The Moor You Know, The Better off You Are by Grey Wonderer
Merry ignores some sound advice from a surprising source and he may just regret it...
Rated G
Starter: “As you value your life or your reason keep away from the moor.” From “The Hound of The Baskervilles” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Merry ignores some sound advice from a surprising source and he may just regret it.
Beta by Llinos and Marigold
“The Moor You Know, The Better off You Are”
“Merry! My stars, are you all right?” Frodo hurried over and began to help Merry remove his cloak, which was soaked with rain. “You’re freezing! Give me your jacket and go over by the fire at once. Pippin, go into that new kitchen of yours and get some tea for your cousin.” Frodo pulled Merry’s jacket off and then began to usher him towards the fireplace. “Warm your hands and I will go and see if I can find some dry trousers for you. Your trousers are damp nearly to the waist.”
Merry shivered slightly and held his hands out towards the fire as he listened to Pippin rattling about in the kitchen. Merry desperately hoped that Pippin did not come out of the kitchen for some time. Merry was in no mood to deal with a smug Took just now. He sighed and looked down at his muddy feet. He supposed that he had tracked prints through the parlour but just now he was far too cold to consider that.
Frodo hurried back into the room carrying a pair of Merry’s trousers in one hand and a damp cloth in the other. “Take this cloth and clean those feet before you change your trousers,” Frodo instructed. He then shouted towards the kitchen. “Pippin, where is that tea?”
“Coming!” Pippin called back. Was it Merry’s imagination or could he hear a bit of mirth in Pippin’s voice?
It took Merry nearly ten minutes to set his feet to rights and they still were in need of a good brushing but at least they were clean now. Still shivering, Merry slid out of his braces and let his trousers fall to the floor. He was just stepping out of them when Pippin came in from the kitchen carrying a tray with a complete tea service on it.
Frodo relieved Pippin of the tray and set it on the large, padded footstool that sat in front of Pippin’s sofa. “I’ll pour you a cup while Pippin gets a couple of blankets,” Frodo said. He then turned to Pippin and said, “Bring in a couple of quilts and something warm for Merry.”
Smirking, or was that just Merry’s imagination, Pippin left the room while Frodo filled a cup with tea just the way Merry liked it.
Merry had just finished buttoning the dry trousers when Frodo pushed the cup of tea into his hands and said, “Now, sit down on the sofa and drink that at once.”
Merry looked down at Frodo and was reminded of his own mum for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that he had to look down at him or perhaps it was the rather fussy manner in which Frodo was ordering everyone about, but there was something that made Merry think of his mum in all of this.
Merry had just seated himself when Pippin came back with a large quilt and proceeded to cover Merry’s lap with it. “There!” Pippin pronounced stepping back. “That should do nicely. It’s one that my Aunt made several years ago and it is uncommonly warm.”
Merry avoided Pippin’s eyes and sipped his tea. If there was any way to avoid the conversation that Merry knew full well was coming then he did hope to find it.
“It is a very good thing that you have finished stocking your new smial, Pippin,” Frodo said seating himself on the sofa beside Merry. “I hope you have cleaning supplies because the floor between here and the door is terribly muddy.”
“Pearl brought all sorts of things for that type of job,” Pippin smiled. “She and Nelly insisted on helping me stock the pantry and purchase the cleaning supplies. I have three mops and two brooms and half a dozen dustbins. Sisters are very concerned about keeping things clean.”
Frodo chuckled. “Apparently they are right. Here you have your first guests and already you have a mess.”
“No matter,” Pippin shrugged. “I’ll clean it up in a moment.” He reached over and helped himself to a cup of tea. “Would you like some tea, Frodo?” Pippin asked suddenly remembering his manners as host.
“No, not just now thank you,” Frodo smiled. “I will have one later.”
“I remembered to bring in three cups and I have a complete proper service,” Pippin said proudly.
“You do indeed,” Frodo said still smiling.
“I have even included a plate of biscuits,” Pippin said.
“Which is why it took you so long,” Merry grumbled.
“Pearl says that a proper host always brings biscuits with tea,” Pippin said. “When Estella serves the tea at Crickhollow she brings biscuits or crumpets or scones. I remember.”
“You should remember,” Merry said. “You’ve only been living here for two weeks. Up until then you were the first one at the table when tea was served at Crickhollow.”
“Well, all the same,” Pippin said. “I do want to run a proper smial. When guests arrive and there is tea to be served then I do plan to include the biscuits. I would have made scones but it isn’t exactly teatime. In fact it is about two hours after teatime. I shall be thinking of beginning our evening meal in a short while and so I wasn’t planning tea.”
“The biscuits are fine, Pippin,” Frodo said reaching over and taking one off of the plate. “These are lovely plates by the way.” Frodo looked at the thin, silver rim around the plate and the delicate daisy pattern that trimmed the edge.
“These were a smial-warming gift from Merry’s mum,” Pippin said. “She gave me a full set of them. I have enough to serve twenty folks with cups and plates and bowls all to match. There is even a wee gravy boat and that lovely milk and sugar set.” Pippin pointed proudly at the milk jug that was next to the plate. “I thought that I could build a smial and just move in. I wasn’t thinking of all of the things that I might need.”
Merry recalled when Pippin had decided to have this smial built. He’d been sceptical at first but upon seeing it completed Merry realized how very proud Pippin was of it. He supposed the fact that Pippin would one day have to live in the Great Smials and serve as the Thain made this smial a bit impractical but Pippin had wanted a place of his own. Merry suspected that Pippin was putting off living at the Great Smials in all of that formality and amongst all those Tooks for as long as was possible. He sipped his tea and said nothing.
“I never had to consider the things that are required to run a smial,” Frodo said. “When Bilbo left all those years ago, Bag End and all of its contents were left to me. It went on as it always had without any extra preparations at all. Then when we returned from the Quest I was not feeling up to making those choices and Sam and Rose restocked Bag End. Now, with little Elanor newly arrived I suppose that more things will be needed. We've not had a babe in Bag End in many a year.” Frodo smiled but then noticed the concerned expressions on Merry and Pippin's faces.
Both Pippin and Merry looked very worried at Frodo’s mention of the Quest. Frodo seldom spoke of such things and so they didn’t speak of them when Frodo was about. Frodo smiled to reassure them and said, “Sam was sorry to have missed a chance to visit but with the new little one he felt his place was with Rose. How do you like having your very own smial, Pippin?”
“Well, of course it has taken some getting used to,” Pippin said. “When I was at Crickhollow with Merry and Estella there was always someone around for company. I miss the company some days but I am enjoying having my very own home.”
Pippin's decision to build his own smial in the Tooklands had come after he had walked in on Merry and Estella kissing, well rather more than kissing but less than other things, in the kitchen early in the morning. The very next day Pippin rolled out a sheaf of parchment onto the kitchen table that had a rough drawing of a smial on it and announced his plans to build a home all his own. Merry had tried to convince Pippin that he should remain at Crickhollow but Merry had realized that Pippin was right. He and Estella needed time together alone as most newly married hobbits did. Pippin, though dearly loved and at times sorely missed, had been somewhat in the way.
It had taken six months for Pippin’s new smial to be completed. Pippin had hired some of the best builders in the Tooklands and the work would have gone faster if Pippin hadn’t come to the building site nearly every day and ‘helped’ with the work. The labourers doing the work confessed to Merry that they had spent a great deal of time repairing Pippin’s efforts. Merry had insisted that they not tell Pippin this. Pippin was very proud of his work and he enjoyed telling folks that he had helped to build his own smial. The labourers were well paid enough so that they were willing to keep their opinions about Pippin’s work to themselves.
“You had a great deal of company from what I gather,” Frodo said filling a cup with tea.
“Oh, yes,” Pippin said brightly. “Freddy came for a week and then Pervinca stayed on that first week and helped me to organize it all and now you’ve come to visit and Merry, of course.”
“Why don’t you sit down?” Merry suggested. Pippin had been standing in front of the fireplace as if giving a lecture of some sort.
“A good host waits to make certain that nothing else is required by his guests before relaxing,” Pippin objected.
“Your guests are fine, Pippin,” Frodo smiled. “Why don’t you have a seat so that we can all relax for a while before dinner.”
“Oh,” Pippin said. “I should start dinner really.”
“Sit down, Pippin,” Frodo said gently. “Dinner can be a bit later since we are enjoying a second tea.”
Pippin smiled. “That seems reasonable.” He seated himself in the armchair and looked at Merry. “How was your journey here?”
“Fine,” Merry snapped. Here it comes.
“No trouble?” Pippin asked raising an eyebrow.
“None,” Merry said shortly.
“You were awfully wet and muddy when you arrived,” Pippin pointed out.
“Travel is sometimes a dirty affair,” Merry said taking a drink of his tea.
“Then there was the rain,” Frodo pointed out.
“Exactly! There was rain. It rained, Pippin,” Merry said glaring at his younger cousin. “It was raining most of the time that I was travelling. I suspect that it rained here too. It probably rained on the road as well. Did it rain on you, Frodo?”
“It rained a little as I was nearing the smial,” Frodo nodded. “I suspect that I missed most of the harsh weather but then I arrived in time for elevenses. I had stayed over at the Great Smials last night and it is only about two hours from here so I avoided most of the rain.”
“Yes, well, I had a bit further to travel than the distance from here to the Great Smials and it rained!” Merry said.
“Your feet were muddy,” Pippin observed. “What happened to your pony?”
“Nothing happened to him,” Merry snapped. “He is fine thank you. Everyone who travels any distance at all has to dismount once in a while. Stybba is out in your barn. He is fine but thank you very much for asking.”
Frodo looked at Merry curiously but said nothing. Something was amiss but Frodo was not about to ask.
“Much fog at all?” Pippin asked conversationally.
“Fog? Fog? Why whatever would make you bring that up?” Merry growled.
“There is, or so I hear, always a great deal of fog on the Moors,” Pippin smiled.
“The Moors?” Frodo sounded shocked. “Merry, you didn’t travel across the Moors did you?”
“The distance is much shorter,” Merry said tersely. “I don’t know why folks persist in going around when they can travel across and cut a great deal of time from their trip.”
“Did you?” Pippin asked taking a biscuit.
“Did I what?” Merry asked annoyed.
“Cut a great deal of time from your trip?”
“I may have,” Merry said. “It stands to reason that since the Moors go across country and don’t wind and weave about like the road that you Tooks have passing through your lands that naturally I would cut a great deal of time from my trip.”
“Even in the rain?”
“Why are you going on about the sodding rain? It rains all of the time and I have travelled in the rain before, Peregrin Took,” Merry said. “I don’t know why you should worry so about a bit of rain.”
“A bit?”
“All right! A downpour! I hope you’re happy! It was a downpour and it came upon me all at once like a cloud burst. I was riding along and suddenly I was completely drenched,” Merry said.
“Was that before you cut onto the Moors or after, Merry?” Pippin asked calmly.
“Why is that important?” Merry hissed.
Pippin shrugged. “I was just curious.”
“You are entirely too curious,” Merry said. “I’m certain that you’ve been told that before.”
Pippin frowned.
“Am I missing something?” Frodo asked after a considerable silence.
“Pippin is dying to say something,” Merry said.
“Me?” Pippin looked wide-eyed.
“Yes, you. Is there anyone else in this room named Pippin? Come to that, is there anyone else in all of the Shire that is named Pippin?” Merry demanded.
“I don’t know,” Pippin said. “I wonder if there is. Frodo, do you know any other Pippins?”
“No,” Frodo smiled at how easily Merry had distracted their younger cousin.
“Maybe in Long Cleeve or perhaps in the past,” Pippin said thoughtfully. “I’ll ask. Someone at the Great Smials will know if we’ve any ancestors named Pippin.”
“You aren’t even officially named Pippin,” Merry pointed out.
“Well, all the same, most folks know me as Pippin. It isn’t officially in the book that way but I still think it would be of interest to know if…”
“Just say it and get it over with!” Merry commanded. “Say it so that we can have our tea and let that be that. I do not intend to spend the entire week listening to you prattle on about it indirectly so go ahead and be petty and just say it.”
“I am not petty,” Pippin objected.
“Say what?” Frodo asked still not entirely certain what might be going on.
“He wants me to say that I told him not to travel the Moors,” Pippin said. “He wants me to point out that I warned him about the fog and that I also warned him that it rains a good deal more out there. He wants me to say that I was the one who told him that there are sink holes on the Moors and that sometimes a pony will become skittish out there because of the wolves that lurk about in the old caves that face the Moors. He would like me to point out that I distinctly told him that he would be daft to travel across the Moors because even though the distance is shorter than the road it is far too dangerous. He expects me to be unkind enough to say that I told him that hobbits often got lost out there in the fog and wandered about for hours, only to find they were going in great circles. That several hobbits are purported to have become lost out there and never to have been seen again. Merry would like me to say, judging from his appearance and the fact that he arrived about six hours later than he had planned to do, that I warned him not to go out onto the Moors but I am not going to do that.”
Trying not to laugh Frodo asked, “Why not?”
“Because that would be very petty of me and I am not at all like that,” Pippin said smiling. He stood. “No, I would never make someone feel bad because they had made an improper choice and ignored sound advice from someone who has lived near the Moors most of his life.”
“Of course not,” Frodo chuckled.
“I’m entirely too kind and too well bred for that sort of nonsense,” Pippin said. “Never mind that the Moors are dangerous and that there really are hungry wolves who lie in wait for what few ninny-hammers there are who dare to venture out onto the Moors. If Meriadoc feels that he made the proper decision then that is all that is important. One can warn folks away from the Moors but one most assuredly cannot keep them from crossing the Moors.”
“I am so glad that you decided not to say I told you so,” Merry said dryly.
“You know me better than that, Merry,” Pippin smiled. “It matters little that all of my life everyone has been willing to point out my mistakes and to tell me ‘I told you so.’ I would never do that to anyone else.” And with that Pippin turned and left the room. “I’ll just put dinner on and it can cook while we finish our tea.”
Frodo leaned his head back and howled with laughter.
“I’m very glad that you’re amused,” Merry sighed. “I knew he’d say I told you so.”
“Oh, but he didn’t,” Frodo laughed. “He managed it without actually doing that.”
“He is going to be the death of me,” Merry growled.
Frodo chuckled. “You taught him everything he knows.” After a pause Frodo said, “Well, except maybe that knowledge that he has about staying off the Moors. You didn’t know that, did you Merry?”
“Sod off, Frodo,” Merry growled and then he proceeded to turn all of his attention to the drinking of his tea.
The End
GW 04/08/2007
The little Smial that Pippin built appears in another story called “Meriadoc The Magnificent and The Boss” posted to Stories of Arda.