a note of surprise (and even competition) in Cousin Brandybuck's voice and
choice of words here? He defends the two of them, gets wounded, is hauled
across Rohan, tells Pippin he's not going to be much help--then proceeds to
find out that his helpless, immature little cousin has managed to free his
hands, left a signal, and manipulated Grishnakh into taking them away from the
Uruk-Hai.
Pippin has not only convinced himself he's not helpless, he's proven it to
Merry, too.
And I love the imagery you've chosen in the first quote. Tolkien's prose at
times approached poetry in its evocative
beauty.
PJ and the boys are thrilled to run into a group of
TORnsibs at the Applebee's in Maumee, Ohio.
