Chance Encounter, part 35
May. 18th, 2005 12:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamflowerSome of what I was able to write while gone...
PART 35
“Whatever do you mean, Gandalf?” Frodo asked, irritation and perplexity on his face.
Merry sat up. “Yes, please do explain, Gandalf. I have a lot to do today, and my liege is expecting me.”
The wizard sighed. “I know that the four of you thought that your pleasant dreams recently were because of the change in your surroundings. Yet it is not so. Legolas has been secretly entering your room each night to watch over you. When he saw signs that a nightmare threatened, he sang it away.”
Four pairs of astonished eyes locked onto the wizard’s face.
More or less simultaneously, Frodo said, “I should have known it was too good to be true.” Merry said “But you’re here *now*,” and Pippin asked “Why?” Sam was just shaking his head in amazement.
“As to that, Frodo, I am afraid you are right. And Meriadoc, you are also correct--I turned Legolas away last night, and came in his stead. But I feel that you have the right to know what he has been doing for you. Peregrin, I am sure you know the answer to your question, do you not?”
Pippin nodded. “I suppose he meant well.”
“He did, and he does. He has told me that the offer stands to continue doing this for you.”
Merry gave a snort of laughter. “What--indefinitely?”
Gandalf smiled. “No, but for the rest of your lives if you will so have it.”
Now any lingering hint of anger the hobbits might have had over Legolas’ secret watch was erased by laughter.
“Any future wives we might have might have something to say about that,” chuckled Merry. Sam blushed, and Pippin elbowed him. Sam was the only one with a sweetheart at home.
Frodo shook his head, amused. “It does present an odd picture in the mind. Did he propose to come live with us in the Shire?”
Gandalf smiled. He had not been certain whether amusement or anger would be the reaction. He was glad for Legolas’ sake that amusement had won out. “He really does mean it, you know. He would have gladly watched over the four of you for the next sixty or seventy years of your lives, and thought it time well spent--it’s a brief enough while for an Elf anyway. He is very fond of you, and it tears his heart to see you suffer.”
Frodo sobered. “I understand, and his intentions were good. It’s actually a bit endearing that he made the effort. But we can hardly get on with our lives that way. Shall you tell him that we are grateful for the offer, but ‘no, thank you,’ or shall we?”
“I think perhaps, that it might do well to come from you directly, that he might see that you hold no grudge for his invasion of your privacy.”
“Well, that’s settled, then,” said Pippin briskly. “Gandalf, I hope you don’t think it rude, but Merry and I both must get dressed and ready to go to our duties this morning.” He flung aside the coverlet, and swung his legs over the bed.
The wizard rose, and gave them a fond nod. “Very well, then. I shall take my leave, my friends. A good morning to you.” And he left the room chuckling into his beard. Hobbits really were irrepressible.
After the door shut behind him, the four scrambled from the bed and began to get dressed for the day. They were still chuckling, until Merry said, “Well, I suppose tonight we will go back to having those lovely nightmares again.”
“We’ve had a lovely respite,” said Frodo, “and perhaps we shall be lucky, and they won’t come back so soon. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with an Elf staring at you all night long?”
Merry shook his head ruefully. “No, but I’m almost sorry Gandalf told us.”
“Well, I’m not. It would have been very embarrassing to wake up and catch him at it some night,” said Pippin firmly.
Sam shook his head. “I can’t get over he’d offer to watch us the rest of our lives…”
Frodo smiled. “Well, he’s very fond of us, to be sure, but we can’t allow something like that.”
“Of course not!” Sam exclaimed.
Merry gave a yawn and began to get armored. “I don’t have time to discuss this. I must meet my King at the stables right after first breakfast.”
Pippin looked at Merry’s shadowed face. “I’m sorry I cannot come with you today, Merry. I have my own duty to attend to.” Pippin was eager to carry on with the plans for teaching a lesson to those scoundrels who thought to take advantage of hobbits’ good nature.
“Would you like Sam and I to come along, Merry?” asked Frodo, concerned. He knew that this particular duty was going to be a very sad one for his cousin.
Merry shook his head. “No, this is my duty as a Knight of Rohan, and as Théoden’s esquire.”
_________________________________________
There were no ponies in Minas Tirith. Merry would ride with Éomer as they left the City. Éowyn smiled at him from her seat on Windfola, alongside her brother.
“Very different from your ride here with ‘Dernhelm’, is it not, Merry?”
“Very different indeed, my lady.” Merry blushed. He still found it embarrassing that he had not guessed who “Dernhelm” was, though apparently most of the other Riders in their vicinity *had* guessed.
Soon they were all in formation and ready to ride out.
Only the members of Éomer’s personal éored had been staying with him in the City. Between the losses on the Pelennor and the Morannon due to injury and death, those who had been reassigned to replace lost commanders among the other Riders, and those who had already been sent back to Rohan, that number had dwindled to four-score and eight, plus one hobbit. There had also been a great loss of horses, and Merry was not the only one riding pillion to the place where they would meet the remaining Riders outside the gate. He and five other Riders would be returning on foot to the Citadel. The six of them would be taking it in turns, two at a time, each day as a guard of honor by Théoden’s bier.
Merry was proud of being chosen for the honor, but the part of him that was most hobbity dreaded the duty. Standing by a body from dawn to dusk every third day was bound to engender gloomy thoughts. Thank goodness that Gandalf, in a rare display of magic, had placed an enchantment of preservation upon Théoden’s remains, that he not suffer the indignities of decay until he was well and truly buried at his home.
Merry sighed and tried to sit straighter, and fight the urge to lean into Éomer. He was very conscious of his dignity riding with his liege, but a glance across to Éowyn’s pale and sad face made him wish he were riding with his sword-sister. They could have been of some comfort to one another.
Comfort. He shook his head at the thought of Gandalf’s revelation that morning. Legolas had been trying to comfort them. Part of him was furious at the invasion of their privacy, part of him loved Legolas even more for the effort, and a good large part of him was greatly disappointed that their respite have been temporary. It was simply one more reminder that however dearly they loved them--Legolas, Gimli, Strider, even Gandalf--were not hobbits. But they *were* family.
He glanced over again at Éowyn, and she gave him a sad smile. She and Éomer were his family too, now, by oath and by the shared experience of battle. Théoden, too; he wished that the old king could have met his da. They would have got on well. The thought really made him tear up, and he blinked angrily. He was *not* going to cry and disgrace his king. He gave a mighty sniff.
“Holdwine?” Éomer’s concerned voice was soft.
Merry looked up to see the young king gazing back at him, tears flowing freely.
“Oh!” he exclaimed softly. He leaned forward to lend what comfort he could. Another thing he sometimes forgot: his king was very young, younger even, than Pippin.
Even as he gently patted the large back in front of him, he wondered briefly at the mysterious business which prevented King Elessar and the Steward from riding with them to say farewell as had been planned, and kept his cousin by their side…
___________________________________________________________
Another part, perhaps, later today.
__________________________________________________________
PART 35
“Whatever do you mean, Gandalf?” Frodo asked, irritation and perplexity on his face.
Merry sat up. “Yes, please do explain, Gandalf. I have a lot to do today, and my liege is expecting me.”
The wizard sighed. “I know that the four of you thought that your pleasant dreams recently were because of the change in your surroundings. Yet it is not so. Legolas has been secretly entering your room each night to watch over you. When he saw signs that a nightmare threatened, he sang it away.”
Four pairs of astonished eyes locked onto the wizard’s face.
More or less simultaneously, Frodo said, “I should have known it was too good to be true.” Merry said “But you’re here *now*,” and Pippin asked “Why?” Sam was just shaking his head in amazement.
“As to that, Frodo, I am afraid you are right. And Meriadoc, you are also correct--I turned Legolas away last night, and came in his stead. But I feel that you have the right to know what he has been doing for you. Peregrin, I am sure you know the answer to your question, do you not?”
Pippin nodded. “I suppose he meant well.”
“He did, and he does. He has told me that the offer stands to continue doing this for you.”
Merry gave a snort of laughter. “What--indefinitely?”
Gandalf smiled. “No, but for the rest of your lives if you will so have it.”
Now any lingering hint of anger the hobbits might have had over Legolas’ secret watch was erased by laughter.
“Any future wives we might have might have something to say about that,” chuckled Merry. Sam blushed, and Pippin elbowed him. Sam was the only one with a sweetheart at home.
Frodo shook his head, amused. “It does present an odd picture in the mind. Did he propose to come live with us in the Shire?”
Gandalf smiled. He had not been certain whether amusement or anger would be the reaction. He was glad for Legolas’ sake that amusement had won out. “He really does mean it, you know. He would have gladly watched over the four of you for the next sixty or seventy years of your lives, and thought it time well spent--it’s a brief enough while for an Elf anyway. He is very fond of you, and it tears his heart to see you suffer.”
Frodo sobered. “I understand, and his intentions were good. It’s actually a bit endearing that he made the effort. But we can hardly get on with our lives that way. Shall you tell him that we are grateful for the offer, but ‘no, thank you,’ or shall we?”
“I think perhaps, that it might do well to come from you directly, that he might see that you hold no grudge for his invasion of your privacy.”
“Well, that’s settled, then,” said Pippin briskly. “Gandalf, I hope you don’t think it rude, but Merry and I both must get dressed and ready to go to our duties this morning.” He flung aside the coverlet, and swung his legs over the bed.
The wizard rose, and gave them a fond nod. “Very well, then. I shall take my leave, my friends. A good morning to you.” And he left the room chuckling into his beard. Hobbits really were irrepressible.
After the door shut behind him, the four scrambled from the bed and began to get dressed for the day. They were still chuckling, until Merry said, “Well, I suppose tonight we will go back to having those lovely nightmares again.”
“We’ve had a lovely respite,” said Frodo, “and perhaps we shall be lucky, and they won’t come back so soon. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with an Elf staring at you all night long?”
Merry shook his head ruefully. “No, but I’m almost sorry Gandalf told us.”
“Well, I’m not. It would have been very embarrassing to wake up and catch him at it some night,” said Pippin firmly.
Sam shook his head. “I can’t get over he’d offer to watch us the rest of our lives…”
Frodo smiled. “Well, he’s very fond of us, to be sure, but we can’t allow something like that.”
“Of course not!” Sam exclaimed.
Merry gave a yawn and began to get armored. “I don’t have time to discuss this. I must meet my King at the stables right after first breakfast.”
Pippin looked at Merry’s shadowed face. “I’m sorry I cannot come with you today, Merry. I have my own duty to attend to.” Pippin was eager to carry on with the plans for teaching a lesson to those scoundrels who thought to take advantage of hobbits’ good nature.
“Would you like Sam and I to come along, Merry?” asked Frodo, concerned. He knew that this particular duty was going to be a very sad one for his cousin.
Merry shook his head. “No, this is my duty as a Knight of Rohan, and as Théoden’s esquire.”
_________________________________________
There were no ponies in Minas Tirith. Merry would ride with Éomer as they left the City. Éowyn smiled at him from her seat on Windfola, alongside her brother.
“Very different from your ride here with ‘Dernhelm’, is it not, Merry?”
“Very different indeed, my lady.” Merry blushed. He still found it embarrassing that he had not guessed who “Dernhelm” was, though apparently most of the other Riders in their vicinity *had* guessed.
Soon they were all in formation and ready to ride out.
Only the members of Éomer’s personal éored had been staying with him in the City. Between the losses on the Pelennor and the Morannon due to injury and death, those who had been reassigned to replace lost commanders among the other Riders, and those who had already been sent back to Rohan, that number had dwindled to four-score and eight, plus one hobbit. There had also been a great loss of horses, and Merry was not the only one riding pillion to the place where they would meet the remaining Riders outside the gate. He and five other Riders would be returning on foot to the Citadel. The six of them would be taking it in turns, two at a time, each day as a guard of honor by Théoden’s bier.
Merry was proud of being chosen for the honor, but the part of him that was most hobbity dreaded the duty. Standing by a body from dawn to dusk every third day was bound to engender gloomy thoughts. Thank goodness that Gandalf, in a rare display of magic, had placed an enchantment of preservation upon Théoden’s remains, that he not suffer the indignities of decay until he was well and truly buried at his home.
Merry sighed and tried to sit straighter, and fight the urge to lean into Éomer. He was very conscious of his dignity riding with his liege, but a glance across to Éowyn’s pale and sad face made him wish he were riding with his sword-sister. They could have been of some comfort to one another.
Comfort. He shook his head at the thought of Gandalf’s revelation that morning. Legolas had been trying to comfort them. Part of him was furious at the invasion of their privacy, part of him loved Legolas even more for the effort, and a good large part of him was greatly disappointed that their respite have been temporary. It was simply one more reminder that however dearly they loved them--Legolas, Gimli, Strider, even Gandalf--were not hobbits. But they *were* family.
He glanced over again at Éowyn, and she gave him a sad smile. She and Éomer were his family too, now, by oath and by the shared experience of battle. Théoden, too; he wished that the old king could have met his da. They would have got on well. The thought really made him tear up, and he blinked angrily. He was *not* going to cry and disgrace his king. He gave a mighty sniff.
“Holdwine?” Éomer’s concerned voice was soft.
Merry looked up to see the young king gazing back at him, tears flowing freely.
“Oh!” he exclaimed softly. He leaned forward to lend what comfort he could. Another thing he sometimes forgot: his king was very young, younger even, than Pippin.
Even as he gently patted the large back in front of him, he wondered briefly at the mysterious business which prevented King Elessar and the Steward from riding with them to say farewell as had been planned, and kept his cousin by their side…
___________________________________________________________
Another part, perhaps, later today.
__________________________________________________________