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piploverIn a Heartbeat: Epilogue
“Are you ready?”
At Pippin’s determined look, Aragorn carefully lifted the hobbit into his arms, shifting slightly so that the tweenager could rest his head upon the black-clad shoulder.
“All right?” he asked, feeling muscles tense beneath his sensitive fingers and hearing the strained intake of breath.
“All right,” Pippin agreed, albeit faintly.
The pulse at the hobbit’s neck beat rapidly, but the King had known there would be some discomfort involved in the move. He only hoped that the potion he had given Pippin was doing its work and suppressing the worst of the pain. Pulling the blanket that was securely wrapped around the bundle in his arms more firmly around Pippin’s shoulders, the King turned and, walking slowly so as not to jar Pippin any more than was necessary, headed out of the bed chamber.
A great cheer assaulted them as they exited the King’s room, and Pippin raised his head. Lined against the walls up and down the corridors, it seemed that every guard and soldier and servant not on duty in the citadel had appeared to watch Pippin’s journey.
“Oh, my,” he heard himself whisper, feeling Aragorn’s shoulders shake with laughter at his reaction.
Waiting for them, smiling at the welcome that awaited their kin and friend, Frodo, Merry and Sam, along with Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Faramir and Arwen, stood just outside the door, waiting to escort the duo.
As they walked from through the street Pippin’s eyes widened as the line of guardsmen and knights continued, joined by townsfolk whom also cheered and applauded until they had reached the entrance to the house he shared with Gandalf and the other hobbits.
Even though Aragorn had walked slowly, and Pippin had been dosed before the trip began, the young hobbit was trembling slightly with pain as he was laid upon his bed, the smell of fresh sheets and flowers filling his nose.
“Easy, Pippin,” Merry soothed, going to his cousin’s side and taking his hand, watching with a worried eye as Aragorn rechecked the bandages.
There was no blood, and the wound looked to be healing, prompting relieved sighs from all who watched.
“All right?” Aragorn asked again, softly, stroking Pippin’s hair as the other smiled up at him.
“Yes,” Pippin assured him, trying to manoeuvre so that he was sitting up, Merry and Frodo quickly propping him up with pillows. “But Aragorn,” he added, a slight wistfulness in his tone. “I am hungry. Can I eat something now?”
Laughter filled the room, a sound that had been all too rare the past few days, and Aragorn could only nod his assent, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes.
What am I going to do when these dear friends leave for home, he thought. Especially Pippin, whom always seemed able to lighten the darkest of moments.
For the moment, he put such thoughts aside and allowed himself to revel in the joy of having his friends with him at that moment, safe and relatively sound.
For now, everything was going to be all right.
“Are you ready?”
At Pippin’s determined look, Aragorn carefully lifted the hobbit into his arms, shifting slightly so that the tweenager could rest his head upon the black-clad shoulder.
“All right?” he asked, feeling muscles tense beneath his sensitive fingers and hearing the strained intake of breath.
“All right,” Pippin agreed, albeit faintly.
The pulse at the hobbit’s neck beat rapidly, but the King had known there would be some discomfort involved in the move. He only hoped that the potion he had given Pippin was doing its work and suppressing the worst of the pain. Pulling the blanket that was securely wrapped around the bundle in his arms more firmly around Pippin’s shoulders, the King turned and, walking slowly so as not to jar Pippin any more than was necessary, headed out of the bed chamber.
A great cheer assaulted them as they exited the King’s room, and Pippin raised his head. Lined against the walls up and down the corridors, it seemed that every guard and soldier and servant not on duty in the citadel had appeared to watch Pippin’s journey.
“Oh, my,” he heard himself whisper, feeling Aragorn’s shoulders shake with laughter at his reaction.
Waiting for them, smiling at the welcome that awaited their kin and friend, Frodo, Merry and Sam, along with Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Faramir and Arwen, stood just outside the door, waiting to escort the duo.
As they walked from through the street Pippin’s eyes widened as the line of guardsmen and knights continued, joined by townsfolk whom also cheered and applauded until they had reached the entrance to the house he shared with Gandalf and the other hobbits.
Even though Aragorn had walked slowly, and Pippin had been dosed before the trip began, the young hobbit was trembling slightly with pain as he was laid upon his bed, the smell of fresh sheets and flowers filling his nose.
“Easy, Pippin,” Merry soothed, going to his cousin’s side and taking his hand, watching with a worried eye as Aragorn rechecked the bandages.
There was no blood, and the wound looked to be healing, prompting relieved sighs from all who watched.
“All right?” Aragorn asked again, softly, stroking Pippin’s hair as the other smiled up at him.
“Yes,” Pippin assured him, trying to manoeuvre so that he was sitting up, Merry and Frodo quickly propping him up with pillows. “But Aragorn,” he added, a slight wistfulness in his tone. “I am hungry. Can I eat something now?”
Laughter filled the room, a sound that had been all too rare the past few days, and Aragorn could only nod his assent, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes.
What am I going to do when these dear friends leave for home, he thought. Especially Pippin, whom always seemed able to lighten the darkest of moments.
For the moment, he put such thoughts aside and allowed himself to revel in the joy of having his friends with him at that moment, safe and relatively sound.
For now, everything was going to be all right.
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Date: 2005-06-24 05:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-24 08:00 am (UTC)Your Pippin and Aragorn are so sweet and wonderful together; Pippin's pride for his liege and love for his friend are so palpable, and Aragorn's tender love and concern for the smallest and youngest of his knights is so very sweet. I adore this story, and I'm going to rec it all over the place! Starting with PippinHealers...
So very, very good to have you back, dear!
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Date: 2005-06-24 11:02 am (UTC)*loves all over you*
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Date: 2005-06-24 11:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-24 01:04 pm (UTC)A perfect ending to a wonderful story. I love seeing the love, respect, and affection that each of these characters feels for the others, and you write it so well.
:D
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Date: 2005-06-25 04:13 am (UTC)Good work
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Date: 2005-06-27 06:02 am (UTC)