fic: The Luster of Snow
Feb. 6th, 2006 06:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
auntiemeeshOkay, here's chapter four of 'The Luster of Snow'.
Chapter four
betaed by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
pipspebble
It was dark and cold, and seemed to be getting colder with every painful breath Pippin took. The darkness was lifting slightly, but he couldn’t tell if his eyes were adjusting to the lack of light or if the clouds were blowing away, leaving the stars free to shine. While the thought of more snow was rather frightening at this point, a clearing sky meant that the temperature was more likely to drop over night. He didn’t know how cold it might get before dawn and didn’t particularly want to find out.
His entire body was trembling from cold and pain, and each convulsive movement of the muscles in his leg sent more pain shooting through him. After the first shock of his situation had worn off, he had done his best to determine the extent of his injuries. He already knew that something was badly wrong with his right leg and didn’t even try to move it. Moving very cautiously, he had been able to wiggle the toes of his left foot, and then gingerly flex the ankle. He didn’t have enough freedom of movement to bend his knee, but flexing the leg muscles hadn’t set off any alarms, so he’d concluded that it was probably relatively uninjured. He’d rested then, not wanting to do any further damage to himself. Now he was just waiting, repeating over and over to himself that someone would find him at any moment.
***
Paladin paced back and forth in front of the inn’s stable, waiting for Gordie to return with help. With each passing moment, his anxiety was building. He was quickly becoming convinced that something was very wrong, although nothing in the outward situation had changed. Pippin was only a few hours overdue, but those few hours could be significant.
“Here we are, then, sir,” Gordie announced, trotting up with half a dozen sturdy young hobbits.
“Ta for helping, lads,” Paladin said gratefully to the gathered crew. “I suppose I’m just an overanxious father, but Pippin’s quite late checking in and no one’s seen him since this afternoon.”
“T’is no bother, Mr. Paladin,” Gordie reassured him. “But we’d best get started if we want to get finished, if you take my meaning.”
Paladin nodded. “Right, then. We’ll head out in pairs; stick together and return here in an hour if you haven’t seen any sign of him.” After giving a few more brief instructions and handing out supplies, he sent them on their way, keeping Gordie with him. Splitting into pairs, each group grabbed a lantern and headed out. Paladin swung a pack to his back, picked up his own lantern, and set out towards the woods to the east of town.
“You’re really worried, aren’t you, sir?” Gordie asked as he trotted to keep up with Paladin.
Paladin didn’t respond immediately, walking at the best pace he could manage along the snow covered wood-cutters’ path that led to the woods. “I am,” he finally answered. “I don’t for the life of me know why, but something feels wrong. It’s like an ache in my chest, Gordie. My lad needs me.” He spared Gordie a half-apologetic smile, expecting to see amusement or mockery on the lad’s face.
“I understand,” Gordie replied quietly. “My da had a bit of the sight, you know. Not much, but sometimes he just knew things.”
Paladin eyed the lad thoughtfully. He’d never put much stock in the notion of this ‘sight’ that some spoke of, but he had to admit that on the rare occasions when a gut feeling took him this strongly, it was usually true. Such thoughts gave him small comfort right now, when he wanted nothing more than for his anxiety to be misplaced and he tried to dispel his growing concern.
A few minutes later the track they were following entered the eaves of the woods. Holding up his lantern, Paladin scanned the ground for any traces of footprints in the snow, but could see nothing definite. Exchanging a glance with Gordie, he took a deep breath and entered the sheltering overhang of branches.
As they moved further into the woods, the layer of snow on the ground lessened, interweaving overhead branches having caught much of it. Finally, they found what they were looking for. In the light of their lanterns, they could clearly see a bootprint that was only partially filled in with fluffy snow. Looking ahead, they saw several more, with the trail leading deeper into the woods. They followed this trail without speaking, until they had gone nearly a mile.
“I don’t see any more tracks, sir,” Gordie muttered, lifting his lantern high to peer around.
“Here,” Paladin said, moving over to the side. “There’s a small path here; it looks recently disturbed.” He indicated the small branches that were denuded of snow, and a freshly broken twig. “I suppose he went off this way.” Not best pleased, Paladin followed the trail, angling away from the main path and heading deeper into the woods.
***
Trying to keep himself awake, Pippin began trying to extricate his arms from under the tangled branches lying across his body. He quickly found that his right arm was thoroughly pinned, but there was at least a little wriggle room on his left side. Moving very carefully, he worked first his fingers and then his whole hand, but was soon forced to give up the attempt; his elbow was trapped close to his side and he couldn’t move his arm more than an inch or two.
“Well, this is a fix and no mistake,” he muttered, shivering. He twisted his head to one side and then the other, trying to ease the discomfort of lying in cold snow for an extended period of time, to little avail. The only thing that would help, he thought rather gloomily, would be to get up off the snow, and that wasn’t really an option right now.
He drifted for a while after that, mind shutting down in self defense against his misery, and when he came back to himself he was unsure how much time had passed. He was equally unsure at first what had brought him back to full, shivering awareness. Maybe he’d heard something; he lay perfectly still, tense and straining. There, he heard it again. It was a vibration felt through the ground more than an actual sound, footsteps on frozen earth and he felt a sudden surge of hope, maybe help was on the way. His hopes were dashed when a deer came bounding out of the woods and leaped over him, continuing on without pause. The disappointment cut deep and he fought to hold back a choked cry of despair. It was several minutes before he realized he could still feel/hear the vibrations of footsteps moving in his direction. And then he heard something he had almost despaired of, the distant sound of a soft hobbit voice.
***
Pippin’s tracks were more distinct on this smaller path. They were able to follow the marks easily and made better time, moving over the frozen ground as quickly as the snow permitted. A sudden rustle in the branches was the first indication they were not alone, and Paladin and Gordie both jumped when the deer burst out of the woods and ran ahead of them up the path.
“Oh my stars,” Gordie gasped. “I thought it was a bear!”
“There aren’t any bears in these woods, Gordie,” Paladin answered softly. “Most of the beasts hereabouts are much smaller than that. You should know that.” He looked at the younger hobbit curiously.
Gordie flushed under his elder’s eye. “Sorry, sir. But there are unsettling tales going around and you never know what might be lurking, even in your own back yard, so to speak.”
“Ah, lad,” Paladin answered, resting his hand reassuringly on Gordie’s shoulder. “Pay no mind to the rumors. Someone is always spreading such tales in order to make himself look bigger and braver. These woods are --” he broke off suddenly, holding up a hand for silence.
He thought he’d heard…yes, there it was again. A very faint cry, coming from farther up the trail. Leaving Gordie to follow as he would, he took off at a run, calling out. “Pippin! Pippin, are you out here, son?”
An answer came back, more distinct this time. “Da? Da, I’m here.” Pippin’s call was weak but close at hand and it was only a moment more before Paladin was kneeling in the snow, cradling Pippin’s head in his lap.
“Oh, lad,” he murmured, “I was that worried about you.”
“Da,” Pippin whispered. “My…leg. Think I’m…bleeding.” Sighing, he closed his eyes and went limp in Paladin’s arms.
“Pippin? Pippin!” Paladin cried. “Wake up, son. Come on, now, wake up.”
Pippin moaned slightly but did not stir and Paladin looked up at Gordie. “You’ll have to run, lad. Go back to the inn and get help. We’ll need blankets and bandages, rope, and more hands. And send word to the Smials as well, to have a healer waiting when we get there. Quick now, go!”
Gordie looked from Pippin, lying still and pale in his father’s arms, to Paladin, face drawn with fright, and turned to follow his instructions. Running as quickly as he could without injuring himself in the process, he fled back to the inn and help.
***
Pippin drifted back towards consciousness, with his father’s scent in his nostrils and the sound of his father’s voice in his ears.
“Come on, now, son, talk to me.” Paladin’s voice was commanding, and Pippin did his best to obey, mumbling something that even he couldn’t really understand.
“There’s a lad. Open your eyes for me now, Pippin.”
Sighing, Pippin complied, heaving heavy lids up and blinking rather blearily at his father. Paladin’s face was pinched with worry and cold, and Pippin was struck with the realization that it was his fault.
“S..sor..sorry, Da,” he whispered, teeth chattering with cold.
“Hush,” Paladin answered, smiling in relief. “Don’t worry about it now. I’ve sent Gordie for help, but I need to know how badly you’re hurt.”
“S..something’s w..wrong wi..with my r..r..right l..leg.” His ribs were sore as well, but it was too hard to get the words out past the shivering and he didn’t really think they were broken anyway, just bruised and painful.
Paladin gently lowered his head back to the ground and Pippin would have protested, but he was once again having trouble staying awake. He allowed his eyes to close as his father moved around him, testing the branch to see if he could move it on his own. Pippin’s last thought as he drifted off again was that he was safe now. His da was here.
tbc
Chapter Five
Chapter four
betaed by
pipspebbleIt was dark and cold, and seemed to be getting colder with every painful breath Pippin took. The darkness was lifting slightly, but he couldn’t tell if his eyes were adjusting to the lack of light or if the clouds were blowing away, leaving the stars free to shine. While the thought of more snow was rather frightening at this point, a clearing sky meant that the temperature was more likely to drop over night. He didn’t know how cold it might get before dawn and didn’t particularly want to find out.
His entire body was trembling from cold and pain, and each convulsive movement of the muscles in his leg sent more pain shooting through him. After the first shock of his situation had worn off, he had done his best to determine the extent of his injuries. He already knew that something was badly wrong with his right leg and didn’t even try to move it. Moving very cautiously, he had been able to wiggle the toes of his left foot, and then gingerly flex the ankle. He didn’t have enough freedom of movement to bend his knee, but flexing the leg muscles hadn’t set off any alarms, so he’d concluded that it was probably relatively uninjured. He’d rested then, not wanting to do any further damage to himself. Now he was just waiting, repeating over and over to himself that someone would find him at any moment.
***
Paladin paced back and forth in front of the inn’s stable, waiting for Gordie to return with help. With each passing moment, his anxiety was building. He was quickly becoming convinced that something was very wrong, although nothing in the outward situation had changed. Pippin was only a few hours overdue, but those few hours could be significant.
“Here we are, then, sir,” Gordie announced, trotting up with half a dozen sturdy young hobbits.
“Ta for helping, lads,” Paladin said gratefully to the gathered crew. “I suppose I’m just an overanxious father, but Pippin’s quite late checking in and no one’s seen him since this afternoon.”
“T’is no bother, Mr. Paladin,” Gordie reassured him. “But we’d best get started if we want to get finished, if you take my meaning.”
Paladin nodded. “Right, then. We’ll head out in pairs; stick together and return here in an hour if you haven’t seen any sign of him.” After giving a few more brief instructions and handing out supplies, he sent them on their way, keeping Gordie with him. Splitting into pairs, each group grabbed a lantern and headed out. Paladin swung a pack to his back, picked up his own lantern, and set out towards the woods to the east of town.
“You’re really worried, aren’t you, sir?” Gordie asked as he trotted to keep up with Paladin.
Paladin didn’t respond immediately, walking at the best pace he could manage along the snow covered wood-cutters’ path that led to the woods. “I am,” he finally answered. “I don’t for the life of me know why, but something feels wrong. It’s like an ache in my chest, Gordie. My lad needs me.” He spared Gordie a half-apologetic smile, expecting to see amusement or mockery on the lad’s face.
“I understand,” Gordie replied quietly. “My da had a bit of the sight, you know. Not much, but sometimes he just knew things.”
Paladin eyed the lad thoughtfully. He’d never put much stock in the notion of this ‘sight’ that some spoke of, but he had to admit that on the rare occasions when a gut feeling took him this strongly, it was usually true. Such thoughts gave him small comfort right now, when he wanted nothing more than for his anxiety to be misplaced and he tried to dispel his growing concern.
A few minutes later the track they were following entered the eaves of the woods. Holding up his lantern, Paladin scanned the ground for any traces of footprints in the snow, but could see nothing definite. Exchanging a glance with Gordie, he took a deep breath and entered the sheltering overhang of branches.
As they moved further into the woods, the layer of snow on the ground lessened, interweaving overhead branches having caught much of it. Finally, they found what they were looking for. In the light of their lanterns, they could clearly see a bootprint that was only partially filled in with fluffy snow. Looking ahead, they saw several more, with the trail leading deeper into the woods. They followed this trail without speaking, until they had gone nearly a mile.
“I don’t see any more tracks, sir,” Gordie muttered, lifting his lantern high to peer around.
“Here,” Paladin said, moving over to the side. “There’s a small path here; it looks recently disturbed.” He indicated the small branches that were denuded of snow, and a freshly broken twig. “I suppose he went off this way.” Not best pleased, Paladin followed the trail, angling away from the main path and heading deeper into the woods.
***
Trying to keep himself awake, Pippin began trying to extricate his arms from under the tangled branches lying across his body. He quickly found that his right arm was thoroughly pinned, but there was at least a little wriggle room on his left side. Moving very carefully, he worked first his fingers and then his whole hand, but was soon forced to give up the attempt; his elbow was trapped close to his side and he couldn’t move his arm more than an inch or two.
“Well, this is a fix and no mistake,” he muttered, shivering. He twisted his head to one side and then the other, trying to ease the discomfort of lying in cold snow for an extended period of time, to little avail. The only thing that would help, he thought rather gloomily, would be to get up off the snow, and that wasn’t really an option right now.
He drifted for a while after that, mind shutting down in self defense against his misery, and when he came back to himself he was unsure how much time had passed. He was equally unsure at first what had brought him back to full, shivering awareness. Maybe he’d heard something; he lay perfectly still, tense and straining. There, he heard it again. It was a vibration felt through the ground more than an actual sound, footsteps on frozen earth and he felt a sudden surge of hope, maybe help was on the way. His hopes were dashed when a deer came bounding out of the woods and leaped over him, continuing on without pause. The disappointment cut deep and he fought to hold back a choked cry of despair. It was several minutes before he realized he could still feel/hear the vibrations of footsteps moving in his direction. And then he heard something he had almost despaired of, the distant sound of a soft hobbit voice.
***
Pippin’s tracks were more distinct on this smaller path. They were able to follow the marks easily and made better time, moving over the frozen ground as quickly as the snow permitted. A sudden rustle in the branches was the first indication they were not alone, and Paladin and Gordie both jumped when the deer burst out of the woods and ran ahead of them up the path.
“Oh my stars,” Gordie gasped. “I thought it was a bear!”
“There aren’t any bears in these woods, Gordie,” Paladin answered softly. “Most of the beasts hereabouts are much smaller than that. You should know that.” He looked at the younger hobbit curiously.
Gordie flushed under his elder’s eye. “Sorry, sir. But there are unsettling tales going around and you never know what might be lurking, even in your own back yard, so to speak.”
“Ah, lad,” Paladin answered, resting his hand reassuringly on Gordie’s shoulder. “Pay no mind to the rumors. Someone is always spreading such tales in order to make himself look bigger and braver. These woods are --” he broke off suddenly, holding up a hand for silence.
He thought he’d heard…yes, there it was again. A very faint cry, coming from farther up the trail. Leaving Gordie to follow as he would, he took off at a run, calling out. “Pippin! Pippin, are you out here, son?”
An answer came back, more distinct this time. “Da? Da, I’m here.” Pippin’s call was weak but close at hand and it was only a moment more before Paladin was kneeling in the snow, cradling Pippin’s head in his lap.
“Oh, lad,” he murmured, “I was that worried about you.”
“Da,” Pippin whispered. “My…leg. Think I’m…bleeding.” Sighing, he closed his eyes and went limp in Paladin’s arms.
“Pippin? Pippin!” Paladin cried. “Wake up, son. Come on, now, wake up.”
Pippin moaned slightly but did not stir and Paladin looked up at Gordie. “You’ll have to run, lad. Go back to the inn and get help. We’ll need blankets and bandages, rope, and more hands. And send word to the Smials as well, to have a healer waiting when we get there. Quick now, go!”
Gordie looked from Pippin, lying still and pale in his father’s arms, to Paladin, face drawn with fright, and turned to follow his instructions. Running as quickly as he could without injuring himself in the process, he fled back to the inn and help.
***
Pippin drifted back towards consciousness, with his father’s scent in his nostrils and the sound of his father’s voice in his ears.
“Come on, now, son, talk to me.” Paladin’s voice was commanding, and Pippin did his best to obey, mumbling something that even he couldn’t really understand.
“There’s a lad. Open your eyes for me now, Pippin.”
Sighing, Pippin complied, heaving heavy lids up and blinking rather blearily at his father. Paladin’s face was pinched with worry and cold, and Pippin was struck with the realization that it was his fault.
“S..sor..sorry, Da,” he whispered, teeth chattering with cold.
“Hush,” Paladin answered, smiling in relief. “Don’t worry about it now. I’ve sent Gordie for help, but I need to know how badly you’re hurt.”
“S..something’s w..wrong wi..with my r..r..right l..leg.” His ribs were sore as well, but it was too hard to get the words out past the shivering and he didn’t really think they were broken anyway, just bruised and painful.
Paladin gently lowered his head back to the ground and Pippin would have protested, but he was once again having trouble staying awake. He allowed his eyes to close as his father moved around him, testing the branch to see if he could move it on his own. Pippin’s last thought as he drifted off again was that he was safe now. His da was here.
tbc
Chapter Five
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 04:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 08:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 04:42 pm (UTC)I'm really glad they found him. (Though, of course, they would!) And I like your Paladin here, as well.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 08:22 pm (UTC)Lol! Don't you just love it when you find yourself holding your breath about something like that? OMG, will they find him in time or will he be a frozen little Pipsicle?
I'm glad you like my Paladin. I've been working on all the parents lately, trying to figure them out in my head.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 04:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 08:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 05:36 pm (UTC)I loved the way Pippin tried so hard to be practical about his injuries and his situation, even though it would be hard to be lucid in circumstances like that.
And, oh dear! The message to the Smials to have the healer ready--goodness! Eglantine's going to be frightened to pieces about him!
But I do so love your last two sentences!!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 08:24 pm (UTC):D
no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 08:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-07 05:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-07 11:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-08 04:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-07 01:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-08 04:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-08 07:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-09 10:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-10 09:17 pm (UTC)And love Paladin and Gordie in this... way to be good trackers! =)
no subject
Date: 2006-02-11 07:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-13 01:14 am (UTC)