Sam looked over his shoulder from the stairs and the further up he came, the smaller his master seemed to get. It was hard for him to leave him here, but if he did not finish what they came for, there would be no time. The last steps seemed so high and his knees were weak, too weak to carry him much longer if he did not rest. At the last step he turned to get a last glimpse of Master Frodo where he was laying on the ground. Sam gripped the ring in his hand and squeezed it hard. "I will not disappoint Mr. Frodo" he promised himself and forced himself to turn around. With Sting in his belt and the heavy Ring hanging from the chain around his neck he continued to walk to find a place where he could rest. A path from the stairs were leading around a large dead hill where no grass, no flowers and no trees were growing. Mordor was a dead land and clouds of smoke rose from the horizon and in the east he could see the Black tower, tall and dark. Sam could feel the eye following him
as he walked the path all by himself and the sun was setting. The Ring was heavy and it got even heavier as he got closer to the turn of the path. He stopped a few feet from the dry hill where he heard muffled voices. He slowly crept to the edge of the hill and concentrated his ears to hear the conversation. Sam knew they were orchs for none had a more repulsive voice than an orch. Two orchs seemed to have an argument, but Sam could still not make out the words so he took a big risk to move closer to a pair of rocks beside the hill. Quick as a lizard he hid behind them and put his ear to an opening between two of the black cold stones.
"Idiot! How could you let him go? Wait until the lord hears about this!" one of them scolded.
"What harm could a creature like that do? It is just a waste of time to keep him prisoner, we have far more important things to take care of"
"Harm has been done already and if you do not follow order I will have to report you."
A shadow grew in Sam's mind, he feared what they were talking about, but it could not be, could it? Gollum was free and still alive.
When the orch-voices slowly faded away he peeked with one eye through a crack to make sure they were not there. There was no sight of orchs, but his legs were not strong enough to take him further for now. He crept up close to the rocks, wrapped the elven cloak around his body and soon he was in a light and worried slumber.
He did not know what time it was when he woke up again, in fact he did not know the date.
He had lost every aspect of time now and all that mattered was that he completed the task and got rid of the ring. A fear struck him, he jumped up from his hiding place and parted the top of his shirt, but to his relife the ring was still there. He needed to be more careful.
No more rest yet for many hours he decided and picked up his bag to continue the walk.
As Sam was walking over the almost deserted field he started to think about The Shire and Hobbiton. How he missed the grass, the sun and the lake. He missed the old Gaffer, the comfortable and hospitale inn and Rosa Cotton, he even missed Merry and Pippin.
"A little light, that is all I am asking for" he mumbled.
Galdriel's glass-bottle was laying safe in Sam's inner pocket, but he could not use it now, not here where it would be too visible. It was dark now, it was always dark, but now it was night, he could tell by the different shade of the sky. He could not stop until dawn if he could find a place to rest and eat some of the proviant Faramir had packed for them.
The taste of the rabbit had left his mind, he could not remind himself of any taste anymore and he did not have much water left. He did not expect to find any water, at least not unpoisoned, in Mordor, he had to save what he still had in his bottle.
About 4 hours later the dark lightened and Sam realized the sun would be halfway up in less than an hour. He walked the fastest he could with the heavy bag on his back and his tired legs.
The next hour he finally found something that was somewhat still alive, a pair of bushes with leaves starting to fade. The yellow and brown color of the bushes was almost the most pleasent thing he had seen since he left Frodo. It seemed to be ages ago and he could not let it go. He was worried about orchs, what if they would find Frodo?
Sam decided to take a rest and take a bite to eat before his next etap.
After a very light lunch containing dried fruit, salty meat, lembas and a small sip from the water he was up on his legs with new energy.
"Oh Mr. Frodo I would have needed you by my side now"
The sun did not shine much even if it was the 7^th hour of the day, but it had not been shining for many days now.
as he walked the path all by himself and the sun was setting. The Ring was heavy and it got even heavier as he got closer to the turn of the path. He stopped a few feet from the dry hill where he heard muffled voices. He slowly crept to the edge of the hill and concentrated his ears to hear the conversation. Sam knew they were orchs for none had a more repulsive voice than an orch. Two orchs seemed to have an argument, but Sam could still not make out the words so he took a big risk to move closer to a pair of rocks beside the hill. Quick as a lizard he hid behind them and put his ear to an opening between two of the black cold stones.
"Idiot! How could you let him go? Wait until the lord hears about this!" one of them scolded.
"What harm could a creature like that do? It is just a waste of time to keep him prisoner, we have far more important things to take care of"
"Harm has been done already and if you do not follow order I will have to report you."
A shadow grew in Sam's mind, he feared what they were talking about, but it could not be, could it? Gollum was free and still alive.
When the orch-voices slowly faded away he peeked with one eye through a crack to make sure they were not there. There was no sight of orchs, but his legs were not strong enough to take him further for now. He crept up close to the rocks, wrapped the elven cloak around his body and soon he was in a light and worried slumber.
He did not know what time it was when he woke up again, in fact he did not know the date.
He had lost every aspect of time now and all that mattered was that he completed the task and got rid of the ring. A fear struck him, he jumped up from his hiding place and parted the top of his shirt, but to his relife the ring was still there. He needed to be more careful.
No more rest yet for many hours he decided and picked up his bag to continue the walk.
As Sam was walking over the almost deserted field he started to think about The Shire and Hobbiton. How he missed the grass, the sun and the lake. He missed the old Gaffer, the comfortable and hospitale inn and Rosa Cotton, he even missed Merry and Pippin.
"A little light, that is all I am asking for" he mumbled.
Galdriel's glass-bottle was laying safe in Sam's inner pocket, but he could not use it now, not here where it would be too visible. It was dark now, it was always dark, but now it was night, he could tell by the different shade of the sky. He could not stop until dawn if he could find a place to rest and eat some of the proviant Faramir had packed for them.
The taste of the rabbit had left his mind, he could not remind himself of any taste anymore and he did not have much water left. He did not expect to find any water, at least not unpoisoned, in Mordor, he had to save what he still had in his bottle.
About 4 hours later the dark lightened and Sam realized the sun would be halfway up in less than an hour. He walked the fastest he could with the heavy bag on his back and his tired legs.
The next hour he finally found something that was somewhat still alive, a pair of bushes with leaves starting to fade. The yellow and brown color of the bushes was almost the most pleasent thing he had seen since he left Frodo. It seemed to be ages ago and he could not let it go. He was worried about orchs, what if they would find Frodo?
Sam decided to take a rest and take a bite to eat before his next etap.
After a very light lunch containing dried fruit, salty meat, lembas and a small sip from the water he was up on his legs with new energy.
"Oh Mr. Frodo I would have needed you by my side now"
The sun did not shine much even if it was the 7^th hour of the day, but it had not been shining for many days now.