A/N: Hi everyone! So this will be a series of drabbles focusing on one who is known because of the way he stuck with his friend throughout everything, when things got difficult or messy or dangerous, you could always count on him. He could even be called the real hero of the story, even though he is not the bravest of hobbits. His name is Samwise Gamgee. (And I still haven't read the books, so this will be based off of Peter Jackson's movies)
Sam
Never before had he felt more homesick then he did now, trudging down the steep mountain. He didn't even have Frodo; stupid Gollum had made sure of that. How could Frodo side with Gollum now, after all they had been through together? Of course, Sam knew exactly why. It was the ring. That cursed thing that Frodo was forced to wear around his neck throughout this entire hopeless journey. It made Frodo turn against him- it made him act in a way that Sam knew he wouldn't otherwise. And now, when they were so close, he was pushing his friend away when now was the time he needed the most help. He was sending him away because nasty Gollum had planted the idea in his head that Sam was trying to take the ring for himself. All he wanted when he made that offer was to make this journey easier on him! He had no desire for the rings power; he had seen firsthand what it could do to a good person, first with Boromir, now with Frodo. Its burden and temptation were too much. This wasn't such a great adventure anymore.
Wiping tears out of his eyes he continued to hustle down the never-ending steps that he had just walked up with Frodo and Gollum. Sam knew he wasn't going to live long enough to get home. He would starve first. What had happened to that bread? He hadn't eaten it. Frodo hadn't eaten it, and even if he had, Sam would have been happy. He needed all of the nutrition that the elvish bread could have given him. Gollum couldn't have eaten it, but that didn't mean that he hadn't done anything to it in an effort to frame him. That seemed like something that he would do.
He didn't realize he was going to fast down the shadowed and slippery steps until it was too late. His foot caught on a loose rock and he started to lose his balance. A gust of wind tipped him over and he went tumbling down the hill, rolling over and over, seeming to hit his head on every step along the way. He managed to stop himself on a ledge partway down, grimacing through the pain as his body and his head cried out in agony. He was sure that there were pieces of sharp rock imbedded in his skull. He stood up slowly and painfully and looked around. Well, that was one way to get down a mountain.
It was then that he spotted the small parcels lying in front of him. Bending down for a closer look, he felt sick as soon as he realized what it was. That sneaky little liar! Sam thought to himself. Gollum was going to pay! Lying in front of him was the elvish bread that had been the final straw in this whole mess. Suddenly, he remembered Gollum's words from a few weeks ago. He had been talking to himself, muttering while he thought Sam was still asleep. Sam realized now that the creature probably never slept. He was probably kept awake with visions of the ring. But on that particular night, he had been whispering to himself, speaking of plans to kill Sam and Frodo and take the ring for himself! Sam had walked in on his "discussion" and tried to convince Frodo of his treachery, but he wouldn't listen. And then there was that evil little smirk that Gollum had given him as Frodo led him away; a look that seemed to say, 'I know you're on to me, but nothing you say or do will help you or your friend.'
Sam began to panic. Gollum was going to kill Frodo! Tonight! That is why he had tried to get rid of him now. He had to do something! Frodo still wasn't in his right mind; he would agree to anything, he trusted that little liar too much to doubt anything he said. Gollum could make him walk off of the cliff; strangle him or do something equally as horrible. The very idea of something happening to him just as they were so close made Sam want to quake in fear, but now wasn't the time.
He started to take off back up the steps until he remembered the bread, which he quickly reached down to pick up. It would do them no good to starve to death as soon as they got out of Gollum's grasp, he thought as he slipped the bread into his pocket.
Climbing up the stairs again he went much faster than he did when they were going up the first time, but to Sam it didn't seem fast enough. His forehead was bleeding from the tumble down and his shoulder hurt, but he pressed on, wiping blood out of his eyes as he went. He had to get to Frodo.
He reached the place where they were within an hour, and saw that Gollum and Frodo had already left. He could still see the crumbs that Gollum had brushed off of his shirt lying in the dirt below. He was surprised that they hadn't blown away in all this wind, but he supposed fate wanted to insult him more. In any case, this only served to make him angrier and more determined, and he climbed now with a new vigor and purpose in every step.
He finally reached a ledge with a large hole cut into the rock, creating a passage way into the mountain. This was the passage Gollum was talking about! He couldn't hear voices, but he remembered the warning that Faramir had mentioned at their parting. "This passageway is guarded by a fearsome beast. You would do well to keep on your guard." Sam wished he had asked what sort of creature they would be facing. Would it be an orc? No, if it was, Faramir would have just come right out and said it. It was something much more horrible then that.
Suddenly, he heard a screech coming from inside the passage. It sounded like Frodo! He rushed inside, his heart pounding wildly. Please be ok, Frodo, please be ok!
As he ran, he noticed a vast amount of spider webs along the walls. It was thick web too. It could almost be classified as rope, accept that it was white and sticky. He stopped for a moment and plucked one of the strings. It reverberated with a "CLING!" making the whole cavern echo. Sam looked around nervously. This web was unbelievably strong as well. He realized that he was rushing into the unknown without a weapon to protect himself. He could be running to his death.
Another screech rang throughout the caves. Completely forgetting about the danger, he ran towards the direction he thought it came from. The passages started getting twisted, turning and weaving in and out between and among itself. It was all very confusing. Also, the further back he got, the darker it became. So it wasn't very long until he was running in complete darkness. He did not want to touch the walls to see anything, however, because of the webs. He did not want to get stuck. So it wasn't long before he realized that he was very lost. He kept rounding a corner and coming to a dead end. Then he would have to turn around and find a different way.
However, Sam came across an almost glorious stroke of luck. Up ahead, he could hear the sounds of scuffling and very briefly, what sounded like a sword being dropped on the ground. He hurried towards the noise, and with said sword, he could see why it was only almost glorious.
He had come to the other side of the passage, and in the distance he could see their destination; the volcanic Mt Doom. He could also see their path. Desolate wastelands filled with fire and orc run factories and machinery. In some places it was completely barren, but in others it was a flurry of activity, and none of it was good. Flames seemed to consume the whole valley. Saruman really was a wizard of fire and metal, he thought to himself.
The area he was in at the moment seemed like a courtyard of some sort. There were rock walls encircling it, and an archway leading out to the other side of the mountain that he had just passed through. It was a long way down, he noted. However, that was not what was troubling him. Lying right underneath the archway was a body wrapped in a web-cocoon that looked suspiciously hobbit sized. And hovering right above it was an enormous spider, its mandibles snapping and dripping with poison or saliva, Sam didn't know which. And now wasn't the time to find out.
He quickly looked around for Frodo's sword sting, which luckily, had a reputation for killing spiders. Well, he hoped its experience could help him now. He saw it, lying near the center of the courtyard. And he also saw a strange looking light lying near it. While the spider's attention was on Frodo, he made a mad rush to grab them both, not sure what the light could do. He picked up the sword and the light and ran at the spider, which looked like it was just about to cut Frodo in half with its jaws. Sam yelled incoherently to get its attention and it looked up.
Upon seeing Sam holding the sword or the light, he couldn't tell which, the monster shrieked and scurried away hissing and spitting. Sam quickly formulated a plan and started shouting at it, provoking it. Slowly, he inched his way around the archway, trying to get it to climb off of the wall and onto the ground so that he could get a good shot at it. As he moved closer, it moved farther away. He got it away from Frodo and off of the wall, and it stood in the middle of the courtyard, its eight hairy legs bent in defensive position. It looked like it was going to spring at any moment. It was also still hissing, which Sam thought was strange. None of the spiders he had ever seen have ever hissed.
He stepped over Frodo's body towards the spider. It didn't do anything. He took another step. Suddenly, with a wild screech, it sprang at him, knocking him over and causing him to drop the light. It rolled away, its light dimming. The spider was on top of him, and Sam could see its stinger poised to strike. He rolled out of the way just as the spider brought it down and thrust the sword into its side. It screamed and scurried away. Sam crawled to the light and held it up again, forcing the spider back into its hole. It backed up at the approaching hobbit, spitting and hissing, and if Sam could understand it, he would realize that it was cursing at him. But finally it backed way into its hole reluctantly.
When he was sure the spider was out of sight, he ran over to where Frodo was lying. His whole body was covered in a thick layer of web. He wasn't moving or trying to escape. He was just lying there, limp as a doll. Sam ripped away the web covering his face, revealing a very pale Frodo. His large eyes were open, but unseeing. His chest was not rising.
"Frodo?" Sam whimpered. "Frodo? Oh Frodo, please wake up!" Sam patted his face lightly to get him to wake up. It wasn't working, for Frodo was still staring blankly at the sky. "Oh, say something! Please!" Sam cried, grasping his shoulders and holding him tightly to his chest. "Don't leave me," he sobbed. Frodo continued to stare blankly at the space in front of him.
They sat like that for several moments, with Sam holding his best friend close and Frodo not responding, not doing much of anything, really. Sam was trying to hold back the tears. Frodo was gone. He was gone, and it was all Sam's fault. He hadn't kept his promise to Gandalf. He had failed as a friend.
A/N: and as we all know, Frodo was alive, just unconscious with the poison. Then orcs come and whatnot and Sam mentally slaps himself for being so stupid. But this was as far as I needed to go. Until next time.