Author’s note: The challenge was to include Pippin fighting, a missing child or companion, Isengard, and Gandalf. Can’t believe I managed to think of this one!

A Perfect Fit

By Songspinner

***

"Again!" Faramir called to Pippin, and danced back out of the hobbit’s reach.

"This time…" Pippin began to gasp out, and then lunged suddenly in a move that had the man falling to one knee to avoid being potentially hamstrung. "I’ve got you!" he finished triumphantly, bringing a small dagger from his belt to Faramir’s throat. The small crowd that had stood watching along the edge of the courtyard applauded, and the two bowed to each other.

"All right, all right. You win this one." The Steward chuckled, out of breath himself. "That was a nice move," he added as Pippin sheathed both weapons. "Where did you learn that?"

"Your brother, my lord, felt that if we hobbits were somewhat smaller than yourselves, we should know how to bring you down to our level." The hobbit grinned as he brushed some dirt off his lord’s tunic. "Unfair advantages by big folk, and all that."

"Very well." Faramir answered, returning the favor by ruffling dust out of Pippin’s curls. "He did well by you and Merry then, if he taught you such things." He smiled back, somewhat wistfully, and sheathed his own sword. "I’ve not much more to teach you, truly. Boromir did much of the work before me, apparently."

"Indeed. And he was used to hobbits being hungry after such efforts, I might add." Pippin looked up with a twinkle in his eye.

"Ah, yes." Legolas said from his perch on a high window ledge. "The cooks in Imladris were quite startled at the amount you and your cousin required after those first few lessons."

The sound of stones sliding beneath boots interrupted the small knight’s expected retort and announced Bergil’s arrival. "My lord Faramir…"

"Yes?"

"Please come, my lord. Will, Tirsa’s little boy, he’s lost and no one can find him." Bergil seemed truly panicked, which was explained when he finally broke down and mentioned that the child was supposed to be with him and had run off. The cook had asked him to watch her son and the little one had gotten upset that Bergil considered him too small to use a sword.

"All right. Pippin, I’ll check the stables. Can you and Legolas look elsewhere?"

"Aye, m’lord." Pippin answered, mentally running through likely places. "I’ve no small bit of experience hiding, myself. My family’s home is full of tunnels and secret holes." He saluted Faramir and went off in search of the boy. He remembered the lad from one of his own late-night raids in the kitchen. Merry had been tickled to discover that the children of men did this as well, and the three of them had had a lovely midnight treat.

The young hobbit entered the kitchen and peered into the curtained alcove by the window. No…the lad wasn’t here. "Hmmm…where would I go?" One eyebrow raised in hopeful curiosity, he slowly opened the door to a low cupboard. "Ah. There you are. Do you mind if I joined you?"

When his question was met with surprised silence, Pippin eased himself in. A tight fit, but he’d been in tighter. "I truly enjoyed the pie we shared the other night. ‘Twas almost as good as the ones back home, and somehow they always taste better when one is sneaking to get them, don’t they?"

He saw a hint of a smile on the tear and dirt-smudged face. "I’ll take that grin as a yes, then. "I understand, you know. I had older sisters and Merry and Frodo were older as well."

"Th…the Ringbearer?" The small voice sounded awestruck.

"Aye, the Ringbearer. My older cousin. Do you have cousins?"

"Mmm-hmm. Three and th…they’re all bigger."

"Ah. Well, Frodo and Merry were always doing things and I wanted to do all of it. Even the things I knew were too dangerous for one so small. And sometimes I hated them for keeping me from those things."

"Did you…get in trouble?" Will asked softly.

"All the time." Pippin laughed, remembering. They sat in companionable silence for a long moment. "Will, why did you want to use Bergil’s sword so badly?"

"Because I need to help my father keep Mama safe." The boy whispered his answer.

"Ah." Letting out a huge sigh, Pippin relaxed a bit closer and felt a head rest itself on his shoulder, like he had done so often with his cousins and more recently with his friends. "Well, I can understand that — the wanting to be big enough to do big things. I felt like that many times, and I suppose that’s why I used to tuck myself in places like this. Cupboards and closets, and under beds sometimes."

"Really?"

"Really, lad. And not so long ago. You heard how Gandalf and King Theoden rode with our king to Isengard to find the wizard Saruman?"

"Yes. Bergil told me that tale.’

"Good. Well, what he didn’t tell you was that I did something silly that first day. We were resting and waiting and I did something I shouldn’t have. Gandalf took me here with him, to keep me safe, I suppose."

"Mithrandir…" the boy breathed, in awe again.

"Indeed. And I used to get into terrible trouble with him when I was little." Pippin added.

"You are little." Will pointed out, still sniffling a bit.

"Aye, I am, still, at least here in Minas Tirith." Pippin agreed, and slung an arm about the boy’s shoulder. "And that first night away from my cousin Merry and the others, I was terrified. I’d never been away from Merry, you see, at least now without knowing where he was."

"But you found him again."

"Yes, but that night, Gandalf stopped to rest for just a short while, and I hadn’t anyplace to hide. We were out in the wilderness between there and here and the stars overhead and strange noises in the air."

Will looked at Pippin in the dim light that came in through the crack in the cupboard door. "So where did you find to hide?"

Pippin shook his head. "It wasn’t the usual place, mind you. Gandalf finished tending to Shadowfax and I was huddled by the fire, shivering. And he tucked me under his cloak — that long white one he usually wears now. The elves made it, I think, but it changed when he came back. And it was warm from the fire and the horse, and himself, and he let me stay under there until I was ready to emerge. Told me that he didn’t blame me, not really, for what I had done. And that I’d be safe with him, and he told me stories until I felt safer again."

"But you’re a brave knight!" Will insisted.

"I wasn’t, not then." Pippin reminded him. "I don’t think I ever felt that small, really, being the only hobbit for miles around. Surrounded by big people until I found Merry again."

"I don’t want to be little. I can be grown-up." The words were somewhat muffled as they were spoken against Pippin’s tabard.

"Be little, Will. For a while longer, while you can. Let Bergil and your mother and father protect you, and let the King protect your family. You’ll have a chance to stay a child for longer than some." The hobbit shifted, still-healing injuries twinging at the uncomfortable position. "But I heard a beautiful elven lady tell Frodo once that even a small person could change the course of the future. And I suppose she was right."

"Truly?"

"Truly. And if you’d tell Bergil the reason you wanted to learn to use his sword, I have a feeling that he’d understand. Besides, the King will keep your mother safe now, won’t he?"

"I suppose." Will murmured and pulled away to collect his ten-year-old dignity.

"Besides, if you were big, you’d not be able to find hiding places like this. Could we go out and let them know where you are? Bergil’s awfully worried now, and so is your mother and so is Lord Faramir."

"Oh!" The boy opened the creaky, wooden door and paused. "She’ll be mad at me."

"Only for a little while, I think." Pippin said gently. "Shall I speak to her first?"

"Yes, please." Will replied, and they both eased out of the cupboard.

"And if you’d like, you can come watch us at sword-practice when your mother lets you out of your house again. But you have to promise me that you’ll not run away again. Your mother doesn’t need any more fear, Will." Pippin admonished.

"I promise, I do." The boy’s solemn face broke into a smile as the hobbit tousled his dark curls.

"Pippin, could you…"

"Could I what, Will?" Pippin asked as he stretched cramped arms.

"Could you tell me later, about how you got in trouble with Mithrandir when you were little?