“It’s a figment of your imagination.” Merry shrugged off Pippin’s fears casually as he carefully divided the food in the pan into equal portions. Moria’s dark pressed down, but the small fire was cheerful.

Pippin was not so lightly dismissed. “I saw them, Merry, as clearly as I see you. Eyes in a face, just as the fire flared up. I was looking out into the tunnel and I saw them. Then I heard footsteps, even though we were all here and resting.”

“So, go tell Strider or Gandalf. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Bother Gandalf again? No!”

A speed drabble
words: Flare, shrug, figment, portion