"Papa?" Meli tugged on his sleeve as Pippin rose to leave. "I'm not sleepy yet. I want another story." Her request was punctuated with a yawn, but Pippin sat back down and smoothed her hair anyways.
"What kind of story, Meli-my-lass? Shall I tell you of Faramir, and the Lady Eowyn?"
"No." Meli's eyes fluttered closed, then she blinked them back open and shook her head firmly. "Tell me about Treebeard. You never said what the Ent-draughts tasted like."
Pippin closed his eyes for a moment, then smiled and looked down at his daughter. "I must have told you." Much protesting followed that, and he laughed, hugging Meli close. "They tasted like water, but wonderfully refreshing, and a hint of growing things, of wind through trees, and the scent of lovely flowers. And we were never hungry after we drank, and like little trees, we grew and grew."
Meli's eyelashes lay still upon her cheeks and Pippin kissed her, pinching out the candles. "Papa?" she called, as he opened the door.
"Yes, Meli-love?"
"When I get older, will you take me to see the Ents?"
"Maybe someday, my dear. Someday." The door shut softly behind him, and Meli curled onto her side and dreamt of trees that talked.
~