Disclaimer - Sadly, I don't actually own any of the hobbits. I just like playing with them.

The Witches of Tuckborough

"Owww..... 'Vinca - help me!" cried Pippin Took, as he attempted to escape from the roving fingers of his eldest sister Pearl.

It was the first day of Yule, and Pippin and his sisters sat in one of the many rooms in the maze of Brandy Hall, awaiting their parent's call to supper. Pimpernel and Pearl Took had decided that the upcoming supper with the Brandybucks, one of the most influential and prestigious families in all of the Shire, was the ideal opportunity to clean their beloved younger brother up from the mess he seemed to get in from his constant adventures. Unfortunately, Pippin was not amused, and was beginning to feel rather sore from the comb that Pearl was dragging through his unruly locks as she attempted to remove a clump of tangles. Pervinca Took, who had something of a soft spot for her baby brother, sat on the bed, watching with amusement at the whole ordeal.

"Ouch! Stop it! Pearl, you're hurting me!"

"That's enough for now girls," said Pervinca, stepping in to save Pippin from certain death. He was, after all, closest to her age and would stand more chance of exacting his revenge on her than Pimpernel or Pearl. "It is pointless brushing this one's hair, and you know it! Besides, no one will recognise him smartened up, and you wouldn't want to lose him the attention he is bound to get from his many aunts - do you?"

Pimpernel and Pearl covered their mouths and laughed softly. It was well known amongst the siblings that Pippin was the pride of both the Took and Brandybuck families, being the youngest child and also future thain, and so received special attention at family gatherings such as this. Pippin was not amused by this attention, as it always seemed to him to consist of much cooing, ruffling of his curls and comments along the line of, "Why how much have you grown, Master Peregrin?"

"No, we wouldn't!" sniggered Pearl, "Would we Pimpernel?" She looked questioningly at her sister, who shook her head. Pippin scowled; this was possibly going to be even worse than having his sisters brush his hair.

~~::~~

"Merry," Pippin smiled sweetly at his favourite Brandybuck cousin, "Have you ever seen a witch?"

"A witch? You don't see many of those in the Shire, Pippin! Why, I think that the only one seen in recent years was the one cousin Frodo saw when he last visited the Sackville Bagginses with Bilbo..."

"I saw one," interrupted Pippin. "In fact, I saw two!"

Merry's eyes widened, and he focused his gaze on Pippin, his mushroom soup laden spoon missing his mouth and hitting his cheek as he turned to look at the young hobbit sat next to him.

"Really Pippin? Where did you find two witches in Tuckborough?"

"I didn't see them at home, silly, although they might have been there..... I saw them in Brandy Hall - in my bed chamber!"

"And you're still alive? You are one brave hobbit, cousin Pippin! Where are they now?"

Pippin scanned the great dining room and pointed in the vague direction of his two oldest sisters.

"Oh..." the twenty year old hobbit said as he followed his cousin's shaking finger. "What are we going to do then?"

~~::~~

"Are you ready?" whispered Pippin to Merry as they stood, quiet as only hobbits can be, outside the door to the room Pippin's sisters were sharing during their sojourn in Buckland. They carried no candles, but Pippin fancied that they had small night lights, which illuminated the stony walls of the witches' cave they currently inhabited. This was the ultimate burgling adventure that he and Merry were partaking in! Perhaps it would even match up to that of Bilbo and his company of dwarves!

Merry pushed open the heavy wooden door, constructed of a portion of dead tree that looked to have been struck by lightning, and snuck carefully into the cave. The witches and their captive, the hobbit maiden, lay sleeping, much as Brave Burglar Pippin had said they would be. Pippin followed his cousin into the cave, which was dimly lit by a small shaft of moonlight that had crept in through a crack in the rock, and spied the treasure they sought on a roughly hewed table by the far wall.

Pippin held his breath as the largest and ugliest witch stirred in her sleep, but relaxed as she simply rolled over in her bed. The treasure would soon be his! He crept, mindful of the echoes made by his footsteps on the rock floor, over to the table and reached for his prize. He had succeeded in his quest.

In his excitement, Pippin forgot his caution, and spun around, knocking into Merry and emitting a squeak. The smaller witch cracked open an eye.

"Peregrin Took! Meriadoc Brandybuck! What are you doing in here? Get-"

She looked to where the two hobbits had stood, only moments ago, to see that they had vanished. Merry and Pippin had left the witches' cave and re-entered the safety of Brandy Hall's many panelled corridors, running as quietly as they could towards their room, clutching the prize - the Took sisters' hairbrush and comb set.

Never again would Pippin suffer his sister's grooming attention.