Lost in Darkness
Author's Notes;
Thank you to all who reviewed, I'm so glad there are Sam fans out there. He's the best, so why do I torture him? Who knows? Because I love him and think that Frodo should appreciate him more, so FrodoAngst! and SamTorment! Um, enjoy?
A low hissing chilled Sam to his bones and he knew he had to call out. The words choked him, however, when he finally glimpsed what was slinking out of a cavern.
He had never seen anything like it before, not even in Mr. Bilbo's pictures of the orcs he had encountered long ago in the Misty Mountains. This thing was much, much bigger than anything Mr. Bilbo had drawn and as it stretched and yawned it grew larger and larger.
Sam felt his whole body shake but his Gamgee common sense told him to move, now, before it was too late.
The creature was still looking around, wondering what had disturbed it after so long in the dark silence. It's slit eyes looked in the darkness and saw the glittering break in the wall.
It hissed and spat out a word but no dwarves came forward to challenge it. There was silence, the way it was supposed to be here in the darkness.
Sam had been backing up slowly, hoping the monstrous thing would go back into the hole it had come out of before seeing him. It might have, if Sam had not underestimated the weight of the pack he was carrying.
He leaned back, anxious to melt into the blackness, anything to avoid being seen. Then, his feet slipped out from underneath him and he crashed to the ground. His numerous pots and pans made a terrible noise in the small cavern, echoing off of the walls and reverbiting back even louder.
The thing screamed and rushed to the other side, closer to the light and saw Sam. Sam, transfixed by what he was seeing more clearly from the mithril's light, could not remember being this afraid, except maybe when Mr. Frodo had been stabbed by that Devil Rider.
The thing hissed again and cocked his head, unsure of what to make of Sam. The two stared each other down before the monster casually reached over and grabbed Sam's foot, shaking him and holding him upside down.
"No dwarvessss, no more dwarvessss here. What be you?" Poor Sam was shaking too hard to answer, partly from fear and partly from the thing's brutal upside-down shaking of him.
"Anssswers me, disssturbed me and will pay." The thing slammed Sam against the rock wall and dragged him to a hidden cavern. Sam was dazed from his head hitting the stone and could barely struggle as the thing hauled him away.
The mines were silent. That was uncharacteristic, even though it was uninhabited. The deathly stillness wasn't what first disturbed Frodo.
Gandalf was deep in his own thoughts, trying to remember which way would lead the Fellowship safely and quickly through the cold darkness.
Also, to Frodo's observant gaze, the wizard seemed anxious, less self- assured than usual. Something was weighing heavily on his mind and it was unintentionally infecting the rest of the Fellowship.
Legolas' fair, serious face was unreadable to hobbit eyes, but an edginess to his graceful movements, and constant fingering of his arrows betrayed his emotions. Boromir moodily followed, keeping to himself and Frodo found himself more and more wary of the Gondor man.
Aragorn was tense also, his jaw muscle flexing and his dark features stony. He was practically hovering over Merry and Pippin who were quiet, pale and depressed, affected by the mines' gloominess. He trusted Gandalf with Frodo.
Which lead to the source of Frodo's uneasiness. A sharp stab of fear hit him so hard it made him dizzy when he observed that one face was missing. *Gods, no.where was Sam? *
Frodo gasped and the Fellowship stopped. "Frodo?" Gandalf's eyebrows knit in concern.
"Sam! Where is Sam?! Sam?!!" Frodo called out, growing frantic.
"Hush!" Gandalf barked out, harsher than he intended. Engulfed in darkness, the Fellowship could not see anything but their immediate surroundings and themselves.
Sam was nowhere to be seen. A current of concern visibly went through the Fellowship.
"Damn!" Gandalf swore uncharacteristically. "I warned us all to stay close, did anyone else notice where he might have gone?" Of course the question was futile. No one had even noticed Sam was missing until Frodo brought it to their attention.
Frodo felt guilt, fear and anxiety swirl around inside of him, he thought he was going to be sick. Aragorn grasped the pale Ringbearer to ensure that he didn't faint.
Merry and Pippin moved quickly beside him, patting him on both shoulders, trying to hide their own worry.
"Samwise is so quiet and unassuming, had there been a problem, something to delay him such as a broken strap on his pack or even a stumble, he would not wish us to stop on his account." Legolas said wisely.
Frodo clenched his fists.
"Do not worry, he can't be far, knowing Sam he sensibly just stayed where was when finding himself separated." But Aragorn's eyes said he didn't believe this and Frodo grew more frightened.
How could he not have noticed sooner that Sam was gone? Sam would have noticed in an instant had the roles been reversed. He always took Sam for granted, especially since this quest had started.
Sam had been nothing but his loyal, stalwart self. Uncomplaining and sacrificing. Frodo felt tears prickle at his eyes and cursed himself for his weakness.
"We need to find him as soon as possible." Gandalf was tense and that frightened Frodo. * Sam, all alone in the darkness with heaven knows what else. Anything could happen to him, he.NO! Had to be calm. Why didn't Sam call out, or do something?*
Frodo looked over at Legolas, feeling the elf's gaze on him. Legolas' dark eyes were sympathetic, the elf knew why, he had said it aloud.
Sam had not wanted to burden anyone, or to draw attention to himself. *Oh, Sam! If anything happened to him. *
Frodo couldn't finish that thought. How could he go on without his Sam? The ring glinted in the corner of his eye, cold and beautiful. It weighed so heavily on him, the responsibility that he carried.
It meant giving up everything he cared for to destroy it. * But not Sam! Anything else I might be able to withstand.*
A warm, soft hand landed on his shoulder and Frodo looked up at Legolas, whose eyes said everything. Gandalf was talking seriously with Aragorn before turning to the rest of them.
"Aragorn and Boromir will go and search for him. Frodo, you and your cousins will stay here with Legolas and Gimli." Legolas nodded and Gimli huffed indignantly into his beard.
Boromir looked fleetingly at Frodo before nodding as well.
"No! Gandalf, I wish to come also."
"And us!!" Pippin cried, pushing off Merry's restraining hand. "Sam is uncomfortable around Big Folk Gandalf, he will be upset as it is with the situation."
Gandalf looked surprised at Pippin's mature words, uncharacteristic of the light-hearted Took.
He's worried* Frodo looked to Merry, biting his lips and squinting in the darkness, hoping to see something. * They all are.*
"I'm sure you are right, young hobbit," Gandalf said gently, "but now each person's safety must be considered." He looked at Frodo and the Ringbearer felt his gut twist with guilt. * He means me, especially me. How could anyone think Sam was less than me?*
"We must find Sam immediately and leave this terrible place. We have stayed too long as is."
"Gandalf" Frodo said suddenly. "I'm coming with you."
"Frodo." Aragorn started. "No!!" Frodo's fear surfaced, silencing them all. "I-I'm coming with you. Sam, I.I need to find him."
Gandalf's brows knitted and he nodded curtly before motioning the smaller group to follow him.
"But." Pippin tried one more time before lowering his curly head. "They will find him" Legolas said softly.
The elf took a small stone from his pocket, rubbed at it and it gradually began to glow. He then motioned to his three companions. Merry and Pippin sat close but Gimli humphed and glared at the elf, muttering darkly to himself, content in the darkness.
"Be careful Frodo, and don't." But Merry didn't finish because Frodo had already stormed off behind Gandalf, his face stony.
Bormir and Aragorn glared at each other for a moment before following.
Sam tried to back as far into the wall as he could, but he couldn't get away from this, thing's horrible teeth and foul stench.
"What be you?" It croaked, grabbing Sam's wrists and pinning them above the terrified hobbit's head. Sam struggled but the creature merely hissed, poked and prodded.
"No dwarf, no, no dwarf in many'sss nights past, foul dwarfs with ax and beard.no."
The creature's stench was making Sam ill. "Not polite, needs to answer. What be you? Not man, too small, too sssstrange, what ears?"
The creature's scaled, clawed hands grasped at Sam's tender ears and he gasped. "What ears? Pointed, not elfssss." The thing spat at the mentioning of the elves. It stood over Sam as he struggled harder, impervious to the hobbit. It seemed to be searching for a memory.
"Ahhh.tales told of a thing with great power, passsssed through mine and forestsss with a wizard and sword. Ssslayed the dragon to gain the jewel."
Sam's eyes widened. * Mr. Bilbo!* Somehow this creature had heard the story of Smaug and the dwarves but he had gotten it garbled. There was madness in the red-rimmed, grayish orbs.
"Jewels? Not seen but knowsss, you be halfling. Have a pretty bauble for me?"
"That ain't me!" Sam gasped, trying to reason with it, or confuse it enough to let him go.
"Liesss! What have you? Halfling will give dragon treasure to me!"
"I don't have anything! My.my friends, they'll be here soon, just leave an' nothin' will happen, we'll."
"No!!" The creature screeched then hissed, enraged. "No, halfling, not to share bauble with men and elfsss, cheated before! No wizard here, not yet!! Mine, all mine. Show me dragon'ssss treasure!"
"I." Sam froze, hearing voices from far away, he recognized-
"Gandalf! Strider!!" Sam called out desperately. The thing screeched in fury and clasped a filthy hand over Sam's mouth.
"No halfling. Mine." The thing grinned maliciously.
Sam couldn't breathe and he began to fight back when he felt the creature pick him up and bolt down one of the dozen of tunnels.
"Mine, mine.dragon'ssss baubles, halfling treasssure." The thing kept whispering.
Sam didn't know if it was orc or goblin or something else entirely. It resembled the latter with some strange additions. Sam gasped when he saw the goblin-thing take out some stringy, black rope from a pouch it was carrying.
"Must sssstay, stay halfling."
Sam tried to cry out as the goblin bound his wrists and ankles, then his legs for good measure, but he was roughly cuffed. Dizzy and feeling blood run down his face, he still attempted to bite the creature when it gagged him with some horrid, filthy cloth. After all, it was not in a Gamgee's nature to submit quietly.
The creature, however, was much bigger and stronger than him. Sam felt helpless and sickened. There were so many tunnels, it was a maze in the mines.
There was no way any of the Fellowship could possibly find him without getting hopelessly lost themselves.
Sam, though he was frightened and had no wish to be abandoned, knew that the most important thing was getting Frodo to safety.
Sam squeezed his eyes shut. For a moment, in the darkness with this gibbering, thing, he felt as though he'd never see his Mr. Frodo again. He supposed it was selfish to wonder how Mr. Frodo would get along without him.
* Well, you clumsy oaf * a nasty voice spoke up in the back of Sam's mind, one that had been growing stronger as the quest went on, *very well, he doesn't need some fat, stupid, tag-a-long lump like you! Why, look at who else is travelling with him, protecting him. Even the other hobbits, Merry and Pippin are more educated and certainly more deserving of Frodo's station than some ill-bred, farmer such as yourself. *
Sam felt too tired to protest. He could barely speak to anyone in the Fellowship, other than his fellow hobbits. Merry, Pippin and Frodo were much more outgoing and clever than him. He just felt over-awed by it all.
Frodo would forget about him in a moment and it was better that way, better if the rest of them just left him. The gag muffled Sam's sob.
The goblin was still talking to itself, looking at Sam and cackling before it scampered off. Then there was only silence.
The small group did not go as far as Frodo had feared before seeing signs of Sam having been there.
His large footprints sent a jolt of relief through Frodo.but there was still no sign of the other hobbit.
"I hope Legolas and Gimli haven't torn each other apart by now." Boromir grumbled.
Aragorn shrugged and kept his attention on the footprints, his Ranger- trained senses focused completely.
Gandalf was quiet and Frodo hoped he was listening for some sound that indicated Sam was nearby.
Frodo suddenly felt useless. He wasn't doing anything to help find Sam, though he had insisted on coming along. He kept hoping that Sam's cheerful face would appear, greeting him with his usual, 'G'mornin' an' G'day, Mr. Frodo. Time to trim the verges, no rest for a wicked hobbit' to which Frodo would laugh and insist that the gardener have some breakfast.
Sam could never refuse Frodo's sweet rolls, a specialty of his passed on from Bilbo. The pair would then talk for a moment or longer, if Sam had time, at peace with the other's company.
Elbereth how he hated this darkness! The mines were a cold prison and Frodo felt Moria's true menace with Sam missing somewhere in the tunnels. He would give up all he had, even.
The ring glittered again. Even that. Especially that, to share a moment of peace with Sam again.
Aragorn and Gandalf were talking, debating about which way to go as the main tunnel they had been tracking split into three caverns.
Aragorn stopped speaking suddenly and sniffed the stale air, much like a dog would. Then Frodo smelled it too, something foul.
A voice broke the silence, one that stilled Frodo's heart. "Gandalf! Strider!!"
* Sam!*
"Sam." Boromir whispered, hearing as they all did the fear and desperation in that voice.
Then, an enraged shriek echoed off of the stone walls followed by silence.
"Sam!!" Frodo cried out, rushing to follow the sound. Quickly Aragorn grabbed him and held him back as Boromir ran into the adjacent cavern.
"Let me go! He's in trouble, no!! Sam!!" Frodo struggled furiously. "Stop Frodo, let Boromir go on." Aragorn looked sympathetic but unwilling to relinquish his grip.
Frodo slumped tiredly, trying to remain calm and failing. * No, please not Sam. I'll do anything. *
Boromir's face, when he returned, said it all. "Could hardly see in there, dark as a witch's-" "Boromir!" Gandalf said sharply, looking at Frodo, who could have cared less anyway.
"No sign of Sam." Frodo bit his lip, tears coming to the surface. "But he was there, we heard him!"
Boromir nodded gravely. "He was there and what little I could see showed a struggle. Probably against whatever else we heard. There were some signs.but nothing remains now."
The silence was heavy for a moment.
"Boromir," Aragorn said very quietly, not trusting his voice, "did you, find-" Frodo felt dizzy, he knew what Aragorn was really asking.
"_Nothing_ remains" Boromir said harshly and looked away. "The stout, little gardener is gone. I can find no hope of going after him, if-" The Gondor man looked at Frodo and didn't finish.
"There is a maze beyond there, hopeless to decipher."
"Difficult, but not hopeless." Gandalf spoke up. "Perhaps Sam was able to aid us, we must find him." The wizard looked old and tired all of a sudden and Frodo felt his heart break.
*Sam if you only knew how dear you are to all of us.*
"Gandalf is right, please." For a moment Gandalf's eyes fell on the ring Frodo was carrying, then he looked into the hobbit's vivid blue eyes. It was what he saw there that made him regain his determination.
Whatever danger, they could not leave Sam. The large-hearted gardener was as important to the quest, and the safety of Middle Earth as any of them.
He looked at Frodo, the worry so strong on the Ringbearer's face. "We will find him, no creature goes about without leaving a trail."
"But Gandalf."
"Come, we must hurry." Aragorn cut Boromir off before laying a strong hand on Frodo's shoulder.
They went down one passage, then another, sometimes farther than was wise before back-tracking. Gandalf's memory was the greatest aid, as well as Aragorn's tracking skills to serve them, yet nothing appeared.
It seemed as though hours passed and Frodo's hope was sinking with each fruitless effort. There was no sign of Sam and they could not call out for fear of bringing other things down on their head.
Frodo felt his agony increase when they returned to their starting point, the cavern where they had heard Sam's voice and found they had searched a tunnel that they had already traveled through.
No one expressed their thoughts but Frodo could read it on their faces. Whatever had taken Sam had probably killed him.
Frodo felt his resolve crumble. He would never see Sam again. Suddenly, he couldn't take another step he was so exhausted.
He had ignored his faithful Sam, taken him for granted and now he was gone. His Sam. Frodo had been sobbing unashamedly and hadn't realized it.
There was real pity and compassion on Boromir and Aragorn's faces but Gandalf wrapped his arms around the small Ringbearer, hoping to ease his pain and knowing he couldn't.
It was too deep of a wound, one more to so many Frodo already had. No one said anything, they were each exhausted and disheartened. No one moved for several minutes until Frodo felt Gandalf's arms stiffen.
"What?" Frodo followed Gandalf's gaze and gasped. Aragorn had already drawn his sword.
Standing there was a monsterish thing in ragged clothes. "Goblin" Boromir whispered and Frodo recoiled.
The thing was hideous. It's head looked like it had been stretched unnaturally and its fangs dripped drool down its slimy chin. It was whispering and cackling and did not seem to see the other four, it's huge eyes and misshapen ears twitching at random.
The thing was mad and Frodo knew with certainty that it had taken Sam. He became angry, this horrid thing had laid a hand on _ his_ Sam.
"Wait Frodo!" Gandalf stopped Frodo before he could move, knowing what the hobbit was thinking. "It does not see us. If it runs off or is provoked into a fight that ends with its death, we will never find Samwise."
The wise wizard was right. Aragorn slowly inched closer until he could hear what the goblin saying.
"Halfling, my treassssure, great, glittering treasure, sssstay, dragons, elfsss, dwarves."
Aragorn recognized more than one word and as slowly and quietly as he could he brought his sword up to the creature's neck.
It saw him just as the cold blade reached its throat, then shrieked in rage pushing the sword away though it nicked the skin.
The thing's neck oozed blood and it shrieked again, its eyes filled with hate as it made to scamper off again.
"No!" Frodo cried.
"Stop it!" Gandalf bellowed but the goblin suddenly stopped of its own accord. It had seen Frodo.
"Elf earsss, yessss. Like others, yesss. Two halflings, not two, only one. One with treassssure." The creature's eyes fell on the Ring and it grinned terribly, all sharp teeth and drool.
"Magic treassssure."
"What other halfling do you speak of?" Gandalf said sharply. "What have you done with him?"
"Treassssure" The goblin wasn't paying any attention to Gandalf. It saw only the Ring and Frodo felt an unnatural hatred well up inside of him.
"Where is Sam?! Where is he?!! You filthy, horrid thing. I swear I will kill you if you've harmed him. I will kill you!!"
The creature backed away from Frodo and even the others looked uneasy at his words, so unlike the peaceful hobbit.
But this was Sam, hopefully just Sam and nothing else that would inspire another kind of dark emotion.
"Where is the other halfling, goblin?" Aragorn looked dangerous, his sword glinting off of the light in Gandalf's staff. "I advise you to show us."
"Dead" the thing whispered gleefully. "Dead, to drink itssss blood I did, no more treasssure."
"Liar!!" Frodo screamed and lunged towards the goblin, who laughed and danced around in a small circle.
"Dead, dead, dead."
Gandalf held the enraged Ringbearer back and Frodo felt tears slipping down his face. * No! Please, not Sam!*
"For your sake, that had better be a lie." Boromir now stood with Aragorn and Frodo noticed again how large the Gondor man was when he wanted to intimidate.
"Liesss? No treasure?" The thing tried to look innocent, to no avail. "One treassssure."
It looked greedily at the Ring. "Treasure, magic treasssure for your path. Halfling for treasssure." It pointed one scaly finger at the Ring and Frodo's fingers clasped over it.
No one spoke.
The goblin sat on its haunches watching Frodo's reaction.
"You can put that out of your mind. You'll never get that and if you want to stay alive I suggest you release the other halfing." Gandalf was amazingly calm, only his eyes showed what he really felt.
"No.." the goblin grinned again. "No treasssure from halfling?"
"No." Frodo said through gritted teeth, tears coming again to his eyes. * I am so sorry Sam!*
The goblin stretched its misshapen body to its full height, too enraged to do anything but spit and stutter for a moment. Then it became quiet. Frodo felt his anxiety grow.
"No treassssure, no halfling." The other four only caught a glimpse of the jagged knife the thing had been carrying before it ran off.
Author's Notes;
Thank you to all who reviewed, I'm so glad there are Sam fans out there. He's the best, so why do I torture him? Who knows? Because I love him and think that Frodo should appreciate him more, so FrodoAngst! and SamTorment! Um, enjoy?
A low hissing chilled Sam to his bones and he knew he had to call out. The words choked him, however, when he finally glimpsed what was slinking out of a cavern.
He had never seen anything like it before, not even in Mr. Bilbo's pictures of the orcs he had encountered long ago in the Misty Mountains. This thing was much, much bigger than anything Mr. Bilbo had drawn and as it stretched and yawned it grew larger and larger.
Sam felt his whole body shake but his Gamgee common sense told him to move, now, before it was too late.
The creature was still looking around, wondering what had disturbed it after so long in the dark silence. It's slit eyes looked in the darkness and saw the glittering break in the wall.
It hissed and spat out a word but no dwarves came forward to challenge it. There was silence, the way it was supposed to be here in the darkness.
Sam had been backing up slowly, hoping the monstrous thing would go back into the hole it had come out of before seeing him. It might have, if Sam had not underestimated the weight of the pack he was carrying.
He leaned back, anxious to melt into the blackness, anything to avoid being seen. Then, his feet slipped out from underneath him and he crashed to the ground. His numerous pots and pans made a terrible noise in the small cavern, echoing off of the walls and reverbiting back even louder.
The thing screamed and rushed to the other side, closer to the light and saw Sam. Sam, transfixed by what he was seeing more clearly from the mithril's light, could not remember being this afraid, except maybe when Mr. Frodo had been stabbed by that Devil Rider.
The thing hissed again and cocked his head, unsure of what to make of Sam. The two stared each other down before the monster casually reached over and grabbed Sam's foot, shaking him and holding him upside down.
"No dwarvessss, no more dwarvessss here. What be you?" Poor Sam was shaking too hard to answer, partly from fear and partly from the thing's brutal upside-down shaking of him.
"Anssswers me, disssturbed me and will pay." The thing slammed Sam against the rock wall and dragged him to a hidden cavern. Sam was dazed from his head hitting the stone and could barely struggle as the thing hauled him away.
The mines were silent. That was uncharacteristic, even though it was uninhabited. The deathly stillness wasn't what first disturbed Frodo.
Gandalf was deep in his own thoughts, trying to remember which way would lead the Fellowship safely and quickly through the cold darkness.
Also, to Frodo's observant gaze, the wizard seemed anxious, less self- assured than usual. Something was weighing heavily on his mind and it was unintentionally infecting the rest of the Fellowship.
Legolas' fair, serious face was unreadable to hobbit eyes, but an edginess to his graceful movements, and constant fingering of his arrows betrayed his emotions. Boromir moodily followed, keeping to himself and Frodo found himself more and more wary of the Gondor man.
Aragorn was tense also, his jaw muscle flexing and his dark features stony. He was practically hovering over Merry and Pippin who were quiet, pale and depressed, affected by the mines' gloominess. He trusted Gandalf with Frodo.
Which lead to the source of Frodo's uneasiness. A sharp stab of fear hit him so hard it made him dizzy when he observed that one face was missing. *Gods, no.where was Sam? *
Frodo gasped and the Fellowship stopped. "Frodo?" Gandalf's eyebrows knit in concern.
"Sam! Where is Sam?! Sam?!!" Frodo called out, growing frantic.
"Hush!" Gandalf barked out, harsher than he intended. Engulfed in darkness, the Fellowship could not see anything but their immediate surroundings and themselves.
Sam was nowhere to be seen. A current of concern visibly went through the Fellowship.
"Damn!" Gandalf swore uncharacteristically. "I warned us all to stay close, did anyone else notice where he might have gone?" Of course the question was futile. No one had even noticed Sam was missing until Frodo brought it to their attention.
Frodo felt guilt, fear and anxiety swirl around inside of him, he thought he was going to be sick. Aragorn grasped the pale Ringbearer to ensure that he didn't faint.
Merry and Pippin moved quickly beside him, patting him on both shoulders, trying to hide their own worry.
"Samwise is so quiet and unassuming, had there been a problem, something to delay him such as a broken strap on his pack or even a stumble, he would not wish us to stop on his account." Legolas said wisely.
Frodo clenched his fists.
"Do not worry, he can't be far, knowing Sam he sensibly just stayed where was when finding himself separated." But Aragorn's eyes said he didn't believe this and Frodo grew more frightened.
How could he not have noticed sooner that Sam was gone? Sam would have noticed in an instant had the roles been reversed. He always took Sam for granted, especially since this quest had started.
Sam had been nothing but his loyal, stalwart self. Uncomplaining and sacrificing. Frodo felt tears prickle at his eyes and cursed himself for his weakness.
"We need to find him as soon as possible." Gandalf was tense and that frightened Frodo. * Sam, all alone in the darkness with heaven knows what else. Anything could happen to him, he.NO! Had to be calm. Why didn't Sam call out, or do something?*
Frodo looked over at Legolas, feeling the elf's gaze on him. Legolas' dark eyes were sympathetic, the elf knew why, he had said it aloud.
Sam had not wanted to burden anyone, or to draw attention to himself. *Oh, Sam! If anything happened to him. *
Frodo couldn't finish that thought. How could he go on without his Sam? The ring glinted in the corner of his eye, cold and beautiful. It weighed so heavily on him, the responsibility that he carried.
It meant giving up everything he cared for to destroy it. * But not Sam! Anything else I might be able to withstand.*
A warm, soft hand landed on his shoulder and Frodo looked up at Legolas, whose eyes said everything. Gandalf was talking seriously with Aragorn before turning to the rest of them.
"Aragorn and Boromir will go and search for him. Frodo, you and your cousins will stay here with Legolas and Gimli." Legolas nodded and Gimli huffed indignantly into his beard.
Boromir looked fleetingly at Frodo before nodding as well.
"No! Gandalf, I wish to come also."
"And us!!" Pippin cried, pushing off Merry's restraining hand. "Sam is uncomfortable around Big Folk Gandalf, he will be upset as it is with the situation."
Gandalf looked surprised at Pippin's mature words, uncharacteristic of the light-hearted Took.
He's worried* Frodo looked to Merry, biting his lips and squinting in the darkness, hoping to see something. * They all are.*
"I'm sure you are right, young hobbit," Gandalf said gently, "but now each person's safety must be considered." He looked at Frodo and the Ringbearer felt his gut twist with guilt. * He means me, especially me. How could anyone think Sam was less than me?*
"We must find Sam immediately and leave this terrible place. We have stayed too long as is."
"Gandalf" Frodo said suddenly. "I'm coming with you."
"Frodo." Aragorn started. "No!!" Frodo's fear surfaced, silencing them all. "I-I'm coming with you. Sam, I.I need to find him."
Gandalf's brows knitted and he nodded curtly before motioning the smaller group to follow him.
"But." Pippin tried one more time before lowering his curly head. "They will find him" Legolas said softly.
The elf took a small stone from his pocket, rubbed at it and it gradually began to glow. He then motioned to his three companions. Merry and Pippin sat close but Gimli humphed and glared at the elf, muttering darkly to himself, content in the darkness.
"Be careful Frodo, and don't." But Merry didn't finish because Frodo had already stormed off behind Gandalf, his face stony.
Bormir and Aragorn glared at each other for a moment before following.
Sam tried to back as far into the wall as he could, but he couldn't get away from this, thing's horrible teeth and foul stench.
"What be you?" It croaked, grabbing Sam's wrists and pinning them above the terrified hobbit's head. Sam struggled but the creature merely hissed, poked and prodded.
"No dwarf, no, no dwarf in many'sss nights past, foul dwarfs with ax and beard.no."
The creature's stench was making Sam ill. "Not polite, needs to answer. What be you? Not man, too small, too sssstrange, what ears?"
The creature's scaled, clawed hands grasped at Sam's tender ears and he gasped. "What ears? Pointed, not elfssss." The thing spat at the mentioning of the elves. It stood over Sam as he struggled harder, impervious to the hobbit. It seemed to be searching for a memory.
"Ahhh.tales told of a thing with great power, passsssed through mine and forestsss with a wizard and sword. Ssslayed the dragon to gain the jewel."
Sam's eyes widened. * Mr. Bilbo!* Somehow this creature had heard the story of Smaug and the dwarves but he had gotten it garbled. There was madness in the red-rimmed, grayish orbs.
"Jewels? Not seen but knowsss, you be halfling. Have a pretty bauble for me?"
"That ain't me!" Sam gasped, trying to reason with it, or confuse it enough to let him go.
"Liesss! What have you? Halfling will give dragon treasure to me!"
"I don't have anything! My.my friends, they'll be here soon, just leave an' nothin' will happen, we'll."
"No!!" The creature screeched then hissed, enraged. "No, halfling, not to share bauble with men and elfsss, cheated before! No wizard here, not yet!! Mine, all mine. Show me dragon'ssss treasure!"
"I." Sam froze, hearing voices from far away, he recognized-
"Gandalf! Strider!!" Sam called out desperately. The thing screeched in fury and clasped a filthy hand over Sam's mouth.
"No halfling. Mine." The thing grinned maliciously.
Sam couldn't breathe and he began to fight back when he felt the creature pick him up and bolt down one of the dozen of tunnels.
"Mine, mine.dragon'ssss baubles, halfling treasssure." The thing kept whispering.
Sam didn't know if it was orc or goblin or something else entirely. It resembled the latter with some strange additions. Sam gasped when he saw the goblin-thing take out some stringy, black rope from a pouch it was carrying.
"Must sssstay, stay halfling."
Sam tried to cry out as the goblin bound his wrists and ankles, then his legs for good measure, but he was roughly cuffed. Dizzy and feeling blood run down his face, he still attempted to bite the creature when it gagged him with some horrid, filthy cloth. After all, it was not in a Gamgee's nature to submit quietly.
The creature, however, was much bigger and stronger than him. Sam felt helpless and sickened. There were so many tunnels, it was a maze in the mines.
There was no way any of the Fellowship could possibly find him without getting hopelessly lost themselves.
Sam, though he was frightened and had no wish to be abandoned, knew that the most important thing was getting Frodo to safety.
Sam squeezed his eyes shut. For a moment, in the darkness with this gibbering, thing, he felt as though he'd never see his Mr. Frodo again. He supposed it was selfish to wonder how Mr. Frodo would get along without him.
* Well, you clumsy oaf * a nasty voice spoke up in the back of Sam's mind, one that had been growing stronger as the quest went on, *very well, he doesn't need some fat, stupid, tag-a-long lump like you! Why, look at who else is travelling with him, protecting him. Even the other hobbits, Merry and Pippin are more educated and certainly more deserving of Frodo's station than some ill-bred, farmer such as yourself. *
Sam felt too tired to protest. He could barely speak to anyone in the Fellowship, other than his fellow hobbits. Merry, Pippin and Frodo were much more outgoing and clever than him. He just felt over-awed by it all.
Frodo would forget about him in a moment and it was better that way, better if the rest of them just left him. The gag muffled Sam's sob.
The goblin was still talking to itself, looking at Sam and cackling before it scampered off. Then there was only silence.
The small group did not go as far as Frodo had feared before seeing signs of Sam having been there.
His large footprints sent a jolt of relief through Frodo.but there was still no sign of the other hobbit.
"I hope Legolas and Gimli haven't torn each other apart by now." Boromir grumbled.
Aragorn shrugged and kept his attention on the footprints, his Ranger- trained senses focused completely.
Gandalf was quiet and Frodo hoped he was listening for some sound that indicated Sam was nearby.
Frodo suddenly felt useless. He wasn't doing anything to help find Sam, though he had insisted on coming along. He kept hoping that Sam's cheerful face would appear, greeting him with his usual, 'G'mornin' an' G'day, Mr. Frodo. Time to trim the verges, no rest for a wicked hobbit' to which Frodo would laugh and insist that the gardener have some breakfast.
Sam could never refuse Frodo's sweet rolls, a specialty of his passed on from Bilbo. The pair would then talk for a moment or longer, if Sam had time, at peace with the other's company.
Elbereth how he hated this darkness! The mines were a cold prison and Frodo felt Moria's true menace with Sam missing somewhere in the tunnels. He would give up all he had, even.
The ring glittered again. Even that. Especially that, to share a moment of peace with Sam again.
Aragorn and Gandalf were talking, debating about which way to go as the main tunnel they had been tracking split into three caverns.
Aragorn stopped speaking suddenly and sniffed the stale air, much like a dog would. Then Frodo smelled it too, something foul.
A voice broke the silence, one that stilled Frodo's heart. "Gandalf! Strider!!"
* Sam!*
"Sam." Boromir whispered, hearing as they all did the fear and desperation in that voice.
Then, an enraged shriek echoed off of the stone walls followed by silence.
"Sam!!" Frodo cried out, rushing to follow the sound. Quickly Aragorn grabbed him and held him back as Boromir ran into the adjacent cavern.
"Let me go! He's in trouble, no!! Sam!!" Frodo struggled furiously. "Stop Frodo, let Boromir go on." Aragorn looked sympathetic but unwilling to relinquish his grip.
Frodo slumped tiredly, trying to remain calm and failing. * No, please not Sam. I'll do anything. *
Boromir's face, when he returned, said it all. "Could hardly see in there, dark as a witch's-" "Boromir!" Gandalf said sharply, looking at Frodo, who could have cared less anyway.
"No sign of Sam." Frodo bit his lip, tears coming to the surface. "But he was there, we heard him!"
Boromir nodded gravely. "He was there and what little I could see showed a struggle. Probably against whatever else we heard. There were some signs.but nothing remains now."
The silence was heavy for a moment.
"Boromir," Aragorn said very quietly, not trusting his voice, "did you, find-" Frodo felt dizzy, he knew what Aragorn was really asking.
"_Nothing_ remains" Boromir said harshly and looked away. "The stout, little gardener is gone. I can find no hope of going after him, if-" The Gondor man looked at Frodo and didn't finish.
"There is a maze beyond there, hopeless to decipher."
"Difficult, but not hopeless." Gandalf spoke up. "Perhaps Sam was able to aid us, we must find him." The wizard looked old and tired all of a sudden and Frodo felt his heart break.
*Sam if you only knew how dear you are to all of us.*
"Gandalf is right, please." For a moment Gandalf's eyes fell on the ring Frodo was carrying, then he looked into the hobbit's vivid blue eyes. It was what he saw there that made him regain his determination.
Whatever danger, they could not leave Sam. The large-hearted gardener was as important to the quest, and the safety of Middle Earth as any of them.
He looked at Frodo, the worry so strong on the Ringbearer's face. "We will find him, no creature goes about without leaving a trail."
"But Gandalf."
"Come, we must hurry." Aragorn cut Boromir off before laying a strong hand on Frodo's shoulder.
They went down one passage, then another, sometimes farther than was wise before back-tracking. Gandalf's memory was the greatest aid, as well as Aragorn's tracking skills to serve them, yet nothing appeared.
It seemed as though hours passed and Frodo's hope was sinking with each fruitless effort. There was no sign of Sam and they could not call out for fear of bringing other things down on their head.
Frodo felt his agony increase when they returned to their starting point, the cavern where they had heard Sam's voice and found they had searched a tunnel that they had already traveled through.
No one expressed their thoughts but Frodo could read it on their faces. Whatever had taken Sam had probably killed him.
Frodo felt his resolve crumble. He would never see Sam again. Suddenly, he couldn't take another step he was so exhausted.
He had ignored his faithful Sam, taken him for granted and now he was gone. His Sam. Frodo had been sobbing unashamedly and hadn't realized it.
There was real pity and compassion on Boromir and Aragorn's faces but Gandalf wrapped his arms around the small Ringbearer, hoping to ease his pain and knowing he couldn't.
It was too deep of a wound, one more to so many Frodo already had. No one said anything, they were each exhausted and disheartened. No one moved for several minutes until Frodo felt Gandalf's arms stiffen.
"What?" Frodo followed Gandalf's gaze and gasped. Aragorn had already drawn his sword.
Standing there was a monsterish thing in ragged clothes. "Goblin" Boromir whispered and Frodo recoiled.
The thing was hideous. It's head looked like it had been stretched unnaturally and its fangs dripped drool down its slimy chin. It was whispering and cackling and did not seem to see the other four, it's huge eyes and misshapen ears twitching at random.
The thing was mad and Frodo knew with certainty that it had taken Sam. He became angry, this horrid thing had laid a hand on _ his_ Sam.
"Wait Frodo!" Gandalf stopped Frodo before he could move, knowing what the hobbit was thinking. "It does not see us. If it runs off or is provoked into a fight that ends with its death, we will never find Samwise."
The wise wizard was right. Aragorn slowly inched closer until he could hear what the goblin saying.
"Halfling, my treassssure, great, glittering treasure, sssstay, dragons, elfsss, dwarves."
Aragorn recognized more than one word and as slowly and quietly as he could he brought his sword up to the creature's neck.
It saw him just as the cold blade reached its throat, then shrieked in rage pushing the sword away though it nicked the skin.
The thing's neck oozed blood and it shrieked again, its eyes filled with hate as it made to scamper off again.
"No!" Frodo cried.
"Stop it!" Gandalf bellowed but the goblin suddenly stopped of its own accord. It had seen Frodo.
"Elf earsss, yessss. Like others, yesss. Two halflings, not two, only one. One with treassssure." The creature's eyes fell on the Ring and it grinned terribly, all sharp teeth and drool.
"Magic treassssure."
"What other halfling do you speak of?" Gandalf said sharply. "What have you done with him?"
"Treassssure" The goblin wasn't paying any attention to Gandalf. It saw only the Ring and Frodo felt an unnatural hatred well up inside of him.
"Where is Sam?! Where is he?!! You filthy, horrid thing. I swear I will kill you if you've harmed him. I will kill you!!"
The creature backed away from Frodo and even the others looked uneasy at his words, so unlike the peaceful hobbit.
But this was Sam, hopefully just Sam and nothing else that would inspire another kind of dark emotion.
"Where is the other halfling, goblin?" Aragorn looked dangerous, his sword glinting off of the light in Gandalf's staff. "I advise you to show us."
"Dead" the thing whispered gleefully. "Dead, to drink itssss blood I did, no more treasssure."
"Liar!!" Frodo screamed and lunged towards the goblin, who laughed and danced around in a small circle.
"Dead, dead, dead."
Gandalf held the enraged Ringbearer back and Frodo felt tears slipping down his face. * No! Please, not Sam!*
"For your sake, that had better be a lie." Boromir now stood with Aragorn and Frodo noticed again how large the Gondor man was when he wanted to intimidate.
"Liesss? No treasure?" The thing tried to look innocent, to no avail. "One treassssure."
It looked greedily at the Ring. "Treasure, magic treasssure for your path. Halfling for treasssure." It pointed one scaly finger at the Ring and Frodo's fingers clasped over it.
No one spoke.
The goblin sat on its haunches watching Frodo's reaction.
"You can put that out of your mind. You'll never get that and if you want to stay alive I suggest you release the other halfing." Gandalf was amazingly calm, only his eyes showed what he really felt.
"No.." the goblin grinned again. "No treasssure from halfling?"
"No." Frodo said through gritted teeth, tears coming again to his eyes. * I am so sorry Sam!*
The goblin stretched its misshapen body to its full height, too enraged to do anything but spit and stutter for a moment. Then it became quiet. Frodo felt his anxiety grow.
"No treassssure, no halfling." The other four only caught a glimpse of the jagged knife the thing had been carrying before it ran off.