The Red Book
Summary: The Red Book contained Bilbo and Frodo's narrations, and over the years, tales, genealogies and traditions were added. Some of them are mentioned here.
Disclaimer: Do not own.
Enjoy!
001. Fire
The Storyteller
The man sitting in the corner of a street between two houses wore shabby clothes and sat on a rough, worn out rug. Fire crackled in a metal pot to keep him warm. He was clean and tidy for someone who seemed to live on the streets and made meagre living of a storyteller. No one knew where he went after he told stories to the children. His cloak was always wrapped tightly across his body and his cowl hid most of his face. He appeared once every week or every two weeks, and the children always gathered eagerly. He had a deep voice that was pleasant to the ears, and his hand gestures added to the magic of his voice. Even the parents lingered to hear his stories. He told them tales full of adventures of the Rangers of the North. He narrated the doings of the Lady of Lothlórien. He narrated how their King met their Queen. He had a way with words, raising his voice and changing it for dialogue and lowering it to a whisper to add mystery. Most of all, it was his eyes that were unnerving to look at. They were bright grey, the only feature other than his lips that were visible in the firelight.
He began to shift from his usual place and went from street to street. He remained in the lowermost circle of Minas Tirith, in the slums. Some tried to warn him not to antagonize the gangs but the storyteller only tilted his head and smiled grimly.
Time passed on, and he became increasingly popular. Everyone waited eagerly for the next time he appeared. He came and left without warning, and nobody knew where he lived. Slowly the slums became better. The streets were paved. The buildings were rebuilt with better stone. The orphans were brought to orphanages. The guards came and captured thugs. The widows were given money from the king. The storyteller disappeared. They waited days, weeks and then finally after two months, they found him sitting in a corner. All of them gathered eagerly to hear his story, but the storyteller only removed his cowl. They stared in wonder at the crown resting upon Aragorn's head. The King smiled and leaned back.
"Now, what tale do you wish to hear from me tonight?"
Author's Note:
-I blame good ol' Pip and nyx thranduilion for this. :D I read their wonderful prompt challenges and I could not help but join in the fun! If you are interested, go over to NirCele's account and take part with us. :)