Nodding, as if reassuring himself, Pippin stepped off the road and then
started to make his way through the woods. It would be quicker if he went
this way and it would lessen the risk of being seen. As he walked, he felt
his body begin to slow and his eyelids become heavy. He needed to sleep. He
stopped for a moment and looked about him. There was a small verge just off
the path, which proved to be of some kind of shelter. Pippin climbed up and
the arched up against a tree. He pulled his backpack close to his chest and
nuzzled against it. When he closed his eyes, it didn't take him very long
to start dreaming. Pippin was remembering the story of Ramble Ethelbank. An
old Hobbit who journeyed so far away that he never found his way back.
Pippin thought maybe he could travel far away, too and maybe he would find
Ramble. Then they could both travel together, because Ramble had been away
for a very long time and he must've gotten quite lonely doing all that
walking by himself. It was a shame Pippin didn't realise the truth in
Ramble's failure to return home. Pippin strongly believed Ramble was alive
and wandering far across Middle Earth to places that even Elves had not
seen. Ramble had been almost Ninety-two when he'd left the Shire, which
made him almost three-hundered years old now. Ramble would've died in the
first winter away from the Shire. Nothing could have been done to prevent
that. Pippin, however, did not know any different, and to him Old Ramble
Ethelbank was still alive and still discovering new things and places.
Pippin suddenly woke up. A pale line of pink-orange cloud sailed above his head as he looked up through the spindles. Small birds chirped a shrilled and flittered back and forth through the branches. Pippin gave a small yawn and sat there for a few more moments before deciding he must keep going.
He pulled himself up and started off slowly walking back along the path. He decided that maybe he shouldn't follow the path. He turned left and then followed a dip in the grass. Soon, bark and leaf consumed the small figure and to any Hobbit taking an early morning stroll along the path, Pippin would've gone unnoticed.
Pippin was quite pleased with himself, at first. He only ever been to the edge of the woods on his own and had never dared to go any further. But he had spent a whole night in the woods on his own and now he was venturing off away from the security of the path in order to find his own little meanderings. He thought that maybe he could hideout in the woods again for one more night and then he would make his way to Buckland and tell Merry everything. Then he would tell Merry that he was going to leave the Shire and that it would be sad but it was for the best, so at least he would've said good buy to his most favourite cousin and beloved friend. Pippin suddenly stopped and blinked a few times. He didn't want to say goodbye to Merry forever. That was just too sad and painful. Pippin would never be able to say goodbye to Merry forever. It was hard enough saying goodbye to him when he had to travel off with his father on business and that was only usually for a day or so. To say goodbye to someone who Pippin loved very much-and to say goodbye to them forever wasn't very nice. He didn't think Merry would much like it either. The Pippin found he had yet another hard thing to do. He would have to deicide whether he should see Merry for one last time, or just go without saying anything.
Pippin suddenly woke up. A pale line of pink-orange cloud sailed above his head as he looked up through the spindles. Small birds chirped a shrilled and flittered back and forth through the branches. Pippin gave a small yawn and sat there for a few more moments before deciding he must keep going.
He pulled himself up and started off slowly walking back along the path. He decided that maybe he shouldn't follow the path. He turned left and then followed a dip in the grass. Soon, bark and leaf consumed the small figure and to any Hobbit taking an early morning stroll along the path, Pippin would've gone unnoticed.
Pippin was quite pleased with himself, at first. He only ever been to the edge of the woods on his own and had never dared to go any further. But he had spent a whole night in the woods on his own and now he was venturing off away from the security of the path in order to find his own little meanderings. He thought that maybe he could hideout in the woods again for one more night and then he would make his way to Buckland and tell Merry everything. Then he would tell Merry that he was going to leave the Shire and that it would be sad but it was for the best, so at least he would've said good buy to his most favourite cousin and beloved friend. Pippin suddenly stopped and blinked a few times. He didn't want to say goodbye to Merry forever. That was just too sad and painful. Pippin would never be able to say goodbye to Merry forever. It was hard enough saying goodbye to him when he had to travel off with his father on business and that was only usually for a day or so. To say goodbye to someone who Pippin loved very much-and to say goodbye to them forever wasn't very nice. He didn't think Merry would much like it either. The Pippin found he had yet another hard thing to do. He would have to deicide whether he should see Merry for one last time, or just go without saying anything.