CHAPTER THREE

"Peregrin Took, you really are the most overly inquisitive hobbit I have ever had the misfortune to meet." Gandalf leaned on his staff, sharp blue eyes locked on the stumbling hobbit.

Pippin felt miserable. As soon as Legolas had set him on the ground he had doubled up and been very, very sick. The only saving grace, as far as he was concerned, was that he managed not to do it all over his elven rescuer.

"You do have an uncanny knack of finding trouble," Frodo murmured as he wrapped Pippin's trembling form in a blanket and led him closer to the fire. At least his voice was only vaguely amused, rather than annoyed.

Sam handed over a cup of tea and Pippin accepted it timidly. "It's alright, Mr Pippin. Strider made it. Said it would settle your stomach."

Pippin took a small sip, relieved when he only tasted mint.

"And all for this?" Merry asked, holding out the apple that he had just cut open. Whilst the apple had looked perfect on the outside, at its heart it was black and riddled with tiny maggots.

Sam looked up from where he had settled down to sew the tear in Pippin's cloak. "I could have told you it were the wrong season for findin' apples still on the tree."

Merry grinned at Pippin's expression of dismay. "But Pippin didn't tell you about the apple, did he Sam? If he had told you he may have saved himself some discomfort but he may also have had to share it."

Pippin frowned. This was not fair. He had not even known there was an apple until he had gone to look. He would have shared it. He was almost sure he would have.

"Never mind all that. I think Pip has learned his lesson." Frodo pushed Pippin down gently onto a log by their small fire. "Are you hurt anywhere?" He frowned when Pippin only shook his head, then light dawned.

"Alright Pip. I declare your punishment cancelled. I want my little chatterbox back."

"You've lost anyway. You called for us, remember?" Merry added, throwing the apple into the fire where it spat and sizzled. Frodo grinned and began to feel along his cousin's arms, not prepared to accept Pip's assurance that he was unharmed.

Pippin drew away from his touch and frowned up at Merry. "I did not lose," he replied indignantly.

The big folk stood back and watched. Intrigued as to how the mischievous Took would wheedle his way out of this one.

Sam merely snorted but Merry was more vocal. "Not lose? Not lose? You were not supposed to talk for all of today. You talked. In fact you talked so loudly that they probably heard you back in the Shire!"

Pippin paused to take a couple of sips of his warm tea before answering. "Exactly. I didn't talk. I shouted. And I didn't shout to you, I just happened to yell to myself. It's not my fault that you happened to overhear me." He grinned slyly, rather pleased with his reasoning.

"That's hair splitting and you know it. It makes no difference what volume you spoke at. You spoke." Merry replied, folding his arms and sticking out his chin. He was not about to be bested in a verbal tilt with his younger cousin.

Pippin spluttered, adopting his most innocent expression. "I may have spoken but I did not converse. It takes two people to hold a conversation. Unless you count the tree as a person . . . and we all know that trees are not people . . . I was conversing with no-one."

"What?" Merry replied in shock.

Legolas laughed softly, his gentle voice interjecting. "The agreement was, "If you can resist making conversation until we bed down for the day you can keep your Longbottom Leaf.". Pippin is correct. He did not make conversation."

Pippin glanced up at him in surprise. Legolas had surely heard his silly comment when he caught him in the tree? The elf had been aloof and silent for most of their journey so far and Pippin was taken aback to find this new ally. The elf only smiled at him.

There was a moment of stunned silence, finally broken by Gandalf's hearty laugh. The rest of the Fellowship was only a heartbeat behind.

"You win, Pippin. You may keep your treasure. You have certainly earned it." Frodo announced, slapping his young cousin on the back and nearly causing him to spill the remainder of his tea.

Aragorn's voice drew them all back. "Good. Now that we have made that decision I believe it is Gandalf's turn to take the watch. There are several more hours to sunset and we all need the sleep."

EPILOGUE

"Well, young hobbits, I can see why you prize this leaf so much. A very smooth smoke." Gimli took another appreciative draw on his pipe, letting the smoke trickle into his moustache.

Pippin grinned broadly and raised his own pipe in salute as Merry continued his questioning.

"So you were talking out loud so that you would not forget how to?"

"That's right. We wouldn't want any harm to come to Frodo, now would we?"

Merry joined Frodo and Sam in shaking his head and drawing in another sip of the mellow smoke.

Legolas watched them all in silence from across the fire, where he sat checking the fletchings on his arrows. He would never understand hobbits. The youngest had spent the best part of a day desperately trying to keep the leaf for himself and yet, as soon as they had finished their meal he had opened the pack and offered it around. Even Gandalf and Aragorn were smoking. There was now no pipeweed left but Pippin seemed not in the least disappointed, in fact he was almost glowing with delight as he watched the blissful looks on his companion's faces.

A strange people, these halflings. They kept their word as well as any elf and would defend something to the last. But they did it with a merry heart. And they were willing to give up that which they treasured most, in order to bring comfort and pleasure to another. Only now did Legolas truly understand why Elrond had sent the hobbits on this quest.

END