"There it is," Harry said, pointing out the window of the airplane.
"That dark spot?" Hermione asked. "It looks so small."
She sat back, thinking how they still had to fly across the island, then ride back. The elvin horses were in the cargo hold of the transport, and would have a lot of work to do once they arrived in Iceland.
Faramir returned from the cockpit, where he had asked the pilot and copilot every question he could think of. They were not too surprised by the hobbit. The crew was chosen from personnel who had family in the wizarding community. They asked as many questions as Faramir, and everyone had a good time.
Frodo was not having as good a time. He was sleeping, and was trapped in the same dream. He was in a dark round corridor, as in a hobbit hole. In the distance, Lord Voldemort approached, slowly. He glowed from an internal light. Frodo was rooted to the spot, and could not flee. Voldemort came closer and held out his hand. "You know what I want," he said.
Frodo could not control his actions and his hand held out the Ring. As Voldemort reached for it, he began to change. Before he had touched the ring, all Frodo could see was a darkly burning eye which hurt him to look at. The Dark Lord took hold of the Ring and said, "Now, Baggins, you shall know my mercy."
Frodo screamed as he woke up, and immediately felt for the ring. It was still there. "I will never give it up," he said to himself, not realizing what he said.
*
The four companions disembarked from the plane, and were met by a small group of Icelandic and Irish soldiers. Their escort directed them to a small building ahead, and as they walked, Harry noticed a storm in the distance, and asked about it. He was told not to worry. The storm was over the ocean, more than fifty miles away, and would not come in this direction.
Harry nodded as he tried to remember something. He saw a bright flash of lightning, and recalled Draco's warning. Then a familiar voice from behind said, "Excuse me, Mister Potter."
Harry dropped to the ground as bullets filled the spot he had so recently occupied, hugging the ground as scuffling was heard behind him. He heard a sharp crack of wood striking bone, and then the sound of a body hitting the ground.
"It's MacNair," Hermione cried in recognition.
Harry got up and looked back to see the man lying on the ground, wearing an Irish army uniform. He took a deep breath, and the smell hit him. He looked down at the source of the smell and found it in a brown clump sticking to his jacket. Others backed away as the odor reached them, and then the first person started to laugh.
"It was from one of the guard dogs we used," the escort said in apology. "We thought we had cleaned up after all of them." The apology ended there when the escort could not control his laughter anymore. Harry was forced to take his jacket off in the cold, cursing. Now he knew why Draco had laughed when he told Harry how to save himself.
*
Frodo Baggins was incensed. An entire day had been wasted. No one wanted to let them go anywhere until they understood what was going on. To make matters worse, they claimed that all their monitoring sites for on the Vatnajokull Ice Cap were accounted for, even though their records showed one more than they said they had.
Frodo made up his mind, and asked for food. Then he suggested some boxes or cans of food, to save them trouble, as hobbits will eat a great deal when there is nothing else to do. When lunch was delivered, with the packaged goods, Frodo told Harry they needed to walk the horses. Harry understood immediately, and went to grab his new jacket, compliments of the government of Iceland. Hermione and Faramir also dressed in their bulky jackets, as Harry explained to the guards what they had to do, saying it would only take an hour or so.
As they left with their guards, no one noticed that the box of packaged goods was almost empty. The group saddled their horses, and rode them out of the stable and around the small parade field. Then Faramir broke his horse into a run, and had it leap a small fence, into the roadway. "I wish he'd stop playing," Frodo said in an irritated voice.
Faramir wheeled Grand around, and jumped the fence again. He raced across the field, and jumped the fence on the other side, and kept going.
"Stay here," Hermione ordered, "I'm going after him." She gave Dineth the command, and the horse raced after the young hobbit.
"This is ridiculous," Harry said. He turned to the confused soldiers and said, "Follow us." Then he and Frodo raced after the other two. They lost the soldiers almost at once, and caught up with Hermione and Faramir. The four raced off before anyone could stop them, and headed east. The horses raced through the short day, and through the long cold night, until dawn found them on the ice cap, closing in on the camp they were looking for.
*
Ron walked back through the cavern to the mouth of the cave. Will asked where the Snowmobile was that he had used. Ron said it ran fine, when he lowered the ground wheels, but he hit an upturned rock, and broke the fuel line. He came back to get the tool kit, and would walk back through the cave to fix it after he ate. "I wouldn't get more than a mile, if I tried riding it back," he explained.
"I've been looking out and around the camp," Will said, "You might want to look at this."
Ron picked up the binoculars and looked where Will was pointing. Four figures on horseback were riding toward the camp. Ron recognized Harry and Hermione at once. He didn't even bother thinking about how they had horses. "They're heading into a trap," Ron said. "What do we do?"
"You wait here," Will said, "I get to play hero, and Ron, remember what is at stake here. Don't come after me unless you have to."
Will took the remaining snowmobile, pushed it onto the ice, and raced it toward the group of horsemen. Movement quickly became visible at the monitoring station, as his trail was noticed. The horsemen noticed his trail as well, and turned toward him. Will reached the four, just as men on brooms began to appear. "Follow the trail," he shouted, "Ron is waiting."
That was enough. Harry and Hermione led the race to the cave entrance, followed closely by the two hobbits. Will tried to turn the snowmobile around but did not have enough time. He jumped just as a green glow struck, and caused the snowmobile to explode. Instead of being killed instantly, he was knocked unconscious, and left to die on the ice.
They reached the cave, and Ron shouted to them, "This way, quick, we have a three mile run if you're up to it." No greetings were made. The four dismounted, and chased the horses off. They all followed Ron as he led the race down the tunnel, following the bright light of his wand.
One of the pursuers had the bright idea of flying down the cave tunnel. Harry cast a simple spell, which the Death Eater avoided, only to hit the side of the cave. He rolled for a good distance before he stopped.
The group ran almost two miles, before Ron called for them to stop.
"Wait," said Ron, breathing hard, "No one is following."
As they stopped, Hermione asked, "Ron, Isn't that a good thing?"
"No, it isn't," Ron said, "They were flying. That means they have two ways of getting to the end of this path. I bet they're already there, at the end, waiting for us. They're probably following us, too, but not that fast. They know they have us trapped."
"We have to do something," Frodo said, "they are coming, and faster than you thought." He pointed to lights that appeared behind them, getting closer. They began to walk forward when a stray curse was shot through the cave. It missed but caused a small cave-in. Harry picked himself up, and started calling out names. Everyone answered but Frodo. They found him under a large rock. He was breathing but that was about it.
"I have a plan," Harry said, "I can get us out of this."
He went down to grab the Ring, but Hermione stopped him. "What plan, Harry?" She asked, cautiously.
"Don't you trust me, Hermione?" Harry asked, challenging her, "Or do you want the Ring for your own purposes?"
"What's your plan, Harry?" Ron said, "You know I'm behind you."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief when his friend said that, "It's simple, Ron. We use the power of the ring to get through these people. Once we're done we can destroy it easily. I know I can control it, Ron. We might even have enough time to find Voldemort, and destroy him as well."
Hermione saw Harry drawing his wand and became afraid. Faramir noticed as well and reached for his dagger. Ron looked at Hermione, ignoring Harry, and said, "He's right, you know. We have no other way to get though to the Cracks of Doom. Now, Hermione, don't do anything. I'm going to take the chain from Frodo's neck and give it to Harry."
Ron stooped over the hobbit and removed the chain with the ring attached. He then stood up, spun around, and hit Harry squarely in the jaw. Turning to Hermione, he said, "When he wakes up, tell him it's called a sucker punch. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Hermione stared in disbelief, "Ron, what are you doing?"
"I'm trying to save us all. I figure you're the best wizard here. You have the best chance of holding them off." He smiled, and added, " If you want, you can make a run for it, and I'll try and hold them off."
Hermione hesitated until she remembered what Draco had said. He who would wear the Ring must be betrayed. It wasn't Voldemort. It was Harry. She understood all of it. It was Harry all the time. The Ring wanted Harry, not Voldemort. But Harry had been betrayed by his best friend.
Hermione shook her head telling Ron to go ahead, and Faramir wished him good luck. Ron ran down the tunnel as Hermione and Faramir waited behind the rock pile, wand and dagger ready. They could see the enemy approaching very slowly.
Then a figure walked through the men and approached them. "Why, good morning, Miss Granger," Voldemort said, with calloused ease, "It is good to see you on your feet again."
*
Ron ran down the cave tunnel, keeping his eyes open for any danger. He had passed the snowmobile, abandoned earlier, and was almost to the last turn. He rounded the last corner, and saw Lucius Malfoy standing on the overhanging rock.
"It would be a Weasley," he said with a sneer. "You were never smart enough to stay out of things you don't understand."
"And you want the ring for yourself," Ron sneered back.
"I do not need that ring," Lucius said, stepping forward. He held up his hand for Ron to see, and said, "I already have a ring. The ring you have is for my master, and my men will take it from you."
Ron turned and ran, as a terrible thought hit him. There was only One Ring, but there were lesser rings. In a matter of seconds, Ron made the connection. Lucius Malfoy was wearing one of the nine rings for men. The one that had been worn by the chief of the Nazgul, who perished at Minis Tirith.
In that instant, Ron also understood that he could not fight an unseen enemy. He then did the one thing he knew he shouldn't do. He put the Ring on his finger.
At once, Ron saw the eight figures as they approached. He jumped on the abandoned snowmobile, hoping against hope. The snowmobile started up, and Ron hit it into gear. It raced forward, catching the Nazgul by surprise. In a second he had passed them and rounded the curve, almost running down Lucius Malfoy. It had been too easy.
*
The Dark Lord ignored Hermione's wand, and looked at the two figures on the ground, "Oh, there is my poor useless hobbit. He has lost his ring again. And poor Harry has broken his glasses. How sad." He turned and smiled at Hermione. "Should I just kill you now or have sport with you first? Why don't we do this? We will wait for a while, and whoever wears that precious ring will decide."
Suddenly, Voldemort let out a yell, and fell to his knees. "No Master," He shouted, "I need you, I need you still." He then fell forward, making it three unconscious bodies lying in front of Hermione. As she watched, a form, like a darkly burning figure rose out of his body. It let out a shriek that was felt but not heard, and dissipated into the air.
Hermione looked at the half dozen figures in front of her. Two approached slowly, wands drawn. They grabbed their master, and carried him away.
When she was sure they were safe, Hermione asked Faramir to wait, and she ran down the tunnel after Ron. She came to the overhang over the volcano, but found nothing. She walked back, and revived Harry. She then tried to heal Frodo as much as she knew how, and the three carried him out of the cave.
*
Ron tore the Ring off his finger and jammed it onto the break handle. As the snowmobile reached the edge, he realized his mistake. The Ring was powerful but he could control it, and do great things. He would be justly feared and worshiped by every one. But the snowmobile was already falling over the edge, and he had jammed the Ring onto the handle too well. He got the Ring loose, but it fell from his hand, falling to the fiery pit below. He fell after it, but could do nothing, and vowed to follow it to its destruction.
Hot daggers pierced his shoulders, and Ron was suddenly jerked upward. As he let out a scream and passed out, he would have sworn he heard Charlie's voice calling out, "Fly high, Norbert."
*
"Ron, wake up," he heard someone call. He opened his eyes and saw Hermione standing over him. He smiled up at her, and said, "I love you."
Hermione blushed, and then blushed again when Faramir said, "My Lady, you should kiss him. Then this story will have a proper ending."