Elrond's House
Author's Note: This one's a bit longer than the others and could be argued to be only the
first part. Many thanks to Larrkin for her wonderful ideas and Joey for her
usual superb job as a beta.
As Frodo fought the injury caused by the wraith's sword at Weathertop his
room was haunted by his three friends. For days they sat huddled at the end
of his bed, unable to assist either Elrond or Gandalf in their fight to save
Frodo but refusing to leave until the end was reached one way or another.
Finally Elrond was able to recover the splinter. Frodo was on the mend at
last. However he still remained weak enough to find the constant attendance
of his three friends more of a strain that a help.
Sam was calm and careful, an excellent nurse, able to care for him without
overtaxing his strength. Merry and Pippin on the other hand, were less
helpful. Restless from their self imposed confinement, and ecstatic that
their friend was now on the mend after they had feared that nothing could
save him, they were incapable of sitting still or remaining quiet. In sheer
desperation and before they talked poor Frodo into a relapse, Gandalf drove
them forth into Elrond's extensive gardens to get some exercise and work off
their high spirits
Rivendell proved to be an amazing place for the two young hobbits. Having
never been further afield that Bree before, neither was used to finding
everything built on human or elven, as opposed to hobbit, scale but, being
really very young, they quickly found this to be no disadvantage, given the
fun it was to climb over everything
Elrond's was a beautiful house, large and varied, full of chambers of every
kind, both large and small, some full of people and music, some quiet and
peaceful. The gardens were the same, full of winding pathways opening out
unexpectedly into beautiful courtyards or formal gardens with fountains
playing and beautiful statures, or unexpected wilderness with crumbling
brickwork.
The hobbits were in their element, chatting to the elves and dancing with
them in the great halls or creeping quietly through the strange, formal
corridors.
They particularly enjoyed the gardens and spent an entire day wandering down
first one pathway and then another finding a different orchard or courtyard
or flower garden each time.
Towards the end of the afternoon, they found themselves in a courtyard with
a large dragon fountain in the corner playing into a pool of water. Both
boys were hot and tired from their day's exploring and the fountain looked
particularly inviting so they sat on the edge of the fountain, hanging their
legs into the water and chatting quietly.
"So when do you think we'll be headed home then?" Pippin asked.
"What do you mean?" his friend replied
"Well Frodo's done what he was supposed to hasn't he? And he's on the mend
now. So we go home." It was all very clear to Pippin,
"I'm not so sure." Merry responded. "There's something else going on."
"What do you mean?"
"Well. I'm not sure but.." Merry was thinking out loud. "A lot of people
have been arriving and...Something's going to happen. I'm sure of it,"
"What sort of something?" Pippin had been more concerned with the wonder of
Elrond's house and hadn't picked up the undertones of expectation that his
slightly older friend had been more attuned too.
"I don't really know. People stop talking as soon as they realise I'm there
but. Well. I just don't think its over that's all."
"Have you asked anyone?" Pippin enquired. "Strider or Gandalf?"
"They just tell me not to worry." Merry responded glumly. "Not quite run
along and play but pretty close!"
"So lets find out." Now he knew that there was a secret he wasn't in on
Pippin was anxious to know more
They lapsed into silence for a moment, wondering how best to investigate,
and heard someone coming down the pathway into the courtyard.
"Isn't that Strider and that other man?" Pippin asked. "The stuck up one
from a long way away?"
"Gondor." Merry responded. "That's where he's from."
As the men came close the hobbits heard the work Mordor. Realising that the
men were discussing the 'great secret' the hobbits eyes met for an instant
and then they dived behind the dragon to listen. Finally they were going to
find out what was going on.
"You have arrived at a fortuitous time." Aragorn was saying as they entered
the courtyard. "Elrond has sent out messengers to all the free people of
middle earth to discuss what is to be done. The council meets tomorrow."
"What council?" Pippin whispered to Merry.
"Shhhh" Merry responded.
"But what of the Halflings?" Boromir asked
"The ringbearer you will meet tomorrow" answered Aragorn.
"And the ring he carries?" Boromir persisted anxiously.
"That we will discuss at the council." Aragorn responded firmly, clearly
indicating that there would be no further talk on that subject.
"Halflings. Is that us?" Pippin asked
"Shhhh." Merry responded again, a little too loudly this time.
"What was that?" Boromir asked looking around.
"I have an idea", Aragorn responded, a little grimly, directing his search
a somewhat lower that Boromir. " I have a feeling that you might be about
to meet some of the ringbearer's companions."
Sensing danger, both hobbits began to back away, trying to slip around the
fountain and out of the courtyard before the men could see them.
Hobbits can move incredibly quietly when they need to and so they easily
managed to creep away around one side of the fountain as them men moved
around the other. They could have made their escape out of the courtyard
quite easily if Pippin hadn't become over-confident and allowed his sense of
mischief to get in the way.
Seeing a tendril of vine hanging out from the wall so temptingly at about
knee height to the stuck up Man of Gondor, he grabbed Merry and pointed to
it. There was an answering gleam in his friend's eye. Pippin quietly crept
around behind the men as they grappled with the creepers around the fountain
and tied the tendril to a creeper on the fountain itself and retreated just
as carefully. Merry kept back out of the way but was unable to suppress a
snicker as Pippin completed the trap.
This proved to be his undoing. Aragorn heard the noise and leapt forward
around the fountain to grab him. Boromir on the other hand was taken by
surprise. He stepped backwards as Aragorn lunged, tripped over the creeper
trap and fell backward into the fountain showering the other man and the
rest of the courtyard with water.
Slipping through Aragorn's grasp and shooting one terrified look over their
shoulders the hobbits fled. The picture of the furious warrior rising up
from the pool of water with the dragon pouring a further stream over his
head was simply too terrible to contemplate.
They ran without thought as to where they were going. Terrified at what
they had done they simply fled. However, as the adrenaline rush wore off,
and they began to take note of their surroundings, they quickly realised
that they were totally lost in the winding labyrinth that was Elrond's
gardens.
Their run slowed to a trot and then to a walk as they slowly tried to see
where they were. Their earlier exploring had only covered a tiny fraction
of Elrond's garden extensive gardens and they were now totally lost. Not
knowing what else to do, they continued walking, hoping to find a familiar
landmark but they had apparently entered a labyrinth or some kind and had
absolutely no idea where they were. Every pathway lead to another courtyard
and every courtyard had another seat or fountain but none were familiar and
none appeared to lead back to the house. The walls and trees were too high
for the little hobbits to see over or climb to take their bearings and the
novelty of being in this giant's world was quickly wearing off. They wanted
the comfort of their hobbit holes or, failing that, the reassurance of
Gandalf or Strider to guide them home.
Strider. Remembering how angry he had looked, their ranger friend was
perhaps not the most comforting image they could conjure but, even taking
into account his probable fury at their actions, the little hobbits would
have given anything to see the tall man waiting for them in the next
courtyard.
It had been late afternoon when they had found the dragon courtyard and by
sunset they were still lost and were beginning to think that they would
never find their way out of the gardens.
"You know we've missed tea don't you," Pippin commented as they stopped to
rest on a stone bench in yet another courtyard.
"I know," answered Merry, slumped beside him. "Don't talk about it. It only
makes it worse."
"And it'll be dinner time soon." Pippin continued as if his friend hasn't
spoken "And late supper after that."
"Will you shut up about food." Merry was as hungry as his companion and
didn't find talking about it helped in any way at all.
They sat in silence for a while. Then Pippin piped up again
"Do you think we're ever going to get out of these gardens?"
Merry started to answer roughly but then took a closer look at the younger
hobbit and changed his mind. Putting his arm around his disconsolate young
friend he tried to cheer him up saying
"Yes. Of course we are. There are just too many people here. Sooner or
later we'll find someone and they'll show us how to get out. Or maybe
Strider will come and find us."
"You think?" Pippin was doing his best to cheer up for his friend. Then
his face fell again.
"He was really angry wasn't he."
"The other one looked worse." Merry giggled slightly. Now that distance
had lessened his fear somewhat he was able to appreciate the glorious
picture of the mighty warrior, soaking wet and covered with pondweed.
Meeting his eye, Pippin allowed himself to enjoy the moment also. "Yes.
All green and slimy with that fountain playing over his head." His giggles
joined his friend and drowned out the sound of approaching footsteps.
Once he had dried off and clamed down, Boromir had gone in search of Aragorn
to find how who were the little terrors who looked and behaved like children
and yet weren't quite the lads they appeared to be.
Aragorn had explained that they were some of the race of Halflings, the
legend of which had drawn the other man half way across the continent.
Boromir had wanted to know more but Aragorn had been getting somewhat
anxious at the hobbit's continued disappearance and wanted to go looking for
them.
The men had searched together initially but had then split up to enable then
to cover more ground and hopefully find the missing boys before nightfall.
Various elves were roped in as they appeared but the gardens were extensive
and the hobbits small. It was clearly going to take some time to find them.
Boromir was just starting to think that the hobbits were hiding deliberately
and would never be found when he heard voices further down the path.
As he drew closer he realised that it was the missing hobbits and that they
were laughing at him and his appearance as he emerged from the fountain.
The fountain that they had tripped him into! Fury rose again.
With a roar he launched himself down the path and emerged in front of the
hobbits, scaring them almost as much as he had in the fountain. This time
however they were not fast enough to escape.
Forgetting that they were not perhaps the children they appeared to be,
Boromir grabbed each hobbit by the scruff of the neck and shook them.
"Laugh at me will you?" He roared. "Dunk me in a fountain and then laugh
about it will you. I'll show you what's funny my little friends!" He then
sat down on their recently vacated bench and tipped both hobbits over one
thigh.
Even taking into account the man's long legs they were somewhat squashed
together. Not too squashed however to prevent the man's easy access to their
backsides.
"Where I come from children show respect to their elders." Said Boromir as
he laid the first of many smacks on their upturned bottoms. "And those that
don't, quickly learn the error of their ways."
He then proceeded to show them precisely how important men of Gondor
considered such respect.
An initial show of defiance quickly gave way to the sobs and cries of two
very sorry hobbits. Boromir, however, appeared oblivious to their penitence
and continued to soundly spank them, their cries and shouts getting louder
by the moment. They were heard some distance off by Aragorn who was
searching took off towards the sounds, wondering what on earth they could
have gotten into this time.
Rounding the corner he was confronted by the sight of Boromir sitting on a
stone bench in the centre of a courtyard alternately swatting the bottoms of
the two missing hobbits, both of whom were by now totally oblivious to their
surroundings and sobbing their harts out.
Aragorn stepped forward, intending to bring the punishment to a halt as the
hobbits had clearly had enough but, as he did so, Boromir also appeared to
decide that enough was enough and so, with one almighty smack to each
backside he finished and set the hobbits back on their feet.
Tears streaming down their faces and with their hands on their red hot
backsides, Pippin and Merry backed away from the red faced man, frightened
of what more might be to come. Still oblivious to their surroundings, or
indeed anything much but the fire in their backsides, they backed straight
into Aragorn.
He quickly grabbed a hobbit in each arm, as it looked as though they might
take off again and then knelt and drew the frightened boys to him, holding
them close and whispering reassurances until they realised who it was that
now held them and stopped struggling to cling to him.
Boromir by this time had calmed down and realised what he had done. It was
one thing to punish insolent children in his own city. It was quite another
to spank adults of another race who were in no way his responsibility,
regardless of how much they might be said to deserve such a spanking.
Knowing he should make an apology but unsure how it should be presented,
Boromir watched in silence as Aragorn stood, still holding a hobbit on each
arm and, murmuring reassurances to them, headed out of the courtyard.
Unsure of what to do himself, he remained standing by the bench until
Aragorn turned and called over his shoulder
"Why don't you come too? We'll get this pair back to their quarters and
then we can try and sort it all out."
By the time they emerged from the gardens Pippin and Merry's heads were
dropping with exhaustion. They were completely asleep by the time Aragorn
reached their room. One head on each of his shoulders. Boromir quickly
opened the door for him and helped him deposit his burden on one of the beds
They moved away towards the fireplace to talk without disturbing the
sleeping pair.
Sinking down into a chair, his head in his hands, Boromir asked, "What
should I do?"
"About what?" Aragorn answered " You appeared to have the matter fully in
hand."
Boromir's head came up sharply.
"They are the hobbit representatives for Elrond's council and I treated them
as though they were a pair of unruly pages."
"They are a pair of undisciplined brats who deserved a lesson in good
manners," came the unexpected response. Holding his eye, Aragorn sat down
beside him. "And they are also very dear to me. I must thank you for
taking the time to teach them a lesson that may save their lives in the
future. There is no telling what is to come but this is indisputably not
the time for tricks and pranks and my young friends must learn this"
"And do you think your friends will also thank me?" Boromir asked with a
hint of a smile
"Perhaps not." Aragorn replied, with an answering gleam. Then, standing
up, continued "And they have missed their dinner. That at least must be
remedied or they will complain all night and there is no telling what
further trouble they will get into. I'll see what can be done." He walked
towards the door. "You'll stay with them?" he asked turning back for a
moment.
Boromir nodded and the taller man left.
The door closed and Boromir turned again towards the fire, still unsure of
what he should say to the hobbits when they awoke. Unbeknownst to either
man, however, hunger had woken the hobbits and they'd heard most of the
conversation.
Unsure what to do, Merry and Pippin had lain still until Aragorn left,
thinking through what had been said.
"I'd never thought of it like that," Pippin whispered once the room was
still
"Me neither," Merry answered. "It was a really stupid thing to do, wasn't
it?"
"What should we do?" Pippin asked worried by the apparent enormity of what
they had done. Slowly putting the pieces together with what they had over
heard he realised just how important the upcoming meeting was.
Seeing just how frightened Pippin was now and feeling somewhat guilty at
having started it all off by talking about the council Merry came to a
decision.
"I think we're going to have to go and apologise," Merry reluctantly
concluded.
"But.. But...He... Strider's not...." Pippin tried to put into words his
fear of what else the man might do to them, the pain in his backside still
as fierce as ever
"Yeah I know but...Come on. Lets get it over with."
Together the two on them crept off the bed and slowly approached the man.
Even after Aragorn's reassurances, Boromir was lost in his own thoughts,
looking into the fire. He had heard nothing of the hobbit's whispered
conversation and so was somewhat taken aback when they suddenly appeared in
front of him. The surprise did nothing to assist his approachability and
the hobbits leapt back again in terror when he sprang to his feet in
surprise.
"For goodness sake don't creep up on a man like that," he roared, somewhat
embarrassed that he could be taken by surprise in that way
The hobbits looked ready to run. Backing away fearfully, Pippin stammered
out his apology.
"We're..we wanted to apologise for what was done to you. We..er.. didn't
mean to.er...shouldn't have.. knocked you into the fountain and..." Pippin
ran down suddenly as fear of dark, forbidding man took over.
"Yes, We're very sorry." Merry finished for him "And....We wanted to
thank you for taking the time to..to...correct us." The last sentence nearly
stuck in his throat but, scarlet faced, he got it out in the end determined
to do this properly and to prove their worth.
Unable to look the man in the face after such an admission, Merry hung his
head. Pippin was already studying his feet. Anything was better than trying
to interpret the look of the huge warrior's face.
There was a moment's awkward silence as the hobbits shifted restlessly,
still keeping their eyes downcast and the man took in what they had actually
said. The hobbit's shifting continued. They were anxious to get away from
the embarrassment but didn't know how to. Their apology had, by its nature,
bared far more to this strange man than they were happy with and they now
just wanted him to leave so they could crawl into a corner and die.
Instead Boromir dropped onto one knee in front of them. Putting a hand on a
shoulder of each, encouraging them to look at him properly, he said. "Thank
you. I accept your apologies. Correction is never easy and learning to
appreciate it is even harder."
The hobbits chanced a quick look up at him as the meaning of his works sank
in. Seeing the looks he smiled and added, "Yes, I learnt the hard way too."
Always the more mercurial, Pippin brightened immediately. Smiling
mischievously up at the man, he opened his mouth to ask for the story when
he was interrupted by a knock on the door. It opened immediately afterwards
to reveal two elves carrying heavily laden trays.
"Aragorn asked that we supply supper for starving hobbits so we emptied the
kitchen" One laughed, putting the tray down on the table and backing away
as the hobbits fell over themselves to see what had been provided.
"Well we are!" Pippin responded, a trifle thickly through a mouthful of
bread, a chicken leg poised to follow as soon as he could swallow. Merry
was in much the same position but retained enough good manners to than the
elves, who left laughing again at the little folk's antics.
Boromir joined them at the table but contented himself with a mug of ale
since, in spite of their size, the hobbits prepared to take on the mountain
of food without assistance.
The edge of his hunger satisfied, Pippin turned again to Boromir. Wanting
to ask more about the story that was hinted at but was unsure how to begin
since the man appeared to have withdrawn again behind his forbidding
demeanour.
Boromir however had seen the look and fully intended to tell the story. He
was realising how completely he had underestimated little people. Young
they undoubtedly were and seriously in need of correction they might be but
they were not children and he had been wrong to think of them that way.
They reminded him very much of himself as a young soldier, rash and
impetuous, convinced of his own invincibility and with a zest for life that
overcame reason at times. Because of this he felt strongly drawn to them.
He was starting to feel that winning their friendship should be important to
him.
For their part the hobbits, having acknowledged their mistakes, were well on
the way to forgetting the incident. They too felt an odd kinship with him
and were happy to see it develop, though it would perhaps take a little time
until they were totally relaxed with him, probably as long as it took for
the pain in their backsides to subside.
Resting his elbows on the table and munching slowly on an apple, Pippin
looked up hopefully.
Boromir snapped out of his daydream, smiled down at the enquiring little
face and opened his mouth to begin.
TBC