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
Rating: G, PG
Genre: General/Romance
Setting: The Shire, year 1420
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Chapter 10: The Question
Rating: PG
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On the first day of April, Sam took Rosie to the Party Field, for a picnic lunch and a serious question.
They spread some blankets out at the base of the slender silver trunk, and then Rosie laid her hand on the smooth bark. "Sam, come and feel this," she exclaimed, "The tree feels so alive. I almost believe that it is aware of us." Sam came over and placed his brown hand next to Rosie's on the trunk. Sure enough, the tree was thrumming deep inside, as if it had a hidden pulse. "Look at the leaves, Rose," Sam said softly, "and there's not a breath of wind!" Rosie looked up and saw that the long green leaves were quivering, casting moving shadows on their spread blankets. They did not know it, but far off in Lothlorien, there was a breeze blowing, a strong one, and perhaps the fair tree could sense it, even though the distance was great.
They sat down upon the blankets, and had lunch. Hobbits dearly love both talk and food, and will usually do both at once, but if they are very hungry, the talking can wait a bit. Sam and Rosie were quite hungry, having spent the morning helping Farmer Cotton build a new fence and gate for his pigsty. Although they had never figured out how Gandy was escaping, he was a good-sized pig now, and caused a lot of damage when he got out. The farmer had been locking Gandy in the barn overnight, but this was an imperfect solution. So they had built a fine strong new sty, and painted it clean white. Tomorrow the pigs would be relocated into the new structure, "And if that Gandy escapes from this one," said Sam, I will sit up all night watching him from atop the barn, and figger out how he's doin' it!"
Rosie laughed aloud at the image of her Sam, sitting on top of the barn like a roosting bird, watching a pig all night.
Sam smiled at her. "I love yer laugh, Rose," he said, "It's like elvish music!"
Rosie blushed, "Aw, Sam, you say the kindest things. However did you learn to talk so sweet?"
"From watchin' me Gaffer, o'course!" said Sam with a grin and a wink, "He may act kinda roughspoken, but you shoulda heared how he spoke to my Mum." Actually, this was quite truthful, and one of the reasons that Sam was such a good rhymemaker was because of the old Gaffer, who knew how to move words around, and made up many wonderful bedtime stories for his children, when they were young. Sam's tender heart, however, was his mother's gift to him. She had lavished all of the gentleness of her own sweet soul into her son. Rosie found this to be a delightful combination.
They talked for a bit about the trees, one of their favorite topics, and how amazing the growth continued to be. "Why this tree right here only broke outta the ground last month, and it's taller than Mr. Merry already," Sam said, looking up at it admirably. "I've never seen things grow so!"
"And the flowers, Sam," added Rosie, "Have you noticed the flowers? The seeds we planted with the Lady's dust have grown so much bigger an' brighter, and the scent of them is like…well, it's like what you would say – elvish, maybe."
"It's true all over the Shire," Sam agreed. "Even the grass is growin' like it's trying to reach the sky!"
"I know!" said Rosie, with another clear laugh that flipped Sam's heart over and over in his chest, "Jolly says that if this confounded grass doesn't stop growing, it will be taller than the corn, and he won't mow it no more!" Sam laughed aloud, imagining Rosie's brother standing next to the mower with his fists on his hips, grass waving higher than his head.
"Why do you suppose it is, Sam?" Rosie wondered. "Do you think the goodness of the Lady's soil just spread underneath the ground, out from all the places we planted?
"Aye," said Sam, "But even more than that, I think it's because of that last bit of dust, Rose, the bit you threw up into the wind. I think its goodness just blew over the whole land and gave it health."
Rosie sighed happily. They had finished eating, and she moved over so that she could sit close to Sam and lean against his chest. Sam pressed his back against the young Mallorn, and putting his arms around her, kissed her behind the ear, breathing in the scent of her hair and thinking that she smelled every bit as sweet as the flowers growing all 'round Hobbiton.
They sat thus for several moments, simply enjoying the sun and the tree and one another's presence. Then Sam kissed her again, on her soft temple, and spoke.
"Rose," said Sam, "I've something I'd like to ask ye."
Rosie said nothing, but her heart skipped a beat, and she ran her thumbs across his palms, to encourage him.
"Rose, you know I love you," said Sam, "I love you more than I knew I could love anyone. You are more important to me than anything in Middle-earth."
Rosie turned her head a little and kissed him at the corner of his mouth. "And I love you, Sam, just the same way."
Sam's heart was pounding so hard that he was sure Rosie could feel it thumping against her back. "Just git to it, Samwise," he said to himself, "Just git it out, now."
Sam took a deep breath. "Rose Cotton," he said, "I'd like to marry you, if yer willing. I love ye and I never want to be separated from ye, and, well, would you? Would you marry me, Rose?"
Rosie turned her head again, but this time she kissed Sam on the mouth. It was a long, sweet, lingering kiss, and Sam felt as though bells were ringing in the depths of his soul.
"Yes, Sam," Rosie said at last, removing her gentle lips from his, "Yes, yes, yes. Nothin' would make me happier in all the world." She brought her right hand up to Sam's cheek, and kissed him again. "And let's not wait long, Sam," she said earnestly, "We've lost a year already, and I don't want to wait much longer."
"Aye," Sam agreed, "The sooner, the better – as soon as the arranging can be made." Rosie laid her head back onto his shoulder and snuggled against his strong chest, again taking both of his hands in hers. And Sam held Rosie against him, and kissed her hair, and learned suddenly that his heart could contain yet another level of joy.
~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 these
additional 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 are some slight departures from the timeline of The Lord of the Rings, for which I apologize; however, creative license is a part of fanfic, right? smile.
Rating: The first several chapters are rated G or PG; however, eventually I may include a sweet romantic chapter, or more than one, involving Sam and his Rose.
Reviews coveted and appreciated!
"I asks, yes, I asks. And it that isn't nice enough, I begs!"
Author: Nilramiel@aol.com, aka RosieCotton
Rating: G, PG
Genre: General/Romance
Setting: The Shire, year 1420
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Chapter 10: The Question
Rating: PG
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
On the first day of April, Sam took Rosie to the Party Field, for a picnic lunch and a serious question.
They spread some blankets out at the base of the slender silver trunk, and then Rosie laid her hand on the smooth bark. "Sam, come and feel this," she exclaimed, "The tree feels so alive. I almost believe that it is aware of us." Sam came over and placed his brown hand next to Rosie's on the trunk. Sure enough, the tree was thrumming deep inside, as if it had a hidden pulse. "Look at the leaves, Rose," Sam said softly, "and there's not a breath of wind!" Rosie looked up and saw that the long green leaves were quivering, casting moving shadows on their spread blankets. They did not know it, but far off in Lothlorien, there was a breeze blowing, a strong one, and perhaps the fair tree could sense it, even though the distance was great.
They sat down upon the blankets, and had lunch. Hobbits dearly love both talk and food, and will usually do both at once, but if they are very hungry, the talking can wait a bit. Sam and Rosie were quite hungry, having spent the morning helping Farmer Cotton build a new fence and gate for his pigsty. Although they had never figured out how Gandy was escaping, he was a good-sized pig now, and caused a lot of damage when he got out. The farmer had been locking Gandy in the barn overnight, but this was an imperfect solution. So they had built a fine strong new sty, and painted it clean white. Tomorrow the pigs would be relocated into the new structure, "And if that Gandy escapes from this one," said Sam, I will sit up all night watching him from atop the barn, and figger out how he's doin' it!"
Rosie laughed aloud at the image of her Sam, sitting on top of the barn like a roosting bird, watching a pig all night.
Sam smiled at her. "I love yer laugh, Rose," he said, "It's like elvish music!"
Rosie blushed, "Aw, Sam, you say the kindest things. However did you learn to talk so sweet?"
"From watchin' me Gaffer, o'course!" said Sam with a grin and a wink, "He may act kinda roughspoken, but you shoulda heared how he spoke to my Mum." Actually, this was quite truthful, and one of the reasons that Sam was such a good rhymemaker was because of the old Gaffer, who knew how to move words around, and made up many wonderful bedtime stories for his children, when they were young. Sam's tender heart, however, was his mother's gift to him. She had lavished all of the gentleness of her own sweet soul into her son. Rosie found this to be a delightful combination.
They talked for a bit about the trees, one of their favorite topics, and how amazing the growth continued to be. "Why this tree right here only broke outta the ground last month, and it's taller than Mr. Merry already," Sam said, looking up at it admirably. "I've never seen things grow so!"
"And the flowers, Sam," added Rosie, "Have you noticed the flowers? The seeds we planted with the Lady's dust have grown so much bigger an' brighter, and the scent of them is like…well, it's like what you would say – elvish, maybe."
"It's true all over the Shire," Sam agreed. "Even the grass is growin' like it's trying to reach the sky!"
"I know!" said Rosie, with another clear laugh that flipped Sam's heart over and over in his chest, "Jolly says that if this confounded grass doesn't stop growing, it will be taller than the corn, and he won't mow it no more!" Sam laughed aloud, imagining Rosie's brother standing next to the mower with his fists on his hips, grass waving higher than his head.
"Why do you suppose it is, Sam?" Rosie wondered. "Do you think the goodness of the Lady's soil just spread underneath the ground, out from all the places we planted?
"Aye," said Sam, "But even more than that, I think it's because of that last bit of dust, Rose, the bit you threw up into the wind. I think its goodness just blew over the whole land and gave it health."
Rosie sighed happily. They had finished eating, and she moved over so that she could sit close to Sam and lean against his chest. Sam pressed his back against the young Mallorn, and putting his arms around her, kissed her behind the ear, breathing in the scent of her hair and thinking that she smelled every bit as sweet as the flowers growing all 'round Hobbiton.
They sat thus for several moments, simply enjoying the sun and the tree and one another's presence. Then Sam kissed her again, on her soft temple, and spoke.
"Rose," said Sam, "I've something I'd like to ask ye."
Rosie said nothing, but her heart skipped a beat, and she ran her thumbs across his palms, to encourage him.
"Rose, you know I love you," said Sam, "I love you more than I knew I could love anyone. You are more important to me than anything in Middle-earth."
Rosie turned her head a little and kissed him at the corner of his mouth. "And I love you, Sam, just the same way."
Sam's heart was pounding so hard that he was sure Rosie could feel it thumping against her back. "Just git to it, Samwise," he said to himself, "Just git it out, now."
Sam took a deep breath. "Rose Cotton," he said, "I'd like to marry you, if yer willing. I love ye and I never want to be separated from ye, and, well, would you? Would you marry me, Rose?"
Rosie turned her head again, but this time she kissed Sam on the mouth. It was a long, sweet, lingering kiss, and Sam felt as though bells were ringing in the depths of his soul.
"Yes, Sam," Rosie said at last, removing her gentle lips from his, "Yes, yes, yes. Nothin' would make me happier in all the world." She brought her right hand up to Sam's cheek, and kissed him again. "And let's not wait long, Sam," she said earnestly, "We've lost a year already, and I don't want to wait much longer."
"Aye," Sam agreed, "The sooner, the better – as soon as the arranging can be made." Rosie laid her head back onto his shoulder and snuggled against his strong chest, again taking both of his hands in hers. And Sam held Rosie against him, and kissed her hair, and learned suddenly that his heart could contain yet another level of joy.
~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 these
additional 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 are some slight departures from the timeline of The Lord of the Rings, for which I apologize; however, creative license is a part of fanfic, right? smile.
Rating: The first several chapters are rated G or PG; however, eventually I may include a sweet romantic chapter, or more than one, involving Sam and his Rose.
