1 Sam's Tale
Reviews coveted and appreciated!
"I asks, yes, I asks. And it that isn't nice enough, I begs!"
Author: Nilramiel@aol.com, aka RosieCotton
Genre: General/Romance
Setting: The Shire, year 1419
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Chapter 6: Rose
Rating: PG
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Sam and Rosie reached the place where the Party Tree had stood, and Sam pulled his hand from Rosie's, but not before giving it a squeeze, and he knelt on the ground. With his strong fingers he made a hollow in the moist soil, and he placed the silver nut reverently inside. A pinch of the remaining dust he sprinkled upon the seed, and then covered it with the soft earth.
For a moment he rested his broad palm against the ground, almost as if he was feeling for a pulse beneath the skin of the world. Then sitting back on his heels, Sam sighed.
"Well, that's that," he said, and dusting off his hands, he stood up.
"There's a bit left, Sam," said Rosie, looking into the box.
Sam caught up Rosie's hand, and turning it over, carefully tipped the remaining grains into Rosie's palm. He shook the box a bit, and tapped it to be sure every precious bit was emptied.
Rosie looked at the soft substance in the hollow of her hand, and then with a grin at Sam, cast her hand high into the air, and the breezes caught it, and carried the dust out over the field towards the center of the Shire.
"Well done, Rosie," said Sam, "an' may the Blessing of the Lady go with it!"
Rosie turned to Sam with shining eyes. "Oh, Sam," she said sincerely, "This has been the most wonderful week of my life!"
"Aye," said Sam, "Nothin' gladdens the heart like the healing of hurts, and I'm happy, Rosie, that you helped me in it. No better company could I've asked for, and that's the truth of it."
"Sam," said Rosie, and her tone was serious, "Let's talk a bit. There's something I've been meaning to tell you. And now seems just the right time."
Sam's heart thumped against his ribcage. "Alright, Rosie, would you like to talk here, or shall we walk a bit?" He offered his hand to her.
"Let's walk down by the lake's edge," she said, and she took his hand in hers, squeezing his thick fingers with her own slimmer ones.
They walked over the field to the water, and for a few moments said nothing. But neither felt uncomfortable – only glad of one another, and pleased with what they had accomplished.
Finally Rosie spoke.
"Sam," she said, "I want to tell you something, and it's something from deep down in me heart." Sam squeezed her hand encouragingly, but did not answer. He sensed that she needed his ears right now, not his words, and he turned all of his attention towards her, tuning out even the sounds of the frogs and crickets near the water.
"Sam," Rosie began, and Sam's heart again gave a sweet flutter. ("An' if how she says my name turns me ta jelly," he thought to himself, "I wonder what else she'll say, and if I can bear it!")
"Sam, I love ye," Rosie said simply, "and I've been meaning to tell you for ever so long." She stopped walking, and turned toward him, searching his face and trying to still the pounding of blood in her ears. Sam returned her gaze, and then suddenly his gentle eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, Rose," he said, catching her other hand in his, "Do ye? For I love ye too, and have, for so long."
They fell into an embrace, and Sam wept, though he was not sure why. Rosie felt his strong heart pounding in his chest, and her own heart filled and overflowed with a joy she had not felt before. She turned her head and kissed his damp cheek. "Dear Sam," she said softly, "Dear, sweet Sam. Don't cry. Don't cry." But she discovered that she too was weeping. Sam felt as though his heart would burst, and he clung to her, and tears continued to roll down his wide hobbit face. "Rose, Rose, I love ye so. I'm so glad…" he whispered, but his words caught in his throat, and he could say no more for several moments.
Rosie held him tightly, murmuring sweet words into his ear, and how long they stood there by the lake, embracing, she didn't know.
Eventually Rosie spoke again, almost in a whisper. "Samwise," she said seriously, "tell me you won't be going off no more, at least not for awhile yet. Promise me. I couldn't bear it if you left me again, not for a day, I couldn't."
"Nay," he said earnestly into her hair, "I won't be goin' nowhere. Not for a long while yet. Not for a long, long while, dear Rose. I promise ye that." And he kissed her cheek, as damp with tears as his own, and they sat down together by the water's edge. Rosie leaned against him, and they talked softly for many hours with their hands twined together, sharing all that was in their hearts for one another, until the sun sank below the horizon and their rumbling stomachs told them it was well past suppertime.
~TBC~
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Please do not copy or post this story to another website, or use it for your own purposes, without my permission and/or without the introductory comments. Feel free to link away!
Acknowledgements: The characters, setting, and much of the dialog belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, and I give full credit to him. This story focuses on the relationship of Samwise Gamgee and Rose Cotton, and it is how I imagine the events following the Hobbits' return to the Shire following the War of the Ring and King Aragorn's coronation and marriage. If you have read the book, The Return of the King, you will find the events familiar. I have tried to "fill in the gaps," regarding Sam's courtship to Rose Cotton. Sam is my favorite character in Tolkien's work, and this is written with the deepest respect for both Tolkien and the noble Samwise. There may be slight departures from the timeline of The Lord of the Rings. If so, please forgive the oversight.
Reviews coveted and appreciated!
"I asks, yes, I asks. And it that isn't nice enough, I begs!"
Author: Nilramiel@aol.com, aka RosieCotton
Genre: General/Romance
Setting: The Shire, year 1419
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 6: Rose
Rating: PG
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sam and Rosie reached the place where the Party Tree had stood, and Sam pulled his hand from Rosie's, but not before giving it a squeeze, and he knelt on the ground. With his strong fingers he made a hollow in the moist soil, and he placed the silver nut reverently inside. A pinch of the remaining dust he sprinkled upon the seed, and then covered it with the soft earth.
For a moment he rested his broad palm against the ground, almost as if he was feeling for a pulse beneath the skin of the world. Then sitting back on his heels, Sam sighed.
"Well, that's that," he said, and dusting off his hands, he stood up.
"There's a bit left, Sam," said Rosie, looking into the box.
Sam caught up Rosie's hand, and turning it over, carefully tipped the remaining grains into Rosie's palm. He shook the box a bit, and tapped it to be sure every precious bit was emptied.
Rosie looked at the soft substance in the hollow of her hand, and then with a grin at Sam, cast her hand high into the air, and the breezes caught it, and carried the dust out over the field towards the center of the Shire.
"Well done, Rosie," said Sam, "an' may the Blessing of the Lady go with it!"
Rosie turned to Sam with shining eyes. "Oh, Sam," she said sincerely, "This has been the most wonderful week of my life!"
"Aye," said Sam, "Nothin' gladdens the heart like the healing of hurts, and I'm happy, Rosie, that you helped me in it. No better company could I've asked for, and that's the truth of it."
"Sam," said Rosie, and her tone was serious, "Let's talk a bit. There's something I've been meaning to tell you. And now seems just the right time."
Sam's heart thumped against his ribcage. "Alright, Rosie, would you like to talk here, or shall we walk a bit?" He offered his hand to her.
"Let's walk down by the lake's edge," she said, and she took his hand in hers, squeezing his thick fingers with her own slimmer ones.
They walked over the field to the water, and for a few moments said nothing. But neither felt uncomfortable – only glad of one another, and pleased with what they had accomplished.
Finally Rosie spoke.
"Sam," she said, "I want to tell you something, and it's something from deep down in me heart." Sam squeezed her hand encouragingly, but did not answer. He sensed that she needed his ears right now, not his words, and he turned all of his attention towards her, tuning out even the sounds of the frogs and crickets near the water.
"Sam," Rosie began, and Sam's heart again gave a sweet flutter. ("An' if how she says my name turns me ta jelly," he thought to himself, "I wonder what else she'll say, and if I can bear it!")
"Sam, I love ye," Rosie said simply, "and I've been meaning to tell you for ever so long." She stopped walking, and turned toward him, searching his face and trying to still the pounding of blood in her ears. Sam returned her gaze, and then suddenly his gentle eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, Rose," he said, catching her other hand in his, "Do ye? For I love ye too, and have, for so long."
They fell into an embrace, and Sam wept, though he was not sure why. Rosie felt his strong heart pounding in his chest, and her own heart filled and overflowed with a joy she had not felt before. She turned her head and kissed his damp cheek. "Dear Sam," she said softly, "Dear, sweet Sam. Don't cry. Don't cry." But she discovered that she too was weeping. Sam felt as though his heart would burst, and he clung to her, and tears continued to roll down his wide hobbit face. "Rose, Rose, I love ye so. I'm so glad…" he whispered, but his words caught in his throat, and he could say no more for several moments.
Rosie held him tightly, murmuring sweet words into his ear, and how long they stood there by the lake, embracing, she didn't know.
Eventually Rosie spoke again, almost in a whisper. "Samwise," she said seriously, "tell me you won't be going off no more, at least not for awhile yet. Promise me. I couldn't bear it if you left me again, not for a day, I couldn't."
"Nay," he said earnestly into her hair, "I won't be goin' nowhere. Not for a long while yet. Not for a long, long while, dear Rose. I promise ye that." And he kissed her cheek, as damp with tears as his own, and they sat down together by the water's edge. Rosie leaned against him, and they talked softly for many hours with their hands twined together, sharing all that was in their hearts for one another, until the sun sank below the horizon and their rumbling stomachs told them it was well past suppertime.
~TBC~
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Please do not copy or post this story to another website, or use it for your own purposes, without my permission and/or without the introductory comments. Feel free to link away!
Acknowledgements: The characters, setting, and much of the dialog belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, and I give full credit to him. This story focuses on the relationship of Samwise Gamgee and Rose Cotton, and it is how I imagine the events following the Hobbits' return to the Shire following the War of the Ring and King Aragorn's coronation and marriage. If you have read the book, The Return of the King, you will find the events familiar. I have tried to "fill in the gaps," regarding Sam's courtship to Rose Cotton. Sam is my favorite character in Tolkien's work, and this is written with the deepest respect for both Tolkien and the noble Samwise. There may be slight departures from the timeline of The Lord of the Rings. If so, please forgive the oversight.
