#daisy gamgee

[matiasthecamilion]

Hc about the Gamgee siblings

So.... Hey!

I'm just going to leave some of my headcanons and drawings that I have about the siblings

Sisters:

May (0.85cm):

° The prettiest of the sisters (according to hobbit standards)

° The most feminine.

° Her craft is to be a healer and midwife (she later taught Rosie)

° Her Pa' and Sam taught her to recognize medicinal plants and how to use them.

° She likes to sew and mend.

° The most romantic among all her siblings (after Sam)

° She hates mud but adapts well to field work.

° She, along with Daisy, are the ones who take care of their Pa' the most and are attentive to him.

° She has a strong hand but she doesn't like to fight.

° She is very good at cooking

Daisy (1.00 m):

° She has a motherly and serious nature.

° She is in charge of directing the management and tasks of the home.

° Mother complex.

° The strongest of her sisters.

° The most similar to Bell (except for her brown hair)

° Works as a laundress.

° Of all the siblings, she's the one who understands best with Hamson.

° She has a special affection for Frodo.

° She's not very good at cooking but she makes up for it.

° She is very good at accounting.

Marigold (0.90 cm):

° The most outgoing along with Hal.

° The most "bocona" (that is, she can't stop talking even when she shouldn't)

° She is a little spoiled.

° She is in charge of running errands for their home.

° She always wants to follow Sam wherever he goes.

° Has an affinity with animals.

° Work at the Cotton's Farm (mainly for jobs that don't require a lot of physical strength)

° The most open-minded of the siblings.

° Especially attached to Hamfast (although she doesn't know how to show it)

° She has no problem doing heavy work.

° She is quite insightful.

° Her hair is extremely unruly and uncontrolled.

° She is the most likely to fight or argue (Véase, ella es peleona)

Brothers:

Halfred (1.12 cm):

° The tallest of the siblings.

° The most extrovert.

° His craft is being a baker

° He is the least interested in gardening.

° He likes joking.

° When he is around his Pa' he tries to keep a serious attitude.

° He gets along specifically well with Marigold.

° His best friend is Hamson.

° From time to time he helps MG with her work on the Farm.

° He is much more observant than he seems.

° Sam and MG are his spoiled little siblings.

° He doesn't know how to express his emotions.

° He loves to dance.

Hamson (1.00m):

° Along with Daisy they have the same eyes as Bell.

° Big brother complex.

° He has the most serious character of all the siblings.

° The most similar to the Gaffer in personality.

° He and Daisy always seek comfort in each other.

° His craft is to be a carpenter.

° He is in charge of repairing the furniture in their home or in Bag end.

° He finds it difficult to express his emotions.

° (Although he may not seem like it) he is very judgmental(? with his neighbors (Or Es bien juzgoncito)

° He goes out of his way for his siblings.

° He cares too much about his dad.

° Daisy is his confidant.

° He tried for a while to be the support of his home to relieve his father (although his Gaffer obviously did not allow it)

° Sometimes he helped his dad with the gardens.

° He is the one who has spent the most time with Frodo among the siblings and that is why he worries about him (although he chooses to keep his distance)

Samwise (1.10m):

° He is the most physically similar to his dad.

° The shyest of the siblings.

° Lass are easily attracted to him.

° Before Frodo's arrival in Bag End he thought that Bilbo was the most elvish hobbit in the entire Shire.

° May taught him everything he knows about cooking.

° He adores the dirt and plants almost as much as the Gaffer.

° He is quite clumsy but when he concentrates on doing things he is passionate about or protecting his loved ones, he stops being that way.

° He composes songs and poems in his free time.

° He knows how to draw structurally correct flowers.

° Gets angry easily.

° Explosive temperament.

° He spends most of his time lost in his head.

° He tends to talk more when it comes to people he feels comfortable with.

° It is difficult for him to express his emotions in front of his dad.

° He is constantly scolded for "talking about fantastic nonsense".

[merilles]

daisy gamgee 🌼💙

[arc-en-disco]

Samwise Gamgee, humble gardener and lover of trees, with a bouquet of wildflowers.

All pencil with a bit of fineliner

[frodo-with-glasses]

More Reading Thoughts: The Epilogue, Version One

The long-awaited sequel!! I’m reading the Epilogue as it appears in “The End of the Third Age”, from The History of The Lord of the Rings as compiled by Christopher Tolkien.

Tagging @lady-merian because she’s been asking for this for a LONG time 🤣

Manuscript A

It’s interesting that “well, I’m back” wasn’t originally supposed to be the end of the story. It’s become something iconic now—the perfect, hauntingly understated ending, harkening back to “there and back again”—but the only reason it seems so abrupt is because Tolkien actually meant to write on.

I like both, honestly. This Epilogue has so much good stuff in it, but it would make an already slow book even slower; “well I’m back” is lovely for what it is. ^-^

“Elanor 15, Frodo 13, Rose 11, Merry 9, Pippin 7.” Just looking at their names and the list of ages gets me in the heart. Argh, I love these kids ;u;

Sam resting by the fire in this study! And he’s surrounded by his kids! And they’re listening to him read the Red Book!! AAAHHHHHH

“…And there was Frodo-lad on the heathrug, in spite of his name as good a copy of Sam as you could wish…” D’aww 8-D Named Frodo, looks like Sam. That’s adorable.

AND THERE’S GOLDILOCKS AND HAM AND BABY DAISIE AND—

*strangled screech*

SAM. CALLS ELANOR. ELLIE.

I’M GONNA HECKIN’ CRY

Confirmed that Merry and Pippin traveled to Gondor and Rohan multiple times in their lives! That’s wonderful!

And now: the Gamgee children being carbon copies of their namesakes begins.

Merry Jr. is inordinately proud of Merry Sr. and wants to grow tall like him.

Pippin Jr. is likewise inordinately proud of Pippin Sr. and insists that Merry isn’t the tallest anyway.

“Is he Prince Peregrin away down in the Stone City, dad?” Oh my word.

First of all: the fact that this little hobbit lad knows Minas Tirith familiarly enough to call it the Stone City.

Secondly: I mean they did call him a prince of the halflings at first—

Frodo Jr. wants to hear about the spider again because he likes the parts where his dad comes in ;u;

And Elanor wants to know about the flower she’s named after!

Elanor: I want to go see my flower! Sam: There’s a prettier one if you look in a mirror. Elanor: Daaaad…

Rose Jr. is worried about the elves going away TT-TT

Sam is secretly very proud of the Mallorn tree in the Party Field LOL

Legolas lives in Ithilien! And Pippin says they’ve made it very lovely, which means he’s seen it! WHICH MEANS PIPPIN GOT TO HANG OUT WITH LEGOLAS AND FARAMIR AND BEREGOND AND BERGIL AGAIN—

Frodo Jr. loves Gimli and wants an axe LOL

Gimli and his dwarves helped to rebuild Minas Tirith! And now they live in the mountains behind it!! And he goes to visit the Glittering Caves every two years! Tolkien thought of EVERYTHING

And nobody knows if anyone’s seen Treebeard lol

ROSE JR. LOOKS FOR THE ENTWIVES WHEN SHE GOES WALKING IN THE WOODS I’M GONNA CRY

Haha Sam shuts down the “its not fair”s so fast, he’s such a dad 🤣

‘Don’t talk like that to me,’ said Sam sternly. ‘If it ain’t fair for Ellie and Fro to sit up after supper it ain’t fair for them to be born sooner, and it ain’t fair that I’m your dad and you’re not mine.’

My dad made up an “it’s not fair” song when I was a kid and this is reminding me of that for the first time in over a DECADE

Le gasp! Sam has a SecretTM!

“A dead hush of expectancy fell on all the children: they watched him as hobbit-children of other times had watched the wizard Gandalf.” Hello yes I will cry

THE KING IS COMING HERE

I love that Aragorn himself won’t enter the Shire according to his own decree

But he has sent! A Fancy ScrollTM!

“Elessar Aragorn Arathornsson the Elfstone King of Gondor and of the Westlands…” Local man has too many names, authorities report

And now Tolkien gives elvish names to all Sam’s kids. Nerd.

“‘Samwise or Halfwise who should rather be called Plainwise.’ So now you know what the King thinks of your dad you’ll maybe give more heed to what he says.” LOL SAM COULD YOU GET ANY MORE DADLY

All Frodo Jr. takes away from this is “MUST INTERROGATE FATHER”

And they’re gonna stay with the King and Queen at the house on the Lake for a few weeks!! HOW EXCITING

Tbh I like the first version of Sam’s conversation with Rosie better. (The one marked with footnote #6, if you have the book.) It gives more character to Rosie, which is in short supply; and I like the idea of her almost prophetically starting to sing on the day Sam is about to return. Something very Elvish and Tolkien about that.

And Sam tells us he is all whole and healed so as to preemptively shut down the angst writers. (But we will survive muahaha >:-D)

“The went in and shut the door. But even as he did so Sam heard suddenly the sigh and murmur of the sea on the shores of Middle-earth.” OHOHOHO NONONO DON’T DO THIS TO ME

Manuscripts B and C

WAIT—in one version of Appendix A Gimli became LORD OF THE GLITTERING CAVES?? HELLO??

EDIT: I have been informed that Gimli being Lord of the Glittering Caves did, in fact, make it into the final version of the book, and I just didn’t pay enough attention LOL

Also “Master Samwise who should be called Fullwise”

“I think maybe the Entwives don’t want to be found” *EYES EMOJI*

Merry Jr. asks too many questions about horses! Carbon copies, I tell ya!

The amount of times Tolkien changed the beginning of Aragorn’s letter to include different names and titles is killing me 🤣🤣

[the-golden-oath]

An Arrangement for the Heart

AO3 Link Here

Summary:

Frodo stumbles upon a flower shop in her search for a gift during an unfortunate rainstorm. The shop owner is a charming artist of flower arrangement and the nearly-forgotten language of them. Frodo’s foray into the world of flowers brings welcome discoveries and the blossoming of something Frodo will cherish more than any flower.

Words: 6,816

Chapters: 1/1

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: F/F, F/M

Fandom: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types

Relationships: Frodo Baggins/Sam Gamgee, Arwen Undómiel & Frodo Baggins, Aragorn & Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins & Frodo Baggins, Frodo Baggins & The Fellowship of the Ring, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Aragorn/Arwen Undómiel, Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield

Characters: Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee, Marigold Gamgee, Daisy Gamgee, Bilbo Baggins, The Fellowship of the Ring, Aragorn (Tolkien), Arwen Undómiel

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe – Modern Setting, Alternate Universe – Flower Shop, Female Frodo Baggins, Female Samwise Gamgee, Female Bilbo Baggins, Language of Flowers, Tea Dates, Soft, bagginshield is only mentioned and also het

[tavtiers]

if the ask box is open, can I request a maid of Hope analysis?

The Maid of Hope [symbols: flower, angel wings]

The Maid class has its basis in the handmaiden or lady-in-waiting. An example would be Joan of Arc.

The Hope aspect’s main theme is assurance. You can find its official description here.

A Maid of Hope is among those who alter faith in possibility. This is the “classpect group” they belong to. Members include: the Sylph, Maid, Bard, and Prince of Hope/Rage. These classes are all opposites or inverses of each other that alter the Hope/Rage dichotomy (faith in possibility). A description of classpect groupings can be found here.

The Maid of Hope actively assists the Hope aspect. Active classes tell themselves what to do and do so for their own benefit. They are more likely to stand up for themselves, but more likely to be cruel. Sylphs and Maids aid their aspect and everything it symbolizes or use it as a form of aid. Simplified, the Maid of Hope is motivated by themselves to assist assurance.

In personality, the Maid of Hope feels like something is holding them back and has big dreams. Personality descriptions can be found here.

Their archetype is the Escapee Believer, defined by freedom and assurance. Archetypes are explained here.

Their opposite is the Sylph of Rage, who passively assists defiance.

Their inverse is the Bard of Rage, who passively destroys defiance.

A classpect or “god tier” is an individual’s best self. All classpects go through a journey from unrealized, to struggle, to realized. When a character is unrealized, they neutrally exist as their inverse. On their struggle, they will wildly flip back and forth between their inverse and true classpect. In their worst moments they will act as their inverse, in their best their true classpect. When realized, they will stabilize as their true classpect. They will still have room to grow, but will become happier, more successful people.

This means that the Maid of Hope begins life motivated by others to destroy defiance. When their struggle arrives and they are at their worst, they will continue this behavior in negative extremes. However, when at their best, they will find purpose in instead assisting assurance for themselves. When realized, they will stabilize and continue to assist the Hope aspect actively, in a positive way.

They share their archetype with the Page of Breath, the Believer Escapee.

The Maid of Hope would quest on a planet similar to the Land of Underground [Maid] and Hope [Aspect]. An example would be the Land of Coffins and Daisies. An explanation of planet naming conventions can be found here.

Two possible gods, or denizens, to reign over their planet would be Dionysus (God of Revelry) or Abraxas (the Great Archon). Other Hope aspect denizens can be found here.

When the Maid of Hope completes their planet quests and dies on their quest bed, they would rise to ascension on the wings of doves (symbols of peace). A list of soul animals can be found here.

The characters that I have currently classpected as Maids of Hope are: Merrill from Dragon Age, Lord Woolsley from Dragon Age, Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings, and Sardonyx from Steven Universe.

If any of the links not connected to my blog break, the content can be found on my Google Drive.

Official Aspect Descriptions Personality Descriptions Aspect Denizens

[mithrilandvilya]

The Courage of Rosie Cotton – The Untold Story of Rosie’s Rebellion 

3th  fear/courage/adventure 

The Courage of Rosie Cotton – The Untold Story of Rosie’s Rebellion 

Rosie’s love had not come back.  

She lay awake night after night, wondering what happened to her Sam and fearing a future without him.  She had never imagined any life except that she would be his bride, and they would have many children and till the land as the Cottons and Gamgees had always done.  She had never wanted anything else. But the world was changing for the worse before her eyes, and now what had once felt like the inevitable and obvious destiny now felt more remote with each passing day.  

Sam had told her what he could to explain why he must go.  Frodo needed his help and they should be back in Spring.  Rosie knew Sam loved Frodo and that it was not a misplaced loyalty.  Frodo, although rather eccentric like his uncle, was wise and kind.  He would never drag Sam down the wrong path.  So, she had encouraged her beau to serve Frodo well, have an exciting journey and tell her everything when he got back.  

They had whispered the idea of a May wedding, after all was done and settled. It was now May 25th, and instead of dancing in Sam’s arms at their ceremony, Rosie was sitting in a cell in the Shirriff’s jail and Sam was missing. 

It all seemed to begin with Lotho moving into Bag End, but some of it had apparently started before – it came to light that he had bought the Old Mill and shut it down, and that he was selling off his Pipe Weed outside of the Shire.  Next, he was taking goods from Bag End and selling it off to buy land all over the Shire, but not at a fair price.  Strange, creepy men had turned up and were bullying folks into selling for dirt cheap prices.   

That morning the mill shut down, the Mayor had got up a group of hobbits to protest and she had passed by and stopped to see what all the ruckus was about.  

“You can’t stop progress!” Lotho was bickering. “I own the Old Mill and can do with it what I like.  I’ve an interested buyer and industrialization is the future.  The Shire is a backwater and I will not see it stay so. A coal-powered mill is coming, and that is just the start.  I warn you backward Hobbits, if you stand in the way of progress, we will mow you down, so get out of the way!” 

Lotho left, and so did she, but that night she was horrified to learn that he had come back with Ruffians and jailed the Mayor!   

If only Frodo had not gone off on whatever was his urgent errand, surely none of this would have happened.  No one had ever imagined that the absence of a few could be so devastating to so many.  Sam would be so furious to see what was happening now, and noble Frodo would surely have prevented it if he had seen it coming, despite his reputation as a gentle fellow. 

Never had she been more confused and afraid.  It was as if the world had turned upside down.  Now Lotho had set himself up as a chief, calling himself the Shirriff.  The Shirriff was passing new laws left and right and the natural inclinations of most Hobbits to be law-abiding and peaceful meant most were so busy trying to understand the new rules and stay out of the way of the Ruffians that they could hardly pay attention to the ongoing plunder of Bag End, the disappearance of the crops, rising prices, unsavory new neighbors, or anything else.  

The latest tragedy was that Lotho had seized her friend Daisy’s family home because they didn’t pay some tax that no one had ever even heard of.  But he produced the papers, and Rosie’s father Tolman (Tom) Cotton had shaken his head along with everyone else at their unfortunate plight.   

“It seems there’s nothing to be done, the law is the law, but this sure doesn’t sit well in my heart,” he had said.  He opened his home to the homeless neighbors as the best solution he could come up with, but he wondered what tax he himself was forgetting to pay and worrying his own home would be next. 

Rosie had shared her space with Daisy, both being lone daughters of fathers with many sons, and her heart ached so much when Daisy put her head on her shoulder and cried.   

“What did we ever do to deserve this!  I miss home so much, but even now if we got it back, they’ve ruined it!  They made us sell our field last month, so however will we even eat?” she cried. Rosie tried to remain optimistic and console her. 

“Oh Daisy, we’d never let you go hungry, and I know it is no consolation for your own home, but ours is yours as long as you want.  Things will get better!”   

“But how do you know?  What if you Cottons lose your place next?  Shirriff Lotho is taking up everything.” 

Rosie didn’t have an answer, and when she found some time alone, her brave, cheerful face disintegrated, and she, too, shed tears. 

Being May, it was well into planting season.  Many cold-tolerant crops had already been sown, but the Cottons had a lot more work to do tending them and getting the later-season foods in the ground.  Today she was re-seeding a quick-growing squash in with the tall-boy beans and dandy corn.  Although still not at flower, in this depressed creek-flood plain, many stalks were already quite tall, over her head.  

She was relieved that things had gotten a little better for Daisy’s family – Lotho had hired them to work their old fields, letting them stay in out-buildings, and promised them enough of the harvest to live through the winter. Rosie feared he would keep them just above starving and was determined that her family’s own harvest be extra-bountiful to supplement. 

Rosie was grateful for the work to distract her from thinking too much.  That was why at first she hadn’t noticed the two Shirriff’s men walking around in the field, pacing off and taking notes.  She stepped into the next row and almost bumped into one of them, but thankfully his back was to her and he was busy shuffling some papers that had blown out of his hands and needed re-sorting.  She ducked back to her former place while her heart pounded in her chest so loudly that surely they could hear it.  A few seconds of listening to them verified what she had been dreading – they were acting as if the Cotton farm was a soon-to-be-acquired parcel of Lotho’s.  To them, it was a foregone conclusion and they were just dotting Is and crossing Ts.  

She could not stay hidden. As soon as they moved at all they would see her and she would look positively foolish.  So, after a moment’s hesitation, Rosie steeled herself and continued her planting as if she had heard nothing, fighting back tears and hands trembling, with the foolhardy idea of listening in further if they would ignore her.  She knew it was a dumb idea, but nothing else came to her. 

The pacing man arrived back from his walk-off, gave new numbers to the paper holder and noticed Rosie bent over a row just a few yards off.  He leered at her in such a creepy way that Rosie instantly felt horribly violated and afraid. 

“That’s right, girly,” he smirked.  “Bend over and work that row for us like a good doll and maybe I’ll keep you warm and fed this winter.  You’ll be grateful for whatever I give you.”   

“Whatever I give you” was said with so much lustful harassment, Rosie felt threatened that he would grab and assault her right then and there.  She jumped up, piles of seeds spilling off her petticoat, and clumsily ran off on queasy legs, desperate to get away from the jeers and laughs of Lotho’s thugs. 

She found her brother Nibs plowing on the other side of the oak stand.  One look at her face and he had dropped the plow mid-stride and come to her.  She couldn’t bring herself to verbalize what she had just been through; it was too terrible, personal, and fresh for words.  Instead, she focused on explaining to Nibs through her choked sobs that they were about to lose everything, just as Daisy’s family had done. 

Nibs was stunned and almost didn’t believe her.  He was by nature trusting and cheerful if a little mischievious, and kept his nose out of other’s business.  He hadn’t given any thought to something like this happening, but his protective brother instinct told him Rosie wasn’t messing around and he quickly ushered her out of the fields into their kitchen and started making her a cup of tea. 

“Tea?”  Rosie sniffled.  “Nibs, that is sweet, but this is no time for tea.  Please, go get Da and the rest, they must know what is happening.  We have to figure out something to do!”  Nibs was inclined to tease Rosie for trying to boss him around if she weren’t so shaken.  Instead, he did as she wished, and soon the Cottons had abandoned their fields for a meeting in the kitchen.  When all were settled, Rosie re-told her story, but this time she found the courage to recount the whole thing.  Nibs dropped his tea at the part he hadn’t been told before, and Tom Jr., was so furious that he would’ve stormed out to the field to beat those brigands to a pulp had his other two brothers not restrained him.   

“I’ve got to go to talk to Lotho.  The rest of you stay here,” Senior had hastily said and soon the meeting was just silence.   

But Da didn’t come back! The next morning, Jolly and Nick set out early and before sunrise had finished, came back to report that Father Cotton had been jailed by Lotho after they argued.  Rosie was utterly distraught.  Sam didn’t come back, Da didn’t come back, who was next?   

Working in the fields today felt absolutely absurd and dangerous in the face of things, and no one knew what to do.  Finally, Rosie decided to go help Daisy and fill her in on what had happened.  Daisy was happy to see her and soon eagerly daydreaming about winter plans with the Cotton family.  Rosie hadn’t the heart to share her news because it might take away what little hope Daisy had left, so she made some excuse for not being in her own field and left the rest unsaid. 

To her great relief, Mr. Cotton was released and home that evening, but he was sad and quiet and wouldn’t share anything about what had happened or had been said.  He just hugged everyone and trudged off to bed without dinner.  Rosie lay awake all night and could hear him tossing and turning.  He got up before the crack of dawn and silently went out to the fields and got to work, soon followed by her brothers.   

“The fields won’t wait, and one way or another we have to eat.  Surely if Lotho takes our land he’ll make a similar agreement as he has with others,” one of her brothers had said.  They told her to either stay home or stay right with one of them in the fields and they would protect her.  Rosie opted to stay home, the look in the eyes of that creep and the sound of his voice vivid in her memory. 

A week went by, and she was going stir-crazy in the house.  Yesterday, the expected horror had finally happened and Lotho had issued papers to seize the Cotton home and land, along with that of half a dozen other families.  They were all to be in exactly the same situation as Daisy’s family in two weeks. 

She needed fresh air and was tired of being a prisoner in her home, afraid.  So out she went, but in the opposite direction of where the two creeps had been, despite all logic that they were now elsewhere, plotting someone else’s field that they would take next. 

If Mr. Frodo turned up now, how could even he fix this?  Surely he’d just be locked up too, and also her Sam.  Maybe it was better they were probably dead somewhere than to see what was happening in their beloved Shire. Everyone was just going to be worked to death in what were formerly their own fields, their labors instead enriching Lotho and supplying who knows who somewhere far off in the lands of men.  There seemed no way out.  They might as well just stop farming if none of it would help them. 

But wait, the preposterous thought of stopping actually kind of made sense, Rosie thought.  What if they all quit working?  Lotho couldn’t keep getting richer if no one worked “his” fields, could he?  He couldn’t sell off food that never grew.  He could seize and “buy” lands, but of what use to him would they be if he had no indentured servants anymore?  Yet, if no one grew any food, how would any of them survive next winter?  She had to talk to other people about this.   

And that is how she ended up in the Shirriff’s jail on the evening of May 25th.  She had talked to Daisy and all of her family.  She had talked to her brothers and Da.  She had talked to the other half-dozen families who had been given notice, all those who had already sold or had their homes seized, and any others who would listen, worried they might be next.  It took courage because at first most people looked at her like she had gone a bit mad, and word got around. 

Her family had at first tried to talk her out of this organizing business, but she told them she wasn’t going to sit at home and she wasn’t going to plant again until it was safe and her own.  They worried, but they had to admire her spirit.  They had grieved for her and with her that Sam was gone, his fate unknown, and acknowledged her need to try to control something of her uncertain future.   

In the community, some people walked away as soon as they saw her coming, afraid of the trouble she might bring.  Others talked about her behind her back that losing Sam had driven her mad.  It wasn’t easy for her to go out each day and keep trying – some were actively trying to stop her, and those that weren’t looked at her unfondly or with pity.  What’s worse, the creepy men were still around, and missed no opportunity to ogle and talk about their plans for her come winter.   

But she did have a point, and so a few and then another few listened to her, if for no other reason than to patronize and comfort her. At first, everyone scoffed at her idea– they'd all starve if they didn’t work, and hobbits, while not being necessarily quick about things, were not lazy folk and didn’t like the idea of leaving their fields fallow even if they didn’t own them.  A few were ready to starve just to see Lotho get his come-uppance, but most couldn’t bear the thought of something like that happening to those around them.   So, for a time, the meetings were just people lamenting about the horrible state of the Shire with few solutions.  

But good old Fredegar had the idea of night work in select fields farthest from Lotho’s influence with the quickest, hardiest, stealthiest crops that would get them through, and a series of secret caches of the resulting supply.  With many details still to be worked out, thirty hobbits decided to abandon their labors to stick it to Lotho as of the next day. 

Rosie joined a small group of them in a march through town to the Shirriff station, nervous that it would all fall apart right away. She held her chin up bravely as the entourage passed a group of sneering Ruffians, including the two she had seen in the field.  Once the protestors made their intentions clear to Lotho, in short order the thugs had them rounded up and jailed them all.  Rosie and the others had been in cells now for three nights, and each day more had been shoved in with them.  Apparently people were upset enough about Lotho throwing people in jail that more protestors showed up and got locked up, too.  But as she gathered news from new arrivals, she heard that the fields went untended and Lotho was starting to see his predicament.  How was this going to end? 

On June 7th, a great storm came with hail and floods.  Her feet were muddy as the water ran under the cell walls.  She was cold, tired, worried sick and almost ready to give in.  But she knew her beans, squash and corn were gone, so that nothing would even wild-grow in the Cotton fields for Lotho’s benefit unless replanting happened soon.   

As days passed, Lotho was growing furious while his ruffians were complaining about the state of affairs not going according to plan.  Cracks were showing in his control of the Shire and his band of enforcers. On June 27th, Rosie got to go home.  Most of the protestors were unceremoniously let out of cells in a seemingly haphazard, unorganized fashion over many weeks.   Lotho remained blustery and bullying, and some hobbits relented, if they had ever joined the protests at all, and returned to some of his fields, but no one ever showed up to evict the Cottons or the other six families who had received papers.  The ruffians would come by every now and then and threaten and menace, but the Cotton farm stayed fallow all summer and the Cotton family stayed there. 

And unknown to Lotho, other things were grown and secreted away according to the plan of Fredegar. 

Lotho continued to lose control of the situation and was before long deposed by some outsider named Sharkey.  Sharkey was apparently the buyer of the Old Mill land from Lotho.  He speedily enticed some of the more meek or desperate hobbits to do the work to put up a new one, a ghastly coal-belching monstrosity.  More and more hobbits grew angry, though, as the ugly head of industrialization and despotism reared all over the Shire.  The only real resistance that held on, though, aside from random scuffles, in spite of the growing discontent was Rosie’s Rebellion, as Fredegar had dubbed it –many fields were fallow and secret harvests were cached. 

Rosie’s hope was only that the hobbits could use the caches and get through winter, but she doubted that the secret work could continue another year uncaught.  She dared not think farther ahead. 

Then one chilly November day as her family sat down to one of their rationed meals, Samwise Gamgee knocked on the door and unceremoniously said, “I’m back.” 

He followed with, “I’m so sorry to be late, Rosie, really I am, but it couldn’t be helped.  I am learning things are a mess in the Shire, but how are you?” 

Rosie Cotton smiled for the first time in many months and replied, “I’m fine now.” 

She soon learned that Sam, Frodo, Merry and Pippin were not the same hobbits who had left.  Her heart swelled with pride and love as they were able to rouse the Shire and lead them in the Battle of Bywater.  Not to say that war in the Shire wasn’t a terrifying thing to experience, but to her reckoning it was better than all that had transpired in the year without Sam.  Rosie knew, at least, that they had tried their best and that the restful peace that was restored, was well-earned. 

She got her wedding with Sam and a long, simple, rural life with many children.  It was a little different than she had at first dreamed, because they lived with Frodo for quite a while instead of in the usual Gamgee and Cotton neighborhood, and Sam served many years as mayor.  But a happy life it was. 

The people reckoned Rosie was the right lady at Sam-the-Mayor's side, and many who had once either chided or pitied her now admired her as a brave and clever lady.  Rosie’s courageous rebellion provided enough food to survive that winter without a single hobbit left to starve.  Lotho’s power had collapsed due to it, and even Old Sharkey had been none the wiser. 

[madhare0512]

Ships I Write For:

- Marvel

FitzSimmons

The Scientists and the Spies (Leopold Fitz/Jemma Simmons/Clint Barton/Natasha Romanoff)

Lance Hunter/Leopold Fitz

Huntingbird

Clintasha

Hulkeye

StaticQuake

Daisy Johnson/Piper

Daisy Johnson/Piper/Lincoln Campbell

Melinda May/Phil Coulson

Mack Mackenzis/Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez

Foggy Nelson/Matt Murdock

Wilson Fisk/James Wesley

Luke Cage/Danny Rand

Danny Rand/Spiderman (Ultimate Spiderman only)

IronHawk

Technobow

Stony

Cherik

Armando Muñoz/Alex Summer

Nightsilver

Scott/Jean

Danielle Moonstar/Rayne Sinclair/Illyana Rasputin/Sam Guthrie/Roberto de Costa

Raven/Hank

Wandavision

Peter/Ned/MJ

Carol Danvers/Maria

Symbrock

Bucky Barnes/Sam Wilson

Loki/Mobius

Kate Bishop/Yelena Belova

~

- DC

Birdflash

Malcolm West | Herald/Joey Wilson | Jericho (Teen Titans only)

Rachel Roth | Raven/Garfield Logan | Beast Boy

Coldflash

Superflarrow

Vibeflash

Atomwave

Coldatom

Flashatom

Coldwaveatomflash

Goldenvibe

Toliver

Hawkmates

Killerwave

Winnara

Scholsen

Atomblazer

Coldatomwave

Atomfrostwave

Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle

Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy

~

- NCIS

Tony DiNozzo/Jimmy Palmer

Tony DiNozzo/Nick Torres/Jimmy Palmer

Nick Torres/Jimmy Palmer

Sam Hanna/G Callen

G Callen/Eric Beale

Kensi Blye/Marty Deeks

Poly!Agents (Callen/Sam/Kensi/Deeks/Eric/Nell)

Nell/Nate

Tim/Abby/Delilah

Bishop/Kasie

Gibbs/Jack Sloan

Sam/Michelle

Jessai (Jesse Boone/Kai Holman)

Pride/Chris/Sebastian

Lucy/Kate

~

- Criminal Minds

Hotch/Hailey

Tara/Emily

Jemily

MoReid

Micphet (Prophet/Mick Rawson)

Sam Cooper/Prophet/Mick Rawson

JJ/Will

Luke/Penelope

Rossi/Erin

~

- Harry Potter

Wolfstar

Jegulus

Jeguiliy

Jacob Kowalski/Newt Scamander

Fred Weasley/Harry Potter/George Weasley

Ron Weasley/Harry Potter

Hermione Granger/Harry Potter

Hermione/Ron/Harry

Harry/Luna

Luna/Ginny

Ginny/Harry

~

- Maze Runner

Newtmas

~

- Doctor Who

Rose/Nine

Martha/Ten

Clara/Eleven

Rose/Nine/Jack Harkness

~

- Supernatural

Destiel

Sabriel

Crowly/Bobby

Bobby/Balthazar

~

- Star Wars

Skysolo

Stormpilot

Jedistormpilot

Obi-Wan/Anakin

Obi-Wan/Anakin/Padme

~

- Star Trek

Chulu

McSpirk

Spirk

McKirk

~

- Merlin

Merther

Morgana/Gwen

~

- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Hollowheart

Floatingfire

~

- Lord of the Rings/Hobbit

Aralas

Frodo Baggins/Samwise Gamgee

Meriadoc Brandybuck/Peregrin Took

Frodo/Samwise/Merry/Pippin

Bagginshield

~

- Dark Matter

OneThree

~

- Power Rangers (full list in the pr blog)

Jake Holling/Noah Carver

Brody Romero/Preston Tien

Hayley Foster/Calvin Maxwell

Tyler Navarro/Riley Griffen

Jayden Shiba/Antonio Garcia

Mike/Kevin

Devon Daniels/Ravi Shaw/Zoey Reeves/Nate Silva

Devon Daniels/Nate Silva

Casey Rhodes/RJ

Vida Rocca/Xander Blye/Chip Thorn

Nick Russell/Chip Thorn

Jack Landors/Syd Drew/Sky Tate/Z Delgado/Bridge Carson

Jack Landors/Bridge Carson

Will Aston/Mackenzie Hartford

Ronny Robinson/Rose Ortiz

Scott Truman/Summer Landsdown/Dillon/Fynn McAllistair/Ziggy Grover

Dillon/Ziggy Grover

Scott Truman/Flynn McAllistair

Shane Clarke/Dustin Brooks

Zayto/Ollie Akana

Zayto/Ollie Akana/Javi Garcia

~

- Hawai'i Five-0

McDanno

Max Bergman/Jerry Ortega

~

- Shadowhunters

Jimon

Alec Lightwood/Simon Lewis

Jace Herondale/Clary Fray/Simon Lewis

Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood/Simon Lewis

Malec

Clizzy

~

- Umbrella Academy

Dave/Klaus Hargreeves

Eudora Patch/Diego Hargreeves

~

- Flashpoint

Julianna Callaghan/Sam Braddock

Lewis Young/Spike Scarlatti

Sam Braddock/Spike Scarlatti

Sam/Spike/Lew/Donna/Winnie/Jules

~

- Teen Wolf

Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Allison/Scott

Erica/Boyd

Danny/Ethan

Lydia/Jackson/Aiden

Lydia/Stiles

~

- Grimm

Monroe/Rosalee Calvert/Nick Burkhardt

Nickroe

Adalind/Juliette

Roddy Geiger/Carter Brimey

Renard/Wu

Wu/Hank

~

- White Collar

Peter Burke/Neal Caffrey

Peter/Elizabeth

Peter/Elizabeth/Neal

~

- CSI

Horatio Caine/Eric Delko

Caine/Eric/Speedle

Calleigh/Ryan Wolfe/Natalia

~

- 9-1-1/Lone Star

Tarlos

Russley

Owen/Michelle

Bobby/Athena

Hen/Karen

Chimney/Maddie

Marjan/Paul

Mateo/Nancy

Nancy/Marjan

~

- One Chicago

Kelly Severide/Matthew Casey

Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz/Jay Halstead

Will Halstead/Connor Rhodes

Will Halstead/Natalie Manning/Connor Rhodes

Will Halstead/Justin Lieu/Connor Rhodes

Gabby/Shay

Darren/Blake

Mouch/Trudy

Herrmann/Cindy

Boden/Donna

Cruz/Chloe

Antonio/Peter Stone

Antonio/Voight

Sarah/Noah/Joey

Crockett/Ethan

Ethan/April

April/Maggie

~

- Mission Impossible

Ethan/Will

Jane/Bengi

~

- Sherlock

Johnlock

Greg Lestrade/Mycroft Holmes

~

- House

House/Chase

House/Wilson

Wilson/Chase

House/Wilson/Chase

Foreman/Thirteen

~

- Ghost Whisperer

Melinda/Jim

Melinda/Rick

Melinda/Rick/Eli

~

- Baby Driver

Darling/Buddy/Baby

~

- Bull

Danny/Cable

Bull/Benny

~

- Julie and the Phantoms

Luke/Julie

Luke/Reggie/Alex

Luke/Alex

Julie/Flynn

Julie/Carrie

~

-TMNT

Leo/Usagi (2003 only)

Leo/Karai (2003 only)

Raph/Traximus

Raph/Casey Jones

Don/Usagi (2003 only)

Don/Leatherhead

Mikey/Mondo Gecko

Mikey/Renet

Splinter/Tang Shen (2012 only)

~

I do not write incest of any kind, I do not write abuse unless by my own ideas, I do not write manipulation unless by my own ideas

If you have a question about a ship you don't see up here and want me to write, you're welcome to DM/IM me.

Thank you!

[velvet4510]

For the heck of it, here are some names (and marriages) that I’ve invented to further complete the hobbit family trees.

Bolded names are my inventions. Italicized names are Tolkien canon.

Topasia Clayhanger was the wife of Ponto Baggins II and mother of Angelica Baggins.

Lila Burrows was the wife of Adalgar Bolger and mother of Rudigar, Rudibert & Ruby Bolger.

Petunia Brownlock was the wife of Adalgrim Took (and thus Merry & Pippin’s grandmother).

Azalea, Camellia, and Mimosa Took were the first three daughters of Adalgrim & Petunia Took (and thus Merry & Pippin’s aunts).

Begonia and Magnolia Took were the two daughters of Adelard Took.

Opal North-took (descendant of the Bullroarer) and Crispard were the parents of Diamond of Long Cleeve, Pippin’s wife.

Astra and Laura Brandybuck were the two daughters of Marmadoc Brandybuck & Adaldrida Bolger.

Fiona Noakes was the wife of Wiseman Gamwich and mother of Hob Gammidge (and thus Sam’s great-great-grandmother).

Columbine Cobblestone was the wife of Hobson “Roper” Gamgee and mother of Andwise Roper, Hamfast “Gaffer” Gamgee, May Gamgee & Halfred of Overhill (and thus Sam’s paternal grandmother).

Brent Goodchild and Heather Rumble were the parents of Bell Goodchild (and thus Sam’s maternal grandparents).

Dahlia Birdwhistle was the wife of Holman Cotton and mother of Tolman & Wilcome (and thus Rosie’s grandmother).

Violet Bunce was the wife of Frodo Gardner and mother of Holfast Gardner (and thus Sam & Rosie’s daughter-in-law).

Clarisse Hornblower was the wife of Holfast Gardner and mother of Harding of the Hill.

Expansion of the Boffin family tree:

Folco Boffin, son of Vigo, was married to Mentha Brandybuck, daughter of Marmadas. They had a daughter, Thalia, and a son, Thiago.

Tosto Boffin, son of Griffo & Daisy, had a son, Parto Boffin.

Thiago was married to Aspenica Bolger, daughter of Fredegar & Angelica, and they had two children, Balto and Hanna Boffin.

Parto had a daughter, Alyssa Boffin, who was married to Elfstan Fairbairn.

Balto had a son, Busto, and a daughter, Donnamira (who married Theriadoc Brandybuck.)

Hanna was married to Paladin Took III, son of Faramir & Goldilocks.

Expansion of the Bolger family tree:

Fredegar “Fatty” Bolger was married to Angelica Baggins. They had five children: Rudecar, Aspenica, Jessaminta, Odovimar, and Miramunda Bolger.

Rudecar was married to Rose Gardner, daughter of Sam & Rosie. They had seven children: Fredimar, Adalvacar, May, Marigold, Belba, Bowegar, and Dina Bolger.

Aspenica was married to Thiago Boffin, son of Folco & Mentha.

Jessaminta was married to Pippin Gardner, son of Sam & Rosie.

Miramunda was married to Boromir Took, son of Pippin & Diamond.

Expansion of the Took family tree:

Everard, son of Adelard, was married to Melilot Brandybuck, daughter of Marmadas; there is a glimpse of their relationship in canon when they dance together at Bilbo’s party. They had a son, Gerard Took.

After Faramir, Peregrin “Pippin” Took & Diamond of Long Cleeve had seven more children: Pearl, Boromir, Beregond, twins Bergil & Opal, Emerald, and Beren Took.

Faramir and his wife Goldilocks Gardner, daughter of Sam & Rosie, had six children: Paladin III, Hildimir, twins Amethyst & Garnet, Gerontimir, and Findas Took.

Pearl was married to Elio Goodbody, brother of Nico (who married Primrose Gardner, daughter of Sam & Rosie). They had two children, Tora and Pogo Goodbody.

Boromir was married to Miramunda Bolger, daughter of Fredegar & Angelica, and they had seven children: Eglantine, Fortigrim, Angelica, Isenmir, Gundabras, Herudin, and Alfrida Took.

Beregond was married to Ruby Gardner, daughter of Sam & Rosie, and they had five children: Aragard, Sapphire, Citrine, Legolard, and Gimlard Took.

Bergil was married to Lydia Hornblower; they had three children, Gloria, India, and Adalius.

Opal was married to Aldo Grubb; they had three children, Adrio, Arno, and Abelia Grubb.

Emerald was married to Marco Burrows, son of Moro & Celandine. They had two children, Mario and Melody Burrows.

Beren never married, but was in a lifelong relationship with Tolman “Tom” Gardner, son of Sam & Rosie.

Paladin III, the 34th Thain, was married to Hanna Boffin, daughter of Thiago & Aspenica. They had a daughter, Adamanta, and a son, Peregrin II - the 35th Thain whose request led to the creation of Findegil’s copy of the Thain’s Book for preservation at the Great Smials.

Fortigrim had a daughter, Berylla, who married Harding of the Hill.

Peregrin II fathered his successor, Faramir II.

Faramir II had two children, Bandobras II (his successor) and Diamond.

Expansion of the Brandybuck family tree:

Mentha, daughter of Marmadas, was married to Moro Burrows, son of Milo & Peony. They had two children, Malva (who married Hamfast Gardner, son of Sam & Rosie) and Marco Burrows (who married Emerald Took, daughter of Pippin & Diamond).

Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck and Estella Bolger had four children: Théodoc, Estel, Éowyn, and Athela Brandybuck.

Théodoc, Master of Buckland, was married to Daisy Gardner, daughter of Sam & Rosie. They had four children: Léodoc, twins Éomas & Meric, and Lily Brandybuck.

Estel was married to Amelia Underhill of Bree. They had three children: Esmeralda, Perimac, and Thendic Brandybuck.

Éowyn was married to Robin Gardner, son of Sam & Rosie.

Athela was married to Fabian Goldworthy and they had three children: Gordon, Olivia, and Estella Goldworthy.

Léodoc, Master of Buckland, was married to June Brownlock, with whom he had a son who succeeded him, Theriadoc Brandybuck.

Theriadoc was married to Donnamira Boffin, and they had three children: Mirabella, Friadoc (who succeeded him), and Perimas Brandybuck.

Friadoc fathered his successor, Merthadoc Brandybuck.

Expansion of the Gamgee family tree:

May, the Gaffer’s sister and Sam’s aunt, was married to Teemo Brockhouse. They had a daughter, Lily Brockhouse.

Hamson, Sam’s brother, was married to Poppy Briggs. They had five children: Hob, Bell, Annie, Rob, and Columbine Gamgee.

Halfred, Sam’s brother, was married to Martha Tunnelly. They had four children: Alfred, Lilac, Brent, and Sterling Gamgee.

Daisy, Sam’s sister, was married to Topher Twofoot, son of Daddy Twofoot. They had three children: Tobold, Tulia, and Toto Twofoot.

May, Sam’s sister, was married to Jared Noakes, son of Old Noakes. They had a daughter, Judy Noakes.

Marigold, Sam’s sister, was canonically married to Tom Cotton, Rosie’s brother.

Expansion of the Cotton family tree:

Tolman Jr. aka “Young Tom” and his wife Marigold Gamgee had three children: Holman II, Halfred, and May Cotton.

Wilcome II aka “Jolly” was married to Briar Smallburrow, sister of Shirriff Robin. They had two children, Cassia and Cotman Cotton.

Bowman aka “Nick” was married to Delphine Cobblestone and they had two sons, Bowtar and Wilman Cotton.

Carl “Nibs” Cotton was married to Ivy Hayward, sister of Shirriff Hob. They had a daughter, Gardenia Cotton.

Holman Cotton II and his wife Snowdrop Tunnelly had four children: Holly, Halman, Molly, and Morcome Cotton.

Expansion of the Fairbairn family tree:

After Elfstan and Fíriel, Elanor Gardner, daughter of Sam & Rosie, and Fastred of Greenholm had four more children: Frodo, Astred, Arwen, and Rosemary Fairbairn.

Elfstan was married to Alyssa Boffin, daughter of Parto. They had three children: Samwise (the third Warden of Westmarch), Idril, and Elwen Fairbairn.

Frodo had a daughter, Nimloth Fairbairn, and a son, Lórien Fairbairn.

Astred had a son, Aragorn Fairbairn.

Expansion of the Gardner family tree:

Besides Holfast, Mayor Frodo Gardner and Violet Bunce had three more children: Heather, Wilfred, and Lavender Gardner.

Rose Gardner was married to Rudecar Bolger, son of Fredegar & Angelica.

Merry Gardner was married to Hazel Smallburrow (daughter of Shirriff Robin Smallburrow and Widow Rumble’s daughter Clover Rumble, and sister of Callum Smallburrow). They had three children: Wiseman, Lunaria, and Erling Gardner.

Pippin Gardner was married to Jessaminta Bolger, daughter of Fredegar & Angelica. They had five children: Rowan, Fiona, Roberto, Finola, and Ricardo Gardner.

Goldilocks Gardner was canonically married to Faramir Took, son of Pippin & Diamond.

Hamfast Gardner was married to Malva Burrows, daughter of Moro & Celandine. They had three children, Peony, Desmond, and Hyacinth Gardner.

Daisy Gardner was married to Théodoc Brandybuck, son of Merry & Estella.

Primrose Gardner was married to Nico Goodbody, brother of Elio (who married Pearl Took, daughter of Pippin & Diamond). They had three children: Dahlia, Iris, and Prico Goodbody.

Bilbo Gardner was married to Azalea Hayward, daughter of Shirriff Hob Hayward. They had two daughters, Amaryllis and Daffodil Gardner.

Ruby Gardner was married to Beregond Took, son of Pippin & Diamond.

Robin Gardner was married to Éowyn Brandybuck, daughter of Merry & Estella. They had four children: Rosa, Éomund, Tomas, and Bell Gardner.

Tolman “Tom” Gardner never married, but was in a lifelong relationship with Beren Took, son of Pippin & Diamond.

Besides Harding of the Hill, Mayor Holfast Gardner and Clarisse Hornblower had three more children: Lily, Violet, and Samfast Gardner.

Harding of the Hill and Berylla Took had three children: Samwise (who inherited Bag End), Marigold, and Columbine.

Samwise Gardner was the father of twins, Rose Gardner II and Frodo Gardner II; the latter inherited Bag End.

[benslittlestarkiller]

Hobbitlove: A Day in the Shire - Sam’s Ruminations

♡ Samwise Gamgee x Frodo Baggins ♡

Description: Sam, older, wiser, and married happily to Rosie, sits on his porch one day ruminating on his tragic love affair with Frodo.

Warnings: NSFW content, anal sex, creampie, CBT, bondage

Word Count: 1,040

♡

It was a balmy Saturday in the Shire. The gentle breeze played at the daisies, making them dance in their flowerbeds. Samwise sat outside of Bag End, smoking pipeweed and watching the birds fly to and fro. As he neared the end of his life, he reached a stage where he found himself ruminating on the past. He had grown so much since his youth when he used to garden for Mister Bilbo and then Mister Frodo after that. He had traveled to Mordor and back. Married his sweet Rosie, had beautiful children, and even became mayor. Life’s twists and turns had shown Sam more than he ever thought he would see as a young and virile Hobbit. His Rosie had died years ago and his children had left him to live their own lives. Sam looked up into the blue sky, losing himself in his memories…

It was morning, the first day of Sam’s new job as a gardener to the scandalous Mister Bilbo Baggins. Much talk of Mister Biblo was heard about the Shire and his adventures, even more talk spread when he took in his orphaned nephew Frodo. 

As Sam passed through the gate of bag end he was greeted by a handsome Hobbit he could only assume was the Frodo Baggins himself. Sam was caught off guard by Frodo’s delicate beauty. His piercing blue eyes seemed to assess Sam and then Frodo smiled and Sam was lost. 

A polite companionship bloomed between them in the coming months, the two started off just giving polite greetings but there was a magnetism that seemed to draw them together. Soon they began to chat over mundane topics and those talks together grew longer and more intense as the two Hobbits grew closer and closer.

Sam would lay in his bed at night and dream of Frodo. He saw him laughing as he played pranks. He saw his shy smiles as they shared secrets. Desire bloomed in the pit of his stomach but Sam knew there was a line he couldn’t cross. Sam was an employee of Mister Bilbo and by extension Mister Frodo. There was no way he would be interested in his uncle’s gardener. 

But one day everything changed. 

It was a rainy day. Mister Bilbo was away dealing with his relatives, leaving Frodo home alone. Sam started of repotting the prickleberry bushes but soon the rain became too dense for Sam to do any work. Frodo called him inside to wait out the rain. Sam was soaked to the bone and Frodo offered him a change of clothes. 

Sam went to a room to change, first removing his wet shirt that clung to his defined muscles that he acquired from all his gardening. He unbuttoned his pants and started to remove them when Frodo opened the door, “Sorry, I forgot to give you a towel—” 

Frodo blushed and so did same. Things were falling apart, Sam thought to himself. He was caught in a compromising position. His ass was out, the globes plump and pink. Frodo’s eyes couldn’t help but stare. He had harbored a secret longing for Samwise ever since he first laid his eyes upon the other Hobbit. There was a line that he knew the two of them couldn’t cross and today was a day of reckoning, a day for crossing lines. 

Frodo thought back to the times where he would watch Sam working in the garden. On hot days Samwise would remove his jacket and shirt. Frodo would watch the sweat travel down the handsome and lean form. The sunkissed golden skin covered in golden hair enraptured Frodo.  He longed to be held in Sam’s strong arms. To be cared for lovingly. Frodo found himself thinking of excuses to be around Sam and speak to him. In his heart the seed of love was planted. Each night he would tend to that seed until it blossomed on this rainy night. 

Frodo didn’t mean to intrude on Sam’s privacy and he immediately dropped the towel and vacated the room. Sam rebuttoned his pants and chased after him, “Frodo! Wait!” 

He captured Frodo's hand in his own. Holding the delicate hand in his rough calloused one. Frodo turned to Sam and held him in his gaze. The stared at each other for one heart beat, and then two. The two of them moved closer and closer to each other unknowingly until they were a hair’s breadth apart. Sam could feel the heat of Frodo’s breath on his face. Frodo reached up a trembling hand to gently caress Sam’s cheek. 

Frodo’s touch felt warm, like the sun shining down on the flower beds. It made Sam’s face redden with heat and the bud of suppressed desire finally bloomed into a blossoming flower of hobbitlove. 

Their lips crashed together none too gently. Their love burned hot Frodo’s hands traveled down the exposed flesh of Sam’s body. Sam moaned into Frodo’s mouth. Trembling just as much as Frodo, Sam moved his hands along Frodo’s shoulders, traveld down his chest to unbutton his shirt. Each inch of exposed flesh sent a jolt of fresh desire to Sam’s core. Soon they were both shirtless, their hardened bodies pressed together. The fit like a key and a lock, made for each other. The two of them moved back into the room, falling together in a mess of limbs onto the soft featherbed. 

Clothes were discarded as their fevered bodies moved together, yearning to be closer than close. To feel each other deep inside, to feel the depth of their hard love being spread open, spread before each other. Sam and Frodo worshiped at the altar of love, their moans a song sent to the ainur in the heavens. They painted each other’s bodies with their exhaulted love, drinking it in, savoring every salty drop. 

Once they finished they realized that once wa snot enough. Their bodies entangled in their hobbitlove all throughout the night and well into the morning. 

As Sam sat on his bench in Bag End, he thought back to that rainy night and smiled. He had know Frodo’s love and would always cherish it to his dying day. 

THE END. To be continued? Like and subscribe for more. LET me know you thoughts in comments bellow

[merilles]

cherry dress 🍒

[hyacinths-cottage]

Tag Game: 9 People You'd Like to Get to Know Better

Tagged by @boleynecklace

-`♡´- last song:

Bare Necessities - the Jungle Book Soundtrack

-`♡´- currently watching:

I have a few things on the go. I like watching a crime show at dinner time - for that I am currently watching Five Days, which is a british crime show and thats good. I also have 'Whose Line is it Anyway', 'Father Brown', 'Outlander', 'The Crown', and 'Vikings Valhalla' on the go. I am always looking for new things to watch.

-`♡´- three ships:

Samwise Gamgee & Rosie Cotton (LOTR)

Mrs Devine & DCI Edgar Sullivan (Father Brown)

Eowyn & Faramir (LOTR)

`♡´- favorite color:

Yellow (Daisy, Sunflower, Sunshine)

`♡´- currently consuming:

Cold water because it is hot

`♡´- first ship:

Oooh, I can't remember. Perhaps Aragorn and Arwen

`♡´- relationship status:

Independently single

`♡´- film:

I can't remember the last film I watched, I think it was Hot Fuzz. I would like to watch some more period dramas.

`♡´- currently working on:

My dissertation at the moment, it will be the focus for the rest of the year. Though, I hope to continue my fictional archaeological story - it is always on the back of my mind. I am enjoying my dissertation though!

Tagging: @womenaremypriority @marytudorr @clytenmestra @thediamondarcher @konartiste @heather123fan-blog @fizzyxcustard @redglassbird

[frodothefair]

"Get A Move On."

Since chapter 16 of Flowers of Mordor will feature a few minor characters from the Gamgee and Cotton families, I'm writing it a bit out of order and warming up with character studies that may or may not make it into the final piece. Here's one of May, who is Sam and Marigold's older sister, and the second of the Gamgee sisters. Content warning: brief mention of pregnancy termination. @konartiste

...You should talk, Marigold wanted to mutter, but held her tongue and instead chopped the onions with a little more vigor.

For May herself had gotten a move on several years ago, though not in any way that Marigold wanted to emulate. When their mother had passed away, May had taken to rebelling, and at the time the Gaffer had been too grief-stricken to do much about it, so among the three Gamgee sisters, May had been the first to do everything – the first to go on a Walk, the first to kiss, the first to bed, the first to wed. 

But even so, before she had wed, May had gone through a flurry of suitors, with each of whom she had picked nonsensical fights and then parted in a violent fashion, all the while visiting Mrs. Bracegirdle with some regularity for herbs that would prevent conception – so much so, in fact, that Marigold had begun to worry that people would stop taking her sister seriously, and indeed it was partly May’s behavior that had made Marigold so reticent with the opposite sex. 

In the end, May had finally caught the seed of one of her suitors, and Mrs. Bracegirdle had refused to provide her with a remedy to “restore the menses,” instead marching her back to the Gaffer holding her by the ear, and after that there was no stopping the wedding. Luckily, though, where May had been shrill and high-strung, Boffo Banks had proven pliant and reliable, and despite May’s initial chagrin that she was forced to marry a hobbit she did not intend to be with for long, the two made a good pair. May had grown quite fond of saying, with a wink, that Boffo was excellent with his hands, and thus was not a tailor for nothing, and the two of them now had three children, Bingo, Holly, and Jolly. And although Boffo had come into their home a mere tailor’s apprentice and an orphan – a circumstance that May had lamented even as Marigold and Daisy bit their tongues, hard, as they prepared her glory box – he now had a share in his master’s business and was rapidly saving up for a hobbit hole of their own. As a result, May had grown less querulous over the years, and whenever Marigold caught sight of her and her husband by the fire in the evenings, she even thought that May looked happy – happy and calm, two emotions that had not crossed her face in many years.

Yes, a little predictable, I know – the virgin and the sl-t. But I fancy that May is a bit of a Taylor Swift who's got a little black book full of male hobbit names, as well as a lot of fun stories to share after the kiddies have gone to sleep.

[griseldabanks]

Rosie Runs to Rivendell AU: Eavesdropping

(I'm not posting this on AO3 or FFNet yet, because I wanted to get feedback on the direction I'm taking with it, and see if I need any course-correction. Also, I have no idea what the title should be, because "Rosie Runs to Rivendell" just doesn't quite sound right ^^' Please give me any constructive criticism you have!)

It was a beautiful April morning when Rose Gamgee's life changed forever.

The day had begun splendidly. After several dismal, drizzly days, the Sun had finally poked her head out from behind the clouds, drying out the grass and warming up the flowers all along Bagshot Row. Sam had plenty of trimming and pruning to keep himself busy, and Granny Gamgee had taken Elanor off Rose's hands. “It's a fine day for dancin' on the grass and pickin' flowers, and we'll have a picnic by and by, won't we, my dear?” Granny had said, leading her granddaughter by the hand as the little girl stumped along on her chubby little legs.

Rose was grateful for the reprieve, for she had a busy day ahead of her, and as sweet as Elanor was, she was only two, and had a tendency to get underfoot. That was the last thing Rose needed today of all days, for Mr. Frodo had company. Important, surprise, last-minute company—though, the way Sam told it, one learnt to expect the unexpected when said company was Mr. Gandalf.

Rose knew that most folk looked askance at Mr. Gandalf. Not only was he one of the Big Folk, he was a wizard. Who knew where he came from, or what unnatural magic he might bring with him. Some said he might turn you into a toad or a snake if you looked at him funny. A troublemaker, they called him. A disturber of the peace.

Sam didn't hold with such nonsense, and wasn't afraid to say so, no matter who brought it up. “He can't help that he's big and from foreign parts, and he's a great friend to Mr. Frodo. Besides,” he would always add, as if it sealed the deal, “he's a friend to the Elves.”

Normally, that wouldn't be enough to convince Rose not to want to hide anytime she saw that pointed grey hat appearing over the hill. But her Sam was the stoutest Hobbit she knew (except perhaps her own father), with a sensible head on his shoulders. Perhaps he was a little more enamored with Elves than was wise, but if he said Mr. Gandalf was all right, then she trusted his judgment.

“Well, I had better, hadn't I?” she said to herself with a toss of her red curls, the few times the subject had come up. “If I'd married someone I couldn't trust, I'd be as silly as Daisy Bellweather's chickens!”

So, when Mr. Gandalf showed up in the evening, unannounced but not unwelcome, in the well-tended garden of Bag End, Rose had rolled up her sleeves and gone straight to work in the kitchen. After all, how else was she to repay Mr. Frodo for his generosity in letting her small family live with him in Bag End, if not by seeing to it that everyone in it had the finest food in all the Shire?

This had been the first time Mr. Gandalf had come to visit Mr. Frodo since Rose had married Sam and moved into Bag End. So if her hands shook a little as she carried in the tea tray, perhaps she could be excused. But Mr. Gandalf and Mr. Frodo were deep in conversation about far-off lands Rose had never heard of, so they paid her little mind except for a brief word of thanks. And when Mr. Gandalf had accepted the teacup she tremblingly offered him, she caught the hint of a smile beneath those bushy eyebrows and long beard.

Now, the next morning, Rose stood at the kitchen table, up to her elbows in flour, kneading the last of three batches of bread dough. Big Folk had big appetites—though not as big as a Hobbit's, Rose thought with a smile. After the bread, she'd get started on some seed-cakes, then see what sort of greens could be gathered in the garden for lunch.

The windows were thrown open to let in the warm, fresh breeze. She smiled at the wet, green scent of cut grass as much as the sound of Sam's tuneless whistling as he strolled back and forth past the window. From the next room, Rose could hear the low rumble of Mr. Gandalf's voice, which had been going on for a while now. Rose had been tuning it out for quite some time, like the drone of a bee in the background. But suddenly, her attention was arrested by Mr. Frodo's raised voice.

“Gollum! Gollum? Do you mean that this is the very Gollum-creature that Bilbo met? How loathsome!”

Rose remembered when Mr. Frodo had told Elanor bedtime stories of Mr. Bilbo's adventures—made to sound cheerful and unthreatening to a little lass's ears, of course. But even Mr. Frodo's watered-down recounting of that horrid Gollum had given Elanor nightmares for weeks. And then Sam had told Rose the points Mr. Frodo had glossed over, and she had been the one starting awake in a cold sweat in the middle of the night.

Despite the chill running down her spine, Rose found herself inching closer and closer to the doorway as she listened to Mr. Gandalf's story about how he had traced Gollum's steps since Mr. Bilbo had escaped him. There was a lot she didn't understand about their conversation, but one thing she did glean was that the ring Mr. Bilbo had won in the riddle-game was very dangerous—dangerous in part because there was someone who wanted it, wanted it even more desperately than Gollum, and would stop at nothing to get it.

And so it had to be destroyed. Mr. Frodo had to take it to someplace called Mordor, and throw it into a fiery mountain where it would be destroyed before it wrought things too terrible for words.

Rose's fingers clenched around fistfuls of her apron. This wasn't a bedtime story. This wasn't a nightmare that she would wake from and let fade away with the sunrise. This was really happening. Mr. Frodo was going away—farther away than Rose could even imagine.

But suddenly Mr. Gandalf grew still, poised like a cat eyeing a field mouse. And then, just like the cat, he sprang upon his prey. His hand darted through the open window and pulled Sam to his feet from where he'd apparently been crouching just out of sight. Rose stifled a gasp in her apron, but no one seemed to have heard her.

“Well, well, bless my beard!” Mr. Gandalf exclaimed. “Sam Gamgee, is it? Now, what may you be doing?”

“Lor bless you, Mr. Gandalf, sir!” Sam said. Rosie could see him trembling all the way across the room. “Nothing! Leastways, I was just trimming the grass-border under the window, if you follow me.”

“I don't,” Mr. Gandalf snapped. “It is some time since I last heard the sound of your shears. How long have you been eavesdropping?”

“Eavesdropping, sir? I don't follow you, begging your pardon. There ain't no eaves at Bag End, and that's a fact.”

“Don't be a fool! What have you heard, and why did you listen?”

Rose couldn't bear to stay silent any longer. “Begging your pardon, sirs,” she said, stepping into the room. When Mr. Gandalf spun to face her with bristling eyebrows and eyes glinting like coals, her heart quailed inside her chest, but she stood firm. “I'm sure my Sam meant no harm, only...only please don't turn him into anything unnatural. I don't know what I should say to Elanor if she come home to find her papa's become a toad!”

Sam shot her a glance of mingled fear and gratitude, while Mr. Frodo brought his hand away from his mouth as if he'd been stifling a laugh. “Don't worry, Sam, he won't hurt you. But just you up and answer his questions straight away.”

“Well, sir,” Sam said, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. “I heard a deal that I didn't rightly understand, about an enemy, and rings, and Mr. Bilbo, sir, and dragons, and a fiery mountain, and—and Elves, sir. I listened because I couldn't help myself, if you know what I mean. Lor bless me, sir, but I do love tales of that sort.”

Rose knew all too well the gleam that entered Sam's eyes any time Elves were mentioned. He could talk about Elves till his tongue fell straight out of his head—but she loved him even so.

“And you, my dear?” Mr. Gandalf turned his keen gaze back upon Rose, but this time she thought she detected a twinkle of humor in their depths, and took courage from that.

“Aye, some of them tales are very pretty indeed, sir, though some are mighty sad—“ Then she realized Mr. Frodo was grinning again. Her hands flew up to cover her face. “Oh...you mean, was I listening too, sir? I'm sorry, Mr. Frodo, I didn't mean to, only I heard raised voices and then you started talking about that horrid Gollum creature, and....”

To her immense relief, Mr. Gandalf began to laugh, and Mr. Frodo soon joined in. Hoisting Sam straight through the window, Mr. Gandalf set him down beside his wife and looked upon them both, hands on hips. Sam's warm hand clasped around Rose's, dirt mixing with flour under their fingernails.

“Well, well,” Mr. Gandalf said, eyes twinkling. “So you heard that Mr. Frodo is going away, did you? Now, what are we to do with the two of you?”

“I did, sir,” Sam said, looking earnestly across the room at Mr. Frodo. “And that's why I choked: which you heard, seemingly. I tried not to, sir, but it burst out of me, I was so upset.”

Rose could see the tears building up in the corners of his eyes, and squeezed his hand in comfort. She loved their kind master dearly, but it was nothing to how Sam felt, she knew. They'd grown up together, and for all that Mr. Frodo was a gentlehobbit, he never put on any airs nor looked down at the common folk. She knew Sam admired him for that, as well as for his wisdom and his connection to Elves and other magical beings simple hobbits could scarce imagine.

Frodo was almost like an older brother to Sam. It felt presumptuous to even think, but it was true. He didn't treat them like servants, though he allowed them to serve him. It as almost like they were family. Elanor even called him 'Uncle.'

And now he was going away.

Going...alone. Going from danger to danger, meeting with Elves and Dwarves and goodness only knew what else. Going away like old Mr. Bilbo, perhaps never to be seen again, leaving the three of them with nothing but memories....

Mr. Frodo sighed, a weight seeming to settle on his shoulders as he fingered something in his pocket. “It can't be helped, Sam, Rosie. I shall have to go. But if you really care about me, you will keep that dead secret. See? If you don't, if you even breathe a word of what you've heard here—“

“You needn't fear, Mr. Frodo,” Rose found herself saying. “You needn't fear my Sam letting anything slip, for he's going with you.”

[glitteringaglarond]

In case the end of the LOTR Newsletter wasn't enough of a tear-jerker, I wanted to direct all of you to the un-published epilogue to the story, featuring Samwise and his family. Text transcribed by @godkingreiss here.

And one evening in March, 1436, Master Samwise Gamgee was taking his ease by a fire in his study, and the children were all gathered about him, as was not at all unusual, though it was always supposed to be a special treat.

He had been reading aloud (as was usual) from a big Red Book on a stand, and on a stool beside him sat Elanor, and she was a beautiful child more fair-skinned than most hobbit-maids and more slender, and she was now running up into her ‘teens; and there was Frodo-lad on the hearthrug, in spite of his name as good a copy of Sam as you could wish, and Rose, and Merry, and Pippin were sitting in chairs much too big for them. Goldilocks had gone to bed, for in this Frodo’s foretelling had made a slight error and she came after Pippin, and was still only five and the Red Book rather too much for her yet. But she was not the last of the line, for Sam and Rose seemed likely to rival the old Gerontius Took in the number of their children as successfully as Bilbo had passed his age. There was little Ham, and there was Daisie in her cradle.

'Well dear,’ said Sam, 'it grew there once, because I saw it with my own eyes.’

'Does it grow there still, daddy?’

'I don’t see why it wouldn’t, Ellie. I’ve never been on my travels again, as you know, having all you young folk to mind - regular ragtag and bobtail old Saruman would have called it. But Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin, they’ve been south more than once, for they sort of belong there too now.’

'And haven’t they grown big?’ said Merry. 'I wish I could grow big like Mr. Meriadoc of Buckland. He’s the biggest hobbit that ever was: bigger than Bandobras.’

'Not bigger than Mr. Peregrin of Tuckborough,’ said Pippin, 'and he’s got hair that’s almost golden. Is he Prince Peregrin away down in the Stone City, dad?’

'Well, he’s never said so,’ said Sam, 'but he’s highly thought of, that I know. But now where were we getting to?’

'Nowhere,’ said Frodo-lad, 'I want to hear about the Spider again. I like the parts best where you come in, dad.’

'But dad, you were talking about Lórien,’ said Elanor, 'and whether my flower still grows there.’

'I expect it does, Ellie dear. For as I was saying, Mr. Merry, he says that though the Lady has gone the Elves still live there.’

'When can I go and see? I want to see Elves, dad, and I want to see my own flower.’

'If you look through a glass you’ll see one that is sweeter,’ said Sam, 'though I should not be telling you, for you’ll find it out soon enough for yourself.’

'But that isn’t the same. I want to see the green hill and the white flowers and the golden and hear the Elves sing.’

'Then maybe you will one day,’ said Sam. 'I said the same when I was your age, and long after, an there didn’t seem no hope, and yet it came true.’

'But the Elves are sailing away still, aren’t they, and soon there’ll be none, will there, dad?’ said Rose; 'and then all will be just places, and very nice, but, but …’

'But what, Rosie-lass?’

'But not like in stories.’

'Well, it would be so if they all was to sail,’ said Sam. 'But I am told they aren’t sailing any more. The Ring has left the Havens, and those that made up their mind to stay when Master Elrond left are staying. And so there’ll be Elves still for many and many a day.’

'Still, I think it was very sad when Master Elrond left Rivendell and the Lady left Lórien,’ said Elanor. 'What happened to Celeborn? Is he very sad?’

'I expect so, dear. Elves are sad; and that’s what makes them so beautiful, and why we can’t see much of them. He lives in his own and as he always has done,’ said Sam. 'Lórien is his land, and he loves trees.’

'No one else in the world hasn’t got a Mallorn like we have, have they?’ said Merry. 'Only us and Lord Celeborn.’

'So I believe,’ said Sam. Secretly it was one of the greatest prides of his life. 'Well, Celeborn lives among the trees, and he is happy in his Elvish way, I don’t doubt. They can afford to wait, Elves can. His time is not come yet. The Lady came to his land and now she is gone; and he has the land still. When he tires of it he can leave it. So with Legolas, he came with his people and they live in the land across the river, Ithilien if you can say that, and they’ve made it very lovely, according to Mr. Pippin. But he’ll go to Sea one day, I don’t doubt. But not while Gimli’s still alive.’

'What happened to Gimli?’ said Frodo-lad. 'I liked him. Please can I have an axe soon, dad? Are there any orcs left?’

'I daresay there are if you know where to look,’ said Sam. 'But not in the Shire, and you won’t have an axe for chopping off heads, Frodo-lad. We don’t make them. But Gimli, he came down to work for the King in the City, and he and his folk worked so long they got used to it and proud of their work, and in the end they settled up in the mountains up away west behind the City, and there they are still. And Gimli goes once every other year to see the Glittering Caves.’

'And does Legolas go to see Treebeard?’ asked Elanor.

'I can’t say, dear,’ said Sam. 'I’ve never heard of anyone as has ever seen an Ent since those days. If Mr. Merry or Mr. Pippin have they keep it secret. Very close are Ents.’

'And have they never found the Entwives?’

'Well, we’ve seen none here, have we?’ said Sam.

'No,’ said Rosie-lass; 'but I look for them when I go in a wood. I would like the Entwives to be found.’

'So would I,’ said Sam, 'but I am afraid that is an old trouble, too old and too deep for folks like us to mend, my dear. But now no more questions for tonight, at least not till after supper.’

'But that won’t be fair,’ said both Merry and Pippin, who were not in their teens. 'We shall have to go directly to bed.’

'Don’t talk like that to me,’ said Sam sternly. 'If it ain’t fair for Ellie and Fro to sit up after supper it ain’t fair for them to be born sooner, and it ain’t fair that I’m your dad and you’re not mine. So no more of that, take your turn and what’s due in your time, or I’ll tell the King.’

They had heard this threat before, but something in Sam’s voice made it sound more serious on this occasion. 'When will you see the King?’ said Frodo-lad.

'Sooner that you think,’ said Sam. 'Well now, let’s be fair. I’ll tell you all, stay-uppers and go-to-bedders, a big secret. But don’t you go whispering and waking up the youngsters. Keep it till tomorrow.’

A dead hush of expectancy fell on all the children: they watched him as hobbit-children of other times had watched the wizard Gandalf.

'The King’s coming here,’ said Sam solemnly.

'Coming to Bag End!’ cried the children.

'No,’ said Sam. 'But he’s coming north. He won’t come into the Shire because he has given orders that no Big Folk are to enter this land again after those Ruffians; and he will not come himself just to show he means it. But he will come to the Bridge. And - ’ Sam paused. 'He has issued a very special invitation to every one of you. Yes, by name!’

Sam went to a drawer and took out a large scroll. It was black and written in letters of silver.

'When did that come, daddy?’ said Merry.

'It came with the Southfarthing post three days ago on Wednesday,’ said Elanor. 'I saw it. It was wrapped in silk and sealed with big seals.’

'Quite right, my bright eyes,’ said Sam. 'Now look.’ He unrolled it. 'It is written in Elvish and in Plain Language,’ said Sam. 'And it says: Elessar Aragorn Arathornsson the Elfstone King of Gondor and Lord of the Westlands will approach the Bridge of Baranduin on the first day of Spring, or in the Shire-reckoning the twenty-fifth day of March next, and desires to greet all his friends. In especial he desires to see Master Samwise Mayor of he Shire, and Rose his wife, and Elanor, Rose, Goldilocks and Daisie his daughters, and Frodo, Merry, and Pippin and Hamfast his sons. There you are, there are all your names.’

'But they aren’t the same in both lists,’ said Elanor, who could read.

'Ah,’ said Sam 'that’s because the first list is Elvish. You’re the same, Ellie, in both, because your name is Elvish; but Frodo is Iorhail, and Rose is Beril, and Merry is Gelir, and Pippin is Cordof, and Goldilocks is Glorfinniel, and Hamfast is Marthanc, and Daisie is Arien. So now you know.’

'Well that’s splendid,’ said Frodo, 'now we all have Elvish names, but what is yours, dad?’

'Well, that’s rather peculiar,’ said Sam, 'for in the Elvish part, if you must know, what the King says is Master Perhail who should rather be called Lanhail, and that means, I believe, “Samwise or Halfwise who should rather be called Plain-wise”. So now you know what the King thinks of your dad you’ll maybe give more heed to what he says.’

'And ask him lots more questions,’ said Frodo.

'When is March the 25th?’ said Pippin, to whom days were still the longest measures of time that could really be grasped. 'Is it soon?’

'It’s a week today,’ said Elanor. 'When shall we start?’

'And what shall we wear?’ said Rose.

'Ah,’ said Sam. 'Mistress Rose will have a say in that. But you’ll be surprised, by dears. We have had warning of this a long time and we’ve prepared for the day. You’re going in the most lovely clothes you’ve ever seen, and we’re riding in a coach. And if you’re all very good and look as lovely as you do now I shouldn’t be at all surprised if the King does not ask us to go with him to his house up by the Lake. And the Queen will be there.’

'And shall we stay up to supper?’ said Rose, to whom the nearness of promotion made this an ever-present concern.

'We shall stay for weeks, until the hay-harvest at least,’ said Sam. 'And we shall do what the King says. But as for staying up to supper, no doubt the Queen will have a word. And now if you haven’t enough to whisper about for hours, and to dram about till the sun rises, then I don’t know what more I can tell you.’

The stars were shining in a clear sky: it was the first day of the clear bright spell that came every year to the Shire at the end of March, and was every year welcomed and praised as something surprising for the first time every year.

All the children were in bed. Lights were glimmering still in Hobbiton and in many houses dotted abut the darkening countryside. Sam stood at the door and looked away eastward. He drew Mistress Rose to him and held her close to his side. 'March 18th’, he said. 'This time seventeen years ago, Rose wife, I did not think I should ever see thee again. But I kept on hoping.’

'And I never hoped at all, Sam,’ she said, 'until that very day; and then suddenly I did. In the middle of the morning I began singing, and father said “Quiet, lass, or the Ruffians will come,” and I said “Let them come. Their time will soon be over. My Sam’s coming back.” and he came.’

'I did,’ said Sam; 'to the most belovedest place in all the world. I was torn in two then, lass, but now I am whole. And all that I have, and all that I have had I still have.’

They went in and shut the door. But even as he did so Sam heard suddenly the sigh and murmur of the sea on the shores of Middle-earth.