Night was now around the Shire. The snow had settled on the cold ground. Hobbiton was covered in a blanket of white snow. The snow was untouched by hobbit hands. But in a few hours, when the children would wake, it would change.
The chimneys on the top of each hill were smoking. The smoke flew with the invisible wind. It licked the edge of the chimney before escaping into the darkness. The rim of the chimneys had now snow on them. For it was too warm for snow to settle on.
A few small imprints in the snow were dotted about. Some were larger then others. Each went their own direction. Foxes were searching in the snow for food. Small birds had hopped though. A few of their tracks had vanished suddenly.
Most of the imprints that had been covered up by the snow again. But some had been made while the snow was stopping. So, they did not have a chance to be covered up.
Rivers ran though the land. The snow ran right up to their edges. The water scooped some of the snow up. The water was warmer then the snow around it. Some rocks stood out from the torrent of water.
A small bit of ice hung on the cold rocks. But the water didn't seem to was it away. Fish swam in the dead of night. They were safe in the bends on the river. Not many of their predators were out in the cold and time of night. They swam in water so cold that it could kill a human in a few minutes.
But, unknown to the rest of the peoples of Middle-earth, there were creatures of the day awake.
Winter had come and there had been no time to get the cart out. It had been folded up and placed in their cellar. Cake had not been made for the other hobbits in a while.
The children were now getting ready for Christmas. In fact, it was only fourteen days away. Lists of food were being made. Drinks were being brought as far away as Bywater. Bottles of ale, whiskey and beer were being shipped to Hobbiton. The Green Dragon was getting ready as well.
Every year, they would have a party. There were around fifteen small tables in the pub. Each one would have a large turkey in the middle.
Every year, The Green Dragon would host the party. Foods of all different sorts from all across the land. There were sprouts, carrots, parsnips, new potatoes, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, chips, pork chops, turkey, chicken, beef, lamb, crispy bacon, chicken wrapped in bacon, sausages, black pudding, beans, peas, runner beans, mushrooms, hard boiled egg, fried egg, poached egg.
All were in large supply. For hobbits could eat and eat and eat. But that was only the first of many courses though out the day.
Dessert was the next thing on the hobbit's mind. Cakes of all sorts and tastes.
Apple, carrot, cheese, chocolate, cupcakes, gingerbread, tiramisu.
There were biscuits as well. Cookies of many different types. All would be baked that day. For hobbits liked their food and they liked their food fresh.
But Christmas was days away. There was no time to think about it for Pippin.
But what did cross his mind was Diamond. He looked back into the cart every so often. He could see that Dolly had now fallen asleep.
"Like she didn't have enough sleep" he said to himself.
His spirits had been lifted after the rest he had had. Yet the concern for Diamond was still there. Dolly had covered blankets over Diamond as best she could. But she wasn't sure that it was good enough.
She glanced up at Pip. He was diving the cart. At this rate, they would reach Rivendell in three days. But they were not the only ones that were heading that way.
There was a boy on a horse. He had a message for the elves. One of importance. He had to tell the elves that Pippin was on his way.
It would be the first time that the boy had gone into the Elven town. He didn't know how to feel. But at the moment, he felt cold. Even though he was wearing a large coat. It flapped in the on coming wind. Some of the trees around him had been broken or snapped due to the weight of snow on their branches.
Some of the large, older trees had fallen across the road. The boy stopped. He knew that the cart could not get over it.
But the boy knew that he could wait for them for them. So, he had to go around it. The horse was stopped and the boy jumped off. He held onto the reigns and looked about the place. The roots of the tree had been ripped from the ground.
He looked at the large hole that had been made. Roots were sticking up, but there were no small creatures. They had all dug themselves deeper under ground.
The horse and boy stopped. He took a deep breath.
"How is the cart going to get around this?" he asked himself.
He looked at the large tree. There were snow flakes resting on the bark of the wood. But they were slowly melting. The other trees around were still standing. The horse followed his owner.
"Come on" said the boy.
The area around the road was rough and untamed. Rotting logs with wet moss lay there. Sometimes for many years, some looked like they had been there only a few months.
But all of them had snow piled on them like everything else. A few bits of snow still feel around him. But they were not from the clouds. They were from the branches above. Knocked off by the wind.
The man walked around the tree and onto the road on the other side.
"I hope they can figure out how to get past it" the boy thought to himself.
He lifted himself back onto the horse and started to ride off again. The horse galloped down the road. Trees rushed past him. The road bent around corners and up hills. Over small, icy rivers and though empty towns. There were stables, inns, pubs, many houses, armouries, mills, acre of farmland and forests.
The boy looked left every so often. The ground either side was snowy marshland. Weathertop was now only ten miles from where he was.
Weathertop stood out like a large pillar of rock. There were hills around the town. The fortress over looked a plain that stretched for miles in either direction.
Midgewater marches stood to the left of the road like Weathertop did.
But the boy couldn't stop. Rivendell was still two hundred and eighty six miles away. Pippin knew that Weathertop was close by. But he didn't know how far. Pippin started to feel hungry. He looked back, Dolly was still asleep.
"Maybe if I stop the cart" he told himself.
The hobbit took a deep breath. He could see it rising in the air. So, Pippin made up his mind. He pulled the cart over and made it stop. The wind was not the only thing that he could hear.
Pippin faced forward and thought for a moment. His mind was swaying all the time. But the thought of Diamond gave him a track to focus himself on.
"I cant fail her" he said to himself.
So, he jumped off of the cart. The snow he stood on was crisp and white. The wind blew into his face at he turned to look back down the road that he had come from. He could see the tire marks and the two sets of hooves. Pip took a deep breath. The coldness of the snow was circling his bare feet.
The memory of Caradhros came back. The same feeling of helplessness. Yet he had fear in him. But this time was different.
Yes, he was in control of what was going to happen. He knew that all he had to do was to drive the cart.
No, he was against the time.
Time was one thing that Pippin didn't have enough of. He wished that he could make time stop. But, that was just a silly thought.
But now, he was wasting it. Wasting the time he could never get back. So, he walked to the end of the cart. A small tingling could be felt in his feet. The hobbit then looked in the cart. He was tall enough to stand and place his arms on the floor of the cart.
He lifted himself up onto the cart. He sat on the edge and looked back. There were two baskets full of loaves of bread. Each with a white cloth over it. He reached over and grabbed the handle. The hobbit looked at the white cloth covering it.
A small reminder of home.
He slowly moved the cloth to revile four loaves of white bread. He picked up a loaf in one hand and looked at it while putting the basket to his right hand side.
He looked at the bread. Pippin tore a bit off. It was quite a large bit. Crumbs fell off of the bread and onto Pippin's lap. The crumbs ranged from small, to big. Light brown to dark brown. Pippin looked down and started wiping them off of himself.
He looked back. Dolly was still asleep. Or so he thought.
Pippin took a deep breath and ate the bread. He started to chew. The bread had a buttery taste.
"Hmmm, this is not bad" he said to himself.
He moved the basket into more and lifted his lefts up. The coldness started to get him again. It was much for Pippin. He had had enough of the coldness.
There were few blankets near to where Dolly was laying. Pippin reached for them, but he couldn't get them. He took a deep, annoyed sounding breath.
He sat back up again and put his head back on the cart. He closed his eyes. This mind was full of different thoughts.
But, a mists all of the thoughts and fears, was one scene that he didn't expect.
A song.
He could hear it playing over and over again. The hobbit closed his eyes. He could see states and a table. There was an old man sitting alone at the table. His hair was starting to go grey. His face looked old and warn. A plate was sitting on the table in front of him.
"Can you sing, master hobbit?"
The voice echoed though his head. Pip now knew who the man was.
It was Denethor.
Denethor was the steward of Gondor. But he was broken. Broken with power.
"Well, yes. At least well enough for my own people"
Pippin took a breath.
"But…"
The hobbit paused for half a second.
"But we have no songs for great halls and"
He paused again, this time, for longer.
"Evil times"
Denethor looked over at the hobbit. His hand stopped on a bunch of tomatoes.
"And why should your songs be unfit for my halls?" Denethor asked.
The two looked at each other. Pippin didn't like Denethor.
"Come, sing me a song"
He then continued to pile food onto his plate. Pippin then thought. A song then came back into his head. One that his father had taught him long ago.
"Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread, through shadow, to the edge of night, until the stars are all alight. Mist and shadow cloud and shade, all shall fade, all shall…"
Denethor had put a red tomato to his lips and bit down. The juice seeped down his chin. Pippin looked over at him. But they didn't meet eye to eye.
"Fade"
Pippin's voice was soft. It echoed around the large room. A tear ran down his face, he hung his head.
"I recognise that song" said a voice.
Pippin opened his eyes and looked right. Dolly had sat up and was now looking at him.
"What?" he asked.
He sat up, ripped loaf still in his hand.
"That song" Dolly told him.
"I… I know it" she said.
Pippin looked away.
Had he really been singing out loud?
"I sung it" he said.
"When?" asked Dolly.
She shuffled up to Pippin. Pippin looked upset.
"Minus Tirith" Pip answered.
"It was just before… before the battle. Denethor"
Pippin's eyes glanced forward.
"Denethor asked me to sing, so I did"
Dolly was silent.
"But, why that song?" she asked.
There was silence once again. Pippin couldn't answer that question. Even he didn't know why he had chosen that song.
"My father, when I was a little boy" started Pippin.
"He sang that to me, before I went to bed"
There was silence. Dolly looked over at Diamond. She felt sorry for Pippin.
"Do you want me to sing it to you?" Pippin asked.
He turned his head to look at Dolly. She looked at him. Her head slowly nodded.
"Upon the hearth the fire is red, beneath the roof there is a bed. But not yet weary are our feet, still round the corner we may meet: A sudden tree or standing stone. That none have seen but we alone. Tree and flower and leaf and grass, Let them pass! Let them pass! Hill and water under sky, Pass them by! Pass them by!
Still round the corner there may wait s new road or a secret gate and though we pass them by today. Tomorrow we may come this way and take the hidden paths that run towards the Moon or to the Sun.
Apple, thorn, and nut and sloe, let them go! Let them go! Sand and stone and pool and dell, Fare you well! Fare you well!
Home is behind, the world ahead and there are many paths to tread. Through shadows to the edge of night, until the stars are all alight. Then world behind and home ahead we'll wander back to home and bed.
Mist and twilight, cloud and shade, Away shall fade! Away shall fade! Fire and lamp, and meat and bread, and then to bed! And then to bed!"
He finished his song. Dolly was as silent as him. She suddenly realised the journey that Pippin had come on. From that cheeky little hobbit who liked the out doors and everything in it, to a fully grown hobbit starting a family.
"Oh Pip" said Dolly.
She hugged him. Pippin smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile.
"Listen Pip, everything is going to be OK. That man, he had a messenger ahead of us!"
But still, Pippin wasn't convinced.
"But what if it's not going to be alright?" Pippin asked.
Dolly looked at him. She knew that Pippin's faith in himself was failing.
"Pippin, don't say things like that. Diamond is strong, you are strong. You've gotten this far in the journey" Dolly told him.
For a few seconds, Pippin had hope. But then, it sank like a rock that had been thrown into a lake.
"But what if I'm going the wrong direction? What if Diamond's needs are back at Hobbiton?" Pippin asked.
Dolly looked down.
"Do you think your doing the right thing?" she asked.
Pip looked down. He started to think.
"Maybe is was the wrong way to go" he thought.
His head rested on the cart again.
"Yes" he answered.
"Yes I am"
Dolly smiled.
"Then lets get moving" she said.
The hobbit then moved over and jumped out of the cart.
"What are you doing?" Pippin asked, also getting out.
"Driving, your going to get some sleep"
At that, Dolly got onto the driver's seat. Pippin jumped back onto the cart. Dolly looked back and saw that Pippin was in.
The cart then started to move off. Pippin had the second half of the loaf in his hand. He looked down at it. The whiteness of bread was no match from the snow.
"I have to save it" he said.
A small part of him wanted to finish it. So, he put it back in the basket. He placed the cloth over it and pushed the basket away.
But the half loaf was screaming at him to eat it. But Pippin tried to resist them. His eyes darted over to the basket, then to Diamond.
It was then that a different feeling came to him. One that he couldn't figure out. His mind started to go back to when Diamond first fell ill.
It suddenly hit him.
"Origo!"
His voice echoed around the area that they were in.
"Dolly, we've forgotten Origo!"
The cart then stopped suddenly. Dolly looked back.
"Isn't he sleeping near Diamond?" asked Dolly.
Pippin looked over. There was no little puppy snoozing next to his owner. Dolly, who had stopped the cart, jumped off. She rushed around to the back.
"We have to find him" Dolly said.
Pippin jumped off the cart as well.
"But, it's the middle of the night and he could be miles behind us" he told her.
Pippin looked back down the road that they had just come from. Neither of them knew what to do.
"But, he's only a puppy. What if he needs help?" Dolly asked.
Pippin smiled.
"I'm sure that he's fine"
At the same time, Origo was still running. His once fluffy coat was now soaking wet. He was shivering. A house was coming up on the side.
"Maybe I should see in that house" he thought to himself.
He stopped and thought for a moment. He then started to walk forward. It was quite hard doing it in the snow. He had to lift his two front paws out to move along. It took him a few minutes to get to the door.
Origo looked up at the large door. He barked once. So, he looked either way.
"Maybe no one is coming for me" he whimpered.
So, he looked around. The pup then looked down. He would have to wait for them to come out.
Origo then started digging in the cold snow. He made a small area and snuggled down. He shivered as he tried to get enough heat to be comfortable. He yawned and closed his eyes.
It would only be a matter of time.
Everyone was now asleep. Estella was tucked up in bed. Her worries were not on her mind at the moment. She had had a late night again. She had been around at her parents house.
"Is he alright?" asked Estella, walking though the door.
Rosamunda, who was Estella's mother, looked a little bit sad.
"Well, we're running out of medicine" she answered.
The door clicked shut. The coldness was not existent in the house. Estella and Rosamunda walked into the kitchen. A basket was on the table.
"I made you some of my chocolate bread" Rosamunda answered.
Sure enough, there were a few loaves of brown chocolate bread. Estella smiled.
"Thank you, mummy" she said, hugging her.
Rosamunda hugged her daughter.
"I'll have to make muffins more often" Estella said happily.
Rosamunda took a deep breath and looked away. There was something in her eyes that made Estella confused.
"Mum?" Estella asked.
The two of them looked at each other. Both had the same colour hair.
"I don't think your father has much time" she answered.
Estella look down. She thought about what to say.
"Well, lets just enjoy our time with him" she said.
Meanwhile, Merry was still moving. But he was still a few miles away from the great east road. The road that Pippin was on and that lead to Bree.
Merry's face was tingling due to the coldness around him. But he kept on riding. The bag that he had on his back had not been touched. Even though he was hungry.
"Cant stop, must get to Bree"
His bag got heavier as he road on. His stomach was acing due to having no food for a few hours. His mind was fighting lots of different things.
Hunger
Depression
Anger
Loneliness
His body was struggling to keep warm. His muscles were acing and he felt weak. So, he made up his mind. He stopped the pony and got off.
His feet touched the cold snow. But it didn't bother him. He slowly took the bag off as he looked around the area he was in. Merry opened the bag up and took out a loaf of bread. It was exactly like Pippin's. Merry placed the bag back on his back.
He looked down at the bread and tore a bit off. He started to eat. The bread was still fresh. But Merry knew that it wouldn't be for long.
Merry hadn't been out of the Shire in a while. He preferred the tranquillity of Hobbiton. He liked the hills and the small lake in the middle. But it seemed a long way away now. A long way.
Merry took another bite. He looked down and tore another bit off. This time, more of the white inside was taken this time. Crumbs fell on the snow. But he didn't notice.
When Merry had eaten that piece, he looked back down.
"No, I must save it for later" he told himself.
He then took the bag off again and opened it. He placed the loaf back and picked out his flask. He looked at it.
"Am I thirsty?" he asked himself.
A few seconds later, Merry had put the flask back and had gotten on his pony. But the hobbit didn't move.
"Maybe Pippin wants to be alone" he said.
The hobbit started to doubt himself again. Unexpectedly, the pony started to move. Merry looked down.
"Woo, woo, woo" said Merry.
He pulled on the reigns, but the pony didn't stop. Merry looked back, he wondered if the pony was spooked. But the pony seemed not to listen to him.
"Alright, go to Bree" Merry said.
He dropped the reigns. The pony galloped ever onwards. Merry started to think again. He was doing more and more lately.
This time, there were trees. Lots of trees, just like the ones that he was slow going past. But he was up in the canopy. Pippin was with him as well. The air was much warmer then the air around him at that moment.
A loud booming voice came though his ears.
"Little Orcs, burarum!" said the voice.
Merry could remember how scared he was. He remembered that he tried to run, but a massive, wooden had came and scooped him up.
It was of a creature that he had never thought existed. Even in his wildest dreams, he would never make up a talking tree. But it was not only talking, it could walk as well.
"It's talking Merry. The tree is talking"
"Tree?" asked the tree.
"I am no tree! I am an Ent"
Merry, who had been wondering what the talking tree was, finally got his answer. But he realised that he knew what this creature was.
"A Treeherder!" he said.
"A shepherd of the forest"
"Don't talk to it Merry, don't encourage it!"
"Treebeard some call me"
There was an awaked silence. Neither Merry or Pippin spoke for a couple of seconds.
"And… whose side are you on?" Pippin asked.
"Side? I am on nobody's side. Because nobody is on my side, little Orc" he said, taking a breath.
"Nobody cares for the woods anymore"
Treebeard sounded a bit depressed about what he had just said.
"We are not Orcs. We are Hobbits!" Merry told him.
Merry tried hard to convince Treebeard that they were in fact, nice people.
"Hobbits? Never heard of a Hobbit before" Treebeard said.
He thought for a moment.
"Sounds like Orc mischief to me"
Anger rose in his voice.
"They come with fire, they come with axes. Gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning. Destroyers and usurpers. Curse them!"
His voice almost deafened the hobbits.
"No!" Merry shouted.
"You don't understand. We are Hobbits, Halflings. Shirefolk!" Merry told him.
"Maybe you are, and maybe you aren't. The White Wizard will know"
Treebeard continued to walk though the forest.
"The White Wizard?" asked Pippin.
Terror was rising in his blood.
"Saruman" Merry said, he started to regret ever running into the forest.
The pony was suddenly spooked by something, making Merry snap out of his day dream. His hands had not been holding the reigns as tightly as he should have done. The pony galloped on and Merry fell off.
He hit the snow, his pack under him. Merry laid there for a moment, the coldness was coming back to him.
"Stupid pony!" he shouted.
When he looked up to see where the pony was. But it had continued to run. Merry was now alone in wild. But this time, it was cold and he was tired.
He looked around him. He didn't know where he was. The road snaked off though the forest.
"Where am I?" he asked himself.
His eyes darted around the area. The night was still going, it would be a few hours until first light. Merry wondered weather he should go home. But from the distance he was from home, he couldn't walk back.
It would be quicker to walk to Bree. But the hobbit stood there.
He thought back to the day before. He hadn't gotten any sleep since then. There was a small, snowless bit of grass though the line of trees.
Merry looked at it, then looked back at the road. He hoped that it wouldn't snow any more. So, he started to walk towards the snowless patch. As he got there, he looked up. There were lots of twigs above him, holding back the snow.
There were drips of cold water falling to earth. A drip landed on his face as he looked up. He wiped it away with his sleeve. Every so often, he could hear the drips hitting the floor.
The hobbit placed his pack down and yawned.
"Well, it may not be the best, but its something" he said, sitting on the wet ground.
The water on the ground started to seep into his trousers as he sat there. The snow was less thick in these parts. Some of the larger roots stuck out of the ground. The soil around was wet. It had rotting twigs and leaves buried under the snow.
In summer, it would have been crawling with insects of thousands of kinds. Some that crawled, others that flew. Some that not even Gandalf knew of. Some with six legs, some with a hundred. Each went about their lives.
But, now that the winter had come, they were all hidden. They had gone deeper underground. For it was warmer there then at the surface.
Merry however could not got to warmer areas. He was stuck on the surface. Merry started to wish that he had never left the warmth of his home.
But, here he was. Stuck miles from Hobbiton. He had food for three more days. But that was on pony, he didn't think that his steed would throw him off.
Merry took a deep breath and moved the bag away from him. He then laid on his back, the coldness sent shivers down his spine. The hobbit started to shiver more then before.
When Merry awoke, the sun had come up and the snow was melting. There was more drips then before. Birds were singing the trees. Merry yawned as he sat up.
He looked around. Marry felt the ground, water dripped off of his hand. He took a deep breath and looked at his hand. There were spots of dirt of it. Merry took a deep breath and got up. All of his cloths were wet and muddy. His bag, the one with his food in, was soaking wet.
"Just what I need" he said to himself.
He picked it up. Merry opened it up and took out the piece of bread that he had started to eat. It was wet and was not good to eat.
He crushed in up in his hand and threw it on the floor in anger. Merry didn't have to look in the bag again, he knew that the other two loaves he had packed would be ruined as well.
"Now I need more food" he told himself.
He looked around. He then started to walk towards the road again. The snow crunched under his feet as he walked onto the snow.
The hobbit stopped and looked down at the snow. Merry knelt down and looked at the snow. It wasn't as white as the night before. Merry scooped up a bit of the snow. He made a small ball and looked at. He smiled, remembering the fun that he had had last time.
Him, Sam, Pippin, Diamond, Estella, Fatty, Folco and a few other hobbits would all get together.
"It's going to be a good one this year" Pippin said as he made snow balls.
There were two sides to the game.
Merry, Pippin, Sam, Estella and Diamond were on one side.
Fatty, Folco and the rest were on another.
"It's just throwing snow balls, Pip" said Diamond.
She had a scarf wrapped around her neck. Her hair was unnaturally pristine in the wind and snow.
"But we lost last years game, its five all!"
Diamond smiled, her eye darted down to the snow. Pippin was talking to Merry as Diamond bent down and picked a handful of snow. She slowly made a ball.
"Pippin?" she asked.
Pip looked around. Diamond raised her hand and threw the snowball at him. Pippin had no time to react. The snow ball hurtled though the air and impacted on Pippin's face.
It took him a couple of seconds to figure out what had happened. Merry instantly started to laugh.
"Oh Diamond!" Pippin said.
His hand went and wiped his face. It started to tingle.
"Why did you do that?" he asked.
Merry was bent over, trying to get some oxygen. Pippin smiled as well.
"Just practicing" Diamond answered.
Pippin shook his head.
"Well, just practice on the others next time and not my face"
He took a deep breath now, he was very cold.
But, something happened that made Merry come back into reality. A drip had fallen on his face again. The hobbit stood up again. His stomach was empty. Merry looked down at the bag that he was holding. He wondered if the other loaves were in fact alright to eat.
So, he opened the bag up again. He put his hand in and took out a loaf. Amazingly, they were dry. He smiled as he looked at it.
"Still dry" he said.
The bag dropped to the floor. Merry took a large bite. He started to chew. His spirits started to lift. But Merry knew that he could not get to Bree now.
So, he started to make a plan. It was then that he knew what to do. Merry had no money on him. So, he would have to steal a pony.
Estella was now awake. A basket lay next to the cellar door. But it was empty. It once held chocolate bread. Estella had wrapped the loaves up, apart from one and put them in the cellar.
She kept one out to eat. It had slices taken out of it already. She had had her breakfast and second breakfast already.
"Hmm, only eleven o'clock" she said.
She yawned as she cleared away the dished for the second time that day. She closed the draw and looked around.
"Maybe we'll have that snow ball fight this year" she thought.
So, she decided to visit Merry. Estella walked into her bedroom. The bed was already made, the cupboard where she kept her cloths was a little bit open.
Estella fully opened it and looked inside. All of the summer cloths had been packed away a month ago. In front of her were coats. She picked one out and looked at it.
"No, not today" she said.
She placed it back on the rack and picked out another. A smile came across her lips. She then walked over to her bed and took it off of the coat hanger. Estella put it on the bed. She put the coat on and walked out of the room.
Estella smiled as she walked down the long sweeping corridor. Her front door was lit up by a few candles that were hanging from a metal chandelier.
Estella opened the door. A cold wind blew at her. She smiled as she stepped out. The hobbit closed the door and walked away.
Hobbiton was busier then normal. There were many young hobbits about. The snow was quickly melting. Snow balls were being thrown. On the fields around, small figures were running about. Estella watched them as she walked down the hill.
There were many foot prints in the snow. Each had small toes on the end. Estella lived on the hill that flowed down to the centre of Hobbiton.
"Morning Estella" said some of the hobbits coming up the hill.
Estella nodded and smiled. She was on her way to The Green Dragon. She didn't know why, but that was the first place that came into her head.
A minute later, Estella opened the door. A smell that lingered in the inn hit her nose. She sniffed in, the oldness of the inn was all around her.
Her eyes started to dart around the small round tables. More then half of them were empty. But Merry wasn't there. Estella sighed and went out again.
She closed the door and stood there, looking around. The hill lay to her left. The road ran up and swiped to the left. Small hobbit doors could be seen a mists the snow.
Estella could see Merry's home from where she was standing. His door was closed. Estella started to walk back up the hill. Children were sliding down on sleds that they had made. For hobbit children were more skilled then human children of the same age.
Hobbits of every age were enjoying the snow. Apart from two.
Pippin and Dolly had stopped yet again. But, it was not for a rest. They had come across the tree that had fallen over.
"There's no way around it" Pippin said, looked at it.
Dolly had gotten off of the car as well. She walked to the tree. There were many braches left of her, but hardly any further down the trunk. Her hand ran over the tree.
"It's an oak, a young one by the size of it" she said.
Pippin nodded. He knew that there were no houses around. His hopes of getting Diamond to Rivendell were quickly escaping. Pip took a deep breath.
"Maybe if we can get some people to help cut the tree down" Dolly said.
But Pippin shook his head.
"No, there are no houses that way" he said.
"Well, not that I know of"
But what Pippin didn't know was that a group of men with axes were heading towards them. But it would be another hour before they reach the tree.
So, for now, Pippin was stuck. He had climbed onto the tree. He was looking down the road.
"I'm going to see down the road, see if there's any houses" Pippin said.
He jumped off of the tree, on the opposite side. Dolly walked up to the tree.
"How long will you be?" Dolly asked.
Pip looked back.
"I don't know. Just expect me when you see me"
The hobbit then started to walk away. Dolly watched his figure get smaller and smaller.
"Hurry back" she said.
Dolly then looked back. The two ponies were standing there. Dolly walked up to one of the ponies.
"I'll hope he'll be back soon" she said, stroking her hand on the pony's head.
She smiled and walked back to the cart. Dolly looked inside. Diamond was still the same as ever. It had been five days since she had said a word. It had been five days since she had opened her eyes.
Dolly was starting to lose hope. The tree a few meters away had slowed them down. There was no help around. The area that they were in had not been mapped.
Pippin did not know that Midgewater was a few miles away. It had been the place where Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Sam and Aragorn had crossed.
But that was many years ago.
Pippin had come along way since that. Not only travailing, but he had matured. He and Merry had grow up fast. And they had to have grown up.
For Pippin and Merry had seen things that existed only in fairy tales.
Trolls, orcs, elves, wizards, Nazgûl.
But now, they had been thrown back into their lives again. Back into the calmness and everyday life of Hobbiton.
But Pippin didn't feel whole. He felt like something was missing.
He wanted to travel more often, more then before. Gondor was in his sites. He wanted to go to see The White City again.
But, at this moment in time, he had more important things to worry about. Pippin continued to walk. The group of men that were now thirty minutes away from him. But still, Pippin walked on.
Back in Hobbiton, Estella was standing at Merry's door. She looked around, the coldness was starting to get to her feet.
"Merry?" she asked.
Estella was getting a bit annoyed now. Diamond and Pippin were not talking to her and now Merry was ignoring her.
Estella took a deep breath and turned around. She walked away, having no idea of where Merry was.
Merry, on the other hand, knew exactly where Estella was. But Estella wasn't on his mind. He was walking towards Bree. A large road was laying just a mile from where he was.
His pony was grazing just four hundred meters away from where he was. But Merry hadn't seen it yet.
"That stupid pony, running off, leaving me miles…"
Merry stopped in mid sentence. He could see the figure of the pony before him. Merry scowled. The hobbit started to walk towards it. The pony was grazing on a bit of grass poking out from the melting snow.
A minute later, Merry was a few meters away from the pony. The reigns were swinging as the animal pulled up the grass.
Merry stopped and looked at the pony. The hobbit took a step forward. The pony turned his head, his eyes fell on Merry. The hobbit stopped, not wanting to scare it off.
"Come here boy, I need to get to Bree" Merry said.
The pony's ears shot up. Merry suddenly stopped in his tracks, his hand was out in front of him.
"Don't… run… don't… run"
The pony stayed there as Merry placed his left foot out. He tried not to scare the pony.
"Please"
He was inches from the reigns. The pony then bolted, but it was too late. Merry's hand had grabbed them before the animal could run. But, that didn't matter. The pony ran, Merry continued to hold on.
The snow was slippery, that made him lose his footing. Merry was dragged along on the floor. His feet slipped as the pony galloped away.
"Whoa!"
Merry tried to stay on his feet, but they gave way. His hands were the only thing not letting him drop. Merry looked up at the scenery flying past him.
Snowy trees flew past as the pony darted down the road.
"Stop!" Merry shouted.
But that was no use. Merry then made up his mind. He took a deep breath and looked at the floor.
"Three, two, one!"
Merry let go of the reigns. He fell to the floor. The floor quickly came to his level. Merry hit the floor hard. His bag was the first to him, followed by his weight.
Merry was winded for a while. He lay there eyes closed. Merry took a deep breath and got up. The pony had continued to run off again.
Merry got to his feet and looked around. He was only a few hundred meters from where he had been a few minutes earlier. But now, Merry was wet and cold. The loaves that he had in his bag had been crushed.
A hand felt the flattened loaves. Merry took a deep breath.
"This just gets better and better" he said to himself.
He got off of the floor for the second time in as many minutes. He brushed himself off. Merry took his bag off. He got out his flask, not needing the bag any more.
The flask had crumbs on it, reminding Merry of what had just happened. He brushed the crumbs off and unscrewed the cap. Water sloshed around inside. Merry looked in to see if there were any crumbs in it.
There were none.
So, the hobbit started to drink. He didn't realise how thirsty he had been. The water trickled down. It instantly refreshed him. His eyes became cleared. His head quickly sorted itself out.