By the time I had awoken I was no longer laying with Estel but on my own pallet once again. Gimli was still snoring on my one side while the two pallets next to me were empty. I sat up to see Merry and Pippin sitting beside each other a short distance away. Their swords were at both of their sides and they seemed prepared to use them if need be. I smirked at the thought of the two young Hobbits defending all of us from a band of orcs for the image of it amused me. I decided that this was as good a time as any to rise so I got off of my pallet and went to join the two hobbits.
"Good morning, young Hobbits," I called as I sat down beside them.
"Yes a good morning indeed," Pippin greeted with a large smile on his face. "I was just telling Merry here how nice it would be to have some pipe weed to smoke on a morning like this."
"Yet, you smoked the end of it while we were in Lothlorien," Merry scowled in return as he continued to look out towards the horizon.
"Aye, that I did," Pippin laughed cheerily at his own, for lack of a better term, mindless stupidity and I chuckled along with him. "So how was your night, Lúthien? Did you rest well?"
"Yes, my rest peaceful for a night, Pippin," I replied as I reflected upon the dreams that had replace the nightmares. Most were of Legolas and Estel when we were younger and in Eglarest; more memories than dreams.
"That is good," Merry responded with a slightly brighter tone to his voice. "It has been quite some time since we've seen you sleep well."
"Aye it has," I agreed as I allowed my thoughts to wander to a thought that had bothered me for a long while. Though short and foolish, I never knew how old the young hobbits were though I had a general thought. I wanted to confirm my thoughts and decided this was as good a time as any to ask. "I hope I do not come off as rude, but I was just wondering how old your two are."
"I do not find it rude at all, Lady Lúthien," Merry answered as he stood to face me. "I am thirty-seven while Pip here is only twenty-nine."
"Yes tis true," Pippin responded as he stood. "We are the youngest on this journey, or so I expect. But I am not the shortest."
"Pip, all of the Shire knows that I am taller then you," Merry groaned. It seemed that they had had this argument many times before. They began a choirs of "are not" and "are to" as I sat back and laughed.
"One of you may be the shortest," I called to them before they mounted a violent attack at one another, "however, you are not the youngest. In fact you are older than two members of the fellowship."
"Really?" Pippin asked slightly shocked. "Well it can't be Aragorn."
"And we know we're younger then both Sam and Frodo," Merry mused as he continued to think.
"You are both older than I," I informed them and watched as their faces dropped to a state of shock. "I am only sixteen."
"Sixteen!" Merry exclaimed as all thoughts of squabbles with his cousin were set aside. "I thought elves of that age were still younglings."
"Well, elves of that age are," I answered as I smirked at their astonishment, "but I am no mere elf."
"Then what are ye, Lady Lúthien?" Pippin asked with a renewed look of curiosity.
"I am a half-breed," I answered lightly as I watched a realization come over them. "It affects my growth. I grow quickly, yet I stop growing about this time actually. I bet I shall look this way for the rest of my remaining years."
"So you shall look this way forever," Merry restated with the childish belief that elves always live forever.
"Not necessarily, Merry," I sighed. "Although it is a great thought that all elves live forever, many do not. I fear that I shall be one of the few who does not."
"Oh, do not think that way, Lady Lúthien," Pippin called out coming over to sit back down next to me. He lightly took my hand in his small one. "I promise to you that you will live forever. You deserve it more then anyone I have ever known."
"Aye, and I promise this with Pip," Merry claimed as he sat on my other side. "We will fight and protect you to whatever end Lúthien."
"We swear it," Pippin finished. I turned to both of them smiling lightly as I did. The two younglings had more bravery then I have seen from many elves and it astonished me.
"Thank you, both of you," I answered with joyous years threatening to spill from my eyes. Before they began to fall, I decided to change the talk to a more joyous topic. "And you two are both older then Legolas as well for he is only twenty-five."
I watched and laughed along as the two Hobbits laughed and giggled in an amazed bout of joy. We sat together on the open plain until we heard footsteps us.
"Young Hobbits, your hours of watch have ended. You may go back to sleep," Legolas's voice called for behind us. Now yawning, the two Hobbits bid us a soft farewell as they went back to their pallets to sleep "You should as well, Lúthien. You of all people need to rest."
"I have, Legolas," I replied as I sat unmoving on the ground. He came up behind me and laid a begging hand on my shoulder. "I rested for many hours. You do not need to be concerned, Legolas. I can take care of myself."
"So you have said," he replied giving in and sitting down beside me. "You should not be so stubborn."
"And you should not be so persistent," I responded. "I am not as young as I seem."
"But you are the youngest here," Legolas half snorted.
"And you are no more than ten years older than I," I almost shouted back in my annoyance.
"And how do you know how old I am?" He looked alarmed as if his age were a secret.
"I grew up with Elrohir and Elladan," I reminded him.
"They talk a little too much for their own good I'm afraid," He growled as he turned away.
"I did not mean to upset you, Legolas," I calmed myself and laid a hand upon his knee.
"It is alright, Lúthien," he responded with a new found kindness.
"I do not understand why age plays such a factor in our journey," I mused. "We may be the youngest, but we are still strong. The Hobbits are older than us."
"How old are these younglings?" Legolas turned amused by my thoughts.
"I am not sure of Frodo or Sam's ages," I admitted, "but Pippin is twenty-nine and Merry is thirty-seven."
"My, Merry is older than Aragorn for he is only thirty-five," Legolas looked about as shocked as the Hobbits were when I told them my own age. I couldn't help but laugh at him. "Short they may be, but young they are not."
"Aye," I agreed as I sat looking out at the new rising sun. My thoughts drifted to the events of last night as I debated telling Legolas the truth. He deserved to know just as much as Estel did. However, I could not bring myself to say anything. We resolved to sit there in communal silence for a long while. It was only when we began to hear other's waking behind us that we were broken out of our own thoughts and acknowledged each other's presence. As Legolas got up to follow Aragorn into the woods, I went over to the Hobbits to begin preparing the morning meal.