The wind seemed to grow sharp as the companions stood on the rocks, knowing the evil approaching. Frodo heard nothing but he could feel something was wrong and by the looks of it, so could his companions. For what seemed like a fragment in time there was a thick drawn silence as they stood unmoving, then from what seemed only too close came a piercing cry. Frodo felt a lump grow in his throat as another screech sounded in reply. The cries grew louder but it was uncertain to their direction for some seemed to sound from behind the companions and some from in front.
"They've surrounded us" Frodo murmured, fear in his voice.
From behind the rocks appeared a figure. Tall, dark, and hooded. A sword was clasped tightly in the iron-plated hand of the creature and slowly it raised the sword and sounded another cry. From the other side of the companions rose another figure, then another, and another, till nine hooded beasts stood poised with their swords high.
"Run Aquarius" whispered Shrell. The small creature stared back at Shrell and then slowly stepped back. "Run" Shrell whispered again. Slowly it turned then scampered off, just missing the dark figure's plated boot.
The dark riders approached them, causing the four to draw backwards till they were back to back.
"I...uh...Well, if it ends here...well, what I mean is, I really enjoyed this" stifled Sam.
"I as well, Sam" Frodo replied. "Shrell I-"
"Stop it you fools" Shrell spat, "You may be intent on dying here but I am certainly not! Don't say your good-byes to me!"
Even in all the danger, Shrell's words brought a smile to Frodo's lips.The riders each took a step forward, all perfectly synchronized as they moved across the rock, slowly enclosing on the four companions. Gliding their blades back so their points were only inches away from the four, they stopped as if waiting for the hobbits to make the first move.
"To the death" whispered Sam, then he let out a cry and flung his blade against two of the rider's.
Shrell gave Frodo a sad smile then she too flung herself against the creatures. Smeagol dove into battle without a word. Frodo took in a deep breath and hurled himself towards the remaining riders, clashing his swords against theirs.
Frodo was no match for the two riders and he had no idea how Smeagol was managing to fight off three. Another blade swung at him, gashing his shoulder. Grimacing, he tried to drive his sword through one of the riders, but it was to no avail and the creature blocked the thrust with ease. The two blades hurled towards him in another attack and Frodo only raised his sword just in time to save his head. The power of the small sword withholding the two giant blades sent sparks through the night air and the force of the riders nearly sent him to the ground. Bring down his sword and dodging to the right, he thrust the blade into the nearest rider. Ripping the weapon back out and revealing a tattered hole where the blade had been driven, Frodo stumbled back realizing that it had hardly effected the rider.
"They're lifeless! No mortal weapon will defeat them, Frodo!" Shell shouted, ducking under one of the blades. Frodo watched her for an instant as the rider drove her to the edge of a cliff. Soon she was staggering as loose rocks crumbled beneath her feet. Leaping away from the falling rocks and avoiding the riders blade, she jumped behind the Nazgul and gave it a hard blow in the back with her blade, sending the creature falling depths into the darkness until it altogether faded. Shrell then turned and attacked another of the hooded beast.
Smeagol was in a frenzy of biting and slashing, blood dripping across his wounded forehead. Sam to had many gashes as did the resilient Shrell but the four were soon battered to the point of hardly being able to drive another blow and only a mere two riders had plunged over the cliff side.
"We cannot win!" cried Sam, lifting his sword to drive it through one of the beast's back.
"If we run they shall follow, we can't escape" Shrell called in response, and slash appearing on her arm as one of the riders swung it's sword at her.
"You have a chance..." Sam started, then paused before continuing. "You have a chance. I can withhold them long enough for you to escape.
"No Samwise!" Shrell growled, "We're not leaving you!"
"It's your only chance! You'll die if you stay! So what will it be? Me or Middle-Earth?"
Those words hit Frodo as could and sharp as daggers of ice. He felt hot tears begin to boil in his eyes in cascade down his cheeks. Blood dripped down his face mixing with the hot tears as he dodged another blade.
"I'm not leaving you, Sam" Frodo cried.
"Shrell....." Sam started, "Please, for Frodo's sake do this, else it ends here." Sam's eyes were pleading but he showed no fear of being left to fight the creatures. Shrell looked up in panic at the sky, not sure what to do and wishing Sam hadn't cast the task of ripping Frodo from him.
"Will stays-s-s and fight with the braves-s-s one" Smeagol hissed.
"No, you are the one who knows the way, Smeagol. You must lead them" Sam ordered.
"Sam is right" Shrell whispered, hanging her head and swallowing back her tears.
"No! I won't leave him!" Frodo growled.
Shrell darted past the many swinging blades and grabbed hold of Frodo. She began to pull him away from the battle.
"No! Let go!" Frodo cried, struggling.
"Don't make this any harder" Shrell pleaded, trying to look away from the brave Samwise.
"Let me go!"
Shrell could no longer withhold tears. They fell from her eyes and his the blood-stained ground.
"Samwise!" She called, taking one step towards him. Sam turned to her. "May Valar smile upon you!"
Sam nodded, his eyes to were tear-filled as Shrell pulled Frodo away.
"Don't you dare die, Sam! You can't! I...." but that was all before the struggling Frodo lost sight of Sam.
Frodo soon found himself on the cliffs above, looking down on the battle. The scene looked familiar. The riders...Slowly closing in. Sam, ready to fight to the death. The sudden image of the ring flashed in Frodo's mind. He reached into his pocket and began to finger it. A sudden flash of a memory darted through his mind. He remembered falling in to a deep sleep. He remembered dreaming of Sam and the riders. He suddenly knew what would happen if he put on the ring and again a vision played through his head of the faithful Samwise being run through with the Nazguls' blades.
Frodo released the ring and let out a deep breath, turning away from the battle as another tear fell down to the rocks as he played back the fight in his mind. His gaze shifted to Shrell, was watching Sam fight off the creatures.
"Does it please you?" Frodo growled. Shrell turned around, a look of confusion and sadness in her eyes. "You left him there to die! I would have stayed with him to the end!" Frodo spat, stepping closer to her and raising a hand. "How...How could you!" he cried, breaking into tears again. He took his raised hand and brought his palm down hard across her cheek, leaving a harsh red mark.
Shrell brought a blood-stained hand to the mark, her eyes still tightly closed from the blow.
Smeagol was up behind them in instants, observing the scene with a peculiar confusion.
"Are we leavings-s-s-s?" he asked.
Shrell looked questioningly at Frodo.
"Yes" he answered, coldly. He watched Shrell let out a long sigh and drop her hand from the mark and follow after the leading Smeagol. He felt a sudden flame of guilt engulf him as realized that Shrell had only done what Sam commanded, no matter how hard it was on herself.
'She did it for my sake, and yet....I punished her."
To be continued....
A/N: Yup, Frodo did have a dream about the riders and Sam awhile back (ch. 17). I'm not totally with out a plot and I'm not making up nonsense while I go along. Oh, and for those of you that did know I didn't mean to right valor instead of Valar. If you don't know what/who Valar is then I suggest you read some sort of LotR history.