(no subject)

****

Bergil thought about that. "Can I still call you 'Ringbearer' if Master Tollovand is there? Because I don't want to get into trouble."

"Of course you can," Frodo said. "Now, I expect you should like to put that bucket down, and I should like wash my hair."

Bergil smiled, "Yes, Mr. Frodo," he said, and stepped up to pour the water carefully over the dark curls. Frodo was smaller than Pippin, and thinner, and somehow more grownupish anyway, although that might have been the scars and because hobbits were more fuzzy than human people and the hair that wasn't on his head was dark enough that it showed up more on the parts of him that hadn't been changed by sun and wind. "Do you want me to fetch you some oil?" Bergil asked, after he'd filled a second bucket of water and set it down beside the tub to cool a little.

"Oil?" Frodo asked from under a cap of lather.

"For the scars," Bergil explained. "Mardil says that if you wash them you should put on oil or ointment while they're still wet to keep them soft so they'll heal better. See?" He pulled up his sleeve to show Frodo the fading scar where he'd fallen and skinned his elbow. "But he hasn't had time to make very much ointment and besides none of the speartip plants have enough leaves left to be culled so we've been using oil."

"Sam has ointment," Frodo said, nodding understanding. "Although I don't want to wake him just yet to find out where he put it last night. It can wait a little." He looked as if he were about to say something else, but a voice from the doorway interrupted him.

"Sam won't be pleased if you let him sleep through breakfast," Mithrandir had arrived, and for all that Bergil's worries had made him begin to wonder about the wizard he felt his heart rise at the sight of him now. There was something about the old pilgrim that chased away fear. He'd forgotten that in the weeks since the siege, but now he remembered watching from the walls as Gandalf rode out on his glorious horse to chase the Nazgul away from the retreating ranks under Faramir's command.

"Merry tells me they're about ready for us in the dining room." Mithrandir came in and rested a hand briefly on Bergil's shoulder as he looked down at Frodo. "And the cooks have asked me how you prefer your eggs. But I see you are in no condition to breakfast yet, so I shall have to eat them all myself."

"Oh, no you don't!" Frodo laughed. "Bergil, help me get the soap out of my hair. Sam!" he called. "Sam! Breakfast!"

next

(no subject)

****

Bergil thought about that. "Can I still call you 'Ringbearer' if Master Tollovand is there? Because I don't want to get into trouble."

"Of course you can," Frodo said. "Now, I expect you should like to put that bucket down, and I should like wash my hair."

Bergil smiled, "Yes, Mr. Frodo," he said, and stepped up to pour the water carefully over the dark curls. Frodo was smaller than Pippin, and thinner, and somehow more grownupish anyway, although that might have been the scars and because hobbits were more fuzzy than human people and the hair that wasn't on his head was dark enough that it showed up more on the parts of him that hadn't been changed by sun and wind. "Do you want me to fetch you some oil?" Bergil asked, after he'd filled a second bucket of water and set it down beside the tub to cool a little.

"Oil?" Frodo asked from under a cap of lather.

"For the scars," Bergil explained. "Mardil says that if you wash them you should put on oil or ointment while they're still wet to keep them soft so they'll heal better. See?" He pulled up his sleeve to show Frodo the fading scar where he'd fallen and skinned his elbow. "But he hasn't had time to make very much ointment and besides none of the speartip plants have enough leaves left to be culled so we've been using oil."

"Sam has ointment," Frodo said, nodding understanding. "Although I don't want to wake him just yet to find out where he put it last night. It can wait a little." He looked as if he were about to say something else, but a voice from the doorway interrupted him.

"Sam won't be pleased if you let him sleep through breakfast," Mithrandir had arrived, and for all that Bergil's worries had made him begin to wonder about the wizard he felt his heart rise at the sight of him now. There was something about the old pilgrim that chased away fear. He'd forgotten that in the weeks since the siege, but now he remembered watching from the walls as Gandalf rode out on his glorious horse to chase the Nazgul away from the retreating ranks under Faramir's command.

"Merry tells me they're about ready for us in the dining room." Mithrandir came in and rested a hand briefly on Bergil's shoulder as he looked down at Frodo. "And the cooks have asked me how you prefer your eggs. But I see you are in no condition to breakfast yet, so I shall have to eat them all myself."

"Oh, no you don't!" Frodo laughed. "Bergil, help me get the soap out of my hair. Sam!" he called. "Sam! Breakfast!"

next

(no subject)

I don't remember the exact wording, and I'm too sleepy to go looking, but rubynye did a meme the other day about five things you'd like to see more of in fanfic.

So these are my five.

1. Sam being taken care of. Yes, yes, I know you all know that...
2. Merry and Sam working out the change in Sam's status/class/etc. post-Quest. Merry because I think of the other three, he's the one who's going to have the hardest time adjusting. Sam's older than Pippin after all, and Frodo was there for the changes.
3. The Gaffer as a young hobbit and Bilbo fresh back from his Adventure. Or not quite as freshly back, but still... what was it that had Sam and his father in and out of Bag End all the time if not friendship of that earlier generation?
4. Frodo as a sociable hobbit. Bilbo too, for that matter. I never got the impression they stayed holed up at home all the time from the book. What's the general round of a gentlehobbit like? Are we talking Regency, or Victorian Era or something earlier?
5. Elrond and Bilbo's friendship. Bilbo's adventures after he left Hobbiton until he got to Rivendell, too... What explains the great respect with which Elrond and the members of the council treat Bilbo's offer to take the Ring?

(no subject)

I don't remember the exact wording, and I'm too sleepy to go looking, but rubynye did a meme the other day about five things you'd like to see more of in fanfic.

So these are my five.

1. Sam being taken care of. Yes, yes, I know you all know that...
2. Merry and Sam working out the change in Sam's status/class/etc. post-Quest. Merry because I think of the other three, he's the one who's going to have the hardest time adjusting. Sam's older than Pippin after all, and Frodo was there for the changes.
3. The Gaffer as a young hobbit and Bilbo fresh back from his Adventure. Or not quite as freshly back, but still... what was it that had Sam and his father in and out of Bag End all the time if not friendship of that earlier generation?
4. Frodo as a sociable hobbit. Bilbo too, for that matter. I never got the impression they stayed holed up at home all the time from the book. What's the general round of a gentlehobbit like? Are we talking Regency, or Victorian Era or something earlier?
5. Elrond and Bilbo's friendship. Bilbo's adventures after he left Hobbiton until he got to Rivendell, too... What explains the great respect with which Elrond and the members of the council treat Bilbo's offer to take the Ring?