Happy Birthday danachan

[dreamflower]

Happy birthday, Dana! Here's a little ficlet for you to enjoy on your Merry & Pippin Day!


INTO FANGORN


The further they walked into the trees, the more closely they drew together, until they were walking arm in arm. They’d spoken lightly enough about what had happened to them, but they’d avoided speaking of their actual capture. It was far too painful to remember their last sight of Boromir. And even worse was wondering what had happened to the others.

“We failed,” said Pippin suddenly, a sharp and unaccustomed note of worry in his voice. “We failed, didn’t we, Merry?”

Merry stopped walking abruptly. “Whatever do you mean, Pippin? I am hoping very much that we have got clean away from those Orcs!”

Pippin shook his head. “No, I mean, we’ve failed Frodo. We said we’d stick with him, but now he’s off somewhere without us. And we are who knows how many leagues away in the wrong direction.”

Merry was quiet for a few more moments, trying to think how to answer.

They came to an area filled with tangled roots, and clambered over, their ears straining at the sounds behind them. They could still hear the clangor of battle.

On the other side, they halted briefly. Pippin started to lean back, and then stopped, remembering the last time he’d leaned against a tree.

“I don’t think we did fail, Pip,” Merry said, after Pippin had thought he was not going to reply at all. “I think we helped him.”

“How can you say that?”

“Well, it’s pretty clear that those Uruks were sent to capture ‘halflings’. What do you suppose they’d have done if they hadn’t caught *us*?”

Pippin looked startled. “They would have kept looking…”

“That’s right. They would have kept on looking until they laid hands on Frodo and Sam. But once they had us, they quit looking.”

“They did, didn’t they?” Pippin sighed, and then smiled. “Well, that’s a relief. I guess it’s up to Sam to look after Frodo now. Do you think the others went with him?” He didn’t speak of his vision of Strider following them--it felt selfish to hope that was so, when Frodo needed the help more.

Merry shook his head. “I think Frodo did just what Sam said, and tried to slip off without anyone. But since the Orcs didn’t capture Sam, I hope and believe that at least he’s with Frodo.”

Pippin nodded. “I think you are probably right.”

“I usually am,” Merry said with a smile, and an attempt to lighten the mood once more. “I would think you’d know that by now.”

“Insufferable Brandybuck!” Pippin chuckled.

“Cheeky Took!” He flung his arm around Pippin’s shoulders, and on they wandered, into the Wood.

Comments

[surgicalsteel.livejournal.com]

Well, that was lovely!

[dreamflower]

Thank you!

[shirebound]

“Well, it’s pretty clear that those Uruks were sent to capture ‘halflings’. What do you suppose they’d have done if they hadn’t caught *us*?”

Pippin looked startled. “They would have kept looking…”

“That’s right. They would have kept on looking until they laid hands on Frodo and Sam. But once they had us, they quit looking.”

“They did, didn’t they?” Pippin sighed, and then smiled.

That's a lovely and hopeful realization. Courageous, loving, lightly-speaking hobbits! ♥ them. What a lovely giftie for Dana.

[dreamflower]

"Courageous, loving, lightly-speaking hobbits!"

Yes, that they are! When I got the idea for the fic, I was reading in that part of the book--here is the gap where the fic fits, right near the end of "The Uruk-hai" chapter:

"As they walked, they compared notes, talking lightly in hobbit-fashion of the things that had happened since their capture. No listener would have guessed from their words that they had suffered cruelly, and been in dire peril, going without hope towards torment and death; or that even now, as they knew well, they had little chance fo ever finding friend or safety again."

*sniff* Aren't our lads just lovely?

[lily-the-hobbit.livejournal.com]

Very sweet!

[dreamflower]

Thank you!

[slightlytookish]

Yup, I'm a firm believer that Merry and Pippin's capture saved Frodo's life. I'm glad they were able to reassure each other here :)

[dreamflower]

Of course they did! And they would want to reassure one another, especially that Frodo would be all right.

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

Merry is such a tease. I love him in this one.

[dreamflower]

Well, Pip needed a little teasing at the moment...

[danachan.livejournal.com]

“They did, didn’t they?” Pippin sighed, and then smiled. “Well, that’s a relief. I guess it’s up to Sam to look after Frodo now. Do you think the others went with him?” He didn’t speak of his vision of Strider following them--it felt selfish to hope that was so, when Frodo needed the help more.

Merry shook his head. “I think Frodo did just what Sam said, and tried to slip off without anyone. But since the Orcs didn’t capture Sam, I hope and believe that at least he’s with Frodo.”

Pippin nodded. “I think you are probably right.”

You worried that I would like this, didn't you? And now I've read it and I absolutely love it, love it, love it, and I love them, and I love this realisation, as well, and I think it kind of makes me love on Frodo and Sam, too.

Thank you thank you thank you.

I liked this one too. *wicked grin, but won't say anything other than that*

[dreamflower]

Yes, I was worried--it's so short, and I wanted it to be longer, but the gap wasn't long enough. *sigh*

You know me--I find it hard to leave any of our lads out.

But I am so glad you like it!

*does happy-dance*She likes it!*yay!*

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

Wonderful. Merry and Pippin were so important to the success of the quest, every step of the way.

[dreamflower]

Yes, they were. There was so much that could have gone wrong without them!

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

Trust hobbits to speak lightly of dark things! I liked this little gap filler. They would discuss this at some point and this is a nice place to put that little conversation. :D

[dreamflower]

Yes, JRRT told us they were "comparing notes" and "talking lightly in hobbit-fashion", but I had to imagine what the conversation actually was.

[topaztook.livejournal.com]

A sweet cousin fic, showing them realizing what, of course, *we* all know so well. I guess it's hard to realize the purpose for your life when you're in it.

[dreamflower]

Well, of course, we had the advantage of a "bird's eye view" so to speak. It's a lot harder when you are right in the middle of it. And as Sam tells Frodo, the people in the story don't *know* how it's going to turn out.

After having promised Frodo that they would stick with him through thick or thin, and having done so up until this point, being forcibly separated from him had to feel a little bit like having failed. Fortunately, Merry was able to think it through.

[garnet-took.livejournal.com]

This is a wonderful gap-filler. What happened had to be very like what you wrote. You know these characters so well. Thanks for a lovely glimse.

GT.

[dreamflower]

Thank you for such a high compliment! *blushes* I've lived with these characters for going on 40 years now, and I guess they've gotten under my skin, so to speak.