Disclamer: I don't own Pippin or any of these characters as a matter of
fact, god knows I want to but gods often busy...
Summary: Pippin is jumpy around all the adults (non-hobbit's) and the
fellowship slowly piece together why...
Pairings: Merry/Pippin (only mildly though)
Big People Are Bad
Chapter Four
"Come on Pip" Merry whispered pulling him from behind huge stone pillar and ran towards the group of men. "We're coming too and you'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" he shouted. Pippin just ran along behind him. "Say something" Merry growled.
"Yes because you need people of intelligence on this mission...quest...thing" Pippin mumbled, getting quieter and quieter and his voice shook slightly from fear.
"Well that rules you out Pip" Merry muttered. Pippin visibly jumped when the man from Gondor put his hand on his shoulder.
"9 companions. So be it, you shall be the fellowship of the ring" Elrond said loudly.
"Great! Where are we going?" Pippin asked Merry. Merry sighed but when he saw Pippin's pleading look and the large hand on his shoulder Merry pulled him away from the man.
"Let's go pack" he said quickly.
"Frodo, I must ask. Is Pippin afraid of us?" Aragorn asked quietly.
"...Sort of" Frodo said.
"Why?" Boromir asked.
"...He has his reason's" Frodo mumbled before he and Sam made excuses and left. The other members of the fellowship all looked at each other, confused and wondering if any had an idea of what Pippin could be afraid of.
Meanwhile Pippin was sat on the bed he'd been assigned while Merry packed up their things, every now and then glancing at his friend. Pippin looked like he wanted to say something but every time he tried he stopped himself quickly.
"Pippin what do you want to say?" Merry finally asked.
"I don't want to be on the quest" Pippin finally said what was eating at him. He'd been thinking that ever since they volunteered. "The men..."
"We can't back out now Pippin. If they do anything to you I'll protect you" Merry promised. He knew his friend was prone to being paranoid, all because of that incident when they were younger.
Flashback
The 5 hobbit children were happily playing, reasonably near the Shire border, too near in actuality. The eldest was Frodo Baggins, an orphan but a kind hearted soul. Then there was Samwise Gamgee, training to be a gardener. Then their was Merriadoc Brandybuck, easily the tallest of the 3. The last 2 were the same age and joint youngest. Peregrin Took and Merimac Sandyman.
"Bet you can't catch me!" Merimac shouted at the others before running off. The others followed closely. They were not supposed to stray this close to the border because evil people lived on the other side, but the hobbit children forgot that fact in their fun. Pippin was the closest to Merimac and was just about to grab him when tall figures jumped up around them, men. Evil looking men with wicked grins on their faces.
"What's this? A couple of hobbit babies?" one asked darkly.
"I'm not a baby!" Merimac shouted at him angrily, but he shut up quickly when the man drew his sword. Pippin whimpered. The men closed in and one roughly grabbed Pippin's hair, yanking him backwards. Pippin screamed, alerting the attention of anyone close by, and that included his old friends. Merimac started towards Pippin but soon found himself undergoing the same treatment. Pippin continued to scream until the man brought the hilt of his sword down onto his temple, hard. "Pippin!"
"Be quiet!" the leader of the men snapped. Merimac glared at him and was about to shout when Frodo, Samwise and Merriadoc arrived, their excitement turning to horror as they saw both their little friends being held by the men, Pippin with blood running from a cut to his head. "More? Well the more the merrier!" The men reached out to grab the 3 but they started running in the opposite direction. "Catch them! They'll tell someone!" The men set off, leaving only four with Merimac and Pippin. Merimac started to struggle, not understanding the great danger he was in. The man holding him struggled as he bit and kicked, lashing out with both arms and legs in a futile attempt to free himself.
"Do we really need this one, he's getting on my nerves" the man said, trying to hold Merimac still.
"No" the leader said, smiling in a retched way that made Pippin feel physically sick as he watched him lift his sword up to Merimac's heart.
"No! Merimac no!" the small boy screamed as he watched the sword plunge into Merimac's heart. Blood blossomed on his cheast and Merimac stopped screaming to look down at it in wonder before he started to convulse, the man dropped him to the ground. Finally, after much jeering and kicking, he died. But before he did his eyes sought out Pippin's and Pippin was made to watch his friend's dying breath and the way his young eyes glazed over. "Merimac" Pippin whispered, starting to sob.
End Flashback
Merry could tell Pippin was re-living the same thing in his own head. After that the men had taken him to their camp where they had repeatedly beat him so badly that when the party of Hobbit men, armed with pitchforks and scythes they could only recognise him by his cries of pain.
"These aren't the same men Pippin" Merry said kindly, silently shocked as Pippin started to cry fitfully.
"All men are the same" he sobbed. Merry sat by his friend and pulled him into a hug. Pippin had been different after they'd got him back, but it wasn't really a surprise. After he'd seen his best friend murdered before his eyes and had been abused so badly he took nearly a year to recover physically. But he never recovered mentally. Merry held him until he cried himself to sleep, like he had done many nights before.
A/N There you go, that's the reason! More descriptions of it in later chapters, when Pippin himself will confide in Legolas. I'd actually forgotten to write this until Butterflygurl reviewed it recently and reminded me! So I apologise for the rather long wait.
Big People Are Bad
Chapter Four
"Come on Pip" Merry whispered pulling him from behind huge stone pillar and ran towards the group of men. "We're coming too and you'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" he shouted. Pippin just ran along behind him. "Say something" Merry growled.
"Yes because you need people of intelligence on this mission...quest...thing" Pippin mumbled, getting quieter and quieter and his voice shook slightly from fear.
"Well that rules you out Pip" Merry muttered. Pippin visibly jumped when the man from Gondor put his hand on his shoulder.
"9 companions. So be it, you shall be the fellowship of the ring" Elrond said loudly.
"Great! Where are we going?" Pippin asked Merry. Merry sighed but when he saw Pippin's pleading look and the large hand on his shoulder Merry pulled him away from the man.
"Let's go pack" he said quickly.
"Frodo, I must ask. Is Pippin afraid of us?" Aragorn asked quietly.
"...Sort of" Frodo said.
"Why?" Boromir asked.
"...He has his reason's" Frodo mumbled before he and Sam made excuses and left. The other members of the fellowship all looked at each other, confused and wondering if any had an idea of what Pippin could be afraid of.
Meanwhile Pippin was sat on the bed he'd been assigned while Merry packed up their things, every now and then glancing at his friend. Pippin looked like he wanted to say something but every time he tried he stopped himself quickly.
"Pippin what do you want to say?" Merry finally asked.
"I don't want to be on the quest" Pippin finally said what was eating at him. He'd been thinking that ever since they volunteered. "The men..."
"We can't back out now Pippin. If they do anything to you I'll protect you" Merry promised. He knew his friend was prone to being paranoid, all because of that incident when they were younger.
Flashback
The 5 hobbit children were happily playing, reasonably near the Shire border, too near in actuality. The eldest was Frodo Baggins, an orphan but a kind hearted soul. Then there was Samwise Gamgee, training to be a gardener. Then their was Merriadoc Brandybuck, easily the tallest of the 3. The last 2 were the same age and joint youngest. Peregrin Took and Merimac Sandyman.
"Bet you can't catch me!" Merimac shouted at the others before running off. The others followed closely. They were not supposed to stray this close to the border because evil people lived on the other side, but the hobbit children forgot that fact in their fun. Pippin was the closest to Merimac and was just about to grab him when tall figures jumped up around them, men. Evil looking men with wicked grins on their faces.
"What's this? A couple of hobbit babies?" one asked darkly.
"I'm not a baby!" Merimac shouted at him angrily, but he shut up quickly when the man drew his sword. Pippin whimpered. The men closed in and one roughly grabbed Pippin's hair, yanking him backwards. Pippin screamed, alerting the attention of anyone close by, and that included his old friends. Merimac started towards Pippin but soon found himself undergoing the same treatment. Pippin continued to scream until the man brought the hilt of his sword down onto his temple, hard. "Pippin!"
"Be quiet!" the leader of the men snapped. Merimac glared at him and was about to shout when Frodo, Samwise and Merriadoc arrived, their excitement turning to horror as they saw both their little friends being held by the men, Pippin with blood running from a cut to his head. "More? Well the more the merrier!" The men reached out to grab the 3 but they started running in the opposite direction. "Catch them! They'll tell someone!" The men set off, leaving only four with Merimac and Pippin. Merimac started to struggle, not understanding the great danger he was in. The man holding him struggled as he bit and kicked, lashing out with both arms and legs in a futile attempt to free himself.
"Do we really need this one, he's getting on my nerves" the man said, trying to hold Merimac still.
"No" the leader said, smiling in a retched way that made Pippin feel physically sick as he watched him lift his sword up to Merimac's heart.
"No! Merimac no!" the small boy screamed as he watched the sword plunge into Merimac's heart. Blood blossomed on his cheast and Merimac stopped screaming to look down at it in wonder before he started to convulse, the man dropped him to the ground. Finally, after much jeering and kicking, he died. But before he did his eyes sought out Pippin's and Pippin was made to watch his friend's dying breath and the way his young eyes glazed over. "Merimac" Pippin whispered, starting to sob.
End Flashback
Merry could tell Pippin was re-living the same thing in his own head. After that the men had taken him to their camp where they had repeatedly beat him so badly that when the party of Hobbit men, armed with pitchforks and scythes they could only recognise him by his cries of pain.
"These aren't the same men Pippin" Merry said kindly, silently shocked as Pippin started to cry fitfully.
"All men are the same" he sobbed. Merry sat by his friend and pulled him into a hug. Pippin had been different after they'd got him back, but it wasn't really a surprise. After he'd seen his best friend murdered before his eyes and had been abused so badly he took nearly a year to recover physically. But he never recovered mentally. Merry held him until he cried himself to sleep, like he had done many nights before.
A/N There you go, that's the reason! More descriptions of it in later chapters, when Pippin himself will confide in Legolas. I'd actually forgotten to write this until Butterflygurl reviewed it recently and reminded me! So I apologise for the rather long wait.