Pippin Musing 10: The Last/Silence in the White City
Minas Tirith winter 1499
Pippin woke early and noticed the pristine snow that blanketed the White City and reflected the first rosy rays of what promised to be a brilliant winter sun. He thought about his many long years in Minas Tirith. For six of them, he had been the only hobbit in Gondor's capital. Merry was laid in Rath Dinen before they had been there a year. That had been so hard to bear. He was the last of the Fellowship's hobbits still walking this Middle Earth.
"Fool of a Took!" He whispered to himself, "You were the youngest and should have known you would be the last."
He was so grateful for the letters from home and especially for the extended visit by his grandchildren and Merry's son, Saradoc II, after Merry died as well as visits from Gimli and Legolas. He had though he would never see his grandchildren again. He thought often of returning to the Shire but it would seem so empty without Merry, Diamond, Frodo, Sam, and all the rest of his departed loved ones. Their absence left a hole even his grandchildren couldn't fill.
He sighed. Who knew grandchildren could cause more worry than children? The copious letters he received from home told him Berilac and Lila were a great help to their father. His wild oldest granddaughter tucked her black hair under a helmet and helped Faramir patrol Tuckborough. Berilac had a head for business and helped out in that area. Blossom just recently married a respectable young Bolger. He hoped they would find happiness in the lives they chose.
The most wonderful thing was when Queen Arwen agreed to have Peony at court. His youngest granddaughter was a great comfort to him. She was not as well suited to like at court as Sam's daughter, Elanor, had been but if court events and parties intimidated her, she gloried in the libraries of the great city.
Peony also spent a great deal of time with Calmacil, the human prince Faramir's youngest grandson. Like Faramir, Calmacil had an introspective, scholarly character. The lad also looked almost exactly as Pippin remembered his grandfather. Cal and Peony shared a love of books and were the same age. Pippin was glad his granddaughter found a good friend but he feared for her gentle heart. Peony was thirty now and would come of age soon enough, although he doubted he would see that.
He thought there was something he should give her. Pippin got up from his bed and retrieved a leather volume wrapped in sky-blue silk from the chest at the foot of the bed. He went to his desk, wrote a note for Peony, and left both the note and the book on the desk.
When Pippin turned back toward his bed he suddenly felt the most intense headache and dropped to the floor. Peony, who had insisted on being in the next room must have heard because he could hear her footsteps and then her shouting his name as if from a long way off. As Peony's voice faded, he thought he could hear the sound Merry's laughter becoming clearer, along with the smell of Diamond's roses. The last thing he thought he could hear was the voice of his mother Eglantine, who he could barely remember.
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In a room in the palace of the White City a king bowed his head and silver tears streaked the fair face of an elf. Nothing could be heard but the hoarse sobs of a dwarf and the hiccupping sobs of a desolate-looking hobbit maid clutching a book wrapped in blue silk. Outside soft gray clouds rolled in and large white snowflakes covered the city in silence.
Pippin woke early and noticed the pristine snow that blanketed the White City and reflected the first rosy rays of what promised to be a brilliant winter sun. He thought about his many long years in Minas Tirith. For six of them, he had been the only hobbit in Gondor's capital. Merry was laid in Rath Dinen before they had been there a year. That had been so hard to bear. He was the last of the Fellowship's hobbits still walking this Middle Earth.
"Fool of a Took!" He whispered to himself, "You were the youngest and should have known you would be the last."
He was so grateful for the letters from home and especially for the extended visit by his grandchildren and Merry's son, Saradoc II, after Merry died as well as visits from Gimli and Legolas. He had though he would never see his grandchildren again. He thought often of returning to the Shire but it would seem so empty without Merry, Diamond, Frodo, Sam, and all the rest of his departed loved ones. Their absence left a hole even his grandchildren couldn't fill.
He sighed. Who knew grandchildren could cause more worry than children? The copious letters he received from home told him Berilac and Lila were a great help to their father. His wild oldest granddaughter tucked her black hair under a helmet and helped Faramir patrol Tuckborough. Berilac had a head for business and helped out in that area. Blossom just recently married a respectable young Bolger. He hoped they would find happiness in the lives they chose.
The most wonderful thing was when Queen Arwen agreed to have Peony at court. His youngest granddaughter was a great comfort to him. She was not as well suited to like at court as Sam's daughter, Elanor, had been but if court events and parties intimidated her, she gloried in the libraries of the great city.
Peony also spent a great deal of time with Calmacil, the human prince Faramir's youngest grandson. Like Faramir, Calmacil had an introspective, scholarly character. The lad also looked almost exactly as Pippin remembered his grandfather. Cal and Peony shared a love of books and were the same age. Pippin was glad his granddaughter found a good friend but he feared for her gentle heart. Peony was thirty now and would come of age soon enough, although he doubted he would see that.
He thought there was something he should give her. Pippin got up from his bed and retrieved a leather volume wrapped in sky-blue silk from the chest at the foot of the bed. He went to his desk, wrote a note for Peony, and left both the note and the book on the desk.
When Pippin turned back toward his bed he suddenly felt the most intense headache and dropped to the floor. Peony, who had insisted on being in the next room must have heard because he could hear her footsteps and then her shouting his name as if from a long way off. As Peony's voice faded, he thought he could hear the sound Merry's laughter becoming clearer, along with the smell of Diamond's roses. The last thing he thought he could hear was the voice of his mother Eglantine, who he could barely remember.
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In a room in the palace of the White City a king bowed his head and silver tears streaked the fair face of an elf. Nothing could be heard but the hoarse sobs of a dwarf and the hiccupping sobs of a desolate-looking hobbit maid clutching a book wrapped in blue silk. Outside soft gray clouds rolled in and large white snowflakes covered the city in silence.