Chapter 7
Frodo was lifted off his feet as Aragorn hugged him and Sam together. He was laughing heartedly, and set them down. Sam began to explain everything in a rush.
"I saw the beast try to kill him, but he was wearing the mithril, and I knew he was so I went and took him out of the Shire, then we decided to head for Rivendell, then we saw the beasts again and hid in the swamp. We slept on this rock last night and, and." he took a breath. "Then we found you." Legolas approached.
"Frodo?" he asked. He reached out with his good hand and touched him. His hand hit his shoulder and he laughed. "You're alive!" He picked up the little hobbit and hugged him tightly. "I thought you were dead!" Legolas dropped him accidentally, his bandage slipped off, revealing the infected wound. Sam gasped.
"You're hurt!" he cried. Legolas bent over and picked up the bandage. "Oh! What happened?" Legolas sighed.
"Rivendell was attacked." explained Aragorn. We and some other elves escaped, but that's all we know, except that they're heading north and Rivendell was destroyed." Sam looked to the ground.
"I'm sorry." said Frodo. He hung his head. The wind rose and the water rippled.
"What will we do now?" asked Sam, turning to Frodo.
"You'll come with us." said Aragorn. "You can stay in Mordor with Joanila and Andréa." Frodo looked confused.
"Who are Joanila and Andréa?" he asked. Legolas took Frodo's hand and led him to the other side of the rock. The sun had peeked out from the clouds and shone on them all.
"My wife and daughter." said Legolas proudly. He went and knelt beside his family.
"Well, congratulations!" said Frodo. "Although, I'm afraid that I am a little late."
"Joanila," said Legolas. "This is Frodo Baggins, the ring bearer from so long ago." Legolas suddenly thought that the Hobbit looked rather old. The roots of his hair were beginning to gray, and two laugh lines had appeared on both side of his mouth. Frodo smiled and bowed to the lady. Andréa giggled.
"What is he daddy?" she asked.
"He's a hobbit, dear." replied Legolas, putting his daughter on his lap with his good hand. "Those are the little people who live in the Shire." Frodo sighed at the name of his old home. "Oh, sorry Frodo." He said. "She doesn't know the situation yet."
"It's quite all right." replied Frodo, forcing a smile on his face. "When are you planning to leave this dreadful rock?"
"In about five minutes, I guess." said Aragorn, assisting Sam over to the group. "We can probably carry you two with us.
"No, thank you." replied Sam. "We can manage quite well on our own."
"You're sure?" asked Legolas.
"Yes, thank you." said Frodo. They spent the next five minutes preparing the arrangement. Legolas would be at the front, then the Aragorn and Andréa, then Joanila, and last, the two hobbits.
"Be sure not to panic, the next part will be up to our necks. If you start to sink past that, keep walking on the rest, or ask for some help. Someone will help you as soon as you can.
Legolas was wading in the mud up to his chest now; he carried his sword above him. Joanila held Aragorn's sword as Aragorn struggled to keep Andréa out of the mud. About halfway through the next part of the marsh, Legolas stepped in a hole, and it held up to his neck.
"Wait, stop." he said. Frodo, come toward me. Frodo was practically swimming through the murky water. "Get on my shoulders." Frodo hesitated.
"What about Sam?" he asked.
"The rest will wait here, and I will return to get Sam. Joanila, you come with me." Joanila insisted on getting her daughter. So she and Aragorn switched. Sam had to be assisted for a little while so that he could last until they came back.
About an hour later, they came and took Sam to the edge of the swamp. Legolas was testing every step, which made it take quite long.
Not two feet ahead of them, a large pink tentacle poked out of the water. Sam gasped.
"Don't panic!" ordered Legolas. He held his chin up to keep his mouth out of the water and continued walking. Sam held his breath. Aragorn followed calmly. The tentacle rubbed the side of Sam's leg, and he screamed. Another tentacle appeared, another, another. Legolas, Aragorn and Sam were now surrounded by them. "Calm down!" ordered Legolas. Sam started to hold his breath again.
They continued to walk. The long tree-like tentacles let them by. Frodo, Joanila and Andréa were waiting anxiously at the bank. Legolas was knee-deep beside Aragorn. Aragorn took Sam and went to the bank. Legolas paused in the water. His wound was acting up. He took off the bandage to find a squirming worm near his wound. He picked it up and held it away from him, in shallow water.
Well, it was all the worm's fault. It has apparently panicked, and eight tentacles, large and pink with brown spots, surrounded it and Legolas. Legolas dropped the worm, but it was too late. One was around his waist, another stole away his weapon, one binded around his neck, and another caught the worm. Screams erupted from the bank. Legolas struggled to remove them from him, but they just tightened, and took him into the deeper waters of the bog.
Frodo was lifted off his feet as Aragorn hugged him and Sam together. He was laughing heartedly, and set them down. Sam began to explain everything in a rush.
"I saw the beast try to kill him, but he was wearing the mithril, and I knew he was so I went and took him out of the Shire, then we decided to head for Rivendell, then we saw the beasts again and hid in the swamp. We slept on this rock last night and, and." he took a breath. "Then we found you." Legolas approached.
"Frodo?" he asked. He reached out with his good hand and touched him. His hand hit his shoulder and he laughed. "You're alive!" He picked up the little hobbit and hugged him tightly. "I thought you were dead!" Legolas dropped him accidentally, his bandage slipped off, revealing the infected wound. Sam gasped.
"You're hurt!" he cried. Legolas bent over and picked up the bandage. "Oh! What happened?" Legolas sighed.
"Rivendell was attacked." explained Aragorn. We and some other elves escaped, but that's all we know, except that they're heading north and Rivendell was destroyed." Sam looked to the ground.
"I'm sorry." said Frodo. He hung his head. The wind rose and the water rippled.
"What will we do now?" asked Sam, turning to Frodo.
"You'll come with us." said Aragorn. "You can stay in Mordor with Joanila and Andréa." Frodo looked confused.
"Who are Joanila and Andréa?" he asked. Legolas took Frodo's hand and led him to the other side of the rock. The sun had peeked out from the clouds and shone on them all.
"My wife and daughter." said Legolas proudly. He went and knelt beside his family.
"Well, congratulations!" said Frodo. "Although, I'm afraid that I am a little late."
"Joanila," said Legolas. "This is Frodo Baggins, the ring bearer from so long ago." Legolas suddenly thought that the Hobbit looked rather old. The roots of his hair were beginning to gray, and two laugh lines had appeared on both side of his mouth. Frodo smiled and bowed to the lady. Andréa giggled.
"What is he daddy?" she asked.
"He's a hobbit, dear." replied Legolas, putting his daughter on his lap with his good hand. "Those are the little people who live in the Shire." Frodo sighed at the name of his old home. "Oh, sorry Frodo." He said. "She doesn't know the situation yet."
"It's quite all right." replied Frodo, forcing a smile on his face. "When are you planning to leave this dreadful rock?"
"In about five minutes, I guess." said Aragorn, assisting Sam over to the group. "We can probably carry you two with us.
"No, thank you." replied Sam. "We can manage quite well on our own."
"You're sure?" asked Legolas.
"Yes, thank you." said Frodo. They spent the next five minutes preparing the arrangement. Legolas would be at the front, then the Aragorn and Andréa, then Joanila, and last, the two hobbits.
"Be sure not to panic, the next part will be up to our necks. If you start to sink past that, keep walking on the rest, or ask for some help. Someone will help you as soon as you can.
Legolas was wading in the mud up to his chest now; he carried his sword above him. Joanila held Aragorn's sword as Aragorn struggled to keep Andréa out of the mud. About halfway through the next part of the marsh, Legolas stepped in a hole, and it held up to his neck.
"Wait, stop." he said. Frodo, come toward me. Frodo was practically swimming through the murky water. "Get on my shoulders." Frodo hesitated.
"What about Sam?" he asked.
"The rest will wait here, and I will return to get Sam. Joanila, you come with me." Joanila insisted on getting her daughter. So she and Aragorn switched. Sam had to be assisted for a little while so that he could last until they came back.
About an hour later, they came and took Sam to the edge of the swamp. Legolas was testing every step, which made it take quite long.
Not two feet ahead of them, a large pink tentacle poked out of the water. Sam gasped.
"Don't panic!" ordered Legolas. He held his chin up to keep his mouth out of the water and continued walking. Sam held his breath. Aragorn followed calmly. The tentacle rubbed the side of Sam's leg, and he screamed. Another tentacle appeared, another, another. Legolas, Aragorn and Sam were now surrounded by them. "Calm down!" ordered Legolas. Sam started to hold his breath again.
They continued to walk. The long tree-like tentacles let them by. Frodo, Joanila and Andréa were waiting anxiously at the bank. Legolas was knee-deep beside Aragorn. Aragorn took Sam and went to the bank. Legolas paused in the water. His wound was acting up. He took off the bandage to find a squirming worm near his wound. He picked it up and held it away from him, in shallow water.
Well, it was all the worm's fault. It has apparently panicked, and eight tentacles, large and pink with brown spots, surrounded it and Legolas. Legolas dropped the worm, but it was too late. One was around his waist, another stole away his weapon, one binded around his neck, and another caught the worm. Screams erupted from the bank. Legolas struggled to remove them from him, but they just tightened, and took him into the deeper waters of the bog.