Chapter Thirteen: Making the Rounds so Far from Home
(A few days have passed since the Hobbits visited Van and Halbarad at Fornost. After staying there for a period of two days Sam and Frodo returned to the Shire while Merry and Pippin left for the south. They have planned out their trip, for they have many places to go and many people to see. Eventually the troublemaking duo arrived at Edoras, the home of Eomer Eadig, King of the Mark, and his wife Lothiriel, the former princess of Dol Amroth. There they stayed a short time, as was necessary and appropriate, considering that Merry was still sworn in service to the King, regardless of the fact that the occupant of that seat had changed.)
Merry: My Lord Eomer, how do you fare?
Eomer: I can honestly say, my dearest Meriadoc, that I am in even greater spirits now than I was on the day of my wedding.
Pippin: That�s always a wonderful thing to hear!
Merry: What has you in such a wonderful mood, friend?
Eomer: (has a big goofy grin on his face) It has recently been discovered that my beloved wife is expecting her first child.
Pippin: Oh my! There�ll be wee ones all about us soon enough. Congratulations!
Lothiriel: Thank you. You are the first to hear this news, but we ask that you tell no one else. We would wish to inform our friends ourselves.
Merry: I wouldn�t worry about that. Our lips are sealed. But tell me, Eomer, are the rumors true that your sister is also expecting?
Eomer: I have been threatened with slow and painful death over revealing the answer to that question. You will have to present your queries to my sister when you arrive in Gondor. I apologize for not being able to tell you now, but you know how Eowyn can get.
Merry: (smirks) Indeed I do. She�s the last person I�d want to experience slow and painful death from.
(After spending less than a week at Edoras they moved further south and into Minas Tirith where they paid a visit to Aragorn, Stevie, and little Eldarion. Their talks were long and friendly and centered mainly on the reconstruction of the Shire.)
Pippin: If only you could come to see it!
Aragorn: You know that cannot be, Pippin. We would love to come to the Shire but I can�t go about violating my own laws, now can I?
Stevie: That would be a terrible idea. Perhaps sometime when the baby is older we can go up north for a time. Maybe go back and all spend some time at Fornost with Van and Halbarad.
Merry: That would be a good thing, indeed.
Eldarion: (pointing at Pippin from Aragorn�s lap) Geep!
Stevie: No, Eldarion, that�s Pippin. Can you say Pippin?
Eldarion: Geep! (giggles and the points at Merry) Uzzy!
Aragorn: No, Merry.
Eldarion: Uzzy!
Aragorn: (looks pointedly at Stevie) I swear he gets this from you!
Stevie: I can�t help it. It�s all natural. So, where are you two off to next?
Pippin: We�re going to Tolfalas for a short time and then we�re going to take a ship to see Kit in Dol Amroth.
Merry: Then from there we�ll make our way back up past here and get back home.
Stevie: Ah. Nothing like visiting and wreaking havoc as you go along.
Pippin: (smiles) Nothing in the entire world.
(They departed from Minas Tirith and caught a small boat off of a small harbor on the Mouths of the Anduin. They sailed to Tolfalas and paid a visit to Boromir, Harper, Wynna, and the infamous Shutty. Pippin was overly delighted over Boromir�s sheep scheme because of his love for the wee little fluff balls.)
Pippin: You told me that the petting zoo wouldn�t have sheep, remember?
Harper: Yes. I told you there wouldn�t be any in the Middle-earth wide petting zoo just because you wanted them. Look now, sheep galore!
Merry: (laughs) I haven�t seen him nearly this enthusiastic about anything since he learned that ale came in pints at Bree.
Boromir: We certainly have a prosperous little program here.
Shutty: (sounding rather impatient) Baaa!
Harper: Oh, we nearly forgot, love. Shutty has been rather busy in the past several months. Watch this! Fop! Jive! Get inhere!
Boromir: (watches the two wee little lambs come in) Shutty�s a mother. Meet Fop and Jive.
Merry: Oh, Boromir! You�re a grandfather!
Fop: Whoof!
Pippin: What the�?
Harper: Fop is experiencing a bit of an identity crisis right now, but he�ll get over it.
Boromir: And for the record, I am not anything�s grandfather.
Harper: Not yet, but he is a father. Soon to be for a second time, at that.
Merry: Ah! You�re expecting another one?
Boromir: Indeed!
Pippin: So soon? Harper, if I were you I�d kill him now.
Harper: (shrugs) I don�t mind it, really. Besides, I personally love his excuse of the high casualties of the recent war giving need for mass reproduction.
Merry: You believe him?
Harper: Of course not, but I figure what the heck.
Pippin: By the time we get around to visiting you again I think this place will have more princes and princesses of Tolfalas than it will sheep!
Boromir: (smirks) Probably.
Harper: In your dreams, flyboy.
(When there time in Tolfalas was through they made their way to Dol Amroth by ship and were greeted at the harbor by Kit, Amrothos, and their nieces and nephews by way of Elphir and Echirion. They spoke of Dol Amroth and the sea, and later of Frodo�s plans to go to the Havens.)
Kit: Neither of you know when he will leave, though?
Pippin: Not a clue.
Merry: I don�t even think he knows. Don�t worry about it. He won�t leave without sending you some sort of farewell.
Kit: Oh, I know that, you two. I just don�t like thinking about how he must still be ill up there.
Merry: He�s got Sam and we�re leaving for the Shire again tomorrow.
Kit: Very good. I wish I could see him one last time.
Pippin: So do we.
Kit: Can you do me a favor?
Merry: Name it.
Kit: (smiling) When you get back to the Shire take Frodo and Sam to the Green Dragon. Get them both completely and utterly drunk. Get them up on a table and singing. Then write to me about it.
Pippin: (laughing) Of all the things to ask for, why that?
Kit: (shrugs) I�ve always wondered what it�d be like to see Frodo and Sam utterly wasted and dancing and singing on a table in an inn.
Merry: You know, I thought the sea air was supposed to be good for you, but I think it�s driven you mad.
Kit: Oh no, it�s not the air, it�s the fact that every time I walk around I think of how we all did something odd over the years but how Frodo and Sam never really got crazy.
Pippin: You know, you are right. We�ll just have to try it then. I guess the Troublemaking Duo is back in action.
Merry: (smirks) Aye, I do think we�re back in business.
