Concerning Hobbits Chapter 2: Concerning Yule Tide Snow & cold fingers, a lord of the rings fanfic

Concerning Hobbits

Merry and Pippin are unexplored characters in the book and though obviously very close this friendship is never truly developed or touched upon. Here are several events from Merry and Pippins early lives up to and leading into the quest to destroy the ring. It's basically just me developing the story of my two favourite characters and bit more and detailing some of the mischief they no doubt got up to before they joined the fellowship. Enjoy, or not, whichever. PLEASE REVIEW! Flames help Sauron's fire burn so, no thank you! (The events are all dated by the way and this is all compltely accurate with the world Tolkien created, I researched meticulously, also if they seem a bit out of character remeber they are younger here and much more care free!)

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! (So there!) ALL THE WORK OF THE GENIUS THAT IS J.R.! (I reworded the song but I take no credit for the original!)

2996 – Concerning fireworks and annoying cousins

Merry grinned widely and then waved the offending object at Pippin. He giggled at Pippins pout and then stuck his tongue out at Pippin over the table.

"Merry!" Pippin wined and stopedhis foot before moving to go around the table sat in the centre of the cosy kitch of Bag End. Merry moved with him keeping the same distance between them.

"Merry, give it back" Merry simply grinned and shook his head. He would never really upset Pippin, but hearing him whine and get annoyed always made Merry laugh.

"Not until you admit that you took the last piece of seed cake" Merry's eyes flashed with an evil smile.

"No, I didn't, I told you it was Fatty Bolger"

"Pippin," Merry tried to contain his laughter, it wouldn't go well with the mock outrage he had going on here "How dare you tell such untruths, I have a mind to tell aunt Eglantine exactly what you said!"

"You wouldn't!" Pippin tried to sound as though he was certain, though he really wasn't; he flipped a golden curl out of his eyes and glared over the table at his older cousin. Merry had just turned fourteen and Pippin was only six but they got on like a house on fire, Merry didn't quite let Pippin follow him around without question but he didn't seem to mind, he spent most of his time running around with Frodo and the older hobbits anyway so he couldn't really complain. Pippin idolised Merry though he would never tell him so. Merry was one of those hobbits you broke down laughing with or chased out of your way without mercy. Merry found either situation hilarious and knew Pippin was starting to emulate him, and getting into increasing amounts of trouble with his father Paladin Took but Merry would not stop the little hobbits fun until he was really heading for hot water.

Pippin had been following his cousin around since he could walk and had watched Merry become increasingly mischievous and outlandish for a hobbit as the years had progressed. For instance he knew that, when Merry was twelve he had learnt to swim in the Brandywine River, (after falling out of a boat he wasn't supposed to be in, in the first place) that Merry had kissed Estella Bolger under the table at the last Yule Banquet and that Merry was planning to go to the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree when he reached his tweens, just because he could.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck, you had better not be teasing little Pippin!" Merry heard Bilbo Baggins calling from the hallway and smiled, the whole family appeared to have adopted his nickname for Pippin which he had thought up so he didn't have to struggle to say Peregrin each time he wanted or was talking about his cousin.

"I'm not" he grinned at Pippin and then with a flourish flung Pippins new scarf in his direction and flew out of the round kitchen door. Pippin sighed and tied his scarf neatly around his neck and reached for his cloak before following Merry out into the snow. It was just two days before the Yule Banquet and every hobbit in the Shire was making last minute preparations for the great night of feasting and dancing that would be held on the great field below bag end. It was rumored that Gandalf would be making an appearance with some of his spectacular fireworks. Merry could hear Pippin panting behind him and giggled as he took another turn that would stop Pippin from having any idea where they were going. Merry flew the final few feet to 'The water' and then stopped short, Pippin cannoning into the back of him.

"What on earth?" Pippin panted coming around Merry then "OH!" he gasped in amazement, the water, which was usually a deep blue and surrounded by flowers and fisher hobbits relaxing or catching something for dinner, was pure crystal white and deserted. Pippin stared in awe; he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life before. He looked over to Merry.

Merry was searching around under the few trees that surrounded the water looking for a sizable piece of wood they could sit on, eventually he found one that was not too soggy and he brought it over to where Pippin stood motionless, staring at the ice that spread out in front of him over the entire lake. Merry placed the piece of wood on the ice and then stepped carefully onto it to test its security. If it took his weight it would take Pippins. With no issue the ice withstood the added pressure and Merry beckoned Pippin onto the ice. Pippin stuck one foot out in front of him and the stepped on the ice hardly feeling the cold through his thick skinned soles. He stepped carefully over to Merry, arms outstretched as if he were doing a balancing act, a look of pure terror on his face. This made Merry double over in a fit of hysterics and it was all he could do to keep his own balance and not go crashing down onto and maybe through the ice.

"Merry, what are we doing?" Pippins voice wavered slightly as he gripped Merry's arm with a fierce hold. Merry grinned wickedly at him and told him to sit on the piece of log he had found. Pippin, too scared to object, did as he was told.

"Now tuck your legs in, that's it and hold on really tight" Pippin gripped the sides of the log so tightly his knuckles began to go white. He felt Merry drag the piece of wood, Pippin still on it, up the snowy bank slightly and then he heard Merry turn and trudge away.

"Merry!" Pippins voice quavered with fear. He turned frantically but wasn't able to see Merry anywhere. He heard a rustle behind him, like someone removing a coat and then he heard footsteps, faster than before, Merry was running, running towards him. Suddenly he was thrown backwards as he felt Merry shove the log from behind and then scramble on. Pippin squealed, first in terror then enjoyment as the log and its two riders sped across the ice, the wind flying through his curls. He felt rather than heard Merry laugh behind him, Merry had one arm tucked around his cousin, the other securing both of them to the log, Pippin realised he had let go at the start. Suddenly they flew head first into a huge bank of cold, pure white snow which stopped them in their tracks. Pippin scrambled out of the snow not noticing the cold and turned to see where they had come from. It was an awfully long way. He turned and grinned at Merry who was now minus his coat and cloak and was sitting in a pile of snow in just his breeches and shirt. He had snow in his hair and specked on his eyebrows and Pippin burst out laughing at the sight of him.

Merry jumped up from his seat in the snow and grabbed hold of Pippin around the middle bringing the giggling hobbit to the ground and tickling his mercilessly until Pippin was screaming to be let go. Merry smiled. "Did you enjoy that?"

"Stupid question Merry" Pippin grinned, "Can I have another go, and why did you take you coat off?" Pippin gabbled in excitement and Merry placed his hands on his shoulders to get him to calm down.

"I took my coat off so it wouldn't get snowy and we'd have something warm to put on so whip yours off too Pip, and yes of course you can have another go!" Pippin struggled to get his cloak and coat off and nearly strangled himself in his hurry.

"Slow down Pip" Merry laughed at his cousin's desperation to get his outer clothes off

"Right now take the log over there, and then go and wait by that tree. Now when I say go, you are going to run as fast as you can at your log. When you get there jump on it without slowing down so you land on your stomach at full pelt and you should fly across!" Merry explained and gave a short demonstration though he didn't run too fast so he wouldn't go too far and leave Pippin too far behind.

When Merry returned with the log, Pippin was jumping up and down in his waiting spot, raring to go. Merry positioned the log and then stepped back.

"Right, go" he shouted and Pippin set off at full pelt. He missed the log by miles and landed on his front on the ice and slid quite away before the friction of his buttons slowed him to a stop. Merry couldn't contain himself and was soon lying, rolling on the ground helpless with laughter. Pippin, fortunately, was the same.

"Lets try again Pip" Merry breathed wiping his eyes when they had both finally recovered and after several interesting attempts Pippin was sliding across the ice, on the log, perfectly and very fast.

After a while it started to snow, making the ice even more slippery.

"One last go Pip, then we should be getting in doors, Frodo will have finished those lavender biscuits off if we don't get there before him!" They decided to go together; like they had the first time and Merry put Pippin on the log before backing off to make the run up. They got half way across the lake when the hit a patch of very wet ice and they span around throwing Merry onto the ice.

CRACK.

Merry stopped laughing and looked down at the ice he was sat on.

CRACK.

Pippin stopped pushing himself and the log back to Merry with his hands and looked at the ice he was sat on.

CRACK.

Before either of them could move they were both deposited into the freezing cold water below the ice. Pippin screamed in horror and tried desperately to get back onto the ice but with cold fingers he couldn't get a grip. He started flailing around in the water screaming for help, unable to feel any part of him. Suddenly he felt a huge hand reach in and grip the back of his jacket. He was hauled out of the water quickly and wrapped in a large grey cloak. He looked up to see a wizened face peering knowingly down at him.

"Fool of a Took" the voice was angry but the eyes sparkled with amusement. Pippin smiled up at Gandalf and then suddenly it struck him. Where was Merry!

"Merry!" he cried spinning around to the pool of ice water that had appeared before them and scrambled towards it. Gandalf pulled him back then cautiously approached himself, on his hands and knees making delicate precise movements fearing the ice may break beneath him at any time. "Idiotic Brandybuck" he muttered as he moved "No wonder I took a Baggins and not a Brandybuck with me when I had need of a hobbit" he reached the waters edge and peered into cautiously. Nothing but a few bubbles on the surface could be seen.

"BOO!" Merry flew up out of the water, droplets flying everywhere as Pippin screamed in fright and Gandalf nearly fell into the water in surprise. Merry was just congratulating himself on scaring them when he felt himself being gripped by the scruff of the neck and dragged from the water.

"What were you thinking?" Gandalf bellowed still holding the hobbit up to eyelevel by his collar. "You stupid Brandybuck, Brandybucks always were too comfortable near water, it's the Stoor in you, makes you careless, you could have drowned!" Before Merry could reply Gandalf deposited him on the ground and began to march Pippin back towards the bank and off towards Bag End. Pippin shot him a terrified look over his shoulder as he scurried along beside Gandalf only to see Merry again taken by a fit of hysterics and rolling around laughing, dangerously close to the edge of the ice. Merry managed to gather himself together and despite the odd snort when he pictured the look on Gandalf's face when he'd shot out of the water made it back to the bank without any further show of merriment. He collected his coat and cloak and turned back to Bag End. He ran down the road to keep himself warm and as he ran he began to sing at the top of his voice.

What'll we do with a drunken hobbit,
What'll we do with a drunken hobbit,
What'll we do with a drunken hobbit,
Earl-aye in the morning?

Way hay and up she rises