~*~Far and Away~*~
Chapter: 20
Merry woke to the rushing of feet outside his tent. Sleepily he pulled on his clothes and stumbled into the icy cold morning air. Rohirrim men were hurrying about in the pale morning twilight, preparing for battle. Merry began looking for the King.
As he caught sight of Theoden, Eowyn passed him with her cheeks flush from anger and wet from tears. He paused a second, but continued on his way.
When he approached the King, he bowed. "My lord, tell me what to do and I will do it. Are we riding out soon?"
King Theoden sighed and dropped to one knee so that he was eye level with Merry. "My dear, courageous Hobbit. We will ride fast and hard, you would have a hard time keeping up. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to leave you here in the care of Lady Eowyn."
Merry stood there, horrified. He was being left behind again. He grasped Theoden's hand. "My lord! Please, do not leave me! Tie me to the back of your horse, anything, just don't leave me behind."
Theoden sighed sadly. "You are among the bravest souls I know, Merry, but it just cannot be. I am sorry." He patted Merry's shoulder. "Thank you for your services Merry. I fear we shall not met again." The King stood and turned back to his advisors.
Merry stood speechless. It had happened again. He was to be left behind. Sharply he turned and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him to the edge of the fields surrounding the camp. He sank to the dusty ground and beat his fists into the dirt.
"No!" he screamed. "Why must I always be left?! What have I done that no one wants me?" Tears stained his dirty cheeks. Finally as the soft light broke over the golden fields of Rohan, Merry picked himself back up and headed back to the tents.
He made his way back to his tent as he periodically glanced toward the assembling units of horsemen. He had almost reached his tent when a hand rested on his shoulder.
"Where will wants not, a way opens, so we say," a voice whispered in Merry's ear. "And so I have found it myself." Merry turned and saw a young rider, clad in armor. His face was mostly hidden by the helm he wore, but Merry could see his gray eyes. "You wish to go with the Lord of the Mark. I can see it in your face."
Merry nodded. "I do."
"Then you will come with me. I can bear you in front of me, under my cloak until we have the cover of darkness. Say no more to anyone, but come quickly with me."
"Thank you!" Merry darted quickly into his tent and taking up his sword, cloak and sword, he stumbled back outside to where the young man was waiting. "Thank you so much sir!"
The man nodded and quickly guided Merry toward his horse. "Come, up quickly now."
"Thank you sir." Merry waited for the rider to mount and wrap his cloak around both of them. "Sir," he whispered. "I don't know your name."
"You don't?" The rider looked down at Merry and answered softly, "Then call me Dernhelm."
~*~ Ok, if any of ya'll DO NOT know who Dernhelm is, I'm going to smack you over the head with a pole! ~*~
Merry softly petted the great gray horse, which they sat upon. "What's his name?" he asked Dernhelm.
"Windfola," Dernhelm answered. He bent down a little and whispered in Merry's ear, "It might not be wise to speak freely to each other until we have started out. Is that ok?"
"Yes" Merry said. He heard the command to move out and soon after that, he got lost in the rhythm of the march and drifted off to sleep.
Dernhelm woke Merry up as night began to fall. He let Merry poke his head out and get some fresh air. Merry could see hundreds of riders ahead of them. "We are in a large company, aren't we?"
"Yes," Dernhelm looked forward and then pointed out a single rider. "That is who we are under. His name is Elfhelm."
Merry stretched to see. Elfhelm rode proudly in front of the company. His blonde hair was pulled back and clasped with a wooden pin.
Dernhelm whispered, "He is a loyal man. He knows our situation and will not let it be known."
Merry looked up at the young man. "Do you know him?"
He nodded. "I met him while I was living at the Hill."
"You lived at a hill?"
Dernhelm looked down at Merry and then looked away. "Yes, I did." Dernhelm seemed to be thinking hard, but after a while he looked back at Merry and smiled sadly. "I do not think I'll ever see my homeland again." And the rest of the night they rode on in uncomfortable silence.
~*~Four days later:
Merry was awoken by Dernhelm in the middle of the afternoon. "Come, Master Merry. We're to camp here for the night. Ghan just left. He proved faithful and true to his word. We're right on the edge of the forest. See the fields beyond the trees?"
Merry nodded. He waited for Dernhelm to get down, and then he scrambled down. Dernhelm led Windfola over to a tree and tied her there.
"Come help we set up." Dernhelm motioned Merry over. Even though it was daylight and men could see and hear clearly, they went about their business paying no attention to Merry if they saw him. Merry helped Dernhelm unroll their blankets and set up a small lean-in shelter, forming half a tent with one of the blankets tied to two trees.
The Hobbit sat down inside the lean-in and watched Dernhelm go over and talk quietly with Elfhelm. Merry took his pack off and set it beside him. He was very bored, just sitting and waiting for nothing to happen. He sighed and lay down, running a hand through his curly hair.
"Why did I even come?" Merry wondered, talking to himself. "I really miss Pippin. I wonder how he'd doing. Probably a lot better off than me." Merry sat up and rummaged through his bag. "I'm hungry, I don't think I have anything good to eat in here, but right now, I think I'd eat anything." He found an apple at the bottom of his bag and took it out. It was a bit bruised, but it was still good. Merry sunk his teeth into the apple and wiped his face as the juice trickled down his chin.
Much to Merry's surprise, a tear slipped down his cheek. His throat knotted up and he couldn't swallow. He pulled his legs up close to himself and rested his head on his knees. 'I can't believe how much I miss the Shire,' he thought, fiercely trying to stop crying.
"I must go on," he told himself. "The others managed to get along, and so can I." Taking a deep breath, he wiped his eyes and curled up in a comfortable position before falling asleep.
~*~
Elfhelm looked at the young man before him. Of course, he knew who it really was, but he had promised to keep it a secret.
"Don't go to battle. Don't do it just so that you will die."
The young man raised his eyes to the tall rider.
Elfhelm looked at him sadly. "Yes, I can read your eyes." He turned Dernhelm so that he was looking him in the eye. "I know your pain, but this isn't the answer."
Dernhelm jerked away. "You know nothing of my pain."
Elfhelm sighed heavily. "Maybe I don't, but I know that seeking death in battle isn't the answer! Listen to me. Your mother would tell you the same." He laid a comforting hand on Dernhelm's shoulder. "Come on now. Let's get something to eat. Then you and your little friend better get a good night sleep, because tomorrow, prepared or not, we're going into battle.
~*~ Ok, ok! So sue me! I take forever posting chapters, I know. I'm sorry. Well, school starts for me in a week, and though the chapter after this may be short, I promise you that I will try my best to have it posted before the next millennium.
So! PLEASE REVIEW and give me suggestion! (please, feel free!)
If someone STILL doesn't know who Dernhelm REALLY is, first I'm going to hit you over the head, make you read Lord of the Rings all over again (if you ever read it before) and then I hope that THEN you'll have a clue to who it is!
Oh, yeah, and for any of ya'll who HAVEN'T read the book, this will be a spoiler for the Return of the King, o.k.? just wanted to warn ya, so you're not all freaked out. Ok, I'm done with my ramblings now, sorry. Enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW!
Chapter: 20
Merry woke to the rushing of feet outside his tent. Sleepily he pulled on his clothes and stumbled into the icy cold morning air. Rohirrim men were hurrying about in the pale morning twilight, preparing for battle. Merry began looking for the King.
As he caught sight of Theoden, Eowyn passed him with her cheeks flush from anger and wet from tears. He paused a second, but continued on his way.
When he approached the King, he bowed. "My lord, tell me what to do and I will do it. Are we riding out soon?"
King Theoden sighed and dropped to one knee so that he was eye level with Merry. "My dear, courageous Hobbit. We will ride fast and hard, you would have a hard time keeping up. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to leave you here in the care of Lady Eowyn."
Merry stood there, horrified. He was being left behind again. He grasped Theoden's hand. "My lord! Please, do not leave me! Tie me to the back of your horse, anything, just don't leave me behind."
Theoden sighed sadly. "You are among the bravest souls I know, Merry, but it just cannot be. I am sorry." He patted Merry's shoulder. "Thank you for your services Merry. I fear we shall not met again." The King stood and turned back to his advisors.
Merry stood speechless. It had happened again. He was to be left behind. Sharply he turned and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him to the edge of the fields surrounding the camp. He sank to the dusty ground and beat his fists into the dirt.
"No!" he screamed. "Why must I always be left?! What have I done that no one wants me?" Tears stained his dirty cheeks. Finally as the soft light broke over the golden fields of Rohan, Merry picked himself back up and headed back to the tents.
He made his way back to his tent as he periodically glanced toward the assembling units of horsemen. He had almost reached his tent when a hand rested on his shoulder.
"Where will wants not, a way opens, so we say," a voice whispered in Merry's ear. "And so I have found it myself." Merry turned and saw a young rider, clad in armor. His face was mostly hidden by the helm he wore, but Merry could see his gray eyes. "You wish to go with the Lord of the Mark. I can see it in your face."
Merry nodded. "I do."
"Then you will come with me. I can bear you in front of me, under my cloak until we have the cover of darkness. Say no more to anyone, but come quickly with me."
"Thank you!" Merry darted quickly into his tent and taking up his sword, cloak and sword, he stumbled back outside to where the young man was waiting. "Thank you so much sir!"
The man nodded and quickly guided Merry toward his horse. "Come, up quickly now."
"Thank you sir." Merry waited for the rider to mount and wrap his cloak around both of them. "Sir," he whispered. "I don't know your name."
"You don't?" The rider looked down at Merry and answered softly, "Then call me Dernhelm."
~*~ Ok, if any of ya'll DO NOT know who Dernhelm is, I'm going to smack you over the head with a pole! ~*~
Merry softly petted the great gray horse, which they sat upon. "What's his name?" he asked Dernhelm.
"Windfola," Dernhelm answered. He bent down a little and whispered in Merry's ear, "It might not be wise to speak freely to each other until we have started out. Is that ok?"
"Yes" Merry said. He heard the command to move out and soon after that, he got lost in the rhythm of the march and drifted off to sleep.
Dernhelm woke Merry up as night began to fall. He let Merry poke his head out and get some fresh air. Merry could see hundreds of riders ahead of them. "We are in a large company, aren't we?"
"Yes," Dernhelm looked forward and then pointed out a single rider. "That is who we are under. His name is Elfhelm."
Merry stretched to see. Elfhelm rode proudly in front of the company. His blonde hair was pulled back and clasped with a wooden pin.
Dernhelm whispered, "He is a loyal man. He knows our situation and will not let it be known."
Merry looked up at the young man. "Do you know him?"
He nodded. "I met him while I was living at the Hill."
"You lived at a hill?"
Dernhelm looked down at Merry and then looked away. "Yes, I did." Dernhelm seemed to be thinking hard, but after a while he looked back at Merry and smiled sadly. "I do not think I'll ever see my homeland again." And the rest of the night they rode on in uncomfortable silence.
~*~Four days later:
Merry was awoken by Dernhelm in the middle of the afternoon. "Come, Master Merry. We're to camp here for the night. Ghan just left. He proved faithful and true to his word. We're right on the edge of the forest. See the fields beyond the trees?"
Merry nodded. He waited for Dernhelm to get down, and then he scrambled down. Dernhelm led Windfola over to a tree and tied her there.
"Come help we set up." Dernhelm motioned Merry over. Even though it was daylight and men could see and hear clearly, they went about their business paying no attention to Merry if they saw him. Merry helped Dernhelm unroll their blankets and set up a small lean-in shelter, forming half a tent with one of the blankets tied to two trees.
The Hobbit sat down inside the lean-in and watched Dernhelm go over and talk quietly with Elfhelm. Merry took his pack off and set it beside him. He was very bored, just sitting and waiting for nothing to happen. He sighed and lay down, running a hand through his curly hair.
"Why did I even come?" Merry wondered, talking to himself. "I really miss Pippin. I wonder how he'd doing. Probably a lot better off than me." Merry sat up and rummaged through his bag. "I'm hungry, I don't think I have anything good to eat in here, but right now, I think I'd eat anything." He found an apple at the bottom of his bag and took it out. It was a bit bruised, but it was still good. Merry sunk his teeth into the apple and wiped his face as the juice trickled down his chin.
Much to Merry's surprise, a tear slipped down his cheek. His throat knotted up and he couldn't swallow. He pulled his legs up close to himself and rested his head on his knees. 'I can't believe how much I miss the Shire,' he thought, fiercely trying to stop crying.
"I must go on," he told himself. "The others managed to get along, and so can I." Taking a deep breath, he wiped his eyes and curled up in a comfortable position before falling asleep.
~*~
Elfhelm looked at the young man before him. Of course, he knew who it really was, but he had promised to keep it a secret.
"Don't go to battle. Don't do it just so that you will die."
The young man raised his eyes to the tall rider.
Elfhelm looked at him sadly. "Yes, I can read your eyes." He turned Dernhelm so that he was looking him in the eye. "I know your pain, but this isn't the answer."
Dernhelm jerked away. "You know nothing of my pain."
Elfhelm sighed heavily. "Maybe I don't, but I know that seeking death in battle isn't the answer! Listen to me. Your mother would tell you the same." He laid a comforting hand on Dernhelm's shoulder. "Come on now. Let's get something to eat. Then you and your little friend better get a good night sleep, because tomorrow, prepared or not, we're going into battle.
~*~ Ok, ok! So sue me! I take forever posting chapters, I know. I'm sorry. Well, school starts for me in a week, and though the chapter after this may be short, I promise you that I will try my best to have it posted before the next millennium.
So! PLEASE REVIEW and give me suggestion! (please, feel free!)
If someone STILL doesn't know who Dernhelm REALLY is, first I'm going to hit you over the head, make you read Lord of the Rings all over again (if you ever read it before) and then I hope that THEN you'll have a clue to who it is!
Oh, yeah, and for any of ya'll who HAVEN'T read the book, this will be a spoiler for the Return of the King, o.k.? just wanted to warn ya, so you're not all freaked out. Ok, I'm done with my ramblings now, sorry. Enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW!