PART 3

Pippin gazed down on Merry’s pain-filled face, in the light of the dying embers of the fire. He’d fed the last of the bits of wood he had into it some time before.

Both of them were too exhausted to talk, yet too hungry to fall asleep. They’d long since gone past the stage of giggling hysterically at the sounds of their bellies rumbling simultaneously, and were now merely trying to endure the rest of the night.

Pippin simply sat and smoothed the curls on Merry’s brow. It not only comforted Merry, but it seemed to help calm himself as well. Pippin looked up at the Moon. He was not giving off much light tonight, only a little sliver of a new Moon he was.

What would they do in the morning? Frodo was going to be frantic when they did not show up with the carter. Pippin just bet Frodo would be angry with old Noakes for what had happened. This morning, leaving the old sot sleeping had seemed like a good idea, but now, even a long ride with a surly and hungover hobbit seemed less unpleasant than what they were having to endure now.

He wondered if Merry had a headache too? He blinked away tears. In the morning, he was going to have to leave Merry for a while and fetch help. There was nothing else for it. He thought he remembered a farm not too far north of where they were now. Perhaps they’d be able to help.

Suddenly, his head shot up. He could have sworn he heard his name and Merry’s--was he losing his mind? There it was again--

“Pippin! Merry!”

It was Frodo’s voice, it was!

“Merry? Did you hear it?” Merry was trying to sit up.

“I think I did, Pip!” He peered out into the darkness. “Frodo! Frodo!”

Suddenly they could see Frodo’s form silhouetted in the darkness. “Merry! Pippin! I’m glad I found you!” He had been hopeful when he had seen the glow of a dying campfire. Very few hobbits he knew camped like that.

Pippin stood up, but pushed Merry back. “You stay where you are, Meriadoc Brandybuck!”

As Frodo neared, Pippin hurled himself at him. “Oh, Frodo! I’m so glad you found us!”

Frodo returned Pippin’s embrace, but his eyes were on Merry. “What’s wrong, Merry?”

“I’ve sprained my ankle, I think, like a silly ass.”

Frodo moved Pippin to one side, and knelt down by Merry, looking at the foot, all propped up on his pack. He moved the damp shirt away, and spared a proud smile at Pippin. He looked at the swollen and discolored ankle, and touched it gingerly. Merry gasped.

“It may be more than sprained. We’ll need a healer to look at it.” Just then Merry’s stomach growled loudly, followed by Pippin’s.

“When did you lads eat last?”

“Well, we had a couple of apples around teatime, but that’s it,” replied Pippin.

Frodo shook his head, and suppressed a smile. While the situation was not at all funny, he was amused that at least in regards to the food, he had anticipated things. “Open my pack, Pip. The bottle is cold tea, which you may share. There are a few other things in there as well.”

With shining eyes, Pippin pulled out some packages wrapped in brown paper--there were butter and pickle sandwiches, cheese, some meat pasties, carrots, and some gingersnaps.

“Oh thank you, Frodo!” Pippin exclaimed.

“It’s nothing really, Pip. I just threw together a few things from the larder. I thought you lads might be hungry when I found you.”

For a few moments, the tweens fell to on the food, Frodo taking one of the gingersnaps to munch on and keep them company. Finally, as the edge began to fade from their hunger, Merry asked “Whatever possessed you to come in search of us, Frodo? I mean, I know that you would have been a bit worried when we didn’t turn up, but still--” It was a long trek to where they were, a few miles southwest of the Three Farthing Stone.

“When Mr. Noakes showed up so late this afternoon without you, I was not pleased, especially when he told me why the two of you had decided to walk.”

Merry glanced sheepishly at Frodo. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. Pip and I had no idea when he’d wake up, and really Frodo, he was very deep in his cups last night. We didn’t think riding with him would be a pleasant experience.”

Frodo shook his head. “I should say not. I tore a strip off him, and sent him on his way with a few things to think about. When your father learns how he failed in his trust he is *not* going to be pleased, oh no!”

“You’re not angry at us, then” Merry asked anxiously.

“Not really. I can quite understand why you’d set off without him.”

“That’s a relief.”

Pippin was still eating the last of the food, and paused in licking his fingers clean. “So why did you come looking? Didn’t you know we’d stop and camp if it got too late?”

Frodo reached over and tousled his curls. “I just thought it would be a good idea for some reason, and rightly so it looks. What did you do to your foot, Merry?”

Merry looked sheepish. “I stepped in a rabbit hole,” he shrugged. He looked up at Frodo. “Pip’s taken very good care of me.”

“I can see that he has. I’m very proud of you Pippin. Now, let’s get some rest for what remains of the night, and in the morning, we’ll decided what to do. Pippin, hand me my blanket.”

After a few moments, Frodo found himself in the middle of his two cousins, with one tucked up under each arm. Pippin had fallen asleep immediately, and Merry was drifting off finally himself. Frodo dropped a little kiss on Pippin’s curls, and looked fondly at Merry. “Good night, sprout,” he whispered, using the special baby-name for his cousin that he never dared say aloud any longer to this nearly grown tween.

He shifted a bit himself, and then finally fell asleep as well.

TBC