Author's Notes: I'm back from my trip, so thought I'd get this next chapter
loaded before school really gets into full swing! Thanks again for all the
reviews, they certainly are encouraging!
Chapter 4 The Command
"Look here, Legolas," smiled Aragorn. "One set of very distinct hobbit tracks!" Aragorn was squatting by the head of the path into the gardens. He pointed to a set of rather large footprints. "This should be easy enough to follow!" The two companions started walking slowly down the sunlit pathway. Aragorn pointed out the different places where Sam had stopped to look at various flowers and shrubs. The trail was easy to see and they followed it with little difficulty into the shadowy forest.
Aragorn suddenly stopped and looked more closely at the tracks. They were now near the river that made up the border of Rivendell. "It looks as if Sam turned off here towards the river," he said thoughtfully. He stood up and gazed across the river observing the colorful flowers in the clearing. "It appears he might have gone over there to look at those flowers. A true gardener, our Sam!"
Legolas looked troubled. "I would have been happier had he remained on this side of the river where it is protected."
Aragorn nodded his agreement and began to make his way through the dense layer of briars that bordered either side of the stream. He quickly picked up Sam's trail on the other side and followed it into the glen. He stopped short staring intently at the tracks before him. He looked around quickly, his keen eyes noting the appearance of another set of tracks. Imprints of large feet stood out clearly in the damp and trampled herbage. Aragorn looked up at Legolas in alarm. "An orc!" he cried softly.
Legolas stared back at him before peering around the surrounding forest. "I do not feel its presence," he murmured thoughtfully, "It is not here now. What would an orc be doing this close to Rivendell?"
Aragorn continued to study the ground before him, becoming more worried with each sign. These footprints look uncommonly large for an orc," he commented, perplexed . "And look," the ranger continued grimly, pointing to the ground, "You can see here where the orc captured Sam." The two companions examined the crushed flowers where Sam had fallen. The footprints of the large orc continued into the forest.
"Do you think he is taking Sam to Sauron?" asked Legolas frowning as he peered into the forest around them, searching for any further signs of orc presence.
"It is possible," Aragorn replied slowly, getting to his feet. "It is also possible he is taking Sam to Saruman. We do not know under whose power this creature works. However, we may still be able to catch them. Come on!" Without another word, they turned as one and ran into the forest, following the Uruk's tracks that they hoped would lead them to Sam.
Sam stared in horror at the wizard bearing down at him. Kill Mister Frodo!? Him!? It wasn't possible, unbearable even to consider, but this Saruman was a powerful wizard wasn't he? Wizards could make people do things they would normally never do. Sam's entire body felt numb, as if it didn't belong to him at all. He was unconsciously backing away from the terrifying figure coming ever nearer. "Yes," breathed Saruman, his face now contorted in a hideous leer, "You will be in my power. When the time is right, you will kill Frodo Baggins, take the Ring, and bring it here to me. Gandalf thinks he can hide it from me, but he is sadly mistaken! The power of the One Ring will be mine!"
Suddenly, the wizard lunged forward and seized Sam's already aching head in his powerful hands, his eyes only inches away from those of his victim. Sam could feel the wizard's mind attempting to enter his own and knowing that if he allowed this to happen, he would kill his beloved master and perhaps bring about the downfall of all Middle Earth! Sam fought for all he was worth. His love of Frodo and the Shire helped strengthen him, but he was only a small hobbit. He was not a powerful Istari and he was doomed to failure. When the wizard finally broke through Sam's stouthearted, yet futile efforts to fight off Saruman's attack, the hobbit's desperate screams of pain and horror echoed throughout the black hallways of Orthanc. Even the orcs, spawn of evil themselves, felt a cold chill upon hearing the hobbit's wrenching cries of agony as if his very soul was being ripped from his heart.
The two orcs watched in eager fascination as Saruman stood motionless over the halfling, his eyes never blinking. Finally, with a gasp, Saruman abruptly released the hobbit and stumbled back a few steps. He reached up, wiping the fine beads of perspiration glistening on his brow. Sam lay like a broken doll on the cold, black marble. His eyes were bruises in his ashen face. Saruman regarded Sam with a mixture of irritation and grudging respect. He had hardly expected such strong resistance from a lowly halfling. Maybe there was more to these creatures than met the eye.
"Master?" Saruman turned to the cringing orc. "Is it dead?"
"No." replied Saruman feeling surprisingly weary. "I have put the Command into his mind. When the time is right, he will kill Frodo Baggins and bring me the Ring of Power." With his foot, Saruman carelessly rolled Sam onto his back . "I suspect the halfling will continue to fight the Command in his subconscious." He gave a small, scornful laugh. "I fear he will suffer some rather severe headaches!" He then turned and strode over to the throne. He reached down and lifted a shining dagger from behind the seat. The dagger was perhaps a foot long, more of short sword really, the golden hilt molded into an elaborate figure of a dragon with glittering ruby eyes. The blade was thin and razor sharp. Saruman studied it gravely.
"Gandalf himself gave me this blade many, many years ago," he reflected as he slowly made his way towards the unconscious hobbit. "It was forged by the finest Numenorean craftsmen. Gandalf thought I would find it useful." He laughed mirthlessly. "He had no idea just how useful!" He knelt down beside the prone hobbit and ripped open Sam's shirt, revealing his bare chest. Saruman looked up at the two orcs standing a short distance away. "Come here," he ordered, "And hold him steady." The two orcs glanced at each other then did as their master bid.
"Gandalf is no fool," Saruman remarked as he examined the hobbit before him. "I am certain he has some of his best trackers chasing Gorek right now. If Gorek simply abandons this hobbit unharmed, Gandalf may suspect something is amiss. I am going to give Gorek a reason to leave this creature for Gandalf to find." With that, Saruman carefully inserted the tip of the blade into Sam's chest and with the image of the blade in his mind's eye, he was able to push it through Sam's body, deftly maneuvering it away from all the vital organs. When he felt the tip connect with the floor he stopped and opened his eyes, surveying his work. "I think that will do." he smiled coldly. "As long as we are careful not to jar the blade out of place, this halfling will have plenty of time to be rescued before he finally bleeds to death. An injured hobbit will also insure that Gorek's pursuers return immediately to Rivendell."
Saruman leaned down and carefully lifted Sam into his arms. He didn't trust these orcs to treat Sam gently enough to prevent undue damage. Saruman led the way up to the pinnacle of Orthanc where the giant condor was circling, awaiting its burden. Saruman wrapped Sam in a small cloak and held him up for the bird to receive. The hobbit firmly held in its grasp, Saruman watched triumphantly as the bird wheeled away into the clouds covering the Misty Mountains. If all went well, soon Saruman would be the new ruler of all Middle Earth.
Chapter 4 The Command
"Look here, Legolas," smiled Aragorn. "One set of very distinct hobbit tracks!" Aragorn was squatting by the head of the path into the gardens. He pointed to a set of rather large footprints. "This should be easy enough to follow!" The two companions started walking slowly down the sunlit pathway. Aragorn pointed out the different places where Sam had stopped to look at various flowers and shrubs. The trail was easy to see and they followed it with little difficulty into the shadowy forest.
Aragorn suddenly stopped and looked more closely at the tracks. They were now near the river that made up the border of Rivendell. "It looks as if Sam turned off here towards the river," he said thoughtfully. He stood up and gazed across the river observing the colorful flowers in the clearing. "It appears he might have gone over there to look at those flowers. A true gardener, our Sam!"
Legolas looked troubled. "I would have been happier had he remained on this side of the river where it is protected."
Aragorn nodded his agreement and began to make his way through the dense layer of briars that bordered either side of the stream. He quickly picked up Sam's trail on the other side and followed it into the glen. He stopped short staring intently at the tracks before him. He looked around quickly, his keen eyes noting the appearance of another set of tracks. Imprints of large feet stood out clearly in the damp and trampled herbage. Aragorn looked up at Legolas in alarm. "An orc!" he cried softly.
Legolas stared back at him before peering around the surrounding forest. "I do not feel its presence," he murmured thoughtfully, "It is not here now. What would an orc be doing this close to Rivendell?"
Aragorn continued to study the ground before him, becoming more worried with each sign. These footprints look uncommonly large for an orc," he commented, perplexed . "And look," the ranger continued grimly, pointing to the ground, "You can see here where the orc captured Sam." The two companions examined the crushed flowers where Sam had fallen. The footprints of the large orc continued into the forest.
"Do you think he is taking Sam to Sauron?" asked Legolas frowning as he peered into the forest around them, searching for any further signs of orc presence.
"It is possible," Aragorn replied slowly, getting to his feet. "It is also possible he is taking Sam to Saruman. We do not know under whose power this creature works. However, we may still be able to catch them. Come on!" Without another word, they turned as one and ran into the forest, following the Uruk's tracks that they hoped would lead them to Sam.
Sam stared in horror at the wizard bearing down at him. Kill Mister Frodo!? Him!? It wasn't possible, unbearable even to consider, but this Saruman was a powerful wizard wasn't he? Wizards could make people do things they would normally never do. Sam's entire body felt numb, as if it didn't belong to him at all. He was unconsciously backing away from the terrifying figure coming ever nearer. "Yes," breathed Saruman, his face now contorted in a hideous leer, "You will be in my power. When the time is right, you will kill Frodo Baggins, take the Ring, and bring it here to me. Gandalf thinks he can hide it from me, but he is sadly mistaken! The power of the One Ring will be mine!"
Suddenly, the wizard lunged forward and seized Sam's already aching head in his powerful hands, his eyes only inches away from those of his victim. Sam could feel the wizard's mind attempting to enter his own and knowing that if he allowed this to happen, he would kill his beloved master and perhaps bring about the downfall of all Middle Earth! Sam fought for all he was worth. His love of Frodo and the Shire helped strengthen him, but he was only a small hobbit. He was not a powerful Istari and he was doomed to failure. When the wizard finally broke through Sam's stouthearted, yet futile efforts to fight off Saruman's attack, the hobbit's desperate screams of pain and horror echoed throughout the black hallways of Orthanc. Even the orcs, spawn of evil themselves, felt a cold chill upon hearing the hobbit's wrenching cries of agony as if his very soul was being ripped from his heart.
The two orcs watched in eager fascination as Saruman stood motionless over the halfling, his eyes never blinking. Finally, with a gasp, Saruman abruptly released the hobbit and stumbled back a few steps. He reached up, wiping the fine beads of perspiration glistening on his brow. Sam lay like a broken doll on the cold, black marble. His eyes were bruises in his ashen face. Saruman regarded Sam with a mixture of irritation and grudging respect. He had hardly expected such strong resistance from a lowly halfling. Maybe there was more to these creatures than met the eye.
"Master?" Saruman turned to the cringing orc. "Is it dead?"
"No." replied Saruman feeling surprisingly weary. "I have put the Command into his mind. When the time is right, he will kill Frodo Baggins and bring me the Ring of Power." With his foot, Saruman carelessly rolled Sam onto his back . "I suspect the halfling will continue to fight the Command in his subconscious." He gave a small, scornful laugh. "I fear he will suffer some rather severe headaches!" He then turned and strode over to the throne. He reached down and lifted a shining dagger from behind the seat. The dagger was perhaps a foot long, more of short sword really, the golden hilt molded into an elaborate figure of a dragon with glittering ruby eyes. The blade was thin and razor sharp. Saruman studied it gravely.
"Gandalf himself gave me this blade many, many years ago," he reflected as he slowly made his way towards the unconscious hobbit. "It was forged by the finest Numenorean craftsmen. Gandalf thought I would find it useful." He laughed mirthlessly. "He had no idea just how useful!" He knelt down beside the prone hobbit and ripped open Sam's shirt, revealing his bare chest. Saruman looked up at the two orcs standing a short distance away. "Come here," he ordered, "And hold him steady." The two orcs glanced at each other then did as their master bid.
"Gandalf is no fool," Saruman remarked as he examined the hobbit before him. "I am certain he has some of his best trackers chasing Gorek right now. If Gorek simply abandons this hobbit unharmed, Gandalf may suspect something is amiss. I am going to give Gorek a reason to leave this creature for Gandalf to find." With that, Saruman carefully inserted the tip of the blade into Sam's chest and with the image of the blade in his mind's eye, he was able to push it through Sam's body, deftly maneuvering it away from all the vital organs. When he felt the tip connect with the floor he stopped and opened his eyes, surveying his work. "I think that will do." he smiled coldly. "As long as we are careful not to jar the blade out of place, this halfling will have plenty of time to be rescued before he finally bleeds to death. An injured hobbit will also insure that Gorek's pursuers return immediately to Rivendell."
Saruman leaned down and carefully lifted Sam into his arms. He didn't trust these orcs to treat Sam gently enough to prevent undue damage. Saruman led the way up to the pinnacle of Orthanc where the giant condor was circling, awaiting its burden. Saruman wrapped Sam in a small cloak and held him up for the bird to receive. The hobbit firmly held in its grasp, Saruman watched triumphantly as the bird wheeled away into the clouds covering the Misty Mountains. If all went well, soon Saruman would be the new ruler of all Middle Earth.