Pippin woke yawning. The night had been long, and at times, sleepless. But the hobbit did not rise from his bed. Yet another yawn came from him. Pippin had lost count how many he had.
The clock on the wall showed it to be earlier then normal. The window seemed to show the outside. The light from the sun was fighting against the thick blanket of white cloud.
Yet no flakes fell from the sky. A noise came from the kitchen. A loud smash. Pippin raised his head just a few inches.
"What was that?" he asked himself.
But curiosity got the better of him. The duvet was then pulled off of him. The cold air replaced the warmth that he had felt. Pippin shivered as he sat on his bed. The hobbit stretched and stood up.
He grabbed his nightgown and put it on. the candles stood silent, still and unlit as he opened the door. A small bit of light showed Pippin the way to the kitchen.
He rubbed his eyes as the door came into view. Pippin pushed it open and stopped. He saw Merry trying to clean something up.
"Merry?" he asked.
It was evident that Pippin was still very tired. But Merry was not. Merry stopped as he held the broken shards of a bowl. The rest was scattered around the floor.
"What happened?" he asked.
Merry stood up.
"It was the bowl, it just seemed to slip from my grasp" Merry answered.
Pippin rubbed his forehead with his hands. For a moment, a small bit of the tiredness had been taken away from him.
"Alright" said Pippin, not wanting to waste any more energy on the subject.
Merry took a deep breath and started to gather the splinters of the bowl. Some were bigger then others. Others had sharper edges. Merry looked down at the broken bowl.
"There is no chance of fixing it" he said, placing them on the work top.
The next second, he opened one of the draws and looked inside. There were layer upon layer of paper bags of every size. Merry picked out one of the smaller bags. He then closed the draw again.
Pippin closed the door to his room. It was then that something caught his attention. A small folded up piece of paper. Memories came flooding back to him. The paper had words written on it. Pippin slowly walked over to the bedside table and picked it up. Yet he did not unfold it. He knew exactly what the words said.
He looked forward. His mind focused on what he was going to say later.
"But why wait?" he asked himself.
He was sure that Diamond would be up by now. So, Pippin placed the letter down and walked towards the door again. He would see Diamond early and get it out of the way.
But Diamond was not awake yet. She was still sleeping in her bed. The clock on the wall showed it to be nine o'clock. Diamond knew that she would have a lot of work to do. But sleep seemed to be more important.
A small puppy was sleeping as well. One of Diamond's big hands had scooped him up.
Both were sleeping longer then they would have liked. But that was about to change. A small whine came from the cot on Diamond's side. It grew louder and louder as the seconds past.
Diamond slowly opened her eyes as the sounds met her ears. A yawn came over her as she rolled onto her back.
"Pippin, get Faramir" she said tiredly.
But there was no answer. She then looked to her right and saw that Pippin was not there. It was then that she remembered that her husband had moved out for a while.
She then looked back to her left. For a few seconds, she just wanted to lay there and let her son cry. But she knew she couldn't. the duvet was then drawn from her.
Origo gave a small whine as the coldness hit him. Diamond had forgotten all about her puppy being there.
"Oh, sorry pup" she said, lifting him and placing him on the warm pillow.
Origo whimpered, but settled down again. His fur was fluffy and warm as Diamond stood up. Origo's could still not keep his little brown eyes open for any longer.
Diamond hushed her son as she picked him up. She looked back at Origo, curled up on her pillow. She gave a small smile.
The hobbit let her puppy snooze on as she walked out of the room. She yawned as she looked down at her son. He was precious to her. But she could not help but see Pippin in him.
The kitchen seemed to be much warmer then the rest of the house. Diamond smiled as she picked up a log or two and placed it on the fire. Baby Faramir was giggling as his mothers hair tickled his face.
Diamond had to do most things with only one hand. At first, it was difficult. But as she got used to it, it became easier. The cupboard door was opened and a bowl was taken out. Diamond closed the cupboard door again. She was very tired as she walked towards the cellar.
The door creaked open as she walked inside. It was much colder and darker here then the kitchen. The crackling fire was now growing as it took a hold of the fresh wood.
Diamond smiled as she took a small bowl from one of the shelves. It had a small bit of food in there for Faramir. Diamond had made it as smooth as she could. Faramir gave a small yawn as his mother went back into the kitchen. The bowl was placed on the table. A draw was then opened. A small, silver spoon was then picked out. Diamond left the other cutlery laying in their own compartments.
A seat was then pulled out, sending a scraping sound around the room. There was still no sign of Origo around. he was still snoozing on the warm pillow. His small eyes were closed and he had curled into a fluffy ball.
But his sleep was not dreamless. Images of old were flashing before him. a river, cold and slow, could be seen though the trees. But he was not alone. Another small puppy was walking beside him. their paws were covered in drying mud. A few times, the two puppies had to jump logs. But they were not a problem for them.
It was after days of travailing that the puppy finally stopped. There was a figure in the forest. It was larger then them. The second one stopped beside him as well.
The forest seemed less forbidding where he was. But there was still the task of getting over the river. It was not deep or as fast as others. It was gentle and sang a beautiful song as it made its way to a distance sea or lake.
Leaves and twigs were caught up in the rapids.
The two puppies slowly walked and stopped at the edge of the river. The figure was quickly walking away.
"What shall we do?" asked the girl puppy.
The other one was looking around. for the first time in a while, he did not know what to do. His small eyes darted up and down the river.
It was then he saw it. A tree laying across the river. Without another second wasted, he scurried off. The other puppy was left standing there.
"Where are you going?" she whined, hurrying after him.
The first puppy got to where he wanted to get. The tree looked very unstable.
"What are you doing?" asked the girl, tilting her head.
But the first pup was not listening to her. He slowly and carefully climbed onto a precarious looking branch. But it seemed to hold him well enough. Now all he had to do was to get to the other side.
He could see water rushing from one side to the other.
Even though he was small, the log seemed to bounce as the puppy crossed it. A few times, the puppy stopped to get his balance back. His small heart was racing as he slowly made his way over.
After what seemed like minutes, the puppy jumped off of the end and onto the ground. He looked back at the girl puppy.
"It's safe, you can come now" he said.
But confidence was not so high in the small puppy who was now stuck on the other side. She used her small wet nose to sniff the perimeter of the log.
But her mind was still not made up. She knew that her friend had done it, so there was no reason she couldn't. the small puppy then started to climb up the way her friend did.
A second or two later, the girl was standing on the edge of the fallen tree. It stretched out before her. to her, it seemed very long and dangerous. She looked down, trying not to lose her balance as she place a small, fluffy paw out.
In reality, Diamond was sitting at the table. Her eyes were drooping as she sat there. A spoon was in her hand. She scooped out the last of Faramir's breakfast. The baby had been on his best behaviour since he had gotten up.
Diamond looked in the bowl. There was nothing left.
She smiled as she placed the spoon back in the bowl.
"All gone" she said tiredly.
The baby in her arms was looking around. Everything seemed bigger to him then it did for Diamond. His mother then got up and walked towards the door. Lights flashed by him.
Diamond was going to put him back in his cot so that she could get washed and dressed. Faramir was placed back in his cot. As Diamond walked away, Faramir started to cry.
His mother looked back. But she didn't come back to him. Origo was slowly coming around from sleep to a annoying sound.
"What is that?" he whined, looking over at the cot.
The small puppy stretched as the noise grew louder. Origo raised his head, wondering where his Diamond was. A large yawn came over him.
Faramir continued to cry for the next few minutes. Origo stood on the bed, looking around. hunger was now getting to him as he walked towards the opposite edge of the bed. Curiosity was getting the better of him.
But the cot was too far away to see inside. The door down the corridor then opened. Origo looked away from the cot, his attention back on the end of the bed.
Diamond walked in, looking more awake. She smiled as she saw her puppy was now awake.
"Good morning" she said, lifting him up.
Origo gave a small whine as he was placed on Diamond's shoulder. Origo was kissed gently on the head by his Diamond.
"Had a good sleep?" she asked.
Origo gave a small whine. Diamond smiled.
"Good" she said.
Origo was then placed on the floor. He watched as his Diamond walked away from him. Origo's attention was now back on what he wanted in the first place. He scurried over to his basket. He then picked up his toy turkey and trotted back to where his Diamond was.
The puppy placed the toy turkey down and looked up at his Diamond. He gave a small whine.
"Alright, I'll get it in a minute" Diamond answered.
Origo's little tail started to wag as he picked up the small toy and scurried out of the room. But Origo was not the only one going to the kitchen.
A small, green fairy was fluttering in the kitchen. She landed softly on the edge of the table, waiting. After a few seconds more, Origo entered the room.
Ivy smiled as the puppy did not notice her. The fairy started to flutter quietly to her puppy. She was only a foot away, but still, Origo did not notice her.
"Got you!" she said, grabbing onto his fur.
The puppy yelped and started to run around. But the fairy did not let go. She seemed to enjoy the rid as Origo ran around the table.
"Puppy, slow down!" Ivy shouted, trying hold on.
The next second, Origo ran right into one of the cupboards. His head collided with the hard wooden door. The puppy gave a small yelp and flopped on the floor.
Ivy let go and fluttered there. Shock ran though her.
"Oh no" she said, looking down at the still puppy.
Origo showed no signs of movement. It was then that Ivy's worse fears came into being. Diamond was coming to the kitchen. Ivy knew that she couldn't be seen, but that did not stop her from worrying.
Diamond smiled as she walked in.
"Right" she said.
But something made her stop. She stood there, looking at her still puppy.
"Origo?" she asked, slowly walking up to him.
Origo was defiantly not sleeping. Diamond looked closer as her puppy. His eyes were closed, yet he was still breathing. Diamond extended her hand and touched his fur. But still, he did not move. Ivy was fluttering just a few feet away.
"Origo, come on, I'm going to get you some turkey" she said, hoping that would rouse the pup.
But it did not. Diamond took a deep breath and picked up the limp puppy. Diamond placed her puppy on her shoulder and looked at him.
"If he's sleeping, why didn't he wake?" she thought.
Ivy fluttered where she could see Origo. Diamond took a deep breath and started to walk out of the room. Ivy fluttered closely behind.
Diamond walked though the corridor and back into her room. she slowly and carefully placed Origo in his basket. Diamond stood up again, still wondering what had happened.
Without another second thought, Diamond turned and left. Ivy was left fluttering by herself. A small tear ran down her small face.
"Origo?" she asked, fluttering a few feet forward.
She was very worried for her friend now. Likewise with Diamond, Origo did not move or make any sounds. The fairy landed on the floor gently. She was smaller then her puppy friend. The fairy walked slowly forward.
"What have I done?" she asked herself.
She was close enough to touch his fur. His small chest rose and fell gently. Ivy touched Origo's warm fur.
"Origo, I'm very sorry. Please wake up"
But it seemed like he never would. Ivy walked onto the bed. She slowly sat down next to the puppy.
"Don't worry, I'm going to be here when you wake up"
But she did not know how long he would be like this.
Diamond was tipping away the dirty water from the day before. The tiles that she was standing on were cleaner then the ones that made up the rest of the house.
The mop had been brought in and was now resting on the edge of the table. Diamond, although she had not eaten, seemed not to be as hungry as usual.
The water started to fill up the bucket again. The stream of water created bubbles that popped almost instantly. The tap was then turned off. A few drips fell from the tap into the large bucket of water. Diamond then lifted the large bucket out of the sink and placed it on the floor.
Diamond took a deep breath and stood back up. She looked around, wondering what she could do. But the first job to do was to clean the floors.
So, grabbing the large bucket of warm water in one hand and the mop in the other. Diamond walked down the hallway to the big front door.
The bucket was then set down on the floor. A few drips escaped the bucket as Diamond took a deep breath. She was in need of help. But there was no one about.
"I best get started then" she said, dipping the head of the mop in the warm water.
The sound of water sloshing around echoed though the quiet house. Faramir had, reluctantly, fallen asleep again. Origo had still not come round from his small accident.
Ivy was sitting right next to him, waiting for him to come around.
"I know I shouldn't have done that" she thought, replaying the images in her head.
She could see him running and then bashing into the cupboard. Ivy knew not of how long Origo would be like this. It could be a few minutes, or a few hours. A few times, Ivy looked back, wondering if her puppy was actually asleep.
In fact, a very horrible thing had happened to the poor pup. The mind had been wiped of any knowledge and memories he had gained from his existence.
As the day wore on, Diamond continued to clean. Hunger was now getting to her. But she had lots to do. The water still sloshed around as the mop was thrust into the water. A few seconds later, it was taken out again. Diamond then continued scrub the floor. The candles glinted on the cleaner floor. But there were still many rooms to do.
In other homes all around the small town of Hobbiton, mothers and wives were cleaning. The day had not started out too well. A gloomy atmosphere engulfed the whole town.
Today was certainly not a day to be busy. But one hobbit had no choice. Pippin was sitting in his room, reading and re-reading the words that he written down the night before.
He took a deep breath and looked up. The time was now right to give it to Diamond. Pippin got up and walked towards the door. He opened it, the hinges creaked as always.
There was no sign of Merry at all. Not sight or sound of him. Pippin walked towards the kitchen. He did not know why, but he was nervous. Nervous and scared.
"Just a small bit should do" he said, placing the letter down on the table.
There was a cabinet full of old and unopened bottles. Pippin opened the two doors and looked. The bottles were all different shapes, sizes and colours.
Some were whiter then others, the rest were darker. Some had less liquid in, some had a thick layer of dust. Pippin took a deep breath as he took one out. He did not mind how old or how much the whiskey was worth.
A small glass was placed on the worktop. The two cupboard doors were then closed again. Pippin took a deep breath as he took the old cork out of the neck of the bottle.
The whiskey bottle was then picked up. Pippin gave the bottle a small sniff. The smell was very strong. Pippin smiled as he tipped smoke of the amber liquid into the small glass. The glass slowly started to fill. A few seconds later, the glass was full. Only a small bit was left at the top. Pippin placed the cork back in the bottle and placed it back in the cupboard.
The small glass was picked up. Pippin turned around and took a deep breath. He walked over to table. He drew out one of the chairs and sat on it. The note was on the same side of the table as he was.
Pippin looked deeply at the note. Its words echoed in his head.
"But were they good enough for Diamond?" he asked himself as he looked at it.
A few bouts of doubt came over him. But he brushed then off. His attention then came back to his drink. Pippin looked down at it.
But now Pippin encountered another problem. A different voice came into his head. But it was not as strong as the voices that normally argued in his head.
Pippin took a deep breath and picked up the glass. He lifted it higher and higher until it was just an inch from his lips. But he stopped. For a moment, he moved his head and looked over at the sink.
But looking at it seemed the wrong idea. Without another second wasted, Pippin downed the whiskey. The glass was then placed on the table again.
Pippin's mouth exploded with a tingling sensation ran down into his chest. But the tingling sensation slowly turn into turned into warmth.
Pip's confidence rose as well. He got up grabbed the letter, leaving the small glass standing on the table. Pippin left the room and walked down the hall way.
The door suddenly opened. Merry was sitting at his writing desk like he had been for the past few days.
"I'm going over to see Diamond" Pippin told him, standing at the door.
Merry looked around from his work, a few pieces of parchments had been covered, both sides, with writing. But there was still a lot of writing and planning to do.
"How long will you be?" Merry asked.
Pippin shrugged his shoulders.
"Not long, are you going to get lunch ready soon?" Pippin asked.
Merry nodded.
"What do you want?" he asked.
Pippin took a deep breath.
"Nothing too big, roast chicken would do" Pippin answered.
Merry took a deep breath, wanting to argue his friend decision.
"Alright" he answered, sounding a bit tired.
Pippin gave a small smile.
"Well, I'm going. I'll be back in a while"
Pippin then turned and walked out of the room. The door gently closed as Pippin walked out. The hobbit then made his way down the dully lit corridor to the front door.
But Pippin did not go to the door right away. Instead, he stopped and took his coat off of the hook and put it on. Its brass buttons, six of them, were done up. Pippin took one last look at the letter.
The door then opened, letting a strong blast of cold air. Pippin squinted as the coldness tickled his face. His hair blew as he walked out onto the crunchy snow. The door was then closed behind him as he set out on his little walk.
Birds were flying around, but the wind that was blowing in his ears. His hair blew in his face as the hobbit continued to walk.
Nervous were getting to him.
"You shouldn't be nervous, you've been though worse then this" he told himself.
And it was true. Pippin and his three fellow hobbits, Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck and Frodo Baggins, had been though more then other hobbits had even dreamed about.
But there was a small part of Pippin that wanted to go travailing again. He had gotten used to being around big folk, as they were called by the hobbits.
But it was a much deeper feeling then anyone knew. Gondor was where his heart truly lay. Of course, he had a family now. But his mind kept wondering to distance lands.
A few minutes later, Pippin arrived at the gate that lead to the large door. Pippin stood there. His mind seemed to keep changing every few seconds.
His feet were now getting cold. The snow he was standing on was melting slowly. The paper was dancing in the wind. Pippin's hands were so numb that he could hardly feel the paper in his grasp.
"Alright" he said, walking forwards.
With his free hand, he unhooked the gate and walked though. The wind blew the gate shut with a loud metallic bang. But that did not bother him much.
Pippin now stopped at the door. He took a deep breath, the small bit of water vapour came out of his mouth. Pippin then raised his hand and knocked three times on the door.
There seemed to be no sounds coming from the house. But then, a small sound grew louder from the other side of the door. The large door clicked and swung open.
Standing there was Diamond. She looked out and saw exactly who it was.
"Pippin?" she asked.
Pippin gave a small smile.
"I have something to show you" he said.
"Am I allowed in?" he asked.
Diamond took a deep breath. She knew that she could not stand at the door for long.
"Is it important?" she asked.
Pippin nodded.
"Very" he answered.
Diamond opened the door a little bit more.
"Come in" she said, moving out of the way for him.
Pippin gave a small smile and walked in. he was just about step off of the mat when he was stopped.
"Whip your feet first" Diamond said.
There seemed to be no happiness in her voice. She was not her bubbly self. Pippin looked down. There were blades of grass on the souls of both his feet. He picked them off and dropped then on the mat.
Diamond looked at him.
"What do you want Pippin?" Diamond asked, looking tired.
Pippin took a deep breath and looked at Diamond. Yet there was something missing. Something deep down inside felt very different. There was no connection between the two of them. No love, just an endless gap that seemed only to get bigger.
"Well" he said, looking down at the letter he had.
There were a few drips of water on the surface of the parchment.
"I want to give you this" he said, holding it out.
Diamond looked down at his hand. She had never received a letter from him.
"What is that about?" she asked.
There was an awkward silence in the hall way. Pippin looked down, struggling to find the right words.
"There the words I cant say" he told her.
Diamond gave him a blank look. The two of them looked at each other eyes yet again. Diamond looked down at the piece of parchment she now had in her hands. She had never received a letter from Pippin before.
Pippin, meanwhile, was looking around. Everything seemed different, even though he had only been away for a day. everything seemed different then before. the homeliness had gone.
"Well, I have to get going" Pippin said, looked at his wife.
Diamond gave a small nod, but did not say anything. Pippin suddenly felt like he had over stayed his welcome. He gave a small smile and headed towards the door.
Pippin took a deep breath as he opened the door. Deep down, he wished Diamond would call him back. He wanted everything to be back to normal again. But he knew that he had to leave it.
Diamond stood at the door way for a few seconds before slowly closing it. She took a deep breath and looked down at the letter. A part of her wanted to read what Pippin had to say.
But the other part did not care. Diamond walked back down the hall. She expected Origo to come running up to her, wagging his tail.
But he did not. Yet, that was about to change. Diamond walked into the kitchen. She took a deep breath as she sat down. The note now in her sights.
It was not much, juts a folded sheet with writing on it. The sheet was then unfolded and words were spread over only one half of the sheet. Diamond noticed it to be Pippin's hand writing.
Dear Diamond,
She read, her heart beginning to beat quicker.
I know, over the past few days, that my behaviour had declined.
"Well, that was true" she thought and read on.
I can not say how sorry I am. But I am sorry. More sorry then in have ever been.
All I can ask for is your forgiveness.
The words seemed to say more then Pippin could ever had said. Diamond's eyes continued to run over the last sentence a few times.
All I can ask for is your forgiveness.
"My forgiveness?" she asked.
But that was not all of the words Pippin had written. There was still a few more lines.
All I want is to start a fresh. Start with a new sheet and work on it. I know it may be hard to read this letter, but it's all the truth I can tell.
Diamond now had a difficult decision to make. To let Pippin back, or to do without him for a few more days. Both seemed the better choice at the moment.
Diamond took a deep breath and looked around. Of course, she needed all of the help that she could get. But then again, she couldn't bare being hurt by him anymore.
"Maybe I'll should think about it for a while" Diamond told herself.
She took a deep breath and looked around. Cleaning quickly returned to her mind. The chair was pushed back, making a scraping sound.
Diamond walked out of the room, leaving the letter resting on the table. The mop and bucket had been left in the hall way where she was working. She picked up the mop again, leaving a small wet patch on the floor.
Diamond knew little of what happened to Origo. The small puppy was still laying where he was put by Diamond. He small eyes were closed. An emptiness spread far beyond his eye lids.
Everything was black and empty. His mind was clear and his senses new. A small whine came from him as he woke up. His small eyes started to wake.
Ivy, who was sitting by him and had been since he had been there, took a look around. small whimpers came from the fluffy pup.
"Origo?" she asked, not sure if she was hearing things.
But the soft whimpering grew louder and louder. Origo could hear things. New ones that he did not like. His small eyes suddenly opened. Everything was different and scary.
The puppy stood up as quick as he could. His eyes had a different glint to them.
"Ori?" asked Ivy, standing there.
Origo looked at her sharply. His eyes surveying her intently. But he did not need her. The whimpering had quickly changed to growling.
Ivy took a few steps backwards, having been pounced before and knew exactly what Origo was like. Her wings slowly unfolded her delicate wings.
The next second, Origo launched himself at her. The fairy flew away with only inches to spare. The puppy continued to growl at her.
"Origo, what are you doing?" she asked, trying to figure out what Origo was doing.
She too did not know that Origo had lost his memory.
"Who are you?" Origo growled angrily.
Ivy tilted her head. This was a question Origo had never asked her before. Ivy fluttered there, wondering what to tell him.
"I'm Ivy" she said, sounding silly.
"Puppy, you know that!" she told him.
But deep down, Ivy knew that there was something wrong with him. Origo continued to look around. He had no knowledge of his surroundings. There were large things and small things. Yet nothing had names to them. Nothing seemed to have uses to the puppy.
"Where am I?" he asked, looking up.
His tail had ceased to wag and his eyes continued to dart around the room.
"Your in your home, Origo"
But everything seemed to hit a brick wall with the pup. Ivy was now thinking quickly. The only other creature that she could tell was Origo's friend, Abira.
"But what can she do? She's a puppy" Ivy thought, not knowing what secrets both of the puppies held.
"Puppy, could you stay here for a minute?" she asked.
But Origo was not listening to her. Ivy took a deep breath, but did not flutter right away. Her decision was still being made.
"Just, stand there" she said, fluttering over to the wall.
Origo watched as the fairy flew towards the wall. Origo looked away for a split second. When he looked back, she was gone. Origo looked around, wondering when she had gone.
Noises came the other side of the door, but that did not worry the puppy.
"Hello?" he barked, wondering where the small green thing had gone.
He reached the wall and stood there, looking up. Origo looked up.
"Maybe I can go and see where she went" he thought, looking at the wall.
The next second, he kept on walking. His head hit the wall hard and whined. He shook his head and looked at the wall again.
"Why cant I go though?" he whimpered.
The next second, the door opened. It was Diamond. The mop and bucket were sitting just outside the door. She smiled at her puppy.
"Did you have a good sleep?" she asked.
But she stopped in her tracks. Origo was not making the usual sounds. Instead, he was growling. Diamond stopped in her tracks and looked down at her puppy.
"Origo?" she asked, seeing him bare his small, sharp teeth.
But it seemed not to make a difference. Origo backed away, looking quiet scared of her. Diamond took a deep breath.
The puppy started to bark at her, having figured that she was not very nice. Diamond was now very confused.
"Origo, shush" she said.
But her next sentence had already been fulfilled. Faramir, who had been sleeping peacefully in his cot, had now woken up and was not happy about it.
Diamond looked over and took a deep breath. She had never had this much trouble from her puppy since he came to her. Diamond walked over to the cot and picked up her son.
"Alright, alright" she said, cradling him on her shoulder.
Origo quietened down, watching them. His eyes had a small questioning look about them as he watched this strange, noisy creature was picked up. Diamond took a deep breath and looked over at the small puppy.
She knew something was up with him.
But what?
Origo looked the same as he always did. His fur was soft and warm. The small brown patches were still the same. But he seemed more angry or scared.
"I don't know pup" she said, walking to him.