A/N: Busy week at school and all that, not had time to write (that's a lie but let's just ignore it shall we?). This chapter is a little more serious than the others have been but I hope that doesn't put anyone off.
Enjoy!
While They Walked: Chapter 18 - HomeDay descended upon the travellers and, to no one's surprise, they were still walking. The ones who were not hobbits showed signs of searching for a place to sleep. The four who were hobbits were starting to pick up any dry sticks they could find to start a small fire on which they could cook supper (or breakfast, that was still debated). This was all done without a word, even from Pippin, as he had found others were more likely to snap at this time in the morning. Not to mention that he was worn out from a long night's walking and couldn't wait to get settled in his bedroll.
Soon enough, a place was found under a small copse where the ground wasn't quite so muddy and wet and it was deemed suitable to sleep under. The hobbits barely grumbled they were so tired, or it may have been that they were finally getting used to the hardships of long journeys. Even if they did always claim that they weren't used to it and that they never were going to get used to it because 'long hard journeys are simply not in a hobbits nature!'
The hobbits immediately set to making a quick fire and meal. They weren't yet tired enough to sacrifice the meal altogether but they no longer minded if it was rushed and if they didn't mind then no one else had the heart to complain.
"I wish I was back home," said Pippin quite out of the blue, "I wish we were all back home and everything was finished and we didn't have to keep walking," he stared at his small meal that would barely have passed for a snack back in the Shire. Frodo, who was sitting next to Pippin, put his arm around Pippin's shoulders.
"Don't worry, we'll be there before long. You remember Bilbo's tales? He always wanted to go home while he was travelling and adventuring and he did in the end!"
"I always laughed when he said all he'd wanted was his own hole and a cup of tea but it's not funny at all. I want my own hole and a nice warm cup of tea and to not be wet!" Pippin sniffled into his plate.
"Cheer up Pippin, we all get a little homesick once in a while. Everything will seem better in the evening!" said Merry. Pippin glared at him.
"But it's not evening! It's morning and I want to go home!"
"Do you really?" said Aragorn, "Would you really rather be at home while the eight of us trekked across Middle-earth?"
"Yes, well, no. I want you all to be there with me so we could all have tea and crumpets!" a smile flickered across Pippin's face.
"Don't worry Pippin, I feel the same way sometimes," added Boromir, "Except I think of tall towers in stead of a hole," even though he wasn't his usual self, nothing could quench Pippin's curiosity.
"You really feel at home in towers? You don't just make do with them because you're too big to fit underground?"
"Too big to fit underground? Too big!" said Gimli, "As a dwarf, I can assure you that nothing is too big to fit underground!" Pippin smiled ruefully,
"I know, I could never think of another reason people would want to live so high though,"
"I don't know why we do. It's just always been that way," said Boromir by way of (a rather lame) explanation.
"Boromir, what else would you do if we were all with you in your home?" asked Merry. Pippin's mood seemed to have spread to the rest of the hobbits and they were all looking at him for something to take their minds of their present situation. Even if the wind and rain were trying their hardest to make everyone uncomfortable, Boromir would do his best.
"Well, we'd be sitting by the hearth most certainly and I like Pippin's idea of tea and crumpets. Then we could have a tale-telling competition. No doubt we all have our own but mine and my brother's favourite is quite a tale to be told,"
"That sounds wonderful," said Pippin,
"What would you do Legolas?" asked Merry, he now wanted to know each of his companions' idea of home.
"I'd take you outside of the halls to where the trees are welcoming and the air fresh and there I'd have a table set for a feast to cater for all races, especially the bottomless stomachs of the hobbits. There'd be music and singing while we ate and afterwards, if nobody had consumed too much wine, we could each sing a song of our own," Legolas trailed off into thought.
"I'd enjoy that very much," said Frodo.
"Mr. Bilbo'd need to be there if you're to get the best of Shire songs, though," added Sam.
"What of you, Gimli?" said Merry.
"We'd have feast as well, but in the great halls of stone. Very much warm and dry. There'd be more food than any of you could hope to eat in one sitting,"
"Are you sure you could manage that, master dwarf?" said Legolas with an eyebrow raised,
"Very sure, master elf. There would be beer aplenty, meat, vegetables, bread, cakes, everything you could wish for. Then, once we were all full, we would sit back and exchange tales or songs and finally gifts,"
"Gifts? Like the ones at Bilbo's party?" said Pippin, his eyes bright with the memories.
"Aye, and some even better. There would even be something for the elf, though not too wondrous, my father could only stand so much. An elf in the halls would be asking quite a lot,"
"I'd be happy with just that," said Legolas. This took everyone by surprise, they were all expecting him to turn down the offer. However, Gimli, ever the stubborn dwarf, hid his surprise and merely cleared his throat. All eyes then moved from Gimli to Aragorn.
"Ah," said Aragorn, "A hard question. You have already seen my home and experienced it in all its glory. My second though would be to take you to the Prancing Pony in Bree but I fear that would encroach on the hobbits' territory. No doubt they'd have a number of inns lined up for us to try the ale at,"
"We wouldn't mind at all Mr. Strider,"
"No, by all means, if that's where you'd go,"
"No, no, I can think of one more place. It's a small waterfall in the valley of Rivendell and it's far and away the most beautiful spot in all Middle-earth. I'm usually quite content to just sit there and listen to the birds singing but as we'd have hobbits with us, we could bring along some food. Then we could do anything, from talking to swimming," everyone took a little time to think how lovely until Merry broke the silence,
"Gandalf? What would you do?"
"I wouldn't start thinking about such things until we had got the hard part out of the way,"
"Gandalf!" said Pippin indignantly, "That's no fun!"
"We are not here to have fun, Peregrin! We're here to ensure that the fate of Middle-earth is safe!" everyone fell completely silent. Pippin sucked in his bottom lip to stop it wobbling and looked at the empty plate in his lap. Merry considered glaring at Gandalf but quickly realised that would achieve nothing. Frodo pulled Pippin closer to him and Sam shifted nearer so Pippin was surrounded by the ones he'd known all his life, which was the closest to the Shire Pippin was going to get right now.
Unlike Merry, the elven, dwarven and mannish parts of the fellowship thought that glaring at Gandalf was exactly what was required.
"Gandalf!" said Aragorn sternly, though quietly, not wishing to disturb the hobbits, who were talking quietly to Pippin. "That was not the best time to speak so harshly to Pippin!"
"He needs to understand the seriousness of what we are doing!"
"And he will. He doesn't need to be shouted at when he's already in such a melancholy mood,"
"What got you thinking about home?" asked Merry gently, "It's not like tonight was much different from any other in the past fortnight,"
"I don't know, I started thinking about the day I left home because I had nothing better to do and now I just want mummy and daddy to be here with me. I miss them,"
"I miss me old Gaffer too, but he'd just tell me to snap out of it and keep walking. 'None of your complaining!" he'd say, 'you've got food and good clothes on your back which is more'n can be said for some people,' and he'd be right,"
"I know, I know, I'm being silly," Pippin wiped his eyes and sniffed. "I left a letter in my room telling everybody that they shouldn't worry, but they will be worrying, won't they?"
"Yes, but there's nothing you can do to stop that," said Frodo.
"The last person I saw was Pervinca and she asked me when I'd be back but I couldn't answer her," Boromir came over to the little huddle of hobbits bearing a cup of water. He offered it to Pippin.
"I'd usually bring something a bit stronger than water but we don't have anything," Pippin looked up at Boromir and took the cup from his hands.
"Thank you, Boromir,"
"Boromir, what are they doing over there?" said Merry, motioning towards the other four members of the fellowship. Boromir looked over his shoulder.
"I think they're berating Gandalf for his harsh words," Merry raised an eyebrow and looked from Boromir back to the others. Gandalf was no longer angry, he seemed to be nearing bewildered. "It seems he's forgotten quite how you hobbits worm your way into people's affections," Merry grinned up at Boromir,
"It's a speciality of ours,"
"I suggest you all go to bed, you need as much sleep as you can get," said Boromir, standing up.
"There's no argument from me," said Frodo, who still had a comforting arm around Pippin, "What about you, Pippin,"
"Bed sounds like exactly what I need," so Boromir and the hobbits set out their bedrolls. Boromir noticed that the three elder hobbits were constantly reassuring and patting or hugging Pippin.
Just as they were about to climb into bed and get some well-deserved sleep, Gandalf walked over to them.
"I'm sorry Pippin-lad," he said, "I didn't mean to snap. I'll take your watch tonight," Pippin looked up at Gandalf, very much surprised.
"But I didn't take a watch last night and if you take mine then you'll be even grumpier tomorrow!" Gandalf chuckled.
"I promise I won't be. You make sure you get lots of rest, you deserve it,"
"Thank you, Gandalf,"
TBC