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"Pippin!" a voice started the young Took and he looked away from the maps on the wall.
Merry ran up to him, out of breath. "Pippin! You know Gandalf?"
"Not personally, but I know of him." Pippin was worried, which was not a common occurence.
Then again, your cousin being stabbed by a Black Rider was not really a common occurence
either. But here we are. "What about him?"
"He's here, we've finally caught up to him!"
"Seriously?"
"Yes! Now come on, he wants to talk to us!" Merry turned and started jogging back the way
he came. Pippin followed, giving up on studying geography.
"Well." said the wizard, leaning forward as he puffed on his pipe. "What is your name?"
"Peregrin Took." Pippin looked Gandalf over, wondering if he would be willing to share his pipe weed.
Gandalf sat back in surprise. "Son of Paladin Took?"
"That's me! Would you mind sharing your pipe weed?"
"I- what?"
Merry face palmed. "Two minutes, Pip. Two minutes without getting distracted."
"I haven't had a smoke in days, Merry, lay off me a little!"
Gandalf passed over some pipe weed. "Can I ask my question now?"
"Absolutely!" Pippin grinned, pipe between his teeth. "Ask away, my beared friend!"
"Are you the same son of the Thain as steals Farmer Maggot's crops?"
"You what?" interrupted Merry with a start.
"Well," began Pippin, leaning back and puffing on his pipe in a manner so similar to the
wizard that Gandalf suspected the hobbit was mocking him slightly. "You can look at that two
ways."
"And those are?" Gandalf's eyebrows bristled.
"Pippin ignored the wizard's glare. "One: Some one had to take over, once Frodo left for
Hobbitton."
"And the other?"
"Or I might just be feral! You never know!" Pippin laughed, pipe still between his teeth.
Merry face palmed again.
"Fool of a Took." muttered the wizard, blowing a smoke ring.
"Not bad!" Pippin said, watching the smoke ring with mild interest. "I can do better though."
"Pip." Merry looked up from his hands. "Do not challenge the wizard to a smoke ring contest."
Pippin narrowed his eyes at his cousin. "Why not, I ask you?"
"I am forced to agree with Peregrin." added Gandalf as his smoke ring turned blue. "Why
not?"
Merry blinked a few times. "I give up. Do as you wish Pip."
"You say that like you have any control over me." Pippin noted, blowing his own, very large, s
moke ring.
"I'm older."
"I'm taller."
"You are not!"
"I am too!"
Gandalf's ring turned a golden color. "Fascinating as this debate may be--" Here he blew
another smoke ring. "--I beleive you challenged me."
"I did!" Pippin blew not one but five smoke rings, one after another in quick succession. He
turned to the wizard and sent him a cheeky grin. "Beat that old man."
"It would do you well not to insult a wizard." growled Gandalf. "And I will, in fact, beat the
smoke rings of an insolent hobbit."
"Really?" Pippins retorted, in mock politeness.
"That's it. I'm done. I am going to find some food." and with that Merry turned on his heel and
started for the dining hall.
In retaileation to Pippin's remark Gandalf's smoke rings shifted, ran together, and melded into one. the cloud of smoke formed into the shape of a ship. The wizard's eyes flashed.
"Not bad." commented Pippin, tilting his head. "BUt I don't think you've considered one thing."
"And what would that be, Master Peregrin?"
"This." Pippin took a deep breath and blew, not another smoke ring, but in the direction of Gandalf's smoke ship, which dissapated into wisps of near nothingness.
The wizard's jaw dropped. He barely managed to catch his pipe before it hit the floor. "Fool of a Took!"
Pippin looked at Gandalf's face.
He looked at the door.
He made a decision.
He started running towards the door.
"Not so fast!" Gandalf caught the back of Pippin's shirt with his staff, almost like a puppy or kitten being picked up by the scruff of it's neck.
Pippin crossed his arms defiantly, trying to look stoic despite the fact that he was dangling abouta foot above the ground. "Would you prefer me going slow?"
"I am beginning to think that would be better for everyone." said Gandalf, raising Pippin a little higher.
"If you would kindly put me down--" Pippin wriggled a bit.
"Not yet, Master Took." Gandalf eyed the hobbit suspiciously. "I would like to know a few things first."
"Like what?" Pipin retorted, going back to glaring at the wizard.
"For starters, why you think you can blow my smoke art to peices."
"Why not?"
"I seem to recall we were in a smoking contest."
"Why can't I do it then?"
"Because. . ." the wizard's voice trailed off. "Because it is unsportsmanlike." he decided.
"Who says?"
"I do!"
"Who put you in charge of smoking contest rules?"
"I--"
"Answer the question!"
"Fool of a Took!" exploded the wizard, eyes falshing once again.
"That's me!" Pippin smiled.
Gandalf stared at him for a moment, then lowered the staff so that the hobbit's feet could touch the floor. "I do not think that you took over for Frodo."
"Who's to really say?" Pippin said airily, turning and grinning at the wizard as he walked through the doorway.
"Hobbits." muttered Gandalf, puffing on his pipe once more.