Chapter Thirty
Butterbur provided the hobbits with a cooked breakfast and extra food and blankets for the journey. Nob had grown so attached to Lömadia that it was difficult for him to put her down!
"We hope we'll be seein' ya again Mr Underhill-Baggins! Especially with a new Mrs Baggins ere!" he said, looking to Nina with a smile.
Frodo smiled, as Nob handed over Lömadia to him. Lömadia cooed in a baby- type way, playing with Frodo's fingers.
The gatekeeper brought back the ponies and they all got on. Nina cradled Lömadia and tried to get her daughter to sleep.
"Sam should be setting off from Hobbiton this morning," Merry said. "With a few of our friends,"
"And Nina's parents" Holly added, giving a Nina a look of hope.
"We'll make towards Weathertop," Frodo announced and Pippin and Merry spun their heads around.
"Frodo!" they gasped. "Are you sure?!"
"Yes," Frodo said then turned back to Butterbur and Nob. "Thank you for your hospitality . . . hopefully we shall return"
"Yes, and bring more children . . . more than enough to keep young Nob ere, happy!" Butterbur chuckled. "Go, be on your way, have a wonderful weddin' and I wish yer all the best!"
"Thank you," Nina smiled politely, as Frodo pushed the pony into a walking pace.
"See you soon!" Butterbur called until they were out of the gate and heading towards the forests.
//
They travelled nearly all day . . . stopping once and a while for a rest and partly to let the blood flow back into Nina's arms. Merry offered to carry Lömadia for a while but it wasn't long after that he started moaning that his arms were ready to drop off.
"How far to Weathertop?" Holly asked, bringing her pony up to walk beside Frodo.
"Not long now . . ." Frodo answered, placing a kiss on the back of Nina's neck quickly. "We'll rest there and Pip and Merry can actually light a fire tonight to cook whatever food they have in their packs!"
"Why thank you Frodo" Pip smiled.
//
Everyone gasped, seeing Weathertop finally in view. The ponies would stay at the bottom and the hobbits had trouble carrying their packs up the steep slope to the ancient watch tower.
Pippin fell back on the floor as he reached the top and caught his breath. As did everyone else.
"Remind me please, whose idea was this?!" Holly groaned, falling back beside Pippin.
"Frodo's" Everyone said at once and Frodo shrugged his shoulders as some sort of apology.
"It's quite a safe place" he said.
Merry laughed, as did Pippin. "Of course it is Frodo, of course it is . . . remember last time?!"
Frodo rubbed the scar that was on his left shoulder . . . as though feeling some of the pain return.
"What I meant to say," he started, bringing his hand down again, seeing the worried look on Nina's face. "Is that it is safe *this* time round"
Pippin and Merry rolled their eyes and set up the fire, complaining that their stomachs were grumbling. Holly, Portia and Nissa set up the beds for everyone beside the fire and watched hungrily as Pippin and Merry cooked sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon.
"Oh, hurry up Pip! My stomach is making so much noise that it'll eventually cause Weathertop to collapse!" Holly said, waving her empty plate in front of Pippin's face. Nina chuckled as Pippin sighed and piled food on Holly's plate, then shared the rest between everyone else.
"Honestly, sis, thought you had more manners than that" Merry chuckled, as Holly gobbled her food down as though there was no tomorrow. Holly raised an eyebrow at her brother.
"I would have manners if I weren't so hungry," she commented.
"What's the matter Frodo?" Portia asked, her gaze narrowing as Frodo rubbed his shoulder over and over again. Nina narrowed her eyes at the fiancé, as he held Lömadia in one arm and rubbed his scar with the other.
"Is it bothering you again?" Pippin frowned, surely the time he spent in the Undying Lands would have healed the darkness and pain . . . but six months really, was not that long.
"No . . . well yes . . ." Frodo looked at Nina's face, looking terribly frightened. "No, it doesn't hurt at all" he said, bringing his hand back down to caress Lömadia's sleeping face. "I was just . . . remembering"
Merry, Pippin, Portia, Nissa and Holly went back to their talking, having no reason to believe that Frodo would be lying. Nina watched as Frodo winced every so often, trying to stop himself from rubbing the scar.
When everyone had finished their meal, Merry and Pippin told the story of the Siege of Gondor as everyone listened with great interest. Frodo laid Lömadia down and covered her up, gesturing to Nissa to keep an eye on her. Nina's eyes narrowed in suspicion when Frodo got up and silently walked away to the top of Weathertop.
"Leave him," Merry said. "There are past memories here"
But Nina couldn't. She knew that scar was bothering him again . . . she stood up and followed behind him, nervously twitching with her fingers. As she reached the top of Weathertop, she saw Frodo stood with his back to her, gazing over at the view, watching as the sun began to set.
She walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "It's bothering you again, isn't it?" she whispered, as he turned around in her arms to face her.
"It's fine"
"It isn't Frodo . . . we're about to marry . . . please don't keep secrets from me" she out a hand to his cheek, rubbing her thumb to caress it.
Frodo let out a sigh. "Well . . . it's a little sore," he admitted. "But it isn't bad as . . . well, as it was. I guess those few months away did do it some good after all"
"It better had, I don't want to lose you again"
Frodo kissed her quite suddenly and Nina lost herself. The kiss told her he wasn't going anywhere . . . it told her he wasn't going to leave her.
When he pulled away, he sighed, scanning her pretty face. "Nina, since we want no more secrets . . . you never told me what Friado *did* when he had you locked up"
"Frodo-"
"If it's too bad . . . say nothing. But I know something happened, I could see it in your face."
"Frodo . . . need I say it?" Nina looked up at him. "I didn't say anything because I didn't want to. We were both weary with hurt and torture; more would have just been a nightmare"
"You needn't say it," he said, running a finger softly along her jaw line. "Holly told me . . . I just wanted to know why you didn't tell me"
"For the reason I have just told you"
Frodo nodded slightly. "It's sort of a good thing you didn't tell me, I would be in jail for murder otherwise"
"And who would you murder?" a familiar, tarrying, cold voice said from behind a stone statue. Frodo and Nina turned and were both shocked to see Friado Broadbeam step out. "Me?" he looked to them, a piercing, cold stare he set on them both, making Nina itch further into Frodo's embrace.
"What are you doing here?!" Frodo stormed. "It was *you * following us?!"
"The very same," Friado answered, a slight smile of satisfaction rested on his face. "Your friends seem to be too caught up in their jokes and humour to know that I stole a sword . . . I believe it is Master Meriadoc's" he pulled open his coat, revealing a sword tucked in his belt. "I had to take it . . . I had a feeling I would need it"
"Why aren't you in jail?" Nina stuttered. "You-"
"Ah, yes, jail . . ." Friado sighed. "I'm out temporally. My mother recently died"
"Brealla's dead?" Nina's eyes widened.
Friado nodded. "Of what, the course is still unknown. Some say she poisoned herself through unhappiness. Wonder why she could be so unhappy?" he stared at the both in mock sarcasm. "She wanted both her sons to be happily married and the story of you two just broke her down. And the way I look at it . . . is you killed my mother, therefore I can destroy your happiness by killing someone close to you"
"You stay away from my daughter!" Nina screamed, tears starting to build up in her eyes of fright. Friado let out a chuckle.
"Darling, darling, dear sweet thing . . . I do not plan to kill *our* daughter!" he glared at Frodo.
Nina clutched Frodo's shirt in desperation. "No . . ." she stuttered. "Go away . . . leave him alone"
"It's only fair, darling" he said, moving forward, drawing his sword. "And since I have no experience with sword fighting . . . we'll do it my way, my rules"
Nina left Frodo and ran up to Friado. "Go away!" she screamed. "Please, Friado I beg you . . . they'll be other hobbit lasses for you . . . please, just go . . ."
Friado smiled before grasping a tight hold of her and holding his sword to her neck.
Frodo gazed at him in anger. "Let her go," he said, drawing Sting.
"Foolish move Nina, foolish move. Would you like to keep your head?" Friado looked at her as she tried to squirm away. He held the swords tighter to her neck. The blade almost touching and strangling. "DO YOU?!" Nina froze, nodding quickly as silent tears escaped her eyes. "Now . . . my way," Friado said, turning back to Frodo. "Hand me your sword"
Frodo stood, reluctant to do so, a frowned expression on his face.
"Do *you* want her to lose her head?!" he said, tightening his grip on Nina. Without anymore delay, Frodo slid Sting away from him. It landed behind Friado. Nina looked at Frodo, the look of her face begging him to not go through with anything . . .
Friado let Nina go as promised, letting her fall to the floor. She cried out as Friado made his way over to Frodo, sword in hand.
"You've had plenty of experience" he said. "So fighting without a sword will not be too much trouble . . . will it?!" he plunged his fist, hitting Frodo, making him fall to the ground. He hovered above Frodo pressing the blade to his neck. "And as for your choice . . . you don't get one" he spat. "You will lose your head and I'll take what's rightfully mine"
Frodo struggled to get away but Friado grasped him tightly, holding him down. He held up his sword preparing to stab Frodo . . . more than enough times. Frodo had no doubt in his mind that this was it, the end of the fairy tale. But as Friado was about to bring the sword down with full might, he lurched forward a bit, crying out in pain. He fell to the floor, sword dropping from his hand . . . he lay down on his stomach, next to Frodo.
It took a while for reality to sink in as Frodo stood up, and saw Friado on the ground, blood pouring from his hip . . . and there stood Nina, shaking violently, holding Sting in her right hand . . . blood on the blade.
Friado managed to turn to them . . . cursing his hand at Nina as he gargled on his own blood then spilled from his mouth. In an instant, he was dead.
Sting dropped to the floor with a crash . . . Nina could barely stand up as she looked upon Friado, lying dead next to her.
"Nina?" Frodo gasped, looking to her, reaching out and soothing her shaking hands gently. "It's ok . . ." he swallowed as he gathered her up in his arms. She was shaking badly from the shock.
"I killed him . . ." she said shakily. "I murdered him . . . what have I done?!"
Frodo rubbed her back softly. "Shh . . ." he whispered.
"But I had to" she said, looking to Frodo, her hands on his cheeks. "He was going to . . . he was going to kill you Frodo . . . I couldn't let him, I didn't know what else to do . . . I-"
Frodo closed his eyes, bringing her back into his embrace. "You did no wrong darling, it wasn't a fair fight . . . I would have died if you had not saved me"
He kissed her softly, trying to calm her down, putting an arm around her; he picked up Sting and wiped the blood from it.
"Come on," he said, leading her back to the others. "We'll explain to them . . ."
She nodded, looking down. "Frodo, he was going to -"
"Shh . . . forget it, forget him. He's gone forever now, he can't get to us"
Nina smiled, leaning into his embrace and braced herself to give an explanation to her friends. But she had saved Frodo . . . she faced her fear and killed the hobbit who had made her life hell. Frodo was right . . . Friado couldn't touch her now.
*A/N Happy now peeps?! Hehe*
Butterbur provided the hobbits with a cooked breakfast and extra food and blankets for the journey. Nob had grown so attached to Lömadia that it was difficult for him to put her down!
"We hope we'll be seein' ya again Mr Underhill-Baggins! Especially with a new Mrs Baggins ere!" he said, looking to Nina with a smile.
Frodo smiled, as Nob handed over Lömadia to him. Lömadia cooed in a baby- type way, playing with Frodo's fingers.
The gatekeeper brought back the ponies and they all got on. Nina cradled Lömadia and tried to get her daughter to sleep.
"Sam should be setting off from Hobbiton this morning," Merry said. "With a few of our friends,"
"And Nina's parents" Holly added, giving a Nina a look of hope.
"We'll make towards Weathertop," Frodo announced and Pippin and Merry spun their heads around.
"Frodo!" they gasped. "Are you sure?!"
"Yes," Frodo said then turned back to Butterbur and Nob. "Thank you for your hospitality . . . hopefully we shall return"
"Yes, and bring more children . . . more than enough to keep young Nob ere, happy!" Butterbur chuckled. "Go, be on your way, have a wonderful weddin' and I wish yer all the best!"
"Thank you," Nina smiled politely, as Frodo pushed the pony into a walking pace.
"See you soon!" Butterbur called until they were out of the gate and heading towards the forests.
//
They travelled nearly all day . . . stopping once and a while for a rest and partly to let the blood flow back into Nina's arms. Merry offered to carry Lömadia for a while but it wasn't long after that he started moaning that his arms were ready to drop off.
"How far to Weathertop?" Holly asked, bringing her pony up to walk beside Frodo.
"Not long now . . ." Frodo answered, placing a kiss on the back of Nina's neck quickly. "We'll rest there and Pip and Merry can actually light a fire tonight to cook whatever food they have in their packs!"
"Why thank you Frodo" Pip smiled.
//
Everyone gasped, seeing Weathertop finally in view. The ponies would stay at the bottom and the hobbits had trouble carrying their packs up the steep slope to the ancient watch tower.
Pippin fell back on the floor as he reached the top and caught his breath. As did everyone else.
"Remind me please, whose idea was this?!" Holly groaned, falling back beside Pippin.
"Frodo's" Everyone said at once and Frodo shrugged his shoulders as some sort of apology.
"It's quite a safe place" he said.
Merry laughed, as did Pippin. "Of course it is Frodo, of course it is . . . remember last time?!"
Frodo rubbed the scar that was on his left shoulder . . . as though feeling some of the pain return.
"What I meant to say," he started, bringing his hand down again, seeing the worried look on Nina's face. "Is that it is safe *this* time round"
Pippin and Merry rolled their eyes and set up the fire, complaining that their stomachs were grumbling. Holly, Portia and Nissa set up the beds for everyone beside the fire and watched hungrily as Pippin and Merry cooked sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon.
"Oh, hurry up Pip! My stomach is making so much noise that it'll eventually cause Weathertop to collapse!" Holly said, waving her empty plate in front of Pippin's face. Nina chuckled as Pippin sighed and piled food on Holly's plate, then shared the rest between everyone else.
"Honestly, sis, thought you had more manners than that" Merry chuckled, as Holly gobbled her food down as though there was no tomorrow. Holly raised an eyebrow at her brother.
"I would have manners if I weren't so hungry," she commented.
"What's the matter Frodo?" Portia asked, her gaze narrowing as Frodo rubbed his shoulder over and over again. Nina narrowed her eyes at the fiancé, as he held Lömadia in one arm and rubbed his scar with the other.
"Is it bothering you again?" Pippin frowned, surely the time he spent in the Undying Lands would have healed the darkness and pain . . . but six months really, was not that long.
"No . . . well yes . . ." Frodo looked at Nina's face, looking terribly frightened. "No, it doesn't hurt at all" he said, bringing his hand back down to caress Lömadia's sleeping face. "I was just . . . remembering"
Merry, Pippin, Portia, Nissa and Holly went back to their talking, having no reason to believe that Frodo would be lying. Nina watched as Frodo winced every so often, trying to stop himself from rubbing the scar.
When everyone had finished their meal, Merry and Pippin told the story of the Siege of Gondor as everyone listened with great interest. Frodo laid Lömadia down and covered her up, gesturing to Nissa to keep an eye on her. Nina's eyes narrowed in suspicion when Frodo got up and silently walked away to the top of Weathertop.
"Leave him," Merry said. "There are past memories here"
But Nina couldn't. She knew that scar was bothering him again . . . she stood up and followed behind him, nervously twitching with her fingers. As she reached the top of Weathertop, she saw Frodo stood with his back to her, gazing over at the view, watching as the sun began to set.
She walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "It's bothering you again, isn't it?" she whispered, as he turned around in her arms to face her.
"It's fine"
"It isn't Frodo . . . we're about to marry . . . please don't keep secrets from me" she out a hand to his cheek, rubbing her thumb to caress it.
Frodo let out a sigh. "Well . . . it's a little sore," he admitted. "But it isn't bad as . . . well, as it was. I guess those few months away did do it some good after all"
"It better had, I don't want to lose you again"
Frodo kissed her quite suddenly and Nina lost herself. The kiss told her he wasn't going anywhere . . . it told her he wasn't going to leave her.
When he pulled away, he sighed, scanning her pretty face. "Nina, since we want no more secrets . . . you never told me what Friado *did* when he had you locked up"
"Frodo-"
"If it's too bad . . . say nothing. But I know something happened, I could see it in your face."
"Frodo . . . need I say it?" Nina looked up at him. "I didn't say anything because I didn't want to. We were both weary with hurt and torture; more would have just been a nightmare"
"You needn't say it," he said, running a finger softly along her jaw line. "Holly told me . . . I just wanted to know why you didn't tell me"
"For the reason I have just told you"
Frodo nodded slightly. "It's sort of a good thing you didn't tell me, I would be in jail for murder otherwise"
"And who would you murder?" a familiar, tarrying, cold voice said from behind a stone statue. Frodo and Nina turned and were both shocked to see Friado Broadbeam step out. "Me?" he looked to them, a piercing, cold stare he set on them both, making Nina itch further into Frodo's embrace.
"What are you doing here?!" Frodo stormed. "It was *you * following us?!"
"The very same," Friado answered, a slight smile of satisfaction rested on his face. "Your friends seem to be too caught up in their jokes and humour to know that I stole a sword . . . I believe it is Master Meriadoc's" he pulled open his coat, revealing a sword tucked in his belt. "I had to take it . . . I had a feeling I would need it"
"Why aren't you in jail?" Nina stuttered. "You-"
"Ah, yes, jail . . ." Friado sighed. "I'm out temporally. My mother recently died"
"Brealla's dead?" Nina's eyes widened.
Friado nodded. "Of what, the course is still unknown. Some say she poisoned herself through unhappiness. Wonder why she could be so unhappy?" he stared at the both in mock sarcasm. "She wanted both her sons to be happily married and the story of you two just broke her down. And the way I look at it . . . is you killed my mother, therefore I can destroy your happiness by killing someone close to you"
"You stay away from my daughter!" Nina screamed, tears starting to build up in her eyes of fright. Friado let out a chuckle.
"Darling, darling, dear sweet thing . . . I do not plan to kill *our* daughter!" he glared at Frodo.
Nina clutched Frodo's shirt in desperation. "No . . ." she stuttered. "Go away . . . leave him alone"
"It's only fair, darling" he said, moving forward, drawing his sword. "And since I have no experience with sword fighting . . . we'll do it my way, my rules"
Nina left Frodo and ran up to Friado. "Go away!" she screamed. "Please, Friado I beg you . . . they'll be other hobbit lasses for you . . . please, just go . . ."
Friado smiled before grasping a tight hold of her and holding his sword to her neck.
Frodo gazed at him in anger. "Let her go," he said, drawing Sting.
"Foolish move Nina, foolish move. Would you like to keep your head?" Friado looked at her as she tried to squirm away. He held the swords tighter to her neck. The blade almost touching and strangling. "DO YOU?!" Nina froze, nodding quickly as silent tears escaped her eyes. "Now . . . my way," Friado said, turning back to Frodo. "Hand me your sword"
Frodo stood, reluctant to do so, a frowned expression on his face.
"Do *you* want her to lose her head?!" he said, tightening his grip on Nina. Without anymore delay, Frodo slid Sting away from him. It landed behind Friado. Nina looked at Frodo, the look of her face begging him to not go through with anything . . .
Friado let Nina go as promised, letting her fall to the floor. She cried out as Friado made his way over to Frodo, sword in hand.
"You've had plenty of experience" he said. "So fighting without a sword will not be too much trouble . . . will it?!" he plunged his fist, hitting Frodo, making him fall to the ground. He hovered above Frodo pressing the blade to his neck. "And as for your choice . . . you don't get one" he spat. "You will lose your head and I'll take what's rightfully mine"
Frodo struggled to get away but Friado grasped him tightly, holding him down. He held up his sword preparing to stab Frodo . . . more than enough times. Frodo had no doubt in his mind that this was it, the end of the fairy tale. But as Friado was about to bring the sword down with full might, he lurched forward a bit, crying out in pain. He fell to the floor, sword dropping from his hand . . . he lay down on his stomach, next to Frodo.
It took a while for reality to sink in as Frodo stood up, and saw Friado on the ground, blood pouring from his hip . . . and there stood Nina, shaking violently, holding Sting in her right hand . . . blood on the blade.
Friado managed to turn to them . . . cursing his hand at Nina as he gargled on his own blood then spilled from his mouth. In an instant, he was dead.
Sting dropped to the floor with a crash . . . Nina could barely stand up as she looked upon Friado, lying dead next to her.
"Nina?" Frodo gasped, looking to her, reaching out and soothing her shaking hands gently. "It's ok . . ." he swallowed as he gathered her up in his arms. She was shaking badly from the shock.
"I killed him . . ." she said shakily. "I murdered him . . . what have I done?!"
Frodo rubbed her back softly. "Shh . . ." he whispered.
"But I had to" she said, looking to Frodo, her hands on his cheeks. "He was going to . . . he was going to kill you Frodo . . . I couldn't let him, I didn't know what else to do . . . I-"
Frodo closed his eyes, bringing her back into his embrace. "You did no wrong darling, it wasn't a fair fight . . . I would have died if you had not saved me"
He kissed her softly, trying to calm her down, putting an arm around her; he picked up Sting and wiped the blood from it.
"Come on," he said, leading her back to the others. "We'll explain to them . . ."
She nodded, looking down. "Frodo, he was going to -"
"Shh . . . forget it, forget him. He's gone forever now, he can't get to us"
Nina smiled, leaning into his embrace and braced herself to give an explanation to her friends. But she had saved Frodo . . . she faced her fear and killed the hobbit who had made her life hell. Frodo was right . . . Friado couldn't touch her now.
*A/N Happy now peeps?! Hehe*