Disclaimer: Tolkien owns Lord of the Rings and new Line Cinemas owns the movie. I own neither.

Comfort 3

Frodo was sitting up on his bed in his room. He was rubbing his wounded shoulder because it was hurting him. The stub of his finger that has been bitten off was also hurting him. There were a few tears in his eyes. He just woke up from a nightmare. He dreamed that he was on top of mount doom again claiming the ring. He was angry with himself because this decision could have caused the downfall of middle earth. He pondered these thoughts for a few minutes, when the door opened. Merry entered the room. He tried to hide his pain and sorrow from his taller cousin, but he wasn't quick enough and Merry was perceptive. Merry felt sorry for Frodo for the sufferings he had to endure and is still enduring.

"Are you alright Frodo?"

Frodo nodded his head.

"You can't fool me; I know you are in pain."

Frodo said nothing.

"Please tell me what is troubling you. I want to help you."

"I almost caused the downfall of middle earth," he said sadly.

He started to rub his shoulder again.

"I claimed the ring."

"You had a great burden to bear and it was tearing you apart even before you went to mordor with Sam. I couldn't imagine what it was doing to you there."

"I was a weakling!" he cried angrily. "I was suppose to save middle earth but I almost destroyed it instead!"

"You couldn't help it," Merry said sympathetically.

"I was a weakling," he repeated.

"No you weren't you resisted the evil ring longer than anyone else. Elrond knew you had inner strength. That was why he mentioned that you were the one to carry it."

"I volunteered to carry the ring."

"Yes, but Elrond knew you were the one to do it."

"I failed Elrond just like I failed everybody else."

"You didn't fail Elrond or anybody else. You risked your life to save all of us. The fact that you resisted the ring the longest tells us that you were a hero of middle earth, not a failure. Please don't hate yourself anymore, and I wish the wounds would stop hurting you."

Merry wrapped his arms on around his smaller cousin and comforted him. Frodo cried on Merry's shoulders. A few minutes later he got out of his cousins shoulders and wiped his eyes.

"Thank you Merry. I'm starting to feel a little better."

Merry released him.

"Now I'm going to check on my Pippin."

The End