The company turned as a figure ran panting into the shelter.
"Aragorn!" Frodo cried, rushing up to him. He could not keep the tremor from his voice. "Is Sam alright?"
Aragorn squeezed the Hobbit's shoulder and looked around the anxious faces before him as he spoke. "Sam is still alive but his captors are tormenting him and I would not want him to endure a single moment more than he must." He broke off, still breathless. "Gandalf, I heard Ferny mentioned the Ring. There can be little doubt now to the purpose of Sam's capture." He gratefully took the water that Legolas offered him, "Have you come to a decision?"
"We have all decided to help you, Aragorn." Boromir said. The others nodded their agreement.
"I am heartened to hear it." He said with feeling. "Have you settled on a plan?"
"Of sorts." Gimli grumbled. "Although I still say we should just go in there and split their skulls."
"We have been over this, Gimli." Gandalf said sternly.
"But…"
"We do not have time for bickering amongst ourselves!" Aragorn said impatiently. "What is this plan?"
Pippin spoke up. "We thought we would try and draw some of these creatures away from the camp, grab Sam and run away from the rest."
Aragorn looked questioningly at Gandalf who shrugged wearily. "Essentially that is what we plan."
"So be it, but let us do it quickly. We will work out the details on the way." Aragorn started to leave, but stopped when he realised that the Hobbits were trotting alongside him. "No." He said simply but firmly. "You cannot come."
"You cannot stop us!" Frodo said defiantly.
"We need to move very fast if we are to strike while it is still dark and the terrain is dangerous if you do not know the path! You cannot keep up with me and I cannot both carry you and fight!" The Ranger shouted back. Frodo blinked in surprise at the Man's temper. "If you want to help Sam, stay here!"
"But he wouldn't be in danger if it wasn't for me. I must go. I can give the ring to Merry or Pippin; they are every bit as able to carry it as me, for, as far as I can see, my only qualification is that I am a Hobbit." He looked up at Strider, tears of frustration beginning to blur his vision. "Please."
Aragorn rubbed his eyes with a weary hand and considered scaring the Hobbit into submission with harsh words, but he had not the heart. Instead he knelt down and looked Frodo in the eye. "I know you want to go Frodo, and despite the fact that I know it would be unwise, the truth is that if I could think of a way, I would grant you your wish. But I cannot. I believe that I can bring Sam back to you unharmed and that will have to be enough."
Frodo nodded numbly.
Aragorn stood and was about to start organising who should stay and who should go amongst the remainder of the Fellowship when he stopped and cursed.
"Aragorn?" Legolas looked at his friend, concerned.
"Frodo must come with us if this plan is to work." The Man's voice was quiet and tired.
Frodo's head snapped up.
"No." Gandalf said firmly. "We do not need him."
"Ferny knows he is the Ring bearer. He saw him disappear in Bree." On hearing this Gandalf closed his eyes as if in pain. Aragorn continued. " How will we lure them away from Sam if not with Frodo?"
"We will find another way." The Wizard said, but his voice lacked much conviction.
Aragorn sighed. "There is no other way."
"You may be right." Gandalf conceded after a moment. He looked thoughtfully at the Hobbits before adding "But I think this development demands that we work out the finer points of our plan before we set off."
-oOo-
Less than ten minutes later the Fellowship was preparing to depart once more.
"All that remains is to hide the Ring." Gandalf said
"Very well, give me a moment." Frodo began to move outside, but Legolas who was watching at the mouth of the shelter caught him by the arm and held him back.
Frodo was about to protest when he realised that Aragorn had him by the collar and was turning him back inside.
"One of us will hide it." Gandalf said firmly, indicating the non-Hobbits in the company.
"I…I don't understand. You don't trust me to hide it properly?" Frodo frowned.
Gimli looked grim. " If we are captured and they do not find the Ring in our possession, the Olag-Hai will torture us to learn of its location."
"And you don't think that I can withstand torture." Frodo stated, part hurt by the suggestion and part scared that they were right. He long since realised that this quest might cost him his life, but he had never considered torture and the idea did not appeal to him.
" It is likely that none of us will be able to withstand the torture, Frodo." Aragorn sighed. " The Olag-Hai have a fearsome reputation. Whichever one of us hides the Ring must not be captured alive. It is not a thing that can be left to chance."
"There is much I would trust you with, Frodo Baggins," Gandalf said gently " but this task is one best undertaken by those who have some practical understanding of the skills required."
The Hobbit's look of confusion quickly turned to understanding as he watched his companions focus on the matter at hand. Each seemed willing to lay down his life in this way but after a short, though heated, discussion, Gandalf's argument proved the strongest as the plan they had devised called upon him to be furthest away from Ferny's camp and therefore he would have early warning of the failure of the plan. It was hoped that this would give him either time to either flee with the Ring or to do what needed to be done.
The decision made, Frodo dropped the Ring into one of Gimli's gloves and passed the package to Gandalf who left immediately.
Even as he did so the Wizard wondered at the wisdom of this plan to save Sam at the expense of the safety of the Ring. They had all persuaded themselves that it made sense to strike at the enemy but Gandalf knew that they never would have done so if one of their own had not been in danger. He could not convince himself that they should leave Sam in the clutches of Ferny if there was something to be done about it but they were gambling with the lives of many more than just their own in taking this course and it was with a troubled heart that Gandalf the Grey began to look for a place to hide the Ring.
-oOo-
"It is done."
All eyes turned to Gandalf at the mouth of the shelter.
"Then let us go." Aragorn bent down and gathered up Frodo wearily. "We must make haste." A hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"You are tired. Let me take Frodo." Boromir said gently. "Provided of course, he is willing to be passed into my care?" He added a little self-consciously looking at the Hobbit.
Frodo hesitated a moment as he regarded the Man.
Boromir was not Aragorn - in Frodo's eyes there were none amongst the Big People that could come close to his friend - but perhaps he should not be held up against such an impossible standard. Boromir had seemed different over the past hours. He no longer seemed as aloof as he had, and seemed to genuinely want to help get Sam back. His hostility towards Aragorn seemed to have been placed to one side as the company had made their plans; Boromir had even elected to help the Ranger draw away some of the Olag-Hai. Frodo began to wonder whether he had misjudged his companion.
The Hobbit was suddenly aware that both Men were still looking at him expectantly. " I have no objections." He said, and was surprised to find that he meant it.
Aragorn placed Frodo in Boromir's arms with a nod of thanks and led the company out of the shelter at a brisk pace
-oOo-
Merry estimated that they had been moving for about twenty minutes before they came to an abrupt halt. He had had to run hard to keep up with his companions and his lungs felt as though they were going to burst. He sincerely regretted answering truthfully when Gandalf had asked him and Pippin which one of them was the strongest runner. He was concentrating so hard on catching his breath that he didn't immediately realise that Gandalf was talking.
"Does everyone understand what is to be done?" The Wizard was asking. "There will be no opportunity to go over it again once we have put this plan in motion." Merry nodded along with everyone else. Satisfied, Gandalf nodded back at them "Very well. Good luck to you all."
With that the company broke. Merry and Gandalf set out at a slightly more sedate pace (much to Merry's relief) in one direction. Gimli and Legolas, who carried Pippin, ran in another direction and Aragorn and Boromir, still carrying Frodo, ran off in yet another direction.
-oOo-
A nervous knot was forming in the middle of Frodo Baggins' stomach. He had no idea how long Boromir had been running behind Aragorn but it seemed like hours to him. He had begged to be brought along but now he just wanted it over. He wanted to be back on the road to Hollin and he wanted all of his friends to be safe. He was startled from his thoughts when he realised he was being passed to Aragorn who left the breathless Boromir behind without further comment and continued to run towards Ferny's camp which even Frodo could see in the distance.
Finally Aragorn slowed and stopped, setting Frodo on his feet. The two walked quietly a short way until the camp was close enough to see and hear clearly. Aragorn dropped to his knee before Frodo and whispered. "Ready?"
Frodo nodded mutely.
Aragorn placed Gandalf's staff in the Hobbit's hand and pulled a ring from his finger. "Put this on the chain around your neck. They will probably not know what the ring looks like. Now, walk no more than…" he broke off to consider his friend's size and the distance "…thirty paces towards the camp. No matter what they say, go no closer."
Frodo nodded again and watched his friend disappear into the gloom. When he could see him no more he took a deep breath and began to count his paces to the camp. On the thirtieth step he stopped and held Gandalf's staff straight up. As he did so the tip began to glow and although the staff towered above him, it lit him well enough to be seen. He cleared his throat and began to shout…
-oOo-
To Be Continued