Day 8: Write a story or poem or create a piece of artwork reflecting identification with or connection to one’s land, country or culture.
A/n: OC names taken from realelvish.net

Minas Tirith had changed a fair bit since Sam had last been there, what with Mr. Strider being king and folk being able to rebuild from the war and all.There were a lot more green and growing things, too. Mr. Legolas had helped see to that, for sure. As he walked through the Second Circle with his wife, Sam noticed that there were a lot more shops and such than he remembered. He reckoned it was because them 'as used to be soldiers needed new jobs after the War was done with, since there weren't as much call for soldiering.

"Look, Sam-love!" Rose said, grabbing his hand with a smile. "I wonder what's in there."

Sam looked. Then he had to blink and look again. Sure enough, one of the shops had a sign that said "The Shire Shop."

"Well, I reckon we'd better look and see. That's a right funny name, I have to say, especially seeing as this is Gondor, and the Shire's a long ways away."

The first thing that struck Sam when they walked in was the smell. It smelled like pipe-weed and coffee and fried taters. As he looked around, he saw shelves full of hobbity things. There were lots of different kinds of pipes, and a good stock of pipe-weed, and little pouches for carrying it in. There were children's toys, too. Little dolls with curly hair and hairy feet, looking much like the toys his own children played with. And there were dollhouses made to look like proper little smials, with round doors and everything.

Beside him, Rose gasped in surprise. Sam turned to see what he was looking at and saw his own face---and not on account of a mirror, neither. There were shelves full of paintings of him and Mr. Frodo, and Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin, too. They all looked just like they had after the Quest, except that they were all plump as proper hobbits ought to be, and Mr. Frodo didn't have that shadow over his face that he'd gotten from carrying the Ring for so long.

Sam wondered who had gotten a good enough look at all four of them to do such a good painting, and why they had made so many of them. He figured one person must have painted the first picture, and then paid some other artists to look at it and help make more. Still, it seemed a right silly thing to do. He could understand wanting a portrait off Mr. Frodo, but of him? He weren't even that much to look at, unless you asked his Rosie.

Even as he was puzzling over this, Sam noticed that the smell of fried taters was even stronger than before,and it was mixed with the smell of fried mushrooms now, too. it seemed the back part of the shop was set up like a tavern, or the common room of an inn, and it was serving up all kinds of good food, the likes of which he might have between meal-times back home.

"Oh, Sam, could we please get some? All that fancy food they give us here is good and all, but I've been wanting some mushrooms and taters, and so's the little one."

Sam smiled. Rose was just 'bout ready to have another little lad or lassie. Probably the last one, seeing as they had so many already and since they weren't getting any younger.

"Of course, Rosie-dear.You just sit yourself down, and I'll see 'bout getting us something as to tide us over 'til supper."

The serving lass sure looked surprised when she saw the two hobbits, and she went to get a man as Sam thought must be the shop's owner. The man rushed up to them all excited-like and gave a bow.

"Cannor son of Berendir at your service!"

"Samwise son of Hamfast, at yours and your family's, and this is my wife Rose.

"It is a tremendous honor to meet you both. How may I serve you today?"

"We'd like some of those mushrooms and taters you've got frying, please."

"Certainly! I'll have it for you in just a moment."

Cannor got the food to them right quick, and Sam and Rose went at it with a will. Afterwards, Sam went to pay Cannor for the food.

"No charge for hobbits, my good sir!"

Sam had spent enough time in Gondor to know that arguing'd get him nowhere.

"Thank you, sir. Are you the owner of this shop? My wife and I were just curious as to who started it, and where they got the idea from, if you don't mind my asking."

"Not at all. My father started this place shortly after the War. He had been a soldier, you see, and was there when you and Master Frodo were honored at Cormallen. He remembered seeing the other two Pheriannath---hobbits, I should say---too."

"That's very interesting and all, but it still don't explain the shop, begging your pardon."

"Ah, yes. Well, Father didn't want to be a soldier anymore after the War. He said he'd seen enough of death and killing to last him ten life-times."

Sam nodded in understanding. Rose squeezed his hand in reassurance.

"After you and the other hobbits had come and gone from the city, people were very curious about your kind. Father got the idea for this shop, then. He talked to a merchant who had dealings in the North, and set up some business arrangements. They mostly dealt with people from the Breelands, of course, instead of the Shire, because even before the King issued his edict he had made it pretty clear that your people would probably rather be left to themselves, and not made to deal with a lot of Gondorian curiosity-seekers."

Sam was glad of that. He didn't know how they would've dealt with a bunch of men coming through the Shire, especially when they were still trying to clean up after Saruman's folk.

"Anyway, Father bought some hobbit things from the merchant and his contacts in Bree, and then he found an artist who had seen you and your companions around the City to do the first of the paintings. He bought this place and started the shop, and it's done really well. People here love to learn more about hobbits. I run things here most of the time now, since Father's getting older, but he still keeps an eye on things."

"That's a mighty fine tale. A shop full of Shire wares, here in Gondor. Who'd have thought it? I must say I'm glad, though. It's good to visit the King and all, but I'm glad to know where I can get taters and pipe-weed and such. For all the adventuring I've done, my heart's stayed in the Shire all along, if you get my meaning."

"That's only natural, Master Samwise, and rest assured The Shire Shop will always be delighted to serve you!"