Author's Note: Thanks to GamgeeFest, Bronwyn, and Sam for your kind
reviews. This is just a short story, more of an exercise in writing,
really. I sort of needed something to get me writing again and this seemed
to work! There is only one chapter left (this is a short one). Sam angst
stories really are my favorite things to write. Anyway, encouragement and
constructive criticism is always welcome!
Chapter 3 Orodruin
Sam took a deep breath, trying to get enough air into his tortured lungs. The air around Orodruin was so choked with noxious gases and dust, that Sam felt as if he were suffocating. The unrelenting heat from the volcano was sapping what little strength he had left. Finally, he pushed himself to his feet. Moving unsteadily, he began to trudge up the steep, rock-strewn mountainside. Each step was more difficult than the last and all the while, he could feel the fiery Eye searching for him and the deadweight of the Ring pulling him down. "Well, Mr. Frodo," he thought weakly as he wiped the sweat from his eyes, "At least you were spared this misery."
He didn't dare look up, afraid that the sight of what was to come would prove too discouraging and he would lose what little hope he had. Finally, after climbing over an especially difficult lava flow, Sam again collapsed, his leaden limbs refusing to bear him any further. The throbbing pain in his arm brought waves of nausea. Gasping for breath, he reluctantly looked upwards. He blinked in surprise when he realized that a few yards above him there appeared to be a road of some sort. With a burst of renewed energy, Sam crawled the distance to the road above. He didn't realize that this was Sauron's own pathway to the Sammath Naur, all he knew was that without it, he could never have gone any further.
Upon reaching the unexpected causeway, Sam gathered his meager resources and managed to struggle to his feet. Although easier than climbing the sheer side of the mountain, the road was not an easy path. Many rocks and crevasses resulting the from the volcano's frequent eruptions barred his way. Yet, the courage of exhausted Hobbit refused to die. He fought his way through the hostile terrain inch by terrible inch, never wavering in his determination to destroy the evil thing in his possession.
Finally, after what seemed like days of climbing, Sam spied a opening in the side of the volcano. The road disappeared into it's impenetrable darkness and Sam knew that it had to be the way to the Crack of Doom. He stood still for a few moments, trying to catch his breath preparing for the last leg of the journey. Suddenly, he caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. Before he could react, a heavy weight bore him to the ground . "My Precioussss!" hissed a hoarse voice in Sam's ear. "Give us back our Precious, nasty fat hobbit!" It was Gollum. He had managed to track Sam from Minas Morgul to Orudruin and was now determined to get back the Ring, his Precious.
"No!" snarled Sam, heaving the wasted creature from him. The journey had been a cruel one for Gollum, just as it had been for Sam. If possible, Gollum was more emaciated and shriveled than ever but there was the unnerving light of madness in his huge eyes. Without warning, Gollum leaped again, hissing and biting at Sam's throat, fighting to get at the Ring from around the Hobbit's neck. The fear that Gollum would somehow manage to wrest the Ring from him gave Sam strength he didn't know he had. Again he managed to hurl Gollum away from him and this time, he was able to yank Sting from its scabbard.
"Get away from me you wicked thing!" Sam cried furiously, thrusting the sword towards Gollum, "Now it's time to finally be rid of you once and for all!" But something stayed his hand. He stared in disgust at the whimpering, cringing creature before him.
"Pleease!" Gollum begged miserably, cowering before Sam's sword. "Please, don't kill us! Don't hurts us with nasty steel! When the Precious is destroyed, we will die too! Please, let us live a little longer!"
As often as he had dreamed of doing away with the evil Gollum, somehow Sam could not bring himself to kill him. Having borne the Ring himself now, he had some understanding of what drove the pathetic creature. He knew what Gollum had said was true and the destruction of the Ring would undoubtedly destroy Smeagol as well. He lowered Sting and glared at Gollum. "Get out of here," he rasped in revulsion. "I will kill you if I see one scraggly hair near me again, do you understand!?" He then made as if to kick Gollum, who scurried out of the way and out of sight.
Panting with exertion, Sam stood for a moment more, watching to make sure Gollum did not return, then knowing it was now or never, he stumbled towards the opening in the mountain as fast as his heavy legs would allow. He hesitated just a moment before entering the passageway, then took a deep breath and plunged ahead.
It was very dark inside the tunnel and Sam was afraid there might be holes or crevasses he might fall into. He tried the Lady's light, but the malicious darkness of this place would not be dispelled, even by such a pure light as this. Still, Sam shuffled forward, unwavering in his determination. However, the Ring seemed heavier than ever in the place of its birth and Sam could hear it calling to him constantly. "I must not listen!" he told himself grimly, "I must destroy it. In the name of Mr. Frodo, I will destroy it!" He thought of Mr. Frodo lying alone on the cold mountainside and it spurred him on.
Finally, the tunnel opened onto a great fissure, red fiery light emanated from the molten rock below. The heat and the fumes nearly overcame him, but Sam was determined to finish the task he had taken on. He stumbled to the edge of the fissure and looked down. Glowing lava seethed and boiled below him. The sulphurous gases gagged him and he fought to keep his feet. Coughing deeply, he grabbed the Ring from around his neck and held it, dangling over the Crack of Doom.
It was then that he should have dropped it. But at the same time, the insidious call of the Ring seemed to break through his resolve. He no longer saw himself as a small, insignificant Hobbit from the Shire, but as a heroic and powerful warrior, savior of all Middle Earth! With this Ring, he, Samwise Gamgee, could bring Sauron to his very knees and destroy him completely! He would be invincible! The Crack of Doom no long existed for him. He was immersed in a whole new world, one where he was all powerful! How long Sam might have stood like this, hypnotized by the Ring's siren song, is impossible to say. As he stood there, out of the black tunnel came a small skulking shadow. It froze for a moment but upon spying Sam standing immobile by the fissure's edge, it struck.
Sam came back to himself almost immediately as Gollum tackled him and began his desperate scrabbling for possession of the Ring. Flung to the ground, Sam's head struck the rocky floor, making him see stars, but he refused to release his tenacious hold on the Ring. Both adversaries fought silently, both equally determined to have the Ring for himself. But Gollum's madness won out in the end and he finally wrenched the Ring from Sam's grasp.
"Mine! Mine!" Gollum screamed in delight, clutching the Ring to his bony breast, "My Precious! My Precious!" Sam heaved himself up from the floor, blood from his injured head blinding him. He was determined to regain the Ring, when with risng horror, he watch Gollum prance away from him and onto the crumbling edge of the fissure. He balanced there for a moment and then with a cry of "My Precioussss!" Gollum disappeared over the edge and was gone, lost in fires of Sammath Naur. The Ring had been destroyed.
Abruptly, Sam felt the power of the Ring release him. Gasping, he watched with growing alarm as the fires of Orodruin began rising and spewing gobs of lava. The ground beneath him started to shudder with increasing strength and Sam knew if he were to escape he had to go now. For an instant, he hesitated. What was the point of escaping? Frodo was dead, abandoned on a mountaintop. He himself was never getting out of Mordor alive, even if he could escape the erupting volcano. So, why not just stay here and be done with it? "Because," he said to himself obstinately, "I don't want my last moments on earth to be in this here black hole! I want at least a little patch of sky above me when my time comes, even if it's only the black skies of Mordor!" With that he turned, the adrenalin giving him the strength and speed he needed to escape from the tunnel before it completely collapsed.
Outside wasn't much better. Clouds of soot and ash rose in billowing pillars high above him. Huge rocks were flung down about him, barely missing him. He ran as far as he could, trying to escape the flowing molten rock, but it was no use. He soon found himself on a hill of ash, completely surrounded by lava. Coughing and wheezing from the poisonous fumes, Sam stumbled to the peak of his island and collapsed. It was over. He lay on his back and peered through the plumes of smoke and debris. "Well, Mr. Frodo," he whispered skyward, "We did it. The Ring is gone." He was overcome by a fit of coughing. He lay gasping for breath. "Watch for me!" he rasped, "I'll be with you soon." With that, his strength failed and Samwise Gamgee knew no more.
Chapter 3 Orodruin
Sam took a deep breath, trying to get enough air into his tortured lungs. The air around Orodruin was so choked with noxious gases and dust, that Sam felt as if he were suffocating. The unrelenting heat from the volcano was sapping what little strength he had left. Finally, he pushed himself to his feet. Moving unsteadily, he began to trudge up the steep, rock-strewn mountainside. Each step was more difficult than the last and all the while, he could feel the fiery Eye searching for him and the deadweight of the Ring pulling him down. "Well, Mr. Frodo," he thought weakly as he wiped the sweat from his eyes, "At least you were spared this misery."
He didn't dare look up, afraid that the sight of what was to come would prove too discouraging and he would lose what little hope he had. Finally, after climbing over an especially difficult lava flow, Sam again collapsed, his leaden limbs refusing to bear him any further. The throbbing pain in his arm brought waves of nausea. Gasping for breath, he reluctantly looked upwards. He blinked in surprise when he realized that a few yards above him there appeared to be a road of some sort. With a burst of renewed energy, Sam crawled the distance to the road above. He didn't realize that this was Sauron's own pathway to the Sammath Naur, all he knew was that without it, he could never have gone any further.
Upon reaching the unexpected causeway, Sam gathered his meager resources and managed to struggle to his feet. Although easier than climbing the sheer side of the mountain, the road was not an easy path. Many rocks and crevasses resulting the from the volcano's frequent eruptions barred his way. Yet, the courage of exhausted Hobbit refused to die. He fought his way through the hostile terrain inch by terrible inch, never wavering in his determination to destroy the evil thing in his possession.
Finally, after what seemed like days of climbing, Sam spied a opening in the side of the volcano. The road disappeared into it's impenetrable darkness and Sam knew that it had to be the way to the Crack of Doom. He stood still for a few moments, trying to catch his breath preparing for the last leg of the journey. Suddenly, he caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. Before he could react, a heavy weight bore him to the ground . "My Precioussss!" hissed a hoarse voice in Sam's ear. "Give us back our Precious, nasty fat hobbit!" It was Gollum. He had managed to track Sam from Minas Morgul to Orudruin and was now determined to get back the Ring, his Precious.
"No!" snarled Sam, heaving the wasted creature from him. The journey had been a cruel one for Gollum, just as it had been for Sam. If possible, Gollum was more emaciated and shriveled than ever but there was the unnerving light of madness in his huge eyes. Without warning, Gollum leaped again, hissing and biting at Sam's throat, fighting to get at the Ring from around the Hobbit's neck. The fear that Gollum would somehow manage to wrest the Ring from him gave Sam strength he didn't know he had. Again he managed to hurl Gollum away from him and this time, he was able to yank Sting from its scabbard.
"Get away from me you wicked thing!" Sam cried furiously, thrusting the sword towards Gollum, "Now it's time to finally be rid of you once and for all!" But something stayed his hand. He stared in disgust at the whimpering, cringing creature before him.
"Pleease!" Gollum begged miserably, cowering before Sam's sword. "Please, don't kill us! Don't hurts us with nasty steel! When the Precious is destroyed, we will die too! Please, let us live a little longer!"
As often as he had dreamed of doing away with the evil Gollum, somehow Sam could not bring himself to kill him. Having borne the Ring himself now, he had some understanding of what drove the pathetic creature. He knew what Gollum had said was true and the destruction of the Ring would undoubtedly destroy Smeagol as well. He lowered Sting and glared at Gollum. "Get out of here," he rasped in revulsion. "I will kill you if I see one scraggly hair near me again, do you understand!?" He then made as if to kick Gollum, who scurried out of the way and out of sight.
Panting with exertion, Sam stood for a moment more, watching to make sure Gollum did not return, then knowing it was now or never, he stumbled towards the opening in the mountain as fast as his heavy legs would allow. He hesitated just a moment before entering the passageway, then took a deep breath and plunged ahead.
It was very dark inside the tunnel and Sam was afraid there might be holes or crevasses he might fall into. He tried the Lady's light, but the malicious darkness of this place would not be dispelled, even by such a pure light as this. Still, Sam shuffled forward, unwavering in his determination. However, the Ring seemed heavier than ever in the place of its birth and Sam could hear it calling to him constantly. "I must not listen!" he told himself grimly, "I must destroy it. In the name of Mr. Frodo, I will destroy it!" He thought of Mr. Frodo lying alone on the cold mountainside and it spurred him on.
Finally, the tunnel opened onto a great fissure, red fiery light emanated from the molten rock below. The heat and the fumes nearly overcame him, but Sam was determined to finish the task he had taken on. He stumbled to the edge of the fissure and looked down. Glowing lava seethed and boiled below him. The sulphurous gases gagged him and he fought to keep his feet. Coughing deeply, he grabbed the Ring from around his neck and held it, dangling over the Crack of Doom.
It was then that he should have dropped it. But at the same time, the insidious call of the Ring seemed to break through his resolve. He no longer saw himself as a small, insignificant Hobbit from the Shire, but as a heroic and powerful warrior, savior of all Middle Earth! With this Ring, he, Samwise Gamgee, could bring Sauron to his very knees and destroy him completely! He would be invincible! The Crack of Doom no long existed for him. He was immersed in a whole new world, one where he was all powerful! How long Sam might have stood like this, hypnotized by the Ring's siren song, is impossible to say. As he stood there, out of the black tunnel came a small skulking shadow. It froze for a moment but upon spying Sam standing immobile by the fissure's edge, it struck.
Sam came back to himself almost immediately as Gollum tackled him and began his desperate scrabbling for possession of the Ring. Flung to the ground, Sam's head struck the rocky floor, making him see stars, but he refused to release his tenacious hold on the Ring. Both adversaries fought silently, both equally determined to have the Ring for himself. But Gollum's madness won out in the end and he finally wrenched the Ring from Sam's grasp.
"Mine! Mine!" Gollum screamed in delight, clutching the Ring to his bony breast, "My Precious! My Precious!" Sam heaved himself up from the floor, blood from his injured head blinding him. He was determined to regain the Ring, when with risng horror, he watch Gollum prance away from him and onto the crumbling edge of the fissure. He balanced there for a moment and then with a cry of "My Precioussss!" Gollum disappeared over the edge and was gone, lost in fires of Sammath Naur. The Ring had been destroyed.
Abruptly, Sam felt the power of the Ring release him. Gasping, he watched with growing alarm as the fires of Orodruin began rising and spewing gobs of lava. The ground beneath him started to shudder with increasing strength and Sam knew if he were to escape he had to go now. For an instant, he hesitated. What was the point of escaping? Frodo was dead, abandoned on a mountaintop. He himself was never getting out of Mordor alive, even if he could escape the erupting volcano. So, why not just stay here and be done with it? "Because," he said to himself obstinately, "I don't want my last moments on earth to be in this here black hole! I want at least a little patch of sky above me when my time comes, even if it's only the black skies of Mordor!" With that he turned, the adrenalin giving him the strength and speed he needed to escape from the tunnel before it completely collapsed.
Outside wasn't much better. Clouds of soot and ash rose in billowing pillars high above him. Huge rocks were flung down about him, barely missing him. He ran as far as he could, trying to escape the flowing molten rock, but it was no use. He soon found himself on a hill of ash, completely surrounded by lava. Coughing and wheezing from the poisonous fumes, Sam stumbled to the peak of his island and collapsed. It was over. He lay on his back and peered through the plumes of smoke and debris. "Well, Mr. Frodo," he whispered skyward, "We did it. The Ring is gone." He was overcome by a fit of coughing. He lay gasping for breath. "Watch for me!" he rasped, "I'll be with you soon." With that, his strength failed and Samwise Gamgee knew no more.