Moria's Revenge, chapter 24: Scoured
Authors: Kookaburra and Llinos
A/N: For those of you that are wondering why I am giving Llinos so much to write, it is because most of the ideas for healing Pip are hers. When I started I thought I had a good healing plot, but then she made some suggestions and we were off to the races. Any ways, big round of applause for Llinos, who can write one and a half stories and pitch poetry t the same time!
*** Merry awoke to a gentle hand on his shoulder and a warm weight on his feet. "Merry." A soft voice whispered, "Wake up quietly." Merry opened his eyes and blinked owlishly.
"What-" he began, but a finger was placed over his lips, hushing him. Silael's face swam into focus above him.
"Softly, Merry. Do not disturb your cousin," Silael looked to the foot of the bed, and so did Merry. Merry's breath caught in his throat at what he saw. Pippin was asleep, his precious head resting on Merry's foot, the tiny lips moving in inaudible slumbering murmurs. A movement beside and below the bed caught Merry's attention. Icicle was there, reared up on her hind paws, looking at Pippin and whimpering.
Silael tried to stop her, but it was too late. She jumped upon the bed and curled up around Pippin, nuzzling and licking him until he woke. Pippin raised his head and looked blearily around. At the sight of Merry and Silael, he gave a tiny cry and buried his head in Icicle's side. She whined again and pushed the back of his head into her belly. Pippin immediately latched onto a teat, and began to nurse.
"Come, Merry," said Silael, helping Merry from under the tangle of wolf and hobbit. "Let us meet with your comrades for your own breakfast. Pippin is in good hands...er paws for the time being, you have had little nourishment or companionship for the last day." Merry paused to look in the mirror and attempt to make himself presentable. Giving it up as a lost cause, he took Silael's proffered hand and began the descent out of the mallorn.
***
Down at the base of the tree a large table had been set up, with eight chairs. The rest of the Fellowship sat, waiting for Merry and Silael. When the duo arrived, Frodo jumped up and ran to Merry, Sam following at a discreet distance behind his master. Frodo hugged Merry tightly, until Merry was forced to prod him in the back to let him go so that Merry could draw a breath. "Merry, how is Pippin this morning?" Frodo asked.
"He is much better," said Merry, "at least," he added quickly from what I could see. I am no healer." Merry looked up at Silael for guidance. The elf smiled.
"Yes, Master Frodo, Master Peregrin is doing much better. Before I woke Merry up, I checked on little Pippin. The tummy wound is healing up nicely; there are fewer lesions, so I think he can start eating solid food again. And," he added, "there was a breakthrough of another sort this morning, was not there, Merry?" Silael winked at him.
"Oh, uh," Merry turned red when he found that all eyes were on him. "When I woke up this morning, Pip had crawled over and was sleeping with his head on my feet."
"That's wonderful Merry!" exclaimed Boromir.
"Indeed, it is good tidings. That means he still trusts you, Merry. Unlike," Aragorn sighed, "some of us."
"Oh, Mister Strider, I'm sure Mister Pippin still trusts you, I mean, now that you aren't doing anything bad to him any more." Sam gasped as he realised what he'd just said. "Oh!, er, I mean...oh dear..."
"Don't worry Sam, I know what you meant. After we break our fast, I intend to go up to Pippin and do something about it."
"And speaking of breaking our fast," Gimli rumbled, "we are now all here, so let us start!" At this Merry looked at the dwarf for the first time.
"Why, Gimli! What happened to your beard?" Next to him Frodo spewed out a mouthful of tea he had been in the middle of consuming, choking down laughter. The rest of the fellowship had been trying not to notice the fact that not all of the turmeric had come out, however, Merry's query had broken them, and the hobbit wondered why everyone was hunched over, shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Oh, it's just that Master Dwarf does not appreciate strawberries!" Legolas said.
Merry decided that all would be explained in time, sighed, and settled down for the serious business of breakfast.
****
From the bushes at the edge of the clearing, unseen by all, two lamplike eyes watched the scene. They fixed on the pale, brown haired hobbit with the bright blue eyes.
"Bagginssssss..." hissed through the leaves, softer than wind, "my Precsssioussssssss..."
****
Deilen glanced in at Pippin once or twice but each time he was still snuggled up to the warg. The elf brought a large basin of warm water ready to wash the perian as soon as he finished nursing. He laid out beside the basin, fragrant healing oil and soap, with towels and cloths for washing. That done, Deilen decided to come back in a while when the warg had finished her own version of washing Pippin.
Pippin always lay very still when Umummmum washed him. She still, as she had from the first, would put one large paw on his back to hold him down, while licking his bare flesh assiduously. The satin nightgown worried her very much and she pulled it off as well as she could, tearing the fine material with her sharp teeth as she did so. Pippin did not mind her attentions; in fact they comforted him a great deal, in spite of the fact that they were a reminder of Moria. And now he had his scarf as well and clutched it tightly, falling back to sleep while Umummmum soothed him with her tongue.
He was crawling on the floor, his face in the dirt, covered in semen, urine and his own blood. The orcs had used him and kicked him about like the piece of garbage that he was. Pippin whimpered slightly and stirred restlessly in his nightmare making Icicle push down more firmly with her heavy paw. The heavy weight on his back signalled yet another orc pressing his vile penis into him, pounding relentlessly into his worthless body, using him like a latrine. The filth invaded every part of his being, inside and out, nothing could clean him again, nothing!
Suddenly the image changed, Pippin as he lay in the dirt looked up and saw again the bright lady, the one who had made him sleep. The one who was so clean and white, he dare not be in the same room as her - he could not - his filth and dirt would surely disgust one so pure. Merry must feel the same, and even if he didn't, he could not soil dear, sweet Merry with his disgusting self ever again.
Pippin woke with a jump. Umummmum had finished licking him and had jumped off the bed leaving him asleep. She had scratched at the chamber door until Deilen had let her out.
Pippin lay still, remembering the images that had just played through his head. The same images that visited every time he fell asleep. He was so filthy, so dirty. so unclean, Merry should not have to tolerate his vileness. And yet? Pippin looked frantically around, where was the parchment Merry had given him. He found it folded neatly and tucked beneath his pillow. Pippin undid it and read it through once more.
It was not fair, Merry did want him, but how could he inflict his disgusting, filthy, what had the elf said, orc-tainted self on Merry. Perhaps he was already an orc himself, that was what he had thought before.
Pippin sat on the bed crying, his shoulders heaving with sobs. Then he saw the basin that Deilen had set ready for him to be washed. Perhaps if he tried harder?
The little hobbit tried to climb off the bed, but was so weak he tumbled to the floor instead. He sat up and then tried to stand but could not find the strength so instead he crawled over to the large basin. It was big enough for Pippin to sit in and there beside it was soap for washing. He picked up the soap and sniffed it, finding it sweetly fragrant, far too good for his filthy body.
He could hear the white clad elf singing to himself in the other room, but he did not seem to have heard Pippin's movements.
Looking further around Pippin saw an open cupboard door and inside he could see cleaning things, such as they kept in the scullery at Great Smails. He crawled on all fours and looked inside. There was a scrubbing brush a bar of lye soap and a canvas bag, which Pippin discovered, contained abrasive scouring powder. Putting the brush and soap into the bag, he scrambled back with these prizes to the basin.
The satin nightgown was ripped to pieces after Umummmum's earlier treatment and it came off easily now. The naked hobbit climbed into the basin, wincing as the hot water touched his burns and the wound in his stomach. Undaunted Pippin took the brush and, dipping it into the scouring powder, began desperately scrubbing at his skin, starting with his ugly, hairless feet and then his legs. He scrubbed relentlessly at his hands and arms and his stomach, moving more tentatively to his backside, but still he dipped into the abrasive powder and scoured as much as he could reach.
Pippin did not even notice that the water was turning red with his blood as he frantically tried to scour his little body clean. Then he thought about his mouth and what had been done there. He took the lye soap and broke a small corner off and rubbed it inside his mouth. The taste was disgusting but, even so, more wholesome than the taint he wished to rid himself of.
As the soap went down his throat, Pippin's insides rebelled and he retched violently, vomiting most of his last feed over the side of the basin onto the floor. Seeing what he had done, Pippin dropped the soap and took the brush again, scrubbing at himself and sobbing frantically.
****
"Now Merry," Silael saw that the perian had finished eating and was starting to look anxious, obviously needing to get back to his cousin as soon as he could. "I think it's time we got Pippin to eat something."
"Oh do you think he could?" Merry was worried at Pippin's total reliance on Icicle's milk for sustenance, "What could he have."
"I have prepared this for him." Silael had not been eating at the table, but had been cutting up various succulent fruits into small pieces and laying them out on a little tray. "Would you like to take it to him? Just give him a little piece at a time and let him see you eat some yourself."
"Yes, I can do that." Merry happily took the tray from Silael. "Is anyone else coming?" "We'll come up in a moment, Merry." Frodo said. "Perhaps we'd better not crowd Pippin while he's eating."
"I'll come now, Merry." Aragorn drew out the woollen stockings he had for Pippin's naked feet. "I expect he'll need these soon."
Aragorn had survived the delousing with a minimal haircut, although a complete shave, nevertheless he was glad to be rid of the constant itching that had started to fill his every waking moment and even bringing him sharply back from his slumber every so often.
Together the man and hobbit ascended the stairs and were admitted to the chamber by Deilen.
"Is he awake?" Merry asked. "Silael said I could bring him some real breakfast."
"The last time I looked he had gone back to sleep," Deilen frowned a little. "I probably need to renew the hot water I left to wash him with as that was some time ago."
Aragorn stayed to talk to Deilen for a moment as Merry went ahead with his tray of fruit. But they both ran forward at the sound of a loud clatter as the tray hit the ground followed by Merry's anguished cry. "Oh Pippin! No!"
Aragorn and Deilen scarcely knew where to begin. The little hobbit was sitting naked in the basin of water, which now was bright red with his blood, still frantically scrubbing at his skin with a hard bristled brush. Scouring powder was spilled all over the floor and Pippin had obviously been violently sick. His skin was raw and bleeding in many places and as he scrubbed he sobbed and sobbed.
Merry reacted first; he snatched the brush from Pippin's hand and put his arms around him. Pippin fought Merry off and continued rubbing at his skin with his hands, frantic now in his task. Aragorn reached down and lifted Pippin up from the water and wrapped him in the large towel that Deilen held out for him. Swaddling him tightly Aragorn rocked him to and fro, whispering softly, "No Pippin, no, no."
"What was he doing?" Merry whispered in awe at his cousin's self- destructive behaviour. The bemused hobbit was standing beside Aragorn, one hand on Pippin's back. He was soaking wet from grabbing Pippin and covered in his blood as well.
Deilen took Merry's hand and led him a little way away. "Such actions are not uncommon for one who has suffered these kind of hurts." Deilen offered Merry a towel to dry himself. "He feels unclean and is desperately trying to wash away what he perceives as his own uncleanliness."
"But it is not Pippin who is dirty." Merry gasped. "It is those who did that to him."
"I know Merry," Deilen said squatting down to be face to face with the hobbit. "But Pippin doesn't know that yet. There is still much healing to do with his mind and you must be the chief healer. Can you do that?"
"I-I don't know." Merry stammered. He was thoroughly thrown by Pippin's behaviour, especially when he thought he had made such progress the night before. "But I won't give up - ever! I promise!"
****
Authors: Kookaburra and Llinos
A/N: For those of you that are wondering why I am giving Llinos so much to write, it is because most of the ideas for healing Pip are hers. When I started I thought I had a good healing plot, but then she made some suggestions and we were off to the races. Any ways, big round of applause for Llinos, who can write one and a half stories and pitch poetry t the same time!
*** Merry awoke to a gentle hand on his shoulder and a warm weight on his feet. "Merry." A soft voice whispered, "Wake up quietly." Merry opened his eyes and blinked owlishly.
"What-" he began, but a finger was placed over his lips, hushing him. Silael's face swam into focus above him.
"Softly, Merry. Do not disturb your cousin," Silael looked to the foot of the bed, and so did Merry. Merry's breath caught in his throat at what he saw. Pippin was asleep, his precious head resting on Merry's foot, the tiny lips moving in inaudible slumbering murmurs. A movement beside and below the bed caught Merry's attention. Icicle was there, reared up on her hind paws, looking at Pippin and whimpering.
Silael tried to stop her, but it was too late. She jumped upon the bed and curled up around Pippin, nuzzling and licking him until he woke. Pippin raised his head and looked blearily around. At the sight of Merry and Silael, he gave a tiny cry and buried his head in Icicle's side. She whined again and pushed the back of his head into her belly. Pippin immediately latched onto a teat, and began to nurse.
"Come, Merry," said Silael, helping Merry from under the tangle of wolf and hobbit. "Let us meet with your comrades for your own breakfast. Pippin is in good hands...er paws for the time being, you have had little nourishment or companionship for the last day." Merry paused to look in the mirror and attempt to make himself presentable. Giving it up as a lost cause, he took Silael's proffered hand and began the descent out of the mallorn.
***
Down at the base of the tree a large table had been set up, with eight chairs. The rest of the Fellowship sat, waiting for Merry and Silael. When the duo arrived, Frodo jumped up and ran to Merry, Sam following at a discreet distance behind his master. Frodo hugged Merry tightly, until Merry was forced to prod him in the back to let him go so that Merry could draw a breath. "Merry, how is Pippin this morning?" Frodo asked.
"He is much better," said Merry, "at least," he added quickly from what I could see. I am no healer." Merry looked up at Silael for guidance. The elf smiled.
"Yes, Master Frodo, Master Peregrin is doing much better. Before I woke Merry up, I checked on little Pippin. The tummy wound is healing up nicely; there are fewer lesions, so I think he can start eating solid food again. And," he added, "there was a breakthrough of another sort this morning, was not there, Merry?" Silael winked at him.
"Oh, uh," Merry turned red when he found that all eyes were on him. "When I woke up this morning, Pip had crawled over and was sleeping with his head on my feet."
"That's wonderful Merry!" exclaimed Boromir.
"Indeed, it is good tidings. That means he still trusts you, Merry. Unlike," Aragorn sighed, "some of us."
"Oh, Mister Strider, I'm sure Mister Pippin still trusts you, I mean, now that you aren't doing anything bad to him any more." Sam gasped as he realised what he'd just said. "Oh!, er, I mean...oh dear..."
"Don't worry Sam, I know what you meant. After we break our fast, I intend to go up to Pippin and do something about it."
"And speaking of breaking our fast," Gimli rumbled, "we are now all here, so let us start!" At this Merry looked at the dwarf for the first time.
"Why, Gimli! What happened to your beard?" Next to him Frodo spewed out a mouthful of tea he had been in the middle of consuming, choking down laughter. The rest of the fellowship had been trying not to notice the fact that not all of the turmeric had come out, however, Merry's query had broken them, and the hobbit wondered why everyone was hunched over, shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Oh, it's just that Master Dwarf does not appreciate strawberries!" Legolas said.
Merry decided that all would be explained in time, sighed, and settled down for the serious business of breakfast.
****
From the bushes at the edge of the clearing, unseen by all, two lamplike eyes watched the scene. They fixed on the pale, brown haired hobbit with the bright blue eyes.
"Bagginssssss..." hissed through the leaves, softer than wind, "my Precsssioussssssss..."
****
Deilen glanced in at Pippin once or twice but each time he was still snuggled up to the warg. The elf brought a large basin of warm water ready to wash the perian as soon as he finished nursing. He laid out beside the basin, fragrant healing oil and soap, with towels and cloths for washing. That done, Deilen decided to come back in a while when the warg had finished her own version of washing Pippin.
Pippin always lay very still when Umummmum washed him. She still, as she had from the first, would put one large paw on his back to hold him down, while licking his bare flesh assiduously. The satin nightgown worried her very much and she pulled it off as well as she could, tearing the fine material with her sharp teeth as she did so. Pippin did not mind her attentions; in fact they comforted him a great deal, in spite of the fact that they were a reminder of Moria. And now he had his scarf as well and clutched it tightly, falling back to sleep while Umummmum soothed him with her tongue.
He was crawling on the floor, his face in the dirt, covered in semen, urine and his own blood. The orcs had used him and kicked him about like the piece of garbage that he was. Pippin whimpered slightly and stirred restlessly in his nightmare making Icicle push down more firmly with her heavy paw. The heavy weight on his back signalled yet another orc pressing his vile penis into him, pounding relentlessly into his worthless body, using him like a latrine. The filth invaded every part of his being, inside and out, nothing could clean him again, nothing!
Suddenly the image changed, Pippin as he lay in the dirt looked up and saw again the bright lady, the one who had made him sleep. The one who was so clean and white, he dare not be in the same room as her - he could not - his filth and dirt would surely disgust one so pure. Merry must feel the same, and even if he didn't, he could not soil dear, sweet Merry with his disgusting self ever again.
Pippin woke with a jump. Umummmum had finished licking him and had jumped off the bed leaving him asleep. She had scratched at the chamber door until Deilen had let her out.
Pippin lay still, remembering the images that had just played through his head. The same images that visited every time he fell asleep. He was so filthy, so dirty. so unclean, Merry should not have to tolerate his vileness. And yet? Pippin looked frantically around, where was the parchment Merry had given him. He found it folded neatly and tucked beneath his pillow. Pippin undid it and read it through once more.
It was not fair, Merry did want him, but how could he inflict his disgusting, filthy, what had the elf said, orc-tainted self on Merry. Perhaps he was already an orc himself, that was what he had thought before.
Pippin sat on the bed crying, his shoulders heaving with sobs. Then he saw the basin that Deilen had set ready for him to be washed. Perhaps if he tried harder?
The little hobbit tried to climb off the bed, but was so weak he tumbled to the floor instead. He sat up and then tried to stand but could not find the strength so instead he crawled over to the large basin. It was big enough for Pippin to sit in and there beside it was soap for washing. He picked up the soap and sniffed it, finding it sweetly fragrant, far too good for his filthy body.
He could hear the white clad elf singing to himself in the other room, but he did not seem to have heard Pippin's movements.
Looking further around Pippin saw an open cupboard door and inside he could see cleaning things, such as they kept in the scullery at Great Smails. He crawled on all fours and looked inside. There was a scrubbing brush a bar of lye soap and a canvas bag, which Pippin discovered, contained abrasive scouring powder. Putting the brush and soap into the bag, he scrambled back with these prizes to the basin.
The satin nightgown was ripped to pieces after Umummmum's earlier treatment and it came off easily now. The naked hobbit climbed into the basin, wincing as the hot water touched his burns and the wound in his stomach. Undaunted Pippin took the brush and, dipping it into the scouring powder, began desperately scrubbing at his skin, starting with his ugly, hairless feet and then his legs. He scrubbed relentlessly at his hands and arms and his stomach, moving more tentatively to his backside, but still he dipped into the abrasive powder and scoured as much as he could reach.
Pippin did not even notice that the water was turning red with his blood as he frantically tried to scour his little body clean. Then he thought about his mouth and what had been done there. He took the lye soap and broke a small corner off and rubbed it inside his mouth. The taste was disgusting but, even so, more wholesome than the taint he wished to rid himself of.
As the soap went down his throat, Pippin's insides rebelled and he retched violently, vomiting most of his last feed over the side of the basin onto the floor. Seeing what he had done, Pippin dropped the soap and took the brush again, scrubbing at himself and sobbing frantically.
****
"Now Merry," Silael saw that the perian had finished eating and was starting to look anxious, obviously needing to get back to his cousin as soon as he could. "I think it's time we got Pippin to eat something."
"Oh do you think he could?" Merry was worried at Pippin's total reliance on Icicle's milk for sustenance, "What could he have."
"I have prepared this for him." Silael had not been eating at the table, but had been cutting up various succulent fruits into small pieces and laying them out on a little tray. "Would you like to take it to him? Just give him a little piece at a time and let him see you eat some yourself."
"Yes, I can do that." Merry happily took the tray from Silael. "Is anyone else coming?" "We'll come up in a moment, Merry." Frodo said. "Perhaps we'd better not crowd Pippin while he's eating."
"I'll come now, Merry." Aragorn drew out the woollen stockings he had for Pippin's naked feet. "I expect he'll need these soon."
Aragorn had survived the delousing with a minimal haircut, although a complete shave, nevertheless he was glad to be rid of the constant itching that had started to fill his every waking moment and even bringing him sharply back from his slumber every so often.
Together the man and hobbit ascended the stairs and were admitted to the chamber by Deilen.
"Is he awake?" Merry asked. "Silael said I could bring him some real breakfast."
"The last time I looked he had gone back to sleep," Deilen frowned a little. "I probably need to renew the hot water I left to wash him with as that was some time ago."
Aragorn stayed to talk to Deilen for a moment as Merry went ahead with his tray of fruit. But they both ran forward at the sound of a loud clatter as the tray hit the ground followed by Merry's anguished cry. "Oh Pippin! No!"
Aragorn and Deilen scarcely knew where to begin. The little hobbit was sitting naked in the basin of water, which now was bright red with his blood, still frantically scrubbing at his skin with a hard bristled brush. Scouring powder was spilled all over the floor and Pippin had obviously been violently sick. His skin was raw and bleeding in many places and as he scrubbed he sobbed and sobbed.
Merry reacted first; he snatched the brush from Pippin's hand and put his arms around him. Pippin fought Merry off and continued rubbing at his skin with his hands, frantic now in his task. Aragorn reached down and lifted Pippin up from the water and wrapped him in the large towel that Deilen held out for him. Swaddling him tightly Aragorn rocked him to and fro, whispering softly, "No Pippin, no, no."
"What was he doing?" Merry whispered in awe at his cousin's self- destructive behaviour. The bemused hobbit was standing beside Aragorn, one hand on Pippin's back. He was soaking wet from grabbing Pippin and covered in his blood as well.
Deilen took Merry's hand and led him a little way away. "Such actions are not uncommon for one who has suffered these kind of hurts." Deilen offered Merry a towel to dry himself. "He feels unclean and is desperately trying to wash away what he perceives as his own uncleanliness."
"But it is not Pippin who is dirty." Merry gasped. "It is those who did that to him."
"I know Merry," Deilen said squatting down to be face to face with the hobbit. "But Pippin doesn't know that yet. There is still much healing to do with his mind and you must be the chief healer. Can you do that?"
"I-I don't know." Merry stammered. He was thoroughly thrown by Pippin's behaviour, especially when he thought he had made such progress the night before. "But I won't give up - ever! I promise!"
****