Here it is my attempt to join Beowulf and Lord of the Rings,I am surprised that this hasn't been done before on this site given Tolkien's connection to Beowulf. Anyway enjoy
Beowulf groggily got to his feet with a splitting headache,the creaking of his familiar longboat greeted his newly awakened ears,the legendary warrior was covered in bruises and cuts that had partially healed during the long night. The roughly hewn planks around him were stained from the blood that had been dripping from his wounds.
How had they got here? They were drifting down a pleasant river that danced in the afternoon sunlight,far green meadows stretched away on either side of the bank. Birds sang and on the horizon wise venerable mountains that reminded the Geat of his wild snowy homeland stood tall against the sky.
One by one the details of the treacherous night before came swimming back into Beowulf's mind,he and his crew(that were now sleeping soundly around him) had been fighting against a tremendous tempest. He remembered the spray in his face and the enveloping waves that lashed at the craft as they were making for Hrothgar's lands. Yes,dark cliffs loomed to one side of them,dragged ever closer by the tide. They were desperately seeking a place to make port when it had happened. The current took them and swept them into some invisible cave concealed in the jagged cliffs,on and on the rapids dragged them,constantly jarring them against the craggy tips of stone daggers that lined the forsaken natural tunnel. Beowulf remembered wrestling with the boat's tiller when it swung back and hit him square in the face. And then they had woke up here.
Beowulf took the tiller and guided the boat as they drifted further down the little river,where they were headed he did not know but saw no need to disturb his men's well needed rest just yet.
As he coasted further down the river the wild pleasant meadows gave way to tilled farmland with fences and the occasional outbuilding. Signs of civilisation at last,thought Beowulf. Indeed in the distance further downstream he could see little clusters of stone and wood that could only be towns,thinking on this realised he was in sore need of food,a good swig of mead and a bed for the night.
His train of thought was derailed when by the riverside he noticed a curious figure observing him and looking totally bewildered. Beowulf at first took him for a child but then realised that with the bushy grey hair and hunched posture that it was clearly an old man,although the shortest that Beowulf had ever seen in his eventful life. The little man had been busy nailing a barrel of some strange weed closed but the hammer now lay abandoned on the grass as he took to his bare hairy feet and ran alongside the ship shouting something in his rustic,chattering tongue that Beowulf spoke not a word of.
For a moment Beowulf thought of grabbing a spear from one of his sleeping men and throwing it square at the funny creature,generally when he saw something unnatural looking his instinct was to kill. Monsters should not be given second chances. Keeping a firm hand on the rudder he nudged his nearest soldier with his sturdy boot,the bundle of muscles on the bare deck wriggled into life and yawned, "Wake up Olaf!"barked Beowulf, "Cast your eyes on this."
"What is it?" Moaned Olaf, "Have we finally set down on Hrothgar's shores?".
"I'm afraid not my friend,we are in strange lands,inhabited by strange folk,ones such as that fellow over there."Replied Beowulf,taking hold of Olaf's head and wrenching his sleepy but still fearsome face in the right direction.
Olaf gawped at the little man who had not stopped babbling in his own language the entire time,the longboat had drifted quite a way from where the warrior had first sighted the creature but still it kept pace with them waving his fist and firing nonsensical syllables in their direction. If the two Norsemen had studied the Westron speech they may have understood his cry of : "What do you lumbering big folk think you're doing,You're headed straight for the Brandywine Bridge!"
A forceful jerk of the thing's little hand encouraged Beowulf and his warrior Olaf to glance downstream,they were indeed heading straight for a neatly built stone bridge. This stretch of the river which the local's called Brandywine was more crowded and many more of the little folk milled around either side going about their everyday doings. Beowulf's eyes flitted about in astonishment at them,he saw they were no threat,some were trading,some sat smoking interesting pipes, children even smaller than they were played merrily. Not a weapon in the place,no cause for alarm. These were the last thoughts that went through Beowulf's mind as he braced against the stern of his longboat for the inevitable impact. With a crunch the prow met the sturdy bridge knocking loose a good few stones from it,the jolt awoke the rest of Beowulf's men.
The small folk gathered around the halted boat and the damaged bridge,all business stopped and all eyes stared in utter confusion. A few of them clocked the fearsome swords that Beowulf's men bore and with a few brief screams bailed the scene,trundling away their carts and tools with them.
"These men,if indeed they are men,fear us,"Beowulf announced to his newly roused crew,while Olaf mingled with them and tried to explain to them their strange predicament, "Wiglaf,my kinsman,you shall go ashore with me and the rest of you shall remain here to guard the boat. Make good what damage you can then rest up,fill your skins from this stream we have found ourselves sailing down. The water looks clean and you shall have sore need of it after last night's voyage."
With these orders underway Beowulf hopped sure-footedly onto the land. He was soon joined by Wiglaf,his kinsman and trusted friend. They reluctantly left their mighty swords behind taking instead only the smallest of knifes so as not to further alarm the half grown men. The area around the bridge was now completely deserted as the pair searched for someone in authority to parley with,suddenly at the other end of the road came galloping a white horse and cloaked rider. He was taller than the others they had seen and was the only one they had seen wearing boots,Beowulf silently decided that he was obviously an ordinary man.
"Hello my good sir!"declared Beowulf stepping confidently into the middle of the road and making the bearded man's horse stamp to a halt, "A tempest has brought me and my men into your lands,We are in great need of assistance."
"My my you do speak a curious dialect,"said the man,removing his hood to reveal a face lost in white hair with two wise eyes set in it, "It is some form of Rohirric no? Although twisted beyond all recognition, let me see now."
He thought for a moment and then spoke in a greatly altered fashion, "Do you understand these words?"
Beowulf nodded,the words were in his own language but in a terrible faltering accent that suggested whoever was speaking them had learned it from books without ever actually holding a conversation in it.
"Now that you can understand me speak your purpose,men are not often seen in the Shire,especially men as warlike as yourselves. Are you servants of Mordor? If it be so I shall strike you down this instant!"
Beowulf looked confused and then replied, "I do not know who your mother is,but I am definitely not her servant,nor anyone's. I am Beowulf and this is my companion Wiglaf,surely you have heard some word of our deeds of valour,we have slain great monsters together. As a matter of fact we were just on our way to aid a friend of ours,has word of Hrothgar king of Zeatland,reached this strange part of the world?
"I know not this king or his lands,"said the man, "And if that is so you must come from a place far from here,I am Gandalf,or Mithrandir. Do your people know of me?"
Beowulf thought for a moment then shook his head.
Gandalf nodded and said in jest, "Then we shall be considered even."
He was silent a moment longer then asked, "You claim to be slayers of monsters do you? Then I may have a task for your company. In return I would gladly pay you well and help you find your way home. I have a few friends who belong to the little folk who you have no doubt seen,they are known as Hobbits,they have set out on an...errand of great importance. I can tell you no more but I fear they will be stalked by fearsome creatures,no mortal man can defeat them but you may be able to waylay them,there is a tavern to the north of here,meet me there in one hour and I shall tell you more. Bring no weapons and do not attack these people."
With that he rode off on whatever errand he was on leaving the two alone,
"Shall we take that strange man's offer?"Asked Wiglaf.
Beowulf sighed and concluded, "We have no choice but to," as he headed back to the longboat to inform his thanes...