CHAPTER SIX - RECKONING
The fellowship broke out from the dark of Moria, sobbing and crying. First Frodo had died before they'd even left Rivendell and now Gandalf had fallen on the bridge of Khazud-dum. Their journey had been perilous so far, first the avalanche on Caradhras, then the watcher in the lake and then the fight with the goblins in Balin's Tomb. Sam had very nearly been stabbed by the cave troll, but Aragorn, unwilling to risk losing any more members of the company had launched himself at him. They had escaped - barely - and the confrontation with the balrog still at the front of their minds. Gandalf had stood alone against it and had won, if only he had not turned away, he would have seen the balrog's final blow that knocked him from the bridge. If only.
Sam, Merry and Pippin huddled together crying, but Legolas pulled them up.
"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs." Aragorn said, "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien."
Mr Frodo's death still weighed heavily on Sam's mind, and also that of the ring. It was a strange burden to carry and it seemed to occupy him to no end. He wanted to just put it on and slip away, but if ever that look was seen by Merry or Pippin, he was usually knocked out of it. He didn't know how Mr Frodo had coped with. Oh, how strong and brave Mr Frodo had been. If only he was here now.
The fellowship reached Lothlorien and were met by Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel when they reached Caras Galadhorn and given peace and calm for several days. Sam saw the ruining of the shire in the Mirror of Galadriel and also he saw Frodo, being beaten whilst chained to a wall. At the sight of Frodo, so real it seemed that he burst into tears.
Galadriel simply said that the mirror gave visions of the past, present and future, but all were alternates, make one small decision and the course of the future could change. But where did that leave his vision of Mr Frodo? Galadriel told him to rest well this night, for tomorrow they would be leaving. Sam went to bed, his vision of Frodo re-playing over and over in his mind.
*** Frodo slumped against the wall. He had been here for so long.about thirteen meals by his reckoning, although how often they brought the meals was beyond him, it was always dark where they kept him. The Master would come every so often, asking if the ring felt closer and sometimes he would say yay and sometimes nay. He always told the truth though, because the master would shock him with the fire if he did otherwise.
He felt like one giant bruise. His back was the worst he guessed, from the games the orcs used to like to play on him. They would lay him down and whip him with a stoned whip and bet on how long it would take him to pass out.
One day he wanted to just exist without hurting. It seemed a lot to ask, but he wasn't asking to live, to go places and talk to people, just to exist. Maybe one day the master would let him go. One day.
Frodo heard a rumbling beneath him, it felt like the entire tower was shaking. It must be the army that the orcs would always gossip about before they came to beat him. Maybe they were going to Rivendell. Once Frodo would have been worried for his friends, but now he no longer cared. They didn't even know that he existed, so why should he care about them?
*** Galadriel had told Sam that he had to go on alone, but he didn't know how. He didn't want them involved, it was far too dangerous. He kept thinking, what would Mr Frodo do? He'd have some great scatter-brained scheme, but what would Sam do? They'd been beached at Perth Galen for about an hour now, after coming down the Great River for several days. Aragorn and Boromir were arguing about their route again. Aragorn called for a vote, but Merry, Pippin, Legolas and Gimli simply said they would follow the Ringbearer, meaning they wanted Sam to decide.
Sam begged his leave and wandered slowly up the hill. Where would Mr Frodo have gone, to Minas Tirith with Boromir or to the dead marshes with Aragorn? Sam couldn't see Frodo wanting to leave Aragorn, and Mr Frodo had been wary of Boromir, even though he'd only spied him for a few minutes. Perhaps Mr Frodo's intuition was correct.
Thinking of Mr Frodo only brought him back to his most frequent thought lately, why had he been shown Frodo being tortured? He couldn't remember Mr Frodo ever being tortured or having a long absence in the past, and he couldn't be being tortured now, because he was dead and therefore couldn't be in the future either. It didn't make sense at all.
A twig snapped behind him and Sam almost jumped out of his skin.
"None of us should wander alone, least of all you." Boromir told him.
Sam watched him warily and with distrust. Boromir stood in his argument stance.
"If you would but lend me the ring."
"No, Mr Boromir, absolutely not. Mr Frodo would not want that. He wanted it to be destroyed."
"Mr Frodo this and Mr Frodo that. Can you not decide what is right for yourself Sam?"
Sam's eyes filled with tears of anger.
"Don't you talk about Mr Frodo that way. Even if he's not alive next to me, he's alive still in here." He pointed to his heart. "And he always will be."
Boromir's mouth turned to a sneer and Sam turned and ran. Being the clumsy hobbit that he was, he tripped over a log and instantly Boromir was on him.
"GIVE IT TO ME!!!" He yelled.
Sam knew he should not put on the ring, but if he didn't, Boromir would steal it and that would never do. He'd only wear it just this once and never again he told himself. He pushed the ring onto his finger and the world darkened around him. He scrambled to his feet and ran. He heard Boromir screaming after him, but he seemed to whisper from very far away.
The eye appeared behind him and Sam instantly pulled off the ring, trembling in terror and fell backwards with the shock. Aragorn appeared behind him.
"Sam? Are you alright Sam?"
"Stay away." Sam let out a sniffle. "Let me go Aragorn, you know what it is I must do."
Aragorn searched Sam's eyes.
"Be careful Sam."
"I will. Look after the others for me."
Sam disappeared into the forest behind him and Aragorn watched him go. He wondered if he would ever see him again.
Aragorn heard the band of orcs behind him and rose to meet them.
"Elendil!" He shouted as he leaped into battle.
Aragorn battled the uruk-hai with all his might, his sword swinging to and fro between orcs, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Legolas and Gimli were soon on the scene also and battled as if possessed.
Merry and Pippin were cornered by a group of particulary vicious uruk-hai and were thinking their end had indeed come, when Boromir leaped into the thicket of it and battled them free. Boromir blew the Horn of Gondor, requesting aid from the other hunters, but unfortunately seeming to draw the uruk-hai also. Several arrows hit Boromir from the leader of their band and he collapsed. The leader was just about to deliver the final blow when Aragorn tackled him from behind.
After an intense battle, Aragorn pushed his sword through the uruk's belly and knowing he was dying, the uruk began to laugh.
"You are weak man." He spat the word man out as if it might infect him. "You are stupid also if you did not know one of your own company has been in our hands for many tens of nights."
Aragorn stared at the dying uruk, not knowing whether to believe him or not. Of course he was lying he thought, this a cross of an orc and a goblin.
"Brown hair, blue eyes, a child." The uruk smiled. "You know of whom I speak."
"Frodo." Aragorn murmured. "But he is dead, we buried him!"
The uruk laughed again. "Look at my hands, man. His blood is on my hands." He laughed again and held up his hands. "Would you like me to tell you how he screamed for me?"
Aragorn's teeth clenched and he twisted the knife in his stomach.
"Tell me where he is and I will speed your passing."
The uruk smiled and blood spilled from his mouth. Aragorn grasped him by the shoulders and shook him.
"TELL ME!"
The uruk's eyes stilled; he was dead.
Legolas pulled on his arm. "He is dead mellon nin, what was it he said to you to make you so angry?"
"Frodo is alive."
Legolas stilled and if he had not been stood up, Aragorn would have thought him dead also. Gimli's eyes widened from behind Legolas.
"But we buried the hobbit's body, Aragorn."
"Did we?" Aragorn snapped. "We were so overcome with pity for ourselves that we did not see what was right in front of us."
Aragorn stood and kicked the uruk's body. "Estel." Aragorn turned and followed Legolas' line of sight. Boromir was dying.
Aragorn rushed over to him and silenced his protests. He told him that he would protect their people as best he could and Boromir died quietly in his arms.
"Rest in peace, son of Gondor." Aragorn finished. They placed Boromir in one of the boats and let it float down the waterfall. Legolas made to cross the river, but stopped when he saw Aragorn had no intention of following.
"It is highly likely they will take Merry and Pippin to the same place they took Frodo and we will not abandon them to torture and death. The fate of the Ringbearer is no longer in our hands. Take only what you can carry, we travel light. Let's hunt some orc!"
Legolas smiled and Gimli roared in anticipation and the two ran after Aragorn.
*** Sam looked out over the expanse of Emyn Muil.
"I made a promise Mr Frodo, a promise. Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee and I left you when you needed me the most. I'll finish what you started and take the ring to Mordor."
Sam started down the path.
"I'm glad you're still with me Mr Frodo."
Sam smiled and carried on towards Mordor.
The fellowship broke out from the dark of Moria, sobbing and crying. First Frodo had died before they'd even left Rivendell and now Gandalf had fallen on the bridge of Khazud-dum. Their journey had been perilous so far, first the avalanche on Caradhras, then the watcher in the lake and then the fight with the goblins in Balin's Tomb. Sam had very nearly been stabbed by the cave troll, but Aragorn, unwilling to risk losing any more members of the company had launched himself at him. They had escaped - barely - and the confrontation with the balrog still at the front of their minds. Gandalf had stood alone against it and had won, if only he had not turned away, he would have seen the balrog's final blow that knocked him from the bridge. If only.
Sam, Merry and Pippin huddled together crying, but Legolas pulled them up.
"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs." Aragorn said, "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien."
Mr Frodo's death still weighed heavily on Sam's mind, and also that of the ring. It was a strange burden to carry and it seemed to occupy him to no end. He wanted to just put it on and slip away, but if ever that look was seen by Merry or Pippin, he was usually knocked out of it. He didn't know how Mr Frodo had coped with. Oh, how strong and brave Mr Frodo had been. If only he was here now.
The fellowship reached Lothlorien and were met by Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel when they reached Caras Galadhorn and given peace and calm for several days. Sam saw the ruining of the shire in the Mirror of Galadriel and also he saw Frodo, being beaten whilst chained to a wall. At the sight of Frodo, so real it seemed that he burst into tears.
Galadriel simply said that the mirror gave visions of the past, present and future, but all were alternates, make one small decision and the course of the future could change. But where did that leave his vision of Mr Frodo? Galadriel told him to rest well this night, for tomorrow they would be leaving. Sam went to bed, his vision of Frodo re-playing over and over in his mind.
*** Frodo slumped against the wall. He had been here for so long.about thirteen meals by his reckoning, although how often they brought the meals was beyond him, it was always dark where they kept him. The Master would come every so often, asking if the ring felt closer and sometimes he would say yay and sometimes nay. He always told the truth though, because the master would shock him with the fire if he did otherwise.
He felt like one giant bruise. His back was the worst he guessed, from the games the orcs used to like to play on him. They would lay him down and whip him with a stoned whip and bet on how long it would take him to pass out.
One day he wanted to just exist without hurting. It seemed a lot to ask, but he wasn't asking to live, to go places and talk to people, just to exist. Maybe one day the master would let him go. One day.
Frodo heard a rumbling beneath him, it felt like the entire tower was shaking. It must be the army that the orcs would always gossip about before they came to beat him. Maybe they were going to Rivendell. Once Frodo would have been worried for his friends, but now he no longer cared. They didn't even know that he existed, so why should he care about them?
*** Galadriel had told Sam that he had to go on alone, but he didn't know how. He didn't want them involved, it was far too dangerous. He kept thinking, what would Mr Frodo do? He'd have some great scatter-brained scheme, but what would Sam do? They'd been beached at Perth Galen for about an hour now, after coming down the Great River for several days. Aragorn and Boromir were arguing about their route again. Aragorn called for a vote, but Merry, Pippin, Legolas and Gimli simply said they would follow the Ringbearer, meaning they wanted Sam to decide.
Sam begged his leave and wandered slowly up the hill. Where would Mr Frodo have gone, to Minas Tirith with Boromir or to the dead marshes with Aragorn? Sam couldn't see Frodo wanting to leave Aragorn, and Mr Frodo had been wary of Boromir, even though he'd only spied him for a few minutes. Perhaps Mr Frodo's intuition was correct.
Thinking of Mr Frodo only brought him back to his most frequent thought lately, why had he been shown Frodo being tortured? He couldn't remember Mr Frodo ever being tortured or having a long absence in the past, and he couldn't be being tortured now, because he was dead and therefore couldn't be in the future either. It didn't make sense at all.
A twig snapped behind him and Sam almost jumped out of his skin.
"None of us should wander alone, least of all you." Boromir told him.
Sam watched him warily and with distrust. Boromir stood in his argument stance.
"If you would but lend me the ring."
"No, Mr Boromir, absolutely not. Mr Frodo would not want that. He wanted it to be destroyed."
"Mr Frodo this and Mr Frodo that. Can you not decide what is right for yourself Sam?"
Sam's eyes filled with tears of anger.
"Don't you talk about Mr Frodo that way. Even if he's not alive next to me, he's alive still in here." He pointed to his heart. "And he always will be."
Boromir's mouth turned to a sneer and Sam turned and ran. Being the clumsy hobbit that he was, he tripped over a log and instantly Boromir was on him.
"GIVE IT TO ME!!!" He yelled.
Sam knew he should not put on the ring, but if he didn't, Boromir would steal it and that would never do. He'd only wear it just this once and never again he told himself. He pushed the ring onto his finger and the world darkened around him. He scrambled to his feet and ran. He heard Boromir screaming after him, but he seemed to whisper from very far away.
The eye appeared behind him and Sam instantly pulled off the ring, trembling in terror and fell backwards with the shock. Aragorn appeared behind him.
"Sam? Are you alright Sam?"
"Stay away." Sam let out a sniffle. "Let me go Aragorn, you know what it is I must do."
Aragorn searched Sam's eyes.
"Be careful Sam."
"I will. Look after the others for me."
Sam disappeared into the forest behind him and Aragorn watched him go. He wondered if he would ever see him again.
Aragorn heard the band of orcs behind him and rose to meet them.
"Elendil!" He shouted as he leaped into battle.
Aragorn battled the uruk-hai with all his might, his sword swinging to and fro between orcs, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Legolas and Gimli were soon on the scene also and battled as if possessed.
Merry and Pippin were cornered by a group of particulary vicious uruk-hai and were thinking their end had indeed come, when Boromir leaped into the thicket of it and battled them free. Boromir blew the Horn of Gondor, requesting aid from the other hunters, but unfortunately seeming to draw the uruk-hai also. Several arrows hit Boromir from the leader of their band and he collapsed. The leader was just about to deliver the final blow when Aragorn tackled him from behind.
After an intense battle, Aragorn pushed his sword through the uruk's belly and knowing he was dying, the uruk began to laugh.
"You are weak man." He spat the word man out as if it might infect him. "You are stupid also if you did not know one of your own company has been in our hands for many tens of nights."
Aragorn stared at the dying uruk, not knowing whether to believe him or not. Of course he was lying he thought, this a cross of an orc and a goblin.
"Brown hair, blue eyes, a child." The uruk smiled. "You know of whom I speak."
"Frodo." Aragorn murmured. "But he is dead, we buried him!"
The uruk laughed again. "Look at my hands, man. His blood is on my hands." He laughed again and held up his hands. "Would you like me to tell you how he screamed for me?"
Aragorn's teeth clenched and he twisted the knife in his stomach.
"Tell me where he is and I will speed your passing."
The uruk smiled and blood spilled from his mouth. Aragorn grasped him by the shoulders and shook him.
"TELL ME!"
The uruk's eyes stilled; he was dead.
Legolas pulled on his arm. "He is dead mellon nin, what was it he said to you to make you so angry?"
"Frodo is alive."
Legolas stilled and if he had not been stood up, Aragorn would have thought him dead also. Gimli's eyes widened from behind Legolas.
"But we buried the hobbit's body, Aragorn."
"Did we?" Aragorn snapped. "We were so overcome with pity for ourselves that we did not see what was right in front of us."
Aragorn stood and kicked the uruk's body. "Estel." Aragorn turned and followed Legolas' line of sight. Boromir was dying.
Aragorn rushed over to him and silenced his protests. He told him that he would protect their people as best he could and Boromir died quietly in his arms.
"Rest in peace, son of Gondor." Aragorn finished. They placed Boromir in one of the boats and let it float down the waterfall. Legolas made to cross the river, but stopped when he saw Aragorn had no intention of following.
"It is highly likely they will take Merry and Pippin to the same place they took Frodo and we will not abandon them to torture and death. The fate of the Ringbearer is no longer in our hands. Take only what you can carry, we travel light. Let's hunt some orc!"
Legolas smiled and Gimli roared in anticipation and the two ran after Aragorn.
*** Sam looked out over the expanse of Emyn Muil.
"I made a promise Mr Frodo, a promise. Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee and I left you when you needed me the most. I'll finish what you started and take the ring to Mordor."
Sam started down the path.
"I'm glad you're still with me Mr Frodo."
Sam smiled and carried on towards Mordor.
