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 3, Fire and Food

Pippin was completely exhausted from his long walk and his body was really hurting due to his fall from the tree, so it was hard for him to keep up with Robin.

When Robin noticed that the lad started to stumble quite a bit, he slowed down his pace. “I’m sorry, Pippin,” he said. “You must be really tired after such a long walk. But don’t worry, we’re nearly at my home.”

Robin stopped walking altogether and bent over, so he was on eye level with the lad. “Do you see that light over there?’ he asked Pippin, pointing through some trees. “That’s Thimo’s smial. Mine is just a few feet further away. You can’t see it now, as there’s nobody home to light the fire since my Phlox passed away.

Robin put his goat into the stable and took Pippin into his home. After rebuilding the fire he ordered Pippin to get out of his wet clothes and into some dry ones. He gave him a towel and opened Pippin’s bag to retrieve some dry garments.

“The clothes you brought with you are all wet too,” he commented. “How long have you been walking in that rain? I hope you haven’t caught a cold.” With that he left the room and soon came back with a nightshirt. He wanted to hand it over to Pippin when his eye suddenly caught Pippin’s back.

“Will you come over here, please? Robin asked. “I want to have a look at your back. It looks bruised.”

“I fell from a tree today,” Pippin explained. “And it’s really hurting me.”

“You poor thing,” answered Robin. “Wait, I have some ointment for troublesome muscles. It will also help on your back I guess. I will fetch it.”

Robin rubbed the ointment on Pippin’s back, helped him into on of his own nightshirts, which was, of course, ridiculously large for Pippin, wrapped him up in a blanket and gave him some tea to drink.

“I will go over to Thimo’s, to ask if one of his lads will tell your Cousin Frodo that you are with me. I think it’s better that you don’t ride a pony with that back of yours and I don’t think you should go out in the cold anymore until you’re warmed up and dry again!”

Pippin began to feel the warmth of the fire and the tea do its work.  He sighed and tried to curl up in his chair, but that made his back hurt even more. He wished his Mum was here now to hold him. Tears started to trickle down his cheeks.

*~*~*~*~*

“Thimo has sent his oldest lad to Bag End to tell your Cousin your whereabouts,” Robin said while walking back inside, “and…Pippin, are you crying?”

Pippin wiped his eyes with his sleeve, but to no avail, the tears kept falling.

“Is your back hurting really badly?” Robin asked, ruffling Pippin’s curls.

“No. Well, yes, but not really, really bad,” was the answer.

“Then what’s the matter?” asked Robin while putting an arm around Pippin’s shoulder.

“I think I have been very bad today,” Pippin sobbed. “This morning I thought it was all right if I went to Frodo all by myself, but now I think that Father and Mother will be very worried right now and cross with me. I probably wasn’t supposed to go on my own at all. I don’t think they ever said I could.”

Robin held the lad till the sobs finally subdued. He then prepared some dinner for both of them.

Even though it had been hours since he last ate, Pippin hardly touched his food. After moving his food about on his plate, he fell asleep right there at the dinner table. Robin picked him up and carried him off to bed.

*~*~*~*~*

Both Paladin and Frodo’s heads perked up when they heard somebody knocking at the door. They looked at each other. Could that be…?

“Good evening,” Frodo said to the lad outside. “How can I help you? And please come in, it’s such a dreadful weather today.”

“Good evening, sirs,” the lad replied, toying with the hem of his cloak. He never had been in such a fancy smial before and he was a little overwhelmed by it all. “I’m Gido. Robin Smallbody sent me. He asked me to tell you he found your cousin, Pippin, and he took him home with him.”

“Thank goodness!” Paladin said, feeling relief flow through his body. “I’m so glad to hear Pippin’s safe and doesn’t have to spent the night outside, alone, cold and afraid!”

“No, sir,” Gido answered. “Robin will take good care of him. He did ask me to tell you something else. Pippin hurt his back when he fell from a tree and he has a slight cold, so he thought it better if he spent the night with him.”

”Thank you for this very good news!” Frodo said. Why don’t you come into the kitchen and have a cup of tea. You must be cold.”

Paladin didn’t follow the two into the kitchen. He was thinking about what to do next. He wanted to go over to Pippin right away, but on the other hand he couldn’t leave Eg and the lasses in doubt about Pippin the whole night. The lad was probably very tired now, so he couldn’t pick him up first and then leave for home. Besides, if Pippin already had a cold beginning and a hurt back, he shouldn’t take him out again today anyway.

“Aren’t you coming, Paladin?” Frodo asked from the kitchen. “I made you a cup of tea as well.”

“Yes, I will be right there,” Paladin answered, exchanging the relatively cold hallway for the warm, cosy kitchen. “I will ride back to Great Smials in a moment, Frodo. I will go to Robin Smallbody in the morning.”

“But Paladin,” Frodo objected. “It’s already dark outside and since you can’t go by field now, you have quite a distance to make.”

“Yes, I know,” Paladin sighed, but I can’t keep my family in doubt about Pippin the whole night. And I will be all right, I know the road very well. They only thing that still concerns me is that I can’t also go to Pippin this night.”

“I will collect Pippin in the morning,” Frodo offered. “That saves you a trip and Pippin will see a familiar face a lot sooner. Gido, would you please tell Robin that I will be arriving fairly early tomorrow morning. I hope that won’t be too inconvenient?”

“No, Sir, I don’t think it will be,” Answered Gido. “Robin’s always up at the crack of dawn, and I think he’ll like your cousin’s company.”

“Well then, Paladin, if you insist on riding back to Great Smials tonight, I guess you’d better leave soon,” said Frodo. “And don’t worry about Pippin, I’ll bring him home safe and sound.”

*~*~*~*~*

Pippin woke up when a beam of sunlight shone in his face, which was very strange, because the sun never shone on his bed. Suddenly he remembered everything that happened the day before. He stood up and wanted to get dressed, but he couldn’t find his clothes anywhere in the room. Pippin gingerly walked to the door, opened it just a little and shyly looked through the crack.

“Ah, you’re finally up!” Robin said. “Why don’t you come over here for some breakfast. You must be very hungry after missing all those meals.”

Pippin opened the door a little more and walked to the table, careful not to trip over the very large nightshirt he was wearing. He sat down, which wasn’t that easy because of his still hurting back and hungrily dug in.

“Do you know when my parents are going to come for me?” Pippin asked after a few bites. “Although, they don’t even know where I am right now, do they?”

“As a matter of fact they do. When Gido, Thimo’s lad came to your cousin Frodo’s smial, your father was there as well, and he went straight home after he heard the news to tell your mother. So don’t you worry about that,” Robin said, patting Pippin’s hand. “Your cousin will collect you this morning.”

Robin had hardly finished his sentence when somebody was knocking at the door. “Ah, I think he’s here already,” Robin smiled and went to open the door.

“Hello Pip,” Frodo greeted when he came in. “You gave us all quite a scare, going off on your own like that!”

“I did, didn’t I?” Pippin responded, staring at his plate.

“Yes,” answered Frodo, kissing Pippin on the top of his head. “Now why don’t you get dressed? Your parents are eagerly awaiting you.”

After they had thoroughly thanked Robin for his kindness and hospitality, Frodo and Pippin went on their way. The cart ride was very uncomfortable for Pippin, but riding a pony or going by foot was probably worse, he thought.

*~*~*~*~*

“Pippin!” Eglantine called crossly, when they finally arrived at Great Smials. “We were so worried about you. Why ever did you leave on your own like that?”

Pippin climbed slowly down from the cart, favouring his hurt back, then gave a gargantuan sneeze. "Sorry, Mum, I…Ah… Ahhhtishoo!"

"Oh Pippin!" Eglantine's crossness turned to anxious concern, "My poor baby, and you've hurt yourself too."

She pulled Pippin close, mindful of his hurting back and hugged and kissed him for a very long time. After his mother let go of him, he was passed to his father and sisters for similar treatment.

“And now you’re going to bed,” Eglantine told Pippin resolutely. “You have a cold and a bruised back that needs to be taken care of.”

Pippin sighed, lying in bed while his mother fussed over him was the worst punishment he could possibly get.

"I'll never go off alone again," Pippin vowed to his mother as she took his temperature for the tenth time that day.

"There's my good lad," Eglantine smiled as she held her hand to his brow.

"No," Pippin declared, "next time I'll take Merry!

And of course – he did!

The End