While they Walked
Chapter 14: Footwear: Part I
A/N: kat-mle: keep your hair on! I'm getting to it!
Heart of flame: I hoped I would trick someone, don't worry it worked on one of my friends too. *insert evil laughter here*
Ice Ember: Random LotR facts are always good, though I did already know that one (go me!)
Everyone else: Thank you for your wonderful ideas and encouragement (nothing like praise to keep a writer writing) you may have noticed this is a two-parter, though truth be told its because I can't write it all tonight. But don't complain, it's either half now or all in another week or so, teachers are wanting in homework before the Easter holidays and I've got homework building up from up to a year ago (I'm not the best at organisation). Enough of my troubles, read and enjoy!
~~~
Pippin, in all his inquisitiveness, had taken his chance at investigating something that had been nagging at his mind for a few days now. The group were resting, not for a meal, just a quick stop on their way south and Aragorn had taken the chance to remove his boots and rest his feet quickly, leaving the boots open to curious hobbit hands such as Pippin's. Pippin had seldom seen more than a rain-boot that some hobbits he knew wore in wet weather, which he could completely understand, it kept mud out of the hair for one thing. He didn't understand why anyone would want to wear the things all day though.
He turned the boot upside down and looked at the sole, then compared it to his own foot. The boot was harder, but more encrusted with dirt than his foot. You could tread in any amount of horse dung before you realised anything was amiss while you were wearing one of these, or even a pair.
He then turned it back upright and studied the creased leather of the ankle, he was glad his ankle didn't look as bad as that; it was like a seventy-year-old's ankle. He then peered into the darkness inside of the boot. What was it like in there? Was it soft and comfy? Was it sweaty? Did it smell? He tentatively sniffed. Well, at least his last question was answered! It smelt like blue cheese which had been left out in the sun with perhaps a few rotten eggs just for potency.
Pippin gagged and then began to cough, trying to think of things like roses and lavender to keep away the memory of the smell that brief sniff had brought him.
"Pippin! What is it? What have you done?" Merry sidled over from where he had been sitting a few yards away, taking no notice of Pippin at all. Pippin held the boot out to him and whether by chance or design, the smell reached him too. "Whose is that?" said Merry in disgust.
"Aragorn's," choked Pippin, "I didn't think it would ever be that bad, it makes some compost heaps smell of roses in comparison." Aragorn finally realised, having looked all around for it, where his stray boot had got itself.
"Would you mind giving me my boot back?" said Aragorn.
"Oh no, please take it! Who would've thought that," Pippin stopped in his tracks, his mind slowly processing the unthinkable. "Do your feet smell like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like your boot."
"You smelt my boot?"
"I was just curious about your boots, like why you wear them, I've not found any redeeming features. They give you an extra piece of clothing to clean, they look, frankly, quite odd, they make your footsteps ten times louder than they should be and they make your feet smell!"
"What's good about any of that?" added Merry on the end, if just to show his support for Pippin's argument.
"You've missed the main point of boots, they protect our feet!"
"But surely if you were to never wear boots then you'd develop hard skin like ours." Merry tapped the sole of his foot to prove the point.
"But what of the time between while our feet are not so hard when we are cutting out feet on every small stone?"
"You'd just have to grin and bear it wouldn't you?" said Pippin as though that settled the matter and he had proved beyond all doubt that boots were essentially useless.
"They keep out feet warm." said Boromir, joining the conversation with a very good point.
"Ah, yes, there is that," said Pippin.
"And don't forget that they keep our toes from being stubbed." said from the far side of the camp, he tapped the toe of his boot with the axe he was cleaning. "I'd like to see you do that with bare feet!" Merry and Pippin looked rather defeated.
"But have you seen the things you walk into the house? Meaning no disrespect to you Gandalf, but there's always more mud on the floor when you come to stay." said Sam, something that only someone who cleaned floors regularly would spot. Merry and Pippin nodded fiercely in agreement though they couldn't say much to support it, having never had boot wearers in their own homes.
"Very true," said Frodo, "And what about when your foot is trodden on by a booted foot? I can tell you that's not a very comfortable affair." Here Frodo looked at Aragorn. "The heel of a boot is especially painful." Aragorn mumbled something. Possibly along the lines of an apology, but only he and Legolas would ever know.
"I have an idea that should end your discussion." Everyone turned to face Gandalf. "I have always found that you have to experience things to get a real insight into them." A smile appeared on Gandalf's face that no one else quite liked the look of. "Why don't you all swap your footwear?"
"We can't wear nothing on our feet!" burst out Boromir indignantly.
"We can't wear those on our feet!" burst out Pippin at exactly the same time. Then they turned to each other and locked eyes, a challenge passed silently between them. Boromir removed his boots and threw them at Pippin, who caught one and jumped out of the way of the other.
Gimli stood up and removed his boots also, his dwarvish pride swelling inside of him, he would not be out done by a man, no more than he would be out done by an elf. Seeing this, Legolas threw his boots into the growing pile at Pippin's feet. Gandalf turned his gaze towards Aragorn,
"Well?" he said. Aragorn sighed and threw his boots into the pile as well.
"I can't wear all of these at once!" exclaimed Pippin as he sorted through the boots and dug out the partner to the one he already held in his hand. The other three hobbits looked at each other and a great cry went up from the three of them,
"Dibs on Legolas'!" they yelled as they dived for the light green boot just peeking out from under Aragorn's boot. Sam emerged victorious, shaking one of Merry's hand off his hard won prize as Frodo sneakily grabbed Gimli's pair in the confusion. Merry did not like the choice he was left with.
"I am not wearing those! Have you smelt them? Do you... do you know what they'll... what they'll do to... oh fine! I'll wear them!" Merry picked up the offending boots and stormed off.
Then ensued many minutes of small frustrated sounds of hobbits trying to fit their feet into boots. Sam finished first, then Frodo. They were closely followed by Pippin, who stared at his feet in confusion.
"These boots feel awfully odd, more odd than I would imagine they should that is."
"You've got them the wrong way around."
"I've got them what?"
"They should go on the other feet."
"You mean that I have to take them off and put them back on again?" the boot-wearing portion of the fellowship nodded and Pippin sighed loudly.
Merry finished at long last, having spent the first few minutes hesitating and wondering if the argument was really worth this. And so finally the hobbits were all booted up. They stood and looked at each other, the rest of the fellowship tried to restrain their laughter, the hobbits did not look happy.
Their feet fit quite well into the boots, what were now Pippin's boots were a little too large for him, but he'd rather them than the pair Merry was wearing. The part that made them look ridiculous, aside from the fact that any footwear looks odd on a hobbit, was that all of the boots reached to their knees. Frodo stomped his feet.
"These are really heavy Gimli!" he said in awe.
"These aren't." said Sam happily, he was very pleased with his selection of boot. The material they were made from made it so that if he didn't look at his feet or think about it, he forgot he was wearing anything on his feet at all. "I'll swap with you sir if you don't think you could make it." Sam didn't really want to give up his boots, but he didn't want to see Frodo getting unnecessarily tired.
"Oh no Sam, you know me, I like a good challenge!" Having thoroughly studied their own feet, the hobbits turned their attentions to the now bare feet of their companions. They stared.
"Is there something wrong with our feet?" inquired Boromir.
"Oh no they're perfectly good..." started Pippin.
"...If only a little pale..." continued Merry.
"...And not to mention bald." finished Frodo. Sam looked as though he was battling with himself, trying to decide whether or not to say something. He decided to just come out with it and say it.
"Especially you Legolas." he said very quietly, though loud enough for everyone to hear.
Everyone looked at Legolas' feet, Gimli snorted. Legolas was gob-smacked, it was very possibly the first time anyone had ever done anything other than tell him how perfect and elf-like he looked. It had never occurred to him before that to some races elf-like may not be the vision of beauty it seemed to be among men.
"Well," said Gandalf, pleased with his work, "I think we've lingered here long enough." And with that they started walking again.
Chapter 14: Footwear: Part I
A/N: kat-mle: keep your hair on! I'm getting to it!
Heart of flame: I hoped I would trick someone, don't worry it worked on one of my friends too. *insert evil laughter here*
Ice Ember: Random LotR facts are always good, though I did already know that one (go me!)
Everyone else: Thank you for your wonderful ideas and encouragement (nothing like praise to keep a writer writing) you may have noticed this is a two-parter, though truth be told its because I can't write it all tonight. But don't complain, it's either half now or all in another week or so, teachers are wanting in homework before the Easter holidays and I've got homework building up from up to a year ago (I'm not the best at organisation). Enough of my troubles, read and enjoy!
~~~
Pippin, in all his inquisitiveness, had taken his chance at investigating something that had been nagging at his mind for a few days now. The group were resting, not for a meal, just a quick stop on their way south and Aragorn had taken the chance to remove his boots and rest his feet quickly, leaving the boots open to curious hobbit hands such as Pippin's. Pippin had seldom seen more than a rain-boot that some hobbits he knew wore in wet weather, which he could completely understand, it kept mud out of the hair for one thing. He didn't understand why anyone would want to wear the things all day though.
He turned the boot upside down and looked at the sole, then compared it to his own foot. The boot was harder, but more encrusted with dirt than his foot. You could tread in any amount of horse dung before you realised anything was amiss while you were wearing one of these, or even a pair.
He then turned it back upright and studied the creased leather of the ankle, he was glad his ankle didn't look as bad as that; it was like a seventy-year-old's ankle. He then peered into the darkness inside of the boot. What was it like in there? Was it soft and comfy? Was it sweaty? Did it smell? He tentatively sniffed. Well, at least his last question was answered! It smelt like blue cheese which had been left out in the sun with perhaps a few rotten eggs just for potency.
Pippin gagged and then began to cough, trying to think of things like roses and lavender to keep away the memory of the smell that brief sniff had brought him.
"Pippin! What is it? What have you done?" Merry sidled over from where he had been sitting a few yards away, taking no notice of Pippin at all. Pippin held the boot out to him and whether by chance or design, the smell reached him too. "Whose is that?" said Merry in disgust.
"Aragorn's," choked Pippin, "I didn't think it would ever be that bad, it makes some compost heaps smell of roses in comparison." Aragorn finally realised, having looked all around for it, where his stray boot had got itself.
"Would you mind giving me my boot back?" said Aragorn.
"Oh no, please take it! Who would've thought that," Pippin stopped in his tracks, his mind slowly processing the unthinkable. "Do your feet smell like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like your boot."
"You smelt my boot?"
"I was just curious about your boots, like why you wear them, I've not found any redeeming features. They give you an extra piece of clothing to clean, they look, frankly, quite odd, they make your footsteps ten times louder than they should be and they make your feet smell!"
"What's good about any of that?" added Merry on the end, if just to show his support for Pippin's argument.
"You've missed the main point of boots, they protect our feet!"
"But surely if you were to never wear boots then you'd develop hard skin like ours." Merry tapped the sole of his foot to prove the point.
"But what of the time between while our feet are not so hard when we are cutting out feet on every small stone?"
"You'd just have to grin and bear it wouldn't you?" said Pippin as though that settled the matter and he had proved beyond all doubt that boots were essentially useless.
"They keep out feet warm." said Boromir, joining the conversation with a very good point.
"Ah, yes, there is that," said Pippin.
"And don't forget that they keep our toes from being stubbed." said from the far side of the camp, he tapped the toe of his boot with the axe he was cleaning. "I'd like to see you do that with bare feet!" Merry and Pippin looked rather defeated.
"But have you seen the things you walk into the house? Meaning no disrespect to you Gandalf, but there's always more mud on the floor when you come to stay." said Sam, something that only someone who cleaned floors regularly would spot. Merry and Pippin nodded fiercely in agreement though they couldn't say much to support it, having never had boot wearers in their own homes.
"Very true," said Frodo, "And what about when your foot is trodden on by a booted foot? I can tell you that's not a very comfortable affair." Here Frodo looked at Aragorn. "The heel of a boot is especially painful." Aragorn mumbled something. Possibly along the lines of an apology, but only he and Legolas would ever know.
"I have an idea that should end your discussion." Everyone turned to face Gandalf. "I have always found that you have to experience things to get a real insight into them." A smile appeared on Gandalf's face that no one else quite liked the look of. "Why don't you all swap your footwear?"
"We can't wear nothing on our feet!" burst out Boromir indignantly.
"We can't wear those on our feet!" burst out Pippin at exactly the same time. Then they turned to each other and locked eyes, a challenge passed silently between them. Boromir removed his boots and threw them at Pippin, who caught one and jumped out of the way of the other.
Gimli stood up and removed his boots also, his dwarvish pride swelling inside of him, he would not be out done by a man, no more than he would be out done by an elf. Seeing this, Legolas threw his boots into the growing pile at Pippin's feet. Gandalf turned his gaze towards Aragorn,
"Well?" he said. Aragorn sighed and threw his boots into the pile as well.
"I can't wear all of these at once!" exclaimed Pippin as he sorted through the boots and dug out the partner to the one he already held in his hand. The other three hobbits looked at each other and a great cry went up from the three of them,
"Dibs on Legolas'!" they yelled as they dived for the light green boot just peeking out from under Aragorn's boot. Sam emerged victorious, shaking one of Merry's hand off his hard won prize as Frodo sneakily grabbed Gimli's pair in the confusion. Merry did not like the choice he was left with.
"I am not wearing those! Have you smelt them? Do you... do you know what they'll... what they'll do to... oh fine! I'll wear them!" Merry picked up the offending boots and stormed off.
Then ensued many minutes of small frustrated sounds of hobbits trying to fit their feet into boots. Sam finished first, then Frodo. They were closely followed by Pippin, who stared at his feet in confusion.
"These boots feel awfully odd, more odd than I would imagine they should that is."
"You've got them the wrong way around."
"I've got them what?"
"They should go on the other feet."
"You mean that I have to take them off and put them back on again?" the boot-wearing portion of the fellowship nodded and Pippin sighed loudly.
Merry finished at long last, having spent the first few minutes hesitating and wondering if the argument was really worth this. And so finally the hobbits were all booted up. They stood and looked at each other, the rest of the fellowship tried to restrain their laughter, the hobbits did not look happy.
Their feet fit quite well into the boots, what were now Pippin's boots were a little too large for him, but he'd rather them than the pair Merry was wearing. The part that made them look ridiculous, aside from the fact that any footwear looks odd on a hobbit, was that all of the boots reached to their knees. Frodo stomped his feet.
"These are really heavy Gimli!" he said in awe.
"These aren't." said Sam happily, he was very pleased with his selection of boot. The material they were made from made it so that if he didn't look at his feet or think about it, he forgot he was wearing anything on his feet at all. "I'll swap with you sir if you don't think you could make it." Sam didn't really want to give up his boots, but he didn't want to see Frodo getting unnecessarily tired.
"Oh no Sam, you know me, I like a good challenge!" Having thoroughly studied their own feet, the hobbits turned their attentions to the now bare feet of their companions. They stared.
"Is there something wrong with our feet?" inquired Boromir.
"Oh no they're perfectly good..." started Pippin.
"...If only a little pale..." continued Merry.
"...And not to mention bald." finished Frodo. Sam looked as though he was battling with himself, trying to decide whether or not to say something. He decided to just come out with it and say it.
"Especially you Legolas." he said very quietly, though loud enough for everyone to hear.
Everyone looked at Legolas' feet, Gimli snorted. Legolas was gob-smacked, it was very possibly the first time anyone had ever done anything other than tell him how perfect and elf-like he looked. It had never occurred to him before that to some races elf-like may not be the vision of beauty it seemed to be among men.
"Well," said Gandalf, pleased with his work, "I think we've lingered here long enough." And with that they started walking again.