Candlelight flickered, casting dark shadows across the bedroom wall. Pippin winced and started to squirm uncomfortably as Rugigar began to wipe his wounds with a brandy-soaked cloth.

"Pippin, this would be a lot easier on us both if you could just hold still. Why don't you lie down, perhaps it would make things a bit more comfortable."

Pippin lay back gingerly on the bed, stifling a yawn. It had been a long and difficult journey back to Crickhollow, not least because Merry still wasn't able to walk without causing pain to his damaged ribs. In the end, Rugigar had made a litter of sorts from Merry's cloak and two sturdy branches in which he carefully laid Merry before loosely securing him with his own cloak. He began by dragging it slowly and carefully over the ground, Pippin following silently behind. It soon became clear, however, that the uneven ground was making the journey less than smooth for the injured hobbit. Rugigar realised that there wasn't much choice but to carry him again. He made as if to pick Merry up, but Pippin stopped him.

"Leave him on there. I'll help you carry him."

"I'm really not sure that's such a good idea Pip, you're hurt too, remember?"

Pippin glared fiercely at his friend.

"I know that Rugigar, but it's my own fault. Merry should never have been involved in the first place. We need to get him home and this is the only way to do that safely."

He gripped one end of the litter firmly. Rugigar could see there was no use arguing with him, stubborn a creature as he was. He took the other end and they gently lifted it from the ground.

"Alright Pippin," he said as they began to pick their way carefully along the ground, "but you must tell me the second you feel tired or if you feel any increase in the pain in your chest. If not, your pride could cost you more than just an injured friend."

Pippin just nodded and continued to walk on in determined silence.

It was half an hour before the silence was broken by Merry, who began to awaken.

"Pippin? What's going on? Why are you carrying me?"

Pippin looked down at his cousin and smiled.

"You're hurt Merry. We're trying to get you home so that we can fix you."

Merry looked up at him, confusion evident in his wrinkled brow.

"You're hurt too though Pip. You shouldn't be carrying me. Put me down!"

Pippin carried on walking as though he hadn't heard his cousin. That was until Merry began to try to get up off the litter, his face scrunched up, teeth gritted against the pain that now consumed him.

"Rugigar, stop! Put him down."

Immediately they dropped the litter down gently on to the floor. Pippin forced his cousin to lie back down on the stretcher, keeping a hand on his shoulder as he spoke to him to make sure he didn't try to sit up again.

"Merry, listen to me! I'll be fine, but you must keep still for me. It's important you keep still alright?"

Tears were glistening in his emerald eyes as he spoke, and his breathing became more laboured. Rugigar pushed him gently in to a sitting position and began to unwind the material round his chest. There was some fresh blood staining the material, but not much. They needed to get back soon and get Pip stitched up before he caused the wounds to worsen through too much strain.

He spoke once more to Pippin as he carefully wound the material back around his chest.

"You need to rest for a bit. Your wounds are bleeding again; I don't think it's a good idea for you to continue putting strain on them by helping me carry Merry. I'll just have to carry him like I did last night. It won't be very comfortable for him but I promise it won't cause him any more damage."

Pippin looked up at him, eyes full of fear and uncertainty.

"You promise me it won't hurt him? I can't let anything happen to him, not because of me, not now I have him back again."

"He'll be fine Pip. You just sit there for a few minutes, catch your breath."

Half an hour later, they were up and moving again. They walked through the trees in silence, each focused on finding their way back home safely and without any further incident. Merry seemed happier now that he was settled in Rugigar's arms; he felt guilty for making such a fuss and upsetting Pippin, but he was worried for his younger cousin, remembering how he had been carried away from him unconscious the night before. Pippin was hurting more than he was willing to admit, and Merry thought he knew why.

"Rugigar," he whispered, "can we stop for a bit? I want to talk to Pippin."

Rugigar nodded and laid him carefully down on the ground.

"Pippin, Merry needs a rest. Can you keep an eye on him for me while I go ahead andfind the best path to take out of here?"

Pippin sat down next to his cousin in silence and began fiddling with his makeshift bandages. Rugigar gave him a small smile and walked on through the trees.

It was a few minutes before Merry began to speak.

"Pippin, you don't need to punish yourself you know. I know you're hurting, I can see that, but you needn't feel guilty. It wasn't the wisest idea to run away like that but I think I know why you did, and I want you to know that I understand."

Pippin continued to look away from his cousin, the leaden feeling of guilt growing heavier in his stomach. He owed Merry a proper explanation, he knew that, but it was just so hard to admit how stupid he had been considering the consequences. He could sense Merry's imploring gaze as he waited for Pip to begin to talk.

He cleared his throat nervously a couple of times. Why was it so hard to explain this to Merry, his dearest cousin and friend? Perhaps you don't want to see the look of disappointment in his eyes. He won't understand, he can't, and you barely know yourself why you did it. Why you hurt Merry so.

All Merry wanted was to understand. He wasn't disappointed in Pippin, wasn't angry. He was just worried. He could see that Pippin was tormenting himself with the knowledge that he alone was to blame for his own pain and for Merry's.

Merry couldn't let him carry on thinking that he was alone. Ignoring the pain the movement caused his chest, he slowly eased himself in to a sitting position and carefully put an arm around his cousin's shoulders. That simple gesture was enough to make Pippin dissolve in to tears. It wasn't long before he pulled himself together enough to be able to speak. He knew now that Merry would understand, wouldn't care how stupid he had been.

"I'm sorry Merry; it was so selfish of me to leave like that without telling you why I had to go. I do remember what happened to me before you found me, but I was ashamed. I was embarrassed about how scared I had been."

Merry looked at him questioningly. Pippin took a shuddering breath before he continued on.

"On my way back from the Smials I cut through these woods. I thought it would be safe and that I would get back quicker. It turns out I was wrong on both counts. I hadn't been walking for long when I heard it; a low growl, distant at first, but growing nearer every second. I was being hunted by that foul creature that you killed. I ran as hard as I could, but I knew that it wouldn't give up that easily, I had to hide. So I climbed up a tree and waited. Eventually it retreated, and I came back down and began to run again. I was exhausted though; I became clumsy, tripped and knocked myself out. I woke up some time later and had not long been walking on before you found me."

Merry shook his head.

"I still don't understand why you came back here though. You must have realised how dangerous it would be."

"I came back because my pride wouldn't let me stay away Merry. I was so scared when I was being chased, more scared than I would ever care to admit. I didn't think I was supposed to feel that way anymore, not after everything we have been through, with the war and all. I thought I was supposed to be this brave soldier, fearless, a true knight of Gondor. Instead, I was just a scared tweenager again. I was ashamed about how I had felt and I thought that killing the beast was the only way to make it right. Look what I've done instead. I hurt you Merry; you could have died, and what for? The sake of my pride. So it seems I haven't grown at all."

Merry squeezed his shoulder weakly.

"You have Pip. If you hadn't, then you wouldn't have told me any of this. Maybe you didn't make the right decision by not confiding in me earlier, but you have now, that's what's most important. There's no need to feel guilty any more lad."

He gave Pippin an awkward one arm hug, conscious of how painful the movement was.

"Perhaps you should lie back down now Merry; you really don't look comfortable."

"Thank you Pip."

Rugigar returned a few minutes later, having found a smooth path for them that went on for about a mile before it left the trees and emerged not far from the path leading to Crickhollow.

"If you don't mind Merry, I would rather carry you again. That way we should be back within the hour."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The wound cleaned up, he pulled out a needle and thread. Pippin saw the sharp implement shining in the candlelight, and began to feel slightly faint.

"It's going to hurt a bit, but I promise I'll make it is painless as possible. Just hold still for me, alright?"

His words were wasted as seconds later Pippin blacked out.

"I should do it now Rugigar, before he wakes," said Merry from bed next to Pippin, "He hates needles, always has done. You were lucky last time; he was too exhausted to make a fuss. It's easier this way. We just have to hope he doesn't wake up for a while."

He winked at Rugigar, who now appeared slightly nervous.

"No need to worry though lad, he's only once knocked a healer out who tried to stitch him up, and I'm almost certain that it was an accident."

He began to laugh at the look of fear on Rugigar's face, but a sharp jolt of pain through his chest reminded him that Pippin wasn't the only one who needed to heal.

Perhaps it was time he rested. He snuggled back down under his bedcovers and was soon fast asleep.

By the third morning after their arrival back at Crickhollow, Merry was feeling considerably better. Although his body still ached, he felt well enough to be getting up, at least for an hour or so. Of course, that had nothing at all to do with the smell of gently frying mushrooms that wafted in from the kitchen where his cousin was making breakfast. No, he just felt that perhaps it was time to stretch his legs. The kitchen table seemed like an ideal place to rest after his short stroll down the corridor from his bedroom. He may as well have something to eat though, since he was there…..

A/N: So this is the end of The Trials of Life's Mysteries, my first multi-chapter, plot-driven story! I really hope you have enjoyed reading this; it has been hard work at times trying to get things right, but has always been enjoyable! Thank you so much for reading this, it makes me really happy to see that there are people out there who have followed this story right through, and I really hope I have created a fitting ending that you can enjoy. Please, if there is anything you want to say, good or bad, drop me a review; I will respond!

Thanks as always go out to Chris and Liz; you guys are the best support a Lord of the Rings writer can have! I really appreciate it :)

Also thanks goes to those who have reviewed; your support is really appreciated!

I will be posting again soon I hope, having started a new story about Merry and Pip, as well as little Faramir Took! So please do check it out!

Thanks again!

Until next time………

SmileyHalo