Peregrin Took lay in the grass, his eyes closed, smiling as the slight breeze tickled his face. To his friends, he was known as Pippin. His friends... Suddenly, he thought of Frodo. Frodo was his second cousin and one of his best friends. Four years ago, he had joined Frodo and two other respectable Hobbits on a quest to destroy the One Ring. Though they had all been separated not halfway through the journey, they still remained a fellowship; each Hobbit, Man, Elf, and Dwarf doing their own part to save Middle-earth from the destructive path of Sauron and his armies.

Pippin sighed. He wondered what Frodo was doing at the moment. He missed him deeply. And Bilbo, for that matter. Both Hobbits meant a great deal to him. They were like family.

“There you are,” came a loud voice.

Pippin opened his eyes, finding himself face to face with another Hobbit: Meriadoc Brandybuck. “You were looking for me?”

Merry held out his hand and, after he accepted it, pulled Pippin to his feet. “Sam’s invited us for supper. Seems it’s little Elanor’s birthday.”

“She’s two years now, right?” Pippin questioned as he walked beside Merry, his best friend of many, many years.

Merry nodded. “Getting smarter, I see.” He smiled, waiting for the response.

Pippin took the bait and demanded angrily, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Merry laughed and slapped him on the back. “I’m only joking, Pippin.”

Suddenly, for no reason at all, Pippin halted. He looked around.

Merry stared at him questioningly. “Pip, what...?”

“Shh!” He held a hand up to silence him. “Do you hear something?”

Merry was about to shake his head when he heard what his friend was referring to. It was a rustling noise, getting louder and louder as it neared. “Something’s coming,” he said quietly. “Get down.”

They both dropped flat on the ground, hidden by the long grass. The rustling grew louder, then stopped abruptly.

Pippin strained his ears and heard heavy, ragged breathing. Slowly and as quietly as possible, he got to his feet.

Merry’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?!” he mouthed.

Pippin ignored him. He had spotted something dark in the grass. Taking his walking stick in his hand, he thrust it at the figure.

Much to his surprise, it yelped and stood up, stumbling backwards. The Hobbit was hardly recognizable; her face was covered in so much filth that her dark eyes were barely visible. Her shirt, once white, was now caked in dried mud and had turned a dark brown color.

Though he could hardly see her eyes, Pippin could see they were very wide. “Merry,” he whispered. “Merry, get up.”

Unwillingly, the other Hobbit stood up. He opened his mouth very wide as if to gasp, but remained silent.

Suddenly the stranger spoke, her voice hoarse, as if she hadn’t spoken for many days, even weeks. “It’s...it’s you.” Tears slid down her cheeks and over her dry, cracked lips.

Pippin stared at her, shocked and bewildered. “Who?”

She coughed and said slowly, “Pippin...Took.” She let out a small sob and covered her face. When she removed her hands, she stared deep into his eyes, asking, “Do you remember me?”

Pippin was about to say no, but that would be a lie. He did know who she was, even if he didn’t want to. He had thought of her every day for years after she had left. “Yes. Selvi.”

She bit her lip, smiling, and fresh tears fell from her eyes. She reached out to him, but he backed away, shaking his head. “Pippin, please.”

“Don’t,” he said sharply.

Merry looked between the two. The girl was his height, which was very odd, because he and Pippin had grown abnormally tall for Hobbits. That, of course, had happened because they drank the Ent draught. And he was fairly sure this Hobbit had not. She didn’t look at all familiar, but her name... He knew her name from somewhere. But where? “Wait a minute. I remember you,” he said suddenly, pointing his finger at Selvi. “We met you so long ago...before the Ring was destroyed.”

Selvi flinched when he mentioned the Ring, but nodded. “You remember. Merry, isn’t it?”

“Right.” Merry turned to Pippin and whispered, “We should take her back to my house and get her cleaned up.”

Pippin’s eyes widened as if to say, are you mad?

Merry rolled his eyes. “She’s no danger to anyone anymore. Us least of all.” He turned to Selvi, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “Come with us, will you? You can get cleaned up and then join us for dinner.”

She nodded, smiling. “Yes. That would be wonderful.”

~

Pippin stared across the table at Selvi. He noticed that even after she had bathed, she wasn’t very pretty at all. She had scars all over her face; he compared it to an old piece of leather, very worn. “You’ve lost your spirit,” he said finally. “Since the last time I saw you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “So have you.” After a pause, she said, “But that was several years ago.” She cast her eyes downwards. “A lot can change in that time.”

Pippin dropped his fork and demanded, “Why don’t you just tell me what you’re hiding?”

“I hide nothing,” she protested, not looking up from her food.

Merry glared at Pippin. “Uh, so, Selvi, what brings you to the Shire?”

She looked to her right, where Merry sat. “I sort of stumbled upon it.” At his questioning look, she continued, “I’ve been wandering strange lands for many months now. You’d never imagine what creatures I ran into!”

She smiled and Merry swore her eyes were twinkling. “I’ve got some idea...”

Selvi drained her glass. “Well, thank you so much for the meal.” She rose from the table. “I don’t want to trouble you any more, so I’d better leave.”

Merry jumped up. “No, stay, stay!” he insisted. “Just for today. I can’t send you out in that weather.”

Selvi shifted her eyes to the left then to the right. “What weather?”

Merry fingered a button on his vest and said quickly, “Well, when I was out earlier, it definitely looked like rain. Dark clouds and everything.”

Pippin glanced out the window. The sun was bright and a bluebird sat on the windowsill singing, bathed in sunlight. He would have found the whole scene comical if he hadn’t been so disgusted.

“I insist that you stay,” Merry persisted.

Selvi wrung her hands and glanced worriedly at Pippin. “Uh...Merry, I know you’d like it if I stayed, but other...wouldn’t. I think it would be best if I left.” She thanked him again for his hospitality. “Besides, the road ahead is very long.”

Merry stepped out the door, closing it behind him. “Where will you go?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Wherever my feet take me. We’ll meet again.” She waved, then turned and walked away.

He sighed and shuffled back into the house. Pippin stood before him, his arms crossed and his head cocked to the left. “Will you at least grant me your company?” Merry asked weakly.

“For the evening, yes,” Pippin replied. “We could hardly avoid it, though. Supper at Sam’s, remember?”

Merry closed his eyes and hit himself on the head. “Sam’s! I completely forgot!” He bit his lip. “Do you think we should leave now?”

Pippin thought a moment. “I suppose. You certainly dragged our dinner out by talking with her.”

Merry rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Pippin, haven’t you heard the saying, ‘forgive and forget?’ That was years ago. Selvi’s changed.”

“No, she hasn’t!” Pippin shot back, emphasizing each word. “You don’t know her as well as I do!”

“You hardly know her at all!” Merry fought.

“And you do?” Pippin raised an eyebrow.

“I never said that,” Merry said. He added quickly, “But at least I’m making an effort to get to know her.”

Suddenly a sly smile crept onto the younger Hobbit’s face. “You fancy her, don’t you?”

“I do not!” Merry denied.

“Yes, you do. That’s why you won’t believe me.” He shrugged. “We’d better go. I don’t want to miss out on any of the food. Rosie’s a great cook”

Merry relaxed his tense muscles and nodded in agreement. “You’re right.” He opened the door and let himself and Pippin out, then gently closed the door behind him.

~

“Merry and Pippin were acting a little...strange, don’t you think?” Sam Gamgee handed his wife a few plates that he had just washed.

Rosie dried them off quickly and put them into a cupboard. “They both seemed a bit agitated.” She put the last dish away and leaned against the counter. “You should pay them a visit tomorrow. You know, make sure they’re all right.”

Sam nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’ll do that.” He stepped over to the window and looked out. “Oh, it’s started to rain. Hope they make it back all right. Dark, nasty clouds those are.”

~

Merry opened his eyes and found himself once again in a dark forest. The fog was so thick, he couldn’t see a foot in front of him. The Hobbit could hear hoofbeats off in the distance, getting nearer. He could tell the horse was getting closer as the noise got louder and louder. It was galloping. Suddenly, Merry was propelled forward and he glanced back. There was a horsed rider clad in black running swiftly, closer, closer, until it was upon him. He felt a sharp pain in his arms and dared to look up. A monstrous eye wreathed in dancing orange flames stared blankly at him. He cried out and covered his eyes with his arms.


“Merry. Merry!” Pippin shouted, shaking his friend awake.

Merry opened his eyes. Sweat glistened on his face. He looked up into Pippin’s worried eyes, feeling himself beginning to calm down, though his heart was still racing. “I...I...”

“Had another dream,” Pippin finished for him. Merry nodded. “That’s the third night in a row!”

“And those are the ones you know about,” Merry said quietly.

Pippin hopped up onto the edge of the bed and sat cross-legged, rubbing his feet to warm them. “So, what was it about?”

The other Hobbit sighed, rubbing his tingling hands, and launched into the tail. He noted Pippin’s flinching when he mentioned the great eye of Sauron. “And just when I thought it could have burned me if it moved any closer, you woke me up.” He thought a moment. “I think it’s a sign. Something terrible is coming.”

~

“Oh, don’t say that,” said Sam worriedly. He felt he was going to be sick. A great evil coming, that’s what he said. “I don’t believe it -- I can’t believe it.”

Pippin leaned closer to Sam over the table. “I didn’t believe at first either, but this is no ordinary dream.” He was very serious, and he wasn’t serious often.

“No, it’s a nightmare.” Sam leaned back heavily in his chair, which creaked loudly. He crossed his arms and turned to Merry. “It’s only a dream, and dreams don’t tell the future! You were probably thinking about them, wraiths and all.”

Merry shook his head. “But I wasn’t! I swear it! I’d probably been thinking about my stomach,” he added quietly.

But Sam heard him and muttered, “I don’t doubt it.”

“Merry,” Pippin chimed in, “what do you make of the dreams?” He knew Merry had said something about it earlier but Sam didn’t. He watched the Hobbit sipping tea, obviously thinking hard about it.

Merry took a deep breath. “I know you said Sauron and the ring were destroyed...but I can’t help thinking something survived. Some...other evil...if you follow me.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “If Mr. Frodo were here, he’d say you were both mad.”

They stared at him, eyes wide. Pippin spoke, “You don’t think there is other evil out there? Sauron couldn’t have been the only one, Sam.”

“No, no, no, that wasn’t what I meant!” He poured himself some more tea. “What I meant was, no evil could match his power; and if it could, we’d already know about it. It would’ve joined with Sauron, I reckon.”

Merry sat silently, drinking his tea. He didn’t feel much like arguing. Besides, it seemed like the other two had a good handle on that. He closed his eyes, resting them for a few moments. He hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep in five days. Every night another dream, another awful dream. He felt a tingling feeling in his hands like the one he had woken from the dream with, and opened his eyes, staring down at them. He took a quick breath and turned them over and over. His hands were covered in red burns and welts, and they continued up onto his arms.

“Merry?” asked Sam, clearly concerned. “Are you all right?”

He looked up at them, then back at his hands. The welts were gone. Only, they had been there a minute ago. Merry shuddered, still staring intently at his hands and arms. “I...I’m fine. I just...thought I saw something.” He didn’t want to say anything just yet. “Ah, I’ve got to go into Hobbiton to pick up some things.” He left the hole.

Pippin watched Merry stumble down the road from a window. He turned to Sam. “What do you think is wrong with him?”

Sam shrugged. “How long has he been acting like this? All funny, I mean.”

“Ever since he started having those dreams,” Pippin replied. “They’re keeping him awake night after night.”

“Well,” Sam gulped down the rest of his drink, “I still don’t believe he’s having some -- some sort of premonition.”

Pippin looked disappointed. He knew Sam would come around eventually, but he was sure when that time came it would be too late.

~

The wind was blowing furiously, the trees bending from the pressure. Rain poured down in great sheets, making it nearly impossible to see. Lightning lit up the sky every second, and booming rolling thunder erupted soon afterwards. Merry sat upon his bed, watching the storm out a window and waiting. He wasn’t sure what he was waiting for but he had a feeling something was coming. He watched as a dark cloud glided across the moon, shrouding the fields in darkness. The window was wide open and with every gust of wind, more rain blew inside.

Merry couldn’t see the road from his bedroom, but he could hear everything that was happening on it. He heard the sound of loud hoofbeats coming fast down the road, splashing through every puddle they came across. “Don’t worry yourself,” he said to himself. “You’re just tired.” And he was. He could feel his eyelids beginning to droop. And just as Merry had laid down to try to sleep, there was a sharp knocking on the door, as if by a stick.

He rolled onto his side and promptly fell off the bed. When he had come to his senses, he scrambled under his own bed. The sharp knocking came again and Merry nearly jumped out of his skin. Who was this creature and what did he want with a Hobbit?


The old man knocked on the door a second time. When there was still no answer, he grumbled, “Well, if you won’t answer, Mr. Brandybuck, I’ll let myself in.” He groped for the handle in the dark, finding it and pushing the door open. He stepped inside, ducking, so as not to hit his head, and shut the door behind him. He lit a few candles and surveyed the room. “No one appears to be here, but someone could be hiding,” he said quietly to himself.


Pippin drew the hood over his head and jumped down from the tree he had been sitting in. It overlooked Merry’s house, so he decided he’d watch over him in case some problem were to arise. ‘And it looks like one has,’ he thought. He ran to the cart that stood halted on the road, and hid behind a wheel. The horse that was pulling it, he noticed, was full-size and very familiar looking.

Pippin checked to see if anything was there, then ran towards the front door. But instead of going in, he turned left and ran to the other side of the house, where Merry’s room was.

He stood on a rock so he could see in, and called softly, “Merry, where are you?”


Startled, Merry hit his head on the frame of the bed and let out a yelp. “Here!” he managed to get out, rubbing his head.

“There’s someone in your house. A big person,” he whispered.

“How d’you know that?” Merry hissed back.

“I--” Pippin began, but turned around to find a hooded man towering over him, a long wooden staff in his hand.

“Peregrin Took,” said the old man sternly. “I hardly recognized you.”

Pippin reached for anything that could be used as a weapon, but found nothing. Instead, he demanded, “Who are you?”

Merry appeared in the window behind him -- he wasn’t going to let his friend be harmed without having anything to say about it. “Yes, lower your hood so we can try and recognize you.”

The man lowered his hood, revealing a long, white beard and long, white hair. He looked down at them warmly with smiling blue eyes.

Merry was speechless. Pippin, however, wasn’t. He voiced exactly what the latter was thinking, “Gandalf! You’re -- you’re here, in the Shire!”

~

“I can hardly believe you’re here,” Merry said when they had sat down to a very late supper (or an early breakfast).

Gandalf chuckled. “I can hardly believe it myself.” He blew the smoke from his mouth. “But I thought it was time for a visit. Yes, time for a visit.”

Merry couldn’t explain it, but he thought it odd for Gandalf to only come for a visit. He hadn’t known the wizard to arrive without a purpose. “I don’t believe you, Gandalf, why have you really come?”

Gandalf turned to Merry, eyes twinkling. “I can’t put anything past you, can I Mr. Brandybuck?” Merry smiled. “You are right. I did not come only for a visit. But now is not the time to discuss it.”

“Why not?” Pippin asked. “It must be urgent, whatever it is, or you wouldn’t have arrived so late.” He crossed his arms, staring defiantly at the wizard.

Merry nodded. “Tell us, Gandalf, there won’t be a better time than now.”

Gandalf smiled sympathetically. “Believe me, young Hobbits --”

“Hardly young anymore, I’m nearly thirty-three!” Pippin squeaked.

“You are not ready to know,” he finished. He smiled warmly at them and rose from the table. “Well,” he sighed, “I fear I must be off.” Seeing their disappointed faces, Gandalf added, “Do not worry, I shall return for another...visit.” He patted each Hobbit on the shoulder lovingly, and was gone.


Pippin frowned as he cleaned the dishes from the morning meal. “Why did he even bother coming,” he muttered, “if he was only going to play with our heads.”

“He wasn’t playing with our heads, Pippin,” said Merry sternly, coming up behind him with a few more plates. “He’s wiser than us, and if Gandalf says we aren’t to know, then, well, we aren’t to know.” He put an arm around his friend. “We can go to the pub tomorrow, if you want. That will keep it off our minds.” He left the room, believe he was more worried than Pippin.

Pippin bit his lip. What if something was wrong that Gandalf wouldn’t tell them? He wished the old wizard would have said something.

~

Merry gulped down the rest of his quart of ale. He had hoped it would make himself feel better. But so far, it was only making him feel tired.

“Merry? Pippin, it’s good to see you again!”

Merry looked up. His vision was slightly blurred, but he could make out the speaker. “Oh, Selvi! Join us, won’t you?”

Selvi smiled. “Thanks, but I can’t. This is my job, waiting tables, I mean to say.” She shifted the tray of filled mugs to her other side. “Can I get you anything else?”

“Another pint,” Pippin said groggily.

“Pippin!” Merry frowned. He looked at his friend. Dark circles had formed around Pippin’s eyes and he looked like he was about to collapse. “You look awful. And you certainly don’t need anything else to drink.” He turned to Selvi, and said, “We’re find, thanks.” He heaved his friend to his feet. “Let’s go, Pip.”

Suddenly, the door and windows all flew open. A horrible wind swept through the pub, extinguishing every candle in its path. The room became terribly quiet as the Hobbits stared blindly into the darkness.

Merry shuddered; he felt a chill creep up his spine, the hair raise on the back of his neck. Though he couldn’t see it, he knew something was there, standing in the doorway, staring, searching. Something more terrible than any Ringwraith.

Then, all at once, the candles flickered and there was loud chattering again. The hustle bustle had commenced, as if nothing had happened.

Pippin caught Merry’s eye. “Let’s leave, now.”

Merry nodded and they both drew their hoods over their heads and left.

Selvi stared after them, her brow furrowed.


“Where are we going?” Pippin shouted, watching Merry as he threw as much food and as many bottles into a pack as he could.

“Take this,” Merry said, pushing a pack into Pippin’s arms. “Put as much as you can fit in this.”

The youngest Hobbit did as he was told, and was tying his pack shut when there was a knock at the door. Pippin jumped so high, he nearly hit his head on the ceiling light.

“What took you so long?” asked Merry, closing the door. “We’ve been waiting for an hour, at least!”

“Sorry,” came Sam’s voice, “but I’ve been thinking. I can’t go with you. I’ve got Rosie and Elanor to think about. What would happen to them if I left?”

“But Sam, what will happen to them if you don’t leave?” Merry’s eyes shown with concern. “I’m asking you for your help, Sam. The Shire won’t be safe for long, I can feel it.” He glanced at Pippin. “We’re going to find Gandalf, so are you coming or not?”

“We are?” Pippin muttered.

“I...” Sam managed only to say. His mouth had gone dry. He took turns glancing from Pippin to Merry, back and forth, until he could look no longer. Tears welled up in his eyes and he fell to his knees, sobbing. “I don’t know!” he wailed.

Merry looked at Pippin, who stared back at him sadly.

“Well, what now?” Pippin asked. “You could have told me where we were going before...before this.” He nodded toward Sam’s hunched form.

Merry went to get a cup of tea for Sam. When he returned, he said to Pippin, “We’ll give him the night to think on it. But come morning, we’re leaving, with or without Sam.”

~

Sam glanced worriedly out the window. It was just after three in the morning. “Raining again,” he grumbled. “I ought to be getting home.” He began to get up but Merry pushed him back down to his chair.

“You’re not going anywhere until you’ve made up your mind,” he said sternly. “But I strongly advise you to come with us.”

Sam jumped to his feet angrily. “Now, you listen here, Meriadoc Brandybuck. I’m not going to pack up my family and all my belongings just because of your gut feelings!” He stomped to the door.

Pippin scrambled after him. “But Sam, you have to come! You could be in danger!” He saw Sam wasn’t giving in. “Wait! What about Gandalf? We told you he wouldn’t say why he came, but it wasn’t only for a visit. Doesn’t that count for something?”

Sam opened the door. “I can’t leave my family.”

“You would have followed Frodo!” Pippin shouted after him.

Sam was halfway out the door. He stopped for a moment, then kept going.

“Pip,” Merry said, grasping his friend’s arm. “Get some sleep. We’re leaving in the morning.”

~

“Go with them,” Sam grumbled. “How could I go with them? I’ve got a family! Neither of them have anyone to look out for. It’d be easy for Merry and Pippin to just pack up and leave, but I won’t.” He stood straight up and straightened his jacket.

Selvi opened her eyes and sat up. She hadn’t been sleeping, just lying on the soft ground, enjoying the darkness, the stillness, and the silence. She could have sworn she’d heard someone talking. She sighed. “Stop scaring yourself, Selvi. No one’s here.”

Suddenly, Sam’s head appeared from behind a bush. Selvi cried out and scrambled away from him. “Who are you and what do you want?” she demanded, her tone filled with fear and anger.

Sam held up his hands, shaking them slightly. “No, no, it’s okay! I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. It was an accident. Sorry.” He held out his hand. “Uh, I’m Samwise Gamgee. I live down near Hobbiton. I didn’t mean nothing, honest.”

“Oh...” She relaxed, breathing heavily. She got to her feet. “I’m Selvi.” She shook his hand. “I thought I heard you say something about Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took. Are they going somewhere?”

Sam suddenly became very uncomfortable. “You know them, do you?” At her nod, he continued, “They wanted me to go with.” He shook his head. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this,” he muttered. “They think they Shire’s in danger.” He laughed. “I wouldn’t believe it for a second.”

“Why do they think that?” Selvi inquired, interested.

“Because of some dream Merry had,” Sam scoffed.

“And you think it’s a ridiculous idea. You have a family to take care of,” Selvi said quietly, and Sam nodded. “Sam,” she said carefully, “you should go with them.”

His eyes widened. “Why?”

“Because Merry is right,” she replied.

“How would you know? I didn’t tell you a thing about his dream.” Sam narrowed his eyes.

“The Shire is in danger. The dark forces are regaining their strength. They must be stopped.” Selvi’s expression became very stern.

“Sauron is dead,” Sam said slowly. “He’s dead!”

“Not Sauron, something else.” Selvi closed her eyes, then opened them. “All it is now is a seedling, but soon, Sam, it will grow into a great tree of terrible power.”

Sam took a step back, the anger gone from his face. “How do you know this?”

“The wizard, Gandalf.” She smiled. “He will help us. Merry and Pippin are leaving at dawn. You’d best pack your things.” She picked up her pack and left.

Sam stared after her. “Oh, no.”

~

“What do you mean, you have to leave?” Rosie demanded.

“Remember what happened five years ago?”

Rosie’s eyebrows went up immediately. “Sam, just what are you saying?” she asked slowly.

He said nothing but gave her a pained look.

Rosie gasped and covered her mouth. “The Dark Lord,” she muttered, aghast. Then she grabbed his and pulled his close to her. When she let go, she said, her tone serious, “Sam, I don’t want you to go.”

He shook his head and swung the pack over his shoulders. “I have to.” After pausing, he said, “If something happens here, get out. Get as far away as you can.”

He kissed her, whispered, “Kiss Elanor for me,” and was gone.

~

Merry sighed. Dawn. He gazed at the rising sun, the wind gently caressing his face. It was sure to be a beautiful day in the Shire. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be there to enjoy it.

Pippin stared across the fields of Tookborough, there was a deep red color in the eastern sky. He looked at Merry mournfully and sighed. He had never been a very adventurous hobbit to begin with, though Tooks were known to be so. “Merry, I don’t know if I can do this again,” he murmured.

Merry came up behind him. “We have to.” He put a hand on Pippin’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“But not without Sam, Merry, we need him -- don’t we?” Pippin asked quickly.

Merry, however, didn’t even have the time to answer, for another hobbit came running up the hill, wheezing, and calling out, “Wait! Wait for me! I’m coming!” Sam doubled over, placing his hands on his knees for support. When he finally got his breath back, he said, “Frodo would’ve wanted me to go.”

“So you’ve reconsidered?” Pippin asked hopefully.

Sam nodded and Merry said, “Listen, both of you. If you’re going, you’re going to go all the way, no backing out.” He put his hand down in the middle of the circle the three hobbits formed.

Sam placed his atop Merry’s. “For Frodo.”

Pippin followed suit, grinning broadly. “For friendship.”

“For the Fellowship,” finished the third hobbit.

THE END