"I'm sorry, Merry," Pippin said contritely. "As usual, I wasn't thinking."

Merry scowled. "Really? What an understatement, Pippin!"

Pippin hung his head. "Please, Merry, I couldn't feel any worse than I already do. Just sit with me for a bit, could you, please?"

Sighing, Merry put his arm around his little cousin, and could feel him trembling like a tree branch in the wind. Merry squeezed Pippin's shoulder. "It will be alright, Pippin, just wait and see. It's just that we're at such a crucial point on our journey, I would think you would have your wits about you more than normal. After all we've been through and escaped so far? You must be more mindful, Pippin."

Pippin leaned back into Merry's embrace. "Yes, you'd think that after the orcs, I'd take more care, wouldn't you? What makes me do these things, Merry? It's like I can't help myself at times."

Merry smirked as he pulled his cousin closer. "Yes, I know; it's been this way with you ever since I can remember. The first memory I have of your curiosity is when I was on a picnic with you and Aunt Tina, and you started crawling after a honeybee! Thank goodness I scooped you out of harm's way before it could sting you."

Pippin blushed. "I never heard that story before."

"No, well, you were only a few months old at the time. I remember it very well. Here I had been waiting for you to arrive forever, so that I could have a little cousin to play with, especially after Frodo left Brandy Hall. And then you were getting yourself into danger almost right away! I couldn't have that; from then on, I was your protector."

Pippin felt himself relaxing, and his eyelids started to slide shut.

"I knew that on the Quest, you wouldn't be able to keep your curiosity in check for long, so I was almost prepared, in Moria, when you threw that stone down the well." Merry felt Pippin tense up. "But that was just youthful impetuousness, and no harm came of it, since the orcs had been tracking us well before that point." Pippin relaxed again.

"And now, tonight, you had to glance into the palantir. Well, thank goodness we're still together, and I can still look after you and make sure you come to no harm."

The sound of soft snoring came from Pippin's form. Merry smiled.

Suddenly, a shrief rent the air, and Merry fell to the ground, making Pippin tumble and waking him up. Gandalf came running over, snatched Pippin from Merry's grasp, and galloped away with him on Shadowfax.

Bereft, Merry stood watching the form of the horse disappear over the rise as he said, voice thick with tears, "Now Gandalf will have to do what I could not manage."