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CHAPTER 19 : Alone in the Darkness
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I had not stopped fighting even as they dragged me away. I knew it was draining my energy but I didn't care. I couldn't give up. Not anymore. I bit, I lashed out, I kicked and I swung at whatever I could connect to. I was angry, for the first time in a very long time...I was really angry. I didn't want Merilas to be hurt, and I didn't want to be...taken for nothing again. I wasn't -nothing-. I was Frodo Baggins, I'd lived through worse things...the Morgul Blade had hurt far worse than anything I was experiencing here. They were flesh wounds...skin deep only. They would heal. The only thing that wouldn't would be my mind if I let them destroy that. It was all that I had left. My self respect...my dignity...I wouldn't let them take it. I would -not- let them break me. Not Orcs...I hated them..hated them so much I wanted to kill everyone of the mocking faces that accompanied me back to my dungeon in the sky. I wanted them to suffer, to feel the pain that I did. It was probably one of the first few times in my life I really wanted someone to die because of what they were.
I glared at them definately...they expected me to burst into tears and to crumple into a heap. To let them win. I had at first...because of the shock and pain...almost let them...until Merilas had found me. She had given me the strength and will to fight and to see it through. I would not be defeated. I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire, son of Drogo and Primula, The Heir to Bag-End. RingBearer. Nephew of Bilbo Baggins. It would take more than an Orc to destroy me. A Cave Troll...The Balrog...Shelob... Nazgul... I'd lived. I was -still- here. My mind was -still- here. I knew who I was. I was the Ringbearer. I kept hold of that in my mind as I struggled. The Ring...My eyes flashed, I knew that when my anger was stirred it threw others into a corner for once. I wanted that. I needed that now, I needed them to know I was still here. They would not break me.
They finally flung me on a pile of dirty rags in the tower room and backed away as I lay there for a moment, gasping for breath. I looked back at them fiercely, if only I had a weapon. I'd take at least one of them down. I tried to drag myself to my feet, and managed that barely. I stood there..and they laughed at me, but I could tell they were afraid. The Ring was giving me a strength I did not know I possessed...even though it wasn't with me. I was connected to it...it was mine...and it was coming back to me. I stood there in the darkness of the small tower room, my body rigid as I watched them. I could see every move...I was aware of every sound. Something in those herbs that Merilas had given me was bringing back my strength. The power of Mordor, I suspected. The Ring was near. I could feel it. It was coming...
****AUTHOR'S NOTE : This happens when Sam puts on the Ring to get into the tower.****
The Orcs conferred with eachother and finally decided to leave me alone....climbing down the ladder one by one.
"Merilas!" I cried out, "What have you done with her..." I demanded to know...I had no answer and they were far down the hall and gone now. I stood there for a while, alone in the darkness....and saw the shadows begin to dance on the walls. Shadows of shadows to the light of a red glow in a land where the night reigned. I breathed a few times and strained my ears. I thought I heard the ringing of a bell. Perhaps I was mistaken. I thought I heard movement in the tower room...and whipped around.
"Come to us..." I heard the voices of the nazgul in my head. "Bring us the Ring, Halfling." They chanted, spinning around and around in my head until I could take no more. I was too dizzy to stand anymore and I cried out, collapsingl to the ground holding my hands above my head. My anger fled as easily as it had come as I let it go and I began to shiver. I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire...still...I was Frodo Baggins of the shire...still..."Leave me alone!" I sobbed. "Leave me alone..."
I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire. The darkness would not defeat me.
I don't know how long I lay there, holding my head in my hands, trying to will away the shadows and fight the call of the nazgul...I knew it must have been a long time for I was tired...very tired...and every muscle ached. Every cell in my brain wanted me to stop fighting...to let go and to let oblivion take me. I began to see things that weren't there, images of people from the past and I tried hard to keep control.
I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire. The darkness would not defeat me.
It was coming.
I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire. The darkness would not defeat me.
"To be a Ringbearer...is to be alone."
I was alone in the darkness. I would remain here forever. No one would come for me. Nothing....I was nothing in this world. There was nothing left for me. The shadows...the shadows called.
It was coming.
I struggled, crying out. I opened my eyes and looked into the darkness.
"I am Frodo Baggins of the Shire." I told the darkness in defiance.
And then....I heard a sweet sound...a sound...I'd never expected to hear in my life again. A sound that was so welcome to me I almost thought I was hallucinating it. Sam's voice...faint at first...but he was singing...and he was coming this way. Then I saw something large coming up the ladder and I cringed. I could still hear Sam's voice...but that wasn't Sam. Where are you?
The figure was an Orc...Snaga and he was furious. He brandished a whip above me, and let out a string of curses and demanded that I stop singing. In my confusion, I held my hands above my head, protecting what I could. The whip came down once. Then it was raised again and it never came down. The figure fell...in death and surprise...and the most blessed site came into my eyes as I saw what had killed the Orc. A sparkling of gold caught my attention.
"Oh, Mr. Frodo..."
It had come back to me. The precious had returned to its master.
I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire.
Ringbearer.
* * *
(Still more to come):)
CHAPTER 19 : Alone in the Darkness
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I had not stopped fighting even as they dragged me away. I knew it was draining my energy but I didn't care. I couldn't give up. Not anymore. I bit, I lashed out, I kicked and I swung at whatever I could connect to. I was angry, for the first time in a very long time...I was really angry. I didn't want Merilas to be hurt, and I didn't want to be...taken for nothing again. I wasn't -nothing-. I was Frodo Baggins, I'd lived through worse things...the Morgul Blade had hurt far worse than anything I was experiencing here. They were flesh wounds...skin deep only. They would heal. The only thing that wouldn't would be my mind if I let them destroy that. It was all that I had left. My self respect...my dignity...I wouldn't let them take it. I would -not- let them break me. Not Orcs...I hated them..hated them so much I wanted to kill everyone of the mocking faces that accompanied me back to my dungeon in the sky. I wanted them to suffer, to feel the pain that I did. It was probably one of the first few times in my life I really wanted someone to die because of what they were.
I glared at them definately...they expected me to burst into tears and to crumple into a heap. To let them win. I had at first...because of the shock and pain...almost let them...until Merilas had found me. She had given me the strength and will to fight and to see it through. I would not be defeated. I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire, son of Drogo and Primula, The Heir to Bag-End. RingBearer. Nephew of Bilbo Baggins. It would take more than an Orc to destroy me. A Cave Troll...The Balrog...Shelob... Nazgul... I'd lived. I was -still- here. My mind was -still- here. I knew who I was. I was the Ringbearer. I kept hold of that in my mind as I struggled. The Ring...My eyes flashed, I knew that when my anger was stirred it threw others into a corner for once. I wanted that. I needed that now, I needed them to know I was still here. They would not break me.
They finally flung me on a pile of dirty rags in the tower room and backed away as I lay there for a moment, gasping for breath. I looked back at them fiercely, if only I had a weapon. I'd take at least one of them down. I tried to drag myself to my feet, and managed that barely. I stood there..and they laughed at me, but I could tell they were afraid. The Ring was giving me a strength I did not know I possessed...even though it wasn't with me. I was connected to it...it was mine...and it was coming back to me. I stood there in the darkness of the small tower room, my body rigid as I watched them. I could see every move...I was aware of every sound. Something in those herbs that Merilas had given me was bringing back my strength. The power of Mordor, I suspected. The Ring was near. I could feel it. It was coming...
****AUTHOR'S NOTE : This happens when Sam puts on the Ring to get into the tower.****
The Orcs conferred with eachother and finally decided to leave me alone....climbing down the ladder one by one.
"Merilas!" I cried out, "What have you done with her..." I demanded to know...I had no answer and they were far down the hall and gone now. I stood there for a while, alone in the darkness....and saw the shadows begin to dance on the walls. Shadows of shadows to the light of a red glow in a land where the night reigned. I breathed a few times and strained my ears. I thought I heard the ringing of a bell. Perhaps I was mistaken. I thought I heard movement in the tower room...and whipped around.
"Come to us..." I heard the voices of the nazgul in my head. "Bring us the Ring, Halfling." They chanted, spinning around and around in my head until I could take no more. I was too dizzy to stand anymore and I cried out, collapsingl to the ground holding my hands above my head. My anger fled as easily as it had come as I let it go and I began to shiver. I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire...still...I was Frodo Baggins of the shire...still..."Leave me alone!" I sobbed. "Leave me alone..."
I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire. The darkness would not defeat me.
I don't know how long I lay there, holding my head in my hands, trying to will away the shadows and fight the call of the nazgul...I knew it must have been a long time for I was tired...very tired...and every muscle ached. Every cell in my brain wanted me to stop fighting...to let go and to let oblivion take me. I began to see things that weren't there, images of people from the past and I tried hard to keep control.
I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire. The darkness would not defeat me.
It was coming.
I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire. The darkness would not defeat me.
"To be a Ringbearer...is to be alone."
I was alone in the darkness. I would remain here forever. No one would come for me. Nothing....I was nothing in this world. There was nothing left for me. The shadows...the shadows called.
It was coming.
I struggled, crying out. I opened my eyes and looked into the darkness.
"I am Frodo Baggins of the Shire." I told the darkness in defiance.
And then....I heard a sweet sound...a sound...I'd never expected to hear in my life again. A sound that was so welcome to me I almost thought I was hallucinating it. Sam's voice...faint at first...but he was singing...and he was coming this way. Then I saw something large coming up the ladder and I cringed. I could still hear Sam's voice...but that wasn't Sam. Where are you?
The figure was an Orc...Snaga and he was furious. He brandished a whip above me, and let out a string of curses and demanded that I stop singing. In my confusion, I held my hands above my head, protecting what I could. The whip came down once. Then it was raised again and it never came down. The figure fell...in death and surprise...and the most blessed site came into my eyes as I saw what had killed the Orc. A sparkling of gold caught my attention.
"Oh, Mr. Frodo..."
It had come back to me. The precious had returned to its master.
I was Frodo Baggins of the Shire.
Ringbearer.
* * *
(Still more to come):)