Happy birthday, Willow!
Sunday, September 26th, 2004 10:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seraiA bit late, I know. But it's still the 26th here!
In loving gratitude for the beautiful tales with which you've bewitched my heart, here's a little vignette for you. I hope you don't mind me wandering in your garden and plucking a flower for your birthday present.
Invitation
by Serai
For Willow Wode, on the occasion of her birthday
The afternoon sunlight slanted through the smial window, shedding its golden light on the two hobbits sitting at the edge of the wide bed, one's arms wrapped around the other in a comforting embrace. Slowly the sound of sobbing subsided, winding down to soft, hitching gasps.
"Shh, lad," Merimac murmured. "Shh. I'm here now, shh. I'm here." His arms held fast and firm, and he wound his fingers through dark curls, stroking gently, tenderness belying the rage he felt in his heart, the pain that seemed like to never heal.
"Oh, Mac," Frodo whispered, and his voice trembled so. "It's all darkness. Everything - I can't - " His voice choked off, and he began wailing again. Merimac breathed hard, forcing down his own tears. What had happened? What in the name of the Valar had befallen his little cousin? Patiently he waited until the storm passed, and Frodo seemed to calm.
"Here now," Merimac said, pulling back to stroke the tears from Frodo's cheeks. So wan they were, that rosy bloom faded now. Inwardly he winced at the lines he saw. When had they appeared, and the silver threads that now glimmered in that dark hair? "You just need a change, Frodo. To get away from here." He smiled. "Would you like to come away with me for awhile? The Gilly's still waiting for you."
Frodo smiled back, but it was a sad smile, and it never reached his eyes. He gave a deep, shuddering sigh, then sank back into the strength of his cousin's arms. "The Gilly?" he repeated, closing his eyes.
"Aye," Merimac said, stroking Frodo's back with long, light movements. He wasn't surprised to find himself rocking gently, Frodo growing heavy in his arms. The tears had tired him out, it seemed. He moved to lay Frodo back onto the bed, and took his hand.
"She's docked at the Marish. We can sail within the week. Would you like to sail with me, Frodo? Take to the waters, as I once asked you?" He stroked the thin, pale hand in his, and had to bite his lip to keep from crying at the stump of a finger there. Oh Frodo, what happened to you? Where did you go for so long? But he didn't ask any of the questions burning in his gut. When he could speak again, he only said, "We can sail all the way to the sea, if you like."
"The sea," Frodo murmured. "I dream about the sea, sometimes." He sighed.
"Aye, it's a wondrous sight," Merimac smiled. "Come with me, Frodo. The salt air would do you good."
"Yes," Frodo answered, and Merimac's heart sang a little. But then it chilled as Frodo's eyes opened. That soft blue gaze, mingling a faraway trace of love with a depth of emptiness he'd never seen there before, not even during those long-ago days at Brandy Hall.
"I will go to the sea," came the whisper. "But not with you, Mac." Frodo's eyes closed again as he slipped into sleep. "Not with you…"
Frodo settled into his slumber and Merimac wondered at his words, as he stroked the maimed hand and gazed on his cousin's beloved face, marked with the traces of a tale he would never hear from the pale lips. Bending his head to kiss the sweet fingers he had known so long, he finally let go his sorrow, and wept.
In loving gratitude for the beautiful tales with which you've bewitched my heart, here's a little vignette for you. I hope you don't mind me wandering in your garden and plucking a flower for your birthday present.
Invitation
by Serai
For Willow Wode, on the occasion of her birthday
The afternoon sunlight slanted through the smial window, shedding its golden light on the two hobbits sitting at the edge of the wide bed, one's arms wrapped around the other in a comforting embrace. Slowly the sound of sobbing subsided, winding down to soft, hitching gasps.
"Shh, lad," Merimac murmured. "Shh. I'm here now, shh. I'm here." His arms held fast and firm, and he wound his fingers through dark curls, stroking gently, tenderness belying the rage he felt in his heart, the pain that seemed like to never heal.
"Oh, Mac," Frodo whispered, and his voice trembled so. "It's all darkness. Everything - I can't - " His voice choked off, and he began wailing again. Merimac breathed hard, forcing down his own tears. What had happened? What in the name of the Valar had befallen his little cousin? Patiently he waited until the storm passed, and Frodo seemed to calm.
"Here now," Merimac said, pulling back to stroke the tears from Frodo's cheeks. So wan they were, that rosy bloom faded now. Inwardly he winced at the lines he saw. When had they appeared, and the silver threads that now glimmered in that dark hair? "You just need a change, Frodo. To get away from here." He smiled. "Would you like to come away with me for awhile? The Gilly's still waiting for you."
Frodo smiled back, but it was a sad smile, and it never reached his eyes. He gave a deep, shuddering sigh, then sank back into the strength of his cousin's arms. "The Gilly?" he repeated, closing his eyes.
"Aye," Merimac said, stroking Frodo's back with long, light movements. He wasn't surprised to find himself rocking gently, Frodo growing heavy in his arms. The tears had tired him out, it seemed. He moved to lay Frodo back onto the bed, and took his hand.
"She's docked at the Marish. We can sail within the week. Would you like to sail with me, Frodo? Take to the waters, as I once asked you?" He stroked the thin, pale hand in his, and had to bite his lip to keep from crying at the stump of a finger there. Oh Frodo, what happened to you? Where did you go for so long? But he didn't ask any of the questions burning in his gut. When he could speak again, he only said, "We can sail all the way to the sea, if you like."
"The sea," Frodo murmured. "I dream about the sea, sometimes." He sighed.
"Aye, it's a wondrous sight," Merimac smiled. "Come with me, Frodo. The salt air would do you good."
"Yes," Frodo answered, and Merimac's heart sang a little. But then it chilled as Frodo's eyes opened. That soft blue gaze, mingling a faraway trace of love with a depth of emptiness he'd never seen there before, not even during those long-ago days at Brandy Hall.
"I will go to the sea," came the whisper. "But not with you, Mac." Frodo's eyes closed again as he slipped into sleep. "Not with you…"
Frodo settled into his slumber and Merimac wondered at his words, as he stroked the maimed hand and gazed on his cousin's beloved face, marked with the traces of a tale he would never hear from the pale lips. Bending his head to kiss the sweet fingers he had known so long, he finally let go his sorrow, and wept.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: Monday, September 27th, 2004 12:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, September 27th, 2004 06:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, September 27th, 2004 12:34 am (UTC)"The sea," Frodo murmured. "I dream about the sea, sometimes."
A lovely little fic. Happy Birthday Willow!
no subject
Date: Monday, September 27th, 2004 06:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, September 27th, 2004 05:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, September 27th, 2004 06:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, September 27th, 2004 09:41 am (UTC)The spirit of it is very true--for Merimac would offer, and Frodo would consider... but we all know what they have to realise in the end.
It's lovely, Serai. Thank you for thinking of me.
*sigh of relief*
Date: Monday, September 27th, 2004 06:11 pm (UTC)I hope you had a lovely birthday. *hug*
no subject
Date: Monday, September 27th, 2004 06:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, September 28th, 2004 06:20 am (UTC)This was lovely, sad, and oh so true for both Frodo and Mac.
no subject
Date: Tuesday, September 28th, 2004 07:15 am (UTC)Thanks for the kind words. I'm so glad you like this,