Fic: Reckoning of Years

[dreamflower]

I promised whoever made me this icon, I would make them a drabble. slender_sail stepped up to the mark. This is actually a tribble, not a drabble, but then, that's the way the bunny bounces.

I asked her what sort of thing she'd like, and this was her request:

"Hobbits will do. I'd like serious, but since they are hobbits, it will be light in the end. Something about both the future and the far past... ?"

“In Brandy Hall there were many works dealing with Eriador and the history of Rohan. Some of these were composed or begun by Meriadoc himself…” (FotR: Prologue: A Note on Shire Records)

Reckoning of Years


Merry put down his quill, removed his spectacles, and leaned back. He rolled his shoulders, remembering how Frodo used to do the same. Sighing, he stood and glanced out the window, wondering how often old Bilbo had done that when he occupied these very rooms. Even though Master Elrond had sailed years before, Rivendell was still the abode of Elves and the Valley of Imladris retained its beauty, if not its timelessness.

Merry had come in search of knowledge. So much of the history of the Shire was bound up with this place: Bilbo’s Adventure was tied up in it, and the heirs to the King had been sheltered here. The records of the Kings of Arnor were kept in this library: even the granting of the Shire to Marcho and Blanco by King Argeleb II was recorded in the leather-bound annals of Rivendell‘s library.

The Shire needed to know, to remember. It should not be forgotten there were important connections between the Shire and the Wide World. Merry worried; the hobbits of the Shire were only interested in their own back yards. They still called the places outside the borders the “Outlands”. What knowledge would be lost, when he and Pippin and Sam were gone? And if that knowledge was lost, what danger might follow? If the hobbits of the Shire should forget they had both enemies and allies beyond the Bounds, then King’s Edict or no, there could be peril.

But this gloomy trend of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Merry,” said Pippin, poking in his nose, “it’s time for elevenses! Lord Celeborn asked if we’d join him and Elladan and Elrohir in a picnic!”

Merry’s mood lightened instantly. He capped the ink, and said “I’m coming! I hope there are some strawberry tarts…”

Comments

[shirebound]

Lovely. This is such a plausible scenario.

[dreamflower]

Thank you! I could see Merry and Pippin making occasional visits to Rivendell, and I could see Merry doing research for his writing there.

[harrowcatliz.livejournal.com]

Strawberry tarts? *grabs coat and runs to join in the picnic!*

[dreamflower]

Sounded good to me, too! *grin*

[labourslamp.livejournal.com]

*grin* You know I liked this one... Merry is such a hobbit after my own heart!

[dreamflower]

You know, I had a hunch you might like this one. But really, given the request, this just seemed a natural.

[garnet-took.livejournal.com]

Yay! You wrote hobbit fic again!

This is a very nice little tale. Merry doing research in Rivendell makes a very pleasant picture in my mind. I also find it very inportant that Pippin was there, too. After all, Merry was a recorder of history and Pippin was preserver of it. Secretly, I've always believed that Pippin actually did some writing of his own.

The ending was just right and perfectly hobbit-y.:)

[garnet-took.livejournal.com]

D'oh! I'm such an idiot. I didn't look at the name on this post. I forgot it was you, Dreamflower, who had this lovely icon. I was thinking of someone on my flist who hasn't written hobbit fic in ages. Of course you write it all the time.
runs and hides head in the foot of snow in the yard

[dreamflower]

That's OK! You get used to people's default icons, or at least I do. It throws me when they use a different one, too.

I'm so glad you liked it though. And I agree, I am sure that both Merry and Pippin did their share of writing.

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

Ah, nothing like the promise of strawberry tarts to lighten a hobbit's mood.

But I hope Merry can educate the Shire hobbits on the importance of understanding and remembering the past.

[dreamflower]

I hope so. I am sure that he tried, at any rate.

[lbilover.livejournal.com]

I love this very much. It's so perfectly hobbity- the contrast of serious and light-hearted.

[dreamflower]

Yes, hobbits do their best not to be serious for very long at a time.

[lily-the-hobbit.livejournal.com]

A lovely scene and very plausible. Merry, collector of Shire history. It suits him well :)

[dreamflower]

Well, of course, that's all canon--that he did collect and codify some history.

[addie71.livejournal.com]

That is lovely. I like the thought that there were still Elves in Rivendell and hobbits there to visit.

[dreamflower]

Well, it was said that Celeborn went there after Galadriel left, and Elladan and Elrohir would still be there. I figure a number of the remaining Elves would have been there, even if not so many as in days past.

And I'm sure that Merry and Pippin would have made occasional visits there.

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

This feels so real. I could see Merry sitting there.

[dreamflower]

Thank you! I've always imagined this lovely little hobbity apartment that Bilbo inhabited, that would have been available for the others to use as a guest room after he left. I'm glad you thought it felt real.

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

Very hobbity! Loved it and now want strawberry tarts!

Since it's a tribble, you should go over and post it to ...LOL I just looked and you've already posted it to troubledtribble which was what I was editing this to suggest.

[dreamflower]

*grin* Yep. When I realized I was going to get to 300, I decided I might as well, LOL!

[elandulin.livejournal.com]

I like this thoughtful, gentle picture of Merry.

[dreamflower]

We know that in canon, it was Merry who composed the Tale of Years, and that he wrote some history of Eriador and Rohan. It didn't seem much of a stretch to imagine a visit to Rivendell to consult the records there.

[labourslamp.livejournal.com]

I'll do you one better:

It is probable that Meriadoc obtained assistance and information from Rivendell, which he visited more than once. (emphasis mine) I'm pretty sure that makes your conjecture canon.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

This was just lovely.

[dreamflower]

Thank you!

[telstar109.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, no hobbit would refuse an invitation to a picnic! Very nice.

[dreamflower]

Certainly not! And Pippin's timing to cheer up his cousin is impeccable!

[ceshaughnessy.livejournal.com]

Ermm - I know what a Star Trek tribble is, but....?

Strawberry? Why, in my universe that's Pippin's favorite (mine too, lol!)

Very nice little fic, Dreamflower!

[dreamflower]

A tribble is a triple drabble, or a 300 word fixed-length ficlet. Or a little critter that is born pregnant on Star Trek. Take your pick! *grin*

I'm sure it's a favorite among hobbits!

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[owlgrey.livejournal.com]

LOL!

They are such hobbits with their food.

[slender-sail.livejournal.com]

A tribble? I am... immune... to its effects. ;D

Thank you so much - I feel overpaid.

True, life is for the living, not the worrying... I hope if Merry gets to write all that history, he also takes some pleasure in it. As he's experienced with the Barrows, sometimes one can get tangled up in other people's gloomy thoughts and worries within history. But there are indeed important connections that shouldn't be forgotten. That is something I can relate to, in my own life.

[julchen11.livejournal.com]

What a lovely scene! Thank you, dreamflower. I loved reading this :-)