Disclaimer: No, I own not even one of Tolkien's characters, even though
I'd love to have Sam. Pretty please with sugar on top? Please?
A/N: I'm so very sorry it took so long to update this, that is if anyone was even looking for it to be updated. I'm having wicked writer's block and I see no signs of it really letting up anytime soon. Please, leave a review if you like what you read, I really appreciate it. I'm still very new at this sort of thing and can use all the support I can get! And, thanks SO MUCH to those that have reviewed. I love you all…really…I do.
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An unexpected chill breeze whipped in from the north, cutting through the meager blankets that wrapped tired hobbit bodies. Many were already numb from loss and sorrow, and paid the wind no mind. Others huddled together for warmth, taking a small measure of comfort in having a living person near.
Sam lie on his back, his head pillowed on his arms, and gazed thoughtfully at the night sky. To him, it seemed the brightly sparkling gems were close enough to reach up and snatch from the heavens. When he and Frodo were little and used to camp out behind Bag End, they would look up into the night sky and make pictures from the stars. He smiled briefly at the memory and realized that, even though they were so far from home, the stars in the night sky were the same. It was good to know that a little piece of home was still with them…where ever they went.
Unbidden, memories of him as a young hobbit in a warm, sweet smelling orchard came to his mind. The coarse grass under tough hobbit feet, the heads of colorful flowers nodding at him as he walked by gazing ever upwards to find the next bucketful of apples to shake from the trees. The simple days where the most pressing thing was if old Bilbo would tell them a story of elves that night by the fire while eating fresh apple tarts. Now, the elves from the stories had been seen…and the innocence of youth had been lost when the Ring had been revealed. The days in the warm, sweet smelling orchard were long past and homesickness welled up in Sam again.
Beside him, Frodo slept on, caught up in uneasy dreams. Sam sighed, and turned onto his side to face Frodo. The usually smooth brow was furrowed and his lips were puckered as if he were saying protesting something in his dreams. For half a second, Sam considered shaking Frodo awake, to release him from the dream. Instead, he reached out and smoothed the wrinkles, offering what small comforts he could. Under his touch, Frodo seemed to calm down and fall into a deep, healing sleep and his breathing became more even.
Sam rolled over onto his other side and pulled the blanket more snuggly around his ears. No matter what he did, sleep stayed just out of reach tonight. His belly was full again tonight, for the first time since they had left Lorien he had had regular meals, and he knew they were reasonably safe from Orcs and any other evil that walked in the night. Stone walls thicker than his body and guards every few feet on top of those walls guaranteed that. Maybe it was just the ingrained habit of staying awake for watch while Frodo slept. Whatever the reason, he just wished it would pass so he could get some sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Durein picked up a candle and pushed open the door that lead into Teren's room. It was late, and as usual, she had long since missed his bed time. She pressed her lips together in regret, and then bent down to drop a kiss on his forehead. This was the reason she had fought, to keep her son innocent and safe.
It was strange to use her hands to tuck in the blankets around her son, the same hands that had just days before taken the lives of countless Orcs. The smell of blood, the cries of the dying, the blood lust, the fear….it all seemed to be a memory from someone else. As if she were standing outside of herself, looking at a person she didn't recognize. She had journeyed into the darkness, and it was not a place she liked to be. It was a fervent hope that she would never have to stand in that dark place again.
Durein turned from her son, and closed the door behind her as she left the room. The large copper tub sat in front of the fire, tendrils of steam beckoning to her. True to her word, Isliene had drawn the promised bath as soon as Durein had come in from one of the council meetings in the Hall. One of the seemingly never ending streams of meetings since the shadow of evil arrived on the doorstep.
Pure bliss washed over her as she sank into the almost scalding water. Knots were soothed from muscles and for the first time in many days, she felt herself relaxing. Her tired mind went over the lists and things she had to remember for the next day. Frustrations seemed to pile up more than accomplishments lately.
Two days had passed since the quarters in the fortress were to be ready for the refugees. The old and injured had already been moved into what space that had been prepared, but many still slept outside on the cold ground. There was plenty of food, for the time being, but soon other means of provisions would have to be thought of. Everyone would have to pull together to plant gardens and to harvest what could be found in the nearby forest.
It had also been two days since the curious pair of hobbits had been found and brought into her care. A small part of her mind constantly went over the possible reasons they had been nearby. She wouldn't admit it, even in the quietest corners of her mind, that she thought more about one of the hobbits than the other. She slapped the water with the flat of her hand, enough of this nonsense! There were more important things to think of than rough hands, a shy smile, and lovely hazel eyes.
She closed her eyes and firmly pushed thoughts of a certain hobbit from her mind. Many other things needed her attention. Things like the fate of her people, and how she was going to help Blian keep the borders secure. Reports of more Orc forces were coming in from scouts in the North.
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The water had grown cold, the fire had died down, and Durein stirred from sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, only to have her heart stumble and then stop all together in her chest. Standing above her was an Orc, his curved blade stained with blood.
Ice ran in her veins and a metallic taste of fear was in her mouth as she realized her sword was hanging by its scabbard on the bed post. No weapon she could see was at hand and it was a slim chance that she could scramble from the tub before the Orc cut her down. Worse still, Teren was in the next room. Was the blood on the sword her son's?
~*tbc*~
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Yes, Alexa, this is short…sorry. Another 'transition/set up chapter'. I'll do better next time, I promise!
I'm also at the point where I can take the *possible* relationship between Sam and Durien to another level. And, I'm curious to know what the readers would like to see happen. Do you want to see them: 1)just remain in the 'angst' sort of stage. They kinda like each other but nothing happens. 2) A relationship happens they like each other, hand holding…romance fluff stuff, or 3) a *relationship*…and I think you should be able to catch my drift. Let me know what you think!
And, don't forget to leave a review on the way out, please!
A/N: I'm so very sorry it took so long to update this, that is if anyone was even looking for it to be updated. I'm having wicked writer's block and I see no signs of it really letting up anytime soon. Please, leave a review if you like what you read, I really appreciate it. I'm still very new at this sort of thing and can use all the support I can get! And, thanks SO MUCH to those that have reviewed. I love you all…really…I do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An unexpected chill breeze whipped in from the north, cutting through the meager blankets that wrapped tired hobbit bodies. Many were already numb from loss and sorrow, and paid the wind no mind. Others huddled together for warmth, taking a small measure of comfort in having a living person near.
Sam lie on his back, his head pillowed on his arms, and gazed thoughtfully at the night sky. To him, it seemed the brightly sparkling gems were close enough to reach up and snatch from the heavens. When he and Frodo were little and used to camp out behind Bag End, they would look up into the night sky and make pictures from the stars. He smiled briefly at the memory and realized that, even though they were so far from home, the stars in the night sky were the same. It was good to know that a little piece of home was still with them…where ever they went.
Unbidden, memories of him as a young hobbit in a warm, sweet smelling orchard came to his mind. The coarse grass under tough hobbit feet, the heads of colorful flowers nodding at him as he walked by gazing ever upwards to find the next bucketful of apples to shake from the trees. The simple days where the most pressing thing was if old Bilbo would tell them a story of elves that night by the fire while eating fresh apple tarts. Now, the elves from the stories had been seen…and the innocence of youth had been lost when the Ring had been revealed. The days in the warm, sweet smelling orchard were long past and homesickness welled up in Sam again.
Beside him, Frodo slept on, caught up in uneasy dreams. Sam sighed, and turned onto his side to face Frodo. The usually smooth brow was furrowed and his lips were puckered as if he were saying protesting something in his dreams. For half a second, Sam considered shaking Frodo awake, to release him from the dream. Instead, he reached out and smoothed the wrinkles, offering what small comforts he could. Under his touch, Frodo seemed to calm down and fall into a deep, healing sleep and his breathing became more even.
Sam rolled over onto his other side and pulled the blanket more snuggly around his ears. No matter what he did, sleep stayed just out of reach tonight. His belly was full again tonight, for the first time since they had left Lorien he had had regular meals, and he knew they were reasonably safe from Orcs and any other evil that walked in the night. Stone walls thicker than his body and guards every few feet on top of those walls guaranteed that. Maybe it was just the ingrained habit of staying awake for watch while Frodo slept. Whatever the reason, he just wished it would pass so he could get some sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Durein picked up a candle and pushed open the door that lead into Teren's room. It was late, and as usual, she had long since missed his bed time. She pressed her lips together in regret, and then bent down to drop a kiss on his forehead. This was the reason she had fought, to keep her son innocent and safe.
It was strange to use her hands to tuck in the blankets around her son, the same hands that had just days before taken the lives of countless Orcs. The smell of blood, the cries of the dying, the blood lust, the fear….it all seemed to be a memory from someone else. As if she were standing outside of herself, looking at a person she didn't recognize. She had journeyed into the darkness, and it was not a place she liked to be. It was a fervent hope that she would never have to stand in that dark place again.
Durein turned from her son, and closed the door behind her as she left the room. The large copper tub sat in front of the fire, tendrils of steam beckoning to her. True to her word, Isliene had drawn the promised bath as soon as Durein had come in from one of the council meetings in the Hall. One of the seemingly never ending streams of meetings since the shadow of evil arrived on the doorstep.
Pure bliss washed over her as she sank into the almost scalding water. Knots were soothed from muscles and for the first time in many days, she felt herself relaxing. Her tired mind went over the lists and things she had to remember for the next day. Frustrations seemed to pile up more than accomplishments lately.
Two days had passed since the quarters in the fortress were to be ready for the refugees. The old and injured had already been moved into what space that had been prepared, but many still slept outside on the cold ground. There was plenty of food, for the time being, but soon other means of provisions would have to be thought of. Everyone would have to pull together to plant gardens and to harvest what could be found in the nearby forest.
It had also been two days since the curious pair of hobbits had been found and brought into her care. A small part of her mind constantly went over the possible reasons they had been nearby. She wouldn't admit it, even in the quietest corners of her mind, that she thought more about one of the hobbits than the other. She slapped the water with the flat of her hand, enough of this nonsense! There were more important things to think of than rough hands, a shy smile, and lovely hazel eyes.
She closed her eyes and firmly pushed thoughts of a certain hobbit from her mind. Many other things needed her attention. Things like the fate of her people, and how she was going to help Blian keep the borders secure. Reports of more Orc forces were coming in from scouts in the North.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The water had grown cold, the fire had died down, and Durein stirred from sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, only to have her heart stumble and then stop all together in her chest. Standing above her was an Orc, his curved blade stained with blood.
Ice ran in her veins and a metallic taste of fear was in her mouth as she realized her sword was hanging by its scabbard on the bed post. No weapon she could see was at hand and it was a slim chance that she could scramble from the tub before the Orc cut her down. Worse still, Teren was in the next room. Was the blood on the sword her son's?
~*tbc*~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, Alexa, this is short…sorry. Another 'transition/set up chapter'. I'll do better next time, I promise!
I'm also at the point where I can take the *possible* relationship between Sam and Durien to another level. And, I'm curious to know what the readers would like to see happen. Do you want to see them: 1)just remain in the 'angst' sort of stage. They kinda like each other but nothing happens. 2) A relationship happens they like each other, hand holding…romance fluff stuff, or 3) a *relationship*…and I think you should be able to catch my drift. Let me know what you think!
And, don't forget to leave a review on the way out, please!
