"Pippin!" Frodo cried as he sank to the ground.

Aragorn stood on the edge of the cliff, would not look anywhere except down, where Pippin had taken his death fall. Tears of shock and pain started to run down his face.

Gandalf, not knowing how to react, dropped to his knees beside a hysteric Frodo and put his arm around him, "My dear hobbit," Gandalf comforted, "There was nothing we could of done."

Frodo looked up to reveal a bright red, tearstained face, "But…Pippin…he," Frodo cried, "He can't be gone."

They all sat silent in a moment of sorrow, but Frodo would have none of it.

"Aragorn-" Frodo started, standing up quickly making Aragorn wipe away his tears and turn to face him, "We have absolutely no idea how steep the drop form the mountains is, right?"

Aragorn nodded his head in answer.

"So Pippin might still be alive," Frodo said hopefully.

"Yes Frodo, but he chances are slim," Aragorn answered.

"But there is some chance," Frodo said, "I would rather not think my cousin dead, until I know it for a fact."

Aragorn thought over what the young hobbit had said and then walked up to Frodo kneeling down to match his height.

"Frodo, I do not know if your dear cousin is alive, but I will do anything in my power to find him."

The orcs threw Pippin on the ground next to Legolas.

"Just another thing to feast on, boys," one of the orcs said and then all of them walked away to sit by a further away fire.

"Pippin, Pippin, wake up," Legolas whispered, looking over the beaten hobbit. His face was as pale as a white sheet, arm appeared to be popped out of place, blood was running down his face due to a gash on his forehead, and bruises were covering his poor body.

How did this happen? He thought to himself.

Pippin? He mentally questioned.

He received no reply, but only screams of terror were heard in Pippin's mind. Pippin, calm down, it is only me, Legolas, can you hear me?

But again he received no reply, but this time Legolas could feel something, that would not go away. Legolas waited and then the presence got stronger.

No! What terror has been brought upon this hobbit to cause this, he asked himself.

Legolas, doing the only thing that he could, scooted closer to the hobbit as if being able to fight off the presence that was so near. Death.

"Gimli. Boromir. Wake up," Aragorn yelled, dashing into the cave and gathering supplies, making both the dwarf and human sit straight up, "Legolas and Merry have been gone for a couple of days. I do not know what has come upon them. But you must leave quickly to look for them."

"Where is Pippin?" Gimli questioned looking around the cave.

"That is my own search that I must go on," Aragorn answered, "You have two full days, but then we must meet here whether or not we have found our friends or not. We should have already been off these mountains.

And with that said Aragorn started out of the cave, but not everyone was satisfied.

"You wish Gandalf and I not to join you?" Frodo questioned, running up to Aragorn.

"Frodo, the task will be done faster with only me," Aragorn answered.

"But he is my cousin, and I wish to go with you, please," Frodo begged.

"Alright fine, but we must move quickly. Are you accompanying us as well?" Aragorn asked, turning to Gandalf. All he received was a nod from the wizard.

Boromir and Gimli left first and then the rest of the group set out.

Aragorn, Gandalf, and Frodo had been walking for a while. No one had said barely anything. Aragorn was busy leading them down what he thought was the right path. Frodo was only paying attention to the awkward silence between himself and Gandalf.

"What is wrong, Gandalf? You seem very quiet," Frodo said watching the wizard eye Aragorn's every move in front of them.

Gandalf sighed, waited a moment, and then replied, "I have much love for hobbits, Frodo, but for one that I have not or wanted to grow close to, I never knew how I would feel after witnessing his death right before my eyes."

Frodo was speechless and did not know how to answer, but then, "Pippin has to be alive. I know he is. That is why I am not grieving so."

"I have faith in what you say, dear hobbit, but I do not want your hopes up, to only have them fall when we find your dear cousin."

"We are now close to the bottom of the cliff, from which Pippin fell. We will be there soon," Aragorn blurted out, looking back on them.

Frodo was not paying attention to anything, but what Gandalf had just said to him. Does Gandalf truly think that Pippin is…dead? He thought to himself, No, it can't be true. Can it?