Part 13, "Chance Encounter"
Feb. 6th, 2005 10:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamflowerIn which we find out why the hobbits are making plans for Sam...
The door to the chamber shared by the hobbits flung open, and Frodo knew without turning around that his cousins had returned and Pippin was first in the door.
Frodo put the quill carefully into the holder. His calligraphy was improving, but it had a long way to go before it was once more as good as it had been before he lost his finger.
“Pippin,” he said in a tone of fond exasperation, “can you never simply *open* a door?” He turned to see his two cousins standing in the doorway with broad grins. Obviously, they had what they thought of as good news, and he gave a small smile of anticipation.
Pippin’s grin threatened to split his face. “You’ll never guess who we found in the City!” He reached to the side and gave a tug. A Man came into view, also grinning.
Frodo’s jaw dropped. Then he leaped from his chair, scattering the cushions on which he sat, and dashed to the door where Menelcar knelt down.
“Menelcar!” he cried joyfully, “it’s so good to see you!”
Remembering how Pippin had reacted to a show of formality, the minstrel contented himself with returning the hobbit’s embrace, and saying simply “Frodo Baggins! I am glad to see you again!”
“Well, do come in, Menelcar. Pippin, wherever did you find him?” Frodo went back over to the chair he had abandoned, and offered it to the minstrel; Merry and Pippin had flung themselves onto one of the beds, and Frodo, a bit more decorously did the same.
“He was singing on the street corner on the third level.” Pippin shook his head, still a bit amazed himself at the coincidence.
Merry spoke up. “He’d not tried to come see us. Apparently they’ve been turning away charlatans who claim to know us, and he feared they’d do the same to him.”
Frodo looked at Merry sharply. “How do you know this?”
“Faramir told us.”
This news disturbed Frodo, but he put it out of his mind, and asked the minstrel to recount how he had come to return to Minas Tirith, and Menelcar asked after the Shire. They were having a quite pleasant visit.
“And how is Master Samwise? I know that he came with you.”
“Sam is doing just fine. And that reminds me of something. We don’t have a lot of time--” he looked at his cousins. “--I told Gandalf to take him down to look at the guesthouse, but we won’t have much time for planning. They’ve been gone a while already.”
Menelcar looked puzzled. “Is there something you do not wish to tell Master Samwise?”
The three hobbits laughed. “It’s going to be his birthday in a week,” said Merry. “We missed my birthday altogether, being in Lothlorien, and well--Pippin was not in any condition to celebrate his birthday, after the Last Battle--”
Pippin looked distressed. “I wish I could have given you all something--”
Frodo put an arm around his shoulders. “You did, Pip, you stayed alive, and that was gift enough for all of us.”
The serious moment passed, and Merry said “At any rate we are in the mood for a Shire birthday. And it just so happens that Sam is going to have one.”
Pippin grinned. “Do say you’ll help us, Menelcar!”
The door to the chamber shared by the hobbits flung open, and Frodo knew without turning around that his cousins had returned and Pippin was first in the door.
Frodo put the quill carefully into the holder. His calligraphy was improving, but it had a long way to go before it was once more as good as it had been before he lost his finger.
“Pippin,” he said in a tone of fond exasperation, “can you never simply *open* a door?” He turned to see his two cousins standing in the doorway with broad grins. Obviously, they had what they thought of as good news, and he gave a small smile of anticipation.
Pippin’s grin threatened to split his face. “You’ll never guess who we found in the City!” He reached to the side and gave a tug. A Man came into view, also grinning.
Frodo’s jaw dropped. Then he leaped from his chair, scattering the cushions on which he sat, and dashed to the door where Menelcar knelt down.
“Menelcar!” he cried joyfully, “it’s so good to see you!”
Remembering how Pippin had reacted to a show of formality, the minstrel contented himself with returning the hobbit’s embrace, and saying simply “Frodo Baggins! I am glad to see you again!”
“Well, do come in, Menelcar. Pippin, wherever did you find him?” Frodo went back over to the chair he had abandoned, and offered it to the minstrel; Merry and Pippin had flung themselves onto one of the beds, and Frodo, a bit more decorously did the same.
“He was singing on the street corner on the third level.” Pippin shook his head, still a bit amazed himself at the coincidence.
Merry spoke up. “He’d not tried to come see us. Apparently they’ve been turning away charlatans who claim to know us, and he feared they’d do the same to him.”
Frodo looked at Merry sharply. “How do you know this?”
“Faramir told us.”
This news disturbed Frodo, but he put it out of his mind, and asked the minstrel to recount how he had come to return to Minas Tirith, and Menelcar asked after the Shire. They were having a quite pleasant visit.
“And how is Master Samwise? I know that he came with you.”
“Sam is doing just fine. And that reminds me of something. We don’t have a lot of time--” he looked at his cousins. “--I told Gandalf to take him down to look at the guesthouse, but we won’t have much time for planning. They’ve been gone a while already.”
Menelcar looked puzzled. “Is there something you do not wish to tell Master Samwise?”
The three hobbits laughed. “It’s going to be his birthday in a week,” said Merry. “We missed my birthday altogether, being in Lothlorien, and well--Pippin was not in any condition to celebrate his birthday, after the Last Battle--”
Pippin looked distressed. “I wish I could have given you all something--”
Frodo put an arm around his shoulders. “You did, Pip, you stayed alive, and that was gift enough for all of us.”
The serious moment passed, and Merry said “At any rate we are in the mood for a Shire birthday. And it just so happens that Sam is going to have one.”
Pippin grinned. “Do say you’ll help us, Menelcar!”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-02-07 05:58 am (UTC)how's E & E doing? ;-)
no subject
Date: 2005-02-07 08:58 am (UTC)Brilliant! I can picture them standing there like: we have some good news for you!
no subject
Date: 2005-02-07 11:50 am (UTC)Awwww! And oooh! A Sam party!
:D
no subject
Date: 2005-02-07 02:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-07 02:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-07 02:48 pm (UTC)Since the only actual birthdate JRRT gives us is Frodo's and Bilbo's, I felt free to decide for myself when the others had theirs. I decided Merry's was in February (Solmath) while they were in Lothlorien, and since they had no notion of how the time was passing--they were there a month, and thought it only a few days--then he forgot all about his birthday. And for obvious reasons, I thought it appropriate that Pip's birthday was the first of April (Astron). I dithered a bit on Sam, but thought it would be nice if his birthday was in May (Thrimidge)--it would give them a bit of a reason to celebrate something hobbity.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-07 07:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-08 01:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-08 02:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-08 05:57 am (UTC)and Frodo know without turning (thought this might be supposed to say knew.)
I hope there is more of this soon. You have me wondering about what Eowyn will remember and how Sam will react to his party. More soon, please?
no subject
Date: 2005-02-08 09:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-08 09:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-08 09:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-08 09:53 am (UTC)We will soon be getting back to Eowyn, and to Faramir and the King as well. But my bunnies are leading me back to the Elf and Dwarf first, I think...