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Crickhollow March 1420  by Anso the Hobbit

PART SEVEN: Chasing Away the Darkness

“We can’t eat now!” Pippin protested. “What about Merry?”

“What about him?” Esmie asked, suddenly fearing there was something else wrong and clasping her hand over her heart.

“My love?” Saradoc rose from where he was seated on Merry’s side and hurried over to her. “Are you well?”

“Yes, yes. Don’t worry. I was only afraid that there was something else wrong. I am fine. What is it Pippin dear?”

“It’s just… I’m sorry Auntie, Uncle, but I have never been through this with Merry without Aragorn to help him.” A few tears suddenly welled forth in his eyes and he dried them away quickly, annoyed with his own lack of control. “I don’t know if what we can do is enough to bring him back.”

“”If what you said earlier is true, Pippin, then the smell of food should help revive him as it is something that will remind him of home and what he misses. We need to be strong for Merry and Esmie too,” Saradoc said. He went to the tray and poured a cup of tea before he walked over to Merry again. “You hear that son? Do you smell the tea?”

Merry shifted slightly on the bed and his head moved towards Saradoc’s voice. “Merry? Are you with us?” Merry shifted a bit more but did not open his eyes.

At that moment Daffodil came back with another bag of herbs, and went straight for Merry, taking his hand and feeling his pulse. “His heart is beating faster,” she said. “I think he is waking up.”

“Merry, cane you hear me?” Esmeralda slid down in the bed and put his head on her shoulder, wrapping her arms around him and rocking him slightly, humming softly into his ear. “I’m here. I miss you my Merry. Please open your eyes.”

Merry’s head moved again, settling on Esmie’s shoulder. “I think he feels that I am here!”

“Yes!” Pippin said, almost bouncing on the bed in eagerness, but quickly calming himself enough to make a plate of sandwiches which he brought back to the bed. “Come on Merry, you can do it! Take a deep breath and smell the tea and the sandwiches, Mer. Chase that shadow away. It has no right to claim you and it is not real any more. Do you hear me? It’s but a shadow and a dream.”

*****

The world surrounding Merry was changing. The grey sky above the barren lands he was walking in brightened. Merry stopped and looked about in wonder. His body felt lighter and each movement was less painful than the one before it. He felt warmth starting to come back to his numbed body and making his face glow and his icy arm tingle. He squared his shoulders and lifted his head up to meet the brightening sky. A familiar voice came to him from the distance, calling his name, humming. Another voice, Pippin’s, was calling to him, beckoning him to come back to the sun and the light. A warm breeze ruffled his curls and a strong hand clasped his shoulder, sliding around to his other shoulder to help keep him upright, leaning him against the owner’s own strong body. “That’s it my lad. Step by step. Just put one foot in front of the other. We’re almost there.”

Merry couldn’t see anyone but he breathed in the familiar presence of his da and leaned into his comfort and security. A smell so different from the dust and sand that had been surrounding him reached his nostrils and he inhaled deeply. The scent was so familiar that he didn’t quite place it at first, but then it came to him. The scent of hearth and home, of a warm fire and burning candles, of fragrant herbs and tea brewing, and with a sudden jump his heart lurched with longing and tears started rolling down his cheeks. Oh, but he wanted to go home! He wanted to be with his family and friends, to sit by the fire and enjoy a nice pipe and a good mug of ale or perhaps some fine cider.

The evil voice that beckoned him to darkness and eternal despair told him that all he now felt and longed for was only a memory, something from the past and not real. Only the desert was real and he would do best to forget about all that was.

“Come now, Merry.” A deep and calming voice said, closer than the voices he had heard earlier. “We’re waiting for you.” 

Without thinking Merry looked at Saradoc who still was holding him upright and nodded. The sky grew even brighter and the voices that surrounded him became clear and real. Slowly Merry took notice of his surroundings. He was lying down, nestled against something soft and someone was holding his good hand. He felt warm and snug, but very tired and his sword arm hurt. Another hand, unfamiliar, felt his brow and took his cold hand in its own. Merry’s eyes darted open and he gasped with pain. His hand felt like it was on fire.

*****

“Merry!” Pippin, Saradoc and Esmeralda all leaned in over him and studied his face deeply. Pippin smiled from ear to ear and Esmie was crying again. Saradoc smiled too and his eyes were moist. “Good to have you among us again Merry-lad! How are you feeling?”

Merry blinked and looked from one to the other. There was someone he vaguely recognised as the Hall’s healer Daffodil there too, and now she too was coming closer. "I... 'm tired." Merry mumbled and closed his eyes again and sighed, his breath evening out.

“Sleep now,” Esmie eased Merry down to lie on the pillow beside her and stroked his brow soothingly. Her own leg was aching but that was nothing to the joy of having her Merry back. "We'll talk later."

“I should say it is safe to move him now, Mistress, Master. He needs rest and so do you." Daffodil said.

“I’ll sit with him,” Pippin said.

“Good.” Daffodil went to open the bedroom door. “I will be there in a moment, after I have checked that the Mistress is resting peacefully." Saradoc lifted Merry from the bed and carried him to his childhood bedroom which stood just as it had before Merry and the others had left on their travels.

When Daffodil came to Merry’s room Pippin had a bright fire going and Saradoc was lighting the candles and lamps. “We need to help him regain warmth in his right arm and side. I'll go get some linen cloths. We'll put them in warm water and wrap around his side and arm and heat more bricks to put around him."

“Yes,” Pippin said. “That is what the healers in Gondor did too."

*****

It was completely dark out when Merry woke, needing the privy. Pippin had almost fallen asleep in the chair beside his bed, completely exhausted from the day’s events but he managed to help Merry stumble to the bathroom to do his business and back to bed. “Thanks, Pip,” Merry murmured as Pippin tucked the heating bricks and warm cloths in place again.

Pippin bit back a fresh bout of tears and nodded. "You're welcome, Mer. I'm glad you're with us." He sat down in the chair beside the bed again and tried to sort out his feelings and think things through. He couldn't help but feeling angry with Merry for not seeing the signals earlier and telling him about it before he had, but he was mostly relieved that Merry finally was back with them. He hadn't been gone for more than a few hours, but that was a few hours too many in Pippin's mind. He was happy that his Aunt and Uncle had been there to help out, but he couldn't help feeling sad that they had to see their beloved only child being claimed by Darkness and despair. He rubbed at his eyes and tucked the blankets more securely around Merry before finding a blanket of his own and settling down more comfortably in the chair. Hopefully Merry would sleep until morning.

*****

*Pippin?* A hand shook his shoulder and Pippin jerked awake.

“Merry?”

“Sssh. He's still asleep. I thought you might want a more comfortable position to sleep in than sitting upright in a chair. Go to bed now and I'll wake you for breakfast." Saradoc had opened the door so quietly that Pippin hadn't heard him coming in. He opened his eyes and looked at Merry. His cousin had curled himself up into his familiar sleeping position and made a nest of his pillows and blankets as was his wont. Merry would be all right then. Pippin realised he had been holding his breath while checking Merry over and now he released with a sigh of relief.

“All right. But wake me if anything changes.” He rose and went to the door that it felt like an eternity since had been put in the wall between his own and Merry's room*.

________________

A/N: * This refers to my story “The Secret Door”, here: http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=3836&cid=14770





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