Blackness, dark as the crypt greeted Frodo's eyes as he opened them, the
sound of dripping water echoing thinly in the distance.
Wondering where in all of Middle Earth he could be he stepped forward, his toes meeting icy water, the stone under his feet slick with algae, shivering he drew back. As the seconds passed his eyes became accustomed to the gloom *Like Gollum's cave* Frodo thought, remembering Bilbo's description of it.
*But why here? I doubt I would choose this place…but I didn't did I…and why am I here alone? He should be here…*
Turning slowly Frodo looked around at the cave, dark grey stonewalls slick with green slime gave off an eerie glow, lighting it just enough to see. Reaching over with his left hand Frodo touched the stone, sending a lightening bolt of pain shooting up his arm, looking down at his palm he saw the skin blackened, cracked and burned. Reeling in shock Frodo ran to the lake's edge and dipped his hand in it, and watched as huge ripples moved away from where his fingers dipped below the surface.
As he pulled his hand back his eyes met those in his reflection. Black orbs ringed with fire stared back, a large hand; bigger than a Man's reflected in the pool lay beneath his own. The skin damaged, flesh black and cracked.
Quickly the fog in his mind cleared and Frodo realised the connection…Sauron's downfall…all of it traced back to him.
Pulling away he stumbled back and felt his hand slap on the wet floor making him scream, mixing with a deep rumble which set stones slipping off the walls in cascades and causing the Lake to ripple and small waves slip over the stone wetting Frodo's toes and sending chills up his spine.
Seconds passed and the pain began to fade, opening his eyes Frodo pushed himself to his feet and moved closer to the waters edge. Taking a breath he looked down again, straight in to the reflection of Sauron.
Only weeks of hearing the Dark Lord's voice calling and talking to him stopped Frodo's mind from splintering and sending him in to the depths of madness.
Seconds passed while Frodo watched his reflection staring back up him, the face of the former Dark Lord blank.
"I know what you want." Frodo breathed.
"Perhaps…" His voice, so different from before, from the ring. Soft, warm and enticing. At the back of his mind Frodo could understand how Ar- Parazôn fell under Saurons spell.
For the first time Frodo felt the courage rise in him to ask the one question that had haunted him since Cirith Ungol.
"Why didn't you kill me?"
Silence filled the cave. Knowing that this question was one that he would never have answered Frodo moved away from the lake and sat down, resting his head back against the rock he closed his eyes.
"You are too precious…"
The words slammed in to Frodo with force, his eyes opening in shock.
"In everything I had encountered in Middle Earth and beyond, you called to me. You intrigued me, how could something so light stay pure after keeping such company. As you became part of the shadow I felt your presence stronger. You had the Ring, that alone made you of interest to me, but to know that you were as much of a mystery to the Half-Elf made me curious."
Frodo listened in fear. He was wrong.
Sauron did not want Frodo, but Frodo's essence, his very soul.
"The longer you held the Ring, the more I knew of you, your desire for the Ring and for the power it possessed drew me to you, we are alike you and I. That is how I bought my way back."
Feeling the bile rise in him, Frodo forced himself to his feet and moved back to the waters edge.
Looking down his eyes met those of Sauron.
"We are nothing alike, the Ring came to me by accident."
"But when you knew of the power it possessed, did that not make you mad with jealously any time another touched it or even looked at it?"
"Yes, but…"
"Then we are alike, because in the end you had could not give it up, it became a part of you. When it was destroyed a part of you was destroyed with it…"
Frodo was silent.
"When your companion held the Ring you hated him, you would have killed him to get it back wouldn't you?"
Frodo was silent.
"Then we are alike, we have both been seduced by power. In the end neither of us could give it up…"
Frodo felt the tears rise in his eyes and slip down his cheeks.
"What do you want Frodo Baggins? You did not summon me here for these questions, what is your purpose."
Hearing Him speak Frodo lifted his head and opened his mouth to tell him, but found that he could not remember, there was a reason, something he had to ask for?
Something precious to him?
The Ring? No, the Ring was gone, He didn't have it.
What could it be?
****************
In the room the fire was raging, Sam lay nearest the fire, swathed in blankets, his face grey, the lines in his skin were growing deeper. The skin on his arms started to become like paper, thin and cracked.
The two hobbits sat near him, watching him as the seconds ticked by, neither spoke.
Gimli was outside in the battlements, looking over the ramparts out to the plains, the river Anduin black under the night time sky, he had offered to be the warning, at the first glimpse of the sun in the distance he would shout a warning, counting down the last seconds.
Legolas stood with Aragorn watching from a distance the three small figures clustered by the fire.
Gandalf and Elrond stood at the back of the hall, counting down the minutes.
Four hours had gone by since the Palantir had been broken and Sauron's spirit set free.
Frodo had less than two hours left to return Sam to his body.
****************
Time went faster in the gloom of the cave.
For minutes now Frodo stood trying desperately to remember his reason.
"Frodo, there is no reason for this, very soon my body will be complete, all you have to do is wait. I want you by my side. My Master aches to return to this world, together we will bring about a new age of prosperity."
As he spoke something inside Frodo was triggered. *My Master aches to return…* the words echoed in his mind *My Master aches*, *My Master*.
"Sam!"
"Sam is the reason I am here Sauron! His soul is not yours to trade!" Frodo shouted his eyes blazed as he looked down in to the pool. Saurons face became neutral.
"Is the future not worth his sacrifice?" Sauron asked, there was no emotion in his voice, calm, emotionless.
"He did not make the choice" Frodo retorted, his hands bunching in to fists, pain screaming in to his senses as his left hand contorted, making him want to cry out.
Saurons face showed pain as his fists bunched at the same time.
"Frodo! I offer you a choice. For I will not return, you will have to die to send me back. I offer you a chance now, how much is your friend's life worth?" Sauron called
"I would sacrifice everything for Sam" The hobbit answered, feeling a shiver run down his spine.
"Then I offer you this…I will return Sam to his body, unharmed. But, at a price."
Frodo felt the fear begin to grow in his stomach.
"What Price?"
"I will be tied to you in this world, no more than a shadow in your body, I will not be able to control you or harm you or do harm through you, I will simply be. Upon your death your Soul will be sent through the gates in my place, there you will remain until the coming of my Master Melkor, when you will be brought back through the gates. Or, let Samwise stay with the shadows, they could not harm you because of your light, Sam however, will be torn apart by them. There is your choice, for I cannot leave you now, we are tied."
Frodo stood shaking, the water dripped distantly echoing in his mind, and knew his answer.
**************
Gimli let out a cry.
The first rays of the sun began to sparkle over the Anduin and cast a warm light through the windows in to the main hall of the Citadel.
Hearing his cry, Merry and Pippin caught hold of each other's hands and moved closer to the almost skeletal body of the gardener. Over the last hours they had watched him deteriorate, "The effects of the Spirit world" Gandalf had told them. Pippin began to sob silently as he counted down the minutes left.
Aragorn turned to meet Legolas' eyes; both knowing that time was almost gone. A few hours earlier they had tried to reach Frodo's chambers in the House of Healing. The doors were locked against them, they had no way of knowing how Frodo was faring in this battle, better they hoped than Sam.
Elrond and Gandalf stood, eyes half closed, whispering words of strength to the one that everyone was relying on to save them.
Three minutes were left until the Sun rose over the horizon and all hope was shattered.
***************
"It is done, let him free! I will take his place, only end this!" Frodo cried out, his heart pounding as he said the words.
"Perhaps we are not so alike as I thought…" The words echoed as silence fell. The water stopped dripping.
"It is done!" He declared.
Looking down in to the water Frodo saw only his reflection staring back up at him. Feeling his heart grow heavy Frodo closed his eyes.
Realising with sadness that he had not won, Frodo left the cave and moved back.
**************
As the last seconds ticked by the people clustered in the room felt their faith fail.
With a gasp Samwise Gamgee opened his eyes.
Pippin let out a cry of shock and fell upon the living breathing form of his friend. Merry buried his head in his hands and wept, while Legolas and Aragorn turned to Elrond and Gandalf.
Motioning them to follow him, Gandalf left the room at a run, trailed by Aragorn and Legolas, while the elf moved quickly to Sam's side and began to check his injuries.
With a shock he saw the effects of the night gone, paler than usual Sam looked up at him and cried out.
Hurrying Pippin aside Elrond reached down to Sam who offered his bandaged hands to the healer.
"Samwise, I cannot remove them, the injury's are still too new."
"Please, I just need to see them." Sam gasped, feeling a tingling running through his fingers, the first feeling in them since they were burned.
Hesitating a second Elrond began to slowly unwrap them.
As the last bandage fell off Sam cried out. The flesh was pink, undamaged. The blood and pain gone, as if it had never been.
Turning away Elrond stood up and turned to follow Gandalf to Frodo. Sam reached up and caught his sleeve.
"Mr, Elrond, sir, see to Mister Frodo, please, this is because of him. I know." Sam said, his brown eyes serious.
Nodding the Elf Lord left the hall to the House of Healing.
Wondering where in all of Middle Earth he could be he stepped forward, his toes meeting icy water, the stone under his feet slick with algae, shivering he drew back. As the seconds passed his eyes became accustomed to the gloom *Like Gollum's cave* Frodo thought, remembering Bilbo's description of it.
*But why here? I doubt I would choose this place…but I didn't did I…and why am I here alone? He should be here…*
Turning slowly Frodo looked around at the cave, dark grey stonewalls slick with green slime gave off an eerie glow, lighting it just enough to see. Reaching over with his left hand Frodo touched the stone, sending a lightening bolt of pain shooting up his arm, looking down at his palm he saw the skin blackened, cracked and burned. Reeling in shock Frodo ran to the lake's edge and dipped his hand in it, and watched as huge ripples moved away from where his fingers dipped below the surface.
As he pulled his hand back his eyes met those in his reflection. Black orbs ringed with fire stared back, a large hand; bigger than a Man's reflected in the pool lay beneath his own. The skin damaged, flesh black and cracked.
Quickly the fog in his mind cleared and Frodo realised the connection…Sauron's downfall…all of it traced back to him.
Pulling away he stumbled back and felt his hand slap on the wet floor making him scream, mixing with a deep rumble which set stones slipping off the walls in cascades and causing the Lake to ripple and small waves slip over the stone wetting Frodo's toes and sending chills up his spine.
Seconds passed and the pain began to fade, opening his eyes Frodo pushed himself to his feet and moved closer to the waters edge. Taking a breath he looked down again, straight in to the reflection of Sauron.
Only weeks of hearing the Dark Lord's voice calling and talking to him stopped Frodo's mind from splintering and sending him in to the depths of madness.
Seconds passed while Frodo watched his reflection staring back up him, the face of the former Dark Lord blank.
"I know what you want." Frodo breathed.
"Perhaps…" His voice, so different from before, from the ring. Soft, warm and enticing. At the back of his mind Frodo could understand how Ar- Parazôn fell under Saurons spell.
For the first time Frodo felt the courage rise in him to ask the one question that had haunted him since Cirith Ungol.
"Why didn't you kill me?"
Silence filled the cave. Knowing that this question was one that he would never have answered Frodo moved away from the lake and sat down, resting his head back against the rock he closed his eyes.
"You are too precious…"
The words slammed in to Frodo with force, his eyes opening in shock.
"In everything I had encountered in Middle Earth and beyond, you called to me. You intrigued me, how could something so light stay pure after keeping such company. As you became part of the shadow I felt your presence stronger. You had the Ring, that alone made you of interest to me, but to know that you were as much of a mystery to the Half-Elf made me curious."
Frodo listened in fear. He was wrong.
Sauron did not want Frodo, but Frodo's essence, his very soul.
"The longer you held the Ring, the more I knew of you, your desire for the Ring and for the power it possessed drew me to you, we are alike you and I. That is how I bought my way back."
Feeling the bile rise in him, Frodo forced himself to his feet and moved back to the waters edge.
Looking down his eyes met those of Sauron.
"We are nothing alike, the Ring came to me by accident."
"But when you knew of the power it possessed, did that not make you mad with jealously any time another touched it or even looked at it?"
"Yes, but…"
"Then we are alike, because in the end you had could not give it up, it became a part of you. When it was destroyed a part of you was destroyed with it…"
Frodo was silent.
"When your companion held the Ring you hated him, you would have killed him to get it back wouldn't you?"
Frodo was silent.
"Then we are alike, we have both been seduced by power. In the end neither of us could give it up…"
Frodo felt the tears rise in his eyes and slip down his cheeks.
"What do you want Frodo Baggins? You did not summon me here for these questions, what is your purpose."
Hearing Him speak Frodo lifted his head and opened his mouth to tell him, but found that he could not remember, there was a reason, something he had to ask for?
Something precious to him?
The Ring? No, the Ring was gone, He didn't have it.
What could it be?
****************
In the room the fire was raging, Sam lay nearest the fire, swathed in blankets, his face grey, the lines in his skin were growing deeper. The skin on his arms started to become like paper, thin and cracked.
The two hobbits sat near him, watching him as the seconds ticked by, neither spoke.
Gimli was outside in the battlements, looking over the ramparts out to the plains, the river Anduin black under the night time sky, he had offered to be the warning, at the first glimpse of the sun in the distance he would shout a warning, counting down the last seconds.
Legolas stood with Aragorn watching from a distance the three small figures clustered by the fire.
Gandalf and Elrond stood at the back of the hall, counting down the minutes.
Four hours had gone by since the Palantir had been broken and Sauron's spirit set free.
Frodo had less than two hours left to return Sam to his body.
****************
Time went faster in the gloom of the cave.
For minutes now Frodo stood trying desperately to remember his reason.
"Frodo, there is no reason for this, very soon my body will be complete, all you have to do is wait. I want you by my side. My Master aches to return to this world, together we will bring about a new age of prosperity."
As he spoke something inside Frodo was triggered. *My Master aches to return…* the words echoed in his mind *My Master aches*, *My Master*.
"Sam!"
"Sam is the reason I am here Sauron! His soul is not yours to trade!" Frodo shouted his eyes blazed as he looked down in to the pool. Saurons face became neutral.
"Is the future not worth his sacrifice?" Sauron asked, there was no emotion in his voice, calm, emotionless.
"He did not make the choice" Frodo retorted, his hands bunching in to fists, pain screaming in to his senses as his left hand contorted, making him want to cry out.
Saurons face showed pain as his fists bunched at the same time.
"Frodo! I offer you a choice. For I will not return, you will have to die to send me back. I offer you a chance now, how much is your friend's life worth?" Sauron called
"I would sacrifice everything for Sam" The hobbit answered, feeling a shiver run down his spine.
"Then I offer you this…I will return Sam to his body, unharmed. But, at a price."
Frodo felt the fear begin to grow in his stomach.
"What Price?"
"I will be tied to you in this world, no more than a shadow in your body, I will not be able to control you or harm you or do harm through you, I will simply be. Upon your death your Soul will be sent through the gates in my place, there you will remain until the coming of my Master Melkor, when you will be brought back through the gates. Or, let Samwise stay with the shadows, they could not harm you because of your light, Sam however, will be torn apart by them. There is your choice, for I cannot leave you now, we are tied."
Frodo stood shaking, the water dripped distantly echoing in his mind, and knew his answer.
**************
Gimli let out a cry.
The first rays of the sun began to sparkle over the Anduin and cast a warm light through the windows in to the main hall of the Citadel.
Hearing his cry, Merry and Pippin caught hold of each other's hands and moved closer to the almost skeletal body of the gardener. Over the last hours they had watched him deteriorate, "The effects of the Spirit world" Gandalf had told them. Pippin began to sob silently as he counted down the minutes left.
Aragorn turned to meet Legolas' eyes; both knowing that time was almost gone. A few hours earlier they had tried to reach Frodo's chambers in the House of Healing. The doors were locked against them, they had no way of knowing how Frodo was faring in this battle, better they hoped than Sam.
Elrond and Gandalf stood, eyes half closed, whispering words of strength to the one that everyone was relying on to save them.
Three minutes were left until the Sun rose over the horizon and all hope was shattered.
***************
"It is done, let him free! I will take his place, only end this!" Frodo cried out, his heart pounding as he said the words.
"Perhaps we are not so alike as I thought…" The words echoed as silence fell. The water stopped dripping.
"It is done!" He declared.
Looking down in to the water Frodo saw only his reflection staring back up at him. Feeling his heart grow heavy Frodo closed his eyes.
Realising with sadness that he had not won, Frodo left the cave and moved back.
**************
As the last seconds ticked by the people clustered in the room felt their faith fail.
With a gasp Samwise Gamgee opened his eyes.
Pippin let out a cry of shock and fell upon the living breathing form of his friend. Merry buried his head in his hands and wept, while Legolas and Aragorn turned to Elrond and Gandalf.
Motioning them to follow him, Gandalf left the room at a run, trailed by Aragorn and Legolas, while the elf moved quickly to Sam's side and began to check his injuries.
With a shock he saw the effects of the night gone, paler than usual Sam looked up at him and cried out.
Hurrying Pippin aside Elrond reached down to Sam who offered his bandaged hands to the healer.
"Samwise, I cannot remove them, the injury's are still too new."
"Please, I just need to see them." Sam gasped, feeling a tingling running through his fingers, the first feeling in them since they were burned.
Hesitating a second Elrond began to slowly unwrap them.
As the last bandage fell off Sam cried out. The flesh was pink, undamaged. The blood and pain gone, as if it had never been.
Turning away Elrond stood up and turned to follow Gandalf to Frodo. Sam reached up and caught his sleeve.
"Mr, Elrond, sir, see to Mister Frodo, please, this is because of him. I know." Sam said, his brown eyes serious.
Nodding the Elf Lord left the hall to the House of Healing.