"Frodo is safe"
Aragorn turned to Gandalf, the wizards eyes were troubled.
"It is not Frodo who is in danger, but those who care about him."
Aragorn turned his head away, Legolas' eyes met his. The elf stood against the wall, palms flat against the stone only a few feet away stood Gimli, cradling his axe in his hands, head downcast and his eyes hidden. As soon as they had reached the room Aragorn had called for the healers, Sam had collapsed on the way, his sensitive hands burned and weeping. They were treating him now in the next room, they could not chance that an attempt on Sam's life would be made.
Aragorn's eyes lifted back to meet Gandalf's. He stood in the window, silver moonlight streaming through the opening bathing his face in an otherworldly glow, but Gandalfs normaly solid façade was crumbling, fear was etching itself into his lined face. He had not told them everything.
"Gandalf, I have trusted you before, with my life, tell me…what is…it?" Aragorn's voice floated to him.
The wizard turned to face them, Gimli stopped gripped his axe and raised his eyes to meet his. Legolas watched silent, suspecting already, *he is sharp, this one…I shall have to watch him* And finally to Aragorn's eyes, steel grey, strong ready to fight. *How will he fight this I wonder?*
The fire in the grate crackled and spat as the four friends faced each other, waiting for a name, *a name, they need to know who, or what, every ancient evil has a name, even this one, but if I tell them will it change them?*
Gandalf opened his mouth to speak, but heard something. Aragorn heard it too, Legolas, all three turned to face the fire…The flames moved but there was no sound, the crackling of the logs was gone…silent. Then a whisper like a breath of wind moved around the room, a voice lingering, cold like death and hot with decay and subtle menace. A warning, Time had run out.
*This is the way he should remain…*
Gandalf's head snapped to face theirs,
"Sauron…Sauron is here, and he wants Frodo, alive and safe."
As he spoke, the spell was broken, the fire roared with life, children's voices from outside the window.
"But, bu, but…the Dark Lord is gone, he died with the Ring's destruction, did he not?"
Gimli spluttered, the blood draining out of his face. Legolas watched Gandalf carefully as Gimli asked the wizard for another choice, another option.
"No, Gimli, The Ring merely tied Sauron to our plane of existence, when the Ring was destroyed he was sent back to the spiritual plane. Sauron is not a living being, he has no heart to pierce or blood to bleed, a creature of the darkness he is."
Legolas finished, Gimli's hands grasping the shaft of the axe with white knuckles tightened again as he spoke the question on the minds of all present.
"If the Ring tied him to the mortal plane, and the Ring is no more…what is tying him here now?"
"Frodo"
They all turned to the door where Sam stood, shaking, his brown eyes sunken as he answered.
"Frodo, he's whats holding him here now."
Gandalf swept over to Sam and knelt in front of him and their eyes met.
"How do you know this, Samwise tell me!"
Gandalf's voice shook, but Sam only blinked and sighed sadly.
"Back before the Ring was destroyed, when Mr. Frodo was asleep he would talk, not much but it sounded like sometimes he was trying to have this talk with someone who wasn't there, at first I thought it was the strain, of takin the Ring. But after we got out from that tower I heard him, he was just like holding the Ring and he was looking somewhere but he wasn't seein, if you take my meaning…He was seeing something that wasn't there. It was always the same direction, even when we were facing somewheres else, he would turn and look. That's all I know, after the Ring was gone he just went back to being Mr Frodo, he didn't look for that place no more."
Sam hung his head, he knew what it meant.
"King Elessar, Your people need you now. Elrond is not far from here, he has fought Sauron before, he knows Sauron's strength…we will need him."
Aragorn looked at the wizard carefully, before turning to Legolas.
"Legolas, you ride swift, take a horse, find Elrond, bring him here."
"Alone! Legolas, bring only Elrond…if Arwen follows, distaster could befall us all."
Legolas looked from the King to Gandalf, Aragorn's face had hardened at Gandalf's words. With one final look between them he turned and left the room at a run.
"Now we can do nothing but wait…"
*And yet, it is not clear to me…Sauron cannot touch the land of the mortal alone…I am missing something vital…* Gandalf turned back to the window, Sam moved on to one of the chairs while Aragorn moved to the fire and Gimli…paced.
All the while the fireplace crackled, spreading heat throughout the room…
*Down, down to hell for I don't care…they can put me anywhere and throw away the key…*
For He watched, and listened and planned…
************************
A quick thankyou to everyone who has reviewed my work, you alone give me a reason to carry on (
Aragorn turned to Gandalf, the wizards eyes were troubled.
"It is not Frodo who is in danger, but those who care about him."
Aragorn turned his head away, Legolas' eyes met his. The elf stood against the wall, palms flat against the stone only a few feet away stood Gimli, cradling his axe in his hands, head downcast and his eyes hidden. As soon as they had reached the room Aragorn had called for the healers, Sam had collapsed on the way, his sensitive hands burned and weeping. They were treating him now in the next room, they could not chance that an attempt on Sam's life would be made.
Aragorn's eyes lifted back to meet Gandalf's. He stood in the window, silver moonlight streaming through the opening bathing his face in an otherworldly glow, but Gandalfs normaly solid façade was crumbling, fear was etching itself into his lined face. He had not told them everything.
"Gandalf, I have trusted you before, with my life, tell me…what is…it?" Aragorn's voice floated to him.
The wizard turned to face them, Gimli stopped gripped his axe and raised his eyes to meet his. Legolas watched silent, suspecting already, *he is sharp, this one…I shall have to watch him* And finally to Aragorn's eyes, steel grey, strong ready to fight. *How will he fight this I wonder?*
The fire in the grate crackled and spat as the four friends faced each other, waiting for a name, *a name, they need to know who, or what, every ancient evil has a name, even this one, but if I tell them will it change them?*
Gandalf opened his mouth to speak, but heard something. Aragorn heard it too, Legolas, all three turned to face the fire…The flames moved but there was no sound, the crackling of the logs was gone…silent. Then a whisper like a breath of wind moved around the room, a voice lingering, cold like death and hot with decay and subtle menace. A warning, Time had run out.
*This is the way he should remain…*
Gandalf's head snapped to face theirs,
"Sauron…Sauron is here, and he wants Frodo, alive and safe."
As he spoke, the spell was broken, the fire roared with life, children's voices from outside the window.
"But, bu, but…the Dark Lord is gone, he died with the Ring's destruction, did he not?"
Gimli spluttered, the blood draining out of his face. Legolas watched Gandalf carefully as Gimli asked the wizard for another choice, another option.
"No, Gimli, The Ring merely tied Sauron to our plane of existence, when the Ring was destroyed he was sent back to the spiritual plane. Sauron is not a living being, he has no heart to pierce or blood to bleed, a creature of the darkness he is."
Legolas finished, Gimli's hands grasping the shaft of the axe with white knuckles tightened again as he spoke the question on the minds of all present.
"If the Ring tied him to the mortal plane, and the Ring is no more…what is tying him here now?"
"Frodo"
They all turned to the door where Sam stood, shaking, his brown eyes sunken as he answered.
"Frodo, he's whats holding him here now."
Gandalf swept over to Sam and knelt in front of him and their eyes met.
"How do you know this, Samwise tell me!"
Gandalf's voice shook, but Sam only blinked and sighed sadly.
"Back before the Ring was destroyed, when Mr. Frodo was asleep he would talk, not much but it sounded like sometimes he was trying to have this talk with someone who wasn't there, at first I thought it was the strain, of takin the Ring. But after we got out from that tower I heard him, he was just like holding the Ring and he was looking somewhere but he wasn't seein, if you take my meaning…He was seeing something that wasn't there. It was always the same direction, even when we were facing somewheres else, he would turn and look. That's all I know, after the Ring was gone he just went back to being Mr Frodo, he didn't look for that place no more."
Sam hung his head, he knew what it meant.
"King Elessar, Your people need you now. Elrond is not far from here, he has fought Sauron before, he knows Sauron's strength…we will need him."
Aragorn looked at the wizard carefully, before turning to Legolas.
"Legolas, you ride swift, take a horse, find Elrond, bring him here."
"Alone! Legolas, bring only Elrond…if Arwen follows, distaster could befall us all."
Legolas looked from the King to Gandalf, Aragorn's face had hardened at Gandalf's words. With one final look between them he turned and left the room at a run.
"Now we can do nothing but wait…"
*And yet, it is not clear to me…Sauron cannot touch the land of the mortal alone…I am missing something vital…* Gandalf turned back to the window, Sam moved on to one of the chairs while Aragorn moved to the fire and Gimli…paced.
All the while the fireplace crackled, spreading heat throughout the room…
*Down, down to hell for I don't care…they can put me anywhere and throw away the key…*
For He watched, and listened and planned…
************************
A quick thankyou to everyone who has reviewed my work, you alone give me a reason to carry on (