FICLET: "Southern Comfort" (G/K) by Febobe
Mar. 4th, 2012 09:02 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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b2memB2MeM Challenge: I22, Aspects of Aragorn (Thorongil)
Format: Ficlet
Title: Southern Comfort
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, maybe somewhat Gen
Rating: G/K
Warnings: None
Characters: Aragorn, Frodo, Pippin, Sam, Merry
Pairings: N/A
Summary: En route to Rivendell, Aragorn regales the hobbits with a tale from his days as Thorongil.
Author's Notes: Forgive me for loosey-goosey use of the Thorongil prompt, please! :)
"Strider?"
"Yes, Pippin?"
"Tell us a tale. About strange lands. You must have seen some, surely."
Aragorn glanced at Frodo, who lay wrapped in blankets, shivering like a leaf in a high wind. Sam sat beside him, trying to coax a mouthful of makeshift mushroom broth down his throat. "I am not sure that Frodo would welcome the distraction."
"Believe me, I would indeed." Frodo looked hopefully up at Aragorn. "Please, tell us a story."
Aragorn frowned. "I do not wish to distract you from your meal."
"I would be glad of it."
Seeing a bargaining chip, Aragorn grinned. "A story...*if* you drink all your broth."
"Two sips."
"Half."
"Done."
"Hooray!" Pippin cheered, though Merry elbowed him.
"Drink," Aragorn said to Frodo. Sam lifted Frodo's head gently on his arm and coaxed him with the cup of broth, and Frodo sipped...though he looked expectantly at Aragorn.
"When I was much younger," Aragorn began, in a low tone, "I went south, to the great land of Gondor. There I was known as Thorongil."
"Thorin's gills?" exclaimed Pippin. Merry elbowed him again, but Aragorn laughed.
"Thorongil was my name in that land, meaning "Eagle of the Star." I served under one of the Stewards of Minas Tirith. Shall I tell you of some things found there? For the south is different from the Shire, and even from Bree."
"Yes, please!" cried Pippin, and Frodo nodded, though Sam pressed him to take another mouthful of broth, and he complied.
"There are such fruits in that land as you have never seen even in picture-books. Orange fruits, for one...oranges they are called, and when squeezed upon a juicer they yield juice delicious to taste. Sweet and tart at the same time, very healthful. The fruit itself is good to eat, and is often used by sailors on voyages to help them keep in health. They are round, like a ball, and you peel back the outer layer to reveal juicy segments which burst in your mouth."
"That sounds delightful," said Merry. "Are there other fruits there like that?"
"Lemons," said Aragorn, and his heart seemed to grow lighter with the telling of such small and beautiful things. "As Thorongil I occasionally, during my leave, would buy lemons at the market, squeeze out their juice, and sweeten it with honey, mixing it with water to make lemonade. The Steward makes his lemonade with sugar, though sugar is more dear there, and most of the men who serve in the armies use only honey, for lemons are a dear enough treat as 'tis."
"What's it taste like?" asked Frodo.
"Like sunlight," Aragorn answered. "Like light itself."
"I should like to taste those someday," Frodo said. "Aragorn, if ever we reach Rivendell, and...and Lord Elrond can...help me...if things are ever better, I should like to go to Gondor, and see these fruits for myself."
Aragorn smiled sadly. "Perhaps we shall go there," he said softly, "but now you must rest. I promise you another tale of Thorongil tomorrow evening. Rest now, all of you."
Ai, little friend, how I hope for that day, he thought with a heavy heart. Would that you and I could sit together, someday, looking out over the water, drinking lemonade and speaking of our adventures!
-the end-
Format: Ficlet
Title: Southern Comfort
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, maybe somewhat Gen
Rating: G/K
Warnings: None
Characters: Aragorn, Frodo, Pippin, Sam, Merry
Pairings: N/A
Summary: En route to Rivendell, Aragorn regales the hobbits with a tale from his days as Thorongil.
Author's Notes: Forgive me for loosey-goosey use of the Thorongil prompt, please! :)
"Strider?"
"Yes, Pippin?"
"Tell us a tale. About strange lands. You must have seen some, surely."
Aragorn glanced at Frodo, who lay wrapped in blankets, shivering like a leaf in a high wind. Sam sat beside him, trying to coax a mouthful of makeshift mushroom broth down his throat. "I am not sure that Frodo would welcome the distraction."
"Believe me, I would indeed." Frodo looked hopefully up at Aragorn. "Please, tell us a story."
Aragorn frowned. "I do not wish to distract you from your meal."
"I would be glad of it."
Seeing a bargaining chip, Aragorn grinned. "A story...*if* you drink all your broth."
"Two sips."
"Half."
"Done."
"Hooray!" Pippin cheered, though Merry elbowed him.
"Drink," Aragorn said to Frodo. Sam lifted Frodo's head gently on his arm and coaxed him with the cup of broth, and Frodo sipped...though he looked expectantly at Aragorn.
"When I was much younger," Aragorn began, in a low tone, "I went south, to the great land of Gondor. There I was known as Thorongil."
"Thorin's gills?" exclaimed Pippin. Merry elbowed him again, but Aragorn laughed.
"Thorongil was my name in that land, meaning "Eagle of the Star." I served under one of the Stewards of Minas Tirith. Shall I tell you of some things found there? For the south is different from the Shire, and even from Bree."
"Yes, please!" cried Pippin, and Frodo nodded, though Sam pressed him to take another mouthful of broth, and he complied.
"There are such fruits in that land as you have never seen even in picture-books. Orange fruits, for one...oranges they are called, and when squeezed upon a juicer they yield juice delicious to taste. Sweet and tart at the same time, very healthful. The fruit itself is good to eat, and is often used by sailors on voyages to help them keep in health. They are round, like a ball, and you peel back the outer layer to reveal juicy segments which burst in your mouth."
"That sounds delightful," said Merry. "Are there other fruits there like that?"
"Lemons," said Aragorn, and his heart seemed to grow lighter with the telling of such small and beautiful things. "As Thorongil I occasionally, during my leave, would buy lemons at the market, squeeze out their juice, and sweeten it with honey, mixing it with water to make lemonade. The Steward makes his lemonade with sugar, though sugar is more dear there, and most of the men who serve in the armies use only honey, for lemons are a dear enough treat as 'tis."
"What's it taste like?" asked Frodo.
"Like sunlight," Aragorn answered. "Like light itself."
"I should like to taste those someday," Frodo said. "Aragorn, if ever we reach Rivendell, and...and Lord Elrond can...help me...if things are ever better, I should like to go to Gondor, and see these fruits for myself."
Aragorn smiled sadly. "Perhaps we shall go there," he said softly, "but now you must rest. I promise you another tale of Thorongil tomorrow evening. Rest now, all of you."
Ai, little friend, how I hope for that day, he thought with a heavy heart. Would that you and I could sit together, someday, looking out over the water, drinking lemonade and speaking of our adventures!
-the end-
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Date: 2012-03-05 06:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-05 08:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-05 10:05 am (UTC)- Erulisse (one L)
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Date: 2012-03-05 10:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-05 12:43 pm (UTC)And "Thorin's gills" gave me a good giggle!
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Date: 2012-03-05 02:25 pm (UTC)Oh, that came to me when I was driving along yesterday and it gave me such a good giggle I thought it should go into the story. I could just HEAR Pippin.... :D
*thankies delightedly and offers lemonade*
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Date: 2012-03-05 02:29 pm (UTC)And yes, yes, do write that little scene with Elessar and Frodo! That'd be so heartwarming!
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Date: 2012-03-05 11:51 pm (UTC)