Title: Thinking at Breakfast
Author: Melilot Hill      
Beta: Llinos
Summary: Near Woodhall Pippin thinks about the journey that lies ahead. A short story.
Rate: G
Disclaimer: The characters and settings belong to J.R.R. Tolkien.
Note: Some sentences are taken from “The Fellowship of the Ring” chapter IV, “A Short Cut to Mushrooms”.

 I want to thank Llinos for proof reading.

Thinking at Breakfast

“And now leave me in peace for a bit!” Frodo said. “I don’t want to answer a string of questions while I’m eating. I want to think!”

“Good heavens!” said Pippin. “At breakfast?”

“What will be next?” he muttered while walking to the edge of the green.

“What was that, Master Pippin?” he heard Sam ask.

“Oh, nothing, Sam,” he replied. “I was just talking to myself.”

“Talking to himself, Sam muttered, shaking his head. “What will be next?”

Pippin reached the edge of the green and stared at the country below him. He was thinking about the Golden Perch. They would be passing that inn later today and he had his mind set on a mug of the best beer in the Eastfarthing. Merry would be so jealous once he found out they had been there.

Pippin smiled. He liked to spent time with Frodo and Sam, even though they did walk a bit too long between the breaks for his liking. A stop at the Golden Perch would be a pleasant interlude.

Suddenly Pippin’s smile disappeared and he sighed. There was nothing pleasant about this trip. They were on the run. Frodo had to leave the Shire. He looked over his shoulder to see if Frodo had finished eating yet. His cousin had no idea he and Merry knew about his plans to leave. Nor did Frodo know that they would actually join him on his journey. He and Merry had been planning for quite some time. To be honest, Merry had done most of the planning. Merry was good at that sort of thing. Pippin himself wasn’t.

He was digging his toes in the ground. When they first started with their conspiracy it had all looked like one big adventure to him. Going to Rivendell, meeting the Elves and travelling through unknown country with Frodo, Merry, Sam and Gandalf. But now Pippin was getting more than a bit nervous about the whole ordeal. Gandalf hadn’t shown up at Frodo’s birthday, as was planned, and they had had to leave without the Wizard. That felt very wrong. Hopefully Gandalf was waiting at Crickhollow, like Frodo said he might be.

Pippin let himself fall down on the grass. He would really miss his family. What would his parents do when they found out he had left the Shire? Oh, they would be so worried. He had never been this disobedient in his life. He bit his lip, trying to keep the tears at bay. He really didn’t have a choice. It would be dangerous to tell anybody about Frodo’s secret and he would never forgive himself if he stayed at home while his cousins and Sam had to face danger. He really hoped his parents and sisters would, if not agree with it, at least understand the decision he made.

The thing that was scaring Pippin the most at the moment were those Black Riders. It couldn’t be a coincidence that they had met one of them twice, or two of them once, on their journey so far. It was really frightening, Big Folk in the Shire and such strange ones at that. Towards Frodo he had acted as if he wasn’t afraid of them. Now was not the time to show Frodo he was just a frightened tweenager. If he did, Frodo would never allow him to come on the journey to Rivendell.

But he was afraid of them. Very afraid in fact. Those Riders seemed able to find them by just following their smell. He really hoped they wouldn’t run into one of those Riders today. He would be glad when they’d safely reached Crickhollow and had Gandalf to look after them.

Pippin shuddered, angrily wiping away a tear that somehow had made it’s way down his cheek. He shook his head, like that would be sufficient to get all those discomforting and frightening thoughts to leave. He began to sing one of his favourite songs, that always made him feel better, and ran back towards Frodo and Sam.

The End