Chapter 21
Carefully, Strider traced the footsteps on the ground. He was able
to recognize two different hobbit steps, all starting from the inn
towards the woods. Strider followed them silently with Sam
following behind him in equal silence. Frodo's gardener was afraid
that if he made any sounds, it would ruin the ranger's concentration.
Sam jumped in surprise when Strider stopped with a grunt. He gazed
at the man questioningly.
"Why only one left?" Strider muttered to himself, unaware of his
companion.
"What?" Sam started. "You mean you saw two before and now only one?"
Strider nodded.
"Two hobbits?"
Strider nodded again.
"Yes. There are other steps here but they don't belong to a
hobbit. It's easy for me to tell those of a hobbit from the ones of
a man. A hobbit's steps are unique, and not too many here."
That meant there had been only a small number of hobbits wandering
around here and Sam was sure Frodo, Merry, and Pippin were among
them. Sam scratched his head roughly, making the light brown curls
go even more untidy.
Why only two hobbits? And now just one? Shouldn't it be three?
And whose steps were they? Sam wished desperately that those were
his master's.
***
Frodo choked back his scream. Phil was dead! Ted had thrown the
knife far from behind and it killed Phil at once. It seemed that
Ted was dead serious when saying that Frodo had to be kept unhurt.
Ted was also the one trying hard to cure Frodo's stab wound.
Whatever came to him later in Isengard, Frodo was under Ted's
protection for the time being. Frodo was sickened to think that he
needed to be thankful for this. Yet, the sight of a dead man lying
before his very eyes left him trembling violently.
Frodo's knees grew weak and if not because of a pair of strong hands
that held his upper arms from behind, he would have fallen down.
Frodo panted severely and felt terribly ill. His mind went to the
horrifying nightmare.
"He could have killed you," said Ted slowly. "I know Phil. He was
rude to whomever he was with, a lass or a lad. The fact that you
are so fair and good looking only made everything worse."
Ted shortened the distance between him and Frodo. The paled hobbit,
forgetting his bonds, jerked back but fell back into the other man
who was still clutching him. Frodo was terrified. Whatever Ted had
said to persuade him, the man was capable of ending another man's
life. Frodo couldn't decide which one was worse, a man who tortured
another or a man who murdered someone else.
"Why did you flinch?" growled Ted. "I'm NOT the one who was trying
to hurt you!"
"Leave me alone," Frodo struggled desperately. "Let me go!"
"That's impossible, Frodo Baggins," hissed the man behind him in his
ears.
Frodo froze at the sound of his real name. Never had he revealed
his real name to anyone since he was out of the Shire. But this man
knew his complete name.
Frodo tried hard to turn around and when he shot a glance at the
man, he gasped in shock. How could it be? The man looked
completely different from how he had looked just several minutes
before. His dark, scruffy hair had become fair and long. The
scraggly beard on his face was gone completely, now the face clean
and shiny. And what more surprising were the clothes. His worn-out
and shabby outfit had transformed to an elegant gray attire. Even
Ted let his jaw drop widely.
"Sar - Saruman?!" he exclaimed unbelievingly. "But I saw you in
Isengard when I left years ago - with Phil and DAVID!"
***
After his initial, hysterical reaction of having been able to get a
hold of the Ring, Pippin slowly went confused. All right, so, he
got the Ring. The One Ring. The Ring of Power. Then what?
Nothing seemed to happen or change. There was no lightning
striking, or a noise rumbling from deep beneath the earth. Now, how
could he know if he had become powerful or not?
Pippin was strolling back towards the inn, fondling the Ring in his
fist. It felt cold and distant yet smooth and soothing. But still
nothing happened.
"Why worry, little one? You have me."
Suddenly Pip heard the voice again. He quivered, not because of
fear but because of joy and excitement.
"I am at your service, sir," added the voice.
Pippin's eyes widened.
"But how? I don't feel anything so far though I have the ring of
power."
"ARE YOU QUESTIONING MY POWER, LITTLE MASTER?!"
The voice was thundering but still with a slight hint of
tenderness. Pippin shrank back.
"No! I'm terribly sorry! I didn't mean to -"
"No need to apologize, my dear," cut the Ring softly. "Now, pray
tell me your desire."
Pip told it what he really wanted in the world. He tilted his head
when he thought he heard a strange noise. It seemed like the Ring
was chuckling to itself!
"Hey!" Pip yelled angrily. "What is the matter with being a master
of farmers?!"
"Nothing, nothing," replied the Ring, still laughing merrily.
TBC
Carefully, Strider traced the footsteps on the ground. He was able
to recognize two different hobbit steps, all starting from the inn
towards the woods. Strider followed them silently with Sam
following behind him in equal silence. Frodo's gardener was afraid
that if he made any sounds, it would ruin the ranger's concentration.
Sam jumped in surprise when Strider stopped with a grunt. He gazed
at the man questioningly.
"Why only one left?" Strider muttered to himself, unaware of his
companion.
"What?" Sam started. "You mean you saw two before and now only one?"
Strider nodded.
"Two hobbits?"
Strider nodded again.
"Yes. There are other steps here but they don't belong to a
hobbit. It's easy for me to tell those of a hobbit from the ones of
a man. A hobbit's steps are unique, and not too many here."
That meant there had been only a small number of hobbits wandering
around here and Sam was sure Frodo, Merry, and Pippin were among
them. Sam scratched his head roughly, making the light brown curls
go even more untidy.
Why only two hobbits? And now just one? Shouldn't it be three?
And whose steps were they? Sam wished desperately that those were
his master's.
***
Frodo choked back his scream. Phil was dead! Ted had thrown the
knife far from behind and it killed Phil at once. It seemed that
Ted was dead serious when saying that Frodo had to be kept unhurt.
Ted was also the one trying hard to cure Frodo's stab wound.
Whatever came to him later in Isengard, Frodo was under Ted's
protection for the time being. Frodo was sickened to think that he
needed to be thankful for this. Yet, the sight of a dead man lying
before his very eyes left him trembling violently.
Frodo's knees grew weak and if not because of a pair of strong hands
that held his upper arms from behind, he would have fallen down.
Frodo panted severely and felt terribly ill. His mind went to the
horrifying nightmare.
"He could have killed you," said Ted slowly. "I know Phil. He was
rude to whomever he was with, a lass or a lad. The fact that you
are so fair and good looking only made everything worse."
Ted shortened the distance between him and Frodo. The paled hobbit,
forgetting his bonds, jerked back but fell back into the other man
who was still clutching him. Frodo was terrified. Whatever Ted had
said to persuade him, the man was capable of ending another man's
life. Frodo couldn't decide which one was worse, a man who tortured
another or a man who murdered someone else.
"Why did you flinch?" growled Ted. "I'm NOT the one who was trying
to hurt you!"
"Leave me alone," Frodo struggled desperately. "Let me go!"
"That's impossible, Frodo Baggins," hissed the man behind him in his
ears.
Frodo froze at the sound of his real name. Never had he revealed
his real name to anyone since he was out of the Shire. But this man
knew his complete name.
Frodo tried hard to turn around and when he shot a glance at the
man, he gasped in shock. How could it be? The man looked
completely different from how he had looked just several minutes
before. His dark, scruffy hair had become fair and long. The
scraggly beard on his face was gone completely, now the face clean
and shiny. And what more surprising were the clothes. His worn-out
and shabby outfit had transformed to an elegant gray attire. Even
Ted let his jaw drop widely.
"Sar - Saruman?!" he exclaimed unbelievingly. "But I saw you in
Isengard when I left years ago - with Phil and DAVID!"
***
After his initial, hysterical reaction of having been able to get a
hold of the Ring, Pippin slowly went confused. All right, so, he
got the Ring. The One Ring. The Ring of Power. Then what?
Nothing seemed to happen or change. There was no lightning
striking, or a noise rumbling from deep beneath the earth. Now, how
could he know if he had become powerful or not?
Pippin was strolling back towards the inn, fondling the Ring in his
fist. It felt cold and distant yet smooth and soothing. But still
nothing happened.
"Why worry, little one? You have me."
Suddenly Pip heard the voice again. He quivered, not because of
fear but because of joy and excitement.
"I am at your service, sir," added the voice.
Pippin's eyes widened.
"But how? I don't feel anything so far though I have the ring of
power."
"ARE YOU QUESTIONING MY POWER, LITTLE MASTER?!"
The voice was thundering but still with a slight hint of
tenderness. Pippin shrank back.
"No! I'm terribly sorry! I didn't mean to -"
"No need to apologize, my dear," cut the Ring softly. "Now, pray
tell me your desire."
Pip told it what he really wanted in the world. He tilted his head
when he thought he heard a strange noise. It seemed like the Ring
was chuckling to itself!
"Hey!" Pip yelled angrily. "What is the matter with being a master
of farmers?!"
"Nothing, nothing," replied the Ring, still laughing merrily.
TBC
