Author's Note: Well, I decided to go ahead and post this, but be warned,
due to some projects that require my attention, it may be a few days before
the next chapter!
Gamgeefest: I wanted to thank you for inviting me to join your group. Unfortunately, time constraints force me to decline for the moment (plus there's the fact that you have now read my entire portfolio of works - all 3 stories- well, unless you want to count the epic novel I wrote in 7th grade about how my entire 7th grade class was captured by Nazis, locked up in a prison camp from which we all escaped by digging tunnels with spoons!)
Anyway, here is the next chapter!
Chapter 14 Hard Choices
Sam's shoulders slumped in defeat. There was no doubt in in mind what he had to do. He simply couldn't allow anything to happen to Mr. Merry. He'd done enough harm already. He quickly pulled off the Ring and winked back into sight. The Uruk gave a small grunt of surprise, but quickly recovered. Right away he recognized this halfling as the one he had been searching for. Still maintaining his grip on Merry, Gorek strode over to Sam and slammed him into the rock wall with a mighty backhanded clout.
Sam lay stunned on the ground, bright flashes of pain pounding in his head. Merry cried out in anger as Gorek stalked over to Sam and lifted bodily him by his shirtfront. "That's for killin' one of my best men!" he snarled, giving Sam a bone-rattling shake. "If it were up to me, I'd rip you apart limb by limb and eat you raw right now!" Sam's eyes widened with fear as he tried to collect himself. Gorek's eyes narrowed menacingly, "But, the Master says he wants you alive." He paused, then grinned. "For now!"
With that, Gorek tucked the hobbits firmly beneath his massive arms and began trotting south towards Isengard. Lord Saruman would be quite pleased with him, he thought, especially since now that he would be returning with two of the halflings.
Merry knew they were in serious trouble. He glanced over at Sam as they bounced along and was again appalled at how haggard and ill his friend looked. Any anger Merry had harbored towards Sam for what he done to Frodo had rapidly disappeared once Merry saw how much Sam was suffering. "I think he looks even worse than Frodo did after that wraith attacked him!" thought Merry unhappily. He was wondering how they were ever going to get out of this alive. He still held a faint hope that perhaps the rest of the Fellowship would find them, but he wondered if Sam would last that long. Sam refused to meet his eyes.
Night was fast approaching, yet the Uruk-hai showed no signs of stopping. They had long since moved out of the ravine and were now were following a high bluff overlooking a wide, swiftly moving river. Foaming rapids could be seen churning below. Up till now, Gorek had been traveling easily, without any serious concerns, but gradually he became aware of a growing sense of uneasiness. Not fear really, Uruk-hai did not fear anything, but something was wrong. He slowed his pace and began peering around at the surrounding darkness enshrouding the rocks and trees. Something was definitely out there.
Merry felt the change in the Uruk's pace and a moment later, he experienced a familiar sense of dread and terror. His eyes went wide as he realized a Nazgul must be near. He could feel his heart begin to race as he looked over towards Sam. Sam's eyes were tightly closed and he was gasping for breath. Merry knew that Sam must be fighting the call of the Ring and was actually thankful that the Uruk had such a tight grip on them. It was probably the only thing keeping Sam from putting the Ring on.
Gorek had come to a full stop. Just in front of them, he had spied a dark figure, blending into the shadows of the night. Uruks had no trouble seeing in the dark and it wasn't difficult for him to make out the figure looming there. Suddenly, the specter spoke, its voice a rasping hiss. "Give me the halfling, orc." Gorek just stared at it. He wasn't about to hand over his prize to this creature, no matter what it was. Being a creation of Saruman's, he had no feelings of allegiance to one of Sauron's minions. Gorek glanced about and saw a small grotto, surrounded by rocks on three sides. Carefully, backing up, he unceremoniously dumped the two hobbits there.
"Don't move!" he snarled warningly, then turned to face the Nazgul.
"Sam!" whispered Merry frantically pulling on his arm, "Sam! We've got to get out of here!" But, Sam didn't seem to hear. His eyes had rolled up into his head and he was shaking from head to toe, the Ring tightly clenched in his hand. The call was so powerful and his ability to fight it was rapidly failing.
Merry's attention abruptly turned to the battle beyond the grotto. He couldn't see much, but he could hear the Uruk cry out in rage as the Nazgul flung him aside into the rocks. Merry gasped in terror as he saw the Wraith turn towards them. As if in a nightmare, the Wraith swiftly and silently descended upon them, black as death. It could feel the Ring and detected the two beings before it. Merry tried to throw himself in front of Sam to protect him, but as with the Uruk-hai, the Nazgul simply batted him aside. It drew closer and closer to Sam and the terrified hobbit could feel its cold breath wash over him, dank and fetid as a long-closed grave. Sam fought as hard as anyone could, yet he was unable resist the Ring's call any longer and helplessly,hopelessly, he slipped the cold, metal band onto his finger.
Horrified, Sam now saw the Nazgul in its true form - a pale cadaverous figure, the mere shade of the king it had once been. With a scream of triumph, the Nazgul reached for Sam and the Ring, but suddenly and with no warning, it fell backwards and disappeared. Released, Sam yanked the Ring off his finger, gasping and fighting for breath.
Gorek had regained his footing and yanked the Ringwraith from behind, flinging it away from Sam. The battle was rejoined. Panic-stricken, Merry crawled back to where Sam lay. "Sam!" he gasped again, "We must leave now, while they're still fighting! It's our only hope!' However, his heart grew cold as he looked upon his friend. Sam's face had lost what little color it had and his eyes were closed and shadowed. "Sam!' he cried again, even more frantically. There was no time to spare!
Sam felt so very cold and his body shook with a fierce bout of coughing. He opened his eyes and looked hopelessly at Merry. "Mr. Merry!" he croaked weakly, "It's no use - I'm all done in." He coughed again, sounding worse than ever. Suddenly, a small spark of hope lit his glassy eyes as an idea came to him. "Merry!' he wheezed urgently, grabbing his companion's arm, "You must take the Ring and escape! Now!"
Merry stared at him, aghast. "No, Sam! I can't do that! I can't leave you here!"
Sam pulled himself up, his face set with grim determination. "It's our only hope, Mr. Merry!" he whispered , "That monster wants me. I'm bettin' he doesn't even know about the Ring. You can take it and get back to Gandalf and the others. He won't waste time goin' after you as long as he has me! Besides," he collapsed limply back onto the ground, "Without Mr. Frodo, I don't much care if I live or die."
"But Sam!' replied Merry desperately, "Frodo was still alive when I left! Pippin and I rescued him!"
For a moment, Sam's heart filled with hope, but then the image of Frodo standing on the rock came back to him. Maybe Frodo had been alive when Merry left, but Sam was certain he wasn't any longer. "It doesn't matter," he sighed dully. "The important thing is to get the Ring away from here." He turned his sunken eyes towards Merry again. "You must do this now. Before it's too late!" Sam, summoning up what little strength he had left, grabbed Merry's hand and pressed the Ring into it. His body shuddered and for a moment, Sam fought an overpowering urge to snatch it back, but his innate love for Frodo and the others overcame the Ring's hold upon him. "Go now," he whispered faintly and sank into unconsciousness.
Merry stared in horror at the small golden ring cupped in his hand. It was surprisingly heavy and cold. Almost immediately, he sensed a murmuring in the back of his mind and finally had an inkling of what Frodo and now Sam, had been experiencing. He looked down at Sam, tears in his eyes. He knew Sam was right and he had to go. Again, the fate of the Ring was in his hands. He draped the chain over his head and tucked the Ring inside his shirt. He laid a gentle hand on Sam's head and whispered, "I'll be back for you, Sam! I promise!"
He looked out towards where the Uruk and Wraith were sparring, both had their swords out. Seeing his opportunity, he crept out from the grotto and scurried back down the path from which they'd come. He stopped for just a moment when he heard the Nazgul's horrible scream of fury and watched as the Uruk flung it over the bluff into the river below. Oddly, knowing that the Uruk had triumphed gave Merry hope. At least Sam would live awhile longer. He glanced back at Sam's forlorn figure, unmoving among the rocks, then with tears flowing unrestrained, Merry turned and disappeared down the path.
Gamgeefest: I wanted to thank you for inviting me to join your group. Unfortunately, time constraints force me to decline for the moment (plus there's the fact that you have now read my entire portfolio of works - all 3 stories- well, unless you want to count the epic novel I wrote in 7th grade about how my entire 7th grade class was captured by Nazis, locked up in a prison camp from which we all escaped by digging tunnels with spoons!)
Anyway, here is the next chapter!
Chapter 14 Hard Choices
Sam's shoulders slumped in defeat. There was no doubt in in mind what he had to do. He simply couldn't allow anything to happen to Mr. Merry. He'd done enough harm already. He quickly pulled off the Ring and winked back into sight. The Uruk gave a small grunt of surprise, but quickly recovered. Right away he recognized this halfling as the one he had been searching for. Still maintaining his grip on Merry, Gorek strode over to Sam and slammed him into the rock wall with a mighty backhanded clout.
Sam lay stunned on the ground, bright flashes of pain pounding in his head. Merry cried out in anger as Gorek stalked over to Sam and lifted bodily him by his shirtfront. "That's for killin' one of my best men!" he snarled, giving Sam a bone-rattling shake. "If it were up to me, I'd rip you apart limb by limb and eat you raw right now!" Sam's eyes widened with fear as he tried to collect himself. Gorek's eyes narrowed menacingly, "But, the Master says he wants you alive." He paused, then grinned. "For now!"
With that, Gorek tucked the hobbits firmly beneath his massive arms and began trotting south towards Isengard. Lord Saruman would be quite pleased with him, he thought, especially since now that he would be returning with two of the halflings.
Merry knew they were in serious trouble. He glanced over at Sam as they bounced along and was again appalled at how haggard and ill his friend looked. Any anger Merry had harbored towards Sam for what he done to Frodo had rapidly disappeared once Merry saw how much Sam was suffering. "I think he looks even worse than Frodo did after that wraith attacked him!" thought Merry unhappily. He was wondering how they were ever going to get out of this alive. He still held a faint hope that perhaps the rest of the Fellowship would find them, but he wondered if Sam would last that long. Sam refused to meet his eyes.
Night was fast approaching, yet the Uruk-hai showed no signs of stopping. They had long since moved out of the ravine and were now were following a high bluff overlooking a wide, swiftly moving river. Foaming rapids could be seen churning below. Up till now, Gorek had been traveling easily, without any serious concerns, but gradually he became aware of a growing sense of uneasiness. Not fear really, Uruk-hai did not fear anything, but something was wrong. He slowed his pace and began peering around at the surrounding darkness enshrouding the rocks and trees. Something was definitely out there.
Merry felt the change in the Uruk's pace and a moment later, he experienced a familiar sense of dread and terror. His eyes went wide as he realized a Nazgul must be near. He could feel his heart begin to race as he looked over towards Sam. Sam's eyes were tightly closed and he was gasping for breath. Merry knew that Sam must be fighting the call of the Ring and was actually thankful that the Uruk had such a tight grip on them. It was probably the only thing keeping Sam from putting the Ring on.
Gorek had come to a full stop. Just in front of them, he had spied a dark figure, blending into the shadows of the night. Uruks had no trouble seeing in the dark and it wasn't difficult for him to make out the figure looming there. Suddenly, the specter spoke, its voice a rasping hiss. "Give me the halfling, orc." Gorek just stared at it. He wasn't about to hand over his prize to this creature, no matter what it was. Being a creation of Saruman's, he had no feelings of allegiance to one of Sauron's minions. Gorek glanced about and saw a small grotto, surrounded by rocks on three sides. Carefully, backing up, he unceremoniously dumped the two hobbits there.
"Don't move!" he snarled warningly, then turned to face the Nazgul.
"Sam!" whispered Merry frantically pulling on his arm, "Sam! We've got to get out of here!" But, Sam didn't seem to hear. His eyes had rolled up into his head and he was shaking from head to toe, the Ring tightly clenched in his hand. The call was so powerful and his ability to fight it was rapidly failing.
Merry's attention abruptly turned to the battle beyond the grotto. He couldn't see much, but he could hear the Uruk cry out in rage as the Nazgul flung him aside into the rocks. Merry gasped in terror as he saw the Wraith turn towards them. As if in a nightmare, the Wraith swiftly and silently descended upon them, black as death. It could feel the Ring and detected the two beings before it. Merry tried to throw himself in front of Sam to protect him, but as with the Uruk-hai, the Nazgul simply batted him aside. It drew closer and closer to Sam and the terrified hobbit could feel its cold breath wash over him, dank and fetid as a long-closed grave. Sam fought as hard as anyone could, yet he was unable resist the Ring's call any longer and helplessly,hopelessly, he slipped the cold, metal band onto his finger.
Horrified, Sam now saw the Nazgul in its true form - a pale cadaverous figure, the mere shade of the king it had once been. With a scream of triumph, the Nazgul reached for Sam and the Ring, but suddenly and with no warning, it fell backwards and disappeared. Released, Sam yanked the Ring off his finger, gasping and fighting for breath.
Gorek had regained his footing and yanked the Ringwraith from behind, flinging it away from Sam. The battle was rejoined. Panic-stricken, Merry crawled back to where Sam lay. "Sam!" he gasped again, "We must leave now, while they're still fighting! It's our only hope!' However, his heart grew cold as he looked upon his friend. Sam's face had lost what little color it had and his eyes were closed and shadowed. "Sam!' he cried again, even more frantically. There was no time to spare!
Sam felt so very cold and his body shook with a fierce bout of coughing. He opened his eyes and looked hopelessly at Merry. "Mr. Merry!" he croaked weakly, "It's no use - I'm all done in." He coughed again, sounding worse than ever. Suddenly, a small spark of hope lit his glassy eyes as an idea came to him. "Merry!' he wheezed urgently, grabbing his companion's arm, "You must take the Ring and escape! Now!"
Merry stared at him, aghast. "No, Sam! I can't do that! I can't leave you here!"
Sam pulled himself up, his face set with grim determination. "It's our only hope, Mr. Merry!" he whispered , "That monster wants me. I'm bettin' he doesn't even know about the Ring. You can take it and get back to Gandalf and the others. He won't waste time goin' after you as long as he has me! Besides," he collapsed limply back onto the ground, "Without Mr. Frodo, I don't much care if I live or die."
"But Sam!' replied Merry desperately, "Frodo was still alive when I left! Pippin and I rescued him!"
For a moment, Sam's heart filled with hope, but then the image of Frodo standing on the rock came back to him. Maybe Frodo had been alive when Merry left, but Sam was certain he wasn't any longer. "It doesn't matter," he sighed dully. "The important thing is to get the Ring away from here." He turned his sunken eyes towards Merry again. "You must do this now. Before it's too late!" Sam, summoning up what little strength he had left, grabbed Merry's hand and pressed the Ring into it. His body shuddered and for a moment, Sam fought an overpowering urge to snatch it back, but his innate love for Frodo and the others overcame the Ring's hold upon him. "Go now," he whispered faintly and sank into unconsciousness.
Merry stared in horror at the small golden ring cupped in his hand. It was surprisingly heavy and cold. Almost immediately, he sensed a murmuring in the back of his mind and finally had an inkling of what Frodo and now Sam, had been experiencing. He looked down at Sam, tears in his eyes. He knew Sam was right and he had to go. Again, the fate of the Ring was in his hands. He draped the chain over his head and tucked the Ring inside his shirt. He laid a gentle hand on Sam's head and whispered, "I'll be back for you, Sam! I promise!"
He looked out towards where the Uruk and Wraith were sparring, both had their swords out. Seeing his opportunity, he crept out from the grotto and scurried back down the path from which they'd come. He stopped for just a moment when he heard the Nazgul's horrible scream of fury and watched as the Uruk flung it over the bluff into the river below. Oddly, knowing that the Uruk had triumphed gave Merry hope. At least Sam would live awhile longer. He glanced back at Sam's forlorn figure, unmoving among the rocks, then with tears flowing unrestrained, Merry turned and disappeared down the path.