Chapter 1:

Eglantine Took sighed. What was the matter with her son lately? Pippin, who always was so friendly and a fine and sunny lad, suddenly seemed sullen and closed up.

He was hot-tempered, even aggressive and hardly gave her a smile anymore.

Eglantine worried about him. When her daughters had reached their Tweens they also had changed. They became more moody and there were more little arguments between the lasses, herself and her husband, but it had never been as bad with any of the lasses as it had been with Pippin.

“Maybe it is just that way with lads, when they slowly make their way towards adulthood”, Eglantine thought.

She looked at the passing landscape and sighed again. She would ask Esmeralda for advice, as soon as she reached Buckland. Merry was already 28 and therefore Esmeralda had already had time to collect a lot of experience with lads in their Tweens.

“Tine!” Esmeralda called out with joy and waved to the carriage as it came in sight.

“Hullo, I am happy, that you were able to come!” she said and embraced her sister-in-law tightly, as soon as she had climbed out.

Esmeralda looked inside the carriage. “ Did Pippin not accompany you?” she asked, astonished. “Merry was looking forward so much to see him again, after all these month. You know, he has to study at the moment an awful lot, but his father had promised him that he could have a little break while Pippin is here.”

Just at that moment Merry came out of the door of Brandy Hall. “Aunt Tine,” he called happily and gave her a warm hug. “Where´s Pip?” he then asked.

“I am sorry Merry,” Eglantine said sadly,”but he wanted to stay in the Tooklands.”

Merry stared at her unbelieving. “He didn´t want to come?”

She shook her head.

Esmeralda also looked speechless. Normally nothing could keep Pippin from visiting Merry. It was his greatest enjoyment, to spend time with his elder cousin. She laid a hand on Eglantines shoulder. “Is everything alright, Tine?”

Eglantine sighed, nodded, then shook her head. “I do not know Esme. Pippin has not been behaving like himself lately.”

“Come”, Esmeralda said, “ Let us go inside and then, with a nice cup of tea, you can tell me of your worries.”

Eglantine nodded and the two Hobbit matrons went, followed by Merry into the Hall.

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Pippin hurried over the grass-covered hills of Tookland. He didn´t want to come too late to the meeting-point. It had taken long enough, till they had accepted him into their group and today was the big day, on which he had to prove himself, to become recognized as a true and valuable member.

He just had to pass the test of courage, if he didn´t want to lose his new friends.

Since Merry was so busy, learning everything that he later had to know for being Master of Buckland and with Frodo not getting his nose at all anymore out of his books, Pippin was often very bored.

He had not many other friends and his sisters and parents suddenly got strangely on his nerves.

One day, after he had had a nasty argument with his father, he had run out of the smial and stopped only when he had reached his favourite tree. There he met Raginfons Took, a big and strong Tweenager who was feared by most of the younger Hobbits and who the adults called an annoyance.

Pippin already had had several experiences with Raginfons and his friends and they never had been very pleasant.

However this time it was different. Pippin had beaten his fists angrily against the tree, when Ragger, as he was called, suddenly stepped up behind him and said,” Hey tiny! Trouble at home? Here, try this.”

He handed Pippin a bottle with a clear fluid in it. Pippin took a deep swallow of it without thinking. Tears sprang into his eyes and his throat burned like fire, but he gulped the brew down bravely before he gave the bottle back to Ragger.

That one looked at him, astonished. “Not bad for a bedwetter like you!”

Pippin rose himself to his full, if not really impressive height. “I am 20!” he said with the pride of a new Tweenager in his voice.

Ragger had smiled at him, tapped him on the back and said,” So, you are a Tweenager now, huh? Well mouse, then let me show you how the rabbit runs!”

Pippin had found himself thinking that Ragger actually was quite nice and even though he wasn´t Merry, it was at least better to have someone to follow again, than it was to be alone.

When Pippin reached the meeting-point the other lads were already waiting for him. The others that were with Ragger were Perudogard Took, who was simply called Perry by everyone, Driam Banks, or for short D and Maredro Boffin, who had Red for a nickname.

These four were the “Tookland Trolls”, a feared group of young Tweens that made fun for themselves out off terrorising young and old.

And soon Pippin would belong to them.

“I thought you would back out!” D called towards him. The brown eyes of the 23 years old sparkled daringly.

Pippin came panting to an halt before the lads and shook his head. “No! Tell me what I have to do and I will do it!”

The others grinned and Ragger stepped forward to proclaim the task that had to be performed.

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Esmeralda led Eglantine into the kitchen and begann preparing the tea. Merry put three cups on the table and sat down next to his worried aunt. When Esmeralda had finally sat down and Merry had poured each some tea, Eglantine took a swallow, before she started to explain.

“Over the past several weeks Pippin has changed very much. He is often moody and he gets into lots of arguments with the lasses, with Pal and also with me. He avoids us and seems against everything. Whatever one tells him he refuses and tries to get his own way.”

“He is a Tween now.” Esmeralda put in. “He is trying to find his new boundries.”

Merry grinned at his mother. “You are an expert, huh?”

Esmeralda gave her son a playful slap. “Yes, but we soon had it behind us, didn´t we darling?”

Eglantine watched her sister-in-law and her nephew with a sad smile. “If it were only that… but…,” she paused.

Merry and Esme looked at Eglantine, puzzled.

Sighing, she continued. “I have had the feeling more than once that Pippin had been drinking strong spirits. He vanishes away in the morning without saying a word and only comes back late in the evening. He neglects his lessons. I have no idea where he goes to. When I ask, he becomes closed up and starts getting angry. Also, in the last week it happened three times that a penny was missing out of my purse. I do not want to suspect him wrongly, but I have a very strange feeling…”

Tears were now running down Eglantine´s cheeks. “I just don´t know what to do…”

Esmeralda put a calming hand on Tine´s shoulder, but she herself felt helpless. What advice should she give her friend in such a situation?

Merry just stared at his aunt, speechless. All colour had drained from his face.

He had taught Pippin to pinch things soundlessly… but to pinch some carrots out of the field or sometimes a pie from the windowsill was a totally different matter, than to steal money from someone.

And strong spirits? Merry sometimes had allowed Pippin to sip at his ale, but strong liquor?

Merry felt anger building up inside him. With a loud bang his fist landet on the table.

His mother and aunt jumped in shock.

“I must ride to the Tooklands and talk with him!” Merry growled. “Mother, would you please make my excuses to Father? I just have to go to Pippin!”

Esmeralda dried Tine´s tears with her handkerchief, smiled up at her son and nodded. “Yes Merry, that is what you have to do!”

Eglantine smiled at her nephew too. If there was anyone her son would listen to, it was Merry.

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Pippin looked at the bucket that was standing in front of his feet. What would happen if he got caught? And besides, it was so very dark. He didn´t like the darkness at all.

He turned to his new friends, who were standing waiting behind him.

“Go on mouse! hissed Red. “Or do you have shit your trouseres?”

Pippin gulped back his fear. He would do it! He would prove himself to them! He was brave and strong and respectable.

He looked at Red, grinning. “This is a trifle for me!” he bragged, then took the bucket in his hand and crept onto the property of Timorigrim Took.

Timo was a Hobbit in his eighties. Since the death of his wife he lived alone on the small farm and managed the work as best as he still could. From the little yield that came out of it, he could just cover his own needs. He was a friendly, good-natured Hobbit, who wouldn´t hurt a fly and always had a nice word for everyone.

Pippin quickly made his way to the barn of the old Hobbit and began to fulfil his task.

With a big grin he finally waved to his friends to come and held up high the little lamp that he had brought with him, so the other lads could look at his work.

Silently laughing they slapped him on his back, before they hurried away into the darkness.

Pippin threw a last look at the scrawl that now decorated the barn´s wall. An oppressive feeling began in his stomach, but he chose to ignore it and replaced it quickly with a feeling of triumph. Now he had earned the appreciation of his friends truly.

Pippin turned around and ran after the lads.

When he had reached the meeting-point the others looked at him solemnly.

“Pippin Took,” Ragger spoke up,” you have passed the test of courage. Kneel down.”

Pippin did as ordered.

“Swear,” Ragger continued,” That you will always serve to the general welfare of the Tookland Trolls. Swear that you will recognize me as your leader and swear that you will never betray your brothers!”

“I swear!”

“Then stand up and come forward.”

“Perry…,” Ragger turned to the black haired Hobbit lad. “Give me the hallowed blade.”

Perry went to his leader and handed him an old pocket knife.

“Bare your arm, Pippin,” Ragger went on.

Pippin trembled slightly, but he tried as hard as possible to let no one notice his fear. Slowly he pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and held his arm out to the elder Hobbit.

Ragger grabbed it with his left hand and put the sharp side of the blade to the upper side of Pippin´s right forearm.

Slowly he made two small cuts, in the form of a T, into the youngster´s skin.

Pippin clenched his teeth together, tears filling his eyes and he had the feeling as if he would faint any minute.

When the ritual was over, D clapped Pippin on the back. “Welcome brother!” he said, while Red opened a bottle of Brandy and took a big swallow. “For you, Pippin!” he called out.

The bottle made its way from one lad to the next.

“Let us celebrate your admission!” grinned Ragger and distributed to each of his `brothers`a small bright green berry.

These were quickly washed down with the Brandy.

Pippin felt splendid. He now belonged to the Tookland Trolls. He had new friends.

He started to laugh and just could not stop anymore. Life was beautiful.

The next morning Timo Took came out of his smial and walked singing to his barn to let the chickens out into the air.

Suddenly the words of the next verse of his nice song were frozen on his lips and he stared wide-eyed at the big, red letters on the barn wall.

“FEAR US YOU WRETCHED TWIT!” it said and a hurriedly scrawled igly grimace with sharp teeth glared at him.