Chapter 11: Directions To A Cliffhanger's Flight To The Ford
Cleff quickly tried to carry on Strider's quick footsteps, as he made his way through the forest, carrying a sick and hallucinating Frodo over his shoulder. "Where are we going?" Pippin huffed out behind her. "Where are you leading us? And what is going to happen to Frodo?" asked Merry. Strider turned to them for a meanwhile and answered, "He might not make it in six days. We have to find him medicinal weed once we settle down."
Cleff watched Strider lay Frodo down the ground, with Sam, Merry and Pippin hovering over him. Cleff bitterly opened the heavy book she was carrying over her shoulders, reading over the latest events that just happened – and find out what was really on Ash, the wraith's mind. At the same moment, Strider quickly turned to Sam and asked, "Do you know where to find the weed Athelas?" Cleff snorted as Pippin and Merry murmured softly, "He knows all about weed…" Suddenly Frodo began to do those eerie noises under his breath again. Strider turned to Cleff who was busy grabbing her quill and ink in her leather sack and said, "Cliffhanger, you're in charge." Cleff stood and sat over a rock near Frodo's body. "Right there you are." Strider gave her a stern look. "Don't mess up this time." Cleff returned him a firm glance. "You know I won't." Pippin and Merry exchanged nervous glances.
Pippin and Merry try to make Frodo as comfy as you know he won't be, as Cleff scribbled on the book, murmuring uncer her breath. "Elbereth, Gilbereth, no no, Arwen can't take, but you know Glorfindel won't show up…" Pippin looked over Cleff shoulder and whispered to her something Merry can't hear. Cleff gave Pippin an aghast smile and quickly scribbles down the book, amidst Frodo's creepy gaps and breathing.
Merry placed his cloak on Frodo and turned to Cleff and Pippin. "What are you two up to?" he said, accusingly. "Choose one Merry," said Cleff jokingly. "A female elf girl? Or a male elf?" Pippin whispered in Cleff's ear again then giggled. Merry made a face and said, "I want to see a male one!" Pippin and Cleff broke into laughter. "Female!" Pippin chirped. "Male!" Merry argued. "Female!" Pippin said firmly. "Male!" Merry glared, crossing his arms. "A girl elf!!!" Pippin glowered. "A male elf!!!" Merry argued. This went on and on till Cleff had to stop the two of them of pulling the curly hair out of each other.
"Okay! Okay!" Cleff warned, as she scribbled down the book. "Stop fighting!!! Frodo wouldn't want to wake up and see that his cousins have torn each other apart, will he?" An eerie wail and hiccup escaped Frodo's lips that beat the crap out of Cleff that made her sink back into scribbling. Merry and Pippin stuck their tounges out at each other. "In fairness, you'll both get what you want." Cleff mustered finally. "Both?" Merry blinked and exchanged confused glances with Pippin. "How?!" Then Frodo let out a soft but creepy moan that made all of them shudder.
"Mr. Frodo! I am coming!!!" suddenly said a voice from the bushes as Sam jumped out of it, followed by Strider who were holding a bunch weeds. "Good work, Cliffhanger, no screw ups today-" Strider started when suddenly a wild horse went through the clearing, wildly neighing, as two elves, namely Glorfindel and Arwen and trying to throw each other off the horse!
"Get off!" Glorifindel screamed at Arwen, the daughter of Lord Elrond of Rivendell, who was trying to give Glorfindel a flying "matrix" kick. "Tolkien got me into this, that means I am meant never to be oppressed by a sissy woman like you are!!!" Glorfindel glared as he shoved his elbow into Arwen's face. Strider's face retorted the same way into the same pain. "I am Arwen Evenstar, the Princess Of Rivendale!!! No sissy common elf like you can oppress me!!!" Arwen gave Glorfindel a heart punch in the… ehem… which made him fall off the horse. "Lets ride Asfaloth!!!" and Arwen nudged the horse, and off they went to where Strider and Sam were standing now.
Merry and Pippin gave Cleff an impressed look as the three exchanged High Fives. Sam raised and eyebrow at the three of them and ran to a squirming Frodo's aid. Cleff gazed at Arwen then suddenly whipped out her quill again. "This isn't right… wait a minute…" She scribbled on the book, as Merry and Pippin looked over her shoulder and drowned her with endless giggles. "All right, Master Cleff!!!" Merry smiled, as he pummeled Cleff on the back. Cleff and Pippin exchanged high fives again.
On the other hand, Arwen rode in regal form, her chin raised high up, with Asfaloth riding as fast as the wind. Then suddenly, Asfaloth trips on a humongous root and sends Arwen soaring through the air… hitting face first onto a tree. "Ouch," said Strider, Merry, Pippin and Cleff in unison. Shea saw what happened (what?!!! The twerps awake?!!) and screamed, "No!!! Liv Tyler my idol-" luckily, Sam stands up and whacks her (with the ALMIGHT FRYING PAN – nevermind) on the head. "Ow," said Shea with her cute pouty face, rubbing the back of her head. Sam found this… *eherm* cute, and helped Shea off the horse, trying to cuddle her… (Merry, Pippin and Cleff: Ewwwww.)
Strider quickly runs to Arewn's aid, as he helps her up, then carries her in his arms. He cuddles with Arwen first, then turns to Cleff and says, "Lady Arwen's foot is broken. She can't take Frodo to Rivendell." Merry, Pippin and Samwise all exchange benevolent glances. "Whaaat?!!!" (Frodo: *weakly* eeeeepp!)
Cleff shrugs, winks at Pip and Merry, places the Book in her leather sack, and slings it over her shoulder. "This is where I come in," she whispers to an impressed Merry and Pippin. She walks over to Frodo, carries him in her arms… "Aaaaarggghhh… I didn't know hobbits were heavy…" she chattered. And placed Frodo on top of a unbruised Asfaloth.
Strider, still cuddling and healing Arwen turns to Cleff and retorts, "What are you doing?" Arwen smiles at Cleff and nodds. Cleff accepts that "nod" and turns to Strider, "Bringing Frodo to Rivendell. See you in five days…" she was about to run off with Frodo snoring and wailing in front of her… when Strider pulled on the reins of Asfaloth. Thinking that Strider is against her again… Cleff rolls her eyes and says, "What now Strider?!!" Strider looked up at Cleff (which made her shudder in fright) and said, "You may not be a fast rider, Cleff, but may the Kings wish you luck. Save the one who carries the Ring." Cleff nodded and added, "I won't screw up." And with that last word, Cleff nudged Asfaloth and they were off.
Cleff ducked a lot of trees as they made their way out of the forest. Once they reached the Ford, it was broad daylight shining down the road. Cleff felt a rumble of hooves behind her and heard series of eerie screams… not coming from Frodo's hallucination… she spun around to face the remaining six Ringwraiths who were riding quick against the wind behind her. Swearing and wishing that Asfaloth could ride faster… she leads the pack out of the ford, then notices one of the wraiths riding quick behind her back… "How'ya doin old ssssssport…" it hissed against the wind.
Cleff gripped hard on the horse, and tightened her grip on Frodo, whose eyes are starting to roll up and down his eye sockets… "Hey Ash… nice going with a horse back theme… didn't expect to see you in the Flight To The Ford!!!" She screamed against the wind, as she and the wraith-who-was-once-her-best-friend kept fast distance from the other Nazguls. "Just give me the hobbit and I'll leave you alone!!!" hissed Ash, whose red eyes are starting to glimmer again under her hood…
Cleff looked disbelievingly at Ash, urging Asfaloth to go faster, and screamed, "You sure you don't want that One Ring?!!" The wraith hissed at her and tried to claw for Frodo, but luckily, Cleff kept her distance. "Want do you want me to do?" hissed Ash. "Acccccept the Ring asssss a ssssign of my love for Frodo?" Ash spit on the ground as she rode fast. "NEVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!" Cleff keeps her distance from Ash and slips her hand into Frodo's cloak, pulling out the Ring. "Last Offer!!! Limited time!!!" Cleff screamed against the wind, holding the golden Ring of power, shining under the sun. All the other Nazguls saw this and went on faster, freaking out like a bunch of wailing banshees. Frodo was getting even more paler than usual, as his breathing and gasping goes waaay past than eerie.
"Going! Going!" Ash drew her sword and tries to swip Frodo off the horse. "I wanna killlllll that hobitttttt!!!" Ash hissed louder than ever. Cleff saw that the river was near… "GONE!!!" she screamed as she stuck the Ring back into Frodo's pocket as she and Asfaloth quickly crossed the River. All the Wraiths, including Ash halted at the bank. Cleff drew her sword and screamed, "IM SAYING THIS ONCE! IM SAYING THIS TWICE! IF YOU WANT HIM! COME AND CLAIM HIM!!!"
And to Cleff and Frodo's horror, all the Wraiths drew their swords and tried to cross the river. "Oohhh cold… cold… cold…cold…" mustered the horses. On the other side of the bank, Cleff was in over-panic. "Holy sh*t!!! I don't know the words to the elven rhyme Glorfindel and Arwen used to create the water effect!!!" she cursed as the wraiths were still trying to go through the cold water. Frodo groaned and slumped back on Cleff, causing the book to fall out of Cleff's sack and onto her lap. It flipped open… and holy! There stood the elven words appearing like water, line by line.
Cleff drew her breath and started speaking elven – fluently!!! Frodo can hardly hear anything, but his eyes bobbed up and down his sockets, leaning hard on Cleff for dear life. Cleff closed her eyes and repeated the rhyme all over again. Then suddenly, she could hear the rush of water coming from the waterfall, she opened her eyes and saw a big stream capable of washing the Wraiths off! "Oh sh*t," Ash whispered as she and the Nazguls were literally wiped off. Cleff smiled, very proud of herself, and stuck her sword back on her belt and slipped the book back in her case, nudging Asfaloth to go forward.
Cleff felt Frodo… he was darn cold. "Hold on Frodo… were almost there…" she nudged Asfaloth faster, which made the horse swipe from one forest to another. Cleff took off her cloak and doubled it on Frodo, trying hard to keep him warm… "Asfaloth! You can do it!!! Frodo! Hold on a little bit more!!!" she gasped as she tried to make out her eyes through the moving forests…
Suddenly, Asfaloth took to a halt. Cleff felt so unwary that someone is watching the two of them… she turns around to come face to face with elven arrows. About five elves has kept Asfaloth onto a halt… pointing their weapons on her face. "Halt! Human!" said one. Gasping for more air Cleff spoke, "I am sent here by Lady Arwen and Gandalf the Grey to save a Hobbit suffering the curse of a morgul knife!!!"
The elves lowered their weapons and whispered, "A child… What is your business?" they asked. Frodo began to make these eerie little noises, but even more weakly, which startled the elves and placed Cleff into severe panic…
"Please take me to the House of Lord Elrond at once!!!"
