Chapter 14 Struggles from Within
Frodo was screaming. He had been stabbed in the shoulder by one of the blades of the Nazgul. It was a burning that did not seem to quit. Sam had heard Frodo scream as if from a great distance but he could not see him. Then all of a sudden Strider appeared carrying a flaming torch and brandishing his sword. Then Frodo appeared and he was screaming and blood was flowing from his shoulder. Sam dodged one of the Ringwraiths and ran to Frodo's side. As he ran Sam saw Strider setting the Ringwraiths robes on fire. He knelt down at Frodo's side and Frodo Looked at him and Said "Oh Sam" Sam was worried he did not like all that blood and how Frodo had said his name as if he were slipping away. About this time Merry and Pippin showed up and they too knelt down beside Frodo. Sam peeled back Frodo's shirt and saw a gaping wound caused by a sword or a knife he did not know which. Merry handed him a Handkerchief so that he could stop some of the bleeding. Frodo was in so much pain that he was not making much sense to the Hobbits. "I should not have listened, they were terrible, Tall kings, crowns hummm terrible" "Shuuuush Mister Frodo it will be okay shhhhshs" Merry and Pippin were crying. All you could see from Sam were the tears that fell down his cheek.
Strider was fighting the wraiths and whenever he could he was setting their robes on fire. He could not kill them but by burning the robes he was destroying the very substance that knit their undead forms together. With out the robes they did not have enough substance to cause much harm. You had to be all-together to wield a sword. For one brief instant Strider almost fell when a particularly good blow flew from one of the Ringwraiths swords but Strider recovered and waved his torch and the Ringwraith flew with a scream over the side of Amon Sul.
"What are we going to do Sam" Said Merry and Pippin almost at the same instant. Sam just shook his head and said "I don't know, I just don't know, I have never seen anything of the likes of this" Frodo was in so much pain and I could not tell him that it was worse than anything that they could think of.
Strider had defeated all but
one of the Ringwraiths and in one final blow he threw the torch and the
Ringwraith fled all a flame. He checked to make sure that there were not more of them about, for there had only been
five here and there were nine black riders. He did not know where the other
four were. He turned and looked to see where the Hobbits were and he saw then
over in the corner huddled as one mass over something. As he got closer he
could see that it was Frodo that they were huddled before. Sam saw him coming
and yelled for him "Strider" Strider ran and knelt down and touched Frodo's
forehead "It is Okay Sam I am here, Oh Frodo what has happened to you." He saw
the blood and he took the handkerchief away and saw the wound, it was already
red, and burning with a fire that Strider was afraid would consume Frodo from
the inside out. He covered the wound and put a hand on Sam's Shoulder in
comfort. Then he looked around to see if there was anything that he could see
that could have caused this wound. It was not a normal wound that much he could
tell, and it was not caused by a sword. He got up and looked near and then he
saw it, a knife. He picked it up with a shudder and turned and looked at the
Hobbits with sadness in his eye. "This is not good, this wound was made by a
Morgul Blade" just as he said that the blade that he held in his hand
disintegrated and all that Strider held now was a handle with no blade. " This
blade is made to work into a person and cause them to become a wraith, I think
though that this wound was meant for his heart not his shoulder. Something
turned this blade and saved Frodo from immediate death. Merry and Pippin I want
you to get all the firewood that you can. There is a large stack over there
just out of eyesight. I want you to make a very large fire" Sam looked at him
and Sam was angry "Do something Strider make Frodo better, why do we need a
fire?" Strider looked at Sam " Sam I want a large fire for several reasons.
One, I want Frodo to be kept warm, he is getting cold and warmth is important,
two I want you to get some hot water so that you can bath his wound with it and
three I want you to stay by this fire and do not budge, any of you. I need to
check and see if there are anymore of the Wraiths hanging about and no matter
what, I need to make sure that they are far away" Strider Looked at Sam with
something akin to sorrow on his face. "I am sorry Sam this is my fault! I did
not want a fire earlier because I did not want them to be able to find us but I
did not tell you. So you built a fire in ignorance and it drew them to you. Now
I want a large fire because they fear fire, and they will stay away or at least
we can hope so. Frodo needs to be kept warm. I will be back" Strider got up and
Sam grabbed his Hand as if to say don't go "Sam it will be okay I will be back,
now take care of Frodo" Strider walked off, Merry came up to Sam and said
"where is he going" Sam looked at him "He is going to see if there are any more
of those black things around" Pippin had the wood ready and was lighting the
fire. It blazed into a brilliant flash of flame. Already it cheered their
hearts a little " Merry, get a pot and put some water on to boil. There is a
little fall of water just over there" Sam pointed at one of the statues that
was a few feet away. Sam looked at Frodo, he was unconscious and mumbling in
delirium, Sam was scared and he was thinking "this is not right; Frodo should
not be going through this". I for one agreed with Sam. I gathered myself to
my feet. I had had enough, I would go there and take care of him I would scoop
him up in my arms and take that ring and destroy it myself. I turned and Manwe
was standing there. "And what would you do Yavanna take their free will away
from them, would you lessen their struggle and dim the light that is within
each of them even the youngest. I love them also and I would not see them hurt
but it is not our decision." I looked at him and the tears fell down my cheek I
was angry. "But it is not their struggle alone, one of us did this thing,
created this evil and these little ones are the ones to pay for it. Why can't
we help them, why?" Manwe looked at me with such Sadness" Yavanna you do help
them and so do the rest of us. We all sit in front of our mirrors and help to
encourage our favorite children with a word or a touch and some of us go there
and walk beside them and help them though they see us not. We guide them all
the time and you most of all, but we do it within the laws that were set by
Eru" I looked at him and shook my head "I have been watching this for all these
long years, I can not stand it, seeing them hurt by something that we can with
just one action destroy. We should have imprisoned Sauron so long ago. When we
imprisoned our fallen Brother Melkor. Then he would not have made this ring and
our children would be safe" Manwe looked at me and shook his head. "Sister of
my heart we looked for Sauron and then Eru said that we must needs let him be
for it was written in the song, the part of it that our fallen brother sang
That Sauron had his own will also. We do not know all that will come to pass,
but Eru knows, and we need to let these Children be apart of the chorus of
creations great song" Then Manwe looked at me and said something that I never
thought I would hear him say "Sister of my heart, if you still wish to go and
take their will from them and dim the light that has begun to shine within
them" Then he sighed " then I will go with you and so will others of our
people, if this is your wish, I would not have you fall into shadow alone" I
looked at him and thought of what he had said many minutes passed and the thoughts were strong with in me and
then I smiled though in sadness "Oh brother mine, thank you, I understand, though
it makes my heart sad, you have brought sense back into my heart, as you
intended. It is their struggle, I do know that and I also know that it will
make their part of the singing the better for the struggle of it," Then I
looked into the mirror and saw them there so small and Frodo so hurt" But it is
so hard" Manwe looked at me and all he said was "For us all, For us all"