The light-hearted and friendly banter was dearly met with gratitude. Frodo inhaled the now familiar scent of Alder and Hawthorn, accustomed to their presence and very casual in the way he held himself, even leaning against a tree that was beside him to listen to Alder, to support himself as he felt the conversation would happily go on for a while. In the introducing and friendly talk, he had been smiling all the while, however the smile soon vanished at the mention of ships. Sure, he had been on plenty in his time, but there was one ship that had pained him gently. The memories that arose from it had been dug down deep, and he had yet to tell anybody his story. While he would not explain all of it though, he felt it was time to come clean, and maybe discussing it would be the only way to get rid of the memory for good.
Many-a-ships I've ridden on, to get across't'sea. But the last one I been on...why, the last one... tenderly, he frowned, and then turned his back to Alder. The man unfastened his cloak first and it fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. The fact that he was undressing might have quite shocked Alder, however Frodo continued all the same. The youth unbuttoned his shirt fully, and then slid it halfway down his back. Immediately, the great gashes in his body were evident. As best as he could back-to-front, he ran hands over the puckered skin on his back, making sure to show Alder this was what he wanted to show him. The scars were many in quantity, turning his back a bit like a piece of paper that a child had scribbled on. Las' ship I been on, they did this. he said quietly, and then as quickly as he had undressed, he pulled up his shirt and fastened the cloak round his body once more. Cautiously, the young man aimed a far-fetched, weak smile at Alder, waiting to see any reaction about what he made of it.
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