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