Chapter 6
That night, after a hardy supper, (Frodo could only manage a few bites but Merry and Pippin didn't seem to notice his lacking appetite), the trio sat down to discuss the up coming trip.
Merry explained the he and Pippin had received the same letters from Aragorn as Frodo and Sam, asking them to be in Rivendell by October 10th. What could all this be about? None of them were very sure. They lit up their pips and sat outside in the cool, autumn breeze, exchanging their ideas and theories.
"Do you think the rest of the Fellowship will be there?" Pippin asked as he watched his older cousins blow smoke rings. "I would love to see Legolas and Gimli and Gandalf and Bor..." Merry and Frodo stopped and stared at Pippin, who quickly fell silent. Being so young, Pippin had a very hard time dealing with Boromir's death. Even now, though the years have passed, small tears began to well up in his eyes. Merry knew what was going through Pippin's head and moved next to him.
"It's alright Pip." He said, wrapping his arm around Pippin's shoulder. Frodo looked at the pair as they comforted each other and sighed. He had been on his way to Mordor when Boromir was killed. He had heard the story many times; how he had fought his hardest to protect Merry and Pippin from the Uruk-hai. Though he lost his life, he ha saved the tow younger hobbits from a most-certain death.
Even though Boromir HAD attempted to take the Ring from him, Frodo mourned his death with the others. The Ring had a control that no one can resist. Yet, he could only imagine how Merry and Pippin were feeling. Having to see a friend of their, who fought to save them, die before their eyes. Frodo sighed again.
"Cold Pip?" He asked finally. The sun had been setting as they talked and the wind picked up the fallen leaves, making them dance in circles on the lane. Pippin shivered and nodded but didn't look up.
"I'll put some tea on." Merry said, unwrapping himself from Pippin. When Merry was inside, Frodo moved closer to Pippin.
"Are you ok, Pip?" He asked. Pippin raised his head, his eyes full of sadness.
"It's so hard." He said. "He was just trying to protect us and...and..." Frodo wrapped his arms around the young hobbit and held him tightly.
"I know, Pip. I know." The two sat in silence for a long time, holding each other and letting silent tears fall into the dirt as the sun finally set and night arrived.
:~:
Merry and Pippin stayed with Frodo the rest of the week. After that night, their conversations were all on much lighter notes. Sam visited often and the four hobbits spent many hours reminiscing of times past.
Though many of their conversations had a tendency to drift towards the adventure they shared almost 3 years ago, someone would jump in and change the subject. This was usually Sam, who kept noticing how Frodo would tense up at certain moments of the conversations. Overall though, the days passed quickly and enjoyably until it was the night before they set out to leave.
Frodo wandered around Bag End aimlessly, moving from room to room, not sure what he should be thinking about. Merry and Pippin had left right after supper to have a 'few' drinks down at the Green Dragon. They had invited Frodo to come along but he declined, claiming that he had a few things to finish before they left the next day.
The reality of it was Frodo needed some time to think. He was beginning to have second thoughts about going. He finally sat down in the parlor, staring off into empty space. Every time he thought about the up coming journey, he would have a flashback of the last time he left Bag End; The attack at Weathertop, the ambush in Moria and the loss of Gandalf. Then there was the breaking of the Fellowship, the long trip to Shelob's lair and the deadly hike though Mordor and up Mount Doom. The power of the Ring calling to him, yearning to be put on, begging to be returned to his master. The Great Eye of Sauron ever watching from atop its tall tower, gazing into Frodo's very soul. . .
"Mr. Frodo?"
Frodo jumped out his seat and, in a defensive move, reached for Sting, Bilbo's old sword, at his side. Obviously it wasn't there, and it's a good thing too, because poor Sam would have been run right through otherwise. Sam's eyes were wide with fear and surprise, but did not waver or move away. He knew his Master well enough to know what was bothering him. Frodo stared at Sam with wild eyes, his arm out as if to slash at Sam with an invisible sword. After a moment, when Frodo had finally realized what was happening, he collapsed onto the large chair that Bilbo used to read to him in.
"Maybe this is all a bad idea, Mr. Frodo." Sam said worriedly as he attempted to make Frodo comfortable. "Maybe this whole plan with going all the way to Rivendell was a bad idea. You are sill very weak and what if. . ."
"Sam, we have to go. There is no other way. It maybe hard but I am not going to allow myself to become an old, lazy hobbit who is afraid of his own shadow." Frodo said as strongly as he could.
"Are you sure, Mr. Frodo? I mean, no one would think any less of you if you decided not to go." Sam said, reassuringly.
"No, Sam. This is something I need to do. We need to do." Frodo answered weakly. Then he added. "If you see them, please tell Merry and Pippin that I want to leave after second breakfast tomorrow, ok?" Sam nodded in understanding. Frodo sighed, knowing that his stubbornness could get the best of him sometimes, and he hoped he wouldn't regret it.
That night, after a hardy supper, (Frodo could only manage a few bites but Merry and Pippin didn't seem to notice his lacking appetite), the trio sat down to discuss the up coming trip.
Merry explained the he and Pippin had received the same letters from Aragorn as Frodo and Sam, asking them to be in Rivendell by October 10th. What could all this be about? None of them were very sure. They lit up their pips and sat outside in the cool, autumn breeze, exchanging their ideas and theories.
"Do you think the rest of the Fellowship will be there?" Pippin asked as he watched his older cousins blow smoke rings. "I would love to see Legolas and Gimli and Gandalf and Bor..." Merry and Frodo stopped and stared at Pippin, who quickly fell silent. Being so young, Pippin had a very hard time dealing with Boromir's death. Even now, though the years have passed, small tears began to well up in his eyes. Merry knew what was going through Pippin's head and moved next to him.
"It's alright Pip." He said, wrapping his arm around Pippin's shoulder. Frodo looked at the pair as they comforted each other and sighed. He had been on his way to Mordor when Boromir was killed. He had heard the story many times; how he had fought his hardest to protect Merry and Pippin from the Uruk-hai. Though he lost his life, he ha saved the tow younger hobbits from a most-certain death.
Even though Boromir HAD attempted to take the Ring from him, Frodo mourned his death with the others. The Ring had a control that no one can resist. Yet, he could only imagine how Merry and Pippin were feeling. Having to see a friend of their, who fought to save them, die before their eyes. Frodo sighed again.
"Cold Pip?" He asked finally. The sun had been setting as they talked and the wind picked up the fallen leaves, making them dance in circles on the lane. Pippin shivered and nodded but didn't look up.
"I'll put some tea on." Merry said, unwrapping himself from Pippin. When Merry was inside, Frodo moved closer to Pippin.
"Are you ok, Pip?" He asked. Pippin raised his head, his eyes full of sadness.
"It's so hard." He said. "He was just trying to protect us and...and..." Frodo wrapped his arms around the young hobbit and held him tightly.
"I know, Pip. I know." The two sat in silence for a long time, holding each other and letting silent tears fall into the dirt as the sun finally set and night arrived.
:~:
Merry and Pippin stayed with Frodo the rest of the week. After that night, their conversations were all on much lighter notes. Sam visited often and the four hobbits spent many hours reminiscing of times past.
Though many of their conversations had a tendency to drift towards the adventure they shared almost 3 years ago, someone would jump in and change the subject. This was usually Sam, who kept noticing how Frodo would tense up at certain moments of the conversations. Overall though, the days passed quickly and enjoyably until it was the night before they set out to leave.
Frodo wandered around Bag End aimlessly, moving from room to room, not sure what he should be thinking about. Merry and Pippin had left right after supper to have a 'few' drinks down at the Green Dragon. They had invited Frodo to come along but he declined, claiming that he had a few things to finish before they left the next day.
The reality of it was Frodo needed some time to think. He was beginning to have second thoughts about going. He finally sat down in the parlor, staring off into empty space. Every time he thought about the up coming journey, he would have a flashback of the last time he left Bag End; The attack at Weathertop, the ambush in Moria and the loss of Gandalf. Then there was the breaking of the Fellowship, the long trip to Shelob's lair and the deadly hike though Mordor and up Mount Doom. The power of the Ring calling to him, yearning to be put on, begging to be returned to his master. The Great Eye of Sauron ever watching from atop its tall tower, gazing into Frodo's very soul. . .
"Mr. Frodo?"
Frodo jumped out his seat and, in a defensive move, reached for Sting, Bilbo's old sword, at his side. Obviously it wasn't there, and it's a good thing too, because poor Sam would have been run right through otherwise. Sam's eyes were wide with fear and surprise, but did not waver or move away. He knew his Master well enough to know what was bothering him. Frodo stared at Sam with wild eyes, his arm out as if to slash at Sam with an invisible sword. After a moment, when Frodo had finally realized what was happening, he collapsed onto the large chair that Bilbo used to read to him in.
"Maybe this is all a bad idea, Mr. Frodo." Sam said worriedly as he attempted to make Frodo comfortable. "Maybe this whole plan with going all the way to Rivendell was a bad idea. You are sill very weak and what if. . ."
"Sam, we have to go. There is no other way. It maybe hard but I am not going to allow myself to become an old, lazy hobbit who is afraid of his own shadow." Frodo said as strongly as he could.
"Are you sure, Mr. Frodo? I mean, no one would think any less of you if you decided not to go." Sam said, reassuringly.
"No, Sam. This is something I need to do. We need to do." Frodo answered weakly. Then he added. "If you see them, please tell Merry and Pippin that I want to leave after second breakfast tomorrow, ok?" Sam nodded in understanding. Frodo sighed, knowing that his stubbornness could get the best of him sometimes, and he hoped he wouldn't regret it.