Chapter 122. We stumble about in a barren land 

‘Look,’ Youngest says, pointing to the sky. ‘The clouds are blowing away to the south, leaving clear sky behind them!’

‘No more snow, at least for the moment,’ Master says upon reaching us. ‘How is it with you, Pip?’

He does not seem to believe Youngest’s claim that he is well, but reaches to rest a hand on the smallest hobbit’s shoulder while urging him to sit down. 

‘I might say the same to you,’ Youngest protests, but Master pays him no mind.

‘Rest there, Pip,’ he says. ‘Sam will put together a meal of some sort.’

And of course, my Sam immediately moves to take one of the food bags from my back, and Master moves with him, calling to the more-weary-than-Merry hobbit to help. ‘We need to unpack Bill,’ he says. ‘Strider said to leave the baggage on him last night – was it only last night? – to protect him from the wolves...’

I turn a startled eye upon Our Big Man. He said that? I did not hear him...

...but Master did. And now he is insisting that I be relieved of all my burdens, that I might rest whilst the Company eats, for we will be moving on soon, and making the best speed we can into the bargain. It is indeed a relief to feel my load lighten, and even before they finish unpacking me and laying the baggage in order, ready to burden me once more, I begin to browse the scanty faded grass atop this hill; then, suddenly famished, I pull and tear great clumps, not even minding the dirt still clinging to the roots as I chew.

The Fair One is moving about the hilltop, reclaiming his arrows. Curious. I had not thought he’d shot and missed so many times. But then Youngest clears up the mystery, exclaiming, ‘Look!’

‘What is it now, Pip?’ the not-Merry hobbit says, arrested at the fear in Youngest’s tone in the midst of carrying portions of food to Tall Hat and our two Big Men. He speaks less patiently than usual, but then, we are all weary.

‘The wolves! They’ve vanished! They were all about us in the night, even in the dawning, but when the Sun’s light touched the hilltop, they— they...’ he gulps as if he cannot believe his own words, or perhaps his eyes.

But he has the right of things. I marked the resting place of the great wolf that worried at my throat after the Fair One’s arrow took him to the ground, and the ground there now lies bare.

I shiver when Tall Hat says our attackers were no ordinary wolves.

And so we must eat quickly and go on our way. My companions bolt their food and return their cloths to my Sam, and soon all of my hobbits are loading me again, along with the Dwarf, whilst the Fair One keeps watch to one side and the two Big Men to the other.

‘There, done!’ my Sam says with a slap to my flank.

The Dwarf grunts and turns away, then stoops to the ground. I do not see what he picks up, but he moves to the Fair One and says, ‘Here. You missed one.’

‘But where is the rest?’ the Wood Elf says.

‘That’s all that was left,’ the Dwarf replies. ‘Just the point.’

The disappearance of the wolves’ bodies seems to have woken up Youngest. He shoulders his pack and says, ‘Let us depart this cursed place. And quickly!’

Tall Hat agrees. As we were eating our scanty meal, he said we must reach the doors by sunset or perhaps not come to them at all. I am not sure of his meaning, only that there is need for haste. Now he echoes Youngest, ‘Quickly!’ He has more to say, about a winding path, and that he must lead us, for Our Big Man does not know the way. He points, and the others crane to see our destination. I cannot see anything of note, but haste is needed. ‘Let us go!’ he says.

Though the Other Big Man seems to doubt our course, he tells Tall Hat to lead on. The old man nods and turns away, then stalks to the edge of the hilltop. The Dwarf falls in beside him, seeming eager to continue our journey, and the two of them walk together ahead of the rest of the party as we descend the hill and make our way back towards the mountains.

The land here is barren and dry. Our Big Man cautions my hobbits to conserve their water since no gleam of water is to be seen in our tumbled surroundings, nor is there any sound of water, nor do I even smell a hint of water on the fitful breeze. 

I am thirsty. I do not know how Our Big Man can feel or somehow understand my growing discomfort, but when we stop to rest, he requests my Sam to provide him the cookpot he has packed away. And then he pours some water from his flask into the pot and holds it for me to drink.

Youngest comes up to offer some water from his bottle, but Our Big Man tells him to drink a little now, while we’re stopped, and sit down and rest, for we’ll be moving again, as quickly as we can, “once the pony has finished drinking”.

And so Youngest sits himself down almost at our feet and drinks a few swallows, and then he stoppers his flask and asks, ‘What gives the stones hereabouts their red hue?’

After Our Big Man gives him his best guess, or so he calls his answer, Youngest asks, ‘Where do you think all the birds are? I’ve seen none at all in the sky as we’ve walked!’

‘Be glad that those birds have not followed us here, Pip,’ the not-Merry cousin says. ‘This land offers no hiding places from spying eyes.’ 

‘But why do no trees grow here?’ Youngest asks. And more of the same, until I have licked up every drop from the cookpan, and Our Big Man hands the implement to my Sam to stow away, telling him he won’t be able to cook in it anyhow until we find a source of water, and then he’ll be able to wash it well if need be.

‘Bill has licked it clean,’ Youngest says with a mischievous look, and he laughs, though I have no idea what the joke may be.

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Author notes:

Some thoughts here are derived from “A Journey in the Dark” in The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien.

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