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Chapter 4 -- Icy Hands in the Dark (Takes place on Caradhras, after Weathertop, after Frodo meets Gailethil in Rivendell.)
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He was cold…very very cold. Aragorn had done his best to keep him warm…and they had found a small cave for shelter that night on Caradhras. He shivered by the fire, while everyone else was asleep. He couldn't sleep. The ring was wearing heavy against his neck and he was finding it hard to sleep these days without terrible nightmares. He kept thinking about how he wished he had never left Rivendell…and the safety of her arms. She had nursed him back to health after Weathertop, and he could still remember the look on her face when he had told her he was going to Mordor. It had been difficult to explain and almost impossible to leave her. He sighed, closing his eyes painfully. They had tried to get him to eat a little…but he just wasn't hungry. For a while…he lay there in the cold…shivering…
That was when he heard her voice. His eyes flew open. Was it the wind…? Something… called …"Frodo…" it sounded like her. He glanced around. Legolas had his back turned and was working on one of his arrows. Generally the elf watched the group while they slept. He strained his ears…trying to listen once again. "Frodo….Come to me…" She was outside the cave! He struggled a little with the blankets, trying not to make any nose. It was snowing outside…and very cold…but he didn't notice for some reason. It was her, he was sure of it.
He glanced over at the elf, who had not noticed…not expecting Frodo to be getting up, at any rate. He inched his way past the others…tentative...following her call. "I'm coming." he whispered under his breath. "Please don't go…" he stumbled at the edge of the cave…bracing himself against a rock as his fingers touched the ice. He peered around desperately…"Gail…" he didn't care…didn't care about the cold…or the ice…or the pain in his stomach and around his neck. All he wanted was to see her…to be back in bed…to not be on this mountain…to be anywhere but here…
He felt hands around his neck suddenly…and almost thought it was her…they were warm…but then suddenly turned cold as death when he whirled around hoping to see her..his face alight. What he saw were ghostly clawlike hands and the deathly pale face of the evil wizard Saruman. He cried out in terror and nearly fell backwards…and was shoved…off the cliff….he screamed….but the quick wit of Legolas saved him…clutching his hand as the hobbit dangled.
Effortlessly, the elf drew the shivering hobbit back off the side of the cliff and into his arms. "Frodo…what on earth were you doing?" Legolas carried the half-frozen Ringbearer back into the cave to the startled Aragorn who had jumped up at the scream.
"What was he doing?" Aragorn felt Frodo's forehead…hot…. The hobbit whimpered miserably.
"I think he might jumped…it looked that way…either that…or was pushed…" Legolas said grimly.
Chapter 4 -- Icy Hands in the Dark (Takes place on Caradhras, after Weathertop, after Frodo meets Gailethil in Rivendell.)
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He was cold…very very cold. Aragorn had done his best to keep him warm…and they had found a small cave for shelter that night on Caradhras. He shivered by the fire, while everyone else was asleep. He couldn't sleep. The ring was wearing heavy against his neck and he was finding it hard to sleep these days without terrible nightmares. He kept thinking about how he wished he had never left Rivendell…and the safety of her arms. She had nursed him back to health after Weathertop, and he could still remember the look on her face when he had told her he was going to Mordor. It had been difficult to explain and almost impossible to leave her. He sighed, closing his eyes painfully. They had tried to get him to eat a little…but he just wasn't hungry. For a while…he lay there in the cold…shivering…
That was when he heard her voice. His eyes flew open. Was it the wind…? Something… called …"Frodo…" it sounded like her. He glanced around. Legolas had his back turned and was working on one of his arrows. Generally the elf watched the group while they slept. He strained his ears…trying to listen once again. "Frodo….Come to me…" She was outside the cave! He struggled a little with the blankets, trying not to make any nose. It was snowing outside…and very cold…but he didn't notice for some reason. It was her, he was sure of it.
He glanced over at the elf, who had not noticed…not expecting Frodo to be getting up, at any rate. He inched his way past the others…tentative...following her call. "I'm coming." he whispered under his breath. "Please don't go…" he stumbled at the edge of the cave…bracing himself against a rock as his fingers touched the ice. He peered around desperately…"Gail…" he didn't care…didn't care about the cold…or the ice…or the pain in his stomach and around his neck. All he wanted was to see her…to be back in bed…to not be on this mountain…to be anywhere but here…
He felt hands around his neck suddenly…and almost thought it was her…they were warm…but then suddenly turned cold as death when he whirled around hoping to see her..his face alight. What he saw were ghostly clawlike hands and the deathly pale face of the evil wizard Saruman. He cried out in terror and nearly fell backwards…and was shoved…off the cliff….he screamed….but the quick wit of Legolas saved him…clutching his hand as the hobbit dangled.
Effortlessly, the elf drew the shivering hobbit back off the side of the cliff and into his arms. "Frodo…what on earth were you doing?" Legolas carried the half-frozen Ringbearer back into the cave to the startled Aragorn who had jumped up at the scream.
"What was he doing?" Aragorn felt Frodo's forehead…hot…. The hobbit whimpered miserably.
"I think he might jumped…it looked that way…either that…or was pushed…" Legolas said grimly.