He drew his dagger slowly and carefully. He knew he was close now and he wasn't sure if he was satisfied or terrified. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, his breathing quickened. He gripped the dagger firmly. No going back now.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Merry shouted again, more out of desperation than any real hope. His throat was becoming hoarse now from shouting and the cold wind tore at his soaking clothes and frozen body. He trembled violently, both from the cold and from fear. He was scared for Pippin; he was unwell as it was and Merry had no idea what the consequences of his latest misadventure would be. He remembered how withdrawn his cousin had become when he had broached the subject of the last week's events and he prayed that this sudden recklessness on Pippin's part had not been spurred on by his questions. He knew he had to find him soon or risk losing him to his fears for good.

He moved onwards; the trees grew nearer.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Lightning tore a jagged line across a volatile sky, illuminating just for a moment the clearing ahead of him. Even as it descended back in to darkness, the glare of menacing yellow eyes could be seen, watching the small hobbit as he approached. A low, threatening growl escaped from powerful jaws, barely discernable from the roar of thunder that rolled out across the Shire. The storm had broken; the hunt was on.

Pippin stumbled in to the clearing and froze almost immediately. He could hear the unmistakeable growl, the scrabble of claws against the roots of the trees. His knuckles shone white as he clutched his dagger in a vice-like grip, his mouth closed in grim determination. The light of battle shone in his eyes; he was ready.

The beast lunged at him, almost pinning him to the ground. Pippin could feel its foul breath hot on his face as he struggled to break free. Eventually he managed to roll out from underneath it and got shakily to his feet, ready to face his foe once more. He thrust out with his dagger and struck the beast's left flank. Blood oozed from the gash left by his blow and the creature howled in pain and anger. It snarled viciously and lunged again, but Pippin ducked out of its way, missed by inches. He took the opportunity to strike out again, this time catching it across the muzzle. His spirit soared at these small victories; he felt brave once more.

The beast, however, was angry. It stood before him, hackles raised, teeth bared. Pippin stumbled backwards as it advanced upon him, more intent than ever on killing its prey. It unsheathed its claws, ready to strike….

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Merry could hear the whispering of the trees, and it calmed him. He felt reassured by their presence, their strength and wisdom not forgotten by himself or Pippin after their time in Fangorn Forest. He had nothing to fear from them; it was the rest of this dark place that scared him. Who knew what lurked in the shadows, watching, waiting to strike? He felt totally exposed; he was unarmed and alone, with no one to guide him or protect him. He was lending himself to the mercy of the Valar and the forest. Evil, although greatly diminished, still lurked in the darkest places of the world, waiting for the unsuspecting to venture across its path. He shuddered slightly as a gust of strong wind blew icy cold against his soaked clothing, freezing claws tearing at his trembling form. Above the noise of the storm came a fresh sound; an immense howl of pain and anger that chilled him to the bone. Many dark evils did indeed still inhabit the world.

He hurried onwards, shouting again, more keen than ever to find Pip, for neither of them was safe in this darkness.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

There was nowhere left to go. Backed against a mighty oak, he was powerless to defend himself from the hefty paw that struck him across the chest, knocking the breath from his lungs and leaving a set of deep gashes across his chest. He fell to the floor, sword knocked from his grasp, blood staining scarlet on the ground. He began to crawl towards his fallen weapon, but the beast got there first, resting a might paw on the hilt of the weapon, leaving Pippin powerless. He could see it meant to kill him, but he was not going to give up without a fight. He would not die cowering like an animal on the ground. He would die standing tall, proud, like the soldier he was. He staggered to his feet, swaying slightly with exhaustion. As he prepared for the final blow, his keen ears picked up sounds of shouting in the distance. Hope swelled in his chest. He could recognise that voice anywhere.

Merry!

The beast turned its head; it too could hear the other hobbit, despite the continuing roar of the storm. Not taking his eyes off the beast for a second, Pip carefully felt around on the ground around him with his right foot for a stick, a stone, anything he could use to hold off the beast until Merry reached him.

His foot connected with a jagged stone, the perfect size for throwing. Slowly, carefully, he bent down to pick it up. It was in his hand when the beast turned, sensing his movement. This was it, his one chance. He threw the stone with all his might, at the same time shouting out to his cousin.

"Merry!"

His aim was true; the beast howled as the stone struck its skull, leaving it stunned. It swayed and crumpled to the ground, leaving him free to retrieve his dagger. He could hear Merry was close now; he turned and shouted again.

Behind him, the beast began to stir.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Merry could hear Pippin's shouts, and he hurtled through the undergrowth towards the sound. He could see his cousin in the distance, and behind him he saw the hulking form of a great wolf, clearly injured but still very dangerous. He tried to shout out to Pip, but no sound escaped his lips. He watched helplessly, frozen to the spot as it advanced upon his cousin. Behind him, a dark figure emerged from the shadows…..

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

TBC

A/N: I would just like to say thanks to the following people.

Ah: Thank you so much for your lovely comments. I'm sorry if you found chapter five confusing in the way I set it out, I hope this one is better! Anything in italics is either a thought (generally short lines) or a flashback (long bits!) As such, the majority of the second half of the chapter was a flashback, following on from the one that ended chapter three. I hope this clears things up for you!

Co: You're not dead yet are you? fetches resuss kit just in case No? Phew! Here is the next chapter for you, hope you enjoy!

Special thanks go to my friends Tiz and Chris, for helping motivate me and for proof reading my work. Also thanks again to those of you that left a signed review. I will always try my hardest to get back to anyone that leaves me one, so if you have any comments, questions or suggestions for me just leave me a review and let me know! I do love your feedback.

Until next time……

SmileyHalo