LOTR fanfic- Lady of the Rings

[Meriadoc Brandybuck]

The beginning of this is based on an idea from this thread-
http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=1069531
It seems to be somewhat dead, but I continued the story on my own.

I do not have chapters because I am lazy, so I will just post random blocks of text as I write them.

Beginning-

Merry and Pippin were sitting by the Brandywine River when Pippin said, "Hey. Merry!"

"What, Pippin?"

"D'you want to get some mushrooms from Farmer Maggot's field?"

"Ooh, yes! His are the best!"

And they set off.

Pippin and Merry crept along through the reeds at the edge of the riverbank until the ground under their feet turned from mud to tilled soil. The reeds became cornstalks, and they scrambled over the dirty white fence at the edge of the field.

"Pip, get the bag. I spy me some nice carrots over there."

"And cabbages!" Pippin exclaimed, trying to whisper. Merry grinned mischievously and led him through the rustling stalks to the little garden patch.

The mud seeped between the friend's toes. A semi-distant growling of a dog put their march to a temporary standstill. Although Brandybucks and Tooks are awful sneakers, that won't keep them from trying. After the menacing growl died away, the two conspirators continued their march through the cornstalks. The dirt muffled footsteps amazingly well, and Farmer Maggot's soil was surprisingly soft and fertile.

"Did you hear that, Merry?" Pippin whispered urgently.

"Yes Pip, so we'd best hurry now." Merry replied as the recently faded growl became a howl and then several howls. He handed Pippin a bag and began hastily stuffing carrots into his own. Pippin scrambled through the neat dirt rows, shoveling random vegetables into the bag. The howls increased in frequency and soon the pair could hear the dogs coming, crashing through the cornfield and cutting off the way they had come.

"Run, Merry, run!" Pippin exclaimed, still trying to express himself quietly. The two hobbits took off, tearing through a different field, one they hadn't been through before. This field was one of wheat, and they didn't have much interest in the grains. Trampling stalks this way and that, Merry and Pippin flew through the crops in record time. Despite their quick pace, the heavy bags slowed them down and the dogs bounded ever closer, howling as they came.

"Quick, Merry, this way!" Pippin cried, no longer quiet. Merry didn't bother shushing him, and followed him through the wheat field, the two hobbits running as fast as their short legs could carry them. Suddenly the ground beneath their feet turned hard and rocky, and the wheat became mingled with thorny bushes. The hobbits had to slow down, but they didn't mind because the dogs had not only stopped following them but they also still had their bags of contraband vegetables. When the wheat had completely disappeared and the bushes were the dominant vegetation, they stopped walking and looked around, almost hopelessly lost.

"What do we do now, Merry?" Pippin asked anxiously. "We're lost."

"I don't know, Pip. I just don't know. Let's have a look around while we're here. It's almost time for elevenses, and we could have a picnic." Merry replied, his eyes glittering as he thought about the food they had with them. Pippin nodded and gazed around at the unfamiliar land. "Why, Merry, I think we're on the outskirts of Bree. Look, there's the river, and the inn. I think we ought to go see how their ale is shaping up this season."
Merry grinned and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Sounds grand. Let's go have a little taste, shall we?" And with that Merry set off in the direction of the town, confident in his abilities to navigate the terrain. Pippin hurried after him, struggling to balance the bag on his back and keep up with Merry's eager pace at the same time. The hobbits scrambled over the rocky grasslands, not noticing the fact that they looked unusually bare of flora and fauna. All they could think about was the desired ale at the inn. However, as they drew near to the town they began to see the difference.

"Where is everyone?" Merry wondered aloud, looking around quizzically at the slightly burnt houses on the outskirts of the village. Pip didn't say anything, but merely stared with his mouth open. The houses were devoid of life and some were half-destroyed, showing evidence of a struggle there. As they walked cautiously on into the heart of Bree, the damage and destruction got progressively worse.

"Merry, I don't know what is going on, but I don't think we're going to find ale at the inn." Pippin whispered to cover his fear. Merry shook his head and gave a little jump when he noticed blood and a severed leg on a doorstep, which he didn't point out to Pippin. They tiptoed through the decimated remainder of Bree, walking cautiously towards the inn. It wasn't nearly as damaged as the rest of the town, with only minor burn marks on the side and the chimney caved in. Hesitantly, Merry stepped up to the doorway of it and knocked, not really expecting an answer. Of course, none came, and the pair listened in silence for a few minutes to establish the fact that the building was indeed empty of living beings. Pippin moved to stand beside Merry and he cast down his sack, ready to try and get in. Merry glanced at him and nodded. Together, they pushed with all their might on the door. It fell open much quicker than they expected, and the two tumbled inside as the door burst open, tearing off a hinge in the process. Quickly, the hobbits scrambled to their feet and inspected the gloomy interior. No one greeted them, nor did anyone offer them a room and a drink. Pippin picked up his bag and set it cautiously on the table nearest the door, relieved when it didn't collapse or reveal a hidden enemy.

The formerly welcoming common room no longer looked cheerful and inhabitable. The wood mantle above the fireplace was scorched black and many of the tables and chairs were flipped over and broken. The pair looked around in disbelief, their mouths agape and minds numb with shock. Slowly, they stepped forward together, Pippin clutching at Merry's sleeve for comfort. Merry bent down to examine the tables, his eyes widening when he saw some of the marks on them. The deep slashes and cuts in the wood resembled those made by swords, but these swords were certainly different than the ordinary blade. The formerly smooth wood provided evidence that the blades of the attackers were serrated, much longer and sharper than most swords, and wickedly curved. Pippin wandered timorously towards the kitchen, where to his relief he found no one but some good hearty food taking up the space. Clearly it hadn't been touched because everything was in its normal state with no destruction or bodies. The cook must have fled or been outside of the small space when the attack happened.

"Pip, I don't like the look of these slashes. I think all the Breelanders were either killed or taken prisoner." Merry said, his voice clearly showing his concern for the hobbits and for the Shire's safety in general. Pippin shivered in response and walked back over to him, ready to escape the terrible scene.

"Should we check out the rest of the place, see if there's any clues?" Pippin whispered, still scared out of his wits. Merry nodded and began weaving his way through the charred and splintered mass of furniture towards the doors that led to the lodging part of the inn. Pippin followed him reluctantly, really not wanting to find any more horrors in the rest of the lodging place. The pair forced open the doors at the base of the stairs and began hesitantly ascending them, jumping every time they heard a creak or squeak from the wooden stairs beneath their hairy feet. At the top of the flight, the hall split off in two directions. Pippin reluctantly went right and Merry turned to the left. The rooms that branched off Pippin's side of the hallway had clearly been built to accommodate larger beings, such as men and elves, and not people of such diminutive stature as hobbits. Merry had gotten lucky - his end of the hall was built for hobbits, and the rooms had been dug into the earth, making that side of the inn look like it had grown out of the ground. Neither hobbit found any dead bodies or body parts, but there was an abundance of blood in all the rooms. Merry discovered evidence of a scuffle in one of his rooms, where the occupants must have put up a fight against their assailers. Both hobbits found the possessions of the missing residents, and met back up in the hallway with the stuff. They sorted it on the floor, separating weapons and clothes from useless trinkets and things that a hobbit would be unable to use.

[Lunaestrella]

Wow! This is awesome! I wonder what has happened...

[Meriadoc Brandybuck]

I'll post more soon. I have to go to school now, so I don't have time to write.

[Lunaestrella]

Ok, that's fine! I was laughing today because while I was reading this in class someone was talking about "Forrest Gump" and I was just reading the bit where Pippin says "Run Merry run!" But this is 1000000000 times better than that movie

[Meriadoc Brandybuck]

The hobbits quickly finished sorting their gathered loot and stacked the stuff they had no need for in a small pile. The things that they could use were quickly found homes. Pippin discovered an elegant silver and dark green traveling cloak, while Merry pulled on a maroon jacket with gold stitching. They also found weapons- a hobbit-sized sword for Pip, and a pair of daggers that Merry claimed. Merry also spied a belt which, despite its worn appearance, had several pouches on it and a sturdy buckle. This he buckled on and attached the sheaths for his new knives to it as well.

"We may as well be equipped if we're going to find out what happened to Bree. Going out unarmed would be suicidal," Merry mused aloud. Pip nodded agreement and swung his sword about aimlessly. The hobbits soon were ready to set out, although they didn't really know where. Each thought the other had a plan, but in reality, neither did. To avoid the impending excursion to somewhere, they began to peruse the rooms in the other wing of the inn. The damage was much worse, due to it being the side that the chimney had caved in on. Several rooms had walls that had collapsed or were only partially standing. The first few rooms they entered didn't even count as rooms- they were much too demolished to count as four walls and a roof anymore. However, the pair did find a room that was only partially caved in, with a bed that was clearly the victim of the collapsing infrastructure. It was covered in rubble and large chunks of ceiling. The hobbits were about to leave the space and keep looking, when Pip spotted a mass of hair in the midst of the chaos.

"Merry! What is that?" he demanded, clutching at his cousin's sleeve. "It can't be a hobbit! They're all gone!" Merry slowly pried Pippin off of his arm and stepped forward for a closer look, knife in hand. The hair did indeed belong to a living being, but certainly not a hobbit. The hair was straight, golden blonde, and rather dirty and filled with dust from the collapsed roof. Gingerly Merry cleared away some of the stone, revealing a fair face, a man's, to be specific. Bloody cuts ran along the stranger's cheek and temple, and dirt was smudged across his cheeks.

(going to sleep, will post more tomorrow or something.)

[Lunaestrella]

I love this!! It is very well written, too . Is it after the war of the ring?

[Meriadoc Brandybuck]

Sort of. It's meant to be in place of the War. Instead of a story revolving around the Fellowship, it's only centered on Merry, Pippin, and this character of mine that they have just discovered. I doubt I'll include any events from the canon series, but it could happen.

[Lunaestrella]

Eeeeeeeeee! I can't wait to see who he is!

[Meriadoc Brandybuck]

You'll have to wait till about this time tomorrow, then. I'm going to bed now and I'm gone pretty much all day tomorrow.

[Lunaestrella]

Ok