Disclaimer: AU Story. My second large fic because it gave me so much
pleasure writing the last. I do not own any of the characters or places in
this story- both belong to the genius, Tolkien. I know; I torture the
characters but I will do my very best to save them. Hope you enjoy!
FrodoFan: Hehe- glad that it isn't disappointing. I was worried that it wouldn't work out like Lost in Moria.
Elf of Rivendell: I'm flattered. And it's so lovely that you enjoy this!
Belthronding: Wow- thank you so much- what beautiful comments. I hope that you like the rest of it!
Lil*bee: Hello! Oh, my faithful reviewer. Well, I'll update as quickly as possible. Maybe not as quickly as before.
Shirebound: I like the idea of Frodo getting angry with people. I really do hope that this story works out because so far it's lots of fun to write.
~ Chapter Three ~
Merry and Pippin clambered up to join their companions, gasping under the weight of extra packs.
"I hope you're grateful," Merry said with a smirk to Sam. "Legolas shot down and nearly jumped on top of me! I dropped your pack half way up too. It's been a load just getting up here."
Sam laughed and took the bedrolls and packs from his friend. He laid them out on the talan, putting everything as close to the centre as possible. Frodo smiled at him in thanks, then stretched out on his and pulled the blanket over him. The rest of the hobbits gathered together and the elf, (whose name, they discovered from Legolas, was Haldir) brought them food to eat. They ate it quickly then sat in a group, whispering among themselves.
"Who on earth was shouting? Was it Haldir?" asked Merry.
"Why did he get so angry?" Pippin added eagerly. But Sam shook his head and looked across at his master, curled up, his back towards them.
"No. It wasn't any of the elves- it was Frodo. Because Haldir didn't want Gimli to come through the woods. And he was so determined to leave him that Frodo got really mad and started shouting at him. I've never heard anything like it," he said. It had really scared him at the time. His master had never spoken like that before. He was always so calm and gentle. But then, what reason had he ever been given to get angry before?
"Goodness!" Merry hissed. Then he lowered his voice and said sadly, "I think he misses Gandalf more each day."
"I don't think Gandalf would have wanted us to be sad for him. He wasn't the type, if you see what I mean," Pippin said quietly.
They became tacit after that and then slowly drifted over to their own bedrolls. Merry fell asleep first and then Pippin at his side. Sam stayed awake for a time and until he could bear it no longer, he moved across to lie beside Frodo. Nothing was going to happen to him while he was there.
Frodo heard Sam's gentle snores nearby. But he could not sleep. He could see the grey outlines of the other two elves, keeping a close watch over the hobbits. Frodo was thinking about Gandalf and Bilbo. He imagined them trekking across the green landscape towards Mirkwood. There, they met Legolas and his kin and were welcomed in. He smiled at the thought but it soon faded away. He felt that he had been so close to seeing his friend again. Only a few miles away, standing there, waving at him. All would have been explained if he had gone down the Nimrodel. But then he screwed his eyes shut and shook the thought from his mind- he knew it was false. It just wasn't fair!
Sam heard Frodo issue a deep, shuddering breath. He sat up blearily, reaching out for him.
"Mister Frodo?"
He rested his hand on Frodo's shoulder and felt it shaking. He was trembling and Sam could hear him crying softly.
"Oh, Mister Frodo," he whispered and scooped his friend into his arms. Frodo flung his arms round Sam's neck and wept and wept.
"I wish none of it had happened! I wish that we could go back in time and save him. I hate Moria! I hate everything about it! It's an evil, evil place!" he sobbed. Sam closed his eyes briefly then sighed.
"But we can't go back, Mister Frodo," he murmured, "We all have to go on."
Frodo sniffed and drew away. He was so very pale in the moonlight, almost transparent it appeared. He brushed a hand over his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sam. I know, I'm being foolish. I am trying- truly I am." He fixed his eyes on Sam, gripping at his arms, desperate for him to understand. "I promise you that I try. But I just can't forget! I can't get over it! I'm sorry. I wish I was as strong as you and the others."
"You are being strong," Sam comforted, "I guess that- well, it'll stay with you a long time. It hurts me too. It's hurting everyone. But no one's askin' you to forget him and you aren't being foolish by remembering. It'll be alright, Mister Frodo. It will be. I promise!"
Frodo gulped back the rest of his tears and smiled at his friend.
"I don't know what I would do without you, Sam. Thank you."
Sam gently laid him down again, back on the bedroll and pulled the blanket back over him.
"You'd get more sleep for one thing. Now you get some sleep. It'll be alright in the morning."
Wearily, Frodo did as he was bidden; closing his eyes and letting exhaustion finally claim him. Sam watched until he was sure his master was asleep. Then he too huddled down under his own cover. He looked up at the stars for a while, vainly trying to count them. But at last, he decided that the stars of his dreams were much more pleasant. He had just closed his eyes when a voice in the darkness made them snap wide open again.
"Preciousssssss."
FrodoFan: Hehe- glad that it isn't disappointing. I was worried that it wouldn't work out like Lost in Moria.
Elf of Rivendell: I'm flattered. And it's so lovely that you enjoy this!
Belthronding: Wow- thank you so much- what beautiful comments. I hope that you like the rest of it!
Lil*bee: Hello! Oh, my faithful reviewer. Well, I'll update as quickly as possible. Maybe not as quickly as before.
Shirebound: I like the idea of Frodo getting angry with people. I really do hope that this story works out because so far it's lots of fun to write.
~ Chapter Three ~
Merry and Pippin clambered up to join their companions, gasping under the weight of extra packs.
"I hope you're grateful," Merry said with a smirk to Sam. "Legolas shot down and nearly jumped on top of me! I dropped your pack half way up too. It's been a load just getting up here."
Sam laughed and took the bedrolls and packs from his friend. He laid them out on the talan, putting everything as close to the centre as possible. Frodo smiled at him in thanks, then stretched out on his and pulled the blanket over him. The rest of the hobbits gathered together and the elf, (whose name, they discovered from Legolas, was Haldir) brought them food to eat. They ate it quickly then sat in a group, whispering among themselves.
"Who on earth was shouting? Was it Haldir?" asked Merry.
"Why did he get so angry?" Pippin added eagerly. But Sam shook his head and looked across at his master, curled up, his back towards them.
"No. It wasn't any of the elves- it was Frodo. Because Haldir didn't want Gimli to come through the woods. And he was so determined to leave him that Frodo got really mad and started shouting at him. I've never heard anything like it," he said. It had really scared him at the time. His master had never spoken like that before. He was always so calm and gentle. But then, what reason had he ever been given to get angry before?
"Goodness!" Merry hissed. Then he lowered his voice and said sadly, "I think he misses Gandalf more each day."
"I don't think Gandalf would have wanted us to be sad for him. He wasn't the type, if you see what I mean," Pippin said quietly.
They became tacit after that and then slowly drifted over to their own bedrolls. Merry fell asleep first and then Pippin at his side. Sam stayed awake for a time and until he could bear it no longer, he moved across to lie beside Frodo. Nothing was going to happen to him while he was there.
Frodo heard Sam's gentle snores nearby. But he could not sleep. He could see the grey outlines of the other two elves, keeping a close watch over the hobbits. Frodo was thinking about Gandalf and Bilbo. He imagined them trekking across the green landscape towards Mirkwood. There, they met Legolas and his kin and were welcomed in. He smiled at the thought but it soon faded away. He felt that he had been so close to seeing his friend again. Only a few miles away, standing there, waving at him. All would have been explained if he had gone down the Nimrodel. But then he screwed his eyes shut and shook the thought from his mind- he knew it was false. It just wasn't fair!
Sam heard Frodo issue a deep, shuddering breath. He sat up blearily, reaching out for him.
"Mister Frodo?"
He rested his hand on Frodo's shoulder and felt it shaking. He was trembling and Sam could hear him crying softly.
"Oh, Mister Frodo," he whispered and scooped his friend into his arms. Frodo flung his arms round Sam's neck and wept and wept.
"I wish none of it had happened! I wish that we could go back in time and save him. I hate Moria! I hate everything about it! It's an evil, evil place!" he sobbed. Sam closed his eyes briefly then sighed.
"But we can't go back, Mister Frodo," he murmured, "We all have to go on."
Frodo sniffed and drew away. He was so very pale in the moonlight, almost transparent it appeared. He brushed a hand over his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sam. I know, I'm being foolish. I am trying- truly I am." He fixed his eyes on Sam, gripping at his arms, desperate for him to understand. "I promise you that I try. But I just can't forget! I can't get over it! I'm sorry. I wish I was as strong as you and the others."
"You are being strong," Sam comforted, "I guess that- well, it'll stay with you a long time. It hurts me too. It's hurting everyone. But no one's askin' you to forget him and you aren't being foolish by remembering. It'll be alright, Mister Frodo. It will be. I promise!"
Frodo gulped back the rest of his tears and smiled at his friend.
"I don't know what I would do without you, Sam. Thank you."
Sam gently laid him down again, back on the bedroll and pulled the blanket back over him.
"You'd get more sleep for one thing. Now you get some sleep. It'll be alright in the morning."
Wearily, Frodo did as he was bidden; closing his eyes and letting exhaustion finally claim him. Sam watched until he was sure his master was asleep. Then he too huddled down under his own cover. He looked up at the stars for a while, vainly trying to count them. But at last, he decided that the stars of his dreams were much more pleasant. He had just closed his eyes when a voice in the darkness made them snap wide open again.
"Preciousssssss."