Da, da da daaa! Next chapter is up! Enjoy my very gorgeous readers,
Love Silver xx
"Gandalf!" Frodo jerked awake suddenly, waking Sam also.
"What is it Mr Frodo?" He asked with concern for his friend.
"Nothing." He lay back down. "Just a bad dream." Alkira sat beside them, keeping watch. She touched her warm hand to Frodo's head and sent him back to sleep swiftly, knowing he would not sleep much without her help.
The next morning they had to use Sam's rope to climb down a sharp drop. "Can you see the bottom?" Sam called down.
"No! Don't look down Sam, just keep going!" Frodo called back. He had insisted in going first, then Alkira and after her came Sam. Sam muttered to himself, sweating nervously as he climbed slowly down the rope. He slipped and cried out in alarm but something fell from his pocket. "No! Catch it! Catch it Miss Ali!" Ali looked up only to be hit in the face with a box. She gasped from the slight pain but her fingers launched out to snatch it in mid air. The jerking movements of the rope swinging them wildly from the cliff face and throwing Frodo off balance. "Frodo!" Alkira cried but he fell only a few feet.
"I think I've found the bottom!" Frodo called up. Alkira dropped the rest of the way and turned the box in her fingers, looking closely at it.
"What's that?" Frodo asked, coming closer. Alkira handed it to him with a smile.
"Special salt seasoning. In case we're having roast chicken one night, according to Sam." She winked to the hobbit who clumsily landed on the ground, wobbling greatly.
"Roast chicken?" Frodo smiled with laughter.
"Well you never know." Sam shrugged.
"Sam. My dear Sam." Frodo lifted the lid and his smile faded slightly.
"It's very special that is, it's the best salt in all the Shire." Sam told them proudly.
"Yes it is special, Sam. It's a little bit of home." Alkira smiled at them then turned to the rope.
"We can't leave this here for someone to follow us down." Frodo reasoned.
"Who's going to follow us down here, Mr Frodo? It's a shame really. Lady Galadriel gave me that. Real Elvish rope. Well there's nothing for it. It's one of my knots. Won't come free in a hurry."
"Try tugging on it." Alkira suggested, shouldering her shield again. Sam pulled on the string and it came free instantly, snaking to the ground without a second of hesitation. The hobbits turned to Alkira with an amused grin. "Real elvish rope." Frodo chuckled. They continued to climb over the mountainous area, stumbling at every turn. Ahead lay Mount Doom, deadly and terrifying. "Mordor. 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. Let's face it, Mr. Frodo, we're lost. I don't think Gandalf meant for us to come this way." Sam panted.
"He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen, Sam, but they did." Frodo looks ahead and he staggers, falling backwards. Alkira caught him and quickly placed him onto a large stone, kneeling before him. "Frodo?"
"It's the Ring isn't it?" Sam asked.
"It's getting heavier." He agreed. Alkira handed him some water and he drank from it. "What food have we got left?" He asked.
"Well, let me see." Sam fumbled in his bag of supplies. "Oh yes, lovely. Lembas bread. And look!" He grins as he pulled out another wrapping of the bread. "More lembas bread." Frodo chuckled as Sam tossed him a loaf. Sam chewed his piece thoughtfully. "You know I don't usually hold with foreign food, but this Elvish stuff, it's not bad!"
"Nothing ever dampens your spirit, does it Sam?" He smiled.
"I'll warrant those rain clouds might." Alkira pointed ahead sadly. She joked little these days. She was cold and tired and missing home. She clutched her pendant tightly and felt Indilwen's emotions. Worry, pain, tiredness, hunger...much the same as she. Once they had all finished eating sparingly, they carried on walking.
"You know, this looks strangely familiar." Sam kicked at a stone.
"It's because we've been here before! We're going in circles." Frodo groaned.
"Ah! What's that 'orrid stink? I warrant there's a nasty bog nearby. Can you smell it?" Sam pinched his nose tightly shut. Alkira searched the boulders, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
"Yes. I can smell it. We're not alone." Frodo whispered. As darkness fell Alkira huddled under her cloak out of sight of the moon. Late in the night she heard him. "The thieves! The thieves! The filthy little thieves! Where is it? Where isss it? They stole it from us. My preciousss. Curse them! We hates them! It's ours, it is...and we wantssss it!" Frodo and Sam leaped up and grabbed the creature, pulling him down onto the ground with a startled cry.
Alkira leaped out from her hiding place and drew her sword and shield. As Gollum lunged for Frodo she swung her shield and hit him aside, pointing her sword at him. "Back!" She hissed. Gollum hissed at her and bared his teeth, all nine of them. He leaped up onto a rock and flew onto Alkira, flattening her onto her back. "Get off her!" Sam charged forwards and wrapped his arms around the creature, pulling him from Alkira but Gollum twisted and bit his neck. Sam cried out and fell backwards, Gollum maneuvering behind him and clasping his legs around his throat. Frodo drew Sting and held it to his throat. "This is Sting. You've seen it before, haven't you... Gollum! Release him or I'll cut your throat!"
Slowly Gollum's legs unhooked from Sam's neck and the hobbit scrambled away. A long wail sounded into the night.
"It burns! It burns us! It freezes! Nasty Elves twisted it. Take it off us!" Gollum begged.
"Quiet you!" Sam tugged on the rope that bound the creature. Alkira shivered. She had hated him in the books and films and she hated him now. "It's hopeless! Every Orc in Mordor's going to hear this racket! Let's just tie him up and leave him." Sam suggested.
"No! That would kill us! Kill us!" Gollum wailed again.
"It's no more than you deserve!" Sam growled at him.
"Sam. That was harsh." Alkira reprimanded.
"Maybe he does deserve to die, but now that I see him, I do pity him." Frodo said thoughtfully.
"We be nice to them if they be nice to us. Take it off us. We swears to do what you wants. We swears." Gollum spread his arms and rocked from side to side.
"There's no promise you can make that I can trust." Frodo told him sternly.
"We swears to serve the master of the preciousss. We will swear on...on the precious." He coughed loudly, his entire body quivering.
"The Ring is treacherous. It will hold you to your word." Frodo glanced to Alkira.
"Yes... on the preciousss. On the preciousss." Gollum hung his head.
"I don't believe you!" Sam advanced on him and Gollum backs away, afraid, he climbs onto the rocks. "Get down! I said, down!" Sam jerks the rope back and Gollum falls to the ground.
"Be gentle, Sam!" Alkira gasped.
"Sam!"
"He's trying to trick us! We let him go, he'll throttle us in our sleep!" Sam pointed accusingly at Gollum as he lay panting on the ground, clutching his throat. He backed off slowly as Frodo knelt before him.
"You know the way to Mordor?" He asked gently.
"Yes..."
"You've been there before?" Gollum flinched but nodded.
"Yes." Frodo reached out and took the rope from Gollum's neck, wrapping it back up. "You will lead us to the Black Gate." Gollum shot off with the three travelers following close behind.
"To the gate, to the gate! To the gate, the master says. Yes!" One side of Gollum muttered loudly. "No! We won't go back Not there. Not to him. They can't make us. Gollum! Gollum!" The fouler side argued. "But we swore to serve the master of the precious!" The other whispered. "No! Ashes and dust and thirst there is and pits, pits, pits. And Orcses, thousands of Orcses. And always the Great Eye watching. Watching." He turned to see the hobbits and human in shock. "Aaarrrrggghhh!" Gollum ran as fast as possible from them, lolloping like a spindly bear.
"Hey! Come back now! Come back! There! What did I tell you? He's run off, the old villain. So much for his promises." Sam grumbled.
"This way, Hobbits." Gollum grinned at them, ducking behind a rock before reappearing cheerfully again. "Follow me!" The hobbits glanced to Alkira.
"Don't loose your daggers now." Was all she said before going first.
Aragorn lay on the ground, listening intently with his eyes closed. "Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent." He set off at a run. "Hurry!" Legolas appeared over the rise.
"Come on Gimli!" He called. Indilwen raced past him, smiling slightly as the wind whipped through her braids. Gimli slowly brought up the rear.
"Three days' and nights' pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell." He grumbled. Indilwen stopped and dug out some water for him from her satchel. "Thank you lass." He gulped some down with a large chunk of lembas bread. They ran over rocks and plains with Aragorn always leading the way. Indilwen, thanks to her Elven bod, could run faster and further, she never seemed to tire, only grew hungrier and the lack of sleep bothered her greatly. In a small pass Aragorn bends down and picks up an Elven brooch from the ground, muddy from being squashed into the soil. " Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall." He murmured.
"They may yet be alive." Legolas reasoned.
"I should think so, those hobbits never go down without a fight. They're a plucky folk." Indilwen raced past them.
"Less than a day ahead of us." Aragorn smiled at Indilwen's back. "Come!"
"Come Gilmi! We're gaining on them!" Legolas called back as Gimli tumbled down the slope.
"I'm wasted on cross country! We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!" He bellowed back. They paused once again on a rocky hill where both elves gaze across the plain. "Legolas, what do your Elf-eyes see?" Aragorn shouted. Indilwen gasped and instantly began to play the most annoying song ever created on the net.
"The Uruks turn northeast. They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" Doo do be doo, doo...They're taking the hobbits to Isengard, to Isengard...
'Hell. I miss the internet sometimes.' Indilwen grinned inwardly then leaped down the hill. Gimli trotted along.
"Keep breathing, that's the key. Breath. Ho!"
A red sun rose over the horizon blindly, its chilled warmth bringing no comfort. "A red sun rises, blood has been spilled this night." He whispered. Aragorn heard the horses thundering towards them and dived behind a boulder. Indilwen dashed after him and he pulled her close, one arm wrapped protectively around her. A large group of riders come flying pass, the banners of Rohan flying. Aragorn led the way after they had passed them and shouted. "Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?" The herd turned around in one motion and hurtled back towards the group of four. They found themselves soon surrounded by spears and stamping horses. One man pushed through, obviously in command.
"What business does two elves, a man and a dwarf have in the Riddermark?" He demanded to know, his handsome face slightly covered by his helmet. "Speak quickly!"
"Give me your name, Horsemaster, then I shall give you mine." Éomer handed his spear to another rider and dismounted. Aragorn placed a hand on Gimli's shoulder. "I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground." Éomer mocked darkly. Legolas pulled an arrow free instantly.
"You would die before your stroke fell!" He defended. The riders all lifted their spears instantly and the horses stamped, growing closer. Indilwen stepped in front of Gimli and lowered her hood. "My name is Indilwen of the Valar," She said softly, bringing the attention to herself. "My companions are Aragorn, son of Arathorn," She turned to Gimli. "This Gimli son of Glóin and Legolas of the woodland realm." She smiled kindly to him. "We are not your enemies, we are friends of Rohan, we mean no harm to you or your king." Éomer blinked at her, shocked at the elleth's beauty.
"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." He took off his helmet. "Not even his own kin. Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that, we are banished. The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets." He stepped closer to Legolas, glaring at him.
"We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive." Aragorn explained.
"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night." Éomer told them, the look of shame and sorrow obvious on his face as he looked away from the travellers.
"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two young hobbits with them?" Gimli demanded.
"They would be small, only children to your eyes." Aragorn prompted.
"Curly hair, fuzzy feet, love to smoke their pipes, probably very hungry by now?" Indilwen added. Éomer could not look at them.
"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them." He pointed back from where he had come from, a tall tower of bodies smoldering from dead flames.
"Dead?" Gimli gulped.
"I am sorry." Indilwen caught his shoulder firmly as he moved away, her lips set in a narrow line.
"For your sake, you had better hope we find them alive." She hissed. The air grew deathly cold around her and Éomer noticed the tattoos that adorned her skin. He nodded and she released her grip, the air returning to a warmer temperature. "Hasufel! Arod!" He called and two horses moved up towards them. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." He placed his helmet on his head then mounted again. Indilwen watched to see if his sword fell out like it did in the film, only it didn't.
"Look for your friends. But do not trust in hope. It has forsaken these lands." He turned to his riders. "We ride north!" Aragorn took Hasufel and mounted, offering his hand to Indilwen who swung up behind him. She gingerly placed her hands on his sides and he chuckled slightly, pulling them tighter around him. "Hold on." They rode to the hill and searched, sadness filling them completely. Gimli picked up something then turned to the others. "It's one of their wee belts." He whispered. Aragorn growled then kicked away a helmet.
"AAARRGGHHH!" He bellowed with all his might and fell to his knees.
"We failed them." Gimli bowed his head as Legolas bade his farewell.
"No, they're not dead." Indilwen revealed to them, looking towards the forest and reaching out with her senses.
"How can you know?" Aragorn asked her weakly, staring at the ground. Indilwen drew herself up to her full height and strode over to Aragorn. She griped his arm and pulled him forcefully to his feet. "Because I refuse to believe anything else." She told him through narrowed eyes and gave him a little shake. "Now come with me. I think I know where they have gone." With that she ran into Fangorn forest.
Alkira stared around her at the dank, rank smelling swamp.
"Whoa, it's a bog! He's led us into a swamp!" Sam cried as his foot slipped.
"A swamp, yes, yes. Come, master. We will take you on safe paths through the mist. Come, hobbits, come! We go quickly." Gollum encouraged, looking back as he gestured for them to follow. "I found it, I did. The way through the marshes. Orcs don't use it. Orcs don't know it. They go round for miles and miles. Come quickly. Swift and quick as shadows we must be." Alkira relaxed slightly.
"At least we don't have to worry about orcs then." She muttered loudly. The marshland stretched beyond the eye could see, crowned in mist and the stench of rotting flesh filling her nose.
"I hate this place, it's too quiet. there's been no sight nor sound of a bird for two days." Sam groaned as they took a rest.
"No, no birdses to eat, no crunchable birdses. We are famished, yes! Famished we are, precious!" Gollum complained, clutching his stomach. He spotted a worm in the earth and quickly snatched it up, sucking it up and smacking his lips with delight.
"Here." Frodo tossed some lembas to Gollum.
"What does it eats? Is it tasty?" He grinned and tried a small corner only to spit it out again and cry. "It tries to chokes us! We cant eats Hobbit food! We must starve!"
"Well, starve, then. And good riddance!" Sam snapped at him, huddled under his cloak.
"Oh, cruel hobbit! It does not care if we be hungry. Does not care if we should die!" He turned to Frodo and crept forwards. "Not like Master. Master cares. Master knows. Yes, precious. Once it takes hold of us, it never lets go." At the same moment both of them reached to touch the Ring but Frodo catches himself and pulls away suddenly.
"Dont touch me!" They continued across the marsh, faces looming beneath them from under the water.
"There are dead things! Dead faces in the water!" Sam realized.
"All dead. All rotten. Elves and men and orcses. A great battle long ago." Gollum explained. "The Dead Marshes. Yes, yes that is their name. This way. Don't follow the lights." He added at the end. Sam slipped again into the water but Alkira caught him and pulled him back.
"Careful now, or hobbits go down to join the dead ones and light little candles of their own." Frodo stopped and stared into one of the faces, an elf, now dark and mutilated beyond reckognition. As the misty eyes open Frodo gasped then fell into the murky water.
"Frodo!" Sam cried and Alkira raced towards him, lighting her hand with a bubble of light. Frodo saw faces loom at him, ghost like and even more hideous. Their hands reached out for him with their rotten robes fluttering as if on a breeze. A burst of light washed over him and chased the ghosts away and a bony hand drew Frodo back from the water. He splutters and grasps at air as he was yanked back up the bank by Gollum.
"Gollum?" He whispered, perplexed with grattitude and disbelief.
"Don't follow the lights!" He reminded him before crawling away.
"Mr. Frodo! Are you alright?" Sam ran to his side as Alkira held him.
"He'll be alright Sam, don't you worry." Alkira smiled down at Frodo then whispered. "Do you want to see something I've been practising?" She asked and both hobbits nodded their heads. Alkira snapped her fingers together on her right hand and a flame ignited, warmly dancing about her fingers. Alkira then rubbed her hands together and then blew into them softly, the light growing until she cupped it in both hands. Frodo was drawn to the warmth but cried out as Alkira suddenly rubbed the flames onto his arms. They did no damage, but flickered over him than sank inside, engulfing him in warmth. "Now that's a neat trick if ever I saw one." Sam breathed in admiration.
Alkira lay under her blanket fast asleep, peacefully holding her necklace in one hand and the hilt of her sword in the other. When the piercing cries of the Nazgûl shot through her, she bolted up in her bed and grabbed everything together. "Hide!"
"Argh!" Gollum whimpered.
"Black Riders!" Sam grabbed Frodo and pulled him into a rotten bush.
"Hide! Hide!" As Frodo felt the pain of the Nazgûl's sword piercing him and the call of the Ring, images of the Ringwraiths come to him in flashes and made him cry out in terror.
"Quick! They will see us! They will see us!"
"I thought they were dead!" Sam grunted as he tucked his knees to his legs.
"Dead? No, you cannot kill them. No." Gollum flinched dramatically into Alkira as the Fell Beast flew low over them. He quivered into her stomach and she rested a hand on his back without thinking.
"Wraiths! Wraiths on wings! They are calling for it. They are calling for the preciousss." He backed away from Frodo slightly as he went for his Ring. Sam quickly grabbed his hand bakc.
"Mr. Frodo! It's alright. I'm here." He comforted, scooting closer to Frodo. Once the Nazgûl had passed and flew back to Mordor, the frightened little rabbits emerged from their hole.
"Hurry, hobbits. The Black Gate is very close."
How was that? Please let me know guys, I love hearing from you!