CHAPTER THREE - GOODBYE
The remains found in the forest had been stored in elven cloth and as they were sprinkled around the trees nearest Rivendell, a lone elf sang of Frodo's life. Sam couldn't understand the words, he could feel the meaning behind them. A week ago he would have been self-consious about holding hands with two other male hobbits in public; today he was not. He felt a fit of sobs burst upon him again and his knees give way beneath him.
"Mr Frodo.I'm so sorry. I left you when you needed me the most. It's the only promise I've ever broken, Mr Frodo. I'm so.sorry. I promised Gandalf not to leave you and I did. If I could only turn the clock back."
"It's alright Sam. He knows."
Sam felt Merry's hand on his shoulder and he gave it a squeeze.
"Frodo was a friend to everyone and everyone will miss him. He left so quickly and this time we could not catch him, even as the band of conspirators that we are." He allowed himself a small smile and saw even Sam's lips turn up slightly at the side. Many of the elves looked confused. "I will miss him." Merry finished.
Aragorn looked up into Merry's eyes surprised at the maturity he found.
"I only knew Frodo for a short time, far too short for such a wonderful hobbit, but I liked him a great deal and count him among my friends. I would have followed him to the ends of Middle Earth from the trust he put it me when I deserved none."
Aragorn felt tears welling at the corners of his own eyes as he finished his words.
Pippin looked up. "Frodo Baggins was my cousin and although he was older than me, he never treated me like the child I was in everyone else's eyes. He always respected me and I'll never forget that time he stood up for me in front of Farmer Maggot, even though I knew how scared he was of him. Thank you Frodo."
Bilbo stood silently in the circle of friends come to remember Frodo. He could think of nothing to say, everything seemed too childish, too clumsy or too long. If only he hadn't left that accursed ring in the Shire, nothing would have happened. If only.He felt Gandalf's strong hand on his shoulder.
"He does not blame you, Bilbo."
Bilbo collapsed into Gandalf's embrace and cried hard. If Gandalf ever tried to say that he could not read minds, Bilbo would never again give him the benefit of the doubt.
The gathered elves began to file back into Rivendell slowly, in long narrow lines. They did not have much business with death, and it cut them deep when they did.
*** Mithrandir sat in chair opposite Elrond smoking his pipe. He was feeling rather tired, it had been a long day for everyone.
"What are we to do with the ring, Gandalf. It cannot stay in Rivendell now, it has been proven to us harshly." Elrond said, his mind still seeing the place where Estel had buried the thing.
"Do not let us speak of dark things in dark times. There will be time enough to speak of such things in the council tomorrow."
"I will follow your council then Gandalf, though I think it not wise to waste any time. How do you think the hobbits are dealing with this?"
"Better than expected I should say." He took a long intake of smoke and blew it out as an arrow. However, this only made him remember his days with Bilbo in the shire, and that only made him think of Frodo again.
"It has only been one week since it happened and we cannot expect too much of them. To have Frodo taken from them so suddenly, with no warning is a great shock for such a closely knitted peace-loving community."
"But many questions remain unanswered about his death, Gandalf. Why did he cross the Brunien alone, at night? What was so urgent? Why did his body burn, but not the trunk that hindered him when surely wood burns quicker than flesh."
"I hold your council close, Lord Elrond. But I know not the answers to your questions, and I fear we may never know."
*** A small raft drifted down the Bruinen, carrying only two passengers. It jostled through the rapids, shaking the raft occasionally. A tall, twisted figure of man stood firmly, a barge pole in his hand, dipping it in slowly to help steer the raft. His black cloak shaded his eyes and face, covering also the length of his body.
His eyes drifted to the bound figure on the other side of the raft, it's blue eyes now flickering back and forth in alarm. It had only just woken up, which was quite natural with the amount of drugs he'd force fed the half-ling. He'd also dealt him a fair number of healthy blows to the head, to stop his intolerable squeaking and mumbling.
He wondered if the half-ling had worked out over this past week who his captor was.
"Do you know where you are, half-ling?"
The figure shook his head violently and his captor laughed.
"Look over there," he said pointing behind him.
Frodo's eyes widened as he took in the sight of Orthanc. Saruman lived at Isengard. He had imprisoned Gandalf in that tower for weeks, how was a poor hobbit like himself supposed to survive. Surely he could not call on the Lord of the Eagles as Gandalf did, so what was he to do. He shook in terror now, why had he been brought here? What had he done? A tear slid down his cheek.
"Awww poor little half-ling. Have you worked out who I am yet?"
Again Frodo shook his head.
His captor laughed and slowly pulled back his hood to reveal heavy black brows and dark scornful eyes, his large mouth curled in a sneer. Frodo knew that face. It was.
The remains found in the forest had been stored in elven cloth and as they were sprinkled around the trees nearest Rivendell, a lone elf sang of Frodo's life. Sam couldn't understand the words, he could feel the meaning behind them. A week ago he would have been self-consious about holding hands with two other male hobbits in public; today he was not. He felt a fit of sobs burst upon him again and his knees give way beneath him.
"Mr Frodo.I'm so sorry. I left you when you needed me the most. It's the only promise I've ever broken, Mr Frodo. I'm so.sorry. I promised Gandalf not to leave you and I did. If I could only turn the clock back."
"It's alright Sam. He knows."
Sam felt Merry's hand on his shoulder and he gave it a squeeze.
"Frodo was a friend to everyone and everyone will miss him. He left so quickly and this time we could not catch him, even as the band of conspirators that we are." He allowed himself a small smile and saw even Sam's lips turn up slightly at the side. Many of the elves looked confused. "I will miss him." Merry finished.
Aragorn looked up into Merry's eyes surprised at the maturity he found.
"I only knew Frodo for a short time, far too short for such a wonderful hobbit, but I liked him a great deal and count him among my friends. I would have followed him to the ends of Middle Earth from the trust he put it me when I deserved none."
Aragorn felt tears welling at the corners of his own eyes as he finished his words.
Pippin looked up. "Frodo Baggins was my cousin and although he was older than me, he never treated me like the child I was in everyone else's eyes. He always respected me and I'll never forget that time he stood up for me in front of Farmer Maggot, even though I knew how scared he was of him. Thank you Frodo."
Bilbo stood silently in the circle of friends come to remember Frodo. He could think of nothing to say, everything seemed too childish, too clumsy or too long. If only he hadn't left that accursed ring in the Shire, nothing would have happened. If only.He felt Gandalf's strong hand on his shoulder.
"He does not blame you, Bilbo."
Bilbo collapsed into Gandalf's embrace and cried hard. If Gandalf ever tried to say that he could not read minds, Bilbo would never again give him the benefit of the doubt.
The gathered elves began to file back into Rivendell slowly, in long narrow lines. They did not have much business with death, and it cut them deep when they did.
*** Mithrandir sat in chair opposite Elrond smoking his pipe. He was feeling rather tired, it had been a long day for everyone.
"What are we to do with the ring, Gandalf. It cannot stay in Rivendell now, it has been proven to us harshly." Elrond said, his mind still seeing the place where Estel had buried the thing.
"Do not let us speak of dark things in dark times. There will be time enough to speak of such things in the council tomorrow."
"I will follow your council then Gandalf, though I think it not wise to waste any time. How do you think the hobbits are dealing with this?"
"Better than expected I should say." He took a long intake of smoke and blew it out as an arrow. However, this only made him remember his days with Bilbo in the shire, and that only made him think of Frodo again.
"It has only been one week since it happened and we cannot expect too much of them. To have Frodo taken from them so suddenly, with no warning is a great shock for such a closely knitted peace-loving community."
"But many questions remain unanswered about his death, Gandalf. Why did he cross the Brunien alone, at night? What was so urgent? Why did his body burn, but not the trunk that hindered him when surely wood burns quicker than flesh."
"I hold your council close, Lord Elrond. But I know not the answers to your questions, and I fear we may never know."
*** A small raft drifted down the Bruinen, carrying only two passengers. It jostled through the rapids, shaking the raft occasionally. A tall, twisted figure of man stood firmly, a barge pole in his hand, dipping it in slowly to help steer the raft. His black cloak shaded his eyes and face, covering also the length of his body.
His eyes drifted to the bound figure on the other side of the raft, it's blue eyes now flickering back and forth in alarm. It had only just woken up, which was quite natural with the amount of drugs he'd force fed the half-ling. He'd also dealt him a fair number of healthy blows to the head, to stop his intolerable squeaking and mumbling.
He wondered if the half-ling had worked out over this past week who his captor was.
"Do you know where you are, half-ling?"
The figure shook his head violently and his captor laughed.
"Look over there," he said pointing behind him.
Frodo's eyes widened as he took in the sight of Orthanc. Saruman lived at Isengard. He had imprisoned Gandalf in that tower for weeks, how was a poor hobbit like himself supposed to survive. Surely he could not call on the Lord of the Eagles as Gandalf did, so what was he to do. He shook in terror now, why had he been brought here? What had he done? A tear slid down his cheek.
"Awww poor little half-ling. Have you worked out who I am yet?"
Again Frodo shook his head.
His captor laughed and slowly pulled back his hood to reveal heavy black brows and dark scornful eyes, his large mouth curled in a sneer. Frodo knew that face. It was.
