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kayleearafinwiel) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
b2mem2019-03-12 05:42 pm
- card:color burst 1 - red,
- card:color burst 5 - blue,
- card:color burst 8 - spectrum,
- card:concerning hobbits,
- card:hobbit lasses,
- card:landscape,
- card:shirish,
- card:snippets of verse,
- card:third age locations,
- character:elanor,
- character:frodo gardner,
- character:rose cotton,
- character:sam,
- format:short story,
- genre:family,
- number:o67
And Day brought back my Night, by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Format: short story
Genre: family
Rating: PG
Warnings:
Characters: Samwise Gamgee, Elanor Gardner, Frodo Gardner, peripherally Rosie (Cotton) Gamgee and all the Gamgee-Gardner children except young Tolman.
Pairings: Sam Gamgee/Rosie Cotton
Creator’s Notes (optional): The ages of Sam and Rosie's children, and how they relate to equivalent human (physical) maturity is noted here, as described in Dreamflower's chart "Hobbit Ages".
Elanor - 20 (13), Frodo - 18 (12), Rose - 16 (10), Merry - 14 (8 ½ ), Pippin - 12 (7 ½-8), Goldilocks - 10 (6 ½), Hamfast - 9 (5 ½-6), Daisy - 8 (5), Primrose - 6 (3 ½-4), Bilbo - 5 (3), Ruby - 3 (18-20 months), Robin - 1 (8 months).
“Sam-dad, are you sure about goin’ away now?” Elanor asked, brow creased in concern. “We’ve just had the Birthday, an’ all…”
“Now, not to worry,” Sam said reassuringly. “Never you mind that, Elanorelle. Cuttin’ it a bit fine, it is, but we travelled this way in Halimath afore. ‘Twon’t be too hard to do it again, leastwise with no Black Riders chasin’ along behind! And we’ll have an escort,” he reminded her.
Some of the Northern Dunedain would be awaiting them at the Bridge, Elanor remembered. “Course, Sam-dad. Silly of me to worry.” She smiled. “I’m sure we’ll do just fine.”
“Well, I worry about you both, and ‘specially Rose-mum,” Frodo said, coming up to his father and sister. "Still, going to be with Uncle Strider and Aunt Arwen and all...I suppose you'll be safe." But with his parents away, who would take care of them? His parents gone was like Day turned Night! He was sure Da and Mum had said, but with so many to look after it'd gone clean out of his head. A sudden squeak made Frodo and Elanor both turn round.
They’d left the study door open, and a gaggle of little ones were crowded ‘round the door, which only he and Elanor had earned the right to enter without permission. “Away all that time for so long? It’s not as though Ellie will be on holiday with you; she’ll be working for the Queen and all. And there’s the little ones to think of, Dad…” Rosie-lass piped up from her place.
“Already all thought of, remember?” Sam reminded his children. “You’ll be accompanying us as far as Brandy Hall; Master Merry an’ Mistress Estella will be seeing to you, being nearly kin and all they’ve extended the invitation.” Baby Robin, of course, was too little to be separated from his parents yet and so would be taking the journey with them, but all the rest would stay at Brandy Hall.
“Folks’ll say we’re queer, being left to the Master to be brought up like Uncle Frodo,” the lad observed, thinking of his departed namefather wistfully.
“Well, Frodo-lad, you keep up your lessons like we’ve begun, and it won’t seem too long ‘fore we’re home again,” Sam said. “Write to us, and the King’s Messengers will see we get our post in Minas Tirith. We’ll be back in no time at all, you’ll see. Now, it’ll be time to start lunch soon - go ask your mum what needs doing,” he addressed the children, from Rosie down to Bilbo-lad. Ruby and baby Robin were with her already, and the other children went, chattering amongst themselves about going to stay with Uncle Merry and Aunt Estella. As they thundered down the hall, Merry-lad was especially vocal in his delight about going to visit his namefather, jumping for sheer joy and shouting until Rosie-lass shushed him with a rejoinder of her own that could have started fireworks.
“You make this hall fall down, Merry Gamgee, and I’ll be a-callin’ the Shirriffs, I will!”
Merry thought of the Shirriffs with feathers in their caps, and their blue cloaks, and hushed.
Sam and his elder children exchanged looks of mutual understanding, and exasperation.
“With your permission, Da, I’ll go make sure the little ones have all packed,” Frodo said quietly. Sam nodded.
“Good, Frodo-lad. Elanorelle, best you check your own things; you know how the lasses are about borrowin’, an’ we don’t want you going to Minas Tirith with half your pack switched out.”
Elanor blushed. “Aye, Sam-dad.” She curtseyed to Sam - for she knew she’d have to do the same to Uncle Strider and Aunt Arwen and all - and Frodo bowed, before Sam’s eldest children departed the study together.
They’d be leaving after lunch - Sam made his way to the Ivy Bush to fetch the coaches he’d hired to take them to Buckland. The coach-hobbits were good lads, and would join the family for the meal.
As he left, he looked back through Bag End’s kitchen window, hearing light and laughter spill through. His heart swelled with love for his family, but a gulf as wide as a canyon seemed to be opening in his mind between himself and the littles.
Oh, he’d miss the children while they were gone, but a trip to Minas Tirith was still too much for them all! Bless Merry and Estella for offering to take care of his and Rose’s brood - a year in Buckland was enough of an Adventure for them to be having!
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That's a wonderful idea.
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I figured there were four possible scenarios:
1) Frodo-lad was left in charge of ten younger siblings (I discounted this immediately once I did the math and figured out how old they all were)
2) The Cottons - Tom and Mari, anyway - came over to Bag End to watch after them. Which is still an idea, and I think they might come over to look after Bag End for a time anyway, at least.
3) They were taken in by Pippin and Diamond - Pippin's been Thain for the last seven years or so, and they'd live at Great Smials. Still possible, I guess, but a little out of the way from Hobbiton to Buckland.
4) They were taken in by Merry and Estella - Merry's been Master now for nine years, and Brandy Hall is of course on the way to the Bridge, so this is the option I went with. He's a little more settled than his younger cousin, and wouldn't mind inviting a brood of young Gamgees to stay. I think they'd be a lot freer in Buckland than Tuckborough anyway, though no doubt there'll be visiting back and forth during the year.
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- Erulisse (one L)
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