Alisaundre: Orcs are indeed foolish creatures that men are able to steer.
:)
Krista: Thanks to always let me know that you follow the story. And -
(handing out the medicine, my next chapter). Enjoy!
QTPie: I agree Sam should have been angrier toward Pip!
Blue Jedi Hobbit: Please don't give up the hope. The time will come for
Frodo to be safe and comforted.
endymion: OMG! I completely forgot about Saruman!
aelfgifu: Congratulations for finally finishing your grading. Sorry if I
was being pushy. LOL
Warning: AU, angst
Chapter 50
Frodo barely recognized the shrill cries of war from the men and orcs, while he couldn't place Merry's voice at all. Was it because the twisted hobbit was too busy giving unspoken commands to the others or because he was still smiling smugly all the time, something Frodo often saw decorating his cousin's face lately? Well, anything was possible and Frodo was hardly aware of all that as he was trying desperately just to move.
He was not sure but it seemed that he had awakened long before now, when all of a sudden he felt his breath sucked out completely. That was when someone threw him ungracefully onto something with coarse hair and stinky smell. He couldn't tell what it was at first, having lost his senses especially with his eyes covered.
Frodo strained his neck, trying to lessen the stiffness on it due to its being in hanging position. But it was useless, the straining. It even worsened the pain coming from the wound which gradually changed to spasms.
Panic started to overcome Frodo and he groaned in despair. He was writhing, trying to attract someone's attention, but that was when a thick fabric was thrown over his body.
"Eru, no!" he screamed frustratedly, but his voice was heavily stifled by the cover. "Aaahh!" Frodo squealed and squirmed, and froze when a seizure attacked his left chest. The poison had started to spread.
He pressed his upper body down to lessen the pain but it didn't help much. His breath turned ragged and slow. He tossed his head back, attempting to draw air into his lungs. Tears flowed down from his eyes, soaking the blindfold.
"Gods, please help me---" he was begging, pleading, but still very difficult to breathe. Mama, Papa, what had he done to deserve this? Yet, all the agony was just too familiar to him. This had happened to him before and he had managed to survive at that time. Would he survive it this time?
Frodo was panting, screaming, gasping again, and screeching again, until his mouth went terribly dry. He tried to move his bound hand but he was trussed up too tightly. Ah, Elbereth! He jerked again as his heart tightened yet again. Only this time a hand suddenly pushed his back, making sure he lay down still.
So, he finally had the man's attention! His hope went up despite the pains he still got. At least he would not die without someone else knowing it. Frodo renewed his struggle although that made him suffer more from the spasms. He only stopped when what he could do was gasping. And suddenly, the cover was yanked away. Frodo tensed, anticipating apprehensively on what was to come.
***
Merry felt a bit disappointed, as they met no more of the elves during their journey afterwards. It went smoothly down the grassy fields and rocky terrain alternately. The wargs were still galloping at full speed, though, for Merry and the men didn't want to delay their assured (in their opinion) dominance over the significant piece of land in the valley of Rivendell. If they succeeded in taking over that place, overcoming Lorien would be as easy.
Nearing the Bruinen river, the men's leader informed Merry that they would soon see the river but that Merry needn't worry about how to cross it.
"We will go across the ford, Master Merry. It won't be difficult at all. And with another step, you will be in Rivendell already!"
Merry's eyes shone, but a second later he creased his brow.
"How about guards? Or scouts? They surely won't leave the place unattended, will they?" he inquired.
The leader laughed out loud.
"Guards? Scouts? You have seen what my men and those orcs are capable of doing, haven't you? Why all those doubts? The point is, we're willing to do anything at the right price!"
Merry frowned a little at this but then he smiled widely.
"Very well, then! Let's get going, or you will not get what you want!" he exclaimed. The man welcomed this with a wail that was replied wildly by his fellows.
So, away they went and they reached the ford at no time at all. To Merry's surprise, there were no guards at all. Apparently the lords in Rivendell hadn't got the news of their loss so they didn't set any patrols around the river.
Having crossed the ford of Bruinen, they ran along the river which led them down to the valley. After a moment, Merry raised his right hand, signaling the others to halt.
"They put guards around the bridge," he whispered, and the message was quickly spread out across the men and orcs. A man with a bow and a quiver full of arrows stepped forward.
"I'll take care of them, Master," he said, also in a whisper. They had to be very quiet. These elves' ears were so keen. They saw themselves that the fair guards had started whipping their heads to the left and right, trying to locate where the noises Merry had produced were coming from.
But before those elves had a chance to initiate an action, arrows had been whooshing away to their direction, slicing the air and aiming directly to their chests. A second too late, those elves were suddenly left having their eyes widened and breaths caught - forever. Almost at the same time they all crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Merry almost cheered joyfully at this small triumph. But he realized the road was still long.
"Go!" he roared. "Go! Take over the bridge! Faster! Faster!" he motioned and commanded everyone to go before him. But he stopped the one carrying Frodo.
"No. Not you. Stay close to me. He's under my care." Merry tilted his chin at the blanketed bulk.
He realized, as before, that there was no use of him to join the attack. These service men he brought certainly didn't need him in it. He would only injure or kill himself. Therefore he stayed behind while the others raided the once peaceful realm and killed all elves they met. While casualties also came from their side, Merry still considered this attack a success as they could finally reach the House of Elrond, and have everyone in the house dragged out: the servants, Elrond's twin sons, Gandalf the wizard, and Lord Elrond himself.
With a pair of hands holding each of those people's arms firmly, they could hardly move at all. And when Merry stepped forward, Gandalf's eyes grew so wide they almost popped out.
"MERIADOC BRANDYBUCK! What's the meaning of this? Release us at once!" He advanced unyieldingly, almost yanked free form his captors. But the men clutching him were stronger. Merry backed away, apprehension and realization flashing across his face briefly, but they soon faded away.
Merry sneered devilishly.
"You cannot scare me anymore, Gandalf. Or threaten me. I won't let you." His voice was of pride and victory.
The wizard was flabbergasted. That voice. Those eyes. They did not belong to the hobbit he used to know. He feared the worst had taken place. Then his heart sank. Frodo! Where was he?
"And I won't let you make me do all those dishes again, for sure!" Merry chuckled loudly, recalling what had happened the night Bilbo celebrated his birthday. That brought him to something.
"Oh, and Gandalf," he walked closer to the grey wizard and looked up. "So where is Bilbo? He's not in the house. Where is he?"
Gandalf turned tight-lipped. There was no way he would voluntarily reveal this little thing to the surprisingly-turned-evil hobbit.
"Ah," Merry said in mock understanding. "You want it the hard way."
The wizard - and the elves - went tense and started to thrash about despite the tight grip. What would Merry possibly do? But to their surprise, Merry walked away from them, toward a warg, and pulled a cover spreading over something - or somebody - roughly.
It was someone. Small. A hobbit? Gandalf closed his eyes in despair.
TBC
Warning: AU, angst
Chapter 50
Frodo barely recognized the shrill cries of war from the men and orcs, while he couldn't place Merry's voice at all. Was it because the twisted hobbit was too busy giving unspoken commands to the others or because he was still smiling smugly all the time, something Frodo often saw decorating his cousin's face lately? Well, anything was possible and Frodo was hardly aware of all that as he was trying desperately just to move.
He was not sure but it seemed that he had awakened long before now, when all of a sudden he felt his breath sucked out completely. That was when someone threw him ungracefully onto something with coarse hair and stinky smell. He couldn't tell what it was at first, having lost his senses especially with his eyes covered.
Frodo strained his neck, trying to lessen the stiffness on it due to its being in hanging position. But it was useless, the straining. It even worsened the pain coming from the wound which gradually changed to spasms.
Panic started to overcome Frodo and he groaned in despair. He was writhing, trying to attract someone's attention, but that was when a thick fabric was thrown over his body.
"Eru, no!" he screamed frustratedly, but his voice was heavily stifled by the cover. "Aaahh!" Frodo squealed and squirmed, and froze when a seizure attacked his left chest. The poison had started to spread.
He pressed his upper body down to lessen the pain but it didn't help much. His breath turned ragged and slow. He tossed his head back, attempting to draw air into his lungs. Tears flowed down from his eyes, soaking the blindfold.
"Gods, please help me---" he was begging, pleading, but still very difficult to breathe. Mama, Papa, what had he done to deserve this? Yet, all the agony was just too familiar to him. This had happened to him before and he had managed to survive at that time. Would he survive it this time?
Frodo was panting, screaming, gasping again, and screeching again, until his mouth went terribly dry. He tried to move his bound hand but he was trussed up too tightly. Ah, Elbereth! He jerked again as his heart tightened yet again. Only this time a hand suddenly pushed his back, making sure he lay down still.
So, he finally had the man's attention! His hope went up despite the pains he still got. At least he would not die without someone else knowing it. Frodo renewed his struggle although that made him suffer more from the spasms. He only stopped when what he could do was gasping. And suddenly, the cover was yanked away. Frodo tensed, anticipating apprehensively on what was to come.
***
Merry felt a bit disappointed, as they met no more of the elves during their journey afterwards. It went smoothly down the grassy fields and rocky terrain alternately. The wargs were still galloping at full speed, though, for Merry and the men didn't want to delay their assured (in their opinion) dominance over the significant piece of land in the valley of Rivendell. If they succeeded in taking over that place, overcoming Lorien would be as easy.
Nearing the Bruinen river, the men's leader informed Merry that they would soon see the river but that Merry needn't worry about how to cross it.
"We will go across the ford, Master Merry. It won't be difficult at all. And with another step, you will be in Rivendell already!"
Merry's eyes shone, but a second later he creased his brow.
"How about guards? Or scouts? They surely won't leave the place unattended, will they?" he inquired.
The leader laughed out loud.
"Guards? Scouts? You have seen what my men and those orcs are capable of doing, haven't you? Why all those doubts? The point is, we're willing to do anything at the right price!"
Merry frowned a little at this but then he smiled widely.
"Very well, then! Let's get going, or you will not get what you want!" he exclaimed. The man welcomed this with a wail that was replied wildly by his fellows.
So, away they went and they reached the ford at no time at all. To Merry's surprise, there were no guards at all. Apparently the lords in Rivendell hadn't got the news of their loss so they didn't set any patrols around the river.
Having crossed the ford of Bruinen, they ran along the river which led them down to the valley. After a moment, Merry raised his right hand, signaling the others to halt.
"They put guards around the bridge," he whispered, and the message was quickly spread out across the men and orcs. A man with a bow and a quiver full of arrows stepped forward.
"I'll take care of them, Master," he said, also in a whisper. They had to be very quiet. These elves' ears were so keen. They saw themselves that the fair guards had started whipping their heads to the left and right, trying to locate where the noises Merry had produced were coming from.
But before those elves had a chance to initiate an action, arrows had been whooshing away to their direction, slicing the air and aiming directly to their chests. A second too late, those elves were suddenly left having their eyes widened and breaths caught - forever. Almost at the same time they all crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Merry almost cheered joyfully at this small triumph. But he realized the road was still long.
"Go!" he roared. "Go! Take over the bridge! Faster! Faster!" he motioned and commanded everyone to go before him. But he stopped the one carrying Frodo.
"No. Not you. Stay close to me. He's under my care." Merry tilted his chin at the blanketed bulk.
He realized, as before, that there was no use of him to join the attack. These service men he brought certainly didn't need him in it. He would only injure or kill himself. Therefore he stayed behind while the others raided the once peaceful realm and killed all elves they met. While casualties also came from their side, Merry still considered this attack a success as they could finally reach the House of Elrond, and have everyone in the house dragged out: the servants, Elrond's twin sons, Gandalf the wizard, and Lord Elrond himself.
With a pair of hands holding each of those people's arms firmly, they could hardly move at all. And when Merry stepped forward, Gandalf's eyes grew so wide they almost popped out.
"MERIADOC BRANDYBUCK! What's the meaning of this? Release us at once!" He advanced unyieldingly, almost yanked free form his captors. But the men clutching him were stronger. Merry backed away, apprehension and realization flashing across his face briefly, but they soon faded away.
Merry sneered devilishly.
"You cannot scare me anymore, Gandalf. Or threaten me. I won't let you." His voice was of pride and victory.
The wizard was flabbergasted. That voice. Those eyes. They did not belong to the hobbit he used to know. He feared the worst had taken place. Then his heart sank. Frodo! Where was he?
"And I won't let you make me do all those dishes again, for sure!" Merry chuckled loudly, recalling what had happened the night Bilbo celebrated his birthday. That brought him to something.
"Oh, and Gandalf," he walked closer to the grey wizard and looked up. "So where is Bilbo? He's not in the house. Where is he?"
Gandalf turned tight-lipped. There was no way he would voluntarily reveal this little thing to the surprisingly-turned-evil hobbit.
"Ah," Merry said in mock understanding. "You want it the hard way."
The wizard - and the elves - went tense and started to thrash about despite the tight grip. What would Merry possibly do? But to their surprise, Merry walked away from them, toward a warg, and pulled a cover spreading over something - or somebody - roughly.
It was someone. Small. A hobbit? Gandalf closed his eyes in despair.
TBC
