Glimpses From Cormallen
By Marigold
Beta by Llinos
Dedicated to laure_leaf with wishes for a speedy and complete recovery!

“Is that better, Pippin?” Merry asked sympathetically, tucking the last of the towel-wrapped heated bricks against Pippin’s aching leg. He pulled the coverlet up to Pippin’s chin, tucking him in as tightly as if he were eight and not twenty-eight. Merry resisted the urge to complete the gesture with a loud raspberry on Pippin’s pale cheek; after all, his baby cousin was all grown up now, a hero and a Knight of Gondor no less.

But only for a moment.

Pippin laughed, freeing his good arm from beneath the blankets to scrub at the spot.

“Much better, Merry. Much better!”

********************

“What do you mean, it probably won’t get completely better?” Aragorn finished wrapping a liniment soaked cloth around Pippin’s knee, then met Merry’s anxious eyes, his own filled with regret.

“He means I’ll be as handy for foretelling the weather as your Uncle Marmadas, right Strider? Pippin said, cheerful for Merry’s sake though his knee pained him dreadfully.

Aragorn tucked Pippin’s blankets tighter, smiling at the lad. “Well, I don’t know Merry’s uncle, but you’ll certainly give him competition. I am sorry Pippin.”

“Don’t be, Strider. You saved my leg, the ache will remind me.”

Of that, and other things…

********************

“Bugger!”

Pippin glowered at his blankets. Then sniffed. Then couldn’t help tears springing to his eyes. “Stupid bloody things!” He was so weary and the simplest things were such a struggle…

“What’s this? Our Peregrin Troll-slayer bested by a silken coverlet?”

Gently Gandalf arranged the blankets, his care belying his teasing words.

“Thank you Gandalf.” A kind hand smoothed his curls. “I’m tired.”

“Then sleep my lad.” Gandalf sat beside him and began, “Once upon a time, in a beautiful green land called the Shire, there lived a tiny hobbit lad named Peregrin Took, though everyone called him Pippin …”

********************

“I’ll race you Merry. Once around the camp!”

Merry laughed. “Once around the tent Pip-lad, and slowly at that.”

With Merry’s help and the aid of a stick, Pippin hobbled about, delighted to be up and on his feet however unsteady they might be. Soon though he let Merry cajole him back into bed.

Merry carefully put the stick out of Pippin’s reach. “That was wonderful Pippin! Perhaps tomorrow you can have a go outside.”

Pippin yawned. “Not tomorrow Merry. It’s going to rain.” He snuggled under the blankets, closing his eyes.

“It is?”

“Mmm…I feel it in my bones…”

********************

Merry rubbed the salve into Pippin’s aching knee. “How does that feel?”

“Much better,” Pippin smiled, his pain easing. “What’s in it?”

“Athelas, willowbark, chickweed, comfrey; all sorts of good things.” Merry put the jar on Pippin’s bedside table. “Use as much as you need, Aragorn said.”

“It’s wonderful!”

Merry preened. “I’m glad that you think so, because I made it.”

“You?”

“Yes. With Aragorn’s instruction. I’ll be able to make it for you when we go home Pippin. There’s plenty of kingsfoil growing near the Hedge.”

“Thank you Merry. Meriadoc Brandybuck, Knight, Warrior, Healer!”

Merry laughed. “Who’d have thought!”

********************

The End : )