A/N: Sorry for the extended hiatus! Read on!

DISCLAIMER: LotR not mine.

FOOL OF A TOOK

Chapter 12: Screams in the Air

Merry looked closely at Boromir, who sat behind him in the great canoe. He had a benign expression at the moment, but Merry had seen his face when Aragorn had rowed alongside them to speak to the other Man. Boromir's reserve had crumbled for a second, and a look of pure horror and fear had come over his countenance. Then Aragorn had whispered again to him, and Boromir had noticed Merry staring at them inquisitively, and had forced his face to assume an expressionless stare.

Very suspicious indeed, thought the Hobbit. I wonder what they are up to. Men are so very, very strange.

Merry gave a sigh and turned again to look ahead of them. The current in the water seemed to be pulling them downstream faster than before, and the light was beginning to fade from the sky. They would surely make camp soon.

However, Aragorn made no motions to pull the canoes out of the river, nor did Boromir air any complaints about not being able to take a break. This surprised Merry a bit, for the son of the Gondorian Steward had been using every chance he could get to send a barb in Aragorn's direction. He was assuredly jealous of the Ranger's sudden rise in status, and no doubt saw his own position as future Steward of Gondor threatened by the return of the rightful King. Merry had learned to tune them out when they argued, but this time something in the air between them was different.

It was almost as though they had a secret code. Every now and then Aragorn would turn back and look at Boromir, without saying a word, and Merry would see the Gondorian nod slightly; then Aragorn would nod as well and turn back around.

Yes, something was definitely going on.

"All right, Boromir, out with it," demanded Meriadoc Brandybuck after another one of those meaningful exchanges between the Men.

Boromir looked confused for a moment. "Out with what? What would you like to know?"

Merry fixed him with a glare that said I dare you to cross me. "What is this secret exchange between Strider and yourself? Is it some sort of code that only Men know, or are you both communicating by thought?"

Boromir looked uncomfortable, and shot a hasty glance in Aragorn's direction. The other Man still had his back to the others, so he must not have heard the question. "Well, Aragorn is a master hunter and tracker, as you well know."

"I am quite aware of the Man's virtues and talents, now tell me if this pertains to Pippin or not," Merry snapped uncharacteristically, determined not to be deterred.

Boromir sighed in defeat. "Aragorn has picked up the trail of your cousin, my dear Hobbit, and was afraid to raise your hopes by telling you, in case something had happened to the poor Took before we could find him."

Merry looked slightly relieved. "Then he made it this far, I'm assuming, or he would at least have told me that, I'm sure of it." He smiled slowly. "I'm sorry for being pushy, my good Man, but I'm just really worried about my kinsman. And not just him." Merry nodded at Frodo. "He feels awfully responsible for the way Pippin ran out with the Ring. He thinks Pippin intends to take it all the way to Mordor himself, from what he got out of a conversation with the Lady Galadriel before we left Lothlorien."

Boromir shook his head, grateful that the Hobbit wasn't asking any more questions. Aragorn would skin him alive if he let it slip that Pippin wasn't armed, and rightfully so. Poor Merry would swim ahead of the canoes himself if he heard something like that. He admired the sense of family and brotherhood among the Hobbit race.

The race of Man would be very well off indeed if such respect existed amongst us all, he thought sadly.

The two were forced to stop talking and concentrate on rowing the boat, as the current rather obviously picked up. Aragorn barked orders over his left shoulder from the front of the fleet, and the others perceived that there might be danger ahead if they were not careful and vigilant.

For the first time in two days, Merry was aware of the rumbling in his stomach. He was rather amazed that he had not been concerned with food, so concerned he had been for Pippin's safety. Now that he had the news that Pippin had made it this far, he sat a little more comfortably in his canoe, and waited until the Men decided it was safe to camp.

Aragorn's canoe rounded a corner and was lost from sight, and Legolas' and Gimli's canoe soon followed. Merry heard gasps of amazement over the roaring of the river, as their canoe passed through a tall, narrow gap and was rowed by Boromir around the curve in the waterway. As they came around the bend, Merry saw what had elicited the gasps from Sam and Frodo.

There stood the two enormous stone statues that Pippin had seen on his own journey down the Anduin. "The Argonath," whispered Boromir reverently. "Great Kings of Men."

Merry stared in awe, and Boromir nudged him to pick up his paddle. "Be on your guard, these are rough waters. It is easy to make a mistake and overturn here. The Argonath serve as a sentinel, and do not take their duty lightly."

Merry gulped and helped Boromir with the task of rowing the canoe through the quick water between the statues. More than once, he felt the current trying to drag the paddle from his small grasp, almost as though the water itself had hands. This must be what Boromir had meant. The Argonath were testing him, to see if he was strong enough, worthy enough to pass into the lands ahead. He wondered if Pippin had come this far downstream, and desperately hoped he had not capsized in the rough water.

Merry also had the private suspicion that the Ring itself would not be so easily deterred. Perhaps it had given unknown strength to Pippin's limbs and enabled him to survive thus far. He hoped so, for Pippin's sake at least.

As the current subsided and the canoes began to drift lazily once more, the party noticed there were loud falls ahead. They paddled their boats together for a quick assessment of the situation.

Aragorn was of the opinion that the pull of the Ring was strong enough that if Pippin had made it this far, it would be pulling him to the southeast. Therefore, they should continue searching on the eastern shore.

Legolas interrupted with a cry. "Over on the western shore! I see an Elf-made canoe. He is nearby."

Merry's heart filled with joy, and he gave a yelp. "What are we waiting for? Let's go find him. I'll box his ears thoroughly for this!"

"Aye, after I'm done with him, you mean," Gimli added, also reassured.

Aragorn and Legolas remained silent as they paddled toward the abandoned boat, letting the others revel in their joy and relief. Frodo noticed this and marked it as strange. "Why do you look as though you're listening for something? Are we yet in danger?"

The Man and Elf exchanged a look of surprise. Hobbits were indeed a perceptive race of creatures. Legolas answered, "I have felt something evil drawing near this whole time we have been moving downstream, and I feel it even greater here in this place. I have heard heavy footfalls crashing through the woods, headed this way. We are indeed in danger and we must move quickly to find the young Took."

Frodo and Sam exchanged a solemn glance. "Oh, no," Sam whispered.

The party hurriedly came ashore and pulled the boats up onto the rocky bank, some of them jubilant, some of them sober. As they hefted the last Hobbit out of the large canoe, a cry in the woods stilled them all in their tracks.

"Pippin!" Merry cried out, and made as if to run for the woods. Boromir caught him just in time, and the Hobbit struggled under the weight of the Man's arm. "Let me go! I must get to Pippin!" Merry shouted angrily.

Boromir held him firmly, as Aragorn nodded and went forward into the woods. "Let Strider go; he is more capable of dealing with danger than you are, if there is need of it."

Merry struggled a bit more, then sighed and gave up. He knew Boromir was right, but he just couldn't let Pippin face all the danger alone. It just was not the way things were done, especially when it concerned your kinsman and best friend. He sank to the ground beneath Boromir's arm, sobbing and cursing.

Boromir released his grip and held out a pouch of water and some lembas bread. "Here, keep your strength up. You may yet need it today."

Merry accepted the rations but did not eat or drink. He sat against the rock, peering into the trees, ready to bolt in after Strider if he heard Pippin's cry again.

Aragorn, meanwhile, had followed the noise and the Hobbit footprints into the forest a little way from the riverbank. The path led him to what appeared to be ruins of a statue and possibly a religious circle. He stopped, examining the leaves of a recently broken branch, and then sniffed the soil. Yes, Pippin had come this way.

A little further on, he heard muffled breathing. It was coming from on top of a large stone platform, so he made his way stealthily toward it. He couldn't see anything, but he could definitely hear Pippin's breathing, and it was growing more fearful and excited with every step he took. He must be wearing the Ring, thought Aragorn. He will draw the Eye's attention to this place, so I must take him from here as quickly as possible.

Suddenly, there was another cry from the platform, and Pippin materialized on the edge of the stonework. He was falling, and Aragorn had to race forward in time to catch him before he hit the ground. Pippin, stunned and frightened, turned around to look at the face of his captor.

"Ar-Aragorn!" he gasped. "The awful Eye, it's here, in this place. All the trees disappeared, and it was a giant fiery Eye, and…"

Aragorn shushed him and drew him near to calm him. "We must not speak of it again, but we must hurry from this place. There is other danger, closer, that we must outrun. Let's go, quickly!"

The Man took Pippin into his arms and began to run with him in the direction of the river. He stopped abruptly as another piercing cry split the still air, followed by a chorus of matching cries. All very close at hand.

War cries.

Whatever had been following them had found them at last. Aragorn set Pippin down on the ground, and drew his sword.