Disclaimer: LOTR is still not mine. But from this point on, the plot is. Muahahahaha.

Chapter Six

The Steward and the King

"So be it," Gandalf said with a sigh after Boromir reminded him, quite cheerfully, that he was the one who had said, "Let the Ringbearer decide."

At that moment, however, Pippin decided it was a good time for a snowball fight. The rest of the Fellowship gladly joined in. In all the commotion, Boromir and Aragorn snuck away for a little talk.

"I do not want to go to your crazy city and be king!" Aragorn complained.

"My city's not crazy!"

"You're crazy to live right next to the most dangerous place in Middle-Earth!"

"That's not craziness! It's courage!"

"It's stupid. Now Rohan's smart. And the king has a good head on his shoulders."

"Theoden?"

"No; Thengel."

"He's dead."

"Dead?!?"

"Uh . . . yeah."

"Man, I've been away too long. When I last saw Theoden, he was an itty-bitty little kid. Pippin made a good choice. Even considering Saruman."

"Yeah. What did Gandalf say about him?"

"He's bonkers."

"Oh, yeah. Come on; let's get back."

"Uh . . . Boromir?"

"Yeah?"

"Which way is it?"

Boromir looked around. "Good question."

Aragorn paused and smelled the wind. "I think we came from that way."

"How can you tell? All the snow looks exactly alike."

"Well, do you want to lead?"

"Oh, no; you're the king."

"I don't even want to be king!"

"So?"

"You just don't want to make the decision and be wrong!"

"Oh, yeah?" Boromir asked, drawing his sword.

"Yeah," Aragorn grinned, drawing his.

— — — — — — — — —

Meanwhile, the others had finished the snowball fight. Everyone was exhausted, but delighted.

It was Faramir who first noticed the absent humans.

"Maybe they got buried in all the snow," Sam suggested, noticing his pack was missing, as well. They all dug through the snow. They found Sam's pack, but nothing else.

Just then, they heard a voice echoing over the mountains. "Fly, you fools!" it shouted.

"That was Boromir," Faramir said quietly.

"We should do what he said, lads," Gimli said.

Pippin looked up from a snowball he'd been planning to throw at Faramir while he was still distracted. "How?" the young Hobbit asked innocently. "I can't fly."

— — —

Okay, I just had to do that. No one said it in the book or the movie. I just had to.

And I had to separate Boromir and Aragorn from the Fellowship, too, much as I hate to do it, because I needed something close to the equivalent of Gandalf's death. And quick.

Don't worry–they won't be sad for long.

Ice Ember–boy, I could never get up that early, for whatever reason. But then, by the time I go to bed . . . . we won't go there. I'm glad you like the humor, because it's not going to go away. :)

SirNotAppearingInThisFilm–Yes! Frodo whines way too much! And whimpers, and complains, and screams, and doesn't trust anyone, and is afraid of everything, and . . . well, you get the point. Pippin's so much easier to work with. Which explains why absolutely none of my fics (as of yet) center on Frodo. He got three books and three movies. He doesn't need a bigger head. :)

Pippinsgal1011890–Well, Pippin is cute; there's no way anyone can change that; it's the way Tolkien made him. And he'll probably pick up a clue sooner or later. But I do enjoy his cluelessness.