Heavy footfalls, harsh breath hot on his neck, making the hairs stand up... yellow eyes filled with menace glowing in the darkness ... he let out a scream so loud it made his throat hoarse.

"MERRY! MERRY! PLEASE MERRY, HELP ME!"

It felt as though he was trying to move through thick treacle, as he fought the panic that served to bind him to the spot. He remembered the promise he made to himself after the raft incident, and he found new strength within himself. Pip needs you, now !

Shaking off his fears and doubts, spurred on by thoughts of his still screaming cousin, he dashed along the hall, at his cousin's side in seconds. He saw the tears streaming down his pale cheeks, noted the tremble of his whole body and the way the bed covers were now strewn across the room. Pip stared at him, green eyes wide with fear and suspicion.

"I'm sorry Pip, so sorry! I should never have left you here alone, I was just... I'm sorry."

He grabbed his cousin in a rib cracking hug, and felt him shudder. He moved back, holding his cousin at arms length. He looked him in the eyes with a penetrating gaze that left no room for doubt in his words.

"I'm here for you now Pip, and I promise that as long as you need me, I'm right here by your side. Nothing and no one will harm you while I'm here. Never doubt that."

Pip reached out to him and he felt the warm weight of the smaller hobbit against his chest. Damp tears began to soak his jacket as the little hobbit sobbed softly in to his shoulder.

They sat like that for some time. Merry felt some relief; his cousin had come back to him, everything was going to be okay again. Pip was clearly scared and in need of some comfort and reassurance, but they were past the worst now. He broke the embrace and began to speak softly to his cousin.

"Now, little Peregrine, how about some breakfast? There appears to be some mushrooms in the larder, and I could be persuaded to do some omelette perhaps."

"Y-yes p-please Merry" Pippin hiccoughed. He wiped at his eyes with his palms and offered his cousin a watery smile.

"That's the spirit Pip! Now you just sit tight while I go and see about those mushrooms."

His kissed his cousin fondly on the head before bustling off in to the kitchen.

The sun was breaking out over the horizon, the birds of the Shire singing, as he began to prepare breakfast for them both. He whistled gaily as he began gently frying the mushrooms. What a glorious day is was going to be! He couldn't wait to send word to Pip's worried family, who were anxious to know what had happened to him after he left them in perfect health just over a week ago.

Everything was going to be okay, his cousin would be back to his normal self in no time. Such a glorious day!

Slowly, ever so slowly, he stumbled backwards, never once taking his eyes off the beast in front of him, eyes gazing hungrily at him, saliva hanging in ribbons from strong, fearful jaws. He turned and began to run, the beast hard on his heels. Blood pounded in his ears, adrenaline coursed through his veins, he was running faster than he had ever done in his life, even more so than when he and Merry escaped from the Uruk-Hai and ventured in to Fangorn.

He remembered back to when he and Merry played chase together as infants, the disapproving cluck of his mother's tongue when he came home caked in mud and grass stains.

"One day, my little one, that rascal cousin of yours will get you in to some serious trouble!"

Then she would smile at him and lead him to the waiting bath tub. That was why he always made sure to get extra muddy; as fun as playing with Merry was, bath time was infinitely more enjoyable, singing joyfully at the top of his voice and sloshing water everywhere in his enthusiasm.

"We should have named you Troublesome Took, my little hobbit. Look at all the mess you've made!"

She hauled her protesting son out of the bath tub, wrapping him in his favourite towel and ruffling his unruly curls fondly.

Pippin shook his head, clearing thoughts of happier times from his mind. This wasn't just another game of chase with Merry, his mother wasn't waiting for him at home with a hot bath ready. He needed to escape, the fight or flight instinct now kicking in. He scrambled madly through the dense bushes and tall trees that made up the forest on the borders of Buckland, trying to shield himself from the claw-like branches tearing at his clothes and viciously scratching his arms.

He could still hear the beast behind him, panting heavily, twigs cracking loudly under it's paws. All he could do now was try and hide and hope that it would get bored and give up. He pulled himself up in to the nearest tree and waited. He could hear the beast sniffing and scrabbling at the ground below. It had picked up on his scent and wasn't willing to give up on its prey just yet.

He waited silently, huddled on a branch midway up the tree, hardly daring to breathe. He was freezing cold, hungry, sore and miserable. He was also trapped in this tree for the foreseeable future. He drew his cloak more tightly around his shoulders, balancing carefully against the trunk as he did so, and offered a silent prayer to whoever was watching over him.

"Please see me safely out of here and back home to Merry and I promise to never cause any trouble ever again."

He leant once more against the trunk, and as precariously perched as he was on the branch, he began to softly doze.

He was eventually wakened by the sound of the beast slowly beginning to move away from the tree, cold and bored as it was. He waited a few more moments just to be sure, listening carefully to the sounds of rustling leaves and snapping twigs becoming quieter, more distant, then began to climb carefully down. He was just a few feet from the ground when his foot caught, and he was sent tumbling from the tree.

A few moments later he sat propped against the base of the trunk, dazed and aching. Knowing there was still a chance that the beast was nearby, he resolved to get up and keep going. Pain-filled limbs protested at the movement but still he began to move unsteadily along the path that led out of the forest. You can rest when you get back, he told himself, but you must keep going for now, it's not safe here.

He went on for some time, thoughts of food and a warm fire, his own bed, spurring him on. Exhaustion slowly crept over him and his heavy eyelids began to droop. He failed to spot the thick tree root snaking out on to the path in front of him.

In moments, he crashed down on to the forest floor, catching his head on a jagged stone as he fell. Blackness took him in an instant.

High above him, a falcon, not often seen in those parts, spotted the little hobbit and the blood gradually staining the ground beside him. He wheeled away, a harsh cry renting the air as he lamented the fallen form, still and pale, on the path below.