Frodo lay silent on the bed, the warmth of the afternoon sun tingling as it
fell on his arms, but not even the sun's warmth could banish the ice water
running through his veins. He had forgotten everything that Gandalf and
Bilbo had ever told him. Sauron was a deceiver, blacker than onyx was his
soul and treachery lay deep at the heart of it. He had seen Frodo's
weaknesses and exploited them.
For Sam, Frodo had signed over his soul, a payment that would free Melkor,
an evil that had not seen the face of the world for many ages.
Frodo breathed deeply, his rage locked tight within him. Anger that had started with the death of his parents, the fear that had crept in to his heart when he saw Bilbo reach for the Ring in Rivendale, an ancient hunger written on his face, all that had happened to turn Smeagol in to a tiny bitter creature known as Gollum. All of the pain and loss Frodo had ever felt in his life lay locked tight within his heart, a tiny block of ice that had started to melt.
*There is no one left to help me now, I have condemned those that I love to a future darker than Sauron could have imagined.If I asked Him, would he know the answers. Maybe we are more alike than I thought.Sauron!!!*
Frodo listened to silence echoing within his skull, there was no answer.
Rubbing his thumb over the stump of a finger, all which was left of the One Ring in Middle Earth, Frodo closed his eyes and moved toward the dark place at back of his mind.
************************
Far away the sounds of dripping water caused Frodo to open his eyes. Looking around he saw the deep inky water stretching as far as the dim light would let him see, only a small piece of shoreline was left, covered in green algae. Along the far shoreline Frodo's eyes met with boulders and crevices until it stopped, the light didn't fade away but stopped, as if a curtain had been pulled around it. Taking a deep breath Frodo stepper closer toward it, his heart hammering with every step. Only a few steps away Frodo stopped as His voice seeped in to his thoughts.
*You call me here again.I believed our business had been completed* the voice, now unmasked, reminded Frodo of the smell of rotting flesh, warm and cloying.
"You lied to me.you made me believe that Sam was in danger, that I could help him!" His words came tumbling out, hot accusations spilling off of his tongue.
*What makes you believe that I lied*? Sauron whispered, the shadow before Frodo had not moved at all, and the voice came from everywhere, echoing in his mind and attacking Frodo's every thought until Frodo began to wonder if they were his own thoughts or Sauron's he was thinking.
"Sam.Sam says that he doesn't remember anything, even to protect me Sam wouldn't lie about this. He was never in danger, it was all a lie, a trick to make me hand everything over to you." The buzzing in his head became stronger, his thoughts muddled. Slowly the shadow started to uncurl, like a snake, the form began to move in to the light. Frodo found himself staring in to his own face, yet not his own, these eyes were cold with the chill of death, blue ice rimmed with cold fire, the rosebud lips twisted in to a cruel sneer.
"Do you honestly think yourself that important Frodo? Do you? That only you have the power to free my Master from his prison. Perhaps you are not as perfect as I imagined you to be." Sauron moved passed Frodo, his curls brushing along his cheek. Frodo felt doubt and humiliation run through him. Turning to Sauron Frodo answered, "If I cannot free M..M.Morgoth alone, then why bargain with me?"
"Frodo, I am becoming tired of repeating myself to you. You interest me, I decided that I wished to know you completely, share your thoughts, and all of time in your company. Is that not a generous offer?" Sauron stepped close to Frodo, his breath warm against his skin.
"What of Sam? What does he have to do with this?" With every word Sauron spoke Frodo felt it becoming harder to keep his anger flowing, he felt himself becoming tired.
"I did not lie to you about Sam, Frodo you felt it yourself, you heard him calling you." Sauron watched, smiling as Frodo's eyes became hazy, more susceptible to his words. "How could I have lied about that? Frodo, I have not cheated you, I have tried to protect your little friend. Do you think his mind could handle to memories of having the life drained from him by all kinds of evil? His mid would have snapped. We made a deal Frodo, I have kept to my side of the bargain, now keep to yours." Pushing past Frodo Sauron smiled a predatory smile that, if Frodo had seen it, would have told him that everything he had said was a lie.
Stepping back in to the deep shadow Sauron turned to look at Frodo, "You are tired, rest now, you have nothing left to fear."
Frodo breathed deeply, something Sauron had told him did not feel right, but he was too tired to think about it now, *After I have rested, then I will think about it* Frodo closed his eyes and heard the dripping water fade from his ears.
******************
Standing alone in the gloom of a cave made in Frodo's imagination Sauron smiled, with each passing day he owned Frodo more, the Ring was a loss, a great one, but a loss he could overcome. He had avoided the wrath of the creators of Middle Earth and the doom of eternal imprisonment like Morgoth. The One Ring was gone, the Three were powerless the elves would move beyond the circles of this world, taking away his strongest opposition. With them and Mithrandir gone he would be free to move among Men, they had always believed him when the Elves and Dwarves doubted him, and through Frodo he had a guise no one would suspect, The Ring Bearer, honoured by Men for his deed of ridding Middle Earth of Sauron the Deceiver, they would never see that it was Sauron himself who led them back to darkness. Smiling deeper he touched his new face, Frodo's face. This was the face he would wear, but plans for now would be pushed back, he would wait for Frodo's death, already he felt the body around him succumbing to the sickness that Shelob and the Shadow realm had cast upon him. His life would be short, a sad fact, but one made sweeter knowing that Frodo would be waiting in the Shadows with his Master when all was completed. He had not lied to him, Frodo could not alone fee Morgoth but the combination of the blackening of the hearts of Men and the brilliance of Frodo's soul would break his Master's chains. Than at the end of all things they would know complete domination of Middle Earth, Morgoth, Sauron and the one shining light of purity and innocence that had once been Frodo Baggins.
Frodo breathed deeply, his rage locked tight within him. Anger that had started with the death of his parents, the fear that had crept in to his heart when he saw Bilbo reach for the Ring in Rivendale, an ancient hunger written on his face, all that had happened to turn Smeagol in to a tiny bitter creature known as Gollum. All of the pain and loss Frodo had ever felt in his life lay locked tight within his heart, a tiny block of ice that had started to melt.
*There is no one left to help me now, I have condemned those that I love to a future darker than Sauron could have imagined.If I asked Him, would he know the answers. Maybe we are more alike than I thought.Sauron!!!*
Frodo listened to silence echoing within his skull, there was no answer.
Rubbing his thumb over the stump of a finger, all which was left of the One Ring in Middle Earth, Frodo closed his eyes and moved toward the dark place at back of his mind.
************************
Far away the sounds of dripping water caused Frodo to open his eyes. Looking around he saw the deep inky water stretching as far as the dim light would let him see, only a small piece of shoreline was left, covered in green algae. Along the far shoreline Frodo's eyes met with boulders and crevices until it stopped, the light didn't fade away but stopped, as if a curtain had been pulled around it. Taking a deep breath Frodo stepper closer toward it, his heart hammering with every step. Only a few steps away Frodo stopped as His voice seeped in to his thoughts.
*You call me here again.I believed our business had been completed* the voice, now unmasked, reminded Frodo of the smell of rotting flesh, warm and cloying.
"You lied to me.you made me believe that Sam was in danger, that I could help him!" His words came tumbling out, hot accusations spilling off of his tongue.
*What makes you believe that I lied*? Sauron whispered, the shadow before Frodo had not moved at all, and the voice came from everywhere, echoing in his mind and attacking Frodo's every thought until Frodo began to wonder if they were his own thoughts or Sauron's he was thinking.
"Sam.Sam says that he doesn't remember anything, even to protect me Sam wouldn't lie about this. He was never in danger, it was all a lie, a trick to make me hand everything over to you." The buzzing in his head became stronger, his thoughts muddled. Slowly the shadow started to uncurl, like a snake, the form began to move in to the light. Frodo found himself staring in to his own face, yet not his own, these eyes were cold with the chill of death, blue ice rimmed with cold fire, the rosebud lips twisted in to a cruel sneer.
"Do you honestly think yourself that important Frodo? Do you? That only you have the power to free my Master from his prison. Perhaps you are not as perfect as I imagined you to be." Sauron moved passed Frodo, his curls brushing along his cheek. Frodo felt doubt and humiliation run through him. Turning to Sauron Frodo answered, "If I cannot free M..M.Morgoth alone, then why bargain with me?"
"Frodo, I am becoming tired of repeating myself to you. You interest me, I decided that I wished to know you completely, share your thoughts, and all of time in your company. Is that not a generous offer?" Sauron stepped close to Frodo, his breath warm against his skin.
"What of Sam? What does he have to do with this?" With every word Sauron spoke Frodo felt it becoming harder to keep his anger flowing, he felt himself becoming tired.
"I did not lie to you about Sam, Frodo you felt it yourself, you heard him calling you." Sauron watched, smiling as Frodo's eyes became hazy, more susceptible to his words. "How could I have lied about that? Frodo, I have not cheated you, I have tried to protect your little friend. Do you think his mind could handle to memories of having the life drained from him by all kinds of evil? His mid would have snapped. We made a deal Frodo, I have kept to my side of the bargain, now keep to yours." Pushing past Frodo Sauron smiled a predatory smile that, if Frodo had seen it, would have told him that everything he had said was a lie.
Stepping back in to the deep shadow Sauron turned to look at Frodo, "You are tired, rest now, you have nothing left to fear."
Frodo breathed deeply, something Sauron had told him did not feel right, but he was too tired to think about it now, *After I have rested, then I will think about it* Frodo closed his eyes and heard the dripping water fade from his ears.
******************
Standing alone in the gloom of a cave made in Frodo's imagination Sauron smiled, with each passing day he owned Frodo more, the Ring was a loss, a great one, but a loss he could overcome. He had avoided the wrath of the creators of Middle Earth and the doom of eternal imprisonment like Morgoth. The One Ring was gone, the Three were powerless the elves would move beyond the circles of this world, taking away his strongest opposition. With them and Mithrandir gone he would be free to move among Men, they had always believed him when the Elves and Dwarves doubted him, and through Frodo he had a guise no one would suspect, The Ring Bearer, honoured by Men for his deed of ridding Middle Earth of Sauron the Deceiver, they would never see that it was Sauron himself who led them back to darkness. Smiling deeper he touched his new face, Frodo's face. This was the face he would wear, but plans for now would be pushed back, he would wait for Frodo's death, already he felt the body around him succumbing to the sickness that Shelob and the Shadow realm had cast upon him. His life would be short, a sad fact, but one made sweeter knowing that Frodo would be waiting in the Shadows with his Master when all was completed. He had not lied to him, Frodo could not alone fee Morgoth but the combination of the blackening of the hearts of Men and the brilliance of Frodo's soul would break his Master's chains. Than at the end of all things they would know complete domination of Middle Earth, Morgoth, Sauron and the one shining light of purity and innocence that had once been Frodo Baggins.