“This is a serious journey, not a Hobbit walking – party”

Gandalf The Grey – LOTR The Fellowship Of The Ring

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The company have come to a stop in the mines of Moria. Exhausted and lost even with the guidance of the wizard, they decide to get some sleep ready to continue on the morrow, not that any concept of time telling exists in the underground. Slowly the light of Gandalf’s staff dies to glowing embers, then nothing.

As the rest of the company sleep, two small voices penetrate the darkness.

“Merry?”

“What?”

“I’m hungry”.

“You’re always hungry”.

“Yes, but I’m REALLY hungry now”.

“Then try thinking about something other than food for a change”.

“Okay”.

Pause.

“I’m cold”.

“Pippin!”

“I am”.

“You don’t think I am?”

“You don’t seem to be”.

“That’s because I’m not COMPLAINING about it. Now go to sleep”.

Silence fills the cave once again. Merry closes his eyes, though in the pitch black it makes little difference. He evens out his breathing and tries to relax but it is no use, despite his exhaustion and effort he just can not get to sleep.

Neither can Pippin.

“If we ask Strider nicely, do you think he’ll let us have a second breakfast tomorrow?”

“I don’t believe you Peregrin”. Merry sits up. “Here we are in the middle of the biggest historic event ever, making daily decisions that could shape the entire future and all you can honestly think about is FOOD”.

“I have to”.

“Why?” Merry raises his hands in frustration, although in the darkness the expression is about as useful as closing his eyes.

“Because if I don’t concentrate on trivial things I start to concentrate on big things; like going to Mordor through Sauron’s army, Wargs, black riders who knows what else. I look at how dark these mines are and it makes me realise how dark and dangerous the whole world is now. Merry by this time tomorrow we could all be dead; I don’t want to think about that, do you?”

Now it is Pippin who turns over and closes his eyes, trying to bite back tears and forget everything the conversation has brought his attention. He finds himself unable until…

“Pippin?”

“What?”

“I’m hungry”.

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