Chapter 7: ...A Fire Shall be Woken
Sam turned around and their eyes met. Frodo's were no longer distant and strange. That look that had flashed by his eyes more than once was there to stay. Sam could not stop the tears now.
"Sam?"
"Frodo?"
"Sam!" Frodo staggered to his feet and threw himself at Sam. Sam felt struck. He did not know what to do, but he held Frodo gently. Frodo's arms pulled tighter on Sam, not wanting to let go, hoping to pull himself close enough to his long lost friend that they became one. Sam's arms tightened wishing the same thing. They both wept together. Sam was silent but Frodo kept repeating, "Oh Sam! Sam! It's you! It really is! Sam!"
At length they had to let go, for fear that the other would be strangled but the tears didn't cease. It seemed as if the long years of loneliness, of anguish at being broken, apart, was trying to escape them in their tears. When they ran out of tears it came out of their voices in gasps and sobs.
"Oh Sam! I thought I'd lost you forever! You faded! You faded so far away from me! I could no longer reach you! No longer believe in you! But I wouldn't give up! I tried to reach you! Don't! Don't go don't leave me! Tell me about the Shire! Tell me it was real! It was true! And it is! And- Oh Sam!" Frodo wrapped his arms around Sam again.
Sam held Frodo so tightly, it had been what he was yearning to do for such a long time, and now that he finally had his friend in his arms, he didn't want to let go. Each were drenched in eachother's tears. After a while Sam's smile faded. He realized the cold truth that Frodo had indeed forgotten him. He shook his head, that shouldn't matter now- but- but it did.
"Sam? What is it, Sam?" said Frodo feeling as if he couldn't say the blessed name enough.
Sam turned away feeling he could not face his friend. "You- I- it's nothing."
Frodo took Sam's face in his hands. He stared deeply into Sam's deep brown eyes. They held the pain of being forgotten, cast aside. Frodo read all his anguish behind his eyes. "Oh Sam. I didn't forget you. Of all the years that we've been apart, I thought of you every second. Your face came into my mind and I cursed myself for leaving you."
"Then why didn't you know me?" Sam said in a hurt voice.
"I can't explain it. But I assure you, Sam," And Frodo let his hands fall to his sides. His eyes reflected the recognition Sam did not see before. It was hidden so deep, but it was there. "I assure you, Sam," Frodo began again, choking on his tears, "My heart never forgot you!" He felt the agony of seperation overwhelm him again.
"I know, Frodo." Sam pulled Frodo back to his arms and cradled him like he did so long ago, when he was lost, naked, alone, tormented by orcs. "It will be alright. I don't blame you."
"No, Sam," Frodo sat back up wiping away the tears. "I hurt you. And for that I will be forever sorry. I don't know how I let you slip away from my mind. How I let you and all the Shire fade away like the mist over the sea. And by that I hurt you, I could have done less damage to you if I thrust a sword in your chest and I'll forever carry that guilt with me. I shouldn't have let that happen. Because of my pain I let the one I loved the most get hurt." He cried again and buried his face in his hands, "I'm so sorry, Sam. I'm so sorry."
Sam didn't know what to say. He just pulled Frodo back into his arms and smoothed out his curls and put an assuring hand on his back. He held him tight and whispered, "It's alright, Frodo."
Sam turned around and their eyes met. Frodo's were no longer distant and strange. That look that had flashed by his eyes more than once was there to stay. Sam could not stop the tears now.
"Sam?"
"Frodo?"
"Sam!" Frodo staggered to his feet and threw himself at Sam. Sam felt struck. He did not know what to do, but he held Frodo gently. Frodo's arms pulled tighter on Sam, not wanting to let go, hoping to pull himself close enough to his long lost friend that they became one. Sam's arms tightened wishing the same thing. They both wept together. Sam was silent but Frodo kept repeating, "Oh Sam! Sam! It's you! It really is! Sam!"
At length they had to let go, for fear that the other would be strangled but the tears didn't cease. It seemed as if the long years of loneliness, of anguish at being broken, apart, was trying to escape them in their tears. When they ran out of tears it came out of their voices in gasps and sobs.
"Oh Sam! I thought I'd lost you forever! You faded! You faded so far away from me! I could no longer reach you! No longer believe in you! But I wouldn't give up! I tried to reach you! Don't! Don't go don't leave me! Tell me about the Shire! Tell me it was real! It was true! And it is! And- Oh Sam!" Frodo wrapped his arms around Sam again.
Sam held Frodo so tightly, it had been what he was yearning to do for such a long time, and now that he finally had his friend in his arms, he didn't want to let go. Each were drenched in eachother's tears. After a while Sam's smile faded. He realized the cold truth that Frodo had indeed forgotten him. He shook his head, that shouldn't matter now- but- but it did.
"Sam? What is it, Sam?" said Frodo feeling as if he couldn't say the blessed name enough.
Sam turned away feeling he could not face his friend. "You- I- it's nothing."
Frodo took Sam's face in his hands. He stared deeply into Sam's deep brown eyes. They held the pain of being forgotten, cast aside. Frodo read all his anguish behind his eyes. "Oh Sam. I didn't forget you. Of all the years that we've been apart, I thought of you every second. Your face came into my mind and I cursed myself for leaving you."
"Then why didn't you know me?" Sam said in a hurt voice.
"I can't explain it. But I assure you, Sam," And Frodo let his hands fall to his sides. His eyes reflected the recognition Sam did not see before. It was hidden so deep, but it was there. "I assure you, Sam," Frodo began again, choking on his tears, "My heart never forgot you!" He felt the agony of seperation overwhelm him again.
"I know, Frodo." Sam pulled Frodo back to his arms and cradled him like he did so long ago, when he was lost, naked, alone, tormented by orcs. "It will be alright. I don't blame you."
"No, Sam," Frodo sat back up wiping away the tears. "I hurt you. And for that I will be forever sorry. I don't know how I let you slip away from my mind. How I let you and all the Shire fade away like the mist over the sea. And by that I hurt you, I could have done less damage to you if I thrust a sword in your chest and I'll forever carry that guilt with me. I shouldn't have let that happen. Because of my pain I let the one I loved the most get hurt." He cried again and buried his face in his hands, "I'm so sorry, Sam. I'm so sorry."
Sam didn't know what to say. He just pulled Frodo back into his arms and smoothed out his curls and put an assuring hand on his back. He held him tight and whispered, "It's alright, Frodo."