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Some Other End (R) Print

Written by Lexin

14 December 2005 | 39687 words

[ all pages ]

Part IV

Bishop:
Who is it that sees and hears all that we do, and before whom even I am but as a crushed worm?
Page:
The missus, My Lord.
Punch, vol lxxix. p63. 1880

The end of Saruman was not an end but a beginning. Faramir wrote to the King in Gondor and Frodo sent his note and a letter of his own with some travellers heading south down the Greenway intending to go through the Gap of Rohan. How Farmer Cotton had known of them was a mystery to Faramir, but known he had.

The hobbits then turned their attention to the rebuilding of the Shire and Rose Cotton to the cleaning and setting to rights of Bag End. As Rose said, "For you and Mr Frodo can't stay with us for too long else that bruise on your head will be permanent!"

He was, he knew, a curiosity in Hobbiton. In many ways it was easier to be indoors helping Rose and Mrs Cotton, an invisible curiosity, than outside and a visible curiosity that hobbits would travel miles out their way to see and marvel at. He scrubbed floors, and ceilings, taking instruction where necessary without complaint. The coolness between Frodo and Samwise appeared on the face of it to have been patched up, or so Faramir thought.

He and Rose were working in the kitchen at Bag End when he discovered his mistake. After several days' trial and error, Faramir had managed to mend the stove and they were able to brew tea, "The way old master Bilbo did," as Rose put it.

"Do you remember Bilbo?" Faramir asked, curious.

"Yes, Mr Faramir, sir. A wonderful kind and learned gentlehobbit was Mr Bilbo. Good to Sam and to me, all will tell you so."

"Almost all." Faramir had met Ted Sandyman on a visit he and Frodo made to the Ivy Bush Inn. It had been obvious that Sandyman loathed Frodo and had always disliked Bilbo. Faramir had not told Frodo what he'd overheard Sandyman say about them; on the point of his handfasting it was Frodo who was over-touchy rather than himself.

Rose, who'd witnessed the incident and was also keeping quiet, looked sympathetic. "Pay no heed to anything Ted Sandyman says. He's a fool and always has been."

"May I tell Samwise you said that?" asked Faramir.

"Better you stay out of it, Mr Faramir, like you do between Frodo and my Sam."

Faramir stared at her.

"Bless you, sir. I've known both of 'em all my life. They've had words about something, probably something one of them doesn't care to explain or can't. From the way Sam speaks of you, or doesn't, probably something to do with you. You're staying out of it, and that's only good hobbit sense. Now, I'll get that cake I brought from the farm to have with our tea."


Hobbits had an extraordinary capacity for hard work and it was a startlingly few days before Bag End was ready for Frodo and Faramir to move in. Meriadoc had even brought Frodo's furniture from Crickhollow. "And I said I wouldn't do this!" Faramir overheard him say.

Then Frodo's laugh, "Things have changed since then."

Meriadoc caught sight of Faramir listening and smiled at him, "Very much so."

Bag End was more comfortable than the Cottons' farm house; Rose had told him that it was considered by far and away the best hobbit hole for many miles around, and it was certainly the one best able to provide a home for a Man.

It seemed that the only one less than pleased to see them make their home there was Samwise. Whatever the problem was, neither of them were a step closer to discussing it, and Faramir saw the long-suffering expression on Rose's face increasingly often.

Then, one night as winter turned to spring, Samwise came to the door of Bag End. Faramir answered, and Samwise said, "I need to speak to Frodo."

"Of course." Faramir stepped back to allow Samwise indoors out of the night.

"Privately."

That was not like Samwise. Whatever disagreement he and Frodo were having, he was usually polite to Faramir. "Of course," Faramir said again. He led Samwise through to the living room where Frodo was sipping an evening ale. "Samwise is here and wishes to speak to you. Good evening, Master Samwise."

Faramir went to the study, well out the way. There was no lack of reading matter at Bag End as long as the reader was content with matters of interest to Bilbo and Frodo Baggins: Bilbo had taken very few books when he left for Imladris, and nearly all of those left at Bag End had been removed to Crickhollow and then returned by Meriadoc. Books on elven lore rubbed shoulders with books on plants, trees and animal husbandry, and those with the history of hobbits and their lands round about. Some Bilbo had clearly translated himself, and these were hard going indeed as Bilbo's handwriting warred with sometimes obscure subject matter.

Faramir had only just made a choice when Frodo came in. "Has Samwise gone?" was all Faramir could think of to say.

"No, I left him making tea. The matter he wishes to discuss concerns you also. I wanted to explain..."

"Do you want me there?" Faramir did not usually interrupt, but did so now.

"No! The matter I need to explain I could hardly speak of with you there. It will be difficult enough without."

"Go on."

"You know when we...lie together?"

"Yes." Faramir was puzzled. They did so fairly infrequently and never talked of it either before or after. Until now.

"He believes you may harm me."

"Harm you? But I don't..." Faramir trailed off. "Oh. I understand. Then you will have to tell him the truth of the matter."

"You have no objection to him knowing?"

"Had I understood the nature of the disagreement between you, I would have told you to tell him before we left Bree. I know Samwise too well to believe that he would tell anyone else." Faramir considered the matter for a moment, "But why now?"

Frodo smiled, "Rosie won't accept him until he makes it up with me."

"Poor Sam. You will have to tell him, then." Faramir turned back to his abandoned book.


Faramir had gone to bed when he heard the round front door of Bag End close. A moment or two later and the door to his bedroom opened. "Are you asleep?" asked Frodo.

"Not yet."

"May I come in?"

He could see Frodo's outline in the orange light from the fire in his room, but not his expression. Faramir sat up. "Was he satisfied with what you told him?"

Frodo padded over to the bed, and sat down on the side. "I hope so. It occurred to me that it must have been something of a lonely evening for you."

"I read," said Faramir, knowing Frodo would understand. Both of them considered books to be friends.

"And I wondered if you might care for some company."

Faramir hoped the sudden flush of heat to his face was hidden by the firelight, "Company would be welcome, yes."

Frodo leaned upwards to kiss him then stopped. "You would say if you found what we do unpleasant?"

Their lips met, and then parted again. "I would find some way of drawing the matter to your attention." Faramir opened his mouth to the kiss and tasted the tea Frodo had been drinking...tea and seed cake? Yes, seed cake.

After a time of this, Frodo said, "Sam seemed to think that no Man could find a hobbit satisfying."

"As he is not you and is most definitely not me, I would say he is not qualified to judge the matter." Faramir lay back, allowing Frodo to unlace his nightshirt. He saw the look of doubt still on Frodo's face and added, "If it would please you, I can assure Master Samwise of my absolute and complete satisfaction at your hands."

Frodo removed the offending garment, then said, "I think not. It would shock him out of ten years growth. As they say, 'Separate not a hobbit from his unreasoned beliefs'."

"Who says that?" said Faramir as he began to unbutton Frodo's shirt.

"I have no idea. But if it is not a saying, it ought to be."

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