Chapter 24
Frodo's eyes jerked open. He silently cursed himself for how easily
he could fall into sleep, just because he had a full stomach. This
should not happen again! He should have stayed awake and tried to
untie the ropes!
Frodo looked around. The density of the forest and the cold mist
engulfing the trees left almost nothing to see. Frodo could spot two
dark figures sitting in a distance, though. He tried not to attract
their attention. Quiet. Quiet.
Frodo stretched his body slowly. These bonds had made him feel
stiff. His back, especially. Now he was looking intently at the
rope around his wrists. It was tight enough but not too much that it
cut into the skin. He twisted his hands in and out, attempting to
loosen it a bit. Not quite successful. Hmmm, if only he could open
the knots -
Frodo brought his hands to his mouth and wetted the knots for several
minutes. If they were soaked enough, maybe he could finally untie
them. Mmm, not enough. More. More. All right. Let's see. Give
it a try. Now Frodo used his teeth. One. Two. Three. It was a lot
more loosened now. Starting to give a little..And --- finally!
Frodo gave a last tug and his hands broke free! He almost cheered to
himself, but quickly bit his lower lip to hold in his silence. There
was still a great deal to do if he really wanted to get free from the
tree.
Frodo rubbed his sore wrists and sweat-soaked forehead. His eyes
glared wildly, looking for any signs of trouble. No. Nobody seemed to
heed him.
He was now turning his attention to his bound legs. Frodo groaned
softly. Ankles and knees. This was going to be far more difficult.
He decided to start with the knees.
Probably this was the first time he was ever thankful for being
smaller than men. It would be much harder to open the tie if his
fingers were bigger. His tiny slender fingers moved easily among the
knots and after several good minutes they successfully freed Frodo.
Feeling high in spirit, Frodo did the same to his bound ankles.
Thank Elbereth! How nice it felt to have all his limbs set free.
Just one more to go. The rope on his waist. He just needed to turn
it around so that the knot was on his stomach, and he would be able
to undo it. How easy it sounded!
"Uurgh!" Frodo moaned. The rope was too tight. It almost couldn't
slither around. Had his stomach gotten bigger? Impossible.
After some time, Frodo was able to move the cord to the front. In a
relatively short time, he untied it! Somehow Frodo felt strange.
The last effort was a bit too easy to do. Unfortunately, the
excitement in his heart won over his rational mind.
Frodo got up, moving as quietly as possible so as not to `disturb'
the two men that were in the middle of a discussion. His heart
pounded so heavily he was positive they would be able to hear it.
He constantly kept his eyes on Saruman and Ted to make sure they
didn't realize his disappearance and start the chase. He was still
safe so far.
Frodo crawled on his belly, slowly and silently. He did this for
what seemed like hours-but was really only minutes. At last, he
couldn't see his captors anymore. Now he dared himself to stand up
and run. He was all sweat and burning lungs from too much running
when he reached the clearing.
Frodo had no idea where he was. He just decided to keep on walking.
The forest now way behind him when Frodo saw something, or rather,
someone, who made his eyes stare unbelievingly. He almost couldn't
hold himself back. He was in the brink of tears of happiness when he
saw the very `friend' of his. Frodo called out as loudly as his
lungs allowed.
"MEEERRRRYYYYY!!!"
*******
"Answer my question, Mr. Merry!" repeated Sam. "Where is Frodo?"
Merry's eyes shone confusedly for a moment. Merry then raised his
head and glanced at Sam, his grey eyes smiling wickedly.
"Frodo?" laughed Merry cruelly, "Frodo! Don't you count on him,
Sam. You were dead, remember, Sam? And you'll always be dead to
him!"
The words sounded like riddles to Sam, terrible cutting riddles. Sam
released Merry's collar, letting him slump helplessly to the ground.
"What are you saying?!" asked Sam slowly.
"You will see," answered Merry evenly. "He's changed. He's no
longer your sweet old Frodo."
"Why? How?" Sam was utterly confused now.
Merry didn't answer. Instead, he leapt up and shoved Sam hard. Sam
reeled and fell on his rear. Sam grimaced. Merry ran.
"Strider!" screamed Sam, "Don't let him run away!"
The so-called order was hardly necessary as Strider had anticipated
Merry's maneuver and grabbed the fleeing hobbit before Sam even
finished his sentence. Strider lifted the struggling Hobbit to meet
his piercing gaze.
"Going somewhere?"
Merry gave Strider a look that would shattered glass and spit in the
Rangers face. Strider tried with much difficulty to keep his
composure. He forced his burden to the ground face down and pinned
him with the heel of his boot. Strider had to lean into the hobbits
back with amazing force to immobilize him. Merry did not yield
easily.
The ranger had felt awkward at first because he had never fought
anybody so much smaller than him before. But the feeling vanished
after he listened to the conversation between Sam and this evil
little creature. Merry's attack on Sam refreshed his memory of the
despicable manner in which Merry had treated Frodo. These memories
made his next action free from guilt.
"Sam," Strider called in a no-nonsense tone, "Get me a length of
rope from my sack."
Sam eagerly, nearly gleefully handed Strider the rope. With that
rope, Strider tied Merry's hands behind his back, just enough to
restrain the corrupted hobbit, but not enough to cut into his
wrists.
"You will enjoy our hospitality until we locate Frodo," announced
Strider. "Behave. I do not wish to bind your legs. Do you
understand, Sir?"
Merry nodded with understanding, but not submission. Satisfied,
Strider pulled Merry back into a sitting position.
Sam glanced at Merry's face and was terrified. Merry looked
frighteningly different, as if he were possessed by something.
"Frodo is not the same anymore," jeered Merry in a tone that belied
his compromised position. "Not after the ring left him."
Sam's eyes bulged out.
"You took the ring from him?!" Suddenly Sam felt cold all
over. "What have you done to him, you --- you---"
Sam didn't even know what to call Merry. Sam sunk both hands into
Merry's hair and yanked him into a standing position. Merry seemed
to smile derisively at Sam. Sam answered the glare by lifting his
knee and striking the offending hobbit roughly in the lower abdomen.
Merry doubled over, gasping. Cruelty left his eyes and for a
moment. For a fleeting instant, Sam felt he saw the real Merry
coming through. But not for long. In seconds, Merry glared back at
Sam with the eyes of a possessed thing.
"I hope they will destroy Frodo and torture him to death!" yelled
Merry in a menacing voice. "I hope he dies! It is because of him
that I lost my RING!"
TBC
Frodo's eyes jerked open. He silently cursed himself for how easily
he could fall into sleep, just because he had a full stomach. This
should not happen again! He should have stayed awake and tried to
untie the ropes!
Frodo looked around. The density of the forest and the cold mist
engulfing the trees left almost nothing to see. Frodo could spot two
dark figures sitting in a distance, though. He tried not to attract
their attention. Quiet. Quiet.
Frodo stretched his body slowly. These bonds had made him feel
stiff. His back, especially. Now he was looking intently at the
rope around his wrists. It was tight enough but not too much that it
cut into the skin. He twisted his hands in and out, attempting to
loosen it a bit. Not quite successful. Hmmm, if only he could open
the knots -
Frodo brought his hands to his mouth and wetted the knots for several
minutes. If they were soaked enough, maybe he could finally untie
them. Mmm, not enough. More. More. All right. Let's see. Give
it a try. Now Frodo used his teeth. One. Two. Three. It was a lot
more loosened now. Starting to give a little..And --- finally!
Frodo gave a last tug and his hands broke free! He almost cheered to
himself, but quickly bit his lower lip to hold in his silence. There
was still a great deal to do if he really wanted to get free from the
tree.
Frodo rubbed his sore wrists and sweat-soaked forehead. His eyes
glared wildly, looking for any signs of trouble. No. Nobody seemed to
heed him.
He was now turning his attention to his bound legs. Frodo groaned
softly. Ankles and knees. This was going to be far more difficult.
He decided to start with the knees.
Probably this was the first time he was ever thankful for being
smaller than men. It would be much harder to open the tie if his
fingers were bigger. His tiny slender fingers moved easily among the
knots and after several good minutes they successfully freed Frodo.
Feeling high in spirit, Frodo did the same to his bound ankles.
Thank Elbereth! How nice it felt to have all his limbs set free.
Just one more to go. The rope on his waist. He just needed to turn
it around so that the knot was on his stomach, and he would be able
to undo it. How easy it sounded!
"Uurgh!" Frodo moaned. The rope was too tight. It almost couldn't
slither around. Had his stomach gotten bigger? Impossible.
After some time, Frodo was able to move the cord to the front. In a
relatively short time, he untied it! Somehow Frodo felt strange.
The last effort was a bit too easy to do. Unfortunately, the
excitement in his heart won over his rational mind.
Frodo got up, moving as quietly as possible so as not to `disturb'
the two men that were in the middle of a discussion. His heart
pounded so heavily he was positive they would be able to hear it.
He constantly kept his eyes on Saruman and Ted to make sure they
didn't realize his disappearance and start the chase. He was still
safe so far.
Frodo crawled on his belly, slowly and silently. He did this for
what seemed like hours-but was really only minutes. At last, he
couldn't see his captors anymore. Now he dared himself to stand up
and run. He was all sweat and burning lungs from too much running
when he reached the clearing.
Frodo had no idea where he was. He just decided to keep on walking.
The forest now way behind him when Frodo saw something, or rather,
someone, who made his eyes stare unbelievingly. He almost couldn't
hold himself back. He was in the brink of tears of happiness when he
saw the very `friend' of his. Frodo called out as loudly as his
lungs allowed.
"MEEERRRRYYYYY!!!"
*******
"Answer my question, Mr. Merry!" repeated Sam. "Where is Frodo?"
Merry's eyes shone confusedly for a moment. Merry then raised his
head and glanced at Sam, his grey eyes smiling wickedly.
"Frodo?" laughed Merry cruelly, "Frodo! Don't you count on him,
Sam. You were dead, remember, Sam? And you'll always be dead to
him!"
The words sounded like riddles to Sam, terrible cutting riddles. Sam
released Merry's collar, letting him slump helplessly to the ground.
"What are you saying?!" asked Sam slowly.
"You will see," answered Merry evenly. "He's changed. He's no
longer your sweet old Frodo."
"Why? How?" Sam was utterly confused now.
Merry didn't answer. Instead, he leapt up and shoved Sam hard. Sam
reeled and fell on his rear. Sam grimaced. Merry ran.
"Strider!" screamed Sam, "Don't let him run away!"
The so-called order was hardly necessary as Strider had anticipated
Merry's maneuver and grabbed the fleeing hobbit before Sam even
finished his sentence. Strider lifted the struggling Hobbit to meet
his piercing gaze.
"Going somewhere?"
Merry gave Strider a look that would shattered glass and spit in the
Rangers face. Strider tried with much difficulty to keep his
composure. He forced his burden to the ground face down and pinned
him with the heel of his boot. Strider had to lean into the hobbits
back with amazing force to immobilize him. Merry did not yield
easily.
The ranger had felt awkward at first because he had never fought
anybody so much smaller than him before. But the feeling vanished
after he listened to the conversation between Sam and this evil
little creature. Merry's attack on Sam refreshed his memory of the
despicable manner in which Merry had treated Frodo. These memories
made his next action free from guilt.
"Sam," Strider called in a no-nonsense tone, "Get me a length of
rope from my sack."
Sam eagerly, nearly gleefully handed Strider the rope. With that
rope, Strider tied Merry's hands behind his back, just enough to
restrain the corrupted hobbit, but not enough to cut into his
wrists.
"You will enjoy our hospitality until we locate Frodo," announced
Strider. "Behave. I do not wish to bind your legs. Do you
understand, Sir?"
Merry nodded with understanding, but not submission. Satisfied,
Strider pulled Merry back into a sitting position.
Sam glanced at Merry's face and was terrified. Merry looked
frighteningly different, as if he were possessed by something.
"Frodo is not the same anymore," jeered Merry in a tone that belied
his compromised position. "Not after the ring left him."
Sam's eyes bulged out.
"You took the ring from him?!" Suddenly Sam felt cold all
over. "What have you done to him, you --- you---"
Sam didn't even know what to call Merry. Sam sunk both hands into
Merry's hair and yanked him into a standing position. Merry seemed
to smile derisively at Sam. Sam answered the glare by lifting his
knee and striking the offending hobbit roughly in the lower abdomen.
Merry doubled over, gasping. Cruelty left his eyes and for a
moment. For a fleeting instant, Sam felt he saw the real Merry
coming through. But not for long. In seconds, Merry glared back at
Sam with the eyes of a possessed thing.
"I hope they will destroy Frodo and torture him to death!" yelled
Merry in a menacing voice. "I hope he dies! It is because of him
that I lost my RING!"
TBC
