Aragorn and Frodo reached a gasping Pippin and they both kneeled down next to him. Aragorn sat Pippin up and lift him into his lap.

"Pippin, Pippin, I want you to listen to me ok? Are you listening?" Aragorn asked, slowly stroking Pippin's bright red, sweaty face.

Pippin took a shaky breath and shook his head, but the small breath took everything from him and he leaned his head against Aragorn's chest choking and sobbing.

"Pippin, it's going to be ok," Aragorn calmly said," You need to calm down."

Pippin did not relax, but only started to choke more.

Gandalf heard all the commotion and came over to kneel next to the three distressed companions. Gandalf watched Aragorn try to calm Pippin, but only failed. Gandalf put his arms out and Aragorn reluctantly handed Pippin over.

Pippin huddled against him. Then Gandalf grabbed one of Pippin's shaking hands and said, "Pippin, my dear, its ok, calm down. I know that it hurts, but you need to take deep breaths."

Pippin took a slow breath, but only ended in more choking and gasping.

"Try again, sweetie," Frodo said stroking Pippin's arm.

Gimli, Sam, and Boromir had awakened, but stayed where they were feeling as if they would just be no help to interfere.

Pippin took another breath and let it out slowly.

"Good, Good!" Aragorn smiled," Do it again, Pip."

Pippin took another breath and tears started to leak from his wide green eyes.

Pippin repeated the slow breathing a few times and then immediately went limp in Gandalf's arms.

"Pippin!" Frodo yelled, then looked to Aragorn," Why has he fainted?"

"I do not know, Frodo," Aragorn replied, then to Gandalf," Try to see if he will wake."

Gandalf tried to shake Pippin awake and yelled," Pippin! Peregrin Took!"

Then Pippin's eyes popped open, but instead of green eyes, pure white was looking back at all of them.

Frodo gasped and Aragorn and Gandalf frowned.

Pippin's eyes closed and then opened again, but this time they were green.

"Aragorn? Gandalf?" Pippin said, twisted with confusion, "What is going on?"

Gandalf breathed out and pulled Pippin close and cradled him, "It's ok, my dear Took. Just got to sleep."

Then Gandalf felt Pippin go limp again and pulled away to Pippin asleep. Gandalf laid Pippin on top of a blanket and Frodo laid a blanket over him.

Aragorn and Gandalf stood up and started to walk away until, Frodo stood up and grabbed Aragorn's arm.

"Why does Pippin not remember what happened?" Frodo asked.

"I do not know, Frodo," Aragorn replied.

"But…you have too! He may get worse and we can't just go around acting like if we do not do anything he will get better!" Frodo yelled, getting furious, then he lowered his voice due to a shocked Aragorn," Please, help him. If you do not he…something bad might happen…when Pippin gets sick…it's…bad…he gets sicker than sick. Please, I know from experience."

Aragorn kneeled in front of Frodo, and said, "Frodo, I promise you that if Pippin is "sicker than sick", I will do anything to get him better and soon he will be running around going wild."

Frodo gave a small smile.

Then Gandalf interrupted, "Not to add to our problems, but if any have noticed, Merry and Legolas have been gone since yesterday."

"I have, but I am sure that they are fine. If they do not return in a few hours we will send out a few of us to search for them," Aragorn replied.

"Merry is going to kill us if anything hap-," but due to an empty blanket a few away-made Frodo look to Gandalf and Aragorn and scream, "Pippins gone!!"

Gandalf and Aragorn looked around the cave and then ran out of the cave, into the cold night air, with Frodo following.

A scene certainly not expected made all of them stop in their tracks.

Pippin was standing on one of the cliffs, on the edge, eyes closed.

Legolas moaned at the pain in his head. He tried to reach a hand up to touch it, but, eyes still closed, he realized that his hands were bound.

"Merry?" He whispered, squinting his eyes open and then he saw Merry lying, bound, on the ground, shirt off, shivering, next to him, eyes wide open.

"Merry, dear heart, are you alright?" Legolas asked, eyes now fully open.

Merry looked up straight into Legolas's eyes, as if just noticing that he was there, but did not say anything.

"Merry, can you hear me?" Legolas asked, concern growing each time Merry whimpered.

Again, Merry said nothing.

Then to Legolas's horror he noticed whip marks all over Merry's body.

"Oh, Merry…"

"Merry? Merry, listen to me," Legolas said, looking at a beaten Merry, whimpering on the ground.

Merry did not answer, but only looked down and tears started to leak from his eyes.

"Merry, can you hear me? What did they do to you?" Legolas asked, but again, Merry did not answer, "Merry, you have to tell me."

This time Merry looked up and said, "I…can't…they…they said…they would kill me if I told you."

"I would not let them do that. Tell me Merry," Legolas replied.

Merry just pulled his bound legs close to him and cried.

Legolas shifted his body over to be closer to Merry, "It's going to be ok," Legolas comforted, his face next to Merry's, "I will take care of you."