Morning eased over the parapets and towers, and the rising sun warmed up the gardens Legolas and his people had planted years before. By midday, Merry and Pippin were curled up under the spreading branches of a small willow tree, half in sun and half in dappled shadow. Grey curls mingling with white.

"Merry?"

"Mmm-hmm?"

"You awake?"

"That has been a ridiculous question for, oh…the past ninety-four years or so."

"I was asking you that when I was a faunt, was I?"

"Oh, yes you were indeed, anytime we visited one another. Usually far too early in the morning or late at night."

"Well," Pippin mumbled into Merry’s shoulder, where his head was currently resting, "It is after second breakfast, and we’ve certainly had a long enough nap. This draught that Aragorn mixed for me makes me sleepy and I’d rather not sleep all day." He yawned hugely and nestled a bit closer. "Gimli mentioned something yesterday evening about a gift he’d been meaning to send to Elanor, and he wanted our opinion of it before he did so."

"That," Merry sighed. "Undoubtedly means you wish me to rise from this very comfortable blanket, under this very peaceful tree."

"Um, yes. It does, I’m afraid."

With a great deal of effort and grumbling, Merry rose to his feet and extended a hand to help his cousin do the same. "It is nice to have Gimli and Legolas here…I believe they intend to stay as long as we…easy there, Pip…" He caught Pippin as the other hobbit gave a little moan of pain.

"As long as we are still alive?" Pippin managed to gasp out and leaned against Merry, who rubbed his shoulders soothingly.

"Don’t say that, please." Merry’s voice sounded choked and strained as they stood there for a long moment to let Pippin catch his breath.

"Oh, but Merry, dear. Come over here to stand by the wall." And Pippin moved slowly with Merry’s help to where they could lean both on each other and the pale stones of the wall. "Tell me."

Merry , as usual, could no more resist such a request from Pippin than he could a force of nature. "So many gone," he said simply. "And I can’t lose you as well."

"We’ve been here before, cousin." Pippin responded after a moment. "I don’t know how long we have, but you and I both know that I won’t be here much longer. It would be folly to try to beat the Old Took and Bilbo. But here we are together and if I leave first, you know that I’ll wait for you."

Falling silent, Pippin reached out and brushed grey curls away from Merry’s forehead. He could still feel the faint ridge of the scar under his fingers. "Death is just another path…" he murmured.

"What?" Merry asked haltingly.

"Something Gandalf said to me, when we were waiting in a lull in the battle. Just down there in fact, two levels down actually and over there." Pippin took Merry’s hands in his own, pressing the faint rope scars on his wrists to Merry’s, in a gesture of comfort they used only with each other. "I suppose I never told you about that, did I?"

"Just that he’d been with you and I think…he mentioned something about you saving his life when you killed an Orc." Merry answered with downcast eyes.

"Ah, yes. So I did. Well, I thought I was going to die then, and without you. I was feeling rather miserable and small and frightened, and he spoke to me of what would happen if we did. Shall I tell you what he told me?"

Quietly spoken words in Pippin’s soft brogue went on for a few moments. And then, all tears of acceptance and comfort ended for the moment, Pippin handed his cousin a handkerchief and put it to his nose. "Blow."

Laughing a little, Merry did as he was told and drew toward the little house Aragorn and Arwen had kept ready for hobbits all this time. They walked hand in hand for a few yards in companionable silence before Merry voiced his thoughts.

"Pip."

"Yes, Merry?"

"You were right, what you said to Gandalf…it doesn’t sound so bad. Do you think Estella and Diamond will be there?"

"Oh, I’m sure of it. And probably Boromir as well, and perhaps you’ll see Theoden again.

"It will be nice to see them again, Pippin. And the others. You’ll wait for me, then?"

"Always, dearest of cousins."

"I don’t think I’ll be long after you."

"I don’t mind waiting, Merry. It promises to be an interesting journey, and I shan’t want to have any new adventures without you."