Pippin's POV
I knew he was gone. There was nothing else that would cause Frodo to scream in such a way.
"This is your fault!" a voice screamed in my head. It wouldn't have made much difference if Strider had shouted it at me. And I wished he would.
Guilt lay heavily on my heart. It was my fault. If I hadn't played with the skeleton in the chamber, if I hadn't caused it to fall down the well and caused the Orcs to re-surface. If I hadn't caused the Balrog to appear then Gandalf would still be alive.
I ran blindly out of the Mines and out on to the rocky plain at its exit. I collapsed as tears streamed down my face. Merry sat down beside me and pulled me to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder.
My mind floated back to the Shire. A Shire where Gandalf would always live. I remembered the last occasion he had been there had been Bilbo's party. Merry and me had stolen the biggest firework he had in his cart. We had lit it, it went off, providing some entertainment for the rest of the hobbits, and Gandalf had caught us.
Whenever Gandalf was in the Shire and I was up to mischief, he had always caught me. He would give a lecture, which I could probably recite if I put my mind to it, but he never got angry. His voice would be stern but his eyes sparked with hidden amusement.
And now he was gone and it was my fault.
Boromir knelt on the ground in front of me and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He wrapped an arm around me and I continued to cry into his shoulder. I felt moisture on my neck and I realised that Boromir was crying as well.
I didn't know how long I was in Boromir's embrace but I did know that is wasn't long enough. I looked, bleary eyed up at Strider and Legolas as Boromir let me go. His tear strained face only made me fell even guiltier.
I heeded little of what passed between the two Men but Strider seemed anxious and Boromir seemed angry. Part of me wished that they would get angry with me, I had caused the grief. Maybe I should have listened to Lord Elrond and stayed in Rivendell with Bilbo. If I had would Gandalf still be alive?
Boromir wrapped me in his arms again and I screwed my eye up against the fresh wave of tears that were threatening to fall.
I'm sorry Gandalf. Can you forgive me one last time?
A/N; It could be a while before the next (and final) post goes up because I am having serious trouble writing Sam. If anyone has any suggestions I would be very grateful. Thanks.
KC