Disclaimer: AU Story. The fourth large LOTR fic! My word, not another,
surely? The characters are not mine. The settings are not mine. The plot
is, however, my creation. I hope you find this an enjoyable read.
Koko Kung: HIYA! Yes, I know; I've been beating myself up about not writing anything for ages so I decided to force myself into the computer chair and study LOTR for a new story. :-). Yes! Us fellow sadists have to stick together!
Shirebound: Darkness envelops my soul... Mwa ha ha! Thank you for the note- I am terrible at that and will definitely try to avoid all my "chops" from now on.
MagicalRachel: You guess right! Well, torture-ish. It's not going to be quite as bad as a) being poisoned b) being attacked by scary Uruk-Hai while Pippin screams "They're dead!" or c) jumping off a cliff. Hopefully. Glad you liked my Gollum-y and Sammy parts. I like Gollum. Did...I...just say that? Heehee- my description fest! You'd better watch out for darkness. I mean, we are in the Garden of the Moon and you have to keep your wits about you, precious. Yes, precious, very long way to go...I'm sorry, I've been listening to the radio production a lot and Gollum seriously freaks me out.
Holly Wood: Glad I'm making you wonder. But to find out what happens next, you must read on and go where no other reviewer has gone before...
CStini: Yay! Hope this next chapter will be as enjoyable. :-)
????: Almond Joy? Hmm... *ideas begin taking root* Mawkish, btw, means "nauseatingly sentimental" or just generally homesick. I'm so pleased you liked the argument part- I wanted to combine both the book and the movie version. Hehe- thank you for the lovely review!
Bookworm2000: Arg, no! The 2000 bookworms strike back! :-P. I know- I should be more sympathetic towards Gollum but I still think he's a creep. Hope this satisfies your cravings!
~ Chapter Two ~
Gollum started out of his revery with a hiss. Frodo and Sam were already on their feet, looking round in terror. The drums seemed to come from all around, echoing amid the branches and vibrating underfoot.
"Where's it coming from?" Frodo whispered.
"It sounds like they're right on top of us!" Sam cried.
"Downhill, hobbitses," their guide instructed, "To the lake. Hide there 'till they've gone."
"Who are *they*?" asked Sam as he began scrambling back down the hill, trying fervently to help his master at the same time. But Gollum did not answer and merely led them down into the dell and under a thick overhang of branches. All three crouched in the shadows, feeling their fingers sinking into the muddy banks of the pool. They held their breath. The drumming was approaching from the direction they had just come, down some unseen path towards them. A loud, clear horn note rang out and it echoed across the clearing. Gollum whimpered and put his hands over his ears.
"Look," Frodo hissed, "There they are."
Through the jumble of thorny branches, a column of orcs came marching through. Rank upon endless rank of sabres, spears and swords. The leader, his black cloak marked by the emblem of a red eye, turned his troops left and westward through Ithilien. Orcs poured down the hill in a veritable deluge of scale and armour. Then the horde came to an end and their marching feet grew more and more distant. At last, when the silence had resumed, Sam gave a great sigh.
"Thank goodness that's over," he breathed.
"Not over, precious, not over!" said Gollum, "No, no, no, hobbits must go on. Climb higher. Go further. Come along, Master, must get away from the orcses."
They obeyed, grudgingly, and began ascending the hill once more. There was no time to stop for a bite to eat and they were far too uneasy to stop anywhere for long. At the summit of the rise, they looked down across the miles of greying woodland before them. The trees looked silver in the moonlight, criss-crossed with finger-like rivers and streams. Sam guessed he could hear the distant rumble of a waterfall and he squinted out to the horizon where plumes of water were being hurled into the air. The hobbit suddenly felt himself thrust down.
"Down, Sam!" Frodo cried. They lay still for a long time and Sam wondered what on earth his friend could have seen. Then he heard the faint caw of birds. He felt the chill of the crebain's shadows as they passed overhead and listened to the soft flap of their wings. The companions lay rigid in the ferns for a long time, unable to move for their fear. And when at last the flock was gone and they could sit up again, they found, to their dismay, that Gollum had gone.
Sam decided to fight back any angry words at present, for fear of upsetting Frodo again, but he could not help but feel as he had been expecting this. He was almost surprised that there was not a dagger in his back already. Somehow, he could not find the will to trust Gollum. He had heard so many stories of Bilbo and the game of riddles so many times that he could not get the picture of that leering, deformed creature in the darkness out of his head. He glanced out the corner of his eye.
"Mister Frodo?" he asked cautiously, "What do we do now?"
"There's nothing we can do, really. I suppose we must just wait...and see if he comes back."
Once again, Sam swallowed any remarks to this.
--
The moon slid across the velvet sky and was soon replaced by glints of sunlight in the east. Sam woke first, curled up under his cloak. He blinked in the harsh light and sat up stiffly. He gazed round at the land and had to catch his breath at the scene before him. Ithilien stretched out far below, in a myriad of bright colours. The green and ochre of leaves, the blue and silver of water, the patterned black and moave of shadows. It was almost as lovely as the Shire. Sam quickly crushed this thought. But he could not forget just how very far he was from home. From the Gaffer and Bagshot Row. He missed it all terribly. Almost so much, it made him wonder why he had ever come.
Yet, when he looked across at his master, he knew why. There was a light in Frodo; like a beacon that Sam had followed. Frodo had taken on so much- Sam knew that- and he had lost even more. He had walked across the face of Middle-Earth, trying to perform a task that he believed was fruitless. He has asked Sam once, in Lothlórien, if he thought all of them would come to Mordor. It was frightening to think that this gardener was the only one who had been able to follow the beacon all the way. And still, however much there was behind them, there always seemed to be such a long way still to go.
"But I said I would," Sam said resolutely, "I said I'd follow him to whatever end and I still promise that. That light always shines through, somehow. I love him. And I've promised to follow him." He bit down on his lip and thought. "But now that dratted Gollum's gone and run off. I'm not much use on navigatin'. I just hope he'll keep to his word until we're well inside Mordor."
"...Oh," Frodo yawned, sitting up and smiling at his friend, "Hello, Sam. Is Sméagol back yet?"
"Not yet, Mister Frodo. Should we wait any longer?"
"Yes. An hour longer. He's probably out hunting or something. If he's not back by then, well...we'll have to go on without him."
They shared a meagre breakfast of lembas and then sat for a while longer, gazing out over the magnificent garden. Just as Frodo was about declare they move on, drums began to echo in the distance. The blare of a horn.
"Oh no," Sam murmured, "Not another lot."
"Sméagol said they came through every day," Frodo replied. For a long time, they could do little but listen and try to determine from which direction the sound was coming from. Sam furrowed his brow.
"I don't know, Mister Frodo," he said, "But I reckon...I reckon they're coming up from the hill."
"Are you sure?"
"Listen for yourself. It's getting clearer all the while."
It was true. The drumbeats were coming up the hill towards them. Frodo leapt to his feet, gathering up their things in his arms and looking wildly about.
"We have to hide!"
Together, they dived down the opposite bank and then worked their way along to the left. But to their horror, the troops gave a great cry and began to swarm over the hill, rushing down in pursuit.
"Run, Frodo!" Sam cried, "Find somewhere to hide. I'll run off in t'other direction."
"No, Sam, I wouldn't have got this far without you. Come on!"
But as Frodo's hand grasped Sam's wrist, an arrow thudded into the ground between them. The hobbits tumbled down the hill, head over heels. The orcs gave a great cheer as they plummeted down into the bushes and lay motionless on the ground.
Koko Kung: HIYA! Yes, I know; I've been beating myself up about not writing anything for ages so I decided to force myself into the computer chair and study LOTR for a new story. :-). Yes! Us fellow sadists have to stick together!
Shirebound: Darkness envelops my soul... Mwa ha ha! Thank you for the note- I am terrible at that and will definitely try to avoid all my "chops" from now on.
MagicalRachel: You guess right! Well, torture-ish. It's not going to be quite as bad as a) being poisoned b) being attacked by scary Uruk-Hai while Pippin screams "They're dead!" or c) jumping off a cliff. Hopefully. Glad you liked my Gollum-y and Sammy parts. I like Gollum. Did...I...just say that? Heehee- my description fest! You'd better watch out for darkness. I mean, we are in the Garden of the Moon and you have to keep your wits about you, precious. Yes, precious, very long way to go...I'm sorry, I've been listening to the radio production a lot and Gollum seriously freaks me out.
Holly Wood: Glad I'm making you wonder. But to find out what happens next, you must read on and go where no other reviewer has gone before...
CStini: Yay! Hope this next chapter will be as enjoyable. :-)
????: Almond Joy? Hmm... *ideas begin taking root* Mawkish, btw, means "nauseatingly sentimental" or just generally homesick. I'm so pleased you liked the argument part- I wanted to combine both the book and the movie version. Hehe- thank you for the lovely review!
Bookworm2000: Arg, no! The 2000 bookworms strike back! :-P. I know- I should be more sympathetic towards Gollum but I still think he's a creep. Hope this satisfies your cravings!
~ Chapter Two ~
Gollum started out of his revery with a hiss. Frodo and Sam were already on their feet, looking round in terror. The drums seemed to come from all around, echoing amid the branches and vibrating underfoot.
"Where's it coming from?" Frodo whispered.
"It sounds like they're right on top of us!" Sam cried.
"Downhill, hobbitses," their guide instructed, "To the lake. Hide there 'till they've gone."
"Who are *they*?" asked Sam as he began scrambling back down the hill, trying fervently to help his master at the same time. But Gollum did not answer and merely led them down into the dell and under a thick overhang of branches. All three crouched in the shadows, feeling their fingers sinking into the muddy banks of the pool. They held their breath. The drumming was approaching from the direction they had just come, down some unseen path towards them. A loud, clear horn note rang out and it echoed across the clearing. Gollum whimpered and put his hands over his ears.
"Look," Frodo hissed, "There they are."
Through the jumble of thorny branches, a column of orcs came marching through. Rank upon endless rank of sabres, spears and swords. The leader, his black cloak marked by the emblem of a red eye, turned his troops left and westward through Ithilien. Orcs poured down the hill in a veritable deluge of scale and armour. Then the horde came to an end and their marching feet grew more and more distant. At last, when the silence had resumed, Sam gave a great sigh.
"Thank goodness that's over," he breathed.
"Not over, precious, not over!" said Gollum, "No, no, no, hobbits must go on. Climb higher. Go further. Come along, Master, must get away from the orcses."
They obeyed, grudgingly, and began ascending the hill once more. There was no time to stop for a bite to eat and they were far too uneasy to stop anywhere for long. At the summit of the rise, they looked down across the miles of greying woodland before them. The trees looked silver in the moonlight, criss-crossed with finger-like rivers and streams. Sam guessed he could hear the distant rumble of a waterfall and he squinted out to the horizon where plumes of water were being hurled into the air. The hobbit suddenly felt himself thrust down.
"Down, Sam!" Frodo cried. They lay still for a long time and Sam wondered what on earth his friend could have seen. Then he heard the faint caw of birds. He felt the chill of the crebain's shadows as they passed overhead and listened to the soft flap of their wings. The companions lay rigid in the ferns for a long time, unable to move for their fear. And when at last the flock was gone and they could sit up again, they found, to their dismay, that Gollum had gone.
Sam decided to fight back any angry words at present, for fear of upsetting Frodo again, but he could not help but feel as he had been expecting this. He was almost surprised that there was not a dagger in his back already. Somehow, he could not find the will to trust Gollum. He had heard so many stories of Bilbo and the game of riddles so many times that he could not get the picture of that leering, deformed creature in the darkness out of his head. He glanced out the corner of his eye.
"Mister Frodo?" he asked cautiously, "What do we do now?"
"There's nothing we can do, really. I suppose we must just wait...and see if he comes back."
Once again, Sam swallowed any remarks to this.
--
The moon slid across the velvet sky and was soon replaced by glints of sunlight in the east. Sam woke first, curled up under his cloak. He blinked in the harsh light and sat up stiffly. He gazed round at the land and had to catch his breath at the scene before him. Ithilien stretched out far below, in a myriad of bright colours. The green and ochre of leaves, the blue and silver of water, the patterned black and moave of shadows. It was almost as lovely as the Shire. Sam quickly crushed this thought. But he could not forget just how very far he was from home. From the Gaffer and Bagshot Row. He missed it all terribly. Almost so much, it made him wonder why he had ever come.
Yet, when he looked across at his master, he knew why. There was a light in Frodo; like a beacon that Sam had followed. Frodo had taken on so much- Sam knew that- and he had lost even more. He had walked across the face of Middle-Earth, trying to perform a task that he believed was fruitless. He has asked Sam once, in Lothlórien, if he thought all of them would come to Mordor. It was frightening to think that this gardener was the only one who had been able to follow the beacon all the way. And still, however much there was behind them, there always seemed to be such a long way still to go.
"But I said I would," Sam said resolutely, "I said I'd follow him to whatever end and I still promise that. That light always shines through, somehow. I love him. And I've promised to follow him." He bit down on his lip and thought. "But now that dratted Gollum's gone and run off. I'm not much use on navigatin'. I just hope he'll keep to his word until we're well inside Mordor."
"...Oh," Frodo yawned, sitting up and smiling at his friend, "Hello, Sam. Is Sméagol back yet?"
"Not yet, Mister Frodo. Should we wait any longer?"
"Yes. An hour longer. He's probably out hunting or something. If he's not back by then, well...we'll have to go on without him."
They shared a meagre breakfast of lembas and then sat for a while longer, gazing out over the magnificent garden. Just as Frodo was about declare they move on, drums began to echo in the distance. The blare of a horn.
"Oh no," Sam murmured, "Not another lot."
"Sméagol said they came through every day," Frodo replied. For a long time, they could do little but listen and try to determine from which direction the sound was coming from. Sam furrowed his brow.
"I don't know, Mister Frodo," he said, "But I reckon...I reckon they're coming up from the hill."
"Are you sure?"
"Listen for yourself. It's getting clearer all the while."
It was true. The drumbeats were coming up the hill towards them. Frodo leapt to his feet, gathering up their things in his arms and looking wildly about.
"We have to hide!"
Together, they dived down the opposite bank and then worked their way along to the left. But to their horror, the troops gave a great cry and began to swarm over the hill, rushing down in pursuit.
"Run, Frodo!" Sam cried, "Find somewhere to hide. I'll run off in t'other direction."
"No, Sam, I wouldn't have got this far without you. Come on!"
But as Frodo's hand grasped Sam's wrist, an arrow thudded into the ground between them. The hobbits tumbled down the hill, head over heels. The orcs gave a great cheer as they plummeted down into the bushes and lay motionless on the ground.