Title: The Trip
Author: Melilot Hill
Beta: Llinos
Summary: Eleven year old Pippin walks to Bag End alone, but his trip doesn’t go exactly as planned.
Rating: G
Disclaimer: The characters and settings belong to J.R.R. Tolkien
Note: Written for Marigold’s challenge #8.
Plot bunny 12: Write about the first journey a hobbit takes on his or her own.

I want to thank Llinos for beta’ing this story and also for (her great help with) the last paragraph.

The Trip

Chapter 2, Rain and Mud

Pippin was in a much better mood after his ride. He was rested and Tom had shared his lunch with the lad. He was singing one of the walking songs Bilbo had made up and taught him.

But after just a little while his high spirits started to vanish into thin air when a cold wind began to blow and the already overcast sky turned a lot darker. Pippin stopped to get his cloak from his pack and wrapped it around himself. He was really happy he had brought it along. Not much later fat raindrops began to fall from the sky, soaking everything.

Pippin plodded along, head bent, through the heavy rainfall. His good mood from earlier that afternoon was completely gone. He was cold, wet and hungry again. He angrily kicked his foot in a puddle, but the only thing he achieved was to get his breeches even wetter.

“Am I lost?” the lad wondered out loud. “I thought it would only be a few hours to Frodo’s.”

When he came across a tree that was perfect for climbing, Pippin decided to climb all the way to the top to see if he could spot Hobbiton, or even Bag End from up there. He was beginning to worry if he was still going in the right direction, and he could probably see for himself from the top of the tree if he was still on track.

Pippin took off his pack and undid his cloak, placing both on a relatively dry spot under the tree.

“Sorry, Tom, you can’t go up with me, you might fall and break one of your legs.” Pippin said as he carefully put his horse back into his bag.

He started to climb the tree. It proved to be a lot harder than he expected. The tree was slippery due to the rain and Pippin had problems finding his footing. He did, however, make progress even though it was very slow.

When he was up the tree far enough, Pippin peered through the branches. A lot of the leaves had already fallen, so it wasn’t too hard to look around. Pippin felt a tight ball settle in his stomach. All he could see in three directions were fields. But his vision was largely blocked by a heavy curtain of rain. In the fourth direction he saw a wood.

Pippin felt tears begin to burn behind his eyes. Hobbiton was nowhere in sight. Maybe he had to go through that wood to reach Frodo’s smial. But it was already beginning to get dark and Pippin was quite afraid to go through the wood alone in the dark. The wood, in fact, was just a strip of trees, but Pippin couldn’t see that from his viewpoint.

He gingerly began to descend from the tree, feeling very lonely and scared. When he was nearly down again, Pippin slipped and fell the last few feet, landing painfully on his back on the hard, wet ground. He began to cry in earnest now, heaving great big sobs. He took his wooden horse from his pack again and clutched it against his chest.

“I’m not a big lad at all, am I, Tom?” he sobbed.

*~*~*~*~*

Paladin had saddled his pony and rode out together with a few others. It was agreed that some Hobbits would search on foot in the vicinity of Great Smials and others would search the fields and roads nearer to Hobbiton. Paladin was sure his lad would be close to Hobbiton by now, if he hadn’t lost his way, and thus chose to set off with the riders.

Now he was riding through the pouring rain, urging his pony on. It would be dark early today, because of the downpour, and he needed to hurry in order to have some daylight left to be able to search for his son properly.

*~*~*~*

Pippin scrubbed his face with his sleeve. Sitting under this tree and crying wouldn’t do at all. He had to work out what he should do now. He couldn’t turn back. He was much too far from home to make it back before it became dark. On the other hand, he didn’t know if he was close to Bag End or not. He thought he was still going in the right direction, but he couldn’t remember that wood. Pippin decided to just follow the road again, certain that he would come across a farmhouse. He really hoped he would, his back was hurting pretty badly, because of his fall.

He sighed and stood up. There was nothing else for it. Pippin was afraid of the dark, but at home, with a candle next to his bed, the dark wasn’t too scary. But he would probably be very scared here in-between the fields, so sitting underneath the tree the whole night wasn’t an option.

*~*~*~*~*

Paladin was still hurrying along the road to Hobbiton as dusk began to set. Luckily the rain was only a light drizzle now. Still inconvenient, but at least it was easier to see. He began to feel quite worried. He came closer and closer to Hobbiton and still he hadn’t spotted Pippin. Surely the lad couldn’t have walked such a distance in one day? He just hoped Pippin hadn’t lost his way and wandered in a completely different direction, where they weren’t looking. But no, he must not think that. Pippin had made the trip to Bag End plenty of times before and should know the way. He could have chosen to walk across the fields, but riders were searching there as well. I should remain positive, Paladin told himself, but a feeling of dread began to spread through his body.

*~*~*~*~*

Pippin’s head perked up. He heard somebody approach him from behind. Pippin turned his head and saw an old Hobbit, leading a goat, walking towards him.

“Hullo there, lad” the Hobbit said.

“’Lo,” Pippin sniffed, sounding miserable.

“Is there something the matter?” the Hobbit asked. “Are you lost?”

“Yes sir,” Pippin answered. “I was on my way to Hobbiton, to see my cousin.”

“Oh, but then you aren’t lost at all.” was the answer. “You’re on the right road. Only, I’m not sure if you will make it there before dark. Why don’t you come home with me. I live not far from here. We will see about reaching your Cousin after we get you dry again.”

“Could I, sir?” Pippin asked relieved. “That would be splendid.”

“Yes, you can,” was the answer. “And don’t call me sir, my name is Robin.”

Robin gave Pippin a hand and together they walked to Robin’s farm.

*~*~*~*

The rain was thickening again and the light was fading fast. Paladin would reach Bag End soon and he still hadn’t found Pippin. He hoped with all his heart the lad had reached Frodo’s by now, but he started to feel really apprehensive.

Suddenly Paladin sat up straighter in his saddle. He saw somebody walking on the roadside. He urged his horse forwards again, hoping against hope that it was Pippin he saw. When he came closer, however, he saw it was just the trunk of a tree. The heavy rain and gathering dark and maybe also his mind, had tricked him into thinking he saw a hobbit along the road.

Paladin slumped back into the saddle, his hope of finding Pippin greatly subdued.

*~*~*~*~*

Frodo sat at his kitchen table, staring into a cup of tea. He’d been very worried about Pippin ever since he got the news from Great Smials. He had been alternating between staring out of the window, hoping to see Pippin approach and sitting at the kitchen table, hoping to hear a knock on the door.

When that knock finally came, Frodo almost fell from his chair. It had come unexpectedly after all. He ran to the door and opened it.

“Pippin! I’m so glad...,” Frodo began.

“So Pippin is not here then, I gather?” Paladin asked dismayed, standing in Bag End’s hallway, dripping wet. He had already more or less expected that, but he hadn’t given up hope completely.

“I’m afraid not,” Frodo answered. “Oh Pad, what should we do now? It’s almost dark outside and the rain makes it virtually impossible to use any daylight that still remains.”

“I know, Frodo,” Paladin answered, sitting down heavily on the bench in the hallway. “I know.”

t.b.c.