Disclaimer: AU Story. Based on Shirebound's wonderful drabble, "Grace";
much thanks for her permission. The characters and settings continue to
belong to Tolkien. But the plot is mine and I very much hope that you enjoy
it. ^^
Aemilia Rose: Aw, I'm delighted you liked Sam. He's so much fun to write about. Hehe, *hands you more pics of Sam to hug*
Shirebound: Ta for the correction- my mistakes could add a number of twists to the story! So pleased you enjoyed Sam's awakening. It was tricky- how would you come to terms with such contrasting surroundings- but well worth it.
Bookworm2000: Yep! That's why Sam and Frodo are so close. It all makes sense now: they're telepathic. Heh, you can put that on your CV "...often inspires hobbit angst in reviews..."
Monica: Thank you so much for your lovely comments. Yes, there is plenty more to come, I'm afraid I'm a sucker for cliffhangers :-P You made my day and I very much hope you enjoy these ensuing chapters!
~ Chapter Six ~
Although Sam had not expected such, he was still very sleepy. Soon after his reunion with Gandalf, he drifted back in slumber, being careful to keep his face turned to Frodo. The wizard then quietly left to inform the others of his brief awakening.
The pavilion was quiet and still, with only murmur of deep breathing that the breeze had not heard for many long days. It swept in and picked up the sound, spiriting it away, spreading it to the waving green world beyond. And the tree branches swayed and the flowers strained at their roots. The leaves were whisked from their places and twirled about to the very entrance of the tent to hear it for themselves. The Ringbearer had awoken! The Gardener had awoken! Ones they had seen pass this way long times before. The leaves fluttered inside, along with two pairs of furry feet that came hurrying in.
"Sam!" their owners cried, "Sam!"
"Be quiet, you two," Gimli growled behind them, "Gandalf said he was sleeping."
"Oh, he's slept forever," Pippin complained. He was most irritated to have missed his friend's rising. All he wanted to do was throw his arms round Sam and thank him a hundred times over for saving his cousin.
"He's hardly going to mind if it's _us_, after all," Merry agreed tersely. But Gimli was adamant.
"You heard Gandalf well enough. Let Samwise be. He will not disappear."
"He can sleep any time he likes!"
"Not with you around, Meriadoc. Now stop this and come with me. Surely you can wait a few hours before disturbing him. Come along."
"I refuse to come along."
"Please let us wake him!" cried Pippin, "He won't mind!"
"No! I will not have this hobbit woken!"
"Sam won't mind!" both friends protested.
"You will not wake him!"
"Why not?"
"Because I said so!"
"We're going to wake him!"
"Bless me, can't you make up your minds whether you're going to wake him or not without bringing down the whole tent?" came a small voice from Sam's bed.
"Sam!" Pippin exclaimed delightedly. He turned and leapt up onto the end of the bed and crawled up to give the weary looking gardener a hug, Merry soon running round to join him and creating a veritable hobbitpile on the blankets. The dwarf shook his head and came lumbering round to prise Pippin away and get a good look at his companion.
"I can't apologise enough for letting these clowns wake you, my friend, but I must admit that I myself have been quite eager to see your eyes open again," he said with a smile.
Sam nodded appreciatively, "Well, thank you for trying, Master Gimli."
He was blinking severally and staring round at the tent.
"Are you alright?" Pippin asked tentatively, worried that his friend would have the same reaction as Frodo.
"Oh, yes," Sam cried at once, "I've never been happier. But I'm still getting used to it. Feels like forever that I've been waking up with a black sky above me, rocks underneath me and that mountain looming up. Don't you worry about me, Mr. Pippin, I'm quite alright where I am."
He suddenly released the hobbit and looked at him carefully.
"That's odd. Somehow...somehow you don't look like a Mr. Pippin anymore. No offence meant," he added hurriedly. But there were only more smiles on his companions' faces, brighter and more alive than anyone remembered them.
"Well, then," Merry said elatedly, "I think you deserve to hear about that. And, of course, you haven't asked why we're so tall!"
"And so roguishly handsome," added Pippin.
"I had noticed your height," Sam laughed, "But I can't say that you've changed much in way of looks."
"In my opinion, the story of how they got so horribly tall is a lot better too," Gimli said with a raise of his eyebrows.
Merry and Pippin jumped up onto the bed and were just about to launch into their daring escape into Fangorn when something visibly dawned on Sam. He swung his legs round and stood shakily up. Gimli quickly caught him by the arm and steadied him. The friends exchanged confused glances that quickly turned into understanding as Sam stumbled across to where Frodo slept.
--
"Mister Frodo..."
Frodo stirred from his warm haze of sleep. The things around him took on distinct shapes and dimensions. A familiar hand was at his brow and he reached up to touch it. Fingers curled round his, the touch so gentle that he felt as if he could sleep forever in the hollow of the hand. But instead, he let the radiance of existence claim him and he opened his eyes. Above him stood Sam. Sam, who had woken him every black morning, and pillowed his head every cold night. The only person he knew who had carried him on his own broken back.
Without meaning to, Frodo burst into tears. He lunged forward and threw his arms round Sam's waist, clinging to him desperately.
"You're alright! You're alright!"
Sam sat down beside him, bringing him up to his shoulder and smiling at him.
"'Course I am," he said quietly, "So are you, me dear! Didn't I say we would be? Look, Merry and Pippin have come to wake us up. Master Gimli says he tried to stop them but you know those two are unstoppable once they get going."
Frodo quickly staved off any more tears. He noticed the gathering on the other bed and grinned widely at them.
"Yes! The rest of the story. Yes, you must finish that."
On cue, the hobbits on the opposite bed launched into the tale with renewed vigour. Gimli watched in contentment as they talked and shared their experiences with one another.
"...A giant spider?"
"A giant spider."
"And you mean it just leapt out on you?"
"The most horrible thing that ever happened to me. I don't think I've ever been more terrified. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground with Shelob bending over me. She started winding..."
"No, no, no, wait a minute...a giant spider...?"
He shook his head and smiled. There was much to be explained and more to be told than the imagination could tell. There were more scenes of terror that the mind dared to paint and more tales of hope than all the rays of light could display. It would all be said, eventually. But for now, they were together, which was something they had yearned for an eternity. And for the meantime, swept away on tides of laughter, they wished for nothing more.
Aemilia Rose: Aw, I'm delighted you liked Sam. He's so much fun to write about. Hehe, *hands you more pics of Sam to hug*
Shirebound: Ta for the correction- my mistakes could add a number of twists to the story! So pleased you enjoyed Sam's awakening. It was tricky- how would you come to terms with such contrasting surroundings- but well worth it.
Bookworm2000: Yep! That's why Sam and Frodo are so close. It all makes sense now: they're telepathic. Heh, you can put that on your CV "...often inspires hobbit angst in reviews..."
Monica: Thank you so much for your lovely comments. Yes, there is plenty more to come, I'm afraid I'm a sucker for cliffhangers :-P You made my day and I very much hope you enjoy these ensuing chapters!
~ Chapter Six ~
Although Sam had not expected such, he was still very sleepy. Soon after his reunion with Gandalf, he drifted back in slumber, being careful to keep his face turned to Frodo. The wizard then quietly left to inform the others of his brief awakening.
The pavilion was quiet and still, with only murmur of deep breathing that the breeze had not heard for many long days. It swept in and picked up the sound, spiriting it away, spreading it to the waving green world beyond. And the tree branches swayed and the flowers strained at their roots. The leaves were whisked from their places and twirled about to the very entrance of the tent to hear it for themselves. The Ringbearer had awoken! The Gardener had awoken! Ones they had seen pass this way long times before. The leaves fluttered inside, along with two pairs of furry feet that came hurrying in.
"Sam!" their owners cried, "Sam!"
"Be quiet, you two," Gimli growled behind them, "Gandalf said he was sleeping."
"Oh, he's slept forever," Pippin complained. He was most irritated to have missed his friend's rising. All he wanted to do was throw his arms round Sam and thank him a hundred times over for saving his cousin.
"He's hardly going to mind if it's _us_, after all," Merry agreed tersely. But Gimli was adamant.
"You heard Gandalf well enough. Let Samwise be. He will not disappear."
"He can sleep any time he likes!"
"Not with you around, Meriadoc. Now stop this and come with me. Surely you can wait a few hours before disturbing him. Come along."
"I refuse to come along."
"Please let us wake him!" cried Pippin, "He won't mind!"
"No! I will not have this hobbit woken!"
"Sam won't mind!" both friends protested.
"You will not wake him!"
"Why not?"
"Because I said so!"
"We're going to wake him!"
"Bless me, can't you make up your minds whether you're going to wake him or not without bringing down the whole tent?" came a small voice from Sam's bed.
"Sam!" Pippin exclaimed delightedly. He turned and leapt up onto the end of the bed and crawled up to give the weary looking gardener a hug, Merry soon running round to join him and creating a veritable hobbitpile on the blankets. The dwarf shook his head and came lumbering round to prise Pippin away and get a good look at his companion.
"I can't apologise enough for letting these clowns wake you, my friend, but I must admit that I myself have been quite eager to see your eyes open again," he said with a smile.
Sam nodded appreciatively, "Well, thank you for trying, Master Gimli."
He was blinking severally and staring round at the tent.
"Are you alright?" Pippin asked tentatively, worried that his friend would have the same reaction as Frodo.
"Oh, yes," Sam cried at once, "I've never been happier. But I'm still getting used to it. Feels like forever that I've been waking up with a black sky above me, rocks underneath me and that mountain looming up. Don't you worry about me, Mr. Pippin, I'm quite alright where I am."
He suddenly released the hobbit and looked at him carefully.
"That's odd. Somehow...somehow you don't look like a Mr. Pippin anymore. No offence meant," he added hurriedly. But there were only more smiles on his companions' faces, brighter and more alive than anyone remembered them.
"Well, then," Merry said elatedly, "I think you deserve to hear about that. And, of course, you haven't asked why we're so tall!"
"And so roguishly handsome," added Pippin.
"I had noticed your height," Sam laughed, "But I can't say that you've changed much in way of looks."
"In my opinion, the story of how they got so horribly tall is a lot better too," Gimli said with a raise of his eyebrows.
Merry and Pippin jumped up onto the bed and were just about to launch into their daring escape into Fangorn when something visibly dawned on Sam. He swung his legs round and stood shakily up. Gimli quickly caught him by the arm and steadied him. The friends exchanged confused glances that quickly turned into understanding as Sam stumbled across to where Frodo slept.
--
"Mister Frodo..."
Frodo stirred from his warm haze of sleep. The things around him took on distinct shapes and dimensions. A familiar hand was at his brow and he reached up to touch it. Fingers curled round his, the touch so gentle that he felt as if he could sleep forever in the hollow of the hand. But instead, he let the radiance of existence claim him and he opened his eyes. Above him stood Sam. Sam, who had woken him every black morning, and pillowed his head every cold night. The only person he knew who had carried him on his own broken back.
Without meaning to, Frodo burst into tears. He lunged forward and threw his arms round Sam's waist, clinging to him desperately.
"You're alright! You're alright!"
Sam sat down beside him, bringing him up to his shoulder and smiling at him.
"'Course I am," he said quietly, "So are you, me dear! Didn't I say we would be? Look, Merry and Pippin have come to wake us up. Master Gimli says he tried to stop them but you know those two are unstoppable once they get going."
Frodo quickly staved off any more tears. He noticed the gathering on the other bed and grinned widely at them.
"Yes! The rest of the story. Yes, you must finish that."
On cue, the hobbits on the opposite bed launched into the tale with renewed vigour. Gimli watched in contentment as they talked and shared their experiences with one another.
"...A giant spider?"
"A giant spider."
"And you mean it just leapt out on you?"
"The most horrible thing that ever happened to me. I don't think I've ever been more terrified. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground with Shelob bending over me. She started winding..."
"No, no, no, wait a minute...a giant spider...?"
He shook his head and smiled. There was much to be explained and more to be told than the imagination could tell. There were more scenes of terror that the mind dared to paint and more tales of hope than all the rays of light could display. It would all be said, eventually. But for now, they were together, which was something they had yearned for an eternity. And for the meantime, swept away on tides of laughter, they wished for nothing more.