As the sky continued to blacken yet one star stayed lit a shine, a tired Frodo fell into sleep. His mind was dreamless, his sleep heavy. He did not keep track of any time and new not how long he slept when day came. It was still desolately dark and the sound of unknown critters could be heard from the trees above.

"....Where am I?....." Frodo murmured. He looked around. The rocks were the only things that stayed in his mind nothing else he could remember, then slowly his thoughts drifted back to Shrell. He let out a deep breath. 'Yes, now I remember.'

Frodo stood and gazed through the darkness. The bodies of the Orcs were no where in sight and the Uruk-Hai was not where it had lay. Frodo looked at the ground.

"No....."

The pink eyed creatures watched him from their high perches in the gnarled trees. They chirped and screeched as if observing him.

"No....it couldn't have been dreaming.....it was too real"

He gazed over the ground again......it was a dream.

Frodo sunk to the ground. 'Why?'

His eyes blurred with tears. Again his mind brought him pain, again his dreams brought back something that was lost.

Rising to his feet, Frodo pressed aimlessly into the darkness. The wind stung his face and blew his tears from his cheeks. Rain soaked him through. Thunder clapped in the darkness and lightning flashed in the starless sky.

Frodo pressed on, not knowing where he was or where he was going.It did not matter to him. The ring held no place in his thoughts, he did not remember his mission to destroy it nor would it have mattered now.

His feet lead one after another across the slippery rock which became cliffs. He soon had no choice but to scale the high rock cliff. His hands held tightly to whatever grip he could find. His arms began to ache, his legs were limp, and he felt faint. Still he climbed higher without reason or cause. He hands were wet and bloody his clothing was torn and the winds grew stronger.

There was another clap of thunder and lightning again crossed the darkened sky. Frodo's hand slipped off the rock he had been grasping. He hung from his other hand, his feet dangling below him. Two pebbles slipped from the rocks above and clinked down the huge cliff, reminding Frodo of how high he was.

Lightning flashed again, this time closer. Frodo could feel his hand slipping. He pulled his other hand back up to the grip and pulled himself up. Pressing himself to the rocks, Frodo gasped for breath.

As another clap of thunder sounded in the air, Frodo pulled his other hand to a higher hand hold, ignoring the pain from the rocks that dug deep into his skin.

Lightning flashed.

Frodo again lost his footing, sliding down the cliff till he caught his hand on a jagged rock.

Again the lightning crossed the sky, closer.

Frodo felt himself slipping.

Thunder clapped, loudly. The lightnimg again struck, this time it only seemed a few feet above him.

Frodo slipped.

He felt himself plunging towards the ground. The wind whispered around him.

'Frodo.....'

'Frodo...'

'Frodo...'

"Frodo"

Frodo shot up, his eyes wide and filled with tears. He found himself staring strait into a pair of blue eyes. He recognized them immediately.

"Are you alright?" asked Shrell, her brow furrowed.

"I...." Frodo did not finish, he flung his arms around her tightly.

Shrell smiled sadly.

"Your mind must separate reality from dreams. That was a dream, do not fear it" She whispered into his ear.

"What if I should awaken now to find myself at the bottom of that cliff" Frodo answered.

"Perhaps your dreams are too close to reality. Do not ignore them" Shrell pulled back from Frodo.

"I fear them" Frodo hung his head.

"Do not, even if death comes for you in dreams, I shall not let it take you in reality".....to be continued.