Warning: AU, violence

Chapter 25

Frodo saw his cousin turn his head around and look at him in wonder. Although Merry didn't say anything, Frodo didn't care. He sobbed. Relief washed over him.

"Please help me, Merry. These men are mean. Don't let them lay their hands on me again!"

Merry stood still quietly but his eyes were saying, 'Better me than them, right?'

"Merry," breathed Frodo. "They want the ring. I didn't tell them anything about it. A cloud suddenly came over my mind. But I remember now. Do you still have it?"

Merry stared at him angrily.

"No! No! Don't be mad at me. Please!" Frodo added. He got panicky. "I won't tell them anything. I--"

Suddenly Merry appeared to be about leaving. Frodo screamed desperately.

"No! Merry, please! Don't go!" Would his cousin be just the same as any others - leaving him behind in the end? Frodo flailed his hands that were, spookily, tightly bound again.

"Aaahhh!"

What was happening? Why were all these ropes back?

"Thank you, my dear hobbit. I know now with whom the ring is."

That voice. Surrounding over the entire forest.

Saruman? Frodo looked up, only to be met with a pair of wicked eyes that were full of satisfaction. Frodo wheezed in shock. He squirmed against his bonds, yet again. That was true. Besides his hands, his ankles, knees, and waist were also tied back, as if all that happened earlier never existed.

Frodo struggled harder and harder. His mind searched frustratedly for any explanations for this. Was it just a dream? Impossible! Everything felt so real. And Merry - Merry was with him! Sweet Elbereth, please, please, please! Let the dream become a reality and let this nightmare be gone forever!

Frodo thrashed about and tugged and moved his bound hands and legs to every direction. Jumping up, the white wizard cursed the stubborn captive.

"Stupid hobbit!" And a harsh kick flew to Frodo's side. Frodo whimpered. A bruise would surely appear as the result later. But he didn't stop his struggle. He was too disappointed and angry to just sit still thinking about his situation.

"How can it be! How can it be!" He shouted to no one in particular, and shot an accusing glance to Ted.

"Thanks very much for the bread! If I hadn't eaten it, I wouldn't have gotten too full and fallen asleep that easily."

Ted opened his mouth ready to defend himself. But he was stopped by Saruman's chuckle.

"Amazing! Gandalf is right again. Hobbits are really amazing creatures. You blame yourself for getting too full and so on so you could have that nice dream?"

Saruman looked at Frodo with genuine pity. The hobbit gazed back, trying to follow where Saruman was getting to.

"Frodo my silly hobbit, has it ever crossed your mind that I am such a powerful wizard I can control someone else's mind?"

Frodo was not the stupidest hobbit alive. He could see now Saruman's point. He just - it was just difficult to believe. Saruman engineered his dream from the very beginning?

"That's true, my friend," the wizard interrupted.

Frodo shifted in his bonds, surprised. There! The old man read his mind again.

"I knew and watched everything in your dream, Frodo. I followed you. You strived with your ties. You slipped away. And you --" Saruman pointed at Frodo. "You said to your friend that you remembered the whereabouts of the ring!"

Frodo shook his head in panic. Saruman couldn't make him go take Ted and himself to Merry. No!

"So the ring is with the other hobbit," Saruman made sure. He then motioned Ted to come and untie Frodo. They were going to go right away! Frodo was almost hysterical. He would never surrender Merry to this renegade!

"Ted, please!" pleaded Frodo. "You must help me! Merry is my only friend. I won't-"

"Friend?" asked Ted as if Frodo was insane. "You were in terrible condition when I took you from the inn. It was because of him, wasn't it?" said Ted while releasing Frodo from the tree. But talking to Frodo this time was just like talking to a deaf post.

"You can't say that! He is my friend, my protector! He is like a parent to me!"

Saruman was getting impatient. He took a handful of Frodo's hair and tugged him up. Frodo screeched. His tied knees and ankles enabled him to stand properly so he was just hanging there helplessly, painfully, by his hair in Saruman's hand.

"Cut out the nonsense about this FRIEND of yours! Just take us to him and we will let you go!"

Will they? Frodo didn't believe him a bit. Cut his throat and leave him in the wild, that was more like it. Frodo realized that his life was hung by a thread. Yet, in this critical situation, Frodo's mind went back to his lovely dream. He regretted he didn't have a chance to hug Merry and let his cousin give him words of comfort. Frodo shut his eyes miserably.

"Help me, Merry," he sobbed.

"Then lead us to him!" growled Saruman.

Frodo tried to shake his head, yet unsuccessfully. "Never!"

"Oh, you will!"

Getting more and more impatient, Saruman banged Frodo's head to the tree. Frodo heard a crack in the back of his head.

"Ah! No, please!"

"Come on, boy!" And another crack at the same place made Frodo waver. He let out short, gasping breaths. Sharp pains hit him and Saruman knew it would not be long before the hobbit collapsed.

Saruman released his grasp on Frodo when he felt the poor being go limp.
TBC