The Son I Never Had

2 – Words From The Heart

I had decided to take the fellowship from Lothlorien in two days. If we stayed much longer, it would be impossible to ever leave. Also, the quicker we carry on again, the quicker our minds will move from Gandalf. Frodo's nightmares are getting worse; he's on the border of physically injuring himself in his dreams. When he wakes up he cries for ages, and I can do nothing to calm him apart from hugging him and holding him. 

Sam was now trying to stay up to look after his master at nights, but he kept on falling asleep before Frodo woke. I was grateful for his company in the evenings, though. I seemed to end up sleeping during the days and staying up during the night to look after Frodo.

I felt like a parent looking after a sick child, sitting at the end of their bed until they were asleep. In a way I was proud that Frodo trusted me, and would allow me to look after him. I'm sure he would have turned to Gandalf if he had still been around… but I don't want to start thinking about that again.

It was the last evening of our stay in Lothlorien. I had sat with Frodo, telling him that if he wakes up from a nightmare, I'd be there. This seemed to comfort him, and he fell asleep with Merry and Pippin. Sam came and sat with me. Gimli, Boromir and Legolas finally drifted off to sleep, leaving Sam and me awake.

We sat in silence for a while, listening to the elven songs coming from the trees around us. I've always like elven music, probably because I grew up with elves. It calms me down, and takes my worries away. It also reminds me of Rivendell, which gives me hope of life after the ring is destroyed. I'll be able to see Arwen again, and we'll be able to stay in Rivendell for the rest of our lives.

I looked at Sam. He had fallen asleep beside me. I carried him over to where the other three hobbits lay, and put him at Frodo's side. Frodo was lucky to have such faithful friends.

Frodo began to mumble in his sleep, and I knew that this was the start of the night's nightmare. I carried him away from the other hobbits, so he wouldn't accidentally hit them. I laid him down and watched him as the nightmare got worse. He was shouting now, shouting at some evil creature and shouting for help. I knew better than to try and wake him, in case he attacked me before he knew what he was doing.

He was hitting something in his sleep now. If I had left him where he had been lying, Sam would now be getting very badly beaten up. Frodo was reaching the climax of his dream; he would wake up any moment now.

  Sure enough, he did. He looked more scared than I had ever seen him before. He was white as a sheet, shaking and sweating uncontrollably. He was looking wildly around, and still had his hands up to his face to protect himself.

'It was a dream, Frodo. You're awake now.' I told him. The hobbit stared at me, before crawling towards me, and flinging his arms around my waist, tears in his eyes.

'I'm scared, Strider, scared.' He said.

'I know,' I replied, pulling the hobbit onto my lap and stroking his hair. The hobbit's tears didn't stop for several minutes, and it took even longer for him to stop shaking and for some colour to return to his face.

'We're moving on tomorrow, Fro.' I said, using the name I had often heard Sam, Merry and Pippin call him. 'We're going to stick together, and get rid of this ring once and for all.'

Frodo nodded, hugging me tighter. I returned the hug, feeling even more like a parent looking after a child. Frodo looked very tired, so I held him and began to lull him to sleep. Frodo rested his head against my arm, obviously grateful to have someone to comfort him. Just before he fell asleep, he said four words that changed all my thoughts about the hobbit forever. Four words: 'I love you, father.' From that moment on, I looked at Frodo, and saw my son…

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