I Was A Tweenaged Werewolf
'It was in the year 2911 that the White Wolves came.' Pippin began, politely pouring Diamond some tea. She received the fine cup graciously and sipped it, her eyes following his every movement. Pippin seemingly didn't notice her trepidation. 'That was a bad winter, the Fell Winter they called it, and the Brandywine froze solid. It was our only barrier to the wild lands of the North and the Wolves just ran right over the ice into the Shire, happy as you please.' Her cup was empty. Diamond didn't remember drinking it. Her mouth was so dry...Pippin smiled and filled it again.
'Strange wolves. Smart. Huge. But noble, somehow. Not like Wargs that the Orcs ride on, nor like the shadow-wolves of the Dark Lands, not at all. These Wolves!well!' Pippin picked up a finger-cake and bit it in half with his sharp teeth. He held up the other half. 'Open your mouth.' Caught by surprise, Diamond did and Pippin popped the sweet cake past her lips with a smile. She blushed and chewed. 'They were decent. These wolves weren't out to hurt us. They were after our livestock. They were hungry, everyone was, that awful year. Cousin Bilbo Baggins!Mad Baggins? Of the Dragon?'
'Yes, I've heard of him.' Diamond congratulated herself on her steady voice and she set her cup down.
'He was my age, just a tweenager, twenty-one years old, and remembers how hard it all was. He told us all about it!anyway, he was too young to go fight, and didn't want to anyway, but a small army of Brandybucks took up clubs and knives and whatever else they could find that was sharp and attacked the invaders. Some Hobbits died.' Pippin's eyes caught her own. 'Some were just bitten.' He put his cup down and held out his hands. Despite herself, her fear and overall good sense, Diamond took and held them in her own. He caressed her knuckles with his thumbs and her heart began to truly beat for the first time in her young life. 'The thaw came and the White Wolves went away, back up North. And that's how the Wolf Strain came about, from the folks that were bit, and it's been in the Shire ever since. You aren't born into it, you've got to be unlucky enough to get chomped...and it's been spreading very slowly into the other families, especially into the Tooks, the Bolgers, the Cottons and now, finally, the Bagginses.' Pippin had moved so closely to her that she could feel his breath on her lips. She was surprised, she didn't remember him moving!
'It was a Baggins that jumped out at you the other night!I won't tell you which Baggins!but he didn't mean any harm!he just wanted to play, I think. He doesn't get out much.' Diamond nodded. 'Diamond, we're wolves but we're decent. Like the White Wolves were. Ask Gandalf, he's helped us enormously, and he's a wizard so he knows what's bad and what's not!ask him!'
Diamond nodded again. 'I'll ask and!I won't tell, I promise!'
'You can tell but no one will believe you.' Pippin laughed and Diamond relaxed enough to smile.
'Did you know that Wolves mate for life?'
Her eyes flew open in shock. 'Ah! Er!no, I didn't!' Pippins mouth covered hers and suddenly Diamond knew nothing whatsoever!her mind was a complete blissful blank and she groaned with pleasure.
Pippin broke away from her lips and nuzzled past her cheek and the soft skin of her jaw until his voice was a muffled growl against her neck. 'Well, now you know!'
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