A/N: Sorry about the delay but this story is still not coming easily.
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Enraptured Frodo stared at the golden circlet resting in his palm. Lightly he caressed it, it was calling to him. It wanted him: wanted him to claim it. It wanted him!
"Frodo. Frodo!"
Aragorn's voice jerked him back to reality. Dropping the ring he glared up at the ranger. "It is mine! You can't have it!"
The ranger sat back down across from him. He looked into Frodo's eyes, carefully not even glancing at the hand clinging tightly to the ring. "I do not want it."
For a few more moments Frodo eyes him suspicously before slowly relaxing. After a moment his body almost sagged in relief. "I am losing the battle, aren't I?
Aragorn shrugged. "Yes and no. The longer you carry it and the closer we get to Sauron the stronger the pull of the ring is going to become.
Pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them Frodo sighed. "I do not know if I can do this."
Sliding the chain back inside the hobbit's shirt Aragorn laid a reasurring hand on his shoulder. "I will help you in any way I can. I am here for you, not the ring."
Slowly releasing a deep breath Frodo nodded. "I do know that, but sometimes I find myself forgetting." He turned his eyes back the way they had come. "Do they still follow?"
Aragorn nodded, rising to scan the distance. "They will not give up. I can keep us ahead of them, most likely, while we move through Ithilien." His gaze caught Frodo's. "Once we start actually seeking the path," he shrugged. "I can find it, but I do not know precisely where the entrance is. It is likely they will catch us then."
Unable to keep his mind focused on the ranger's words Frod found his attention drifting bac to the ring. "Tell me about Gondor," he all but begged. Anything to get his mind free.
Glancing at him Aragorn resettled next to him. "It is different from the northern lands-"
Forcing his full concentration on the ranger's soothing voice and wonderful storytelling Frodo managed to push the siren call of the ring to the back of his mind, almost unnoticeable.
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Exhausted but unable to sleep Sam paced restlessly in front of Legolas. The elf was seated, staring off into the distnace, appearing completely relaxed. Gollum was muttering to himself behind some nearby rocks, but Sam was ignoring the nearly constant litany about his precious, the thief Baggins and the nasty mans. "When will we catch them?" The gardener did not know why he was so upset and it was bothering him greatly.
Legolas looked up at him. "I do not know. Aragorn knows this area. We are in the outer borders of Gondor. He spent almost fifteen years as a captain here. Until they begin searching for the path, which has to be beyond Ithilien, they will be able to move quickly. But we will catch them before they enter Mordor. You should rest now. We will have to move quickly and carefully. We do not want to be taken by a Gondorian patrol."
Reluctantly Sam settled beside him. "I know, but for some reason I can not rest."
Not answering with words Legolas softly sang in elvish and Sam soon felt his eyes drifting closed. Once the hobbit was asleep Legolas rose to look off in the direction they were travelling. A quick glance showed him Gollum was settled for the night. For some reason he trusted the creature to lead them to Aragorn and Frodo. It made no sense, but years of battling the Dark Lord's forces had taught him to trust his senses. They would catch Aragorn and Frodo, they just had to be careful not to be caught by Gondor's soldiers. Their friends would need them before this was over. He knew it. "We come only to help," he silently whispered to the friend he knew could not hear. "Hold on and we will be there." Allowing his mind to roam free Legolas sank back down next to Sam. He needed his rest. Both he and Sam needed to be fully rested when they caught the ringbearer and his guide.
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Faramir, second son of the steward of Gondor and chief of the rangers scanned the horizon. Something was coming. The feeling had been growing stronger over the last week. He wished he knew what was causing this growing feeling of dread. "Double the patrols and tell the men to be extra careful," he ordered.
"Careful of what?" his second in command, Caralin asked. "You have been jumpy for weeks now."
"I do not know," Faramir answered, his eyes still scanning the horizon. "I simply know that something is coming and we must be ready. Nothing must slip past us."
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Enraptured Frodo stared at the golden circlet resting in his palm. Lightly he caressed it, it was calling to him. It wanted him: wanted him to claim it. It wanted him!
"Frodo. Frodo!"
Aragorn's voice jerked him back to reality. Dropping the ring he glared up at the ranger. "It is mine! You can't have it!"
The ranger sat back down across from him. He looked into Frodo's eyes, carefully not even glancing at the hand clinging tightly to the ring. "I do not want it."
For a few more moments Frodo eyes him suspicously before slowly relaxing. After a moment his body almost sagged in relief. "I am losing the battle, aren't I?
Aragorn shrugged. "Yes and no. The longer you carry it and the closer we get to Sauron the stronger the pull of the ring is going to become.
Pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them Frodo sighed. "I do not know if I can do this."
Sliding the chain back inside the hobbit's shirt Aragorn laid a reasurring hand on his shoulder. "I will help you in any way I can. I am here for you, not the ring."
Slowly releasing a deep breath Frodo nodded. "I do know that, but sometimes I find myself forgetting." He turned his eyes back the way they had come. "Do they still follow?"
Aragorn nodded, rising to scan the distance. "They will not give up. I can keep us ahead of them, most likely, while we move through Ithilien." His gaze caught Frodo's. "Once we start actually seeking the path," he shrugged. "I can find it, but I do not know precisely where the entrance is. It is likely they will catch us then."
Unable to keep his mind focused on the ranger's words Frod found his attention drifting bac to the ring. "Tell me about Gondor," he all but begged. Anything to get his mind free.
Glancing at him Aragorn resettled next to him. "It is different from the northern lands-"
Forcing his full concentration on the ranger's soothing voice and wonderful storytelling Frodo managed to push the siren call of the ring to the back of his mind, almost unnoticeable.
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Exhausted but unable to sleep Sam paced restlessly in front of Legolas. The elf was seated, staring off into the distnace, appearing completely relaxed. Gollum was muttering to himself behind some nearby rocks, but Sam was ignoring the nearly constant litany about his precious, the thief Baggins and the nasty mans. "When will we catch them?" The gardener did not know why he was so upset and it was bothering him greatly.
Legolas looked up at him. "I do not know. Aragorn knows this area. We are in the outer borders of Gondor. He spent almost fifteen years as a captain here. Until they begin searching for the path, which has to be beyond Ithilien, they will be able to move quickly. But we will catch them before they enter Mordor. You should rest now. We will have to move quickly and carefully. We do not want to be taken by a Gondorian patrol."
Reluctantly Sam settled beside him. "I know, but for some reason I can not rest."
Not answering with words Legolas softly sang in elvish and Sam soon felt his eyes drifting closed. Once the hobbit was asleep Legolas rose to look off in the direction they were travelling. A quick glance showed him Gollum was settled for the night. For some reason he trusted the creature to lead them to Aragorn and Frodo. It made no sense, but years of battling the Dark Lord's forces had taught him to trust his senses. They would catch Aragorn and Frodo, they just had to be careful not to be caught by Gondor's soldiers. Their friends would need them before this was over. He knew it. "We come only to help," he silently whispered to the friend he knew could not hear. "Hold on and we will be there." Allowing his mind to roam free Legolas sank back down next to Sam. He needed his rest. Both he and Sam needed to be fully rested when they caught the ringbearer and his guide.
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Faramir, second son of the steward of Gondor and chief of the rangers scanned the horizon. Something was coming. The feeling had been growing stronger over the last week. He wished he knew what was causing this growing feeling of dread. "Double the patrols and tell the men to be extra careful," he ordered.
"Careful of what?" his second in command, Caralin asked. "You have been jumpy for weeks now."
"I do not know," Faramir answered, his eyes still scanning the horizon. "I simply know that something is coming and we must be ready. Nothing must slip past us."