Author's Note: The story of Lord of the Rings and its characters are still
the property and creation of J.R.R. Tolkien.
This is just a short chapter. I thought we should check in on poor Frodo again and see how he's doing.
I want to thank again, all the kind people who have taken the time to write reviews. I would keep posting this story without them, but it is encouraging to know that people are enjoying the story!
Aly, Amrun and Kay: Thanks for all the great support! Yeah, poor Sam does suffer, but I personally never felt like he got enough suffering-time compared to say, Frodo! He deserves his own litany of misery and woe! I've never written a story like this, but it's been a lot of fun although, maybe next time (assuming there is a next time), I'll let Sam have more company.
Merimas Gamgee: Hmmm. Blue istari. I really don't know anything about them and so I will say, unfortunately they don't factor into this story. But maybe something in the future? Something I should look into. Thanks!
Senni , Actia, TTurtle and Bronwyn: Thanks for your wonderful support (I hope you're still reading!). Don't worry, Sam won't permanently lose Lady Galdriel's gifts (although he currently doesn't have them).
Chapter 10 Frodo
In the fair city of Minas Tirith, great celebrations had begun. Elessar had just been crowned the new kind of Gondor and all the city was rejoicing. Many long years of war had been a difficult burden for the people of Gondor to bear and now, for the first time in recent memory, there was a true cause for celebration. That night, a great feast was held in the King's honor and all the surviving members of the Fellowship had places of honor at the king's table. Frodo sat at the king's right. Merry and Pippin were rapturously discussing the amazing amounts of food being piled high in front of them and Legolas and Gimli were discussing the future of Gondor. Frodo looked at his dearest friends and smiled. Merry and Pippin could never be unhappy when vast quantities of food were to be had! Frodo gazed around the hall. Legolas was resplendent in rich fabrics of deepest forest green. Many of the maidens in the room were eyeing him appreciatively. Next to him, sat Gimli the dwarf, also dressed in his finest. Frodo looked at his own and his cousins' clothing and shook his head in amusement. Such expensive clothes were hardly in his taste. He preferred the simple, more comfortable attire common to the Shire. Wouldn't Sam laugh to see them all dressed up so magnificently! He wondered if they would have been able to convince the humble gardener to even don such an extravagant outfit.
Frodo sighed sadly. He still deeply missed his friend. This had been a day he would never forget and knew Sam would have been amazed to find that Strider, that suspicious looking fellow they had met up with in Bree, had just been crowned the new king of Gondor! Frodo smiled remembering how Sam had come to his defense when he thought Stider meant him harm. Sam would have died trying to defend his friend and master, Frodo Baggins. Frodo felt tears start in his eyes. Sam had died for him. "This will never do!" he scolded himself as we wiped the moisture from his eyes. "I promised myself I would try and have a good time this evening and I mustn't start getting depressed thinking about Sam!"
Merry looked over and saw the sadness on Frodo's face and nudged his cousin. "He's thinkin' about Sam again!" he whispered to Pippin.
Pippin looked up from the joint of lamb he had been working on and glanced down the table at Frodo, then back to Merry. "Well, do something!" he hissed. "Distract him! Make him talk about something else!"
Merry nodded and was just about to say something to Frodo when the music started. "Look Frodo!" he said in relief, "The entertainment is about to start!" Frodo looked up with some interest as the minstrel and several musicians came to the front and began to perform. They told of a story of a beautiful Elf maiden that had been captured by a great dragon and of a brave knight who rescued her. It was a well-known story, to be sure, but the minstrel had added many songs and music and it provided excellent entertainment. Frodo remembered Bilbo telling him a version of this tale when he was a small hobbit. Later, he could recall telling the same story to Sam who had been entranced. Sam did love a good story and the more elves in it the better!
Soon after that tale, the minstrel began to tell the story of Frodo of the Nine Fingers and the Ring of Doom. The audience cheered enthusiastically, but Frodo felt numb. His memory's eye went back to those dark days in Mordor; the horror in the Crack of Doom, Gollum, the Nazgul, the loss of Sam. He closed his eyes against the tears. He knew everyone was looking at him. He felt Aragorn lean close to him and whisper, "Do you want me to stop him?" Frodo shook his head and opened his eyes. He was wrong. Everyone was enraptured by the minstrel's performance. Most had forgotten Frodo was even in the room.
Frodo turned to the King. "I... I think I'll go out for some air," he stammered and without a backward look, he hurried from the room. His friends sadly watched him go. Frodo made his way out of the banquet hall into a smaller adjacent room. He spied a set of doors opening to the outside and he disconsolately wandered out onto the balcony.
He looked out over the beautiful White City. He could see many fires burning and music and voices raised in song. Everyone was rejoicing. Everyone but him. "No, that's not quite right", thought Frodo. "I am happy for Aragorn. He will be a marvelous king. I just miss Sam so much! I know I need to move on, but it's just so hard. No one here truly understands what I went through. Only Sam did. Only Sam." He sighed deeply. A part of him kept expecting to turn around and see Sam there, laughing or eating or simply smoking his pipeweed. Many a time, Frodo had looked up when a door opened knowing that he would see Sam walking through. One night, he had dreamt that he saw Sam riding a big black horse right to the gates of Minas Tirith and he, Frodo, had been there to greet him. When Frodo woke that morning, he stood for several hours on the wall overlooking the city gates, watching vainly for his friend. A part of him simply could not except Sam's death and was making it hard for him to move on.
Frodo leaned out on the balcony wall and looked at the glittering stars overhead. "Samwise Gamgee," he whispered, "I'm thinking about you, wherever you are! I'll never forget what you did for me. Never!" He wiped the tears from his face, straightened up, and with a last look upward, headed back to rejoin his friends.
This is just a short chapter. I thought we should check in on poor Frodo again and see how he's doing.
I want to thank again, all the kind people who have taken the time to write reviews. I would keep posting this story without them, but it is encouraging to know that people are enjoying the story!
Aly, Amrun and Kay: Thanks for all the great support! Yeah, poor Sam does suffer, but I personally never felt like he got enough suffering-time compared to say, Frodo! He deserves his own litany of misery and woe! I've never written a story like this, but it's been a lot of fun although, maybe next time (assuming there is a next time), I'll let Sam have more company.
Merimas Gamgee: Hmmm. Blue istari. I really don't know anything about them and so I will say, unfortunately they don't factor into this story. But maybe something in the future? Something I should look into. Thanks!
Senni , Actia, TTurtle and Bronwyn: Thanks for your wonderful support (I hope you're still reading!). Don't worry, Sam won't permanently lose Lady Galdriel's gifts (although he currently doesn't have them).
Chapter 10 Frodo
In the fair city of Minas Tirith, great celebrations had begun. Elessar had just been crowned the new kind of Gondor and all the city was rejoicing. Many long years of war had been a difficult burden for the people of Gondor to bear and now, for the first time in recent memory, there was a true cause for celebration. That night, a great feast was held in the King's honor and all the surviving members of the Fellowship had places of honor at the king's table. Frodo sat at the king's right. Merry and Pippin were rapturously discussing the amazing amounts of food being piled high in front of them and Legolas and Gimli were discussing the future of Gondor. Frodo looked at his dearest friends and smiled. Merry and Pippin could never be unhappy when vast quantities of food were to be had! Frodo gazed around the hall. Legolas was resplendent in rich fabrics of deepest forest green. Many of the maidens in the room were eyeing him appreciatively. Next to him, sat Gimli the dwarf, also dressed in his finest. Frodo looked at his own and his cousins' clothing and shook his head in amusement. Such expensive clothes were hardly in his taste. He preferred the simple, more comfortable attire common to the Shire. Wouldn't Sam laugh to see them all dressed up so magnificently! He wondered if they would have been able to convince the humble gardener to even don such an extravagant outfit.
Frodo sighed sadly. He still deeply missed his friend. This had been a day he would never forget and knew Sam would have been amazed to find that Strider, that suspicious looking fellow they had met up with in Bree, had just been crowned the new king of Gondor! Frodo smiled remembering how Sam had come to his defense when he thought Stider meant him harm. Sam would have died trying to defend his friend and master, Frodo Baggins. Frodo felt tears start in his eyes. Sam had died for him. "This will never do!" he scolded himself as we wiped the moisture from his eyes. "I promised myself I would try and have a good time this evening and I mustn't start getting depressed thinking about Sam!"
Merry looked over and saw the sadness on Frodo's face and nudged his cousin. "He's thinkin' about Sam again!" he whispered to Pippin.
Pippin looked up from the joint of lamb he had been working on and glanced down the table at Frodo, then back to Merry. "Well, do something!" he hissed. "Distract him! Make him talk about something else!"
Merry nodded and was just about to say something to Frodo when the music started. "Look Frodo!" he said in relief, "The entertainment is about to start!" Frodo looked up with some interest as the minstrel and several musicians came to the front and began to perform. They told of a story of a beautiful Elf maiden that had been captured by a great dragon and of a brave knight who rescued her. It was a well-known story, to be sure, but the minstrel had added many songs and music and it provided excellent entertainment. Frodo remembered Bilbo telling him a version of this tale when he was a small hobbit. Later, he could recall telling the same story to Sam who had been entranced. Sam did love a good story and the more elves in it the better!
Soon after that tale, the minstrel began to tell the story of Frodo of the Nine Fingers and the Ring of Doom. The audience cheered enthusiastically, but Frodo felt numb. His memory's eye went back to those dark days in Mordor; the horror in the Crack of Doom, Gollum, the Nazgul, the loss of Sam. He closed his eyes against the tears. He knew everyone was looking at him. He felt Aragorn lean close to him and whisper, "Do you want me to stop him?" Frodo shook his head and opened his eyes. He was wrong. Everyone was enraptured by the minstrel's performance. Most had forgotten Frodo was even in the room.
Frodo turned to the King. "I... I think I'll go out for some air," he stammered and without a backward look, he hurried from the room. His friends sadly watched him go. Frodo made his way out of the banquet hall into a smaller adjacent room. He spied a set of doors opening to the outside and he disconsolately wandered out onto the balcony.
He looked out over the beautiful White City. He could see many fires burning and music and voices raised in song. Everyone was rejoicing. Everyone but him. "No, that's not quite right", thought Frodo. "I am happy for Aragorn. He will be a marvelous king. I just miss Sam so much! I know I need to move on, but it's just so hard. No one here truly understands what I went through. Only Sam did. Only Sam." He sighed deeply. A part of him kept expecting to turn around and see Sam there, laughing or eating or simply smoking his pipeweed. Many a time, Frodo had looked up when a door opened knowing that he would see Sam walking through. One night, he had dreamt that he saw Sam riding a big black horse right to the gates of Minas Tirith and he, Frodo, had been there to greet him. When Frodo woke that morning, he stood for several hours on the wall overlooking the city gates, watching vainly for his friend. A part of him simply could not except Sam's death and was making it hard for him to move on.
Frodo leaned out on the balcony wall and looked at the glittering stars overhead. "Samwise Gamgee," he whispered, "I'm thinking about you, wherever you are! I'll never forget what you did for me. Never!" He wiped the tears from his face, straightened up, and with a last look upward, headed back to rejoin his friends.