FOOL OF A TOOK

Chapter Four: Pippin's Escape

Pippin gave the Ring inside his pocket another pat and sat back against the wall to think. "How on Middle Earth am I going to get out of here? This place is literally crawling with Elves."

Just then, there was a commotion inside the guardhouse. Pippin stole another look. Another tall, blonde Elf burst through the door. "Orcs! Coming out of the Mountains!"

The Elf called Haldir sprang to his feet. "Rumil! Are you sure they're coming this way?"

Rumil nodded quickly. "Yes, they are headed in this direction. They have picked up the scent of our guests, it seems."

Haldir frowned and spat. "Bah. Giving shelter to Men and a Dwarf. I knew this was a bad idea." The rest of the Elves grabbed their weapons and cloaks and rushed from the building.

Pippin got the courage to stand, now that all the Elves had gone to another part of the Forest. He decided to take a look around inside the guardhouse, maybe there was a weapon he could use.

Or food!

Pippin brightened at the idea of food, since he'd not had a proper second breakfast since starting out from Bree with Strider. He cheerfully whistled as he looked through the contents of what appeared to be a pantry. He picked up a strange-looking loaf of bread, tied inside a large mallorn leaf. Pippin sniffed it carefully. He tried a bite.

"Not bad," he said to himself. He quickly finished off that loaf and two more. The rest he stuffed into a sack that was laying nearby. He also picked up a strange-looking dagger, its hilt carved with leaves, from a chair. One of the Elves must have forgotten it. Ah well, Pippin could put it to use if he saw a monster out there.

Pippin gulped. Monster? Did he really know what he was doing? He certainly hoped so, because he could not stand to see Frodo in pain another day. And surely if he went back and tried to explain things to everyone, he would be in big trouble.

Besides, Boromir was there, and he didn't want to have to face him again. Not after what he'd heard. He knew he couldn't trust him after that.

Pippin hefted the bag and headed quickly to the door. As he passed the chair that Haldir was sitting in, he noticed a cloak slung over the back of it. He also noticed that the cloak looked very warm, and as it was chilly outside the woods, he investigated more closely.

"Hmm," thought Pippin. "That's why we didn't see the Elves sneaking up on us when we first entered these woods. They were wearing these cloaks that helped them blend in with the surroundings." He put two and two together rather more quickly than he normally did, and decided the cloak would help him to escape from the woods unseen.

He tied it on hurriedly, and carried the sack out of the guardhouse. Then he looked around for a way out.

Pippin had unknowingly made it to the river, and his luck seemed to be holding so far, for there was an unguarded boat tied up right next to the guardhouse.

Pippin headed for it quickly, and dropped in the sack. Then, he looked around once more, to make sure he had not been followed, and cast off from the shore.

He could hear the sounds of fighting from the other side of the woods, and a tear rolled down his cheek, as he hoped that Merry would forgive him for deserting him.

Pippin rowed out of Lothlorien as fast as he could.

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A/N: Sincerest apologies for not updating in so long. I'm working on four stories at once (which I shouldn't be doing, since it takes away from the content), and I'm afraid I'll have to postpone one of them – Not this one though, don't look worried! I'll update as soon as I get this next chapter completed…maybe tonight, maybe in the morning. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you're enjoying it so far!