auntiemeesh: (break-dana)
auntiemeesh ([personal profile] auntiemeesh) wrote2005-01-22 08:30 pm

The Companion Piece

Pretty much ever since I started 'A New Kind of Courage' I intended to write a Companion Piece showing events from Pippin's viewpoint. After much deliberation, I decided to have it be a series of smaller pieces, rather than another big beast (although I won't make any promises as once I get started I often don't know when to stop). A few bits and pieces of it have already shown up in one form or another, but I've finally gotten started on it in earnest.

Pippin the Troll Slayer

Prologue – Time to Die

It was time to die, it seemed, and it was bitter to Pippin that Merry was not here, at his side. If they all had to die, at least they could do so together. But it was not to be. Merry was far from here, in safety for a little longer at least, before the flood again rose against Minas Tirith and washed away all in it’s path. Then it would be Merry’s turn to stand against the tide and meet his fate. Pippin wondered if Merry would feel as alone as he did right now.

Shaking his head against these thoughts, Pippin drew his sword. There was nothing he could do about Merry, any more than he’d been able to help Frodo and Sam. They had set out to save the Shire and ended up trying to save all of Middle-earth, but they had not even been able to save themselves, in the end. Well, Pippin thought as he stood at the end of everything, alone he may be, and terribly afraid, and doomed to die, but he would certainly not go alone. Squaring his shoulders, he faced the advancing horde of orcs and hill trolls, determined to make such an end as he was able and take as many of the enemy with him as fate would allow.

The trolls were upon them then and there was no more time for thought. There was a flurry of action all around him, as the Gondorian soldiers fought to sell their lives as dearly as possible. Once the battle joined in earnest, Pippin could not see much of anything other than the small space directly in front of him, and found it difficult to fight at all, being little more than knee high to the giant hill trolls. All he could do was dodge the blows aimed at him and try to not get in the way of his larger companions. He felt quite helpless and a surge of rage swept through him that he was to be denied even the chance to take a few of the enemy with him when he died. An exceptionally large troll-chief loomed over him and he quailed, but then, seemingly out of nowhere, Beregond stepped between him and the enemy, taking the blow that was meant for Pippin. Beregond fell and as the troll leaned over to grab at his friend, Pippin reacted instinctively, forgetting the difference in their sizes and his feeling of helplessness. Stabbing upwards with his sword of Westernesse, he penetrating deep into the vitals of the troll, foul black blood spewing over his hand and arm. It was only as the beast toppled over on top of him that Pippin realized the precariousness of his situation, and by then it was too late. He was borne to the ground by the weight of the troll-chief.

Pain flared through his head, and to a lesser extent throughout the rest of his body as well, and his thoughts flickered like a candle flame in a high wind. There was no longer any fear or regret, only an odd sense of relief that it was all over. His thoughts flitted to Merry and Frodo one last time and he was content in the knowledge that they would be together again soon. His eyes darkened, his thoughts dimmed and fled his broken body.
Chapter One
shirebound: (Default)

[personal profile] shirebound 2005-01-22 06:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh wow, I'm so happy to see this Companion Piece started! These lines struck me as especially marvelous:

he faced the advancing horde of orcs and hill trolls, determined to make such an end as he was able

a surge of rage swept through him that he was to be denied even the chance to take a few of the enemy with him when he died.


Ohhh, brave brave Pippin!

Thanks!

[identity profile] auntiemeesh.livejournal.com 2005-01-22 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm glad to get started on the CP as well. It's been simmering on idle for long enough.

[identity profile] dcdiva.livejournal.com 2005-01-22 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
This is so exciting! Some of my favorite fics (ie Fate and the King's High Falcon by Baylor) are stories of Pippin post-troll slaying. And after enjoying Merry's version of events so much, I'm greatly looking forward to the rest of this!!!!

[identity profile] auntiemeesh.livejournal.com 2005-01-22 08:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks! Now I just have to come up with the rest of it. I was sorting through some of my fics today, looking for pieces of fluff, and found this (http://www.livejournal.com/community/hobbit_ficathon/8900.html#cutid1), which reminded me that I needed to get back to work on this poor, languishing idea for a story.

[identity profile] grey-wonderer.livejournal.com 2005-01-22 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Wonderful! I love the fact that Pippin acted out of instinct in killing the Troll. I also like the way this fits with the book. I look forward to more of this and to seeing how it fits with "Courage".

[identity profile] auntiemeesh.livejournal.com 2005-01-23 06:26 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks! I'm in such a Pippin!angst mood this weekend, so I hope to get lots done. I've got this to work on, but I've also got a post-Quest bit of angst that won't leave me alone, which I started working on yesterday as well.

So much good angst, so little time. :)

[identity profile] maripo5a.livejournal.com 2005-01-23 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
Oh Meesh! Such a beautiful job--you added marvelously to what Tolkien wrote, and fleshed out the moments beautifully! *hugs*
dreamflower: gandalf at bag end (Default)

[personal profile] dreamflower 2005-01-23 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
This is wonderful! Very vividly described. I think of how despairing poor Pip must have been after that horrid Mouth of Sauron. He truly thought all was lost.

[identity profile] auntiemeesh.livejournal.com 2005-01-23 06:34 am (UTC)(link)
This section of the book has always haunted me. Poor Pippin truly thinks the end has come and they've lost and he's going to die alone. It breaks my heart. I'm glad you liked this. :)

[identity profile] auntiemeesh.livejournal.com 2005-01-23 06:28 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks, Mariposa! I'm glad you liked it.

*hugs you back*

[identity profile] melilot-hill.livejournal.com 2005-01-23 07:20 am (UTC)(link)
Wonderful! I'm glad you're writing this companion piece, and I wouldn't mind it one bit if this should turn into another big beast :)

[identity profile] auntiemeesh.livejournal.com 2005-01-25 04:37 am (UTC)(link)
Lol! Thanks. I'm glad you like it.

[identity profile] elenar.livejournal.com 2005-01-24 05:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Very wonderfully done! I'm looking forward to more:)

[identity profile] auntiemeesh.livejournal.com 2005-01-25 04:37 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks. :)

[identity profile] pipspebble.livejournal.com 2005-01-24 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, honey, this is WONderful! (When did you do this? So much I seem to have missed the last few days.) This is a lovely CP and you did a marvelous job of showing how brave our Pippin was in what he thought would be his last moments. I very much look forward to more!

[identity profile] auntiemeesh.livejournal.com 2005-01-25 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks, dear. This popped up over the weekend and I felt a need to post something, so I went ahead and posted it unbetaed. I hope there weren't too many mistakes in it. It was a big writing weekend, apparently, because I also started another Pippin!fic, post Quest and very angsty, which I need to give some attention to one of these days, before I lose the bunny. So much to write, so little time...

How was the con? Did you have a fabulous weekend?

Incredible!

[identity profile] lindelea1.livejournal.com 2005-02-01 09:52 am (UTC)(link)
Missed the prologue originally--started with Chapter 1 (I did comment, didn't I? O yes, I remember asking you to put it up at SoA to make it easy to find).

I'm glad to find the link in Middle Earth News this morning.

Wonderful expansion on the scene.

I love the fact that Beregond stepped in to take a blow meant for Pippin.

Re: Incredible!

[identity profile] auntiemeesh.livejournal.com 2005-02-01 03:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks! I'm glad you found the link this morning. I've never posted a link on Middle Earth News before, and for some reason I felt a little odd doing it today, but I'll probably continue to do so.

I do remember you asking me to put it up on SoA and I probably will at some point, but I'm not quite ready for that. Once it goes up there, people start getting all fussy about updating regularly and I don't want this to become something I have to stress over. Once it's a little closer to completion (and who knows when that will be), then I'll start posting it other places. :)