Long had his dreams been dark. Merry felt like he had been swept in darkness, forever being cold and lost in an undertow of doubt, uncertainty and despair.  But he awoke to the smell of athelas, and old friends looked anxiously upon him. The dark dreams disappeared. 

“I was so worried for you, Merry- how are you feeling?” Pippin asked

“I am fine. I am hungry, what is the time?”***

But hunger made him think of his pipe as well and of King Theoden, what a pity that the kindly King that had been lost in battle.

Merry frowned. “I …I don’t think I'll smoke again.”

“You shall smoke and think of him,” said Aragorn. “Face the sunshine and not let the Black Breath overtake you again.”

And Merry’s thoughts turned positive, for he was grateful for being alive. The darkness abated entirely and wisdom replaced his anxiousness, and he thought about how important it was to love first what was fitted to be loved and that he had to start somewhere.

But he shook off his unexpected pensiveness and asked Pippin for his pipe again. He chased sunshine by going back to the familiar of how he remembered home.