A chilling scream filled the space in the hall as the Palantir hit the
stone and shattered. The cry ended quickly as the fires died plunging the
room in to blackness, no moonlight came in through the windows and the air
became cold, sending chills down the spine of the peoples standing there.
For a few seconds sound was again cut off, the silence oppressive and the
seconds seemed to drag for hours.
An insistent thought began to play in Aragorn's mind as he stood facing the others, frozen.
Looking down he saw Pippin sprawled on the floor and around him were tiny fragments of glass, all which remained of the Palantir.
Looking up slowly he met Gandalf's eye, the blue orbs icy, all mirth gone with the knowledge of what Pippin had helped to unleash.
Running quickly to the hobbit's side he lifted the small body, examining it for cuts and injuries. Pippin flinched as the King's hand touched his face and the small brown eyes began to open.
"Aragorn?" Pippin whispered,
"We're here, rest now" Aragorn turned away from the hobbits teary eyes and carried him to a chair beside the dead fire, placing him in to it gently he turned to check on Sam.
"I didn't want to…I…" Pippins voice called him back, and turning he looked in to his friend's face. His brown eyes were wide open and tearful, leaving a trail of silver where they slipped down his cheeks. Guilt darkened his eyes as he looked down.
"It wasn't you Pippin, It is not your fault." Reaching back he touched the hobbit's head softly and felt his own guilt surge.
*You should have seen this coming, Pippin needed your protection and now the damage has been done, Pippin's guilt will need time to heal, you are needed now*.
Turning away from him he looked for Merry, surprised that he wasn't by his cousin's side. Looking around the room he saw Legolas and Gimli lighting the lamps on the wall shining a ruddy light over the tiny pieces of glass, reflecting tiny rainbow lights over the walls and the high arched ceiling. Staring at them with blank eyes stood Merry, arms hanging loose by his side.
With a chill racing through his nerves Aragorn hurried to the hobbit and kneeling on the shattered crystal he caught Merry's face and looked in to his eyes and whispered.
"Tol-ad Meriadoc dôr ú na i dae i calad" **
Blinking slowly Merry met the King's intent stare and with a tiny gasp his knees sagged and he collapsed. Catching him Aragorn met Elrond's gaze. Straightening he called over Legolas who took Merry and to his cousin.
"Samwise?"
The elf looked at him, his dark eyes showing deep concern,
" Master Samwise is gone Elessar, his body remains and his heart beats still but He is gone"
Aragorn turned away, taking in the news, feeling fear seep through every pore.
"Peregrin, only opened the gate, Sauron needed something to buy his way out, something worthy of the exchange…In Sauron's eyes Sam is the real reason that he failed, He had Frodo in Cirith Ungol, safe. Sam has said that he heard the Orcs talking; Frodo was not to be harmed. And in the Tower Frodo would have stayed if not for Sam. Sam carried the Ring, freeing Frodo…HE is the reason Sauron never received the Ring in Mordor, which is why he hates him. And yet this is his mistake, Sam and Frodo have a connection that even I cannot explain. If Frodo would succumb to Sauron's will, His casting Sam in to the next realm with the evil that we have banished from this one will turn Frodo further against Sauron and undo the spells He has put upon him. Frodo could be Saurons downfall a second time."
As Elrond spoke Aragorn turned back to the elf, to see a flame of hope rising in his eyes. Some of the mysteries that had surrounded the situation began to fall away, and left Aragorn with only one question.
"How do we return Sauron to the Spirit Plane and take Sam back?"
Lord Elrond, Firstborn among Elves looked around the room, Gimli stood holding a lighted torch in one hand with his Axe slung across his back, helm upon his head still, prepared for battle. Merry and Pippin huddled in the chair, Pippins face pale, eyes dark with guilt and fear his arm holding his cousin closely, Merry, his face covered in a sheen of sweat and a hand resting on the dark wooden arm of the chair, shaking. To Legolas, his face calm, blue eyes steady, ready to help when he was called, Aragorn standing strong in front of him, fist closed around the pommel of Andúril, grey eyes strong, angry, guilty, a King in his very stance. And in the corner stood Gandalf, blue eyes met his own, the knowledge open to him, Nodding to his old friend he turned back to Aragorn.
"We? We do nothing…Frodo will end this, he will need our support and strength to fight Sauron back."
As this news sank in to the friends Elrond turned away and walked over to Sam's body. He had not the heart to mention how long was left before the life was extinguished in him, Frodo had only until the rising of the sun to banish Sauron.
Looking down in to Sam's face he saw the skin pulled tight across his bones, tiny creases around the corners of his eyes and on his forehead the only external traces of the pain, strain and hunger they had suffered in Mordor.
*I pray that Sauron is the only Dark creature released from the Plane…If his coming heralds the Coming of Melkor, Frodo will not be able to fight back Morgoth and his Lieutenant alone. The coming hours will seal the fate of Middle Earth for many Millennia to come…but at what price to Frodo…?"
Looking at Gandalf he saw the same thoughts running through the mind of the wizard, and wondered again at Frodo's strength.
A soft voice whispered through the window flickering the flame in Gimli's hand…
*Night is drawing very near…It is getting cold…*
(** This sentence is supposed to be written in Sindarin…I'm not sure if this is right so if anyone can help me I would be grateful. The translation reads:
"Come back Meriadoc, your place is not with the shadow but in the light")
An insistent thought began to play in Aragorn's mind as he stood facing the others, frozen.
Looking down he saw Pippin sprawled on the floor and around him were tiny fragments of glass, all which remained of the Palantir.
Looking up slowly he met Gandalf's eye, the blue orbs icy, all mirth gone with the knowledge of what Pippin had helped to unleash.
Running quickly to the hobbit's side he lifted the small body, examining it for cuts and injuries. Pippin flinched as the King's hand touched his face and the small brown eyes began to open.
"Aragorn?" Pippin whispered,
"We're here, rest now" Aragorn turned away from the hobbits teary eyes and carried him to a chair beside the dead fire, placing him in to it gently he turned to check on Sam.
"I didn't want to…I…" Pippins voice called him back, and turning he looked in to his friend's face. His brown eyes were wide open and tearful, leaving a trail of silver where they slipped down his cheeks. Guilt darkened his eyes as he looked down.
"It wasn't you Pippin, It is not your fault." Reaching back he touched the hobbit's head softly and felt his own guilt surge.
*You should have seen this coming, Pippin needed your protection and now the damage has been done, Pippin's guilt will need time to heal, you are needed now*.
Turning away from him he looked for Merry, surprised that he wasn't by his cousin's side. Looking around the room he saw Legolas and Gimli lighting the lamps on the wall shining a ruddy light over the tiny pieces of glass, reflecting tiny rainbow lights over the walls and the high arched ceiling. Staring at them with blank eyes stood Merry, arms hanging loose by his side.
With a chill racing through his nerves Aragorn hurried to the hobbit and kneeling on the shattered crystal he caught Merry's face and looked in to his eyes and whispered.
"Tol-ad Meriadoc dôr ú na i dae i calad" **
Blinking slowly Merry met the King's intent stare and with a tiny gasp his knees sagged and he collapsed. Catching him Aragorn met Elrond's gaze. Straightening he called over Legolas who took Merry and to his cousin.
"Samwise?"
The elf looked at him, his dark eyes showing deep concern,
" Master Samwise is gone Elessar, his body remains and his heart beats still but He is gone"
Aragorn turned away, taking in the news, feeling fear seep through every pore.
"Peregrin, only opened the gate, Sauron needed something to buy his way out, something worthy of the exchange…In Sauron's eyes Sam is the real reason that he failed, He had Frodo in Cirith Ungol, safe. Sam has said that he heard the Orcs talking; Frodo was not to be harmed. And in the Tower Frodo would have stayed if not for Sam. Sam carried the Ring, freeing Frodo…HE is the reason Sauron never received the Ring in Mordor, which is why he hates him. And yet this is his mistake, Sam and Frodo have a connection that even I cannot explain. If Frodo would succumb to Sauron's will, His casting Sam in to the next realm with the evil that we have banished from this one will turn Frodo further against Sauron and undo the spells He has put upon him. Frodo could be Saurons downfall a second time."
As Elrond spoke Aragorn turned back to the elf, to see a flame of hope rising in his eyes. Some of the mysteries that had surrounded the situation began to fall away, and left Aragorn with only one question.
"How do we return Sauron to the Spirit Plane and take Sam back?"
Lord Elrond, Firstborn among Elves looked around the room, Gimli stood holding a lighted torch in one hand with his Axe slung across his back, helm upon his head still, prepared for battle. Merry and Pippin huddled in the chair, Pippins face pale, eyes dark with guilt and fear his arm holding his cousin closely, Merry, his face covered in a sheen of sweat and a hand resting on the dark wooden arm of the chair, shaking. To Legolas, his face calm, blue eyes steady, ready to help when he was called, Aragorn standing strong in front of him, fist closed around the pommel of Andúril, grey eyes strong, angry, guilty, a King in his very stance. And in the corner stood Gandalf, blue eyes met his own, the knowledge open to him, Nodding to his old friend he turned back to Aragorn.
"We? We do nothing…Frodo will end this, he will need our support and strength to fight Sauron back."
As this news sank in to the friends Elrond turned away and walked over to Sam's body. He had not the heart to mention how long was left before the life was extinguished in him, Frodo had only until the rising of the sun to banish Sauron.
Looking down in to Sam's face he saw the skin pulled tight across his bones, tiny creases around the corners of his eyes and on his forehead the only external traces of the pain, strain and hunger they had suffered in Mordor.
*I pray that Sauron is the only Dark creature released from the Plane…If his coming heralds the Coming of Melkor, Frodo will not be able to fight back Morgoth and his Lieutenant alone. The coming hours will seal the fate of Middle Earth for many Millennia to come…but at what price to Frodo…?"
Looking at Gandalf he saw the same thoughts running through the mind of the wizard, and wondered again at Frodo's strength.
A soft voice whispered through the window flickering the flame in Gimli's hand…
*Night is drawing very near…It is getting cold…*
(** This sentence is supposed to be written in Sindarin…I'm not sure if this is right so if anyone can help me I would be grateful. The translation reads:
"Come back Meriadoc, your place is not with the shadow but in the light")