon mewed loudly and rubbed his head against her arm to try to comfort her, but he was of no avail.
Hours could have passed, or even minutes, she knew not which. The only thing she knew that once she had stopped the sun had set and that she felt no less awful. Thoughts buzzed in her mind, her dreams, her pain, her love. The moments before Merry left and the moments there after played over in a horrible reenactment of her sorrow. Moments then played where she was forced to do wicked things, things that made her almost vomit. The reek of her vileness made her moan. Why had she become so? Why was she reliving these terrible moments?
In pain and fury and even sadness she reached into her head and grasped a hand full of hair. Yanking hard upon it she screamed. Her emotional pain lessened, suddenly. Estella sat there, her hand still in her hair, the pained expression still on her face, but the emotions gone for a moment. She was in purgatory... and enjoying it.
In her ecstasy she remembered something that had bothered her earlier in the day. The bandages. Quickly she rolled the sleeve of her gown up and exposed the bandage on her left arm. There was no sign of blood, but who knew how much of the wrapping was there? Slowly she unrolled the strips of cloth.
The white began to turn a light pink, very pale and not alarming in the least. The pink soon became darker and turned to a deep blood red. That red itself soon turned to the dark brown of dried blood, but then as if by magic it gave way to a pink fresh scar, a scar in the shape of a Y.
"What is this?" she whispered aloud to herself and quickly began to unroll the rest of the bandage more letters appearing in front of the Y at her wrist. An R soon followed, then another R, and an E, then an M. Estella stared down in horror at the word upon her arm.
MERRY
-----
Cliffie!!!!! Okay review ya'll I ask of thee please! On bended knee I ask thee! Please, please, Please!!!! Thanks anyway!-DB:D