Creature Challenge 35 for Marigold's Challenges
Elements: Esmeralda Brandybuck, a bucket of water, and an open window
Rated G
Author Grey_wonderer
Beta: Marigold

“The Moment of Truth”

The small lad stood in the center of the older lads grinning proudly and holding tightly to his prize. Merry scowled down at the child with grey storm cloud eyes but the little one didn’t seem aware that anything was amiss. “I caught it! I caught it my own self!” he crowed proudly still holding tightly to the round, yellow, cloth bag. “No one helped me. I just reached up and caught it!”

“You aren’t supposed to catch it!” Berilac objected making a grab for the bag but the little lad quickly pulled it out of his reach. Frowning in disgust, Berilac looked over at Merry.

“Do something with your shadow, Merry,” Merimas said pointing to the little one. “He’s spoiling the game.”

“Am not!” the child shouted. “You’re just jealous cause I caught it and you didn’t!” The lad squeezed the yellow sack protectively against his chest, as he stood there ringed by older, larger lads, all of whom were glaring at him or at Merry. The yellow beaner, a cloth bag filled with dried beans that was about the size of a grown hobbit’s hand, had been purchased by Merry earlier that summer while he was visiting Frodo in Hobbiton. The toy fascinated the little child partly because he’d never seen one and partly because it belonged to Merry.

“You aren’t supposed to catch it,” Merimas sighed shaking his head. “Now, give us the beaner or we’ll hold you upside down over the hog pen.”

“You will not! Merry won’t let you, will you Merry?” the child said but his eyes showed a trace of fear even as he spoke boldly.

“Merry, either you are a baby minder or you’re playing with us,” Berilac said sternly. “Now, either lose the tag-a-long or leave the game to the rest of us.”

“I’m not a baby!” the little one objected but no one was paying attention to him just now.

Merry moved forward and stood toe-to-toe with his older cousin, Berilac. Berilac straightened but it did little good. Although Merry was two years younger than Berilac both lads were even in height and Merry out-weighted Berilac. Merry’s stormy expression was enough to back down most challengers but as a point of honor, Berilac stood his ground. He couldn’t be seen backing away from the challenge of a younger cousin no matter how large said young cousin was. Just behind Berilac, Falco Boffins smiled and said, “One of you two Brandybucks had better put this little Took in his place or I’ll do it for you. Those hogs over there haven’t been fed yet today and I’m certain that they could make a small snack out of this little trouble-maker.” Falco reached down and patted the child on the head as he spoke.

Eyes wide, the little lad quickly moved over away from Falco and stood behind Merry, taking hold of the older lad’s shirt with one hand while still clinging to the yellow beaner. “Merry, don’t let Falco feed me to the hogs,” the child said urgently.

“No one is feeding anyone to those hogs, Pippin,” Merry growled in annoyance. Behind him Pippin glared at Falco and stuck out his tongue at the older lad. Falco smiled and pointed toward Pippin and then in the direction of the hog pen. Pippin ducked behind Merry for protection.

“You have fifteen minutes to get rid of the runt, or you’re out of this game,” Berilac said firmly. “Either the Pip Squeak goes or you go.” The two cousins locked eyes and glared for a full minute before Merry finally turned away. Berilac inwardly sighed with relief. He had won that round but it wouldn’t be long before his younger cousin realized how easy it would be to turn the tables in their power struggle. Sooner or later it would occur to Merry that he could easily best all of them but for now, the age difference was holding him in place.

Merry turned on Pippin and grabbed the child by the upper arm and began leading him away from the others and toward Brandy Hall.

“Merry, he has our beaner!” Falco shouted. “Toss it!” He raised his arms over his head and waved but Merry didn’t throw the toy back.

“I’ll bring it back as I come,” Merry said. “Besides, it’s my beaner!” There was a general grumbling but Merry ignored this and continued dragging the small child toward the Hall. Beside him, Pippin was hurrying as fast as his much shorter legs would allow.

“Slow down, Merry!” Merry ignored this request and continued on toward the Hall moving at a rather fast pace. In spite of Pippin’s complaints, Merry didn’t slow his step or release his grip on the child until he had reached the Hall and pulled him into the parlor. There he eased his grip and knelt down in front of Pippin so that he might look the slight seven-year-old directly in the eye.

Pippin squirmed a bit and tried to break Merry’s hold on his arm but was completely unsuccessful. With the beaner still held tightly in his other hand, Pippin looked nervously at Merry. “They’re just jealous cause I caught the beaner, Merry,” Pippin said in a very uncertain voice.

“No, they aren’t,” Merry said. “They’re annoyed because you ran into the middle of our game for the tenth or twelfth time today and got under foot like you always do.”

“I was playing,” Pippin tried to explain.

“You weren’t invited to play,” Merry said sternly. “You weren’t even invited to come along. I told you not to follow me.”

“I didn’t think you meant that really,” Pippin said, eyes watering as he fought not to cry in front of his beloved older cousin. “I thought you were just teasing like you always do.”

“I meant it,” Merry said. “And I meant all of those other times that you thought I was teasing. I always mean it and you never listen!”

Pippin’s lower lip trembled slightly but he held his older cousin’s gaze. “I just wanted to play catch with the beaner, Merry.”

“You don’t catch the beaner,” Merry sighed. “It’s like I’ve told you over and over again, you smack it with your hand or your foot or the top of your head and you pass it to the other lads on your team. You try to keep the other team from taking it from you but if you catch it then the other team gets the beaner and the point. You can’t play because you are too small and no matter how many times I explain, you don’t pay attention to the rules. You don’t*catch*the*beaner.” Merry stressed each word of this bit of instruction.

“Oh,” Pippin said softly. “I keep forgetting. I won’t catch it next time, Merry.” Pippin extended the bright yellow bag toward Merry even though he was reluctant to give it up.

Merry reached out and took it and jammed it into one of his pockets, keeping his eyes on Pippin the entire time. “Now, I am going back out and play with the older lads and you are going to quit following me about or I’ll roast you alive, you hear?”

Suddenly angry with all of the threats, Pippin glared back and said, “You will not! You can’t roast me. I’m too big!” He straightened to his full, unimpressive height and stuck out his pointed chin.

“I can and I will,” Merry said, eyes narrowing and an idea forming in his mind. “I have the very way to do it too and no one knows about it.”

Pippin twisted in an effort to escape and then swallowed hard. “You do?”

“I do,” Merry said with a rather stern look. “Frodo gave it to me and it’s a secret.”

In spite of the danger that he might be in, Pippin’s curious nature compelled him to ask, “What kind of secret? What did Frodo give you? Can I see?”

Merry pretended to consider this for a moment or two and then said, “Fine. I’ll show you so that you know I mean business.” Merry released Pippin’s arm and then started to walk out of the parlor knowing that his younger cousin would follow him. After all, getting Pippin to follow him wasn’t at all difficult; it was getting Pippin to leave him alone that was nearly impossible.

Rubbing his arm, Pippin hurried after Merry completely forgetting that whatever it was that Merry was taking him to see could roast him alive. The important thing in the child’s mind was that Merry had a secret and that their much older and very grown-up cousin, Frodo had given this secret to Merry. The important thing was that Merry was going to share this secret with Pippin. The threat of being roasted alive wasn’t at all on Pippin’s mind now. Besides, Merry was his protector and always had been. Merry certainly wouldn’t roast him alive or hurt him in any way. It had been Merry, just minutes earlier, who had stopped Falco Boffins from feeding him to the hogs.

When Merry reached the door to his bedroom he stopped and turned to face Pippin. “Swear that you won’t tell a single soul what I’m about to show you,” Merry ordered.

“I swear,” Pippin said quickly.

“Swear that if you do tell that you’ll cut out your own tongue and let me feed it to the hogs,” Merry said.

Pippin gulped. He hated those hogs! Every time anyone threatened him for any reason, it always came back to those dreadful, muddy, big, hogs. “I swear,” Pippin whispered.

“You swear what?” Merry asked.

“I swear that if I tell anyone what,” Pippin frowned as he tried to remember how it went. “What is it again?”

“Swear that if you tell anyone about what I have in my room that-“

“Oh!” Pippin grinned as he remembered. “I swear that if I tell anyone what you have in your room that I’ll cut out my tongue so you can feed it to the hogs.” He recited this brightly as if it were important news rather than a threat.

“Good,” Merry said and he held the door open and ushered Pippin inside. Merry followed Pippin into the room and then closed the door. “Now, I’m going to show you what Frodo gave me.”

Pippin’s eyes shone with excitement and he followed Merry over toward the table next to the window. There was a large, round, glass bowl on the table. It looked more like a large vase than a bowl really. “You could put lots of biscuits in a bowl that big,” Pippin said, impressed.

“The bowl isn’t the important thing,” Merry said. He reached over and lifted Pippin up onto the chair that sat in front of the bowl and then said, “It’s what’s inside of the bowl that’s important.”

Pippin’s eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. Inside of the bowl lounging about on a large, flat, stone was some sort of small animal. It had scaly skin of brownish green, four feet with claws on them, large round reddish eyes rather like a cat’s, and a long, thin tail. The animal didn’t move. It just sat there and stared at Pippin. “W-W-What is it?” Pippin stammered, clearly impressed and slightly frightened. He thought he knew what it was but he wasn’t certain. He’d never been this close to one before.

“What do you think it is?” Merry asked. “Look closely and tell me what it reminds you of,” Merry encouraged. “See the scaly skin? Think about all of those stories that Bilbo tells us. Think about Bilbo’s adventures with the Dwarves and then you tell me what this is.”

Pippin frowned as an idea occurred to him but he quickly discarded it. “It’s too small. Those are big and very scary. This is a lizard, isn’t it?”

“It’s a baby dragon. All babies are small,” Merry said.

“That’s a baby dragon?” Pippin said, voice full of wonder.

“It is,” Merry said. This was entirely too easy.

“Where did Frodo get it?” Pippin asked. “Is it one of Smaug’s babies?”

“Smaug is dead, remember?” Merry reminded the child. He bit his lip to keep from chuckling at his own cleverness and the younger lad’s gullible nature. “This dragon isn’t Smaug’s baby but it is a baby dragon.”

“Where are its wings?” Pippin frowned. “Dragon’s have wings. Bilbo says so and your dragon doesn’t have any wings.”

“They get wings as they grow,” Merry said thinking quickly. It seemed that Pippin would take a bit more convincing if this was to work but Merry was up to the task. “They aren’t born with wings. It’s like baby hobbits aren’t born with teeth. The wings come later.”

Pippin nodded understanding this completely. “Make it breathe fire, Merry,” Pippin requested.

“It can breath fire but I won’t let it just now,” Merry said. “Even though it’s very little, it can breathe fire with such force that it could set the smial ablaze. I have it trained. Frodo showed me how to train it so that it won’t ruin things by burning them up. Frodo knows all about dragons. He learned their ways from Bilbo and he taught me all about them too. That’s why Frodo trusts me with this dragon.”

Pippin looked very impressed. “Can you teach me about dragons too, Merry?”

“You aren’t old enough to have a dragon,” Merry said.

Pippin’s face fell. “Oh.”

“The important thing for you to know is that I have this dragon and that even though it is a baby dragon it can breathe more than enough fire to roast you to a cinder, Peregrin Took!” Merry said. “Now, if you don’t do exactly as I say and quit following me about then I will set this dragon on you.”

Pippin nearly fell from the chair and would have if Merry hadn’t caught him by the shoulders. “You’d let it roast me?” Pippin asked in a nervously high voice.

“I’ll have no choice if you don’t quit bothering me when I’m doing things with the older lads,” Merry said in a voice that meant business. “Now either you keep my secret and do as I say or I promise you that I will let this tiny dragon singe all of the hair off of your head as a warning. Then if you bother me again, I’ll have it toast you to a cinder. Do you understand?”

Pippin nodded, the fear plain to see in his eyes as he climbed down from the chair and backed away from the once interesting dragon. “You would really roast me up?” Pippin asked in a small voice.

“I can and I will,” Merry said. “Dragons like to roast things and so it’s very hard to keep them from doing it. It would be a real treat for my little dragon to get to roast someone or something for a change.” Merry looked at the frightened child and for an instant he almost felt guilty, almost. He had spent the last two weeks trying to avoid the little child only to have Pippin turn up in the middle of his games during the daytime and in his bedroom at night. Pippin would slip into the room after dark with that ridiculous stuffed rabbit of his and climb into Merry’s bed and chatter for hours about any and every strange thing that came into his head. Merry had to put a stop to this once and for all or Pippin would completely ruin his summer. After all, Merry was fifteen now. He didn’t want to be stuck with a seven-year-old all summer. Pippin was annoying all of Merry’s older friends and everyone was blaming Merry. This was the only way. “Now, I want you to go find something else to do besides follow me around. In fact, if you see me coming then you had better make yourself scarce. You understand?” Merry said pointing at the dragon.

Pippin nodded and wiped at one eye. “I won’t bother you any more, Merry.” He sniffled. “Please don’t make your dragon roast me.”

“And you won’t tell anyone about my dragon?” Merry challenged.

“I won’t tell,” Pippin said wiping at his eyes again and backing closer to the door.

“Then get going,” Merry said sternly.

As quick as a flash Pippin raced to the door, pulled it open and ran off down the hallway. Merry felt a pang of guilt and then looked over at the harmless little river lizard in the glass bowl and sighed. “Well, part of it is the truth anyway. Frodo did catch you and give you to me.” He traced a finger over the side of the bowl.

Suddenly something struck the window and Merry jumped. He walked over and looked out to find his friends standing there looking up at him. Berilac shouted loud enough to be heard through the glass. “Either give us the beaner or get back out here so we can finish the game, Merry!”

Forgetting Pippin and the dragon story, Merry opened the window and climbed out to join his friends.

*****

“Wait a minute, Pippin,” Nelly frowned catching her younger brother by his braces as he tried to run past her. “Where are you off to?”

Panting, Pippin tugged fiercely. Why was it that everyone seemed to be able to hold him in place when he wanted to escape? “I have to hurry, Nelly,” Pippin said sounding breathless. “Merry’s coming!”

“Are you hiding from Merry?” Nell asked. “Are you playing a game?”

“I’m not playing with Merry,” Pippin assured her. “I got to go now, Nelly!” Pippin managed to tug himself free and off he ran leaving Nell standing in the parlor looking puzzled. Just as Pippin left the room, Merry entered with Merimas.

“Hullo, Nell,” Merry smiled.

“Hullo, Nell,” Merimas said.

“Hello,” Nell said. “Merry, is Pippin playing with you?”

“No,” Merry said. “Why do you ask?”

“He just ran out of here,” Nell said. “He said that he had to go because you were coming. Are you teasing him or something?”

Before Merry could answer Merimas spoke up. “We didn’t do anything to Pippin. We haven’t seen him for two glorious brat-less days now.”

Nell scowled at Merimas and walked over to him. She stood close to him and looked down at him. Nell was an inch taller than Merry and so that made her more than a match for Merimas. “It’s fine if you don’t play with Pippin. In fact, I’m certain that Pippin would be quite bored if he were forced to spend time with you, Merimas Brandybuck, but I won’t have you talking about my little brother,” Nell said one hand balled into a fist at her side. At eighteen, Nell was still more at home with lads than lasses and she could throw a punch that would send most lads sprawling. Merimas would be no match for her if she decided to strike.

“I wasn’t talking about him,” Merimas said. “I just said-“

“I know what you said,” Nell glared. “Just see to it that you remember what I’ve said.” She raised her fist, held it directly in front of Merimas’s nose so that he could study it for a moment, and then left the room.

After he was certain that Nell Took was out of earshot, Merimas said, “I could take her. She’s all brag and no action.”

“Tell yourself that if it makes you feel better,” Merry said. “But I wouldn’t want to tangle with her. She’s dangerous. She made me eat a worm once.”

Merimas frowned, licked his lips and then said, “I could take her. She wouldn’t make me eat any old worm.”

Merry shrugged. “Test that idea out on your own, cousin. I’m staying away from Nell Took.”

“Speaking of Tooks, how did you manage to get rid of Pippin?” Merimas asked.

Merry smiled. He didn’t feel as good about his trick as he thought he should but maybe a bit of bragging would help things. “I threatened him with a dragon,” Merry said. Becoming more pleased with himself with each word, Merry gave his older cousin the details of his arrangement with Pippin. By the time the story was finished, Merimas was howling with laughter. From there, it didn’t take long for the ‘dragon tale’ to spread throughout Brandy Hall among the older lads. The story was very good for Merry’s standing with the other lads and so he didn’t mind retelling it. Each time he told it, he became more relaxed and the story took on more interesting details. In the latest version, Merry had held Pippin up over the bowl and pushed his face toward the ‘dragon’ until the child had begged for mercy. None of the other lads mentioned the dragon to Pippin but this was at least partly because none of them had crossed paths with the seven-year-old since Merry had made his threat. Pippin had been absent from their games and activities.

*****

Merry sat in the dark of his room in his bed staring at the doorway. Surely Pippin would come tonight. That first night Merry had been certain that wild ponies could not have dragged Pippin in here but he had been surprised when Pippin had failed to slip into his room the second night. Now, here it was long after the time that the Pip Squeak usually arrived on the third night since Merry’s threat and there was no sign of Pippin.

Merry had tried to shrug it off. After all, wasn’t this exactly what he had wanted when he had spun the story about dragons in the first place? Hadn’t he been trying to keep Pippin and his icy cold toes out of his bed? He had certainly meant to keep Pippin from following him about like a lost pup during the day. Merry had slept in this bed on his own since he’d been eight. This was his room and he didn’t want or need visitors. Once Frodo had gone off to live with Bilbo, Merry had adjusted to sleeping alone. Up until then he’d slipped into Frodo’s room most nights and slept with him. Still, Merry knew that Pippin didn’t like Brandy Hall after dark. “It’s big and dark and full of rooms and dark corners,” Pippin had explained. Pippin’s own home was a single family dwelling and therefore much cozier. Pippin had his own room in Whitwell and slept in his own bed. Pippin was less secure here and almost always wound up in Merry’s bed. Merry wondered where Pippin was sleeping now.

*****

“Can I?” Pippin asked in a loud whisper. Pearl looked over at her little brother who was standing next to her bed in his nightshirt holding his stuffed rabbit.

Pearl smiled gently and threw back the blankets. “Climb in,” she said. “Just keep those cold feet of yours on your side of the bed.”

Pippin scurried into the bed and tucked himself in tightly all the while holding onto the rabbit. Pearl ran a hand through his curls and said, “Did you and Merry have a fight?”

“No,” Pippin said so softly that Pearl had to strain to hear him.

“Then how come I’ve the honor of your presence rather than Merry?” she asked in a teasing voice.

“Merry’s probably busy or something,” Pippin said in that same low voice. “He likes to sleep by his own self.”

Pearl frowned. Something was most definitely wrong but she wasn’t at all certain what that something might be. “Well, you can stay with me tonight,” she said rubbing his back.

“I’m not scared or anything, Pearl,” Pippin said. “I just think Errol likes company when he sleeps.”

Pearl was used to Pippin assigning ideas to Errol, the stuffed rabbit. The child often talked about the toy as if it were alive. “Well, you and Errol can stay here tonight and get some sleep,” Pearl said putting a protective arm around her little brother. Pippin scooted closer to her and was soon fast asleep with Errol in his arms.

*****

“Come on,” Pervinca demanded. “I want to go outside so you have to go too.” She glared at Pippin who was seated on the floor of the parlor with a book stretched out in front of him.

“I’m reading,” Pippin said sounding annoyed.

“You can’t read,” Pervinca objected.

“I can so,” Pippin shot back. “I read all the time. Pearl is teaching it to me.”

“You can’t read that book,” Pervinca said pointing to the large, picture-less book that lay open in front of Pippin. “That book is for grown-ups.”

“I’m almost grown,” Pippin said turning a page of the book.

“Come outside and we’ll play,” Pervinca said ignoring Pippin’s claim with an amused smirk. “Aunt Esme let me have this basket so that I can go find wild flowers and I need you to help me pick them.”

“I don’t like flowers,” Pippin lied. “You can pick them your own self. I’m reading.”

“You haven’t been outside in two days,” Pervinca objected. “You always go outside. You can go outside now with me or I’ll tell Papa that you’re pretending to read.” It wasn’t much of a threat but it was all she could think of.

“I don’t care,” Pippin said. “And I’m not pretending. I am reading.”

“Why don’t you want to come outside?” Pervinca continued. She was never one to give in easily.

Pippin looked up at her from his place on the floor. “The older lads are outside playing with Merry’s beaner. I don’t want to see them.”

Pervinca scowled. “You always want to see Merry,” Pervinca objected.

“No I don’t,” Pippin said quickly shaking his head. “I’m staying here so I won’t be under his feet.”

“Fine!” Pervinca shouted. “Read that old book, but I’m going out in the sunshine and get flowers.” She stormed off and Pippin watched her leave. Pervinca didn’t ask him to do many things with her and he was sorry to miss this chance. He liked picking flowers but he couldn’t risk running into Merry. He didn’t want to get roasted by the tiny dragon. Pervinca would just have to do without him this time. Maybe she would come in later and play with him.

*****

Frodo walked into the parlor and knelt down next to Pippin who seemed to be reading one of the largest books from Brandy Hall’s impressive library. The child obviously didn’t notice him. Pippin seemed to be studying the book intently. Frodo smiled and cleared his throat. “What are you reading, Pippin?” he asked.

Pippin, who had been leaning over the large book, sat up quickly and looked at Frodo with surprise. “I didn’t do anything, honest I didn’t!” Pippin said nervously. “I’ve been right here all day long not doing anything so if anyone says that I did anything then they’re wrong.”

Frodo laughed gently. “Easy, Pippin. No one said that you did anything. I just wanted to say hello. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you,” Frodo said watching as the child’s face eased into a more relaxed look. “I believe that the last time you and I had a chance to visit was when Bilbo and I came to Whitwell three months ago. Remember?”

Pippin nodded but said nothing. This was not at all like Pippin who was always full of questions and stories. Something was wrong.

“What are you reading?” Frodo asked repeating his original question.

Pippin shrugged. “I’m mostly looking for letters that spell my name. See, that one there is a P like in my name.” Pippin pointed to the letter, which was in the middle of the word, ‘expectant’ and smiled shyly. “There are lots of words in this big old book that have my letters in them.”

“I should think so,” Frodo smiled.

“I can read some of the little words but so far there isn’t much of a story in this book,” Pippin said frowning. “I thought since it was a big book it would have a big story in it but it just has lots of very long words in it and I don’t understand what it means to say. That’s why I’m just only looking for my letters.”

“Why aren’t you outside with the other lads?” Frodo asked. He knew that he, of all folks in the Shire shouldn’t ask such a thing. How many times had he sat indoors reading while everyone else was outside? How many well-meaning relations had asked him that same question? Still, this was Pippin and Pippin couldn’t exactly read just yet. The lad was too young and most certainly Pippin was too young to be reading this book.

“I’m not suppose to say anything,” Pippin said. Then he quickly offered another bit of information that seemed unrelated to the first. “I go home in two weeks if I want.”

Frodo was unsure as to what the time of Pippin’s departure from Buckland had to do with whatever it was that Pippin was not supposed to be talking about. Furthermore, Frodo was uncertain as to what this had to do with the question he’d just ask the child. Neither seemed to answer Frodo’s question and so he tried again. Sometimes, with Pippin, you had to keep trying. “I don’t think I understand, Pippin,” Frodo said. “Why aren’t you outside playing?”

“The big lads are out there,” Pippin said, pointing to the open parlor window. The noise from the older lad’s game floated into the parlor. Pippin then looked over at Frodo and said, “But I go home soon and then I’ll be fine.”

Frodo considered this for a minute but before he could try yet again Pippin said, “Frodo, if you already know something about a secret because you were the one that gave it to Merry in the first place then if I ask you about it am I telling?”

“What secret?” Frodo asked, now completely confused. He wished Merry were here. Somehow, Merry always knew exactly what Pippin meant. “Pippin, what secret?”

“I can’t say or something will happen and then,” Pippin stopped there and frowned at Frodo. “You shouldn’t have given Merry that present!” With those words Pippin got up and hurried out of the room leaving Frodo even more confused than before. What present was Pippin talking about? The only option left was to locate Merry.

*****

“You told him what?” Frodo demanded.

Withering under Frodo’s harsh look, Merry’s eyes focused on his toes and he mumbled, “I told him it was a dragon.”

“You told Pippin that your pet lizard was a dragon?” Frodo groaned. “Meriadoc, look at me.” Merry’s eyes snapped upward and he looked directly at Frodo. “What did you tell that child?”

“He was following me all the time and-“

“What did you say to him?”

“He kept getting in the way and the other lads were-“

“I asked you what you told Pippin.”

“He ruined our game of beaner by-“

“Merry?”

“All right! I told him that the lizard that you gave me was actually a baby dragon and that if he didn’t quit pestering me and following me that I would have my dragon burn his hair off!” Merry shouted hurriedly. “I told him I’d let it roast him alive if he bothered me any more.”

Frodo’s mouth fell open. He started to say something, caught himself and then started again. There seemed no words for this interesting situation. He looked at Merry intently and watched as his younger cousin squirmed beneath his gaze.

“You don’t understand, Frodo!” Merry objected. “The other lads were starting to blame me because Pippin was always in the way. I’d tell him not to follow me but he would follow me just the same. I’d tell him to go back to the Hall but he wouldn’t. I couldn’t get rid of him.”

“Well, you have managed to get rid of him now, Merry,” Frodo said slowly keeping his voice even. “In fact, I don’t think Pippin will come within a hundred yards of you. He’s actually counting the days until he gets to go home.” Frodo sighed. “Congratulations, Merry. You’ve managed to get Pippin to stop following you.”

Now it was Merry’s turn to be speechless. He looked at Frodo and swallowed hard. Suddenly he felt rather ill.

“You’ve frightened him, Merry,” Frodo said with a sigh.

“Nothing scares him,” Merry objected. “Falco threatens him all the time and so does Berilac but Pippin never gets scared. He even talks back to them. One of these days he’s going to say something to one of them and they are going to forget that Pippin is smaller and hit him.”

“You don’t think Pippin is afraid of anything?” Frodo frowned. “Where did you get that idea?”

“He’ll stand right next to me and say the most outrageous things to lads three times his size and twice his age,” Merry said. “He never backs down either. He just runs his mouth and then looks at me as if-“ Merry paused as if realizing something.

“As if?” Frodo prodded.

“He says those things and then he waits for me to back him up,” Merry said slowly.

“Exactly,” Frodo nodded. “Merry, when Pippin is with you he knows that none of the other lads would dare to harm him. He knows that you’ll protect him. He isn’t afraid because he has you.”

“Why would he think that?” Merry demanded. “I’m not in charge of looking out for him. I’m not his brother or anything. I never told him that I’d look out for him. Why does he think I will?”

“Because you always have,” Frodo smiled.

“Well, it wasn’t like I meant to or anything,” Merry objected. “I was just around when he’d get himself into trouble, that’s all. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t just stand there and let him get hurt. I couldn’t let any of my little cousins get hurt and just stand there. Why does Pippin think that he’s special?” Merry swore under his breath. “I’m too old to play with a seven-year-old. He needs to play with little lads his own age and leave me alone. He isn’t a bad little child or anything but I don’t need him following me about like he does.”

“I don’t think he will bother you anymore, Merry,” Frodo said gently. “I think he’s afraid of you now.”

“Afraid of me?” Merry repeated.

“And besides that,” Frodo said. “Even if you explained about the lizard and apologized I don’t think Pippin would trust you anymore. I think his feelings would be hurt if he knew the complete truth.”

“I didn’t want to frighten him but I didn’t have any choice,” Merry tried to explain. “He wouldn’t leave me alone.”

“Do you know why?”

“Not really,” Merry frowned.

“Because he looks up to you,” Frodo said. “He thinks that there is no one in all of the Shire like you. He follows you around because he likes you. Little ones do that, Merry. You did that to me.”

“But I was-“

“You, Meriadoc, are fourteen years younger than I am,” Frodo smiled. “I am twenty-nine and you are fifteen. Do you think that what you did was any different than what Pippin is doing?” Frodo sighed. “Do you think that when I went out with the lads my age that I actually wanted to bring you with me?”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Merry demanded, looking slightly insulted.

Frodo shrugged. “I do like your company, Merry. You helped me through some very rough times. Whatever else happened to me, I knew that you loved me. I tried to give that feeling back to you. Sometimes I wanted to go off with the lads my own age for a while and I may have said things to you that I shouldn’t have, but you always forgave me. You were my little shadow.”

Merry had tears in the corner of his eyes now. “I never thought of it like that. I didn’t realize that I was, that I was like Pippin is,” Merry said. “I’m older and so I just thought that it was different.”

“Merry, most little ones attach themselves to an older brother or an older cousin or just some older lad that lives near them that they admire,” Frodo said gently. “I’ve been very lucky. You started following me about as soon as you could walk. I’ve been able to play older brother to you all of your life. I like to think that you and I are very close and that we can always count on one another, don’t you?”

Merry nodded because speaking now would have been too difficult. The tears were flowing freely and he had a lump in his throat.

“You and I spent the first eight years of your life together,” Frodo smiled. He handed Merry his handkerchief and continued. “We see each other whenever possible. Somewhere along the way, Pippin decided that you were his protector and he latched onto you. I don’t know why he selected you and maybe he doesn’t know. All I know is that even when Pippin was a tiny baby and before he could walk or talk his eyes would follow you when you came into a room. You were the one he watched and the one he reached for. You are the one he quotes on all-important matters. You are the one that has stood between him and anyone who means him harm.”

“It isn’t that I don’t like him,” Merry sniffled. “Sometimes I just want to be with the lads my age is all.”

“I know,” Frodo said patting Merry on the shoulder. “I understand that, Merry because I am the same way but you can’t frighten him.”

“Then what do I do? He doesn’t listen very well,” Merry said.

“No, he doesn’t,” Frodo sighed.

“I felt guilty for scaring him and for lying to him about the lizard,” Merry confessed. “I know that I shouldn’t have done it.”

“What do you plan to do now?” Frodo wondered.

“I don’t know,” Merry said. “I don’t guess he’ll forgive me this time.”

“Why don’t we go talk to him and see?” Frodo suggested. “At the very least, you have to tell him that you don’t have a dragon and that you won’t hurt him. The child is afraid to go outside, Merry. He thinks he might run into you and make you angry. Even if he won’t forgive you, you have to straighten this out.”

“I know,” Merry said. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor. “I do sort of like him. I mean sometimes he’s funny and he is too brave for his own good. It really isn’t that I don’t like him. It’s only that he’s too little for most things. I don’t mind that he follows me sometimes.”

Frodo put an arm around Merry’s shoulders and started walking him toward the parlor where he had found Pippin earlier. “You’ve missed him, haven’t you?”

Merry nodded, unwilling to admit exactly how much he’d missed his little cousin.

When they reached the parlor Pippin was nowhere to be seen. It was then that Frodo remembered that Pippin had run out of the parlor and left him to go and find Merry for his answers. “Well, Merry, this may be slightly more difficult than I thought it would be,” Frodo sighed. “I think we are going to have to search for Pippin.”

“Well, he won’t be in my room,” Merry said. “The lizard is in there and since Pippin believes that it’s a dragon he won’t go there.”

“I think he might have gone to the room that he sleeps in because he doesn’t seem to be going outside at all,” Frodo said and they set off to the part of the smial in which all of the better guest rooms were located. Merry’s mum always saw to it that her brother’s family had nice rooms when they visited.

An exhaustive search of all of Pippin’s favorite places in Brandy Hall failed to turn up any sign of the child. By now, Merry was becoming anxious to find Pippin and explain and it was nearing teatime. Frodo suggested that they wait until then because Pippin never missed tea. They would allow the child to have tea and then they would take him aside and Merry would try to set things right.

After tea, quite a few folks were searching for Pippin. The youngster had failed to show up and so now his parents, his older sisters, Merry’s parents, and much of the staff were looking for Pippin. Merry, quite naturally, blamed himself, but Frodo reassured him that with Pippin there could be any number of reasons why the child had missed tea. One which seemed popular among Pippin’s family was that the lad had fallen asleep somewhere and napped through the meal. Saradoc suspected that Pippin was playing and had lost track of time. With all of this in mind, a search began.

For the next several hours everyone searched high and low for Pippin but no one seemed to be able to locate him. Eglantine was becoming more and more frantic with every minute and poor Merry was beside himself with worry. He and Frodo had decided to search some of the lower levels of the smial. Pippin was forbidden from going down into the cellar as were all of the children, but since Pippin often did the very thing that he was told not to do, the cellar seemed a likely place to search.

Merry and Frodo had just entered the far end of the cellar when they heard a banging sound. Confused as to where it might be coming from since the cellar echoed rather badly, they stopped in their tracks and listened. The banging sound came again and they decided that it was coming from an area where Merry’s father stacked the empty wine barrels. Both cousins hurried over to the barrels and Frodo called out, “Pippin? Pippin is that you?”

There was a very muffled shout that could have been almost anyone and a great deal more banging. “Hold on and keep making noise!” Frodo shouted. “We’ll find you!”

Merry was afraid to say anything at all for fear that Pippin might go quiet to avoid any punishment from the dragon. The pounding continued and the two older lads soon located a large barrel lying on its side that was completely out of place among the others. The barrel had obviously fallen off of the stack and rolled into the corner where it now lay. Frodo bent down and examined the lid. “It’s wedged on tight, Merry,” Frodo said. “See if you can find a something we can use to pry it open. Frodo then spoke loudly to the barrel. “Don’t worry, Pippin. We’ll get you out. The lid is stuck and we have to get something to remove it!”

The banging sounded again and Frodo thought he could hear sobs but he wasn’t certain. Also something was making a sloshing sound within the barrel and Frodo feared that some of the wine was still inside along with the child. “Hurry, Merry!” Frodo called out.

Merry returned with a mallet and a pry bar. Before Frodo could offer to help, Merry jammed the bar in between the lid and the side of the barrel and smacked it hard twice with the mallet. There was a popping sound and the lid dropped to the floor. Wine poured out of the barrel and pooled on the floor and a very wet little hobbit lad crawled out of the barrel and stood up. Without thinking, Merry reached over and pulled the wine-soaked child to him and looked into the little, tear-streaked face. “Are you hurt?” Merry asked.

Pippin nodded though there didn’t seem to be a scratch on him and then wrapped his arms around Merry’s neck and held on tightly sobbing. Merry stood, holding the child close to him and looked at Frodo with relief. “It’s all right now, Pip. You’re safe. I’ve got you,” Merry reassured his little cousin.

“How did you find me?” Pippin sniffled between sobs. “I was hiding from you down here so you wouldn’t be angry.”

“Well, we just followed the noise,” Merry said feeling guilty that Pippin had indeed been avoiding him when the little child had got into this mess. “How did you get in there anyway?” Merry looked down and noticed that wine was dripping off of Pippin onto the floor. The child’s clothing was stained a dark, rich, burgundy color. If Frodo and Merry hadn’t known better they might have mistaken it for blood.

“I climbed in to hide like Bilbo did in his story and then,” Pippin paused to take several hitching breaths. “I stepped in the wine so I was going to get out but the barrel rocked and the lid shut on me and everything fell down!” Pippin buried his face in Merry’s shoulder and cried. “I hate wine. It smells funny and it tastes bad too.”

“You drank some of it?” Frodo asked slightly worried.

Pippin nodded into Merry’s shoulder. “I feel sick. Poor old Bilbo. I don’t know how he could stand that.”

Frodo smiled. “I don’t believe there was any wine left in Bilbo’s barrel, Pippin.”

“I hate wine,” Pippin repeated sniffling and clinging to Merry’s shirt.

“Let’s get you to your folks and let them get you cleaned up,” Merry said gently. “You smell like one of those old gaffers that stagger out of the Ivy Bush late at night, Pip.” Merry grinned. “Come to think of it, I suppose that I smell like wine too now.”

“Merry,” Pippin whispered. “Are you going to still be mad at me now?”

“No, Pip,” Merry said gently. “I’m not angry now. You should be angry with me though because I’ve been lying to you about something.”

“I know,” Pippin said softly. “Merry?”

“What?”

“It’s not a real dragon, is it?”

“No, it’s a lizard just like you said it was,” Merry said weakly. “I made that up about it being a dragon.”

“I’m hungry,” Pippin said even softer and he didn’t offer anything else. He just held on as Merry carried him up the stairs and presented him to his parents. Eglantine had nearly screamed when she’d seen him thinking that he was indeed covered in blood, but the smell quickly alerted everyone and Frodo hurried to explain about the wine barrel. Esmeralda made a mental note to have Saradoc put a lock on the cellar door the first thing tomorrow. As she stood there next to Eglantine, she breathed a sigh of relief that the wine barrel that Pippin had selected had not been completely full.

“Mama, I’m hungry,” Pippin repeated as he looked up from Merry’s shoulder. Smiling with relief of her own, Eglantine reached over and kissed her little one’s wine coated cheek.

“I can carry him to the bath if you want,” Merry offered, sounding hopeful. He realized how very good it felt to be looking after Pippin again. “I’m already covered with wine now anyway.”

“Thank you, Merry dear,” Eglantine said as she leaned over and kissed Pippin on the forehead.

“I want Mama,” Pippin whispered softly and reached for his mother who took him, still smiling at Merry.

“I suspect he’s had a bit of a scare, Merry dear,” Eglantine smiled. “I’ll take him. You can go ahead and get cleaned up yourself.” She hugged the child to her as she walked from the room leaving Merry to examine his own, wine-stained clothing.

Esmeralda smiled at Merry and said, “Go on, before you get wine all over the smial. I don’t want to have to follow you about with a bucket of water and scrub brush, dearest.”

Merry looked off in the direction that Eglantine had taken Pippin, ignoring his mother’s jest and Esmeralda frowned, wondering what might be wrong. Stepping in as he so often did, Frodo put an arm around Merry’s shoulders. “Come on, Merry-lad,” Frodo said. “I’ll go along with you and keep you company while you clean up. From the look of you, it’s going to take some time.”

*****

“He’s never done that before, Frodo,” Merry objected looking at his older cousin as the two of them sat beneath a large tree in front of Brandy Hall. They had both cleaned up after the incident with Pippin and the wine barrel and had eaten a late dinner. Now, they sat outside in the dark looking at the stars.

“I suppose that his feelings were hurt, Merry,” Frodo said gently. “You did lie to him and you managed to frighten him as well. It may take him a while to forgive you.”

“It never has before,” Merry objected. “I’ve teased him and pulled pranks on him lots of times but he always forgives me. He’s never wanted anyone else to take him when I was holding him. Even when he was a baby he wouldn’t go to anyone else if I had him.”

“You’re forgetting something,” Frodo sighed rubbing Merry’s shoulder as he spoke.

“What?”

“Pippin is older now,” Frodo said. “As you have pointed out to all of us time and again, he is a very clever little lad. I’m afraid that he is old enough to know exactly why you tricked him and I suspect that is why this time is different.” Frodo paused and when Merry didn’t reply he continued. “When Pippin was a baby he didn’t understand what was being said all of the time. You could get away with more because he didn’t know what you were saying. Later, because he is so trusting, you could talk your way out of what had been done. Now, you may have your hands full, Meriadoc.”

“He doesn’t listen when I tell him that he can’t play or that he can’t come with me,” Merry objected. “Why is he suddenly listening when I insult him?”

“He listens to all of it, Merry,” Frodo smiled. “He doesn’t always do what you tell him to do but he listens. I think that sometimes his desire to trail after you overshadows the fact that he knows you don’t want him to do so. At this moment, I fear you have a choice.”

“What choice is that?” Merry asked.

“You have to decide what you mean to do now,” Frodo said. “Pippin knows the truth of things and so you don’t have to explain further. He won’t be frightened any more. What you have to decide is if you want to try and regain his friendship or not.”

“Friendship? I just thought he liked following me about,” Merry frowned.

“You know perfectly well that the child adores you,” Frodo sighed. “He follows you because he wants to be your friend and because he sees you as his protector and his older cousin who can do anything. Merry, Pippin loves you dearly and it is a big responsibility. You treated me the very same way and sometimes you still do.”

Merry looked down at the ground and pulled up a few blades of grass. He pretended to study them as if he found them fascinating. “You said I had a choice,” Merry said in a low voice that Frodo could just hear.

“If you leave things as they are, Pippin will be hurt but he will get over it,” Frodo said. “He will stop trailing after you and he may even attach himself to one of the other older lads or simply play with the little ones his own age. He won’t be afraid of you and he won’t bother you.” Frodo looked at Merry and saw the surprise on the younger hobbit’s face.

“Who would he choose?” Merry frowned.

“I don’t know,” Frodo shrugged. “But if you truly don’t want him around then why does that matter?”

“Well, what if he chooses someone who doesn’t know how much trouble he can get into? What if whoever it is doesn’t look out for him properly or show him how to do things?” Merry objected. “It matters who he chooses. What if whoever he chooses hurts his feelings like I did?” Merry sniffled and wiped at his eyes.

“If you don’t want the responsibility then Pippin will have to choose someone else,” Frodo said. “I know he’s a handful. I’ve had my share of interesting experiences because of him. For the most part, when he’s in your company he’s fearless. He’s too clever for his own good, too curious by far, and he has the oddest ideas about things of any little child I have ever encountered.” Frodo chuckled slightly.

“He’s a Took,” Merry shrugged, smiling. “If I should want to make things right with him, I mean, if I want him following me, then what? I’m not saying that I do, but if I were that daft then what do you suppose I’d have to do?”

“If you want your little shadow back, Merry then you’ll have to apologize to him and you may have to earn his trust again,” Frodo said.

“He knows he can trust me,” Merry objected scowling. “Didn’t I just haul him out of a wine barrel?”

“There is still that little matter of the dragon,” Frodo said. “And the fact that you’ve embarrassed him in front of the other lads.”

“How have I embarrassed him?” Merry wanted to know.

“Did you brag at all? You told me that you had spread the story around a bit,” Frodo said.

Merry winced. “I may have told some of the lads.”

Frodo arched an eyebrow. “Some?”

“All of them,” Merry sighed.

“Think it through, Merry,” Frodo said gently. “It isn’t an easy thing to be the object of so much hero-worship. It makes you responsible for the other person. Be certain that you want that responsibility.”

“I sort of like it when he looks at me like he’s proud of me all the time,” Merry said. “And sometimes he can be lots of fun to have around.”

“And sometimes you wish he’d leave you alone,” Frodo pointed out.

“I can’t have both, can I?” Merry sighed.

“Not with Pippin Took,” Frodo smiled. “It’s all or nothing, Merry. I’m afraid sometimes won’t do with this little hobbit. That is precisely why you have to be certain.”

*****

The room was darker than Pippin liked and so he squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to think about it. He wished that he had someone in the room with him at night. Being the only lad in the family wasn’t an easy thing. When he was at home he liked his own little room that was right across the hall from Nell and Pervinca’s room. He could hear them at night and could even visit if he felt like it. Most nights they left the door open and he left his open too. It was friendly. Besides, his little room wasn’t in a big, dark, scary old smial like Brandy Hall.

Pippin liked Brandy Hall in the daytime. There were lots of places to hide and lots of things to do. There were huge mathom rooms to explore and there was always someone about to play with. Nighttime was a completely different story. At night there were creaking noises and it was dark and if he had to go to the privy it was a long way down a long dark hall. He squeezed Errol tightly and buried his face in the rabbit’s fur. “It’s all right, Errol,” he whispered. “We can be brave and sleep on our own. We don’t need that nasty old Merry and we aren’t going to bother Nelly or Pearl tonight.”

Outside in the dark hallway Merry leaned against the wall next to Pippin’s door and listened to his little cousin talk to the rabbit. Merry had made up his mind just like Frodo had told him to but it was very hard to begin. What if Pippin wouldn’t forgive him? Maybe that was why Merry had decided to come to the child’s room at night. Pippin was likely to want company at night and he might be in a more forgiving mood. In the morning at breakfast surrounded by plenty of playmates and with a full table of food, Pippin was less likely to need him.

“If Merry doesn’t like us then we don’t care,” Pippin said. “I knew that was a silly old lizard. I knew it was all the time.” In truth he hadn’t known but for some reason when Merry and Frodo had come to rescue him from the wine barrel he had just figured it out. He didn’t think that he’d ever seen a lizard up close before but he had seen them hurrying up and over rocks near his family’s farm. He knew that the lizards made his sister Pervinca scream but he’d never studied one before. With sisters, a lad couldn’t keep a lizard in a bowl in his room.

Merry smiled to himself as Pippin lied to the rabbit. He supposed that Pippin might have known the truth of things on some level but the child hadn’t been certain until Merry had confirmed it for him. Pippin had been too frightened and this fact made Merry feel guilty all over again.

“I know more about dragons than Merry knows,” Pippin continued. “I listen to all of Bilbo’s stories and I know about dragons.” Pippin fell silent for a minute. “Tomorrow you and me are going to go outside and look for our own lizard to scare Merry with. We’ll find a great big lizard and then will make some wings out of parchment and we’ll teach our lizard to bite.”

Merry sighed. Pippin was definitely angry.

Pippin let out a long sigh and whispered loudly to the rabbit, “Errol, don’t tell anyone but I miss Merry anyway.”

Merry was certain that he could hear crying now and he made up his mind once and for all. If asked exactly when he had decided to take care of his little cousin, Merry would have said that this had been the exact moment. There was no more doubt in Merry’s mind. Pippin was his responsibility now. Pippin, in spite of the age difference, was now Merry’s friend. He moved over and stepped into Pippin’s doorway and said, “Pippin, can I come in for a minute?”

The sniffling stopped and a small voice replied, “Why?”

“Well, it’s rather lonely in my room and I was wondering if maybe you and Errol might want some company,” Merry said quietly.

Pippin sat up and looked toward the door still holding the rabbit in his arms. “Are you teasing me again?” Pippin asked.

“No,” Merry said startled by this question. He should have expected something like it but it did sting a bit. “No, I’m not teasing but if you don’t want me to come in then I’ll go back to my room. I know I haven’t been very nice lately and you’re probably angry with me. You should be. So if you want me to go then I will.”

“You could come in if you want to,” Pippin said after a long silence. “They made it too dark when they put me to bed so you have to be careful. It’s hard to see stuff.”

Relief flooded Merry and he stepped into the room, went over to the other side of the bed and crawled in beside Pippin. The child was still sitting up holding the rabbit and so Merry sat up also. “Thank you, Pippin,” Merry said.

Pippin didn’t reply. He just clutched the rabbit and burrowed down into the blankets. Merry lay down beside him and remained quiet.

“Merry?”

“Yes, Pippin?”

“Am I a pest?”

“Who says that?”

“You do sometimes. Am I?”

Merry thought for a minute. “Sometimes, but not all of the time. You’re just little right now. You’ll out grow being a pest.”

“Will you like me then?”

“Pippin, I like you just fine now,” Merry said and before the words were out of his mouth Pippin had flung himself at Merry and was holding on tightly to the older lad. For the moment, Errol the Rabbit was on his own on the other side of the bed. Merry rubbed the little child’s back. “Pippin, you have to try to understand that sometimes I’m not very nice about things. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings but some of the things that I like to do are things that you’re still too little for. You can’t always go with me,” Merry said quietly. “You can’t do all of the things that I can because you’re still too small for some of them.”

“I can keep up,” Pippin said defiantly. “And if you show me how to do all of those things, then I can try really hard and learn them. You know how to do all kinds of stuff, Merry and if you show it to me then I can know it too.”

“I’ll start in the morning,” Merry grinned. “But I’m having breakfast first.”

Pippin snuggled against Merry’s side and retrieved Errol. “I want breakfast too.”

“Pippin,” Merry frowned sniffing the child’s hair. “You still smell like wine.”

Pippin giggled.

*****

The twelve-year-old kicked the bright red beaner straight up into the air and then bumped it with the top of his head as it fell sending it back into the air. He then smacked it with his palm sending it to Merry at the other end of the field. Some of the younger lads looking on clapped and there were shouts from his teammates, all of whom were much older. At the far end of the field, Merry watched the beaner sail toward him and then kicked it over the point line to finish the game. Merry grinned with pride as several of the older lads congratulated Pippin on the amazing pass that had allowed Merry to score. From inside the circle of well-wishers, Pippin grinned and raised a hand to wave at Merry.

Pippin had been right. All Merry had to do was show him how and Pippin would learn it.

The End

GW 11/27/2006