A new story
Jan. 20th, 2005 05:40 pmSince this one is behaving in a rather unruly manner, I thought that I might give it the bits and pieces treatment that seems to be working so well for
rabidsamfan and
melilot_hill I have my start, and I know where I *want* it to go, but it has a lot of bunnies trying to sidetrack it...
It was only three days after the coronation, and the streets of Minas Tirith were still filled with the joyous sounds of celebration. On almost any corner could be found a small crowd, listening to minstrels, bards, troubadours and street buskers. This was not including the jugglers, dancers, sleight-of-hand artists, jesters and mimes. All those folk whose livelihood was in making people smile, and offering up a bit of joy, who had for many years been unwelcome as a distraction, were now pouring into the White City of the returned King.
This made taking a walk with Pippin frustrating, thought Merry, as his cousin constantly was lingering behind every time they passed a group of musicians.
“Pippin! Come on!” Merry tugged at his elbow. “We’re going to lose Faramir and Éowyn!”
Pippin came away reluctantly at first, head turned, ears straining to catch the sounds of the music, but then both hobbits had to trot to catch up to their friends.
Faramir and Éowyn had paused when they realized the hobbits were not at their heels. The Steward had an errand with some merchants on the third level. Rather than summon them up to him at the Citadel, he had used it as an excuse to go out into the lovely spring weather, and invite Éowyn to come with him. Since he had found Merry and Pippin in her company, it had seemed only polite to ask them to come along as well. It was a good thing the errand was not an urgent one, he thought with some amusement. The young Knight of Gondor could not be hurried whenever he heard music.
Pippin caught up to his big friend’s side, and immediately began to bombard him with questions. “Faramir, did you hear them? What was that instrument, do you know? Do you suppose it’s hard to play? It’s not at all like a fiddle, for all it’s played with a bow--”
“Peace, Pippin!” Faramir laughed. “One question at a time--” and he began to answer Pippin’s questions as best he could. He had a certain interest in music himself, but he was not nearly so knowledgeable as the hobbit would have liked.
Éowyn looked down at Merry. “Holdwine, is your cousin always so easily distracted?”
Merry rolled his eyes. “My lady, you’ve no idea!” He glanced at the street into which they had just turned, and breathed a sigh of relief. No musicians in sight. Maybe they could go more than twenty feet without stopping.
Now the four friends walked companionably enough, the larger couple strolling, the smaller ones walking briskly to keep up. Faramir and Éowyn mostly listened. They were amused to listen to Pippin’s chatter, punctuated by Merry’s wry asides. Suddenly Pippin fell silent, ears twitching. “Merry did you hear that?”
Merry’s hand shot out, as soon as Pippin had tensed, but he was foiled by the fact that Pippin was in livery, and had no convenient collar. His hand closed on empty air, as Pippin was off like one of Gandalf’s rockets down a side street.
With an apologetic glance at his two remaining companions, Merry darted after his cousin.
Faramir and Éowyn exchanged a wry look, and trotted off in the same direction.
It was only three days after the coronation, and the streets of Minas Tirith were still filled with the joyous sounds of celebration. On almost any corner could be found a small crowd, listening to minstrels, bards, troubadours and street buskers. This was not including the jugglers, dancers, sleight-of-hand artists, jesters and mimes. All those folk whose livelihood was in making people smile, and offering up a bit of joy, who had for many years been unwelcome as a distraction, were now pouring into the White City of the returned King.
This made taking a walk with Pippin frustrating, thought Merry, as his cousin constantly was lingering behind every time they passed a group of musicians.
“Pippin! Come on!” Merry tugged at his elbow. “We’re going to lose Faramir and Éowyn!”
Pippin came away reluctantly at first, head turned, ears straining to catch the sounds of the music, but then both hobbits had to trot to catch up to their friends.
Faramir and Éowyn had paused when they realized the hobbits were not at their heels. The Steward had an errand with some merchants on the third level. Rather than summon them up to him at the Citadel, he had used it as an excuse to go out into the lovely spring weather, and invite Éowyn to come with him. Since he had found Merry and Pippin in her company, it had seemed only polite to ask them to come along as well. It was a good thing the errand was not an urgent one, he thought with some amusement. The young Knight of Gondor could not be hurried whenever he heard music.
Pippin caught up to his big friend’s side, and immediately began to bombard him with questions. “Faramir, did you hear them? What was that instrument, do you know? Do you suppose it’s hard to play? It’s not at all like a fiddle, for all it’s played with a bow--”
“Peace, Pippin!” Faramir laughed. “One question at a time--” and he began to answer Pippin’s questions as best he could. He had a certain interest in music himself, but he was not nearly so knowledgeable as the hobbit would have liked.
Éowyn looked down at Merry. “Holdwine, is your cousin always so easily distracted?”
Merry rolled his eyes. “My lady, you’ve no idea!” He glanced at the street into which they had just turned, and breathed a sigh of relief. No musicians in sight. Maybe they could go more than twenty feet without stopping.
Now the four friends walked companionably enough, the larger couple strolling, the smaller ones walking briskly to keep up. Faramir and Éowyn mostly listened. They were amused to listen to Pippin’s chatter, punctuated by Merry’s wry asides. Suddenly Pippin fell silent, ears twitching. “Merry did you hear that?”
Merry’s hand shot out, as soon as Pippin had tensed, but he was foiled by the fact that Pippin was in livery, and had no convenient collar. His hand closed on empty air, as Pippin was off like one of Gandalf’s rockets down a side street.
With an apologetic glance at his two remaining companions, Merry darted after his cousin.
Faramir and Éowyn exchanged a wry look, and trotted off in the same direction.
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Date: 2005-01-21 01:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-21 10:22 am (UTC)