AVALANCHE

Chapter 7 --- Questions

Once he was certain that Frodo's breathing and pulse were stable, Aragorn turned to where Boromir still held Pippin on his lap. Their eyes met.

"You are trained as a healer, Aragorn? I did not know that." Aragorn could see Boromir digesting this information about him.

"And you as well," Aragorn answered, motioning to Pippin. "Your handling of this little one is most impressive. I have little experience with emotional trauma, and none with a person so young. It appears you have seen this before."

"Yes," said Boromir, but said no more.

Aragorn sat down next to Boromir. "I need to check him for any physical injuries Legolas may have missed." Boromir nodded and unwrapped his cloak and one of the blankets from around Pippin. He felt a stir as Pippin opened his eyes and looked around. Boromir immediately wrapped his arms around him.

"It's all right, Pippin," he said in a voice gentler than any Aragorn had ever heard him use. "You had a good sleep. Aragorn wants to make sure you didn't get hurt in your tumble in the snow. I'm going to lay you down and he's going to check to make sure you're all right. We'll keep this blanket on so you're not too cold."

Pippin looked at Aragorn and nodded, and Boromir laid the hobbit down next to him keeping the last blanket draped over him. "Just tell him everything you're going to do, Aragorn. Nothing sudden or startling." Boromir looked over to where Merry was talking with Sam. "Merry, would you join us?"

Merry came over from where he and Sam had been preparing some food and slowly sat down next to Pippin and took his hand. "H'lo, Pip," he said. Pippin smiled at him but said nothing.

Taking his cue from Boromir, Aragorn softened his voice and smiled at Pippin. "Pippin, I'm going to move the blanket a bit while I check you over, but I won't let you get too cold. You'll be all wrapped up warm again in a few minutes." He then ran his hands expertly down the hobbit's body as he had done with Frodo, checking for any broken bones or wounds. "Here, sit up now." The Ranger brought Pippin up to a sitting position.

"May I have that?" Aragorn motioned to the end of the blanket 'rope' that the young hobbit was still holding. Pippin very slowly let go of it.

"Thank you," said Aragorn, putting it to one side. He wrapped a blanket around Pippin. "I can't find a thing wrong with you," he said with a smile. "Does anything hurt?" Pippin shook his head, then noticed Frodo lying unconscious a few feet away. He looked back at Aragorn, wide-eyed.

"Frodo got hurt," said Aragorn gently. "He hit his head and broke his wrist." Pippin got tears in his eyes as he stared at his cousin. Aragorn tried to distract him. "Are you hungry?" Pippin immediately looked back at him and nodded vigorously, but his eyes kept drifting back to Frodo.

At that moment Sam came over with cheese, bread, and dried meats for them and laid it out on a blanket. Pippin ate ravenously while trying to hold the blanket around himself.

Merry, watching his cousin worriedly, at last could stand it no longer.

"Why won't he say anything?" he blurted out.

Aragorn and Boromir exchanged a look, and it was Boromir who answered. "Merry," he said softly, knowing that Pippin was listening, "Sometimes unexpected and frightening things happen and our thoughts get all jumbled up. It's hard to make words out of them." He stroked Pippin's curls. "When Pippin feels safe and everything calms down inside him, he'll be able to tell us anything he wants."

Merry looked down, thinking about this. He rose to his feet. "Strider," he said, "Could we talk over there?" He pointed to where Bill was drinking water out of a basin.

Aragorn got up and accompanied Merry far enough away so Pippin wouldn't hear them.

"Strider," whispered Merry urgently, "We're not safe. We're not going to be safe, either."

"I know, Merry," said Aragorn. "Pippin knows that too. He has to find the strength to keep going and not lose himself, no matter what happens."

Merry sighed. "He's just a tweenager, Strider. That's hard to learn."

"He'll have to learn from us, won't he?" Aragorn put his hand on Merry's shoulder. "Even with all he's seen so far, I suspect he's too young to have thought anything would ever happen to him. But it may be his youth that will help the most right now. I doubt anything can keep Pippin silent for long!" He grinned, and Merry gave him a small smile.

"Now come on," said Aragorn, giving Merry a little push. "You must be hungry as well. Let's see if Pippin's left us anything."

*~*~*~*~*

Frodo woke slowly, at first aware only of throbbing pain in his left wrist. Gradually he realized that he was lying down, that things were quiet. He opened his eyes. The sun had set hours before and a dark, cold night surrounded him. He started to look around, but as soon as he moved his head a sharp pain seemed to shoot through it. He cried out suddenly. His eyes fluttered closed and he nearly lost consciousness again.

"Frodo." He felt a hand at his brow, heard Legolas's quiet voice. "Don't move, Frodo, just lie still."

"Hurts..." He was unable to stifle a small sob.

"I know," Legolas said. "Stay still, little one. Just breathe for a moment."

Slowly the sharp pain eased a bit. Frodo took a deep breath, then another. "It's... better." He opened his eyes again.

"Aragorn said you need to drink as much water as you can. Will you try?"

"I... I'll try..."

"Here, let me lift you a little. Just relax, let me do it." Legolas slid his arm beneath Frodo's head and shoulders, and slowly lifted him up a bit. Frodo had to close his eyes for a moment. There was so much pain... still so dizzy...

Legolas held a water bottle to Frodo's lips and let the hobbit take several swallows. He waited a moment, then gave him several more. The water wasn't too cold; Frodo knew Legolas must have been holding it next to his own body to get it as warm as possible.

"Say my name, little one."

Frodo looked up at the blurred face. "Legolas."

"That's right." Legolas put the water bottle down and picked up a small cup. "I have something else for you to drink. This should ease the pain, Frodo, and help you sleep." He brought the cup to Frodo's lips and tilted it slowly. Frodo swallowed something. Not water, something.... strange.

Legolas lowered Frodo carefully back down. "Aragorn said to only give it to you if you knew who I was."

"Why?"

"I do not know, you will have to ask him."

"I can't... see too clearly. Glad I didn't... call you Gimli."

Legolas smiled. "It eases me greatly that you can jest with me."

"Legolas, is it... night?"

"Yes. Gimli is on watch, and everyone else is asleep."

"Pip?"

"He's asleep as well."

"Is he all right?"

"He's still very frightened," the Elf said. "But he was not injured otherwise."

"We... we can't stay here, Legolas. We can't..."

"Shhh, now." The Elf tucked the blankets closer around Frodo. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"No stars..."

"No, we do not have their comforting presence this night." Legolas did not add that Aragorn and Boromir suspected that a storm was nearly upon them.

After a few minutes Frodo realized with relief that the pain in his wrist was starting to dull. He felt as if he was floating. "Had... had a dream about you," he murmured.

"Did you?"

"It was hard to... breathe. Then you were there, you... helped me..." Frodo tried to focus on Legolas's face. "You were all lit up, like... like now."

"Lit up?"

Frodo tried to concentrate, to explain, but his thoughts were growing sluggish. "You... you were..." His eyes slowly closed, his headache fading. Everything was fading. 'You..."

"Relax, my friend," Legolas whispered. He wanted to know more, but he could see that the sedative Aragorn had prepared was taking effect quickly. "Sleep now."

Frodo sighed deeply, sinking gratefully into oblivion.

** TBC **