Author's Note: Having been inspired by all the wonderful stories out there I thought I'd try my hand at it too. This is my first attempt, so please be kind. If you like what you've read so far, please R&R.
Disclaimer: Just to let you all know. I neither own the characters nor the copy right on them. I'm just obsessed about them and think about them way too much.
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Of Choices and Consequences
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So, like so much of the trip this time around, things went a whole lot more smoothly. There seemed to be a flow to things that moved things along. Thinking about it, Frodo took it to mean that he was right in thinking that it was a complete mistake for him to have taken the ring the first time (although Frodo was still not sure of what he should call that time, since it never really happened, did it?).
But Sam, Frodo was able to notice, seemed a little different. Oh, outwardly Sam seemed the same loving hobbit that he always was, but there was something that seemed different. Frodo couldn't put his finger on it, but Sam just seemed less Sam-like to him. Then again, maybe Gandalf would know.
Looking over, Frodo was able to see Gandalf sitting slightly away from the others, or more specifically away from Boromir and the other hobbits. "Gandalf, does Sam seem at all different to you?"
Turning his head, Gandalf seemed almost a little surprised by that question. "Different you say?" Looking closely at Sam without seeming to be staring, Gandalf watched the other hobbit, as if judging something only he could see. "No, he seems alright to me." Shaking his head, Gandalf turned to look at Frodo again, but the look he gave Frodo wasn't so much judgmental as it was sympathetic. "It's more difficult being the one who has to worry than it is being the one everyone is worrying about, isn't it Frodo?"
"I am being a bit of an old nursemaid, aren't I?" Laughing slightly, Frodo stood up, as if to shake off all his worries as though they were silly fancies, but just before he moved to leave, something about the look on Gandalf's face caught his attention.
"It's right to worry Frodo. There is an evil around the ring. It is trying to get back to it's master and will do anything it can to fulfill that goal. We, none of us, can let down our guard"
With those words, Frodo got up and moved back to the group, enjoying the company and stories the others told. But to Frodo's amazement (and secret pleasure) Sam continued to do all the cooking, he being the best skilled at it. To be fair, the roles that everyone had hadn't changed much, other than Sam now had the burden of the ring. And to Frodo's surprise, neither Gandalf nor Aragorn treated him any differently because of his lack of status as the ring-bearer. Actually no one did, not overtly anyway. Just about everything seemed the same this time.
But Frodo seemed to be the only one to think that Sam seemed even a little bit different.
"Frodo, Sam's always been a bit queer that way, always keeping to himself and all," Merry said when Frodo finally asked him about his opinion of Sam's behaviour.
But the further they went from Rivendell, the more Sam seemed to close up inside himself. It was almost, in Frodo's opinion, like Sam was distancing himself from the fellowship. He didn't talk to others, unless someone were to try to pry some information out of him, and then most of what he said seemed to be in one word or monosyllabic sentences. But even that, in itself, was not so different, not really.
For the life of him Frodo couldn't think of anything that he could say was definitive of being different. It was just a feeling he got, like seeing something out of the corner of his eye, yet which vanished when he looked right at it. And so, Frodo took it upon himself to watch Sam as much as possible, fearing that what he was seeing was really there and not a figment of his imagination. It was at that moment that Frodo had an understanding of what Sam must have been going through all those days when he'd been the ring-bearer instead of Sam.
"Sam, if you ever want to talk about it, the ring I mean, you know I'm here."
Looking up, Sam gave Frodo a look that, if Frodo didn't know differently he would have called contempt. But that couldn't be possible. This was Sam, after all…good old dependable Sam. Surely contempt wasn't even in his vocabulary? Yet that look reminded him of something else. In Sam's look there was a shadow reminiscent of the look Bilbo gave him when Frodo first showed him the ring in Rivendell.
But just as quickly as the look appeared it vanished from his face, making Frodo wonder if he'd really seen such an expression at all. "No, we're fine. There is nothing to worry about." With that Sam walked away to put the dishes away from dinner.
Seeing Frodo watching Sam so carefully Aragorn quietly walked over to where he was standing. "Is everything alright Frodo?"
Jumping in surprise, as he hadn't heard Strider's approach, Frodo whirled around to look the Ranger in the face, or as best he could. "You scared me. I didn't hear you come up."
"I noticed. You were intent on watching Sam."
"Yes, I suppose I've been watching him a lot recently. But he doesn't seem any different to you, does he?" Looking to Strider, Frodo wondered if maybe the Ranger had seen something both he and Gandalf had missed.
"I don't know Frodo. Sam seems like himself to me. If he does seem a little more withdrawn, well, what can one expect when he is carrying the ring. You yourself were withdrawn and overly protective of the ring. Can we expect any less from Sam?"
Having to admit that Strider was most likely right, and that Sam was acting no differently towards the ring than he had, Frodo went about helping out with the fellowship as best he could and tried to ignore the nagging feeling that something was wrong.
But it wasn't until a couple of days later that Frodo's worries came back to haunt him. Looking over at Sam's bedroll one morning Frodo noticed that it was empty. That in itself wasn't something to concern Frodo. The fact that, when he looked around the camp, he couldn't see Sam did worry Frodo.
"Strider, have you seen Sam?"
"What? Isn't he still in bed? I didn't see him get up." And looking over at the young hobbit's bedroll Aragorn noticed for the first time that the bedroll was empty. Jumping up, he ran down to the stream near their camp, hoping that Sam had just gone to get some water to start breakfast. But there was no hobbit there.
Realizing that something was seriously wrong Aragorn decided to break up into three groups and search for Sam. Gimli would go with Legolas, Merry with Boromir, Pippin with Gandalf, and Frodo with Aragorn. Each person was worried about Sam's disappearance, yet most were confident that they would find Sam safe, if a little embarrassed at the kerfuffle he had caused. Only Gandalf and Aragorn were suspicious at the sudden disappearance.
As it was, it was Aragorn and Frodo who eventually were to find Sam. Looking over, Frodo saw what he thought was a sleeping Sam leaning against a tree.
"Sam you silly hobbit, what are you doing
sleeping here when we have a perfectly good campfire to keep you warm?"
Running over to shake some sense into the hobbit for putting such a scare into him Frodo managed to get there before Aragorn could call out a warning not to touch Sam. But even with such a warning it is doubtful that Frodo would have paid it any heed.
As it was, it was too late. Turning Sam over Frodo was surprised to feel how cold Sam was, and looking into his glassy eyes Frodo recoiled in horror as he realized what he was seeing. Looking down from Sam's face, Frodo was finally able to notice the arrow that was sticking out of Sam chest. As well, he also noticed that the chain upon which the ring hung was also missing.
As if time stood still, Frodo was struck by the sight before him. It was like his brain couldn't register the sight his eyes were seeing, Sam laying in his lap, his cold sightless eyes looking into the sky.
Looking up, the sky slowly began to darken as clouds moved with unnatural speed to cover the sky. One look at Strider and Frodo knew the unforgivable truth: Sauron had gotten The One Ring back. All hope for Middle Earth had failed.
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Trust No One: Thanks for the feedback, and I hope you like where the story is going.
Mirrowa: I'm sorry my story has the same name as yours does, but I'm glad you
like the name (or else you wouldn't have thought of it yourself)
Daisy Brambleburr: I'm glad you like the beginning of the story, I hope you're still
reading to see how it goes.
And I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone who's read my story and gotten a modicum of enjoyment from it. Please keep reading, there is just a bit more to come.