#Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam

[welshirishscottsman]

[throwing bystander to their death]

and THAT’S for my OLD GAFFER!!!

[the-tenth-arcanum]

`I wonder if we shall ever be put into songs or tales. We're in one, or course; but I mean: put into words, you know, told by the fireside, or read out of a great big book with red and black letters, years and years afterwards. And people will say: "Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring!" And they'll say: "Yes, that's one of my favourite stories. Frodo was very brave. wasn't he, dad?" "Yes, my boy, the famousest of the hobbits, and that's saying a lot."'

`It's saying a lot too much,' said Frodo, and he laughed, a long clear laugh from his heart. Such a sound had not been heard in those places since Sauron came to Middle-earth. To Sam suddenly it seemed as if all the stones were listening and the tall rocks leaning over them. But Frodo did not heed them; he laughed again. 'Why, Sam,' he said, 'to hear you somehow makes me as merry as if the story was already written. But you've left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the stouthearted. "I want to hear more about Sam, dad. Why didn't they put in more of his talk, dad? That's what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam, would he, dad?"'

`Now, Mr. Frodo,' said Sam, 'you shouldn't make fun. I was serious.'

`So was I,' said Frodo, 'and so I am.'

thinking about sam gamgee and how he was just a little guy, a gardener and an average citizen, who saw his friend and the world in need and didn't even hesitate to march into hell for them. I'm going to mordor alone sam yes sir and I'm going with you. he said don't you abandon him samwise gamgee and i don't plan to. it's your sam don't you know your sam. it's only a passing thing this shadow. there's some good in this world mr frodo and it's worth fighting for. tell me about samwise the brave frodo wouldn't have gotten very far without sam. dont leave me here alone don't go where i cant follow you. I can't carry it for you but i can carry you.

[shirefantasies]

How would the fellowship, Thorin, Fili, Kili, Haldir, Arwen and Eomer react to someone they like who always calls everyone by cute names like ‘love’, ‘babe’, ‘hon’, ‘darling’ etc.

Oooh, good question! I’m going to split this up into LoTR & The Hobbit imagines for the whole casts if that’s all right 😄

LoTR Characters When You Call Everyone Pet Names

Aragorn

His favorite part of your habit, in all honesty, is other people’s reactions. The first time you do it to him he sort of quirks up a brow, but others take it more extremely, offense or otherwise. He gets protective, though, if those others respond taking it too far. He’ll step in front of you if they start flirting with you or try to touch you unbidden even if you’re just friends at that point. No matter who in his group that is, unacceptable. At the use of a regular name slid into the flows of your conversation, something akin to "Oh, honey, you have no idea", his lips quirk up and privately he wonders if you’ve ever meant it.

Legolas

Your first meeting is you brushing past him at Rivendell with an "Excuse me, darling". Needless to say he stares after you with wide eyes because you must know him, but from where? Then you greet Elrond with an enthusiastic "Sweetheart, how I have missed you", and while the Lord of Imladris appears aware of the affront, he is also amused. Clearly this is simply your manner. Because of this, he accepts it without much overthought, though your pet names never fail to bring a smile to the elf prince's lips.

Boromir

The kindness you show him almost breaks him- is he worthy of your honeyed words? "Easy, dear heart, the troubles you carry are not even your own, are they?" The part of him tempted to lash out almost wins, but at the end of the day, you are right. All he can do is shake his head. He's heard you say call such sweet names before, but alongside your other words they pierce his heart like nothing before. He bids you sit by his side. "Wish me to speak or to listen?" You ask, and that is when Boromir knows he has fallen for you.

Gimli

"Who are you calling sweetheart, darling?" Offended as he may be, Gimli also takes it as a challenge of sorts, leaning in closer with smug satisfaction. It becomes a sort of tension for you both, an odd banter of affectionate nicknames tossed out even with the bloodiest challenges. "Cut his head off, Gimli darling!" "Wouldn't dream of doing any less, dear!" Gimli begins getting offended as your habit pops out with others, asking you pointedly what you think you're doing calling the elf sweetheart. "What's he done to earn that, eh?" Leaning in, your noses almost brushing, you give him a smile dripping with smug mock-sweetness. "I thought you didn't enjoy being called that." "Well," he crosses his arms stubbornly, eyes falling away from yours, "I suppose I've gotten used to it now."

Frodo

"Frodo, my sweet, please eat just a bit more for me, I worry so." Frodo's heart does a somersault- he's made sure notice of your habit by now, heard you speak your darlings and sweethearts aplenty. You often said it to tease the others when spirits were light or when you cared for them, but that was not all. The words my sweet were reserved for him. Everyone else got a plethora, it seemed, but him, and it vexed him in the best way possible, twisting his heart like nothing else. The sound of it was like a balm to Frodo, and he dared hope it held the meaning he dearly wished it to, for he was too shy to ask it of you just yet.

Sam

“Sam, love, pass me the ladle, if you please.” Samwise, thinking his heart might burst from his chest and run right up to you, pauses, speaks carefully. “What was that?” He asks, your name falling softly, almost delicately, from his lips. He’d heard the way you tease people before, usually addressing them as ‘my dear’. This was something else. The smile you gave him in response, too, was practically enough to kill him- could you tell? “I just asked if I might borrow the ladle, love.” Yep, the jig was up now.

Merry

“It’s got to be some sort of custom.” “That or you’ll be very, very wrong.” You arched a private brow over Merry and Pippin’s back-and-forth whispering, but thought nothing more of it until your next interaction with the blonde hobbit. “Merry, sweetheart, what are you doing?” Looking up from his knife, he held up a small chunk of wood with a strangely cocky grin. “Just a bit of whittling, dear.” Something about the roguish look he gave you, the confidence with which he adopted your habit, had your heart fluttering; you faltered a bit in your response before you sat at his side. Unbeknownst to you, he was elbowing Pippin triumphantly on the other side.

Pippin

His heart soars the first time he hears you call him honey. No matter what attacks you or what happens that day, day made. Then he hears you saying "No put that down, Merry sweetheart" and it all comes crashing to the ground because he’d gotten it into his head that he was special- was he wrong? He had to have been. When the words so easily pass between your lips again, this time in the form of '"Gimli dear, let me see that", hurt mingles with realization of your manner- that is just how you are. Moments pass, thoughts drifting by as clouds deciding whether or not to storm, before Pippin makes up his mind: he'll make known his interest, try everything he can until he truly does stand out.

Faramir

Publicly he barely humors it, trying to keep a tough face when his seniors or especially his father are present. Privately? It amuses him. Pleases his heart to see one with light spirits in the face of everything. Your ways make you something of an anchor, a reminder why he does the things that he does. You make Faramir laugh and he knows Boromir enjoys your company too- the three of you together form an escape that reminds Faramir of his younger days. And perhaps that happiness you always brings him has slowly metamorphosed, glimmering with hope every time you call him dear.

Eomer

This man, a military leader, and you call him honey? Eomer is shaken up honestly. He can’t even be annoyed because he’s too busy freezing with a slight frown upon his face. Wits coming back about him, he opens his mouth to question you, ask in his blunt way why you address him so... then you turn around and call his sister my dearest and oh, perhaps he was truly overthinking it. He laughs it off, swears to put it out of his head...but the mental image of you calling him a name of endearment plays over and over again whether he wills it or not.

Haldir

“And what has our precious jewel brought to us now?” Since discovering Haldir bristled a bit at your little names, you had decided to find the most ridiculous ones possible for the marchwarden. It worked every time, too, judging by the furrow of his brow. “They go to the Lady of Lórien,” he replied simply, not to be goaded so easily. The man he seemed to know the best, the ranger, exchanged looks of amusement with you. “And what do you have to say for yourself, my dear?” You asked the man. Just as you suspected, Haldir’s expression darkened a bit further- perhaps he had gotten a bit more used to his names than he let on. At that, you couldn’t help a chuckle and a smirk.

Eowyn

Though she may not voice it, she is questioning of your ways at first because she has firsthand experience of people using words as weapons, saying whatever they can to influence others’ will. So sure, call her dear but you will get nothing of her she does not want to give. The day this changes is actually when you call her brother a pet name and he’s shocked and the wide look in her eyes has both of you laughing in a way you usually do not. She envies your carefree ways and from that moment on enjoys basking in them. It is impossible to help the way her heart gives a little flutter whenever a 'dear' or 'my darling' is directed her way, however...

Arwen

The surprise she fixes you with upon playfully addressing her as ‘my pretty’ encourages you, if you are being honest. It’s a pleasant look, flattered and floored, that you think a lady like Arwen deserves to make again and again. As a result, while everyone else gets a casual darling or dear, you make it your mission to fluster Arwen as much as possible. “Ah, treasure, how has this day treated you so far?” She flushes. “…Well, I say. Thank you. And I wish you to know that you are no less than you say I am. The way you speak to me? It can also be said of yourself.”

Elrond

You are caring. Parental. As a father of three, Elrond appreciates the way you speak gently and warmly. Assist his healed patients with soft whispers of be free of your pain, dear heart. As he granted you leave to use his name rather than My Lord you still slip up at times…until it becomes quite the opposite and a good night, dear slips from your lips upon parting for the evening. Elrond accepts and assures your every apology with an affectionate smile, shocking himself with the realization that his feelings for you are much stronger than he had allowed himself awareness of.

[mistergandalf]

ULTIMATE TOLKIEN BLORBO: FINAL ROUND

“Still, I wonder if we shall ever be put into songs or tales. We're in one, of course, but I mean: put into words, you know, told by the fireside, or read out of a great big book with red and black letters, years and years afterwards. And people will say: "Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring!" And they will say: "Yes, that's one of my favourite stories. Frodo was very brave, wasn't he, dad?" "Yes, my boy, the famousest of the hobbits, and that's saying a lot."

'It's saying a lot too much,' said Frodo, and he laughed, a long clear laugh from his heart. Such a sound had not been heard in those places since Sauron came to Middle-earth. To Sam suddenly it seemed as if all the stones were listening and the tall rocks leaning over them. But Frodo did not heed them; he laughed again. 'Why, Sam,' he said, 'to hear you somehow makes me as merry as if the story was already written. But you've left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the stouthearted. "I want to hear more about Sam, dad. Why didn't they put in more of his talk, dad? That's what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam, would he, dad?"'

'Now, Mr. Frodo,' said Sam, 'you shouldn't make fun. I was serious.'

'So was I,' said Frodo, 'and so I am.”

SAMWISE GAMGEE vs. FRODO BAGGINS

See the ULTIMATE TOLKIEN BLORBO MASTERPOST for details and follow #ultimate tolkien blorbo to cast your vote for the blorbiest blorbo of all!

[dartxo]

"Samwise the Brave"

2022

'...Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam...'

-"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers", by J.R.R. Tolkien

Last but not least in my countdown of favorite Two Towers scenes is Sam's speech to Frodo in Osgiliath. A scene that isn't really in the books, but that embodies and enhances the spirit of Tolkien beautifully. It's a perfect, comforting resolution to Frodo's moment of complete despair earlier, and accompanies perfectly the simultaneous moments of triumph at Isengard and at Helm's Deep. And I'm sure I'm not alone in saying this, but it's also a scene I turn to when I find myself sad and despondent at the state of the world. A true testament to Sam's role as a support and a rock, not just for Frodo, but for the readers and viewers as well. 

[ijustkindalikebooks]

“Still, I wonder if we shall ever be put into songs or tales. We're in one, of course, but I mean: put into words, you know, told by the fireside, or read out of a great big book with red and black letters, years and years afterwards. And people will say: "Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring!" And they will say: "Yes, that's one of my favourite stories. Frodo was very brave, wasn't he, dad?" "Yes, my boy, the famousest of the hobbits, and that's saying a lot." 'It's saying a lot too much,' said Frodo, and he laughed, a long clear laugh from his heart. Such a sound had not been heard in those places since Sauron came to Middle-earth. To Sam suddenly it seemed as if all the stones were listening and the tall rocks leaning over them. But Frodo did not heed them; he laughed again. 'Why, Sam,' he said, 'to hear you somehow makes me as merry as if the story was already written. But you've left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the stouthearted. "I want to hear more about Sam, dad. Why didn't they put in more of his talk, dad? That's what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam, would he, dad?"' 'Now, Mr. Frodo,' said Sam, 'you shouldn't make fun. I was serious.' 'So was I,' said Frodo, 'and so I am.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers.

[autistook]

DAISIES - pt 15

Merry Brandybuck x fem!hobbit!reader / soft oc

Words: 6.9k

Summary: Merry continues his journey, while your journey with Rath is about to escalate. He tells you the truth about why he saved you.

Possible TW's: violence, death, blood, near-drowning

AN: The appearence of the fic dialogue-wise keeps changing when I put it on tumblr so if it changes throughout, my apologies. Comments and reblogs are more than appreciated :3

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

---

Merry yawned softly. The stars were almost completely hidden by the veil of clouds and the moon was barely visible. Merry turned on his side and shut his eyes for a few more minutes, desperate for some proper rest.

Despite Merry’s attempts he could not fall asleep, so he got up, rubbed his eyes gently with his fists and looked around to see if anyone but Aragorn was awake. 

Pippin was sleeping peacefully next to him, Legolas and Gandalf were nowhere in sight, Boromir was fast asleep and Gimli was snoring so loudly that Merry was surprised no one had woken up because of it yet. Aragorn was sitting on a large rock smoking his pipe and Bill the Pony was eating grass next to a sound asleep Sam, who Merry was surprised to see was not with Frodo. Merry noticed all of Frodo’s things abandoned on the ground next to Sam. He decided it was best to find out his friend’s whereabouts.

He did not have to look far. Frodo was sitting on the cool ground staring at the night sky, his spirit gloomy.

“Why are you awake?” Merry asked, startling Frodo.

“Merry! I thought everyone would be asleep by now,” cried Frodo.

“No. I can't seem to sleep,” said Merry, sitting down next to Frodo. It was deeply dark all around them and the only sound they could hear was Gimli's snoring. “Do you know where Gandalf and Legolas have gone? I did not see them anywhere.”

“I do not know,” Frodo responded, shrugging his shoulders. “Truth be told, I did not know they were gone. I thought at least Gandalf would be sound asleep. Legolas maybe too.”

“Huh. Do elves even sleep?” Merry wondered out loud. Frodo chuckled softly.

The two sat in silence for a while. Small gusts of December wind made them shiver every now and then, but otherwise the night was not too cold. The stars had now completely veiled and Gimli had stopped snoring. It was dead quiet.

“I can't help but feel guilty,” said Frodo suddenly. Merry stared at him with pity.

“We are here because we want to,” said Merry, but Frodo shook his head dismissively.

“I'm talking about leaving my sister behind,” Frodo corrected and Merry's heart broke a little. “She means the world to me and I left her. I miss her terribly. I don't suppose I'll ever see her again.”

“Frodo…”

“I do wish she was here,” Frodo continued with a sigh. “Not among the horrible dangers we are surrounded with of course, but just with us.”

Merry stayed quiet. Of course he felt that way too, but so far Frodo had not talked about his feelings or concerns about you during the journey, so he wanted to give him more space to talk about you. After Frodo said nothing for a long time, Merry dared to speak.

“I know what you mean. She would have loved Rivendell,” said Merry and a wide smile appeared on Frodo's face.

“She really would have. I tried teaching her Elvish several times, but she never quite got the hang of it. She was very fond of the Elves, though. I caught her and Sam chatting about them several times while he was gardening.”

Merry smiled. He felt slightly better when he was thinking about you back before all of the chaos had fallen on all of you.

“Imagine how much she would have loved all of those fresh fruits they provided to us!” Merry said, chuckling softly.

“She wouldn't have left any for us,” joked Frodo and both of them laughed whole-heartedly.

“Mister Frodo, what are you doing up?” said Sam, who had made his way to the two Hobbits without them noticing.

“Nothing to worry about, Sam,” Frodo responded. “You should go back to sleep. I have Merry here with me.”

“But Mister Frodo…”

“It's alright, Sam,” Frodo said and smiled warmly. “You need to rest.”

Sam blushed and nodded. Feeling a little defeated he walked back to his spot and crawled under the covers, but still stayed awake for a while, keeping an eye on Frodo.

Merry and Frodo talked for an hour more, before both of them finally felt tired enough to go and get some sleep; but also because Gimli, not so politely, told them to be quiet. 

They did not get to sleep for long, as the sun slowly rose behind the thick mist, shining light in their eyes. The first rays of morning sun looked almost ethereal, pieces of it sneaking through the clouds.

“Gentlemen, it is time to continue with our journey,” announced Aragorn. Pippin groaned and pulled his blanket over his head. Merry walked to Pippin and pulled his blanket off, making him grunt again, his expression very displeased.

“Get up,” said Merry while softly kicking Pippin's side.

“Do I have to?” cried Pippin, covering his eyes with his arms.

“Come on,” said Frodo, a hint of amusement in his voice and he lifted Pippin up with Merry.

There were nothing but large, threatening yet beautiful mountains to their left, and in all other directions all was plain and dead. Merry's feet felt tired. It had been a long and cold walk. The wind was blowing through the snowy tips of the Misty Mountains and all four Hobbits were trembling. The sun was not high enough yet to provide enough warmth. Legolas on the other hand walked gleefully around, keeping watch on their surroundings and wandering off to admire the sky and sun every now and then.

When they finally stopped for a small break, Merry lowered himself down on the ground on his back. His exhaustion was getting the best of him and even though he was ravenous, the cool ground and getting some rest felt more inviting than any piece of bread or drop of water.

Merry closed his eyes for a bit, putting his arms over his eyes to protect them from the bright sunlight. 

“You should eat, Merry,” noted Boromir and Merry quietly waved it off.

After some time of shivering on the ground Merry decided to get up and have a bite. He sat up and noticed that everyone in the group was focused on listening to Aragorn’s stories except Frodo, who was sitting a short distance from them, holding something in his hands. Merry began walking up to Frodo and to his amazement, he noticed that there was a small flower in his friend's hands. Frodo noticed Merry approaching and smiled faintly.

“I found it just a moment ago,” he said to Merry. “It had pushed through the gravel.”

It would have been a signal of hope, had it not been wilted. It was a dead daisy, its appearance piercing through Merry's heart; to him it felt like a bad omen. His heart was telling him that you were not safe. Frodo handed over the flower to Merry, who looked at it with concern, his whole body tensing up.

“Frodo?” said Merry quietly.

“Yes, Merry?” responded Frodo, slightly concerned by Merry’s tense exterior.

“I can’t help but feel uneasy. I feel like something is wrong,” Merry said anxiously.

“What do you mean?” Frodo asked. 

“Do you think she has left the Shire?” Merry said, twirling the dead daisy by its stem. He tended to fidget with anything he could hold in his hands when he was missing you. Merry sighed, his breath shaky. He continued: “That she decided to go after us?”

Frodo’s heart sank for a moment, but then he gave Merry a gentle smile, softly squeezing his shoulder.

“She wouldn’t,” he responded, knowing deep down that he was lying to both himself and Merry.

“Do we know for sure?” said Merry, his eyes full of sadness and increasing fear. Frodo looked at him and then at the flower. In his heart he knew it was very much possible that you were in danger, hurt or worse; and both of them knew you were more than likely to have followed them.

Throughout the day Frodo's anxiety grew, which Gandalf took note of rather quickly.

“What's on your mind, Frodo?” Gandalf asked as the night fell on them. Frodo was wide awake, while everyone else was sound asleep around them; except Boromir, who was on watch that night.

“My sister, Gandalf. I worry she might have left the Shire,” Frodo responded. Gandalf tilted his head, looking at him with a curious expression.

“What makes you think this way?” Gandalf asked.

“It's a feeling. A sense of dread and almost a suffocating worry.”

“My dear Frodo,” said Gandalf in a comforting tone. “You need not to worry about what you can't control. Even if your sister has left the Shire, I am sure she is safe and sound.”

“She has absolutely no sense of direction, Gandalf,” Frodo said, covering his face with his palm. Gandalf tried to hide his amusement at the thought of you wandering around the Shire and near its borders cluelessly. “She probably has left the Shire and walked straight into the hands of orcs.”

“That is very unlikely, Frodo,” said Gandalf. “You need to stop letting your mind spiral and focus on what is in your hands; what you can control.”

Frodo sighed. He knew Gandalf was right. He had no way of knowing if you were alright or not. He couldn't possibly know if you had even stepped outside of your room for months.

“You're right, Gandalf. All of my thoughts just feel… heavy.”

Gandalf gave Frodo a warm smile, but his eyes were troubled.

“You are carrying a heavy burden, Frodo,” said Gandalf, looking at Frodo's chest around the area where the Ring was resting. “Do not take on more burden and worry than you already are carrying.”

Frodo gave him a faint nod. Gandalf reached for the wooden and curiously carved pipe on his belt. He offered Frodo some Old Toby as well, but after he refused, Gandalf settled on smoking the pipe-weed alone as Frodo sat next to him, his heart still heavy.

Merry had Pippin around his arm. They lockstepped forward cheerfully as the rest of the Fellowship were almost left behind. The temperature finally felt more comfortable than it had for weeks and that gave the young halflings a boost of energy that was quite irritating for almost everyone else around them. The two did not mind being a possible disturbance and they kept singing songs whilst hopping forward cheerfully, and they laughed so loudly it echoed all around them. Boromir looked at Merry and Pippin and he smiled wide, his teeth showing. Boromir had gotten to know both of them quite well and every passing moment he grew more fond of them. He slowly adapted an almost big brother-like role in the lives of Merry and Pippin, which gave them both a sense of stability and security. 

“How are you feeling?” Boromir asked Merry as they sat down for a little bit of rest along with everyone else. Merry was in the middle of biting into his apple, the juice of the fruit now lingering on his lips as he stared at Boromir, surprised by his question.

“I’m alright,” he responded. As he looked at the sturdy warrior beside him, he noticed some darkness in his eyes. “How are you feeling?”

Boromir looked down at his hands. He was softly brushing his thumb on the horn that was hanging near his waist. His mind was elsewhere; the Ring was tempting him and he needed a distraction.

“Truth be told, I have been worried about you, Merry,” said Boromir, his gaze soft and eyes locked on Merry. Merry turned his face away. He knew what Boromir was about to ask and his heart began to hurt. He had gone most of the day finally thinking about something other than his worry for you and he craved more time to distract himself from reality.

“I am alright,” Merry said, eyes on the ground and avoiding Boromir’s gaze. Boromir shook his head.

“I can tell that you are not. I have seen how absent your mind is when Pippin is not around to take your thoughts elsewhere.”

It was true. Pippin noticed the changes in Merry’s mood quicker than anyone else and he was always by his side in an instant. Whether it was through food, song or joking around, Peregrin made sure that Merry’s heart would feel just a little bit lighter. He was a source of light for Merry as he so desperately needed it. 

Merry stood up and left Boromir sitting alone. He made his way next to Pippin and the two immediately started joking around. Merry laughed at Pippin’s banter but the laugh did not come from his heart. Boromir and Merry exchanged meaningful looks once more until Merry got back to his distractions.

“What day is it, Gandalf?” asked Pippin, walking fast beside the Wizard, trying his best to keep up as he was so little. 

“What does it matter, Peregrin Took?” asked Gandalf, irritated by the fifth question in a row that the young Took had presented. “Why must you be so inquisitive today? Can you go do something useful for once, instead of giving me a hard time?”

Pippin apologized, his frame sinking as he walked back to Merry.

“I told you,” said Merry. “You shouldn’t bother him too much, Pip. He gets annoyed easily.”

“Meriadoc is right, Peregrin,” Gandalf commented. Merry and Pippin slowed down as they had not realized he was still in the hearing distance. As he walked further away, he continued: “I do get annoyed when young Hobbits bother me and ask me stupid questions.”

“What is he, an owl? How did he hear that?” asked Merry.

“No, Master Meriadoc, I am not an owl,” Gandalf said loudly from a distance and Merry gulped. It made him wonder how well the Wizard could actually hear and how many of their conversations he had been eavesdropping on. Merry stopped Pippin by his arm so they could have their private conversations without Gandalf listening to them.

“I think he needs more pipe-weed to calm his nerves,” Pippin whispered and Merry snickered. 

“I think so too,” said Merry and reached into his satchel. He pulled out the last remaining pipe-weed he had, walked a little forward towards Gandalf and Pippin smacked his hand. 

“Merry!” Pippin whispered in shock. “You can’t actually go give Gandalf your last leaf! You promised me some!”

Merry chuckled and pulled out his own pipe.

“Pip, I was only joking. I am desperately craving pipe-weed and I am going to smoke the last of it as we walk. You can join me or not.”

Pippin smiled and bounced on his feet. He took his own wooden pipe from his belt where it was hanging from and smiled widely. The two were beginning to be left behind when Aragorn noticed them standing far away, where they were lighting up their last remaining pipe-weed.

“Merry! Pippin!” Aragorn shouted, his voice gentle but commanding. His shout sounded like one of a frustrated parental figure and it made Merry cough uncontrollably. Pippin smacked his back and after a moment of collecting himself, Merry took a sip of water and the two got back to the group. As the smoke and smell of the pipe-weed surrounded them all, Gandalf rolled his eyes.

“Hobbits,” he muttered to himself and lit up his own pipe.

—

Your breath was shaky as you stopped in your tracks.

“Rath,” you panted and he walked back to you.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his hand on your shoulder and the wound on his palm bleeding on your cloak.

“My ankle hurts again,” you said, tears in your eyes. The pain was almost insufferable. You did not want to bother your friend, so you had kept the pain to yourself for several hours. As the aching got worse by the minute, you no longer could take it. It felt like arrows had been shot toward you and all of them landed on your twisted ankle. There was still a day of travel ahead and at first you were determined to make it there on your own; you couldn’t handle the idea of Rath having to carry you all the way to Isengard.

Just a few moments earlier an orc had ambushed you both and Rath got wounded; not in a way that was worse than any of his previous damages throughout his life, but his palm was cut deeply. Rath did not seem to mind it but seeing it made you feel slightly sick.

“Did something happen when we got ambushed?” he asked.

“No,” you said, shaking your head and a tear falling from your eye as the level of the pain began rising. “It’s been hurting for a while now.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” he cried and sat down on the ground on his knees. He began examining your ankle. It was swollen and bruised; much worse than it was the previous day. “You should have let it heal longer. You should have told me. You know I can carry you.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to be a burden.”

Rath smiled. He found your insecurity and apologetic nature heartwarming. They were some of the traits he saw in you that reminded him of his little sister. Many of your traits in fact you shared with his sister. One that stood out to him the most was the child-like enthusiasm and curiosity you had begun to show him after traveling together for a rather long time. 

“You are quite amusing, Baggins. You are no burden. I am happy to carry you.”

He guided you to sit down on the ground and elevate your leg on a nearby rock. He wrapped a cloth around it tightly, supporting the ankle as much as he could. He had some herbs with him that would ease the pain once mixed with some hot water, so he started a fire and made you a mixture that would soon lessen your agony.

“Are we far?” you asked.

“Far from what?” Rath asked, now dipping a cloth in the herb mixture, soaking it hot. He began pressing it softly on the swollen parts of your ankle. You hissed and bit your lower lip to hold back your reaction to the stinging sensation.

“Isengard.”

Rath moved the cloth around the ankle, pressing ever so slightly on one spot for a few seconds before moving to another.

“No, we are not far. Like I said, a day or two. If you allow me to carry you, I believe we will make it there by morning, if we are lucky.”

You felt some hope rise to the surface. Help was near and with luck you would soon find Merry, your brother and your friends. 

“Are we going to rest before that?” you asked, already tired even though it was barely noon.

“If you need to. We can go as far as you feel like you can and then we can rest. I still have some mushrooms for you to eat later, if you are interested.”

Your eyes lit up from excitement and Rath looked at you, his head tilted and adoration in his eyes. He found the way that hobbits became fiends at the mention of mushrooms alluring and he loved teasing you with it ever since he learned about it.

“Any chance I could have some now?” you inquired, eyes full of hope. Rath laughed loudly.

“No, not yet,” he responded and you frowned. You did not realize the pain on your ankle was mostly gone. “I think you have to wait just a little bit longer, little one.”

“Why?” you cried in an almost child-like manner. He smiled and shook his head. You noticed the warm expression on his face and you tilted your head curiously. “What?”

“It’s just that sometimes you really remind me of my little sister.”

“I do? How come?”

Rath kept pressing the cloth on your ankle. The small fire he had lit up began dying down as you waited for his response eagerly. 

“It’s just the way you talk and behave sometimes.”

“Behave?” you asked, narrowing your gaze.

“You can be quite childish,” he smirked and you gave him a playful push on his shoulder.

“Shut up,” you said with a chuckle. Your eyes widened as you realized the pain in your ankle was gone and Rath had begun to press the cloth on the wound on his own hand instead. You reached for the cloth and took it from him gently. He looked at you, puzzled and tried to take it back.

You held his hand still with your free hand. Softly you began to tap the damp cloth on the wound. Rath did not move his eyes off you for the whole time you took care of him. His bleeding slowly stopped after it had lasted for over half an hour and Rath began to stitch it himself with a needle and thread he had in his bag. You were always surprised by the amount of convenient equipment he carried with him.

“Thank you for that,” he said. To you he seemed almost embarrassed by showing vulnerability, but you did not see the guilt in his heart that he was hiding. When he finished patching himself up, he stood up and offered you his hand. “It’s time to go.”

Your laughter was so loud Rath had to put his hand over your mouth to quiet you down. The stories you both were sharing were ones of hilarious nature, so it was hard to keep it down and you forgot to be wary of the dangers around you.

“Sorry!” you whispered as he took his hand off your lips, your voice still cracking from amusement. Rath looked around the both of you and after he declared it was safe, he cracked up as well. Both of you giggled quietly, trying to not erupt into a laughter that would wake up every living thing around you.

“Do you want the mushrooms now?” Rath asked and you noticed he was holding a large pile of mushrooms in his hands. Their color was almost golden in the light of the campfire and your mouth began watering at the sight of them.

With a swift scoop you took all of the mushrooms to yourself and started shoving them in your mouth so quickly that one might have thought you had not eaten in days. Rath chuckled and shook his head. “Are they that good?”

“You have no idea,” you responded and took another handful of mushrooms from his grasp. You ate them so quickly you barely had any time to savor the earthy flavors. 

“I am glad you enjoy them,” Rath said and rested his arms on his knees, staring into the fire across from him. The sight reminded you of the first night you met him. He had the same look in his eyes, but behind them was now more compassion than before. The aura around him was tense.

“What are you thinking about?” you asked him and he turned to look at you.

“My sister,” he responded and handed over the last mushrooms he had with him. You scooped them up and ate them immediately.

“What about your sister?”

“Just how much I miss her.”

“When are you going to see her?”

“Hopefully soon. I just need to… get you help first.”

You took a deep breath. You could not help but feel a little responsible for his sadness. You were the one to keep him occupied for so long. There was a part in you that wanted to send him back to his home so you could find your own way to the White Wizard and he would get to hug his family again; but you needed him. You needed someone to help you.

“Do you want to go home?” you asked and he furrowed his brows.

“Of course I do. But I need to finish this first.”

You shuffled right beside him and put your head on his shoulder, gently resting it there. You could feel him take a deep breath.

“I really do appreciate all that you’ve done for me, Rath.”

He took another deep breath and laid his head on top of yours. He said nothing, but you could feel the warmth and affection radiating from him. You had started to see him as family and he had become one of the closest friends you had ever had.

Your eyes fluttered open slowly. It was still dark, the campfire was still warm and your head was still resting on Rath’s shoulder. You had fallen asleep and were not sure how long you had been unconscious.

“I think I fell asleep,” you said, your voice raspy and faint.

“It seems that way,” Rath responded and chuckled. He was no longer resting against you, but he did not seem to be disturbed by your closeness and the way you used him as a pillow.

“Did I sleep for long?”

“Maybe an hour or so,” he answered and threw a piece of wood to the bright, golden flames. “The sun will come up in a few hours, if you need to sleep some more. We are not far.”

“I don’t need to,” you responded, even though your body was screaming for more rest.

“Whatever you say.”

You walked to the other side of the fire and dug into your bag. You were low on water, but your thirst had increased and you needed to hydrate. You chugged down the rest of your water in one go and put the bottle back in the bag. In slow steps you sat back down on the ground, resting against Rath some more.

“Why have you been so nice to me?” you asked. You had wondered about it for quite some time now. He had taken care of you for so long, but still you were not entirely sure whether you knew the whole truth. You did not understand why he had helped a worn out halfling he found passed out on the ground. “Why have you helped me all the way here?”

Rath did not answer right away. Instead he just stared into the fire and stayed so still he looked like a statue to you.

“You were in need of help,” he finally responded. “You were on the brink of death. I did not want that to happen.”

Your heart fluttered from affection. His words impacted you deeply and the sisterly love for him inside you grew every passing moment.

“You have saved me from the brink of death. There was no need for you to help me this far.”

“I wanted to help you. Partly for my own selfish reasons.”

You tilted your head and looked at him, almost thirsty to know more.

“Selfish reasons?” you repeated. He did not answer. “Rath?”

He leaned a little away from you and finally turned his gaze away from the fire, locking his eyes with you.

“Selfish reasons.”

“I heard you, Rath. I’m just curious: what were the reasons?”

Rath looked away again. His gaze drifted into the darkness across your campsite, into the depths of the forest and seemingly into another dimension. You could see his warm presence slowly fade away.

“I saw you laying there. I saw a helpless, little halfling. I needed to make sure you were alive. I had to nurse you back to health. And… It took longer than I expected. Then you started reminding me of my little sister.”

“I have to say you lost me. None of that is selfish, is it?”

“Just listen to me,” he snapped and your heart skipped a beat. This was the first time he had been so quick-tempered with you. He continued: “You started reminding me of my little sister every passing day and it made everything harder. I took different routes than I intended, just because you made me feel like I was at home with her.”

You smiled at him fondly. His reasons seemed perfectly valid to you; of course he missed her and if that made him want to be around you more, that was alright with you. Though, one thing he said bothered you.

“What do you mean it made everything harder?”

Rath swallowed and went completely silent. You could barely hear his breathing. The fire was dancing around gently and you could hear the crackling of the sparks. Rath’s exterior grew tense.

“There were rumors.”

“Rumors?”

Rath looked at you again. There was a deep, almost threatening blackness in his eyes as he looked at you. It made your breath hitch for a moment. You had never seen him look so dark.

“Rumors about something of great value being carried around. Something of immense power.”

“And you thought I could help with it?” you deducted, listening to him patiently and waiting for a more clear explanation. Rath seemed to be dragging it on and on, not entirely certain how to continue.

“They did not clarify what it was. Just that there was a prize for whoever brought it to Saruman.”

“Saruman?” you whispered, confused.

“The White Wizard.”

“Is that the reason we are going to Isengard? Did you find the item and not tell me?”

Rath did not respond. He looked at the grass beneath you and his face was blank.

“They said it was being carried by someone,” Rath continued, his voice almost cold now. “By a halfling.”

A wave of anxiety rushed through you and filled your heart. Your stomach twisted slightly at his words; words that you did not yet understand.

“What?”

“They said a halfling was carrying a great treasure and the one who brought it to him would redeem a great prize. And the halfling carrying it should be brought in alive and unharmed. And there were more rumors…”

“Rumors?” you asked again, your heart beating slightly faster. It felt like something heavy was pressing on your heart and shivers crept up your spine. Something was wrong.

“Rumors about the halfling. That the halfling carried the name ‘Baggins.’”

You moved away from him quickly. Not far, but you were no longer resting against him.

“What are you talking about?”

“This is not easy for me. I did not think I would grow so fond of you. I care about you.”

You stood up and took a step back from him. He looked at you with tears in his eyes, but his face was now cold and he was squeezing his fist roughly.

“Rath?” you said shakily. Your heart felt like it was going to jump out of your throat and your legs started to feel weak. It felt like your body was about to collapse.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way. The prize is too great. I need it. My family needs it. If you just give me the brooch, I can probably let you go,” he said, standing up and taking a step toward you. You took a few small steps back. His aura was now slightly threatening and your blood was going cold.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Just give it to me!” he said, his voice now loud and commanding. He took two quick steps toward you and tried to reach for the daisy brooch on your chest. Your breath hitched and you backed away from him again. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. It was a gift. It’s not–”

“Give me the damn thing!” Rath said, raising his voice. You felt tears rise to your eyes.

“No!” you cried and covered the brooch with your left hand. “It’s just a brooch! Please, stop this. You’re scaring me!”

Rath took several aggressive steps towards you and grabbed your hand. You squeezed the brooch tightly and he began trying to wrestle it off of you. Of course it was just a brooch, but Rath did not know it.

“Fucking give it to me!” he shouted, his eyes burning with rage. Your heart was beating so fast you could no longer hear properly. Dread took you over and you managed to squirm yourself off his grasp, falling on your side on the ground. You looked up at him, terrified, as you stumbled on your feet while getting back up. He was filled with rage. “I have to do this. I don’t want to have to hurt you!”

“No,” you responded with a shaky voice. You took one glance at your backpack, but it was out of your reach. You looked to your right but there was nothing you could use to defend yourself. Your head was spinning. Rath was betraying you. Rath’s gaze narrowed.

“You give me no choice,” he said, his voice dark and shaky. He started walking towards you with large, rage-filled steps. Your heart jumped and before you even realized it, you were running away with no sense of direction. It was still dark and you could not see ahead. Your only choices were to surrender to your friend who had betrayed your trust or to run for your life. You ran head first into the deep woods and did not look back. You could hear Rath’s heavy footsteps behind you as you ran and the wind howled in your ears.

—

“One more time!” Merry said, clapping his hands together once. 

“Alright, alright!” Pippin responded and picked up another acorn off the ground. He lifted it to the same level as his eyes and stuck his tongue out as he focused on his aim. With a gentle movement he threw the acorn towards Merry. Merry lifted his arm up quickly and caught the acorn mid-air.

“Yes!” shouted Merry and Pippin at the same time. Frodo and Boromir clapped at them enthusiastically, supporting their accomplishment. They had been throwing acorns for a while to pass the time and Merry and Pippin had managed to catch ten in a row. It was a silly way to pass the time, but Gandalf was busy thinking and they had to do something before moving forward.

“Can I try again? I believe I can beat your record,” Boromir said and smirked at Merry. 

“Go ahead. Though, I doubt it!”

Boromir chuckled and switched places with Pippin. He sat on the ground, his legs crossed and he picked up several acorns, throwing them at Merry all at once. A few hit him in the face, while the rest of them flew past him or dropped in his lap.

“Oh, my bad!” Boromir grinned.

“What was that about?” Merry cried, rubbing his stinging face.

“I just wanted to prove that you are no champion. I managed to catch five of them at once, after all.”

“You have bigger hands!” Merry responded and Boromir laughed loudly. “Besides, I was supposed to throw acorns for you to catch to prove you wrong.”

“Alright, alright!” Boromir said, his hands up in surrender. “I just wanted to mess with you, Merry. Do your best.”

Merry took a few acorns and put them on his left palm. He took one at a time, and by the eight one that Boromir had caught in a row, he found himself to be a sore loser; he threw all the acorns at once, hitting his big brother-figure in the face.

“Merry!” shouted Aragorn, who was now standing there beside them. He had not seen the playful banter before. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I was just-”

“Merry has been bullying Boromir a lot,” said Pippin. Merry’s jaw dropped at Pippin's good-natured betrayal.

“Pippin!” Merry cried.

“He has been absolutely awful,” grinned Pippin. Aragorn shook his head in disapproval.

“Stop messing with him and behave,” Aragorn said and smiled at Boromir knowingly. The three tended to tease Merry around a lot and these early hours of a new day were no different. Aragorn straightened his coat and gestured towards Gandalf. “He has made up his mind. We must proceed.”

Merry, Pippin and Boromir got up from the ground simultaneously and left the small piles of acorns behind. As they continued their journey, Boromir smirked and gave Merry a friendly smack on his back. 

“You’re all awful,” he muttered.

—

The morning light started to come up and you were panting heavily. The rock you were resting against was cold and your ankle was burning with pain. You had not heard any movement around you for fifteen minutes and you were wishing Rath was now far behind. 

You peeked from behind the mossy boulder and scanned your surroundings. There was no sign of any other living thing. You got into a more comfortable position, closed your eyes and burst into tears.

The betrayal felt like someone stabbed your heart and nothing had hurt you so badly in a long time. It was not quite as bad as when Merry left you, but it still felt like your world was once again collapsing around you. Your cheeks were burning up and you could taste the salty tears on your dried up lips. You wanted to scream the pain out. A small wail escaped your throat and you put your hand over your lips to suffocate your cries. You did not want to be heard.

“I know you’re here!” shouted Rath from somewhere close by and you immediately got up, limping away from your hiding spot. You were not sure if he heard you and had located you, but you did not feel safe staying still. The grass and gravel under you made soft noises as you went forward, and every now and then your ankle gave out, making you fall with a loud thump.

You scratched your cheek on the gravel as you fell on your stomach. It stung but you knew there was no time to stay and try to make it better. You got up so quickly you almost twisted your ankle again, so you fell on your knees. With a small cry of pain you got up again.

To your right was a cliff. There were many boulders around it and it looked like it would also have several places to take cover and hide, so you started to quietly limp towards it. When you reached the tall cliff, you turned around to see if Rath was anywhere in sight. All the trees were still and the sky was grey. Nothing was moving in the grass.

You turned your back to the forest and started climbing the cliff as fast as you could. Your ankle felt like it was about to crack off your body as you put your weight on it. Every step with it erupted a sharp grunt out of your mouth. Towards the top your hands started to slip as there was some water resting on top of the rocks. You could hear some movement of water in the pressuring silence. As you reached up, you finally felt the steady top of the cliff. In a grunt of pain you lifted yourself up and crashed down on the top, your cheek hitting the cold stone.

You barely had gotten up when your wrists were grabbed tightly and Rath turned you around to face him. With a loud scream of fear you started to fight him off.

“No!” you cried, trying to stay on your feet as the pain grew worse. Rath’s grip was strong and he was bruising your skin with every movement he made.

“I need to do this for my family!” Rath cried, his voice one of pain and guilt. His eyes were still filled with rage and despite being terrified of him, you could see he truly had grown fond of you and felt hurt himself.

“Let me go!” you said, tears falling down your scratched up and burning cheeks. “Please! Don’t do this!”

“My family needs this!” he shouted and pulled you in closer. His breath was hot on your face as he held onto you tightly He was trying to hold your wrists with one hand and the other one was trying to unhook the golden brooch off your cloak.

You felt yourself almost lose your balance and you took a quick glance over your shoulder. You were on the edge of the cliff and behind you, way down was dark water. It seemed endlessly deep. With one swift movement you tried to switch sides with Rath so you could push him down and run away before he got up from the water, but it was no use. He did not move an inch and his grip on you was still strong. The pain of his betrayal and physical assault made more tears fall from your eyes as you stumbled a bit closer to the edge.

“Stop!”

“My sister needs this. Just fucking--”

A loud wail of wind passed your ear and a fleshy sound followed it. An arrow sunk into the left side of Rath’s chest and your wrists were released. He fell on his back, gasping for air and your heart sank from the sight of your friend’s spirit passing away.

The brooch was steady on your chest but your feet slipped on the cold, grey, wet stone and you were no longer touching the ground. There was only air around you as you fell backwards and somewhere away from the cliff were loud noises you could not decipher. 

As you plunged into the cold water, you felt paralyzed and the darkness around you began consuming you. You could not move. You sunk down deeper and you could see movement on top of the cliff over the surface, but it was blurry and far. You felt your lungs get heavier and your head felt light. The last remaining air was escaping your lungs and the pressure in your body was growing unbearable. You thought of Merry and how you’d never be able to see him again. You thought of your parents and the way they died; how it was about to happen to you.

There was a loud splash you could barely hear through the ringing of your ears and as a large hand grabbed your cloak, your vision darkened and you saw no more.

NEXT CHAPTER

---

@chatteringfox @shiinata-library @ahobbitsjourney23 @mayo-advance @datglutengoblin @mournthewicked @channiesbedbug

[qprsmackdown]

Round 1 Match 8

PROPAGANDA (under the readmore):

Samfro:

There honestly isn’t an coherent way I can put their relationship, so I will be placing quotes said between the two characters that illustrates their love for one another: “I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. A promise. "Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee." And I don't mean to." “Don't go where I can't follow." “Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam" <- Frodo pretending he is telling their story and the fucking tender look he gives Sam and how he calls Sam heroic and how Sam wants to do an uno reverse and *unholy screeching* ugh 🥺

Merthur:

“Two Sides Of The Same Coin” “The Half Cannot Truly Hate That Which Makes It Whole” “Hold Me” Okay. Listen. The prince (and later, king) of Camelot starts talking to his date about how he wishes they could run away together and live on a farm. and bring his best friend Merlin of course, because duh. They are canonical soulmates even when Arthur marries a servant and makes her queen. They drink poison for each other within the first three episodes of season one, and then repeatedly risk their lives for one another. Merlin chooses to constantly betray the safety of himself and other magic users so that he can protect/save Arthur, and Arthur consistently breaks the code of what royalty should do so that he can protect/save Merlin. All the while being completely unaware that Merlin has been protecting him whatsoever!! Also, in a deleted scene, Arthur gives Merlin his mother’s sigil, which effectively associates you with the Pendragon family forever. Merlin is still waiting for Arthur, millennia after he dies, waiting for him to return. Alexander Vlahos said in an interview that “becomes a love story between two men. In a platonic sense, it becomes a brilliant love story between Arthur and Merlin.”

[the-tenth-arcanum]

9 people you'd like to get to know better

(lys sorry I re-liked your post a dozen times I was trying to keep it on top of my 2k liked posts otherwise I would never see it again. and then I got stuck on the very first question and I kept putting this off. but I'm doing this now! everybody clap)

tagged: @malinaa

tagging: @centurieslove | @fairyhagmother | @flowersandfashion | @tuttocenere | @herstarlight |

@stormsouls | @mayapleiades | @courtjestermerlin | @godmerlin

three non romantic duos:

Sam & Frodo! Who did it like them! "Don't go where I can't follow!" "Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam"! And other such hits. Crazy. To be honest there's a few non romantic duos from LOTR that I could pick but I love Sam Gamgee to death so I'm going with these two. Three hurrahs for borderline homoerotic devotion

2. Jen & Jack (Dawson's Creek). Dating myself here but I was obsessed with this teen drama as a teen. I've not really rewatched it since then because I'm afraid it will not live up to my nostalgic memories (though to be fair it started sucking so badly around S5 that I dropped it at the time and only tuned back in for the last episode lol). Anyway is there anything more beautiful than the friendship between a gay guy and his fag hag bestie? They were the cutest I love them both so much. I love how this show was so consistent in the way it portrayed their friendship. they were ride or die. I WANT WHAT THEY HAVE

3. Gaius & Merlin (lol). Okay I agonised over the last one but I couldn’t think of a better duo (sorry women 😔). I'm sure there are others I can't remember right now, but I do love them to be honest so why not them. I might have mentioned it before on my side blog but their relationship is probably my favourite in the show. I like the Chosen Family trope, okay? And I love that their relationship was important, in the show. They care so much about each other and it comes up time and time again. And their dynamic is fascinating, they're so similar in some ways and completely different in others. Immovable object vs unstoppable force. Thick as thieves, a pair of liars. As I once said—they lie so much, to other people, to themselves and to each other. And I think that's beautiful. Grey morality ❤

a ship that might surprise others: can't think of any tbh. I'm sure there are fics I've read that might surprise others, but only because I do check out a bit of everything if the premise sounds interesting enough to me, even with ships that are a bit out there. I don't really count that as shipping though.

last song: 80s medley I need to learn for my choir

last film: I don't really watch films anymore tbh 😭 I think the last one was when my aunt came to visit me last month—How Do You Know, which she chose because Paul Rudd was in it and it's probably the only reason to ever watch this film.

currently reading: Bliss & Blunder!! "A modern reworking of Arthurian legend". Or, the one where King Arthur is a tech bro. I'm enjoying it actually! (Nell if you're reading this I'll post some thoughts soon.ish. but I'm not even halfway through)

currently watching: nothing? I started Wolf Hall but I've watched less than half an episode over three lunch breaks and then I gave up for now because I'm meant to read a book and I can only focus on one (1) thing at the time apparently. but I might resume watching it at some point

currently consuming: nothing. hashtag minimalism

currently craving: local close friends so we can go out for a coffee and a chat 😔

[that-choir-girl]

Hi, I have a sort of specific request. Could you please write a Frodo Baggins x Hobbit!reader who wants nothing more than to go on an adventure and is childhood friends with Frodo because she loved Bilbo’s stories and none of the other children wanted to play with her because she was so un-hobbitish, then eventually found herself falling in love with Frodo and so when he leaves to go on his quest she is right there at his side, stubborn and extremely excited about it all. Not a hint of nervousness. Sort of being a constant for Frodo. I’d love that very much.

If not no worries. Thank you<3

hi, @dinofromspac3! tysm for requesting! i'ma give this a shot. sorry if the wait was longer, i went to the gym last night and didn't have time to write this. but here we go! hope ya like it :)!

Frodo and I have known each other for a long time. We've known each other since he moved in with his Uncle Bilbo after his parents drowned in some freak boating accident. The poor thing was so distraught for the first few months, and I didn't blame him. I'd often go over with some of his friends so that I could hear Mr. Bilbo's famous, un-Hobbitish adventures. His adventures made me want to go on my own adventure. A lot of Hobbit children thought I was queer as I wistfully dreamed about my own adventures, and didn't really speak to me. But I was okay with that. At least I had Merry, Pippin, Sam, and, of course, Frodo.

Eventually, Frodo asked me if I wanted to go out and pretend to have an adventure like his uncle once did. Of course, we never ventured anywhere outside the Shire. It was not our business to know what the folks from distant lands were up to. Most likely, wars. And adventures, now to think about that. Apparently, Hobbits were nonexistent to the Men, Elves, and Dwarves, and didn't even bother coming to invade the Shire because they knew nothing about it. We were grateful for that, at least. But at the same time, life got a little boring, since we had nothing to do.

Eventually, I found myself falling for Frodo. I didn't want to, but my thoughts were on no one else but him. He was probably the sweetest human being on this entire planet. And I didn't like him because of the large fortune he'd soon inherit from his uncle. The only person who knew I had a crush on the Baggins heir was Rosie Cotton, my friend from the Green Dragon.

When Frodo had gone home with Sam, I went along with them. And soon, Sam and I found ourselves eavesdropping on Frodo's and Gandalf's conversation about a once-lost ring that he was currently in possession of. And soon, we found ourselves going on this adventure, which made me even more nervous than before. Because I knew that what Frodo was carrying was dangerous. I was scared for him, and his life. But so far, everything seemed as normal as it could be. That is, until we reached Weathertop.

I never left his side during that time when he was mortally wounded. I was there at his side the entire time, letting him hold his hand in mine. When a she-elf came to whisk Frodo away to safety, Sam had to hold me back.

"I don't want to leave him!" I exclaimed through tears as I tried to yank myself out of Sam's grip. But his hold was too tight on my arms. I couldn't do anything except to watch as Frodo was whisked away from me.

"I think she's getting him to safety, Miss y/n," Sam tried to reassure me.

Although it did comfort me slightly, I was still nervous about the fact that I could possibly lose my best friend. If I went back to the Shire without him, life would be more dull and boring than it had been before. I wouldn't have a reason to live.

Luckily, Frodo had managed to survive, and I hardly left his side, no matter how tired he was. And when he woke up, I was there to greet him, relieved that he was alive and alright. I stayed by his side before Sam had to pull me away from him so that I could get some rest.

Soon after the council was over, and the Hobbits and I had joined, I could hear Merry and Pippin complaining quite loudly amongst themselves in the garden about mine and Frodo's friendship.

"All they've been doing is giving each other googly, heart-shaped eyes to each other for years. And I'm getting kinda sick of it," Merry complained to Pippin.

"They should be together by now. I'm tired of them standing at a distance and not saying anything."

"You know what, Pip. I'm thinking the exact same thing. They should have confessed their feelings to each other by now."

It took me a moment to realize that they were talking about me and Frodo. I blushed brightly, and pretended to not hear what Merry and Pippin were saying.

Great, they noticed?

I turned and tip-toed away before the duo found out I had been eavesdropping. But not even an hour later, Merry and Pippin found me in my room as I was reading a book I had found from Lord Elrond's large library.

"You could knock next time, ya know," I commented without bothering to look up. I kept my nose buried in the book. "It's not that hard."

The duo ignored me.

"Tell us, y/n," said Pippin. "Do you have a crush on Frodo?"

That got me to look up in surprise, but I quickly recovered, trying to shrug the feeling off.

"No. Why do you bother asking?"

"C'mon, y/n! For years, you've been giving him heart-shaped, lovey-dovey eyes and you never say anything about it! I'm getting a little sick of it." Merry complained

"It's because I'm scared, alright?" I snapped in return.

"C'mon. You shouldn't be scared of confessing, y/n. He likes you, too," Merry insisted.

"You're just saying that so that my hopes can get up," I grumbled as I continued to flip through the book I'd found.

"No! Y/n, we swear to the Valinor, that he likes you back!" Pippin pleaded. I glared at him, not entirely convinced that he was telling me the entire truth.

"And we think that we may know where to find him," Merry added, winking at me.

"It's nighttime. Frodo's probably in bed, and I'm not going to disturb him just to tell him that I like him."

"Oh, come on! You're no fun, y/n! Can you please just trust us? Just this once?"

I glared at them and then sighed, putting my book down.

"Alright, since you asked so nicely." That got both of the boys to cheer. "But don't think that I'll let you off that easily!"

I got up and followed them, letting the duo pull me along. Almost immediately, I regretted letting them do this to me. But at the same time, I knew that I had to confess to Frodo at some point, because I had no idea what our future holds. Any of us could die during this quest.

They led me to the courtyard. Not the same one we'd had the meeting in, but a completely different one.

"Isn't about time that everyone was in bed by now?" I asked, clearly confused.

"Well, not everyone," Merry hinted mysteriously. He then shoved me in the shoulders, trying to get me to go. "Well, go on."

I knew exactly what he was doing. But I sighed and entered the courtyard. There, sitting on the stone bench of Rivendell, was Frodo. He gazed up at the stars. He was so immersed in watching the stars that he jumped when I finally approached him.

"Y/n," he greeted. He patted the empty space next to him, giving me room to sit. "What brings you here?"

"Uh. . . . I dunno. Couldn't sleep, I guess," I quietly replied. "And I guess that I needed some fresh air."

That was partially true. I couldn't sleep, so I had gone ahead and read the book I'd found in Elrond's fancy library. I turned my gaze to the sky, watching the little pinpricks of light twinkling overhead.

"The stars look beautiful tonight," I finally commented.

"Not as beautiful as you," Frodo unexpectedly commented. I turned to stare at him in surprise. He then realized what he'd said, and his eyes went wide. "I-I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said that! Not this quickly, anyways —"

I only shook my head in reply, smiling softly. I pressed my lips firmly against his, kissing him softly. He tensed, at first, clearly surprised, before melting into the kiss. He wrapped his arms gently around my waist, bringing me closer. I wrapped my arms around his neck, wanting him close to me.

He bit my lower lip, asking politely for entrance. I giggled and granted his request. He explored my mouth, and I explored his. The feeling gave me butterflies. I never wanted this moment to end.

"Gross! Get a room, you two!" Pippin complained loudly. His voice caused us to break apart.

"Quit ruining the moment, you fool of a Took!" I retorted.

"You know what? I think we will get a room," Frodo hastily replied. "C'mon, y/n."

He grabbed my hand and led me to his room, where we snuggled together for the rest of the night.

***Whew! I hope that this was alright! Lemme know if you want any more changes :)!***

[verecunda]

ooh! for the ship thing...Aragorn/Legolas (showing my fandom age there a bit XD ) anddddd Frodo/Sam please!

Yay! (lol you're fine, I'm showing mine too now. XD)

Aragorn/Legolas

Nah, I don't ship this one. I remember becoming aware of it, years ago, long before I ever really got fandomy about Tolkien myself, and my first reaction then was ".....?" Honestly, it just seemed like a ship that comes from the desire to smush two hot guys together. Which is as valid a reason to ship anything as any other, it's just not one I jive with personally. Also, tbh, there is always a part of me that thinks (not very seriously), "Tch. Weak. You want pretty blonde Legolas to get absolutely wrecked by someone rough and hairy, but you're not brave enough for it to be Gimli." :P

So, nah. I just don't get the impetus for this one. (But if any dedicated shipper happens to read this and wants to give me a manifesto on why these two are actually great together, I'm all ears. Genuinely! I love it when people are full of squee about their ships, and I'm always here to have my eyes opened. :D)

Sam/Frodo

shdfkdjfkdlsa !!!!!!!!! Just... I MEAN... *points frantically at the whole story* HOBBIT LOVE 5EVA.

Like, I'm fairly sure Tolkien never actually intended to write them as gay, and one of the wonderful things about his writing is that he writes all these beautiful, emotionally open and sincere friendships between men, but at the same time, this is what true romance is for me. The devotion! The absolute trust! The hand-holding! The devotion! The fact that for the Quest to succeed, it needs the two of them together! "I love him, whether or no"!!! "FRODO WOULDN'T HAVE GOT FAR WITHOUT SAM." The devotion! "Here at the end of all things" etc.! THIS WHOLE BIT:

‘Safely!’ said Sam. ‘All alone and without me to help you? I couldn’t have a borne it, it’d have been the death of me.’ ‘It would be the death of you to come with me, Sam,’ said Frodo, ‘and I could not have borne that.’ ‘Not as certain as being left behind,’ said Sam. ‘But I am going to Mordor.’ ‘I know that well enough, Mr. Frodo. Of course you are. And I’m coming with you.’

T_____T

Then there's all the Beren and Lúthien parallels, and the devotion, and "Don't go where I can't follow!" AND HE DOESN'T, BECAUSE SAM DOES FOLLOW HIM IN THE END!!! (Honestly, the first time I read that in the Appendices, I actually felt something in my heart being put back together.)

And God, just the fact that Elijah Wood and Sean Astin spend all three films looking at each other like this:

That's true love, right there. ❤️

Send me a ship and I'll explain why I do or don't ship it.

[supermacaroniandsqueezeblr]

“‘And Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam, would he, dad?"'

'Now, Mr. Frodo,' said Sam, 'you shouldn't make fun. I was serious.'

'So was I,' said Frodo, 'and so I am.’”

This part always makes my heart melt 🥹

[carlandrea]

But you've left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the stouthearted. "I want to hear more about Sam, dad. Why didn't they put in more of his talk, dad? That's what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam, would he, dad?"'

'Now, Mr. Frodo,' said Sam, 'you shouldn't make fun. I was serious.'

'So was I,' said Frodo, 'and so I am.

;-; HEY JIRT. LET THEM GO HOME NOW

[luminouslumity]

So because my birthday falls on the same day as Tolkien Reading Day (aka the defeat of Sauron), I've basically made it a tradition to read the book, watch the PJ films, and listen to the musical for the funsies! And at least as it pertains to the chapters set on this day, these are probably my two favorite scenes (though that's also not really saying much, because let's face it, they're all great)!

Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam indeed! I know his importance to this entire journey has been praised by many already—even by Mr. Tolkien himself—but whether it's the books or the films, I will never get enough of Sam's devotion to Frodo and vice versa! Because at its heart, The Lord of the Rings is a story about love! Pure, unconditional love!

Have a Happy Tolkien Reading Day, everyone!

[madridismodelcorazon4ever]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks....

Hey there! I'm sorry for taking so long to answer, I've been away and only checked Tumblr in a rush.

Actually, I haven't had asks for a long time so this is really nice, thank you for the question!

Gotta say my top changes depending on my current obsessions haha but once I fall in love with a character, they stay in my heart forever.

Here comes my top 10:

1. Chu Wanning from 2ha/Erha (The Husky and His White Cat Shizun). Where do I start with Chu Wanning? I was never able to properly express everything this man made me feel along the journey that 2ha was. He is, imo, what makes the story so lovable and memorable, so unique. Cold and aloof but at the same time gentle, kind and eternally selfless, Chu Wanning is a dream character that changes the way you perceive things.

2. Lan Wangji from Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed - Lan Wangji is my first danmei love and has a special place in my heart. The fact that Wang Yibo plays him in the drama can only make his character more special for me because even though I love him in the novel, I adore him in the drama! Yibo's charm is unparalleled.

3. Kagome Higurashi from Inuyasha - my childhood sweetheart! So brave, smart beautiful and kind (she is, in fact, way too good for Inuyasha, I've always said that... but it is what it is I guess). She deserves the world! Kagome is the one who helped Inuyasha grow into a real man, make friends and become more understanding with people around him. Props to the best girl ever!

4. Eiji Okumura from Banana Fish - the definition of an angel boy! Eiji is to me what he was to Ash in the anime: a balm for the soul. He soothes everyone around him and allows them to be themselves without restraints. I loved him since the first moment I saw him!

5. Sunja from Pachinko - a female character that stayed with me for a long time after finishing the book. Sunja fell in love with Hansu - a proud and rich man who already had a family of his own. She was left alone with a kid, struggled and raised her children by selling kimchi on the streets of Japan (Sunja had one more kid later on with another man, pastor Baek who did what Hansu never dared to - married Sunja and formed a family with her). Throughout her journey, she never gave up and sacrificed many things for her family. She is kind, fierce, brave and unwavering.

6. Hua Cheng/Xie Lian from Tian Guan Ci Fu/Heaven Official's Blessing - just can't choose between these two. They're amazing characters individually but together they're perfection! They're also my favourite danmei otp so far and I guess their obsession for each other only makes them more appealing. I adore how Hua Cheng respects Xie Lian's opinions and decisions even when he doesn't agree with them and how Xie Lian saw right through Hua Cheng and didn't misjudge him like everybody else. Once again: perfection!

7. L from Death Note - a favorite since childhood. Death Note has been incredibly dear to me ever since I was a little kid. I admired and was fascinated by L's intelligence and diligence, he was an unbothered king from beginning to end! His "fights" with Kira were legendary and made the story an unforgettable masterpiece.

8. Sam from Lord of the Rings - everybody loves Sam but let's be honest, who wouldn't be in love with such an outstanding character? I have to say Frodo is a close second fave from LOTR and now that I'm an adult and see things in a different light, I'm in love with Sam and Frodo's relationship. Who needs a spouse when you've got such homies? Lmao! They're both (along with the other members of the fellowship) the heroes of the story. Sam was especially dedicated and loyal and also said one of my favorite quotes of all time: "There's still some good in this world, Mr Frodo. And it's worth fighting for!"

9. Nana and Hachi from Nana - again, I can't choose between the two heroines of this iconic anime. They're strikingly different but compliment each other perfectly. And let's get real - their relationship was the best thing of the story. Sorry guys, but the girls got the upper hand in Nana! I loved Nana and Ren but unfortunately, their bond was very toxic whilst Nana and Hachi developed a healthy and happy relationship throughout the tale. Still bitter about the ending of Nana though...

10. Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach - another childhood sweetheart. Rukia made me watch Bleach and as a kid she was a role model for me. She's one of the best female characters ever created and I love her for being so brave, strong, witty, persistent and understanding. She's Ichigo's (the protagonist) pillar and strengthens him whenever he's down. As a young girl, I must say I shipped them together but nevertheless, I'm happy with how the story ended because Renji has always loved her (and protected her too, in his own way).

[crash6425]

Sam: I wonder if we'll ever be put into songs or tales.

Frodo: [turns around] What?

Sam: I wonder if people will ever say, 'Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring.' And they'll say 'Yes, that's one of my favorite stories. Frodo was really courageous, wasn't he, Dad?' 'Yes, my boy, the most famousest of hobbits. And that's saying a lot.'

Frodo: [continue walking] You've left out one of the chief characters - Samwise the Brave. I want to hear more about Sam. [stops and turns to Sam]

Frodo: Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam.

Sam: Now Mr. Frodo, you shouldn't make fun; I was being serious.

Frodo: So was I. [they continue to walk]

Sam: Samwise the Brave...”