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Chapter 5 Moraker the Black
When Sam next awoke, there was some light illuminating what appeared to be a small chamber of rock. A cave, perhaps? A tall man, clothed in black, was seated at a nearby table, his small candle providing the meager light. Sam stirred and moaned slightly. His arm and head were throbbing and he was desperately thirsty. The man turned quickly and peered over at the Hobbit laying on the cot. Sam could see him a little more clearly now, although the dim light still hid much of the man's features. "You are awake," said the man in some surprise. Sam recognized the voice as that of the Istari, Moraker. The man stood and stepped near the bed. He lay his cold hand on Sam's burning brow and frowned. "Are you in pain, Master Halfing?" he inquired with some concern.
Sam nodded slightly then rasped, "Please sir, could I have some water?" In a flash Moraker again produced a goblet and helped Sam to drink. Sam lay back and sighed in relief. "Thank you, Mr. Moraker," he said faintly. "As to pain, well my arm and my head do hurt a bit." Moraker lifted the covers from Sam's arm and frowned again. The arm was still badly infected and so far his attempts to heal it had had little effect. If he couldn't destroy the infection, the halfling would die and that was something he currently wished to avoid. He then looked at Sam's head. When Gollum had knocked Sam down in Sammath Naur, Sam had received a nasty blow to the head. Moraker had stitched closed the wound, but he suspected the halfling had a slight concussion as well. Nothing to worry about, although it would give the Hobbit headaches for some time. Moraker decided he may have to go to the village further down the mountain and speak with their healer. He was no stranger there and had nothing to fear from the rather primitive Easterlings.
Moraker replaced the covers and strode over to his table. Sam couldn't see what he was doing, but tried to at least get a better feel for the man himself. Sam could see that he was very tall and thin, but still couldn't tell anything about his face. Moraker returned a moment later and held a cup to Sam's mouth. "Drink this," he said, "It will help ease the pain." Sam pulled a face at the bitter concoction, but drank it down as best he could. Within a few moments, he could feel the throbbing begin to ease. He smiled his thanks to the tall man beside him. He could make out his features a little better now. The man's face was narrow, with dark, sunken eyes and a large, hawk-like nose. For a moment, Sam felt a thrill of fear run up his back as he looked into those eyes. Then, it was gone. Surely there was nothing to fear from his rescuer, was there?
The mysterious wizard and pulled up a chair beside Sam's bed and looked down at the pale Hobbit, his thin face creased in thought. "Tell me, Master Halfling, what is your name and how did you come to be on the slopes of Mt. Doom?" As he spoke, he took a cool, damp cloth and laid it on Sam's feverish head.
The moist cloth felt wonderful to Sam. He smiled slightly, then replied, "Well sir, my name is Samwise Gamgee. I'm a gardener from Hobbiton in the Shire. I left the Shire with my master, Frodo Baggins, to try and destroy the Ring of Power." Sam then closed his eyes, gathering the strength to begin his story. He wasn't sure he wanted to relive the whole painful, ordeal, but still, this wizard had rescued him. Sam owed him something, at least. Sam sighed and began at the beginning, with Bilbo finding the Ring under the Misty Mountains and ending with his own torturous journey through Mordor and into Orudruin itself. Tears streamed down his face as he recounted leaving Mr. Frodo in the Morgul Vale. "I would rather have cut off my own right arm," declared Sam miserably, "Than leave Mr. Frodo there all alone in that cursed place, but I couldn't see any other way! I was the only one left and the Ring had to be destroyed. It was all up to me, for better or for worse. I just hope I can go back and find him."
Moraker shook his head in amazement. "That is a marvelous and heroic tale!" he declared, "One I would never have believed if I did not have some knowledge of these things myself. Imagine, Hobbits carrying the Ring of Power all the way from the Shire and under the very noses of Sauron and his Nazgul! You are a very brave and valiant Hobbit, Master Samwise. But, I think I have some news that may please you!"
Sam opened his eyes and looked over at the wizard with a baffled look. "News?"
"Indeed! Wonderful news!" said the wizard, grinning down at him, "Although I do not travel much these days, I have been quite concerned about the comings and goings in Mordor. I, like others of my, uh, Order, have been very worried about Sauron's rise to power and although I do not have the abilities of say, Gandalf the Gray or Saruman the White, I wanted to keep abreast of the situation so that I might help where I may. My contacts told me that there had been a terrible battle before the Black Gate of Mordor and when you destroyed the Ring, Lord Sauron and his allies were crushed!"
Sam struggled to sit up in his excitement. A bout of harsh coughing caused him to collapse back onto his cot. The poisonous fumes of Mr. Doom had wreaked havoc on his lungs. "Sauron has been destroyed?" he wheezed, laboring to catch his breath. "Truly?"
"Yes, yes!" laughed Moraker, "But that is not all! I believe your master, Frodo, is alive!"
Sam gaped at him in shocked disbelief. "Nooooo," he whispered, his eyes wide, "No! That's impossible! He was dead! He was cold as ice! He couldn't still be alive!
"I see you understand little of the ways of spiders, Master Samwise," smiled Moraker, "They do not kill their prey before eating them, they just stun them. But, as I was saying, I was told that a small man, a halfling, had been captured near Minas Morgul in the Pass of Cirith Ungol. Sauron thought he was a spy. However, he was released to whomever was leading the army of the men as a token of Sauron's willingness to deal with them. As far as I know, he was still alive. And.." he smiled again, "So is our friend, Gandalf!"
Sam lay back and blinked in confusion. It was too much for a simple Hobbit to absorb. Frodo AND Gandalf still alive!? Sauron defeated? Were all the bad things in the world going to come undone? He lay there for several minutes, digesting all this unexpected news. Suddenly, he heart leaped with joy as he realized the full meaning of what he had learned. "Master Frodo is truly alive? I must get back to him! Where is he now, do you know?" He looked up eagerly into Moraker's face.
The wizard was frowning gently and shaking his head. "I am sorry, Samwise," he said, "But you are in no condition to travel such a long way! It would certainly be the death of you and I am sure that your friends would be prefer to find that you survived your ordeal. I am certain that at the moment, they must believe you perished on Orodruin."
Sam bit his lip as he considered this. It really hadn't occurred to him that the others would presume him dead, but after the mountain had exploded and him supposedly in the middle of it, what else could they believe? He turned again to his rescuer, "Please, Mr. Moraker, sir" he began anxiously, "Is there anyway I might send a message back to Mr. Frodo and the others? I don't rightly know where we are and maybe it would take a long time, but I'd sure rest easier if I could let them know I was alive."
Sam was thinking hard. How could he let Mr. Frodo know he had survived the Quest and as he thought about this, it occurred to him that he really had no idea exactly HOW he had managed to survive. How had he gotten away from the erupting volcano? And where was he now? He turned slowly to Moraker, these questions swirling in his brain. "Excuse me," he said, "I don't mean to sound rude, but how did I get here? And where IS here?"
It was a moment before the wizard answered him. "You are in the land of the Easterlings, far from your home and Gondor, I am afraid. As to how you got here, well, I know of a great Eagle who will from time to time consent to carry me. I felt I should see for myself what was going on. I saw Mt. Doom exploding and Barad-dur collapsing. That told me, of course, that the Ring of Power must have been destroyed. It was simply by chance that I came upon you lying there amidst the chaos. A few minutes more, and it would have been too late to save you. As it was, I was not sure you were still alive. I suppose I should have returned you to Gondor, but I did not know what the conditions there were like, so brought you here, to my little hideaway in the mountains."
Sam digested this information. For some reason, he felt sure there was something this man was not telling him. His good common Hobbit-sense was sending him warnings, but he simply didn't know what they meant. He would have to give this more thought. "Could the eagle take a message?" asked Sam hopefully.
Moraker shook his head. "I am sorry to say that he has already returned to his home far in the North. No, I'm afraid it will have to be some other way." He was silent for a few minutes tapping his mouth with his long fingers. "I suppose I might ask one of the villagers in village further down the mountain if they would consent to take a message. Many of their men have left to fight for Sauron, but I have made friends of some of the younger ones. I will see what I can do. In the meantime, Samwise Gamgee, you must get some rest. I will go down to the village and see about sending a message as well as get you some food. You must be very hungry!"
Now that he thought about it, Sam realized he was starving. It had been so long since he had eaten anything besides Lembas bread, and even that seemed long ago. The thought of real food lifted his spirits immediately. "I surely could go for some good stew or bread or even an apple!" he sighed happily.
"I will see what I can do, Master Hobbit," replied Moraker as he prepared to leave. He placed his hand on the Hobbit's head, repeated his sleeping spell and within seconds, Sam was deep in slumber.
"Sleep well, Samwise Gamgee," murmured the Mouth of Sauron scornfully as he prepared to leave. "I will send your message to your dear friends and let us see who comes to visit!" With a harsh laugh, he fastened his black cloak around him and swept out of the chamber. Sam slept on peacefully, blissfully unaware of his true predicament.
Chapter 5 Moraker the Black
When Sam next awoke, there was some light illuminating what appeared to be a small chamber of rock. A cave, perhaps? A tall man, clothed in black, was seated at a nearby table, his small candle providing the meager light. Sam stirred and moaned slightly. His arm and head were throbbing and he was desperately thirsty. The man turned quickly and peered over at the Hobbit laying on the cot. Sam could see him a little more clearly now, although the dim light still hid much of the man's features. "You are awake," said the man in some surprise. Sam recognized the voice as that of the Istari, Moraker. The man stood and stepped near the bed. He lay his cold hand on Sam's burning brow and frowned. "Are you in pain, Master Halfing?" he inquired with some concern.
Sam nodded slightly then rasped, "Please sir, could I have some water?" In a flash Moraker again produced a goblet and helped Sam to drink. Sam lay back and sighed in relief. "Thank you, Mr. Moraker," he said faintly. "As to pain, well my arm and my head do hurt a bit." Moraker lifted the covers from Sam's arm and frowned again. The arm was still badly infected and so far his attempts to heal it had had little effect. If he couldn't destroy the infection, the halfling would die and that was something he currently wished to avoid. He then looked at Sam's head. When Gollum had knocked Sam down in Sammath Naur, Sam had received a nasty blow to the head. Moraker had stitched closed the wound, but he suspected the halfling had a slight concussion as well. Nothing to worry about, although it would give the Hobbit headaches for some time. Moraker decided he may have to go to the village further down the mountain and speak with their healer. He was no stranger there and had nothing to fear from the rather primitive Easterlings.
Moraker replaced the covers and strode over to his table. Sam couldn't see what he was doing, but tried to at least get a better feel for the man himself. Sam could see that he was very tall and thin, but still couldn't tell anything about his face. Moraker returned a moment later and held a cup to Sam's mouth. "Drink this," he said, "It will help ease the pain." Sam pulled a face at the bitter concoction, but drank it down as best he could. Within a few moments, he could feel the throbbing begin to ease. He smiled his thanks to the tall man beside him. He could make out his features a little better now. The man's face was narrow, with dark, sunken eyes and a large, hawk-like nose. For a moment, Sam felt a thrill of fear run up his back as he looked into those eyes. Then, it was gone. Surely there was nothing to fear from his rescuer, was there?
The mysterious wizard and pulled up a chair beside Sam's bed and looked down at the pale Hobbit, his thin face creased in thought. "Tell me, Master Halfling, what is your name and how did you come to be on the slopes of Mt. Doom?" As he spoke, he took a cool, damp cloth and laid it on Sam's feverish head.
The moist cloth felt wonderful to Sam. He smiled slightly, then replied, "Well sir, my name is Samwise Gamgee. I'm a gardener from Hobbiton in the Shire. I left the Shire with my master, Frodo Baggins, to try and destroy the Ring of Power." Sam then closed his eyes, gathering the strength to begin his story. He wasn't sure he wanted to relive the whole painful, ordeal, but still, this wizard had rescued him. Sam owed him something, at least. Sam sighed and began at the beginning, with Bilbo finding the Ring under the Misty Mountains and ending with his own torturous journey through Mordor and into Orudruin itself. Tears streamed down his face as he recounted leaving Mr. Frodo in the Morgul Vale. "I would rather have cut off my own right arm," declared Sam miserably, "Than leave Mr. Frodo there all alone in that cursed place, but I couldn't see any other way! I was the only one left and the Ring had to be destroyed. It was all up to me, for better or for worse. I just hope I can go back and find him."
Moraker shook his head in amazement. "That is a marvelous and heroic tale!" he declared, "One I would never have believed if I did not have some knowledge of these things myself. Imagine, Hobbits carrying the Ring of Power all the way from the Shire and under the very noses of Sauron and his Nazgul! You are a very brave and valiant Hobbit, Master Samwise. But, I think I have some news that may please you!"
Sam opened his eyes and looked over at the wizard with a baffled look. "News?"
"Indeed! Wonderful news!" said the wizard, grinning down at him, "Although I do not travel much these days, I have been quite concerned about the comings and goings in Mordor. I, like others of my, uh, Order, have been very worried about Sauron's rise to power and although I do not have the abilities of say, Gandalf the Gray or Saruman the White, I wanted to keep abreast of the situation so that I might help where I may. My contacts told me that there had been a terrible battle before the Black Gate of Mordor and when you destroyed the Ring, Lord Sauron and his allies were crushed!"
Sam struggled to sit up in his excitement. A bout of harsh coughing caused him to collapse back onto his cot. The poisonous fumes of Mr. Doom had wreaked havoc on his lungs. "Sauron has been destroyed?" he wheezed, laboring to catch his breath. "Truly?"
"Yes, yes!" laughed Moraker, "But that is not all! I believe your master, Frodo, is alive!"
Sam gaped at him in shocked disbelief. "Nooooo," he whispered, his eyes wide, "No! That's impossible! He was dead! He was cold as ice! He couldn't still be alive!
"I see you understand little of the ways of spiders, Master Samwise," smiled Moraker, "They do not kill their prey before eating them, they just stun them. But, as I was saying, I was told that a small man, a halfling, had been captured near Minas Morgul in the Pass of Cirith Ungol. Sauron thought he was a spy. However, he was released to whomever was leading the army of the men as a token of Sauron's willingness to deal with them. As far as I know, he was still alive. And.." he smiled again, "So is our friend, Gandalf!"
Sam lay back and blinked in confusion. It was too much for a simple Hobbit to absorb. Frodo AND Gandalf still alive!? Sauron defeated? Were all the bad things in the world going to come undone? He lay there for several minutes, digesting all this unexpected news. Suddenly, he heart leaped with joy as he realized the full meaning of what he had learned. "Master Frodo is truly alive? I must get back to him! Where is he now, do you know?" He looked up eagerly into Moraker's face.
The wizard was frowning gently and shaking his head. "I am sorry, Samwise," he said, "But you are in no condition to travel such a long way! It would certainly be the death of you and I am sure that your friends would be prefer to find that you survived your ordeal. I am certain that at the moment, they must believe you perished on Orodruin."
Sam bit his lip as he considered this. It really hadn't occurred to him that the others would presume him dead, but after the mountain had exploded and him supposedly in the middle of it, what else could they believe? He turned again to his rescuer, "Please, Mr. Moraker, sir" he began anxiously, "Is there anyway I might send a message back to Mr. Frodo and the others? I don't rightly know where we are and maybe it would take a long time, but I'd sure rest easier if I could let them know I was alive."
Sam was thinking hard. How could he let Mr. Frodo know he had survived the Quest and as he thought about this, it occurred to him that he really had no idea exactly HOW he had managed to survive. How had he gotten away from the erupting volcano? And where was he now? He turned slowly to Moraker, these questions swirling in his brain. "Excuse me," he said, "I don't mean to sound rude, but how did I get here? And where IS here?"
It was a moment before the wizard answered him. "You are in the land of the Easterlings, far from your home and Gondor, I am afraid. As to how you got here, well, I know of a great Eagle who will from time to time consent to carry me. I felt I should see for myself what was going on. I saw Mt. Doom exploding and Barad-dur collapsing. That told me, of course, that the Ring of Power must have been destroyed. It was simply by chance that I came upon you lying there amidst the chaos. A few minutes more, and it would have been too late to save you. As it was, I was not sure you were still alive. I suppose I should have returned you to Gondor, but I did not know what the conditions there were like, so brought you here, to my little hideaway in the mountains."
Sam digested this information. For some reason, he felt sure there was something this man was not telling him. His good common Hobbit-sense was sending him warnings, but he simply didn't know what they meant. He would have to give this more thought. "Could the eagle take a message?" asked Sam hopefully.
Moraker shook his head. "I am sorry to say that he has already returned to his home far in the North. No, I'm afraid it will have to be some other way." He was silent for a few minutes tapping his mouth with his long fingers. "I suppose I might ask one of the villagers in village further down the mountain if they would consent to take a message. Many of their men have left to fight for Sauron, but I have made friends of some of the younger ones. I will see what I can do. In the meantime, Samwise Gamgee, you must get some rest. I will go down to the village and see about sending a message as well as get you some food. You must be very hungry!"
Now that he thought about it, Sam realized he was starving. It had been so long since he had eaten anything besides Lembas bread, and even that seemed long ago. The thought of real food lifted his spirits immediately. "I surely could go for some good stew or bread or even an apple!" he sighed happily.
"I will see what I can do, Master Hobbit," replied Moraker as he prepared to leave. He placed his hand on the Hobbit's head, repeated his sleeping spell and within seconds, Sam was deep in slumber.
"Sleep well, Samwise Gamgee," murmured the Mouth of Sauron scornfully as he prepared to leave. "I will send your message to your dear friends and let us see who comes to visit!" With a harsh laugh, he fastened his black cloak around him and swept out of the chamber. Sam slept on peacefully, blissfully unaware of his true predicament.