Rose
Title: Rose
Series: Of Kindred Spirits Born
Author: the_arc5
Fandom: LotR (Post-Quest)
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Five moments in the life of Rose Gamgee.
Rose
Rose arrives in a middle of a storm, and adds her own cries to the cacophony. Elanor covers her ears and looks indignant at the noise. Frodo starts crying himself. Sam gathers them both into his arms and carries them to the bedside where Rosie is trying to soothe the newborn.
“She’s brand new, and not used to storms yet,” Sam explains. Elanor uncovers her ears and Frodo stops crying. “We need to take care of her.”
Frodo cuddles into his mother’s side and lays a small hand on the squalling bundle. Elanor lisps her favorite lullaby.
Rose falls asleep.
*****
At all of eight years old, Rose makes plans to take over the smial. She graciously allows Frodo to keep the garden, but the rest is hers. She rules over her domain with a long wooden spoon, her mother’s apron tied crooked and dragging over her feet.
She chases Merry and Pippin out of the kitchen, promising cakes.
When Rosie comes in, Goldilocks asleep at last, Rose is covered in flour, as is every bowl in the kitchen. Two wide brown eyes blink from beneath a layer of white, and Rose decides, “Cakes are too hard.”
Rosie laughs and laughs.
*****
If it’s there, Rose will rush headlong into it, and never mind what comes after. She’s the only lass in the Shire that’s broken both arms and a leg, and even the lads are a bit jealous of her record. Talk is that she will run her parents into an early grave, screaming all the way, most like.
The day she finds the Water, talk almost proves right.
She’s seen Frodo swimming, and Elanor too, so she just jumps. Frodo yells at her to stop, then dives in after her.
“I’m swimming,” she giggles, breaking to the surface.
Frodo sighs.
*****
Rose doesn’t like being respectable.
She is a good cook, but only through constant mishaps. She can take care of faunts, but only because there’s so many at home. She does know how to manage things, but only because she invents so many crises of her own. She’s not “that sweet Gamgee lass.”
It’s enough to make a hobbit go look for dragons.
Uncle Pippin seems to understand.
“Suppose we were to take a trip?” he suggests.
“We just got here,” Rose says, surprised.
“I know. But we could go on a ramble. Say…to Bree?”
Her delight is completely unrespectable.
*****
Travelers know the Prancing Pony is good for a drink, but there’s no better inn than the Green Smial. It has a laughing, cheerful mistress with a deft hand in the kitchen and a generous hand on the tap. The beds are always clean, and there’s always a story or two to listen to.
And if hobbits are a bit favored there, it’s only natural; Mistress Rose is one, after all, and her family visits often enough. Shire cider is the best, anyway, and the Green Smial always has Longbottom Leaf.
It’s a fine place to begin an adventure from.
Series: Of Kindred Spirits Born
Author: the_arc5
Fandom: LotR (Post-Quest)
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Five moments in the life of Rose Gamgee.
Rose
Rose arrives in a middle of a storm, and adds her own cries to the cacophony. Elanor covers her ears and looks indignant at the noise. Frodo starts crying himself. Sam gathers them both into his arms and carries them to the bedside where Rosie is trying to soothe the newborn.
“She’s brand new, and not used to storms yet,” Sam explains. Elanor uncovers her ears and Frodo stops crying. “We need to take care of her.”
Frodo cuddles into his mother’s side and lays a small hand on the squalling bundle. Elanor lisps her favorite lullaby.
Rose falls asleep.
*****
At all of eight years old, Rose makes plans to take over the smial. She graciously allows Frodo to keep the garden, but the rest is hers. She rules over her domain with a long wooden spoon, her mother’s apron tied crooked and dragging over her feet.
She chases Merry and Pippin out of the kitchen, promising cakes.
When Rosie comes in, Goldilocks asleep at last, Rose is covered in flour, as is every bowl in the kitchen. Two wide brown eyes blink from beneath a layer of white, and Rose decides, “Cakes are too hard.”
Rosie laughs and laughs.
*****
If it’s there, Rose will rush headlong into it, and never mind what comes after. She’s the only lass in the Shire that’s broken both arms and a leg, and even the lads are a bit jealous of her record. Talk is that she will run her parents into an early grave, screaming all the way, most like.
The day she finds the Water, talk almost proves right.
She’s seen Frodo swimming, and Elanor too, so she just jumps. Frodo yells at her to stop, then dives in after her.
“I’m swimming,” she giggles, breaking to the surface.
Frodo sighs.
*****
Rose doesn’t like being respectable.
She is a good cook, but only through constant mishaps. She can take care of faunts, but only because there’s so many at home. She does know how to manage things, but only because she invents so many crises of her own. She’s not “that sweet Gamgee lass.”
It’s enough to make a hobbit go look for dragons.
Uncle Pippin seems to understand.
“Suppose we were to take a trip?” he suggests.
“We just got here,” Rose says, surprised.
“I know. But we could go on a ramble. Say…to Bree?”
Her delight is completely unrespectable.
*****
Travelers know the Prancing Pony is good for a drink, but there’s no better inn than the Green Smial. It has a laughing, cheerful mistress with a deft hand in the kitchen and a generous hand on the tap. The beds are always clean, and there’s always a story or two to listen to.
And if hobbits are a bit favored there, it’s only natural; Mistress Rose is one, after all, and her family visits often enough. Shire cider is the best, anyway, and the Green Smial always has Longbottom Leaf.
It’s a fine place to begin an adventure from.