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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1.1 Chapter 14: Bloom

Rating: G

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Two days before his wedding, Sam was rudely awoken by loud banging and even louder shouting on the door of his bedroom in New Row #3.

"Sam, Sam! Wake up, you ninnyhammer!"

Sam groaned. He could tell by the light pressing against his eyelids that it was well past sunup, but he was exhausted. He had been up very late the night before, and although his stomach was ready for morning, his legs and back and head were not.

"Sam Gamgee! If you don't open this door, I shall hop in through the window!"

"Mr. Pippin?" Sam's eyes flew open, "Pip, is that you? By the Valar, where do you get your energy?" Pippin, Sam knew, had been up as late as he, for they were both at Bag End until well after midnight the evening before.

"Yes, yes, Sam – get up. You must see this!"

Pippin sounded excited. Of course, Pippin usually sounded excited, but he obviously had something up his short sleeves, so Sam hopped up and unlocked the door.

"Sam, get dressed, come quick! Why do you have this door locked anyways? You have to see this – you won't believe it! It's amazing!" Pippin was practically jumping up and down.

"You have to ask why I lock my bedroom door?" Sam asked grumpily, pulling on his trousers, "Isn't it perfectly obvious? I had me Gaffer put the lock on this door before you were walking on your own furry feet! How did you get in the smial anyways?"

"Aw, the front door's never locked, Sam. Here, I brought you some breakfast from the kitchen." Pippin laid a plate of sausages, only slightly cold, and biscuits on a small table, then straightaway picked up one of each and set to himself.

Sam gratefully fell to as well, and between the two of them, the plate was cleared in a minute's time. Within 10 minutes of Pippin's first knock, he and Sam were out of the round door and trotting towards the party field. Pippin refused to say another word about what was exciting him, but Sam didn't have long to wait.

Before they were within a stone's throw of the mallorn tree, Sam stopped dead in his tracks. Pippin went several more strides before stopping and turning towards him, a huge grin plastered across his impish face. He watched amused, as Sam first brought both hands to his chest, then sank suddenly upon his knees. Pippin ran back to Sam.

"Get up Sam, and come see it," He urged, "I know how you feel, but come close!" He tugged Sam back up and pulled him towards the mallorn. Sam followed like a hobbit in a dream, not even noticing that Frodo and Merry also stood near the silver beauty.

When they were within a few feet, Sam finally found his voice. "Now that's an eye-opener, and no mistake." He said with wonder.

The Lady's mallorn tree, which now towered to almost the height of the mill, stood tall and strong in the middle of the party field. The trunk was smooth silver, soft as elven rope, and the branches were full of long green leaves. The branches were also full of golden flowers, bright as the morning, covering every bough as if the entire tree had burst into bloom overnight (which in fact it had).

Sam stood still, looking up at the tree, and fat tears rolled unrestrained down his cheeks.

"It's a wedding gift. From the Lady Galadriel, Sam," said Frodo quietly, coming over and laying his hand on Sam's arm. "Merry saw it first thing this morning."

"Aye, ain't it lovely?" put in Merry, "Last night it was just buds, no flowers at all, but look at it now! I'm no gardener, but I never saw a tree burst into bloom like that all in one night. Have you Sam?"

Sam shook his head slowly, "Nay. Not all in one night. It's the most beautiful sight!" He stood dumb for several moments, then suddenly he shook himself. "I have to tell Rose!" he exclaimed, and without another word turned and pelted back up the path.

The other three hobbits laughed, watching him go, then turned back to the tree and laughed some more, for pure joy. They lay down on their backs in the green grass, looking up at the golden blooms and talking of the Lady and of Lothlorien until Sam returned with Rosie in tow. He had done to her what Pippin had done to him, telling her simply to come and see. And she reacted much the same way that Sam had, with both awe and tears. Eventually Frodo, Merry and Pippin left them standing beneath the tree in one another's arms and went back up to Bag End, bringing with them a handful of blossoms to sweeten the air of the smail.

~TBC~

CHAPTER NOTE: I realize that according to Tolkien's timeline, the mallorn tree bloomed on April the 6th, over three weeks before Sam & Rosie's wedding. I changed it for Sam's Tale, purely for dramatic effect, and with a deep bow od apology to Mr. Tolkien.

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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 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.