AN: Here's chappie 1! Sorry for the delay, between my computer breaking down, and finals, I haven't had any real time to update.
~DC.96
Chapter 1: Adventures Amongst the Mists, and the Ingestion of Grime
(Jacob's POV)
"Make sure that's good and tight, Sam." Frodo instructed, standing in front of me as we watched Sam loop the rope around the rock on the edge of the cliff face.
I gingerly stepped over to the edge as Sam checked his work and Frodo prepared to begin the climb down, "Maybe I should go down first…" I commented, thinking that if one of the Hobbits fell, I could catch them before they hit the bottom.
"It's alright Jake," Sam said, stepping up to help Frodo begin, "you need to make sure we're not followed." I dutifully turned and cast a wary eye across the landscape, my vision enabling me to see what the Hobbits couldn't. I stood there for a minute, trying to see any threats, worried slightly when I caught sight of a dark splotch about a hundred yards away from us. I blinked and the patch disappeared, I shook my head, then turned and started down the rope.
"Can you see the bottom?" I heard Sam call from below me, reassuring me of his safety.
"No!" Announced Frodo from a little further away, "Don't look down, Sam! Just keep going." I glanced down to check their position against my own, and saw that I had caught up to them quickly, just as I had planned. I focused on climbing at a reasonable pace for the next few moments, trying to make sure I didn't hurry the Hobbits too much… I didn't want them falling- Aura would kill me if I did something that stupid, scary Elleth… she would probably force me to transform, and then slowly pluck my pelt, making sure I felt each twinge of pain. Good lord, that chick could give the Addams family a run for their money… that's if she didn't send them running for the hills right after meeting them.
I was startled out of my imaginings of Aura's tortures by a sound beneath me, like someone had slipped. I quickly looked down and saw something fall out of Sam's pack, which was surprising, as tightly as he'd tied it. I almost sighed in relief, thankful it hadn't been one of them, and then the damn runt had to freak, "Argh!" He yelled, "Catch it. Grab it Mr. Frodo!" He called down to his master, and just like some idiot, Frodo had to listen to him. He caught the box, but then he slipped and fell down the cliff side.
"Shit!" I screamed, and did one of the stupidest things in my life; I jumped after him. As I fell the few feet between him and myself, I did some brief calculations; he had fallen from about six feet below me, and he still had the rope in one hand, so that was slowing him. I couldn't see the bottom, and just as we reached the beginnings of the mist, I managed to grab him and turn him so I would hit the ground first… 'course I didn't think to grab the rope. My thoughts were stopped by our sudden, unexpected reintroduction to solid ground.
"Oomph!" Frodo exclaimed when we hit; of course, I couldn't say anything as he had knocked all the wind out of me when his shoulder collided with my ribs. He immediately pushed himself off me while I laid there gasping for breath, somehow managing to catch my chin with his head as he scrambled to get up. He backed up, "Jake?" Frodo questioned, standing over me, "Are you alright?"
I coughed a couple more times before answering him, "Swell." I hacked out, before coughing again. "Jeez, you guys are small," I said hoarsely, "but you sure can pack a punch."
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam called from above us, sounding vaguely frantic.
Frodo glanced up, "I think we've found the bottom."
Sam made his way down to us as I stood, with my hands on my knees, and tried to catch my breath. I stretched slowly, easing my muscles out of their cramped positions and allowing my wolf healing to take control and make the bruises disappear almost instantaneously, though my chin still felt a little sore. I looked up when I heard Sam's feet hit the ground. "Bogs and rope and goodness knows what." He grumbled, making his way over to Frodo and checking him over for injuries, "It's not natural. None of it."
Sam moved to take the box Frodo had caught from his master's hands and it drew Frodo's attention back to it, "What's in this?" He questioned, opening it and glancing up at Sam.
"Nothing." Sam affirmed quickly, "Just a bit of seasoning." I caught the scent of the seasoning and it immediately made me think of a meal Bells had made back home, when my dad had asked her what it was, she had dodged the question, which makes sense know- she couldn't exactly have told him it wasn't from our world."…we was having a roast chicken one night or something." Sam's mention of food brought me out of my memories and back to the conversation.
"Roast chicken?!" Frodo asked, sounding slightly incredulous, and I couldn't help but rise to Sam's defense.
"It makes sense to me, though we're more like to find rabbit or swamp rat in this area." I retorted thoughtfully.
The Hobbit nodded, looking to Frodo once more, "See, you never know."
Frodo rolled his eyes, and looked at his gardener with kind eyes, "Sam, my dear Sam."
Sam took this for encouragement, "It's very special, that. It's the best salt in all the Shire."
The elder Hobbit stared at the open box in his hand for a long moment before closing it and handing it back to Sam, "It is special." He agreed, "It's a little bit of home." I fingered my tribal wristband my dad had given to me upon my introduction into the pack, I shook my head and ignored the depressing thoughts it brought about… I was just happy he probably hadn't even noticed I was missing. I looked up and saw Frodo staring at the rope, "We can't leave this here for someone to follow us down."
"Who's gonna follow us down here, Mr. Frodo?" Sam questioned.
I glanced at the Hobbit, shaking my head slightly, "That's the problem, Sam, we don't know."
Sam nodded in agreement before looking at the rope longingly, "It's a shame really. Lady Galadriel gave me that. Real Elvish rope." He sighed and gave the rope a sharp tug, "Well, there's nothing for it. It's one of my knots. Won't come free in a hurry." I took a breath, and was about to rip it down when it came tumbling down.
I looked at the mess on the ground, and the end in Sam's incredulous hand, "Real Elvish rope." Frodo said by way of explanation.
I started to chuckle when I heard a skittering noise above us; I glanced up and then turned to the Hobbits, "We need to move." I insisted, "Now!"
(3rd POV)
"Quiet!" Victoria hissed, glaring at the various troops scattered about her, "We're nearing the border."
The lead Uruk-Hai approached her, "What is your plan?… milady." He added at her glare. Victoria snorted and turned away, ignoring the creature's question completely. She smirked when she heard it's snarling behind her, choosing to move closer to the patrol's trail and examine the tracks. She glared when she realized the wait she had in front of her.
She turned back to the hidden troops, "Spread out and keep quiet!" She called, "Prepare to wait as long as we must!" The Uruk-Hai bumbled around, finding and fighting over sleeping areas, she snorted and turned back to the trail, "Saruman wants us to send a message to Rohan, so we shall."
(Jacob's POV)
We stumbled over the last few feet to the peak of the hill, "Mordor." Sam named to dark place in the distance. I looked over the area and felt a shudder rack through my body- true darkness dwelled there, "The one place in Middle-Earth we don't want to see any closer. It's the one place we're trying to get to. It's just where we can't get." Sam continued, "Let's face it, Mr. Frodo, we're lost. I don't think Gandalf meant for us to come this way."
I looked away, hiding my face- the wizard had had a brief, but powerful effect on my life, "He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen, Sam…." Frodo stated quietly, "but they did." We were silent for a moment when suddenly Frodo began to gasp and back away. I grabbed his arm before he fell back over the edge, looking at him quizzically.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam called worriedly, "It's the Ring, isn't it?" I gasped lowly- I had known that the Ring possessed a powerful draw, but I never realized the full effect.
Frodo fisted the front of his tunic, pulling the ring away from his skin, "It's getting heavier." He sagged in my grip, and I sat him down on a nearby rock. He smiled thankfully at me, before pulling out his water skin, taking a long pull on the opening. He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, "What food have we got left?" He asked.
Sam pulled off his pack and sat near his master, "Well, let me see." He dug into the depths of his satchel, he finally pulled out one of the leaf wrapped packages from Lorien, "Oh yes, lovely- Lembas bread. And look!" He dug deeper into the pack, "More Lembas bread." He pulled out another packet of the Elven bread, breaking off a piece and throwing it to Frodo. He turned to me, eyes questioning. I shook my head.
"Don't worry about me, Sam." I instructed him, "Conserve your food, I can catch something later when I patrol." He nodded slowly, still holding out the bread for a moment before putting it back in his satchel.
The gardener munched on a piece of the Lembas in his hand, "I don't usually hold with foreign food, but this Elvish stuff, it's not bad."
Frodo laughed lightly, "Nothing ever dampens your spirits, does it Sam?"
Sam smiled tightly, but then turned to look towards Mordor, "Those rain clouds might." He said, and I scanned the horizon.
"Come on, let's find shelter." I let the Hobbits gather their things while I scouted for a suitable overhang.
The rain lasted for several hours, unfortunately, and the Hobbits and myself were forced to take cover in a gorge. I shifted and tried to shield the little ones as best as I could, but they were still soaked when the rain let up and turned into fog.
We stumbled around, our feet catching on the uneven ground, not even my enhanced vision could cut through the dense mist floating around my knees- as I had shifted back in order to help the Hobbits find their path- and their hips. "This looks strangely familiar." Sam called from a short ways away. I glanced up from where I was helping Frodo across a hidden dip.
"It's because we've been here before!" Frodo stated before I could, "We're going in circles." I considered the landscape, hoping for some clue.
"You two stay here." I decided, "I'll scout on ahead. If I'm not back by nightfall, set camp and wait. If I'm not back by dawn, I suggest you move quickly." I didn't wait for their agreement before setting off at a slow jog.
"Here?!" Sam called after me, sounding incredulous and slightly slurred by distance, "Do you smell that 'orrid stink? I warrant there's a nasty dog nearby."
I slowed slightly and turned my head over my shoulder to call back to him, "I heard that!"
I heard his next words, "Bog, not dog!" I laughed and set a faster pace, not realizing how long it would be before I saw the Halflings again.
