more something
Dec. 6th, 2004 09:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rabidsamfanPart One
Still not sure where I'm going, but I'm having fun...
Bergil couldn’t decide whether it was ruder to let one of the people he was meant to serve run the errand or to disobey an order. He bit his lip. “Are you as old as Pi…as the Ernil I Pheriannath?”
“Master Pippin do you mean? Older, by a good bit, for all that he’s grown so tall.” The observation seemed to amuse the perian, and when the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkled up he did look old.
“Well, I guess it’s all right, then,” Bergil said. “If you’re a grown up then I can’t tell you not to come with me, can I?” He straightened his tunic and went to check the lantern to be sure it had enough oil in it. It wasn’t quite enough, but it would get them as far as the Houses of Healing and he could refill it there, where he didn’t have to light a second lantern to see by. “It’s this way,” he told his companion, and led the way out of the house.
The night was cool, though the day had been hot, and the moon, still a day or so from full, was high enough to light the road without help from the lantern. Not even a cat was stirring, and it seemed strangely quiet to Bergil. If he’d been alone, he would have run, to make the errand quicker, and to keep warm. But the perian had shorter legs, and puffed a little as they walked, as if even the pace Bergil had set for walking was too fast. He slowed, and tried to think of something to say.
“Are you a prince too?”
The perian made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a snort. “A prince? Do I look like a prince?”
Bergil shook his head. “No. But you can’t tell by people’s night clothes. And the other perians were princes.”
“And what’s a perian when it’s at home, I wonder?”
Bergil stopped out of sheer surprise and cocked his head. “Perians are people like you. Really short grownups.”
Now the stranger did laugh. “Hobbits, lad. We’re hobbits. You Big Folk call us halflings too, mind, but we call ourselves hobbits. And we’re none of us princes, at least not like the Prince Imrahil. Especially not me. Sam Gamgee’s my name, and I‘m in service to Mr. Frodo.”
“And I am Bergil, son of Beregond of the…” He remembered belatedly that his father was not in the guard and started walking again to cover his confusion. “Son of Beregond.”
“Master Pippin’s friend? He was hoping to see you in the morning. Why do they have a lad your age stand watch in the middle of the night?” Sam kept pace more easily now that Bergil was paying attention.
The boy shrugged. “I don’t mind,” he said. “It’s an honor to serve the Companions. All the boys were arguing about who should be chosen. And all I’ve had to do so far is stay awake.” He turned the corner and started up the narrow alleys that were the boys’ shortcut to the gardens around the Houses of Healing. Sam would fit, even if most grownups wouldn’t. “And I think that Master Tollovand worries because my father is in trouble, and he thinks that I should be in trouble too. But I haven’t done anything wrong!” That came out fiercer than he meant it to, and he scrubbed his sleeve across his face hastily before Sam could see any tears.
part three
Still not sure where I'm going, but I'm having fun...
Bergil couldn’t decide whether it was ruder to let one of the people he was meant to serve run the errand or to disobey an order. He bit his lip. “Are you as old as Pi…as the Ernil I Pheriannath?”
“Master Pippin do you mean? Older, by a good bit, for all that he’s grown so tall.” The observation seemed to amuse the perian, and when the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkled up he did look old.
“Well, I guess it’s all right, then,” Bergil said. “If you’re a grown up then I can’t tell you not to come with me, can I?” He straightened his tunic and went to check the lantern to be sure it had enough oil in it. It wasn’t quite enough, but it would get them as far as the Houses of Healing and he could refill it there, where he didn’t have to light a second lantern to see by. “It’s this way,” he told his companion, and led the way out of the house.
The night was cool, though the day had been hot, and the moon, still a day or so from full, was high enough to light the road without help from the lantern. Not even a cat was stirring, and it seemed strangely quiet to Bergil. If he’d been alone, he would have run, to make the errand quicker, and to keep warm. But the perian had shorter legs, and puffed a little as they walked, as if even the pace Bergil had set for walking was too fast. He slowed, and tried to think of something to say.
“Are you a prince too?”
The perian made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a snort. “A prince? Do I look like a prince?”
Bergil shook his head. “No. But you can’t tell by people’s night clothes. And the other perians were princes.”
“And what’s a perian when it’s at home, I wonder?”
Bergil stopped out of sheer surprise and cocked his head. “Perians are people like you. Really short grownups.”
Now the stranger did laugh. “Hobbits, lad. We’re hobbits. You Big Folk call us halflings too, mind, but we call ourselves hobbits. And we’re none of us princes, at least not like the Prince Imrahil. Especially not me. Sam Gamgee’s my name, and I‘m in service to Mr. Frodo.”
“And I am Bergil, son of Beregond of the…” He remembered belatedly that his father was not in the guard and started walking again to cover his confusion. “Son of Beregond.”
“Master Pippin’s friend? He was hoping to see you in the morning. Why do they have a lad your age stand watch in the middle of the night?” Sam kept pace more easily now that Bergil was paying attention.
The boy shrugged. “I don’t mind,” he said. “It’s an honor to serve the Companions. All the boys were arguing about who should be chosen. And all I’ve had to do so far is stay awake.” He turned the corner and started up the narrow alleys that were the boys’ shortcut to the gardens around the Houses of Healing. Sam would fit, even if most grownups wouldn’t. “And I think that Master Tollovand worries because my father is in trouble, and he thinks that I should be in trouble too. But I haven’t done anything wrong!” That came out fiercer than he meant it to, and he scrubbed his sleeve across his face hastily before Sam could see any tears.
part three
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-07 02:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-07 03:03 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-07 04:00 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-07 04:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-07 06:52 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-07 07:15 am (UTC)::melts::
More? Please? Pretty please?
(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-07 07:29 am (UTC)This is so sweet! I love the idea of Bergil/Sam interaction, and I'm going to be very interested to see where else you go with this. Sam is really going to be horrified when he finds out *why* the poor little lad's father is in trouble. More please! (makes big puppy eyes)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-07 09:16 am (UTC)Bergil stopped out of sheer surprise and cocked his head. “Perians are people like you. Really short grownups.”
What will it take to drill those supposedly intelligent men of Numenorean descent that it's HOBBITS, not HALFLINGS, not PERIANNATH... :)
I wonder what adventures these two will end up with. More soon, please? :)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-07 02:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-07 05:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-12 04:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-26 01:07 pm (UTC)LOL! Good answer! :p
And now you have me intrigued about what's up with his father!