FIC: "Into the East" (PG, 16/?) by Febobe
Sep. 19th, 2011 01:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
febobeI got another chapter done! It's a little light on the Frodo content, but Sam lovers will, I think, enjoy it. :)
Bon appetit! :)
-Febobe :)
Title: Into the East
Author: Febobe (Frodo Baggins of Bag End)
Rating/Warnings: PG (graphic food descriptions, some occasionally graphic medical angst - NO CANON CHARACTER DEATH. I promise! It may seem at first that I'm headed that direction, but I absolutely guarantee, NO canon characters will be killed off in this fic!)
Summary: After the Quest, Frodo comes down with a serious illness, and journeys to Harad in search of better health.
Characters: Frodo, Sam, Elrond, Eowyn, Faramir, Merry, Pippin, an OC named Kalil (partly in tribute to Claudia's own Khalil), other supporting OCs, appearances by Aragorn and possibly Arwen. Others TBA, if any.
Disclaimer: I do not own and have not created any of J.R.R. Tolkien's work, neither characters nor world nor any of his concepts. I'm just playing in the sandbox, with no ill intent. Original characters, including (but not limited to) Kalil are my own creation, and I would appreciate it if they weren't used without asking. (Unlike Tolkien, I'm not dead!) This fic meets FrodoHealers standards and is free from profanity, sex, and slash.
Notes: Sam lovers, I think this is a fic you'll enjoy, as it strongly features his voice and viewpoint. Frodo lovers, this is definitely a fic you'll enjoy, especially if you're an old-school FrodoHealers fan. Faramir and Eowyn, Merry and Pippin will all have significant roles to play throughout this fic, though it takes a few chapters to get there. Also, please note that I have chosen Indian food for the predominant culinary culture of Harad. I realize that it may well be closer to Middle Eastern cookery, but I wanted to give it a distinctive tie and recognizable flavor, and I chose Indian. No ill will intended if you prefer a different interpretation; just know that this is my interpretation only and I realize it isn't the only potential take on Haradraic food out there. A word about Kalil and the Haradrim: I intend absolutely no disrespect to any culture or language. But the people of Harad would look and seem strange to Sam, Shire hobbit that he is, and more so than the fair-skinned elves and Big Folk he knew well. As for Kalil's language, I realize some people are fluent in multiple languages, but Kalil isn't as fluent as some people. I think he does pretty well myself!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Sure enough, Master Merry left us toward the late afternoon, and went downstairs to cream mushrooms for Mr. Frodo. Master Pippin stayed with us, and he took to telling his adventures, his and Master Merry's, and that seemed to sit real well with Mr. Frodo, who smiled sometimes, and once we even got a little laugh out o'him, though he was so weak he took to coughing, and Master Pippin tried to make the rest as unfunny as he could so's not to get him coughing again.
Master Merry came back, and made me go eat supper with Lord Faramir and Lady Eowyn, which I didn't much want to do, but seeing as how I hadn't really eaten much all day I figured I didn't have much choice. For Mr. Frodo he'd brought creamed mushrooms over toast points, a good chicken broth with vegetables and bits o'meat, and something called sweet rice with milk, which sounded nourishing and good, like something Mr. Frodo would like. He promised he'd send Pippin running for me if Mr. Frodo turned bad worse, and said he'd feed him himself, and Mr. Frodo said that was all right, so I went on.
Well, we had a fine spread set out for us, though it seemed all strange to me: foreign food, real spicy-smelling, though I couldn't say as it smelled bad, 'cause it didn't. We started out with spicy batter-coated fish on long sticks, them skewer things, and some kind o'nuts with salt and pepper. Then we had this nutty-tasting lamb with what Lord Faramir said was a roasted poppy seed sauce, and fragrant-smelling rice, and mushrooms too, only they was in a sauce o'poppy seeds too, with almonds. For bread, we had this flat bread with mint and onion, which weren't half bad once you ate it with the lamb and sauce.
For a while none of us talked, but finally Lord Faramir looked at me, and I knew we couldn't avoid it no longer.
"How is Frodo?" he said quietly.
"Not doing too well, but better'n he was. I thought sure we was going to lose him today."
"He was so pale," Lady Eowyn said. "And I've never seen him out of his head like that before."
Lord Faramir nodded. "The fever seems to be getting worse. I hope Kalil can help him."
"He ain't been so bad since that bath this morning." I poked at my mushrooms. "Just a little while after that, he started getting better. That's the first time I've known him to ask me to tell about us, and all we went through."
"A good sign, then," said Lord Faramir. "Perhaps tomorrow will be better."
"I hope so," I answered. "I don't reckon it could get too much worse, 'cept ways I don't want to think about."
For dessert, there was this sweet creamy stuff cut into little diamond shapes, a whole plateful for each person, and we ate it slowly, it was that rich.
"Sam," Lord Faramir said finally, "if we were to take dinner a little later in the evening - say, an hour and a half, or two hours, after you feed your master - would you be willing to join us at the table?"
I about fell out o'my chair. "Oh, sir, I couldn't, not with Mr. Frodo so sick and not able to come - "
"Sam, it would do you good. When Frodo feels better, we shall eat earlier again and he may join us."
Lady Eowyn looked at me with those pleading eyes o'hers. "Would you? It would mean so much to us. And to Frodo as well, I think, for he wishes you to be honoured and cared for as well."
Well, I didn't hardly know what to say to that, but I didn't think I could refuse. Still... "What about Master Merry and Master Pippin?"
"They will be invited as well, though I know you will want to take turns sitting with Frodo, so that one of you will always be with him." Lord Faramir smiled. "But whomever is not sitting with Frodo may join us at the table, and we will make certain that the person who cannot be there can eat beforehand."
I reckoned that settled it, then. "I reckon I could come."
"Good." Lord Faramir rose, since we was all done eating. "I shall expect you tomorrow night, then. If you need anything when I am not looking in on Frodo, tell Eowyn. She will make certain that all of you have what you need."
"Thank you, sir." I bowed. "Good evening to you."
-to be continued-
Bon appetit! :)
-Febobe :)
Title: Into the East
Author: Febobe (Frodo Baggins of Bag End)
Rating/Warnings: PG (graphic food descriptions, some occasionally graphic medical angst - NO CANON CHARACTER DEATH. I promise! It may seem at first that I'm headed that direction, but I absolutely guarantee, NO canon characters will be killed off in this fic!)
Summary: After the Quest, Frodo comes down with a serious illness, and journeys to Harad in search of better health.
Characters: Frodo, Sam, Elrond, Eowyn, Faramir, Merry, Pippin, an OC named Kalil (partly in tribute to Claudia's own Khalil), other supporting OCs, appearances by Aragorn and possibly Arwen. Others TBA, if any.
Disclaimer: I do not own and have not created any of J.R.R. Tolkien's work, neither characters nor world nor any of his concepts. I'm just playing in the sandbox, with no ill intent. Original characters, including (but not limited to) Kalil are my own creation, and I would appreciate it if they weren't used without asking. (Unlike Tolkien, I'm not dead!) This fic meets FrodoHealers standards and is free from profanity, sex, and slash.
Notes: Sam lovers, I think this is a fic you'll enjoy, as it strongly features his voice and viewpoint. Frodo lovers, this is definitely a fic you'll enjoy, especially if you're an old-school FrodoHealers fan. Faramir and Eowyn, Merry and Pippin will all have significant roles to play throughout this fic, though it takes a few chapters to get there. Also, please note that I have chosen Indian food for the predominant culinary culture of Harad. I realize that it may well be closer to Middle Eastern cookery, but I wanted to give it a distinctive tie and recognizable flavor, and I chose Indian. No ill will intended if you prefer a different interpretation; just know that this is my interpretation only and I realize it isn't the only potential take on Haradraic food out there. A word about Kalil and the Haradrim: I intend absolutely no disrespect to any culture or language. But the people of Harad would look and seem strange to Sam, Shire hobbit that he is, and more so than the fair-skinned elves and Big Folk he knew well. As for Kalil's language, I realize some people are fluent in multiple languages, but Kalil isn't as fluent as some people. I think he does pretty well myself!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Sure enough, Master Merry left us toward the late afternoon, and went downstairs to cream mushrooms for Mr. Frodo. Master Pippin stayed with us, and he took to telling his adventures, his and Master Merry's, and that seemed to sit real well with Mr. Frodo, who smiled sometimes, and once we even got a little laugh out o'him, though he was so weak he took to coughing, and Master Pippin tried to make the rest as unfunny as he could so's not to get him coughing again.
Master Merry came back, and made me go eat supper with Lord Faramir and Lady Eowyn, which I didn't much want to do, but seeing as how I hadn't really eaten much all day I figured I didn't have much choice. For Mr. Frodo he'd brought creamed mushrooms over toast points, a good chicken broth with vegetables and bits o'meat, and something called sweet rice with milk, which sounded nourishing and good, like something Mr. Frodo would like. He promised he'd send Pippin running for me if Mr. Frodo turned bad worse, and said he'd feed him himself, and Mr. Frodo said that was all right, so I went on.
Well, we had a fine spread set out for us, though it seemed all strange to me: foreign food, real spicy-smelling, though I couldn't say as it smelled bad, 'cause it didn't. We started out with spicy batter-coated fish on long sticks, them skewer things, and some kind o'nuts with salt and pepper. Then we had this nutty-tasting lamb with what Lord Faramir said was a roasted poppy seed sauce, and fragrant-smelling rice, and mushrooms too, only they was in a sauce o'poppy seeds too, with almonds. For bread, we had this flat bread with mint and onion, which weren't half bad once you ate it with the lamb and sauce.
For a while none of us talked, but finally Lord Faramir looked at me, and I knew we couldn't avoid it no longer.
"How is Frodo?" he said quietly.
"Not doing too well, but better'n he was. I thought sure we was going to lose him today."
"He was so pale," Lady Eowyn said. "And I've never seen him out of his head like that before."
Lord Faramir nodded. "The fever seems to be getting worse. I hope Kalil can help him."
"He ain't been so bad since that bath this morning." I poked at my mushrooms. "Just a little while after that, he started getting better. That's the first time I've known him to ask me to tell about us, and all we went through."
"A good sign, then," said Lord Faramir. "Perhaps tomorrow will be better."
"I hope so," I answered. "I don't reckon it could get too much worse, 'cept ways I don't want to think about."
For dessert, there was this sweet creamy stuff cut into little diamond shapes, a whole plateful for each person, and we ate it slowly, it was that rich.
"Sam," Lord Faramir said finally, "if we were to take dinner a little later in the evening - say, an hour and a half, or two hours, after you feed your master - would you be willing to join us at the table?"
I about fell out o'my chair. "Oh, sir, I couldn't, not with Mr. Frodo so sick and not able to come - "
"Sam, it would do you good. When Frodo feels better, we shall eat earlier again and he may join us."
Lady Eowyn looked at me with those pleading eyes o'hers. "Would you? It would mean so much to us. And to Frodo as well, I think, for he wishes you to be honoured and cared for as well."
Well, I didn't hardly know what to say to that, but I didn't think I could refuse. Still... "What about Master Merry and Master Pippin?"
"They will be invited as well, though I know you will want to take turns sitting with Frodo, so that one of you will always be with him." Lord Faramir smiled. "But whomever is not sitting with Frodo may join us at the table, and we will make certain that the person who cannot be there can eat beforehand."
I reckoned that settled it, then. "I reckon I could come."
"Good." Lord Faramir rose, since we was all done eating. "I shall expect you tomorrow night, then. If you need anything when I am not looking in on Frodo, tell Eowyn. She will make certain that all of you have what you need."
"Thank you, sir." I bowed. "Good evening to you."
-to be continued-
