Authors Note: This chapter gets a little more interesting. Thanks to all my
nice reviewers, your support is much appreciated. Same disclaimer as always
applies.
Chapter Three- Visiting Crickhollow
Sam was only kept waiting for a few seconds before the door was pulled open by a hobbit. Although this hobbit's hair was greyer and his face rather more lined, his twinkling eyes and mischievous smile were unmistakable.
"Sam! We were not expecting you. Please, come in. It's wonderful to see you!" the hobbit exclaimed, breaking into a grin when his eyes set upon Sam's face. He embraced Sam like a brother and held open the door for him to pass into the hallway.
"It is wonderful to see you, young Pippin." said Sam, for although Pippin was pushing ninety-two, the habit of many years ago had stuck. 'After all,' Sam had said many times, 'He is very much younger than I am.'
Sam stood in the hall and removed his weather worn cloak and hood. He hung them on a hook and then turned to face Pippin, who was observing him with a slightly worried air.
"Are you holding up all right Sam?" He asked in a softer and more serious tone of voice, "How has it been since Rosie..."
Sam bowed his head. The mention of Rosie's name still hurt. He did not want to say anything, but then he made himself speak. Pippin was one of his oldest friends, and he should not keep anything from him. It was he and Merry who had ridden from Buckland as soon as they heard the news, and they had consoled Sam and helped him through his sadness, and made sure that he ate properly and kept himself well. He didn't know how he would have managed without them, for even though his children and relatives had been eager to help, none of them understood him like Merry and Pippin did.
"It's been hard," he ventured finally, pulling himself with some effort from his thoughts.
Pippin seemed to sense he did not want to say anymore, so instead clapped his hand onto Sam's shoulder and said, "You have arrived just in time for luncheon. There's somebody else here whom I daresay will be very pleased to see you."
Pippin shepherded Sam into the kitchen, and sitting at the scrubbed wooden table was Merry Brandybuck, smoking a pipe with his feet on the table. When he saw Sam he got up as quickly as it is possible for someone of his age, and embraced him as Pippin had done.
"Come and sit down," he said after he had greeted Sam. "We are just about to have something to eat." He then surveyed Sam with a critical eye. "You need to put on a bit of weight, old Sam. You're looking a bit pale too. Come and get some of this stew inside you."
Merry poured some of the meaty stew from a large pot above the fire into bowls, and accompanied it with slabs of bread. Sam tried to join in the conversation as they ate, but his thoughts strayed to how hard it would be to say goodbye to these hobbits that he had known and loved as friends for such a long time.
Merry and Pippin seemed to sense that Sam had something on his mind, so after they had finished eating they pushed back their chairs as if prompting Sam to begin.
"There's no use hiding anything from us Sam, we've known you for too long. I can tell from your face that this is not just a casual social call," Merry said.
"I am sorry," Sam said, sighing not in weariness but in sadness.
"Come on Sam. You know you can tell us," Pippin encouraged.
Sam took a breath. "I have decided to sail over the Sea. I'm going to visit Mister Frodo, and I do not mean to return."
Merry and Pippin were silent for a time. They both nodded their heads slowly, letting the news sink in.
"Well, I had guessed that you would go sooner or later," Pippin said finally, taking a draught from his pipe. "You miss Frodo so much; I can see that from your far away expression whenever his name is spoken."
"You certainly do know me well, my good hobbits!" Sam said, laughing despite his sadness. "After Rosie died I think I knew that I was going to leave soon. I think I knew that I was going to go all along, if you get my meaning."
"We understand," Merry said. "And I shall miss you an awful lot, but I think it is the best thing for you to do."
"I too shall miss you, dear Samwise," Pippin said, smiling at Sam. "But I do hope that you will give Frodo all of our best wishes, and tell him that Merry and I think of him often."
"I shall make sure of it." Sam answered.
"What of Bag End?" Merry asked. "And your family?"
"Don't worry, I have signed Bag End over to Frodo. It seems right that a Frodo will still own it, even if it's not the right one. It will help them all to remember him, I thought."
"That's wonderful, Sam." Pippin said. "Even though he's not a Baggins I'm sure he'll keep it well and help everyone remember old Bilbo and Frodo."
"That's just what I thought," Sam said, smiling as he remembered Frodo and all the other little Gamgees growing up in Bag End.
There was a companionable silence as the three hobbits sat in the cosy kitchen, smoking pipes and drinking tea. Merry's words broke the silence as he looked up from his pipe.
"When do you mean to leave for the Havens?"
"Tomorrow, as soon as it is light," Sam answered.
Merry thought for a moment, and then spoke again. "I speak for Pippin as well as myself when I say that we would very much like to accompany you."
"That's right," Pippin agreed. "We mean to see you off."
Sam considered their offer for a little while. He had wanted to slip off without any disturbance and to say goodbye to the two hobbits here, but the road to the Grey Havens looked very long and lonely without them.
"Thank you kindly for your offer. I would be grateful for the company," Sam admitted at last.
"Well that's settled," Pippin said, pushing his chair back and getting to his feet.
"It looks like the Travellers are going on one last journey."
*-*
Chapter Three- Visiting Crickhollow
Sam was only kept waiting for a few seconds before the door was pulled open by a hobbit. Although this hobbit's hair was greyer and his face rather more lined, his twinkling eyes and mischievous smile were unmistakable.
"Sam! We were not expecting you. Please, come in. It's wonderful to see you!" the hobbit exclaimed, breaking into a grin when his eyes set upon Sam's face. He embraced Sam like a brother and held open the door for him to pass into the hallway.
"It is wonderful to see you, young Pippin." said Sam, for although Pippin was pushing ninety-two, the habit of many years ago had stuck. 'After all,' Sam had said many times, 'He is very much younger than I am.'
Sam stood in the hall and removed his weather worn cloak and hood. He hung them on a hook and then turned to face Pippin, who was observing him with a slightly worried air.
"Are you holding up all right Sam?" He asked in a softer and more serious tone of voice, "How has it been since Rosie..."
Sam bowed his head. The mention of Rosie's name still hurt. He did not want to say anything, but then he made himself speak. Pippin was one of his oldest friends, and he should not keep anything from him. It was he and Merry who had ridden from Buckland as soon as they heard the news, and they had consoled Sam and helped him through his sadness, and made sure that he ate properly and kept himself well. He didn't know how he would have managed without them, for even though his children and relatives had been eager to help, none of them understood him like Merry and Pippin did.
"It's been hard," he ventured finally, pulling himself with some effort from his thoughts.
Pippin seemed to sense he did not want to say anymore, so instead clapped his hand onto Sam's shoulder and said, "You have arrived just in time for luncheon. There's somebody else here whom I daresay will be very pleased to see you."
Pippin shepherded Sam into the kitchen, and sitting at the scrubbed wooden table was Merry Brandybuck, smoking a pipe with his feet on the table. When he saw Sam he got up as quickly as it is possible for someone of his age, and embraced him as Pippin had done.
"Come and sit down," he said after he had greeted Sam. "We are just about to have something to eat." He then surveyed Sam with a critical eye. "You need to put on a bit of weight, old Sam. You're looking a bit pale too. Come and get some of this stew inside you."
Merry poured some of the meaty stew from a large pot above the fire into bowls, and accompanied it with slabs of bread. Sam tried to join in the conversation as they ate, but his thoughts strayed to how hard it would be to say goodbye to these hobbits that he had known and loved as friends for such a long time.
Merry and Pippin seemed to sense that Sam had something on his mind, so after they had finished eating they pushed back their chairs as if prompting Sam to begin.
"There's no use hiding anything from us Sam, we've known you for too long. I can tell from your face that this is not just a casual social call," Merry said.
"I am sorry," Sam said, sighing not in weariness but in sadness.
"Come on Sam. You know you can tell us," Pippin encouraged.
Sam took a breath. "I have decided to sail over the Sea. I'm going to visit Mister Frodo, and I do not mean to return."
Merry and Pippin were silent for a time. They both nodded their heads slowly, letting the news sink in.
"Well, I had guessed that you would go sooner or later," Pippin said finally, taking a draught from his pipe. "You miss Frodo so much; I can see that from your far away expression whenever his name is spoken."
"You certainly do know me well, my good hobbits!" Sam said, laughing despite his sadness. "After Rosie died I think I knew that I was going to leave soon. I think I knew that I was going to go all along, if you get my meaning."
"We understand," Merry said. "And I shall miss you an awful lot, but I think it is the best thing for you to do."
"I too shall miss you, dear Samwise," Pippin said, smiling at Sam. "But I do hope that you will give Frodo all of our best wishes, and tell him that Merry and I think of him often."
"I shall make sure of it." Sam answered.
"What of Bag End?" Merry asked. "And your family?"
"Don't worry, I have signed Bag End over to Frodo. It seems right that a Frodo will still own it, even if it's not the right one. It will help them all to remember him, I thought."
"That's wonderful, Sam." Pippin said. "Even though he's not a Baggins I'm sure he'll keep it well and help everyone remember old Bilbo and Frodo."
"That's just what I thought," Sam said, smiling as he remembered Frodo and all the other little Gamgees growing up in Bag End.
There was a companionable silence as the three hobbits sat in the cosy kitchen, smoking pipes and drinking tea. Merry's words broke the silence as he looked up from his pipe.
"When do you mean to leave for the Havens?"
"Tomorrow, as soon as it is light," Sam answered.
Merry thought for a moment, and then spoke again. "I speak for Pippin as well as myself when I say that we would very much like to accompany you."
"That's right," Pippin agreed. "We mean to see you off."
Sam considered their offer for a little while. He had wanted to slip off without any disturbance and to say goodbye to the two hobbits here, but the road to the Grey Havens looked very long and lonely without them.
"Thank you kindly for your offer. I would be grateful for the company," Sam admitted at last.
"Well that's settled," Pippin said, pushing his chair back and getting to his feet.
"It looks like the Travellers are going on one last journey."
*-*