Of Rangers, Snakes, and Birthday Cakes
Of course I don't own it…I'd be rich.
Summary: Post WOTR, Samwise Gamgee after remembering how he treated Strider at their first meeting decides to apologize with giving him something special, how hard could it be. Note: there is technically no snake in the story. Read through and see bottom of story for explaination.
It was May 17 of the year 1419 by the Shire Reckoning, and it was 11 O'clock in the morning. Samwise Gamgee stood looking out across the land of Gondor from the place that stuck out from the mountain like the bow of a ship. He was recalling days of the Shire and remembering all the things he had seen and done the year before on that very day. He had trimmed Mr. Frodo's garden as always and then was off to the Green Dragon Inn for a pint of their best ale. He had been discovered eavesdropping the month before by Gandalf and was given the chance to go see elves with Mr. Frodo, but now he longed more than anything to be back home in his garden and to see Rosie Cotton again. They left that September, through the labrynth of the Old Forest, across the Barrow Downs to Bree where they met Strider. They owed a lot to Mr. Strider. They would not have survived their night in Bree or the wilds after if it were not for strider. Now that he was thinking about it, Strider reminded him of Gandalf in a lot of ways. Perhaps they were related like Pippin had suggested, and to think that he had thought Strider was meaning to kill Frodo and had accused him of "play acting spy". He wondered if he had hurt Srider's feelings. Strider certainly had never mentioned anything and after they met Glorfindel Sam had never thought another thing of it. He had never apologized or anything and he had probably hurt Stider's feelings. "Samwise, you ninny!" He had to go and find strider right away.
He turned himself about and headed to the great hall of the throne room. He struggled to open the heavy doors and started down the hall. Two guards stood before the doors of the throne room. A thin, older man came out from the throne room and headed in Sam's direction. He seemed of great noble birth and was tall, wearing long dark robes that made his pale complexion look even lighter. His countenance was not the fairest to look upon by any means. Sam was puffing past him when the man put out an arm and stopped him. "Just where do you think you are off to?"
"I need to see Stri- I mean King Aragorn right away," he stammered, still not quite used to the new title belonging to his friend.
"I'm sorry, but the king is busy right now and cannot be seen or bothered at all today, especially by meddlesome halflings such as yourself," the man with impertinence.
"Now wait just a minute, Sir!" replied Sam indignantly feeling his anger rise a little at the thought of being called "meddlesome" and being denied the way to complete his mission. "It is important that I see-"
"That'll be all, now off with you," the man interrupted and ushered Sam back up the hall. The man opened the door and gently pushed him outside and shut the door after Sam. The man then turned to the left down an extention of the hall to carry out his business. Sam stood there for a moment staring at the doors with his hands on his hips, "Now how do you like that?" he exclaimed, absolutely flabbergasted. He walked back over near where he had been before, only this time he hopped up onto a bench and sat with his chin resting in the palm of one of his hands, he feet dangled above the ground. The noon bell rang but he paid it no heed. it was most unsual for a hobbit to forego a meal on any circumstances but his mind was to occupied with figuring out a way to get past that human and in to see Strider.
Legolas stood with his hands behind his back staring at a beam of sunlight that poured in through one of the windows of the throne room. He had grown weary some time ago of the new plans for Gondor that the Lords were discussing with their new king. He did not even know why he was there; he had no say in the matters. The day was so beautiful; it was a cruel and unusual punishment to be kept inside. Aragorn stood next to Legolas at the bottom of the steps that climbed to the throne. He glanced at the elf only to see his friend staring off into the distance and smiled softly. He knew what his friend desired, "Legolas," he whispered as quietly as he could without the other Lords hearing him. Legolas straightened and moved a little closer, "Go outside and enjoy the day," Aragorn continued glancing around to see if they had been noticed.
"Are you sure I'm not needed here?" Legolas asked with sarcasm.
"Yes, I am quite sure. I do not even know why you came."
"I have been asking myself the same thing," Legolas and Aragorn both smiled and Legolas quietly slipped out of the room. Once outside he lifted up his arms and closed eyes before sighing in relief and joy as he soaked up the sun. He started to sing a song of the two trees, Telperion and Laurelin that gave light to the land of the Valar as he began to walk away. Sam released his gaze from the stone ground beneath his feet and looked in the direction from which the fair voice came. When he saw it was Legolas he hopped down off his bench and ran towards the elf, "Mr. Legolas, Sir!" he called as he ran. Legolas stopped his song and waited for the hobbit to come to him.
"Beggin' you pardon, Legolas, but I need your help!" he cried.
"Now this is a site to see, a hobbit in distress on such a fine day. Now how can I be of service to you?"
"It's like this, Sir, I need to see Mr. Strider and apologize for the way I acted towards him in Bree."
"You mean threatening him the way you did? I'm sure that he knew you were just trying to protect your master."
"Well it's not quite that, but if it's all the same to you, Mr. Legolas, for my own piece of mind, I'd like to talk to him."
"Well, go along then and set things straight, there are the doors right over there," Legolas motioned.
"And be stopped again by that human, no thank you."
"What human?"
"I don't know his name, but his face was so sour I dare say it would have frightened one of those Black Riders away. He stopped me as I was going in to see Strider and said, 'The king is busy right now and cannot be bothered at all today, especially by meddlesome halflings such as yourself'," Sam imitated, "and then he shved me out of the door just as quick as you could blink."
Legolas laughed and said, "Well, how about I go with you this time and we see him together. He is not so busy that he cannot pause for a moment and besides, I'm sure that he will be glad for a break." Legolas turned towards the doors.
"Wait!" Sam hesitated, "I also want to make it up to him somehow. Something nice for him to show my gratitude for all he's done for Mr. Frodo."
"What do you have in mind?"
Well, I want it to be something special but pardoning the gifts we have from the Lady I don't have anything," Sam paused, trying to think of something. His face lit up with an idea and he snapped his fingers," I've got it! When is his birthday?"
"It was in March, the day we were reunited with Mithrandir and stopped out search for Merry and Pippin," Sam's countenance fell and Legolas hastily added, "but we did not do anything special for him as we were to busy chasing Merry and Pippin through Fangorn forest."
"We can through him a belated party then! Hobbits are especially good at throwing parties, be they meddlesome or no."
"That may be so," Legolas laughed, "however I do not think that our friend would like for us to throw a party with as many birthday's as he has had. The marketplace is still alive I believe, we may not be able to through him a party but perhaps we can find something he would like there. Come on, I have some coin I am not using." Legolas guided the hobbit down the levels of the city to the marketplace. There Sam found the necessary items for the idea same had thought of on their way down. Legolas was not sure of it but went along with it. They visited various stalls and Legolas waited patiently as Sam's selections piled themselves up in the elf's arms.
"Now for a kitchen we can use," Sam looked around for one.
"I think I saw one back on the fifth level of the city," suggested Legolas through the stack. They made their back up the city to the fifth level. Not long after they had passed through the gate when Sam spotted a wooden sign with a faded picture of a hot steaming bun on it. Smoke rose from the smokestack that rested on the back end of the house. The inside smelled sweetly of freshly baked cakes and bread. Breads, rolls, pastries, and other such foods were set in baskets and shelves and on the counter of the shop. The shopkeeper came through an open doorway at the back of the shop wiping flour off his hands onto his apron. "Now what can I do...Oh my!" he exclaimed when he saw the elf standing there with his arms loaded.
"Yes, Sir!" a voice squeaked from below the counter, "I was wondering if I might borrow your kitchen for a moment."
"Now who said that?" the man asked as he came from behind the counter. "Oh, a pheriannath!" he exclaimed while slapping a slightly chubby hand into his bald head, "Of course you may use my kitchen and if there be anything else you be in need of you just let me know. I am most honored to have one of the great hobbit lords here and..." He spoke many words of praise and similar words to this as he ushered the elf and hobbit to the back room of the store. Sam was too busy reciting his recipe over again in his head to make sure he had all he needed to pay attention to the human. Legolas, however, believed the human was just as sincere in these manners as much as he was silly at the endless stream of words about the honors and praise that flowed from his mouth. Legolas put the items in his arms onto a counter that was much too high for one of Sam's height and noticing at once he inquired for a stool for his friend. As the baker fetched a stool, Sam realized he had not a bowl for mixing, or spoons, or baking pans, or any such thing as to measure, mix or bake the cake in. Not to mention of anything in or on in which to carry it from here to there. Naturally the baker was all the happier to lend him the items, even a platter to carry the cake, provided he return it as soon as he could. Sam greased and lightly floured the pan before pouring in the cake batter he had made a few moments ago. Once the cake was in the oven, he set to work making the frosting. The baker was too busy talking many words of this and that, of how he would tell his friends one of the halflings had used his kitchen to bake a cake, and more words of praise, glory, and honor to the halflings who had saved Gondor to wonder why the halfling had not just bought a cake and was making one himself. Legolas stood off to one side rolling his eyes privately at the man and smiling at the excitement and concentration in the hobbits face as he worked. As the cake baked and after Sam made the frosting he had started to clean up but was quickly stopped. The baker refused to let the hobbit clean up the mess and insisted that he himself do it. There was no more argument after a few minutes of Sam trying to reason that since he had made the mess he ought to clean it up. Sam carried the cake carefully while Legolas walked beside him humming yet another tune of some ancient song of the elves that Sam had never heard, but it made him think of forests and waterfalls in the dawn of spring in the early morning's bright sun.
Gimli trumped quickly up the stone streets unable to think at all with all this hustling and bustling as the stalls closed up and people began to head home. Traffic had become so busy at the front gates of the city while he was busy planning the new designs and plans for the gates what with all the wains and people, he simply could not concentrate. So he headed up the levels of the city to find his blonde-haired cohort. He had to travel up to the sixth level of the city before he spotted him. The crowds of people were lessened considerably on this level and he promptly quickened his pace to catch the immortal by the arm, "Blast it all, I simply cannot think with all these confounded, bumbling humans in my way! Come and tell me more about the trees you plan to plant in this city and where." He had started pulling the elf away as soon as he had grabbed him. Legolas could not refuse and managed to tell Sam to be persistent if he ran into any problems and not to take no for an answer before we was lost from sight.
Once again, Samwise Gamgee stood before the doors of the citadel. He carefully balanced the cake as struggled to open the heavy doors with one small hand. He poked his head inside for any sign of the sour faced human before he pushed the door open enough to enter with the cake, never taking a notice to the group of men that stood beyond the white tree near the place where he had sat earlier. As he neared the end of the hall a guard, a different one from the one this morning greeted him merrily, "Ho there, pherrianath! Where are you off to and with such a fine morsel of cake?"
"I am to see and the king and nobody is going to stop me even if the clap me in irons for a month!" he replied a deal more crossly than he meant but he could not stand the thought of being rejected when he was so close yet again.
"Peace, peace, little one, I meant no offence," the guard apologized.
"The king and his men have gone. They left a while ago out the main doors. I do not know where they went afterwards," spoke the other guard trying to be helpful without much to offer the hobbit. Sam thanked them and apologized for being so rash before turning around downhearted once more. By the time he got outside he had planned to look for Strider if it took all night. He looked around the yard for someone to ask when he spied the group of men beyond the white tree. Strider was the tallest one in the group and Sam could just see the top of his head and crown at the farthest of the group from the steps he stood on. He walked as fast as he could and as he neared he lost sight of him. He was almost at the edge of the group when a tall thin body blocked his path, "Excuse me," pleaded Sam before he looked up and saw who the man was.
"You again!" the man looked down aghast, "Shoo! Away with you! I told you before that-"
"No!" he replied firmly, "I am going to see Strider if it is the last thing I do."
"Go now before I call the guards to haul you away," the man threatened.
"NO!" Sam shouted as loud as he could. His face was red and he felt very angry and very un-hobbit like but this man had riled him and rubbed him the wrong way. The rest of the group had stopped their conversation at Sam's outburst and were now looking in his direction. "Now you see here! I am going to see my friend Strider no matter what you do!" Aragorn was already making his way through as Sam made his stand till he came next to the sour faced man.
"What is going on over here? Sam, what-"
"Your Majesty, if you please, go about your business. I can handle this a-" the man said quietly.
"Silence, Lygtûg," Aragorn said so firmly and calmly that Lygtûg uttered not another word. Aragorn smiled down at Sam, "What is it, Sam?"
"I-um," he stammered not knowing what to say at first now that he had calmed down a bit and had Strider right in front of him. Aragorn knelt gently in front of him, waiting patiently as Sam made his case. When he spoke of wanting to do a little something for Strider to make it up to him he held the cake a little higher with both hands. "Even though I know it is late and after the day, I made you this for your birthday." Aragorn took the cake from the hobbits hands.
"Thank you very much," he said looking with a smile still at the cake.
"I'll be needing to give that platter back to its owner as soon as I can," Sam said hastily.
"Well, it is an awfully big cake for me to eat by myself. Why don't you find the other hobbits and we can share it together?" Sam's face lit up brightly and he darted off to find them. Aragorn didn't have the heart to tell him that he didn't like carrot cake.
The End
Lygtûg: fat snake. The snake in the title is of course a play on his name. I thought it amusing that he was skinny and not fat at all.