Title: Boats and Tales
Fandom: LOTR
Author: Endaewen
Disclaimer: None of the characters or settings belong to me. All of them are the property of the family of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Summary: Sam's feelings about the boat journey down the Anduin.
Note: Written for the bunny I donated to the Shirebunnies, but not exactly based on it: I doubt that most hobbits’ dislike of boats was something instinctual. Probably they grew up with nursery stories of what could happen to them in boats. How about trying to write one or two of those stories being told? I've also used the following bunny as well: Tales and songs have been a part of campfires in just about every culture. Even the Company participated, as in A Knife In The Dark. What other stories might they have told over the course of the journey? Perhaps Gimli re-told some of the events of The Hobbit from Gloin's perspective, different from that of Bilbo, which is how Frodo and the other hobbits would have known them.

Sam shifted uncomfortably on the wooden seat, making the little boat wobble, despite the stabilizing effect of the weight of Frodo and Aragorn and their packs. They ask each other why, out of all the hobbits with the Company, I am the only one so terrified of boats. I've overheard them talking: Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli. Not the other hobbits though. I think they know. After all, they had to have grown up on the same stories, or similar to the ones I did. The four of them think it's odd that it's me who's so terrified, and not Frodo, after all, with what happened to his parents, he has a good reason. I'm sure that one of these days, they'll ask me.

The Gaffer must have had an experience with boats somewhere, because he's quite right when he said that 'boats are quite tricky enough for those who sit still...'* and also when he called them unnatural.

In fact, they did ask that very evening around the tiny fire. As usual, Sam was cooking their evening meal. Despite the fact that all he had to work with was travel-rations and those few edible things they found along their path, the others had long since unanimously declared the hobbit to be a miracle-worker when it came to preparing meals. The down-to-earth hobbit had blushed at the praise, but had cheerfully taken over the job whenever they felt it safe to risk a fire, which wasn't as often as they'd like.

It was Frodo who gave them the opening for the questions. "Sam, it's been three days, and nothing's happened, surely that's some proof that all the stories you've been told aren't true." The hobbit in question could tell that his employer wasn't trying to embarrass him, despite the attention his words had gained from the others, but was instead, genuinely concerned.

When Sam remained silent, and the others didn't seem inclined to speak, Gimli asked, "Stories?"

Merry spoke up in response to the question. "Stories, often originating from past events and gossip. Generally, most hobbits are afraid of boats and almost none of us know how to swim. They're a form of warning, which is heeded by most of us."

"Sam's mother is an unusually good storyteller, with a large selection on various topics." The hobbit in question smiled a little at the complement to his mother, but remained silent. Frodo continued speaking, "Sam grew up on stories about the dangers of boats, the bogey-men of the Old Forest and other similar subjects. Mostly, they haven't affected him much." All four of the hobbits thought of their compatriot in the conspiracy, Fatty Bolger, and his reaction to their leaving through the Old Forest.

"Then, if this is the case, why aren't you three the same way? You spoke up to Galadriel back in Lorien, Merry, that you know enough to be safe on the river, and you two, Frodo and Pippin, aren't far behind him in knowledge," Boromir asked, curiously.

Aragorn was the one to answer that, at least in the case of Merry. "He's a Brandybuck, that's why." Clearly, the Ranger had had enough contact with Buckland and the Shire before meeting the four hobbits in Bree to know the essential differences between Bucklanders and the rest of the Shire.

That statement didn't make any sense to the Gondorian and he looked at the Brandybuck when he said so. "It's his last name, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"We Brandybucks live right next to the Brandywine River, in fact, that's where we get our name from." Merry answered. "Because of this, we are more comfortable with boats as they can be easier and faster than travelling to the Bridge to cross the River."

The others nodded. That made sense to them, but, as Gimli said, it didn't explain the other two who could handle a boat. "What about you?" he asked them.

"I grew up in Buckland, lived there for just over twenty years in fact. Of course, I'd learn to handle a boat. Not as well as Merry who's lived there all his life by any means," Frodo replied. "Pippin has simply visited Merry and his other Brandybuck cousins enough to become comfortable in a boat."

Merry took the opportunity to tease his younger cousin a bit when Frodo said that. "Of course, sometimes it seemed as though he lived in Brandy Hall, he was visiting so much." There was a smile on his face and no sting in his voice when he said that though and all the hobbits smiled or chuckled.

"Because we are more familiar with boats, the tales of disasters and the like aren't told as frightening stories, but instead in a cautionary form," the Brandybuck continued.

They fell silent for a few minutes, not really thinking of anything when Gimli spoke up. "What do you make of Bilbo's tale of his escape from Mirkwood? He certainly didn't seem to have any fear of the river! At least not from the way Gloin tells it."

Legolas, who'd remained silent for most of this conversation, and didn't even seem to be paying much attention to what was being said, suddenly appeared to be listening intently.

Frodo chuckled at the question. "From what Bilbo told me, that was simply desperation. He couldn't see any other route for escape."

"My father has said several times that that had to have been his least favourite method of travel, being shut it a loose floating barrel. Still, he has stated his admiration for Bilbo's survival of that interlude," Gimli added.

Frodo told the group how Bilbo had masterminded and achieved the group's escape from the halls of the Elven-King, including the point at which he realised the problem with his escape method, and Gimli compared that to the version he'd been told by Gloin. The two differed in several ways.

"According to Bilbo," Frodo said, "the worst part was that he wasn't in a barrel, the way the dwarves were. He had to try to cling to one of the loose barrels bobbing in the river for several hours until they were brought to the bank of the river. After that he was able to hide on one of the rafts the barrels were made into until they all got to Laketown."

"So that's how they managed it. We put the pieces together, when we got the report of the opened barrels, surmising something like that, but never knew for sure," Legolas said.

Bilbo told that story many times, and I always thought it was both funny and terrifying, Sam thought, but it does make the boats seem a bit safer.

*FOTR, A Long-Expected Party