CHAPTER THREE ---- A feast by the Firelight
Aragorn helped me to calm down Pippin by holding a bit of the broth he?d made up, ?I know its not hobbit fare, Pip, but it?ll do you some good.?
“Is there any cheese? I like cheese…” Pippin moaned slightly, his eyes blinking at the liquid that looked suspiciously like thickened water. He shivered and pressed closer to me, I wasn’t really sure what to think about that, but I couldn’t really do anything else than ease my arm into a more comfortable position around him, and pull up the blanket a bit. “I don’t feel well…Frodo…I don’t understand…I don’t remember…just lots of water…” he made a face at the broth. “That’s not food…”
“I assure you, Master Peregrin, it is most definitely food. See…there’s a few dried vegetables in it, just the thing to perk you up, I’m sure…” Aragorn tried to keep a light sense of humor for my cousin’s sake.
“If there are indeed vegetables there, I certainly can’t see them. Probably at the bottom. I should have stayed in Rivendell..” Pippin bit his lip, his eyes were flushed, and his skin pale. He looked quite ghastly, actually. “I’ve let you down…” he looked up at me miserably. “I’m sorry, Frodo…”
“Not at all Pippin…” I tried to reassure him, though I’m certain that I looked equally as ghastly in the firelight and wasn’t all that welcome a sight. “We didn’t have a chance…the flood caught us off guard…and Gandalf was not there to stop him…” I grimaced, I shouldn’t have mentioned him for Pippin’s face went even whiter and he looked away, refusing to eat the soup. If Pippin felt bad, I was even worse. I took Aragorn’s suggestion and…borrowed a technique often used on me. I cuddled him, and rubbed his back gently. “Pip…it wasn’t your fault. They knew we were there. Don’t blame yourself. Now…you need…” I winced, trying to cover up a cough…this wasn’t good for my ribs…I glanced at Aragorn briefly who was now watching me with some concern. “You need to eat. I know its not our usual fare…but try and imagine…I know…its Yule time in Great Smials…there’s a great banquet laid out by the fire…Come on Pip…think about it…Red Onion Soup…Fresh Corn Bread hot out of the oven…Apple Crisp…White Burgandy Wine; the kind that your Uncle Thesco brews…Maple custard…raspberry pie…”
Pippin’s ears twitched a bit, he was listening, I knew he was…
“Roasted Wild Mushrooms…Cucumber rounds…Herbed cream cheese and biscuits…Chocolate Chambord cake…” I rattled on about the food…Pippin’s favorite topic…I didn’t know what else to do…He slowly began to pay a bit more attention..
“Will there be apple cake with vanilla glaze? And chedder-cheese soup….? I love that…Frodo…Mamma makes it so well…and Raspberry pie…my favorite…Say we’ll do that this year, Frodo…A huge Yule party! After everything is done….after we go home…” Pippin gazed at me trustingly and I tried very hard to put on a brave face, gulping “Do you think that Mamma would let Diamond come?”
“We will, Pip….” I said finally, I didn’t feel like it would happen. Not in the pit of my stomach, my ribs were sore, and the ring that hung from the chain around my neck felt heavy at that particular moment. The future…I could barely think about the present. “I’m sure she will, Pip. Aren’t they always there?” I smiled a little…I’d forgotten Pippin’s tendency to be infatuated with lady hobbits he barely knew. He was young yet, and still had a few years before his majority. Plenty of time for him to continue looking about.
He looked with renewed interest at the soup, and Aragorn smiled at me. I felt a bit odd, under his gaze, for I think just then I had done something he hadn’t expected, and perhaps…perhaps he was proud of me. It was a good feeling. I hadn’t felt that anyone had been proud of me for such a long time. My heart lifted a little. “I suppose…” Pippin ventured, “I suppose it could be red-onion soup at that…if only we had a bit of cheese though…I’ll take some now…Aragorn…”
And I watched as Aragorn first attempted to offer Pippin the spoon, eagerly, my cousin grasped it…but his fingers shook as he tried to hold it steady, and tears began to build in his eyes. In the end…the ranger helped him to move the spoon to his lips, and then took over, letting Pippin snuggle against me while he was fed.
Pippin yawned slightly and his eyes fluttered closed after that, the whole simple action of eating soup had exhausted him already…and he was quickly asleep. Asleep so suddenly that my heart lurched in fear. Aragorn laid a hand on my shoulder. “He’s alright…he’s very weak…and his nervous system is upset. it’s the head wound Frodo…he might be like this for a couple of days.”
Poor Pippin, I stroked his hair softly and then looked to the ranger as he offered me a bowl of the soup, I grimaced and shook my head. “I don’t think …I’m not really that hungry thank-you…Maybe just something to drink?”
Aragorn nodded, he knew better than to press me to eat when I didn’t want to. He brought over the tea and had me drink that instead of dealing with the soup. I was just afraid…my stomach was churning, and my throat didn’t feel at all normal. He was waiting for me to get something down before he would tell me of his fears.
“Aragorn…What is it?” I asked finally after finishing the cup of tea.
“Your throat…its sore isn’t it?”
I nodded, and smiled a little wanly, “I didn’t want to distract your attention from my cousin…” I tried to explain. “I know.” Aragorn was used to me by now. “But we must focus on that right now for if you cough too much…I’m afraid…there will be complications with the healing of your ribs…I’m going to go out for a bit and look for a couple of herbs that I think might help. Will you be alright alone here with Pippin?”
“I’ll be fine…Just bring that Pot of tea over here…please…” I assured him bravely.
“Good. Drink as much as you can, and make sure Pippin does too when he wakes up. I should not be gone long. Try not to move a lot…and certainly drink…right after you cough…” He ruffled my hair and rose. “Be Brave Frodo…”
I nodded…I was used to that.
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