3. Outlandish/Exiled: A matched pair of drabbles - by Dwimordene
The Breelanders and the Dúnedain each have reasons to regard each other as less civilized, so that means we need two drabbles to do them both justice.
Outlandish Bob sighed when he saw them approaching. All over mud and grass stains—What, do they roll in the fields? he wondered—and wary eyes in weary faces, watching everything and everyone. As if, he thought, they did not trust the Bree-folk. "Well, handsome is as handsome does," he muttered. "Better look in a mirror, lads!" He was only glad they'd no horses, for he'd no desire to get that look from them, no matter they always paid. As if I'd do anything to them! Rangers. Bob shook his head. Aye lads, it'll be a long night in The Pony...***
Exiled
"You can lose your heart or your pride, lads, it's that simple"—a Ranger's first and hardest lesson.
For pride's harder to lose, he thought, as the serving girl took one look and turned her pretty nose up.
And he'd hoped for peace that night, but alas! The Pony's common room had two moods for Rangers, and tonight, he was the entertainment. "C'mon, lad, a meal's worth a song, eh?"—pride can sour on such charity. So 'twas for heart he sang:
Gulls cry on the stormwind,
high over waters wide,
Look thou homeward, Exile,
That we may here abide!
"Handsome is as handsome does"—Pippin, "Strider", FOTR
Outlandish Bob sighed when he saw them approaching. All over mud and grass stains—What, do they roll in the fields? he wondered—and wary eyes in weary faces, watching everything and everyone. As if, he thought, they did not trust the Bree-folk. "Well, handsome is as handsome does," he muttered. "Better look in a mirror, lads!" He was only glad they'd no horses, for he'd no desire to get that look from them, no matter they always paid. As if I'd do anything to them! Rangers. Bob shook his head. Aye lads, it'll be a long night in The Pony...
"Handsome is as handsome does"—Pippin, "Strider", FOTR
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
