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Merry raced along the road. He was near to Rivendell, he knew it, and he would not stop for anything else along the way.

In the past couple of days, Frodo hadn't woken up again. Instead, his breathing had become shallower, and not as steady. He always felt either really warm or really cold. He was shaking all the time, as well. Merry feared the worst.

He could recognize the valley that lay before him as the secret valley that led to Rivendell. His heart was overjoyed at this sight. He slowed his pony's speed down and headed down toward the Last Homely House.

As he approached the house, he could see Elves all about. He stopped the first one he came to, and asked to see Elrond immediately.

"He's inside, friend Merry," the Elf answered. "He's with Gandalf."

Gandalf! Merry's heart leaped. He pulled his horse up, and with the assistance of two elves, he bore Frodo inside.

They entered the room where Elrond and Gandalf were talking. An Elf had told them of their arrival, and when they saw Merry they jumped up and Gandalf took Frodo out of Merry's arms.

"Merry, come along. We need to know everything," was Gandalf's simple order.

As Merry walked alongside Gandalf, he watched Gandalf's face. It was a picture of deep sadness. Gandalf had expected nothing of the sort, and was horrified when he heard from Lenowein, one of the Elves that had met Merry, that 'Merry Brandybuck and a sickly, unconscious Frodo Baggins had arrived'. For it had indeed filled Gandalf with a deep fear, and a shadow crossed his heart. He knew that Frodo would be ill on every October 6 because of the stabbing at Weathertop, but he knew not that it would prove so bad.

When they reached the room that Frodo had been nursed back to health in after he had been stabbed, Gandalf gently laid Frodo down into the bed, and Merry began his tale, telling Gandalf everything, starting with when they found Frodo unconscious near his kitchen, to sending Pippin off in search of Sam, to when Frodo awoke two days into the week-long trip to Rivendell. Gandalf became immensely worried, and Elrond hustled them out of the room so he could try and heal Frodo.

Gandalf led Merry down to a large balcony that overlooked a great fountain. It was there that Merry first saw Bilbo, hunched over a great book, scribbling furiously. Merry looked at Gandalf, and without saying a word, Merry knew that he had to be the one to tell Bilbo about Frodo's troubles.

He walked forward, and sat on the bench next to Bilbo. Bilbo looked over and gave a little exclamation. "Well, Meriadoc Brandybuck!"

"Hello, Bilbo," said Merry, perhaps quieter than he had wanted.

Bilbo looked at Merry's downcast face. "Merry, my dear hobbit, I must ask: why are you here? All the way from the Shire, indeed!"

Merry studied the kindly old hobbit for a moment. This was going to hurt Bilbo greatly. "I-I have some news, of Frodo, Bilbo."

"Frodo!" Bilbo exclaimed. "How's my boy doing, anyway?"

Merry looked at him sadly. "He's here, Bilbo. He-he's not well. Do you remember when they were on the run from the Nazgul, and at Weathertop he was wounded?"

Bilbo nodded, though quite not understanding yet.

"Well, since then, on October 6, he falls ill for a day. But this time. it was different. Pippin and I found him unconscious at Bag End that day, and we stayed with him the whole day. He didn't get better, so we decided we should bring him here. I brought him this whole way, and Pippin went off in search of Sam, who was (or is) on one of his trips around the Shire, checking plants and such. Bilbo, he's. he's not well."

Bilbo sat for a moment, taking in everything that Merry had said, and was trying to comprehend. He looked at Gandalf, who had come closer. Gandalf nodded his head sadly. Frodo wasn't right at all.

"I must see him, Gandalf! I must see my boy!" Bilbo sprang up as he spoke those words.

Gandalf came over and sat him back down. "We must wait for Elrond."

Bilbo looked away.

"I have been fearing something for some days now," Gandalf said to the two upset hobbits in front of him. "Of course, I had no idea what that fear was until just a few minutes ago when I got the news. I would have never guessed it had something to do with Frodo," he admitted. "Now, do you have any idea when Pippin and Sam shall be arriving?"

Merry shook his head. "Pippin started his search a week ago. Even if he had found Sam in the first couple of days, they wouldn't be here for some time. I rode my fastest pony as fast as was possible to get here fast. I feared the worst, especially after Frodo woke up and fell unconscious again."

As he told Gandalf the story in Frodo's room, and again to Bilbo out on the balcony, he had left out the part about Frodo's mutterings about his capture in Mordor. He could not bear to utter the horrible things again, and especially not to Bilbo! It would just shatter Bilbo's old heart.

They sat in silence for a great while, until a solemn Elrond came out to them.

"It's not good for Frodo. I discovered that Frodo's wound had not been totally relieved of the poison from the knife. It has been working in him these past couple of years, and now is finally trying to kill him. There may be a chance that he may be saved yet, but I cannot guarantee anything. Things will be touch and go for a while. Gandalf, may I suggest gathering the Fellowship?" Elrond finished sadly, hinting that they may want to be ready to say goodbye.

"Elrond, I must see him!" exclaimed Bilbo, suddenly jumping up. "Please, you must let me see my boy!"

"Follow me, Bilbo. Gandalf, please consider what I've said." With that, Elrond led Bilbo away to see Frodo.

Merry continued to sit there, lost in his tears. Gandalf sat down and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Merry, before I leave I must tell you that I'm very proud of you and Pippin for the way you have handled the situation. You got Frodo here fast, and that may just save his life yet."

Merry looked up through his tears. "If only Pippin could hurry up and find Sam!"

Gandalf stood up. "My dear hobbit, I'm sure Sam will be found, and they will be here quickly. I must go for a while, and find the other members of our Fellowship."

Merry nodded.

Gandalf said no more to Merry. He went out and found Shadowfax. In a flurry of robes, he took off as fast as Shadowfax would allow at that time to find the other members of the Fellowship.

Gandalf at last knew what the shadow over his heart had been about, and still had almost no hope that Frodo could survive this. He rode, though, furiously, for the sake of his friends.



Pippin pulled his pony to a sudden stop outside Crickhollow.

"Sam, go get another of Merry's ponies. I'm going to get us some food, and then we need to get going!"

Pippin watched Sam nod, and turn towards the stable. Sam wasn't taking it very well, and Pippin knew he needed to do something to cheer him up, even a little.

Pippin had found finally found Sam very near to Bywater. Sam didn't know why Pippin wanted him to get on the pony at first, but he didn't ask questions until they went right past Hobbiton and down the road towards the Brandywine. Pippin had to tell him the whole story, and as he finished, Sam burst into tears, and started to immediately blame himself, however illogical that may be. Since then, he had barely gotten two words out of Sam.

Pippin heard the door to the small house open, and the shuffling of feet into the kitchen. He offered Sam some bread and beer. Sam just took it and sat down.

"Sam, you don't need to worry so much. He's with Elrond, and Gandalf, if we're lucky. He'll be fine," Pippin said, more to try and convince himself of that than to convince Sam.

"Mr. Pippin, don't try and make me feel better," begged Sam, looking away.

"Sam, you mustn't let any of the blame fall on yourself!"

"What would have happened if you two hadn't decided to visit Frodo?" Sam exploded, to Pippin's surprise. "He could very well be dead right now, no thanks to me!"

"Sam, stop it. Blaming yourself won't save Frodo," Pippin softly reminded him.

"I knew what time of the year it was. I never should have left."

"You shouldn't beat yourself up over it. Come along. We'd best be going, now."

Sam stood up and followed Pippin out to the ponies. They got on, and took off through the North-gate, and onto the road.

"Mr. Pippin, do you think they've reached Rivendell yet?" Sam asked quietly some time after they left Buckland.

Pippin calculated the time. It was October the 12th. "If they're not yet there, they should be there today or tomorrow, unless they've run into trouble along the way."

Sam said no more. Pippin sped his horse up, and Sam followed suit.

'If only we're on time.' Pippin thought as they rode. 'I haven't said goodbye yet', for Pippin was doubtful that Frodo would survive.

Sam was also thinking along the same lines, but with lots of self- hatred and anger mixed in. 'How could you have left him alone, Sam Gamgee? You made a promise to look after him, and you broke it.'

There was no more talk between the two for some time.



TBC