The Short Cut

By Garnet Took

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. They all belong to the Tolkien Estate, New Line Cinema and Peter Jackson. I’ve only been obsessed with them for the last 28 years. Please don’t sue me. A turnip has more than I do.

A/N: This is for Pippinfan1988 who has been bugging me for a story along these lines.

Merry is 24 and Pippin is almost 16 in this story.

Short cuts make long delays.

Pippin--Fellowship of the Ring

The weather was clear and crisp as Merry and Pippin set out from the farm at Whitwell on this spring morning. They had packed their fishing gear and enough food to last them till tea time. Their plan was to find Pippin’s father’s favorite fishing spot. Merry swore he’d been there several years earlier with his uncle and his dad. He was also convinced that he could find it again. He had studied the maps of the area, and had been wandering the Green Hills with various family members almost since he could walk. He knew exactly where he was going, and just how to get there.

The two hobbits had been walking for about an hour when Merry said, “I think I’m going to try a short cut. I saw a path on one of the maps that would cut about half an hour off our walk. What do you say, Pip?”

“You know what I think,” answered his young cousin. “I think this is a daft idea. I only came along so you wouldn’t have to find your way back all by yourself. Lead on, Dear Cousin; though maybe I should say lead back, if you still can.”

“oh, you’ll see, Pippin. I never get lost.”

Shortly after this little exchange, they came upon a faint path branching off from the main one. “This is it,” said Merry in triumph. Pippin didn’t say a word and Merry never saw him roll his eyes and shake his head disparagingly.

They walked on for what, to Pippin, seemed like forever. “I’m getting hungry, Merry,” he finally said. “Can we stop and have a snack?”

“We’ll have elevenses as soon as we get there. We’re almost there. Trust me, Pip.”

Several minutes later, Merry stopped suddenly. “You know,” he said, “I think you’re right, Pippin. Let’s just have something to eat, and then we’ll go on. I think better on a full stomach, after all.”

They found a little clearing just off the path, spread a small blanket, and had a small repast of apple tart and cold tea. Neither hobbit was fond of drinking tea that way, but it was difficult to keep in hot when traveling. When they were done, they packed everything away and started down the barely-existent path.

“Merry,” asked Pippin, after several more minutes of walking, “shouldn’t we be at least hearing the stream by now? I mean, you usually hear water long before you see it, don’t you?”

Merry thought this over for a minute. “Yes,” he finally answered, “you’re right. You usually hear water before you see it. I wonder why we haven’t heard it yet. I’m sure we’re going the right way. Let’s keep going. I’m sure we’ll find the stream soon, and then we’ll catch enough fish to feed your whole family.”

Pippin was not about to say anything to tell Merry that he thought they were lost. There were things even a foolhardy soul like himself didn’t do, and one of those was telling Merry Brandybuck he was wrong. …And they think we Tooks are the crazy ones. But he kept this thought to himself and tried to pay more attention to their surroundings.

The sun was past her highest point when Pippin had finally had enough. “Merry, stop.” The tone of voice he used brought the other hobbit up short. Pippin never talked to anyone that way. “Just stop. This is ridiculous,” he continued, not caring what Merry thought. “We’ve been wandering around for hours now and haven’t heard so much as a drip of water. Face it, Merry, we’re lost. We should never have come out here in the first place, but that’s beside the point now. Now, all that matters is can you get us home?”

Merry looked at the little Took standing in front of him looking tired but defiant. Suddenly he could do nothing but admit the truth. “I don’t know,” he said meekly.

“Well,” answered Pippin, “then it’s a good thing I was paying attention to which turnings and twistings we made. Believe it, or not, I think I can get us out of this. If I do, I promise never to mention it to anyone, but I reserve the right to remind you of it should you decide that you are the sole authority on finding the way in unfamiliar areas. You have to admit, Merry, that while you're the better map reader, I'm the one with the better memory. Come on. Let's have some luncheon, and then head home. We'll go fishing another day. And, if anyone asks, we just went for a tramp in the woods."

Defeated and dejected, Merry sat down and emptied the remaining food from his pack. Pippin did the same, and from that they made a fair lunch. As soon as they finished, they started back down the path the way they had come, this time with Pippin in the lead.

Just before tea time, they emerged from the woods into the familiar fields that surrounded Whitwell. Pippin had managed to lead them all the way home without one wrong turn.

That night, as they settled down to sleep, Merry looked over at Pippin. "I'm sorry," he said. "I should have listened to you when you first thought we were lost, instead of being so sure of myself. Sometimes I hate to admit that I am wrong and that you have a decent head on your shoulders ."

That's all right," was Pippin's sleepy reply. "I probably should have been kinder to you. After all, you are a Brandybuck, and everyone knows that they have to work twice as hard to be as good as us Tooks at anything." Pippin giggled as Merry's pillow landed solidly on his stomach.

"You really are a fool, Peregrin Took, if you believe that." And with that, the pillow fight began in earnest.

The End.