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ladyoflorien) wrote2002-12-06 03:03 am
ladyoflorien) wrote2002-12-06 03:03 am
Bwaaah
So it has happened. I came, I saw, I contemplated, and in the end I took part in it as well. Yes, yes... I have written LOTR fiction. A short story, and nothing much at that, but I did it, and I like it, and I'm proud enough of it to post it in here. So, for your viewing pleasure, the tentatively named:
The wind smelled moldy and warm and hung thick in my dampened hair. I grunted in disgust, running a dirt-smudged hand through the uneven locks and shaking the mud and water away. My scalp tingled and itched, and I attacked it with both hands, growling in aggravation.
"Sam... what are you doing?"
I lifted my eyes to the perplexed Hobbit in front of me and blushed slightly. "I've never been so itchy in my life, Mr. Frodo!" I replied, not without frustration. "Not to mention dirty, and cold, and hungry, and I smell like Farmer Maggot's cabbages after they've begun to rot!" I'd never wanted to take a flying leap into a river more in my life. Even now the thought of the cold water against my flesh was repelling, but the wretched feeling of dirt between my toes was even fouler.
"Take heart, Master Gamgee. The journey is yet long before us," Aragorn grinned, passing by at my right and handing me a square of lembas as he did so. I took the sweet cake and bit off a corner in contempt, trying to ignore the smile Frodo had been giving me. How I longed for a proper meal in my own cozy little hobbit hole!
We had been marching up a steep, rocky incline for hours now, watching as the afternoon sun slowly melted away to dusk, briefly painting the sky in vivid reds and oranges before the twilight hours fell upon us. The air was beginning to crisp slightly, and not cling so to my clothes and skin as it had before. I panted heavily, struggling for a good, strong breath, wondering when this torture would end and we could make camp for the night. To keep myself going I just kept repeating a comforting phrase over and over in my mind; supper, supper, supper, supper, supper...
"What was that?" Pippin asked as he marched along at my side. I looked up in surprise, not knowing I had been speaking aloud.
"I believe he's chanting about supper, Pip," Merry answered before I could get the chance. I blushed just slightly, and marched ahead of the two who had begun arguing over bacon and sausages and heavy cream...
A loud growl sounded from my stomach, and I'm sure the red in my face grew as Legolas looked down at me and cocked an eyebrow.
We came upon a large plateau, flat and empty aside from a few scrubby bushes clumped here and there around leftover rocks from the hilly slopes below. I nearly cried out in relief when Aragorn announced this would be our camp for the night, and let my belongings drop off my shoulders with a loud clang. Merry and Pippin immediately went to work gathering wood for a fire and helping me with the evening meal, and within the hour we all had plates of steaming meats and breads in our laps.
I ate hungrily, not leaving even the slightest morsel to spare, causing some of my companions to grin and chuckle and whisper little things to each other. I managed to ignore them for the most part, keeping to my food and concentrating on the ache that slowly eased away from my tired feet. I glanced over to where Frodo sat, eating quietly save for the occasional smile that curved his lips, and let out a long sigh. If this journey was such torture for me, I couldn't begin to think how it was affecting him with that confounded ring always glimmering from his neck. I sometimes found myself wishing Bilbo had just taken it with him when he had left, and not left the task to Frodo, who was not a great warrior like Boromir or Aragorn; not skilled with any kind of weaponry as was Legolas; but a simple, gentle Hobbit, as was I. I feared greatly that the only thing that would come of this journey would be his death, and the death of us all. And then Master Elrond would have to see that bearing a ring of power was not up to a Hobbit like us, but to someone skilled that could handle it.
I was jarred from my thoughts when Pippin thrust his elbow sharply into my side. I grunted in discomfort, grabbing the edges of my plate tightly so nothing would spill.
"Did you hear that?" he exclaimed, his smile causing his 'a's to curl more than usual, making the sentence sound laughably incoherent.
I straightened slightly, nervous at having been put on the spot, and blurted "'Course I did! And I agree completely!" Merry and Pippin chuckled quietly and Frodo cast me an odd, appraising look. I worried over what exactly I had agreed to when Boromir looked up, chuckling, and filled me in.
"I'm sure you would, little master. But I shouldn't think you'd just leave us all to starve like that."
Aragorn chuckled over his newly lit pipe, and I then realized I had been the brunt of another one of their jokes. I remained glumly quiet, reserving myself to silent humiliation, as conversation between the fellowship remained cheery.
Night slowly wore on, the howl of wind and strange creatures causing Legolas to tilt his head sharply and look on in disturbed apprehension, giving me chills and horrid images to toy with in my mind. The bushes rattled constantly, and each time my heart skipped a beat at the thought of some terrible animal leaping forth and clawing me to death. I looked heavenward to dispel the evil images from my troubled mind, but even the sky was ominous and its burden of fiery white stars seemed to laugh and jeer at me. I sighed heavily and looked back to the fellowship. The humans and the elf continued to talk in muted tones, more somber now, while Gimli, Merry, and Pippin had already fallen asleep. I looked around worriedly for Frodo before I spotted him near the edge of our camp, his dark face only barely visible under the orange glow of the burning fire. It looked like his mind was heavy with weighty thoughts, and I dared not disturb him.
"The air grows thick with a foul odor," I overheard Legolas say to the two at his left; "Something moves on the horizon. I can feel the steady hum of ill will building in the night air. I fear this place will not remain safe until the daybreak."
"This land is home to many odd creatures, and few of them are friendly," Boromir agreed. "It would be wise to make haste for the border once morning rises, and get to the river Anduin before night falls."
Aragorn nodded somberly. "Tonight we will take turns as watchmen, and keep the fire burning high. If there is hostility brewing around our camp, then we should be prepared for it, and ready to fight."
The conversation became quiet again, and I groaned inwardly. Great, now I had more things to worry about. How on middle earth would I fall asleep now? My gaze again wandered to the scrubby bushes at my feet, and I gave a particularly violent start as it rattled and hissed at me in the strong breeze. I let out a disturbed groan, fear clutching at my insides as wildly as Pippin reaching out for mushrooms.
Frodo wandered back inside the glow of firelight, and I watched with concern as he came slowly to where I sat.
"Take heed, little master," Boromir called to him, "the night is filled with dark creatures. Do not wander too far from the safety of the campfire!"
Frodo looked toward him, suspicion and distrust evident on his features. As he set down beside me I questioned him on it silently, but he merely shook his head and looked away. His hand fumbled through the folds of his shirt and came to rest upon the chain where the One Ring hung in doomful silence. I looked on uneasily as he clutched it in his fist.
"The night seems darker than usual," he said, his eyes scanning over the faces of the fellowship. He then looked to me. "Like a veil has fallen around us."
I swallowed fretfully. "It seems that way to me as well, Mr. Frodo," I said lamely.
He smiled at me, removing his hand from inside his shirt and setting it at his side. "Get some sleep, Sam," he said to me, and then he turned around and headed for his bed.
I sighed and glanced once more toward the heavens. They stared back, just as heavy and devastating as before. I shuddered under the claws of a chill that raked along my spine, and settled into my blankets. I knew this is how it would be from here on out. The nights would be heavy and ominous, the days taxing and filled with dread. Despite the joviality of the fellowship, there would always be an air of evil between us as long as that ring hung from Mr. Frodo's neck, and none of our minds would ever really be at peace. My slumber at night would be filled with nightmares and the day's journey would see me wander toward the worst-case scenario. Frodo would always be distant, and different from us. Troubled by something we can never understand. I took in a cleansing breath, forcing myself to be calm, and reminding myself that no matter what I needed to be there, alert and readied, if anything were to happen. I needed to keep that promise I had made back in the Shire to the wise old wizard that had cared so much for Frodo. And I would, even if it took all I had.
The soft, rusty voice of the ranger who had offered to take first watch filled the air, singing quietly of an Elvin maiden in a tongue I could not understand. 'Elvish' I thought blearily, letting the sweet melody sweep into my mind, laying all my worries at ease as they coaxed me gently to sleep. And so I would dream of sweet maidens, valiant soldiers of old, and Elvin structures deep within forests of gold and silver until the morning comes, and I awake again to my nightmare...
The wind smelled moldy and warm and hung thick in my dampened hair. I grunted in disgust, running a dirt-smudged hand through the uneven locks and shaking the mud and water away. My scalp tingled and itched, and I attacked it with both hands, growling in aggravation.
"Sam... what are you doing?"
I lifted my eyes to the perplexed Hobbit in front of me and blushed slightly. "I've never been so itchy in my life, Mr. Frodo!" I replied, not without frustration. "Not to mention dirty, and cold, and hungry, and I smell like Farmer Maggot's cabbages after they've begun to rot!" I'd never wanted to take a flying leap into a river more in my life. Even now the thought of the cold water against my flesh was repelling, but the wretched feeling of dirt between my toes was even fouler.
"Take heart, Master Gamgee. The journey is yet long before us," Aragorn grinned, passing by at my right and handing me a square of lembas as he did so. I took the sweet cake and bit off a corner in contempt, trying to ignore the smile Frodo had been giving me. How I longed for a proper meal in my own cozy little hobbit hole!
We had been marching up a steep, rocky incline for hours now, watching as the afternoon sun slowly melted away to dusk, briefly painting the sky in vivid reds and oranges before the twilight hours fell upon us. The air was beginning to crisp slightly, and not cling so to my clothes and skin as it had before. I panted heavily, struggling for a good, strong breath, wondering when this torture would end and we could make camp for the night. To keep myself going I just kept repeating a comforting phrase over and over in my mind; supper, supper, supper, supper, supper...
"What was that?" Pippin asked as he marched along at my side. I looked up in surprise, not knowing I had been speaking aloud.
"I believe he's chanting about supper, Pip," Merry answered before I could get the chance. I blushed just slightly, and marched ahead of the two who had begun arguing over bacon and sausages and heavy cream...
A loud growl sounded from my stomach, and I'm sure the red in my face grew as Legolas looked down at me and cocked an eyebrow.
We came upon a large plateau, flat and empty aside from a few scrubby bushes clumped here and there around leftover rocks from the hilly slopes below. I nearly cried out in relief when Aragorn announced this would be our camp for the night, and let my belongings drop off my shoulders with a loud clang. Merry and Pippin immediately went to work gathering wood for a fire and helping me with the evening meal, and within the hour we all had plates of steaming meats and breads in our laps.
I ate hungrily, not leaving even the slightest morsel to spare, causing some of my companions to grin and chuckle and whisper little things to each other. I managed to ignore them for the most part, keeping to my food and concentrating on the ache that slowly eased away from my tired feet. I glanced over to where Frodo sat, eating quietly save for the occasional smile that curved his lips, and let out a long sigh. If this journey was such torture for me, I couldn't begin to think how it was affecting him with that confounded ring always glimmering from his neck. I sometimes found myself wishing Bilbo had just taken it with him when he had left, and not left the task to Frodo, who was not a great warrior like Boromir or Aragorn; not skilled with any kind of weaponry as was Legolas; but a simple, gentle Hobbit, as was I. I feared greatly that the only thing that would come of this journey would be his death, and the death of us all. And then Master Elrond would have to see that bearing a ring of power was not up to a Hobbit like us, but to someone skilled that could handle it.
I was jarred from my thoughts when Pippin thrust his elbow sharply into my side. I grunted in discomfort, grabbing the edges of my plate tightly so nothing would spill.
"Did you hear that?" he exclaimed, his smile causing his 'a's to curl more than usual, making the sentence sound laughably incoherent.
I straightened slightly, nervous at having been put on the spot, and blurted "'Course I did! And I agree completely!" Merry and Pippin chuckled quietly and Frodo cast me an odd, appraising look. I worried over what exactly I had agreed to when Boromir looked up, chuckling, and filled me in.
"I'm sure you would, little master. But I shouldn't think you'd just leave us all to starve like that."
Aragorn chuckled over his newly lit pipe, and I then realized I had been the brunt of another one of their jokes. I remained glumly quiet, reserving myself to silent humiliation, as conversation between the fellowship remained cheery.
Night slowly wore on, the howl of wind and strange creatures causing Legolas to tilt his head sharply and look on in disturbed apprehension, giving me chills and horrid images to toy with in my mind. The bushes rattled constantly, and each time my heart skipped a beat at the thought of some terrible animal leaping forth and clawing me to death. I looked heavenward to dispel the evil images from my troubled mind, but even the sky was ominous and its burden of fiery white stars seemed to laugh and jeer at me. I sighed heavily and looked back to the fellowship. The humans and the elf continued to talk in muted tones, more somber now, while Gimli, Merry, and Pippin had already fallen asleep. I looked around worriedly for Frodo before I spotted him near the edge of our camp, his dark face only barely visible under the orange glow of the burning fire. It looked like his mind was heavy with weighty thoughts, and I dared not disturb him.
"The air grows thick with a foul odor," I overheard Legolas say to the two at his left; "Something moves on the horizon. I can feel the steady hum of ill will building in the night air. I fear this place will not remain safe until the daybreak."
"This land is home to many odd creatures, and few of them are friendly," Boromir agreed. "It would be wise to make haste for the border once morning rises, and get to the river Anduin before night falls."
Aragorn nodded somberly. "Tonight we will take turns as watchmen, and keep the fire burning high. If there is hostility brewing around our camp, then we should be prepared for it, and ready to fight."
The conversation became quiet again, and I groaned inwardly. Great, now I had more things to worry about. How on middle earth would I fall asleep now? My gaze again wandered to the scrubby bushes at my feet, and I gave a particularly violent start as it rattled and hissed at me in the strong breeze. I let out a disturbed groan, fear clutching at my insides as wildly as Pippin reaching out for mushrooms.
Frodo wandered back inside the glow of firelight, and I watched with concern as he came slowly to where I sat.
"Take heed, little master," Boromir called to him, "the night is filled with dark creatures. Do not wander too far from the safety of the campfire!"
Frodo looked toward him, suspicion and distrust evident on his features. As he set down beside me I questioned him on it silently, but he merely shook his head and looked away. His hand fumbled through the folds of his shirt and came to rest upon the chain where the One Ring hung in doomful silence. I looked on uneasily as he clutched it in his fist.
"The night seems darker than usual," he said, his eyes scanning over the faces of the fellowship. He then looked to me. "Like a veil has fallen around us."
I swallowed fretfully. "It seems that way to me as well, Mr. Frodo," I said lamely.
He smiled at me, removing his hand from inside his shirt and setting it at his side. "Get some sleep, Sam," he said to me, and then he turned around and headed for his bed.
I sighed and glanced once more toward the heavens. They stared back, just as heavy and devastating as before. I shuddered under the claws of a chill that raked along my spine, and settled into my blankets. I knew this is how it would be from here on out. The nights would be heavy and ominous, the days taxing and filled with dread. Despite the joviality of the fellowship, there would always be an air of evil between us as long as that ring hung from Mr. Frodo's neck, and none of our minds would ever really be at peace. My slumber at night would be filled with nightmares and the day's journey would see me wander toward the worst-case scenario. Frodo would always be distant, and different from us. Troubled by something we can never understand. I took in a cleansing breath, forcing myself to be calm, and reminding myself that no matter what I needed to be there, alert and readied, if anything were to happen. I needed to keep that promise I had made back in the Shire to the wise old wizard that had cared so much for Frodo. And I would, even if it took all I had.
The soft, rusty voice of the ranger who had offered to take first watch filled the air, singing quietly of an Elvin maiden in a tongue I could not understand. 'Elvish' I thought blearily, letting the sweet melody sweep into my mind, laying all my worries at ease as they coaxed me gently to sleep. And so I would dream of sweet maidens, valiant soldiers of old, and Elvin structures deep within forests of gold and silver until the morning comes, and I awake again to my nightmare...
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*tear*
*squirt*
You make me so proud!
*munches on 3rd Hershey bar of the day*
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*cocks head to the side and glances over story once more* Not bad from pulling the entire thing out of thin air, eh?
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Re:
IT.
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*ahem*
k so i'm a little strange so sue me. :)
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It's shorter than I planned on making it. I had a whole elaborate battle scene I figured I could add to it, but then I looked at the clock and saw that it was 4am and I was getting kinda tired of writing, so I just took a right turn instead of a left. ;)
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