Cat of the Fellowship // Legolas x OC, Boromir x OC

28. Saruman's Voice

"Well-earned?" Gimli huffed.

Grinning inwardly, Kat jumped down from Arod and hurried over to the pair. She purred on top volume and rubbed herself against any hobbit part she could reach.

"Oh, our dear little Kitty Cat is still around," said Merry.

"We found no pizza among the spoils of war, but perhaps a few ears of wheat would be acceptable?" Pippin suggested. "Oi! Leave my pipe alone!" He evaded her paw.

Kat was nearly bursting with happiness. She had missed the hobbits more than she had realized, and despite their antics, Merry and Pippin looked a fair bit emotional too.

Théoden laughed at the exchange, and spoke of his fascination to see actual hobbits for the first time in his life. They for their part seemed pleased to meet another king.

Gandalf then asked Merry about the ents – apparently it was they who were behind the flooding. Merry recalled he had a message from Treebeard, their leader; an invitation for Gandalf and Théoden to come and talk.

With Théoden and his men in tow, Gandalf promptly rode away in the direction of the tower. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Kat stayed with the hobbits, unwilling to part with them after being separated for such a long time.

It was a happy and loud reunion, and both parties were curious about what the others had been up to. Aragorn told the brunt of what happened after the Fellowship split up; that Frodo and Sam had continued alone, and that Boromir and Nellas were traveling to Minas Tirith. He also gave them a summary of the events in Edoras and the Battle of Helm's Deep.

When it was Merry's and Pippin's turn to tell their story, Gimli said he was hungry and had a headache. Could they wait with their tale?

The hobbits agreed and generously offered to share some of their spoils of war. Nearby was a small house, which had belonged to a servant of Saruman's – a human, not an orc thankfully. Pippin had a fire going in the hearth which spread warmth and light, and from a storage room he and Merry brought armloads of bread, bacon, honey and butter.

Kat sniffed the table eagerly. Real food! It smelled divine after all the dry lembas they had been living on since Lothlórien.

As for drinking, there was both beer and wine aplenty.

"I'll take beer, thank you," said Gimli.

"Wine for me, please," said Legolas.

"I'll have both," said Aragorn.

You got milk?

After the food and drink had been distributed to everyone according to their taste (but sadly no milk for Kat), Merry and Pippin decided they had room for a second lunch in their stomachs and joined the others at the table.

"We must keep our guests company," said Pippin.

"Indeed. Anything else would be very impolite," agreed Merry.

They excused their large appetite with a severe lack of food for many days before, particularly when the orcs held them prisoners – but also later when they stayed with the ents, who only had had drinks to offer them. Their draughts had been nourishing, but not very filling.

Gimli remarked that they must have been nourishing indeed, for the hobbits looked like their hair was thicker and more curly, and hadn't they grown a bit too?

Legolas nodded in agreement. He had heard of the waters of Fangorn and their effects; it was very likely Gimli was right.

Curiously, the hobbits regarded each other. Maybe they had changed! Pippin felt his head and grinned with delight. "No risk we'll turn bald, for sure!"