Author's Note: And here they are. the Fellowship! Trying to get these
updates out in a timely fashion, but darn it, life keeps getting in the
way! Anyway, here's the newest installment. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks
again!
Chapter 10 The Fellowship
Legolas looked on anxiously as Aragorn and Boromir took their turns at excavating a passageway through the avalanche debris. He and Gimli stood back after their own turn had finished and were working to move snow and rock back out of the tunnel. Gandalf, using his staff to illuminate the snow face stood behind them. He didn't dare use magic to move the rock and snow, fearing it would bring more down upon them. He did use a simple spell, however, to keep the tunnel from collapsing. All of them were desperately worried about the hobbits.
"Do you think they survived?" asked Gimli despondently, wiping snow from his eyes.
"I do not know," replied Gandalf, his tone grim. The hobbits had been some distance behind them, and although he hoped they had managed to evade being buried, he feared the worst. He angrily thought of the distant voice they had heard, coming to them on the wings of the buffeting wind. He knew all too well who was responsible not only for the vile weather, but the deadly avalanche as well. Saruman would stop at nothing to bring an end to their quest.
"I've broken through!" cried Aragorn. He was up to his arm in snow, but his hand was free. Using Boromir's shield as a shovel, they dug furiously, pushing snow and debris behind them, Finally, the entire wall before them fell away and the remaining members of the Fellowship were met by a fierce blast of icy wind. All of them scrambled through the opening and began shouting for the hobbits.
"Frodo!" cried Gandalf frantically, "Merry! Pippin!" He lifted his glowing staff high, trying to detect any sign of the hobbits' presence. He spied Bill, still huddled behind his makeshift windbreak, covered with ice and looking desperately miserable. Gandalf waded over to the pony and upon discovering hobbit tracks in the snow, felt his hope renewed. Suddenly, he heard Legolas cry out in alarm.
He turned about and saw Legolas examining something red fastened to a tall rock. The others joined the elf to see what he had found. "It's a rope!" shouted Legolas looking over the edge of the cliff. "It leads down to that shelf!" They all huddled together, peering down, seeing nothing but snow. Legolas pulled on the rope, testing its fastness, then carefully stepped over the edge of the cliff, and nimbly climbed down to the shelf.
It took him only a moment to spy the small crevice in the face of the cliff and he quickly made his way over the snow to the entrance. Looking inside, he saw a pile of blankets huddled against the back wall. He hurried over and gently lifted the coverings to find two nearly frozen hobbits enfolded in each other's arms. "Frodo! Pippin!" he cried gently.
Pippin's eyes slowly opened when he heard his name. With great effort, he turned his head to meet Legolas's worried eyes. "Legolas!" he whispered faintly, "You made it!" He then lapsed back into unconsciousness. Legolas lifted Pippin and securely wrapped him in one of the blankets, taking care to keep Frodo covered as well. Returning to the wind swept shelf, he grabbed hold of the robe and with Aragorn's help quickly climbed to the top, bearing the limp hobbit. He handed Pippin off to Boromir, then swiftly returned to the cave to retrieve Frodo.
When he reached the top of the cliff the second time, Gandalf cried, "We must go back down the mountain and out of this storm!"
"What of Merry and Sam?" shouted Aragorn, "I can find no sign of either one!"
"Frodo and Pippin are near death!" returned Gandalf, "If we are to save them, we must find shelter. Perhaps they can tell us more of the others!" None of them were happy at leaving without two of their companions, but if they were save the lives of those they had found, they must act quickly.
Aragorn and Boromir again plowed their way through the newly fallen snow, their previous path all but obliterated. Gandalf carried Frodo and Legolas, Pippin, both hobbits securely wrapped in their blankets to provide what protection they could. Gimli followed with the unfortunate, but faithful pony, Bill.
They had only gone a few miles when the snow disappeared almost as abruptly as it had appeared. Legolas handed Pippin to Boromir and ran ahead to look for shelter. He soon returned and guided them to a large, dry cave, well sheltered from the bitter wind. Aragorn quickly built a fire and Pippin and Frodo were placed near its life-giving warmth.. Aragorn gently unwrapped Frodo's blanket and inhaled sharply at the blood covering the pale hobbit's face and head. Gandalf stood behind him, suddenly frowning. Something wasn't right. He reached past Aragorn and pushed aside Frodo's shirt. The Ring was nowhere to be seen..
"The Ring!" breathed Aragorn in dismay, "It's gone!" He carefully searched through Frodo's clothing, but the Ring was gone. The others gathered around, Boromir glowered at them.
"If we had taken the Ring to Gondor as I had pleaded, this would not have happened!" he growled.
"Do you think it is still up on the mountain?" asked Gimli, standing beside Gandalf and ignoring Boromir's outburst. "Should we go look for it?"
"It's not on the mountain." They turned quickly as Pippin's curly head slowly emerged from beneath his blanket, the warmth from the fire helping to revive him.
"Pippin," said Gandalf quietly, kneeling by the young hobbit, "drink this." He held a small flask to Pippin's mouth, helping the frozen hobbit to drink the clear, fragrant liquor inside. Pippin immediately felt warmth spread through his shivering body. Gandalf was relieved to see some color returning to Pippin's cheeks. He handed the flask to Aragorn. "Miruvor," the wizard replied to Aragorn's questioning glance. Aragorn nodded and carefully poured a small amount into Frodo's mouth. Frodo was so cold and pale, his skin like frozen porcelain. Aragorn felt Frodo's pulse become just a bit stronger and hope returned.
Gandalf turned back to Pippin, helping him to sit up. He looked grimly down at the young hobbit. "Pippin," he said again, "Do you know what has happened to the Ring?"
"And where are Merry and Sam?" added Gimli, drawing nearer.
Pippin was still very cold, but the elixir and the fire were helping to revitalize him. "Sam.Sam attacked Frodo," he said through chattering teeth. "M.Merry saw Sam hit Frodo with a rock, take the ring and push Frodo over the cliff." This brought exclamations of horror and disbelief from the others. None could imagine gentle, humble Samwise Gamgee assaulting his beloved master.
"You're sure of this?" asked Gandalf staring at Pippin intensely. "You know for sure that Sam took the Ring?"
Pippin nodded miserably. "Merry said he saw Sam put it on and disappear! He said it didn't look like Sam at all. His eyes were different or.or something. As soon as we dug our way out of the avalanche, we went to find Frodo. Merry lowered me down, but he couldn't pull me back up and I couldn't climb.the storm was so bad! So, he.he left us some food and the blankets and went after Sam."
"This is a fine turn of events!" growled Boromir again, beginning to pace in the confined space. "We never should have entrusted something so important as the One Ring to a simple hobbit! Now, it is gone and no one knows where! My guess is the Dark Lord will have it within the week!"
The others just glared at him, but Gandalf closed his eyes for a moment, his shoulders slumped. "I should have seen this coming!" he sighed softly. "I knew something was not quite right with Sam since his rescue, but there were so many other tasks and responsibilities to be dealt with that I paid little heed to my own inner warnings. I could have prevented this!" He felt surge of anger at himself. How could have been so blind? That Numenorean blade had been more than just an insult to Gandalf, it had also been a warning that Sam was in Saruman's power. It was obvious to Gandalf now that Sam was acting under the power of a Command, a subconscious spell that required the victim to fulfill some task. It wasn't hard to figure out what Sam's task had been.
"A Command?" repeated Aragorn thoughtfully. "So you believe that Sam is headed to Isengard?"
"Yes, but I am also greatly disturbed to learn that Sam has already used the Ring." sighed Gandalf staring down at Frodo's pale face. Aragorn had just finished applying a bandage to the ugly wound. "One of the Nine is still unaccounted for. If Sam uses the Ring, it will be drawn to the Ring's power. And no doubt Saruman has some of his Uruk-hai skulking about as well waiting for Sam to appear. Now, it is a question of who will find him first? Us? Or one of them?"
"Do you think Sam will realize what is happening and attempt to return to us?" asked Aragorn quietly. He had been thinking hard about all of this and knew that these hobbits were not always as simple as they appeared.
Gandalf turned to Aragorn. "It is possible," he replied thoughtfully, "But unlikely. Not many can withstand a Command placed by a wizard in his full powers. I am amazed that Sam was able to resist as long as he had. Hobbits truly are amazing creatures."
"Could that be why he had so many bad headaches?" asked Pippin suddenly. The others turned to him. "He didn't think anyone noticed, but it was obvious to me that he was having some mighty fierce ones."
"Yes," Gandalf replied slowly. "That could very well explain his bad headaches." He sighed again. "I should have seen it coming!"
Pippin turned his attention to Aragorn as he finished treating Frodo. "Will Frodo be alright?" he asked the ranger hesitantly, afraid of what he might hear.
Aragorn sat back on his heels, wiping sweat from his brow. He smiled wearily at the anxious hobbit. "He has a nasty head wound," he replied, "And probably a concussion as well, but I don't think Sam truly meant to kill him. He was able to avoid that much, at least. I think Frodo will be alright once we get him warmed up." Aragorn thought sadly of the small gardener. He wondered if Sam would remember what he had done to Frodo and what effect it would have on him. Knowing he had purposefully injured his cherished master, could destroy the gentle Sam.
"Well, what are we to do now?" demanded Boromir brusquely. He had stopped pacing and stood, arms crossed near the entrance to the cave. "Are we to wait here in the hopes that the hobbit returns of his own accord or perhaps Saruman will be so kind as to return the Ring to us!" His face was dark with anger.
Gandalf stood and faced the furious Gondorian. "No," he replied shortly, "We must pursue Sam with all speed. We cannot allow him to be taken by either the agents of Saruman or Sauron. I pray that we will find Merry as well." He turned to the others. "However, if we do not find Sam in time, then I fear all our efforts will have been for naught and locating Merry will be the least of our worries."
Chapter 10 The Fellowship
Legolas looked on anxiously as Aragorn and Boromir took their turns at excavating a passageway through the avalanche debris. He and Gimli stood back after their own turn had finished and were working to move snow and rock back out of the tunnel. Gandalf, using his staff to illuminate the snow face stood behind them. He didn't dare use magic to move the rock and snow, fearing it would bring more down upon them. He did use a simple spell, however, to keep the tunnel from collapsing. All of them were desperately worried about the hobbits.
"Do you think they survived?" asked Gimli despondently, wiping snow from his eyes.
"I do not know," replied Gandalf, his tone grim. The hobbits had been some distance behind them, and although he hoped they had managed to evade being buried, he feared the worst. He angrily thought of the distant voice they had heard, coming to them on the wings of the buffeting wind. He knew all too well who was responsible not only for the vile weather, but the deadly avalanche as well. Saruman would stop at nothing to bring an end to their quest.
"I've broken through!" cried Aragorn. He was up to his arm in snow, but his hand was free. Using Boromir's shield as a shovel, they dug furiously, pushing snow and debris behind them, Finally, the entire wall before them fell away and the remaining members of the Fellowship were met by a fierce blast of icy wind. All of them scrambled through the opening and began shouting for the hobbits.
"Frodo!" cried Gandalf frantically, "Merry! Pippin!" He lifted his glowing staff high, trying to detect any sign of the hobbits' presence. He spied Bill, still huddled behind his makeshift windbreak, covered with ice and looking desperately miserable. Gandalf waded over to the pony and upon discovering hobbit tracks in the snow, felt his hope renewed. Suddenly, he heard Legolas cry out in alarm.
He turned about and saw Legolas examining something red fastened to a tall rock. The others joined the elf to see what he had found. "It's a rope!" shouted Legolas looking over the edge of the cliff. "It leads down to that shelf!" They all huddled together, peering down, seeing nothing but snow. Legolas pulled on the rope, testing its fastness, then carefully stepped over the edge of the cliff, and nimbly climbed down to the shelf.
It took him only a moment to spy the small crevice in the face of the cliff and he quickly made his way over the snow to the entrance. Looking inside, he saw a pile of blankets huddled against the back wall. He hurried over and gently lifted the coverings to find two nearly frozen hobbits enfolded in each other's arms. "Frodo! Pippin!" he cried gently.
Pippin's eyes slowly opened when he heard his name. With great effort, he turned his head to meet Legolas's worried eyes. "Legolas!" he whispered faintly, "You made it!" He then lapsed back into unconsciousness. Legolas lifted Pippin and securely wrapped him in one of the blankets, taking care to keep Frodo covered as well. Returning to the wind swept shelf, he grabbed hold of the robe and with Aragorn's help quickly climbed to the top, bearing the limp hobbit. He handed Pippin off to Boromir, then swiftly returned to the cave to retrieve Frodo.
When he reached the top of the cliff the second time, Gandalf cried, "We must go back down the mountain and out of this storm!"
"What of Merry and Sam?" shouted Aragorn, "I can find no sign of either one!"
"Frodo and Pippin are near death!" returned Gandalf, "If we are to save them, we must find shelter. Perhaps they can tell us more of the others!" None of them were happy at leaving without two of their companions, but if they were save the lives of those they had found, they must act quickly.
Aragorn and Boromir again plowed their way through the newly fallen snow, their previous path all but obliterated. Gandalf carried Frodo and Legolas, Pippin, both hobbits securely wrapped in their blankets to provide what protection they could. Gimli followed with the unfortunate, but faithful pony, Bill.
They had only gone a few miles when the snow disappeared almost as abruptly as it had appeared. Legolas handed Pippin to Boromir and ran ahead to look for shelter. He soon returned and guided them to a large, dry cave, well sheltered from the bitter wind. Aragorn quickly built a fire and Pippin and Frodo were placed near its life-giving warmth.. Aragorn gently unwrapped Frodo's blanket and inhaled sharply at the blood covering the pale hobbit's face and head. Gandalf stood behind him, suddenly frowning. Something wasn't right. He reached past Aragorn and pushed aside Frodo's shirt. The Ring was nowhere to be seen..
"The Ring!" breathed Aragorn in dismay, "It's gone!" He carefully searched through Frodo's clothing, but the Ring was gone. The others gathered around, Boromir glowered at them.
"If we had taken the Ring to Gondor as I had pleaded, this would not have happened!" he growled.
"Do you think it is still up on the mountain?" asked Gimli, standing beside Gandalf and ignoring Boromir's outburst. "Should we go look for it?"
"It's not on the mountain." They turned quickly as Pippin's curly head slowly emerged from beneath his blanket, the warmth from the fire helping to revive him.
"Pippin," said Gandalf quietly, kneeling by the young hobbit, "drink this." He held a small flask to Pippin's mouth, helping the frozen hobbit to drink the clear, fragrant liquor inside. Pippin immediately felt warmth spread through his shivering body. Gandalf was relieved to see some color returning to Pippin's cheeks. He handed the flask to Aragorn. "Miruvor," the wizard replied to Aragorn's questioning glance. Aragorn nodded and carefully poured a small amount into Frodo's mouth. Frodo was so cold and pale, his skin like frozen porcelain. Aragorn felt Frodo's pulse become just a bit stronger and hope returned.
Gandalf turned back to Pippin, helping him to sit up. He looked grimly down at the young hobbit. "Pippin," he said again, "Do you know what has happened to the Ring?"
"And where are Merry and Sam?" added Gimli, drawing nearer.
Pippin was still very cold, but the elixir and the fire were helping to revitalize him. "Sam.Sam attacked Frodo," he said through chattering teeth. "M.Merry saw Sam hit Frodo with a rock, take the ring and push Frodo over the cliff." This brought exclamations of horror and disbelief from the others. None could imagine gentle, humble Samwise Gamgee assaulting his beloved master.
"You're sure of this?" asked Gandalf staring at Pippin intensely. "You know for sure that Sam took the Ring?"
Pippin nodded miserably. "Merry said he saw Sam put it on and disappear! He said it didn't look like Sam at all. His eyes were different or.or something. As soon as we dug our way out of the avalanche, we went to find Frodo. Merry lowered me down, but he couldn't pull me back up and I couldn't climb.the storm was so bad! So, he.he left us some food and the blankets and went after Sam."
"This is a fine turn of events!" growled Boromir again, beginning to pace in the confined space. "We never should have entrusted something so important as the One Ring to a simple hobbit! Now, it is gone and no one knows where! My guess is the Dark Lord will have it within the week!"
The others just glared at him, but Gandalf closed his eyes for a moment, his shoulders slumped. "I should have seen this coming!" he sighed softly. "I knew something was not quite right with Sam since his rescue, but there were so many other tasks and responsibilities to be dealt with that I paid little heed to my own inner warnings. I could have prevented this!" He felt surge of anger at himself. How could have been so blind? That Numenorean blade had been more than just an insult to Gandalf, it had also been a warning that Sam was in Saruman's power. It was obvious to Gandalf now that Sam was acting under the power of a Command, a subconscious spell that required the victim to fulfill some task. It wasn't hard to figure out what Sam's task had been.
"A Command?" repeated Aragorn thoughtfully. "So you believe that Sam is headed to Isengard?"
"Yes, but I am also greatly disturbed to learn that Sam has already used the Ring." sighed Gandalf staring down at Frodo's pale face. Aragorn had just finished applying a bandage to the ugly wound. "One of the Nine is still unaccounted for. If Sam uses the Ring, it will be drawn to the Ring's power. And no doubt Saruman has some of his Uruk-hai skulking about as well waiting for Sam to appear. Now, it is a question of who will find him first? Us? Or one of them?"
"Do you think Sam will realize what is happening and attempt to return to us?" asked Aragorn quietly. He had been thinking hard about all of this and knew that these hobbits were not always as simple as they appeared.
Gandalf turned to Aragorn. "It is possible," he replied thoughtfully, "But unlikely. Not many can withstand a Command placed by a wizard in his full powers. I am amazed that Sam was able to resist as long as he had. Hobbits truly are amazing creatures."
"Could that be why he had so many bad headaches?" asked Pippin suddenly. The others turned to him. "He didn't think anyone noticed, but it was obvious to me that he was having some mighty fierce ones."
"Yes," Gandalf replied slowly. "That could very well explain his bad headaches." He sighed again. "I should have seen it coming!"
Pippin turned his attention to Aragorn as he finished treating Frodo. "Will Frodo be alright?" he asked the ranger hesitantly, afraid of what he might hear.
Aragorn sat back on his heels, wiping sweat from his brow. He smiled wearily at the anxious hobbit. "He has a nasty head wound," he replied, "And probably a concussion as well, but I don't think Sam truly meant to kill him. He was able to avoid that much, at least. I think Frodo will be alright once we get him warmed up." Aragorn thought sadly of the small gardener. He wondered if Sam would remember what he had done to Frodo and what effect it would have on him. Knowing he had purposefully injured his cherished master, could destroy the gentle Sam.
"Well, what are we to do now?" demanded Boromir brusquely. He had stopped pacing and stood, arms crossed near the entrance to the cave. "Are we to wait here in the hopes that the hobbit returns of his own accord or perhaps Saruman will be so kind as to return the Ring to us!" His face was dark with anger.
Gandalf stood and faced the furious Gondorian. "No," he replied shortly, "We must pursue Sam with all speed. We cannot allow him to be taken by either the agents of Saruman or Sauron. I pray that we will find Merry as well." He turned to the others. "However, if we do not find Sam in time, then I fear all our efforts will have been for naught and locating Merry will be the least of our worries."