I own none of the characters in this story. They all belong to the Tolkien

Estate and New Line Cinema. I’ve only spent the last 28 years dreaming about them. Please don’t sue me because a turnip has more than I do.

This story was written for Marigold’s Challenge 17.

My starter sentence was: The fire blazed brightly, but still all seemed dark and shadowed. My random characters were Eglantine Took and Esmeralda Brandybuck.

A/N: This takes place in early Afteryule 1419 on one of those rare occasions

when the Fellowship got to rest at night, and have a small fire.

Of Visions and Bad Dreams

by Garnet Took

The fire blazed brightly, but still all seemed dark and shadowed. It was

Aragorn’s turn to watch. All the others seemed to be sleeping, but not all of

them peacefully.

Pippin tossed and turned and whimpered, but did not wake. Aragorn spared the young hobbit a passing glance. As long as he did not make enough noise to attract unwanted attention, the Ranger would let him be.

Just as Aragorn got resettled and focused on the world outside the circle of

their camp, the night was shattered by a piercing cry.

“MMMuuuuummmmmm!” Suddenly Pippin was sitting upright in his bedroll and sobbing.

Aragorn rushed to the young hobbit’s side. “What is wrong?” he asked.

“I had a vision that something bad happened to my mum,” Pippin mumbled through his tears. “Something’s happened back home, and it’s very bad.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?” asked Aragorn. “Sometimes a dream can seem so real but once you share it with someone you can see that it is only a dream.”

Pippin nodded. “Yes, I think I do want to talk about it, but it was no ordinary

dream, Strider. Trust me, I know a dream from a vision; and this was definitely no dream.”

By this point, the whole camp was awake and wondering what was going on. Gandalf, who had heard the conversation between the Ranger and the hobbit, made it his job to draw the others away and distract them from what Pippin was saying.

“Now, tell me what you saw,” said Aragorn, settling himself on the ground beside Pippin.

“Um, I don’t know quite how to put this--but I think Merry should hear this,

too. You see,...I saw his mum, my Aunt Esme, too.”

“Oh,” said Aragorn. He looked up and made a gesture to Gandalf. Soon, Merry was settling in next to his cousin and quietly taking his hand.

“Now, tell us what you saw,” encouraged Aragorn.

“It is really hard to describe,” said Pippin in a small voice. “I saw Mum and

Aunt Esme. They were talking to each other and they seemed to be whispering to each other.”

“Where were they?” asked Merry. He was familiar with the way Pippin’s mind worked and he knew that details would only emerge if the right questions were asked.

“I’m not real sure where they were. I think they were in one of the parlors at

Great Smials. Everything was vague.”

What did you see that made you cry out?” asked Aragorn.

“I didn’t see anything. I just sensed that something was about to happen.”

“What was the last thing you actually saw?” asked Merry.

“I saw my mum reach for the door handle and I screamed for her not to do it, and then I was awake and sitting here crying.”

Aragorn looked at Merry. He was at a loss as to how to handle this. In his

opinion there was not enough detail in Pippin’s explanation to account for the

hobbit’s terror. It just seemed like a very vague bad dream to him.

“If you didn’t see or hear anything frightening, then there is no reason to be

afraid, now is there?” said Aragorn. He was trying to be reassuring, but Merry thought the comment only sounded condescending. He decided to take matters into his own hands.

“Strider, may I have a word with you...alone?”

“Certainly, Merry. Will you be all right for a few moments?” he asked, turning to Pippin. The hobbit merely nodded.

“That was unfair,” said Merry, stepping away from the rest of the camp.

“I was trying to help him see reason, Merry. He is making an awfully big

assumption based on nothing. I know dreams can sometimes tell people things, but the dreamer has more to go on than Pippin just described to us. He has jeopardized the safety of this whole Fellowship by his actions, and for

nothing.”

“You seem very sure of yourself,” responded Merry. “You believe that just

because he didn’t see anything specific in his dream, Pippin’s fear is

unjustified. If I didn’t know you better, Aragorn, I’d say you were accusing my cousin of attention seeking. You have to trust me on this, he genuinely believes that something dreadful has happened, and I do not doubt him. I have seen him sense things that have happened, or are about to happen, and rarely have I known him to be wrong. Please, Strider, don’t discount what he’s saying just because it doesn’t fit with what you believe to be the facts.”

“I wish to speak to Gandalf before I say anything further.” With these words

Aragorn walked away to have a quiet word with the wizard.

Merry went back and sat down next to Pippin. “He doesn’t believe me, does he?” asked the younger hobbit.

“I don’t know what he believes,” said Merry. “But, believe me, Pippin, I believe you. Is there anything else you can tell me that might persuade them that you aren’t just overreacting?”

“Not really. I just know that something bad is happening back home, and that our families are involved...somehow.”

While Merry and Pippin were talking quietly with each other, Aragorn was having his own discussion with Gandalf.

“I am sure it was nothing more than a bad dream combined with Pippin’s very

vivid imagination,” said the Ranger. “I only bring it up with you to appease

Merry. He seems to think that you might have a different opinion.”

“You are probably correct, Aragorn,” answered the wizard, casting a thoughtful look toward Pippin and Merry. “What he told you was very vague, but with that one, you never know. He has had premonitions before, or so I believe. There are circumstances surrounding his birth, and other things that you do not yet know about. To be honest, he doesn’t even know anything about these things either. I have watched him from the time he was a babe, and I don’t think I have seen all that he is capable of yet. I have been waiting to speak to him on these matters because I don’t want him to think of himself as anything more than he is--simply a hobbit, albeit one who has a few unique talents.”

“Maybe you should ask him about this dream then,” said Aragorn.

“No,” was Gandalf’s reply. “I think the best person to deal with this is

speaking with him at the moment.”

“Well, it looks like they’re done talking,” said Merry, looking over at the

Ranger and the wizard.

“I don’t want to talk to them about it any more,” murmured Pippin. “Maybe if everyone lets me alone, I’ll eventually figure out what scared me so badly.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about them bothering you right now. They seem to be trying to get everyone else settled back down. Maybe you should try to get some rest yourself. If you want, I’ll stay right here with you.”

“Thank you, Merry.”

Together they straightened Pippin’s bedroll, and Merry helped him settle into

it. Then he got his own blankets and settled next to his cousin.

Soon they were both sleeping soundly. Gandalf was not surprised to notice that Merry had an arm draped protectively around Pippin’s waist.

_____________________________________________________________

In the Shire Eglantine Took and Esmeralda Brandybuck sat quietly discussing

recent events.

“Dinny is very nervous,” said Eglantine. “He was already distraught about Pippin going missing, and then all these men started showing up--at Lotho’s

bidding--and making demands. He turned them away and told them to stay out of the Tooklands if they valued their hides, but he’s worried they may return--and not to talk.”

“Things are much the same at the Hall,” answered Esmeralda. “I am very worried for Doc. He is beside himself about Merry, and all this business with Lotho trying to take over the running of everything isn’t doing a thing for his

health.”

“How are you holding up, my dear Esme?”

“Some days are better than others. I cry myself to sleep most nights. Just the

thought that I’ll never see my only child’s face again is almost more than I can deal with. I try to keep it to myself, though, because Doc doesn’t need the distraction right now.”

“I know what you mean,” agreed Eglantine. “At least I have the lasses, even

though there is no way that one child can replace another. Pim is expecting, and they have agreed that if the babe is a lad, they will name him after his uncle. At least his name will live on.” A single tear escaped to slide silently down Eglantine’s cheek.

“Oh, Tina, how bittersweet.” Esmeralda gently embraced her sister by marriage.

Just then there was a tap at the parlor door and a servant stuck her head in. “Pardon me for disturbing you, Mistress Took, but there is a visitor at the door and the Thain is indisposed.”

“Thank you, Aster, I’ll see to it,” said Eglantine. “Excuse me, my dear,” she

said turning to Esmeralda.

Entering the front hall of Great Smials, Eglantine opened the front door and

came face to face with two big men.

“M...may I help you,” she managed to get out.

“This is your last warning,” said the larger man. “If we are not granted leave

to gather what our master needs from the Tooks, then the Chief will be forced to take drastic measures.” He shoved a letter into Eglantine’s hands and then

stalked off into the night.

Eglantine stood stunned, and pale with fright. She was even too shocked, at

first, to remember to shut the door. When she remembered, she closed it and

leaned against it looking down at the note in her hand. It was sealed in red wax with the stamp of the Sackville-Bagginses.

The End.