Author's Note: Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! Bookworm 2000:
Moraker is trying to make Sam think everything is great so when our
favorite Hobbit finally realizes the truth, it will be that much worse.
He's a subtle kind of bad guy!
Becky: I'm glad you've enjoyed my stories! I don't think I'm really that good, but heck, I have a lot of fun and as long as people enjoy them, I guess that's the important thing.
Welcome back, Aly! I loved how Sean Astin played Sam in the movies. The cartoon versions always made Sam into such a major doofus. Sean made him real!
Thanks for the great review Aemilia Rose! I've always had an interest in the Mouth of Sauron (I was mad he was cut from the movie!), so I thought I'd stick him a story with Sam. We'll see how this goes!
Sam: You know when I wrote that line about all the bad things coming undone, it seemed familiar, so I went back and looked and you were right. That's what Sam says when he wakes up. Oops!
And of course thanks to my old friends Gamgeefest, Samwise the Strong, motormouth and Bronwyn! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and review!
Chapter 6 A Trap is Planned
The Mouth of Sauron began his trek down the mountain to the small village below. Many years ago, before Sauron began to regain his power, his lieutenant had fled to these mountains to await his Lord's reemergence. The villagers feared and respected him, but avoided him at all costs. His cruelty to those that opposed him was legendary.
The village consisted of a number of small, wooden huts heavily daubed with clay. The population primarily consisted of women, children and old men. Most of the younger men had left to fight for the Dark Lord. He stopped at the largest hut, that of the chieftain of the tribe, an old man called Ankara. The Mouth of Sauron stepped in without any sort of introduction. The old man sitting on the floor looked up, startled. "My, My Lord!" he stuttered coming to his feet and bowing before the intimidating figure before him. "How may I serve you?"
The Mouth of Sauron looked down from his great height unto the bent figure of the chieftain. "I need someone to take a message for me," he said abruptly. "He must be young and quick and reasonably intelligent. Surely there is someone in this poor excuse for a dung heap that is able to assist me?"
Ankara thought for a moment. He had been a proud man, once, but this dark man from the mountains terrified him. He dared not offend him. "My. my son, Radak might be able to help you. He has recently returned from battle with news of the Dark Lord's defeat. He." Ankara stopped abruptly, his face going white as he realized who he was speaking with. The Black Wizard, as they called him, was known to be in league with Sauron himself. Ankara looked up nervously to find the Dark Man smiling grimly.
"I am fully aware of what has happed to Lord Sauron," he snapped, "Now, where is your worthless son? If he fails in the mission I have for him, I shall kill each and every one of the pathetic dogs you call people in this village and your deaths will not be pleasant or painless. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Ankara's eyes went wide as he nodded vigorously then scurried out of the hut to find his son.
The Mouth of Sauron waited impatiently. He was eager to set his plan into motion. A few moments later, Ankara returned, followed by a tall, dark skinned warrior. The man wore the distinctive armor of the Easterling army and he narrowed his dark eyes at the tall man before him. He knew the Mouth of Sauron both from here in the village when he was a child and from when he and the rest of the army gathered on the Gorgoroth Plain for the battle at the Black Gate. The Mouth of Sauron used words and fear to coerce cooperation from the minions of Sauron and all sane men feared him. The warrior licked his lips nervously and bowed.
"How may I be of service, my Lord?" he asked politely. He was a brave man in battle but even he avoided looking Black Wizard in the eye.
"I wish for you to go to Minas Tirith," began the Mouth of Sauron, "I wish you find the halflings that are there. I believe there are three of them. I have been told their names are Frodo Baggins, Merry Brandybuck, and Pippin Took. They are special friends of Gandalf the White and the new king of Gondor. I want you to bring them to me here."
The soldier looked up at this and frowned. "My lord? How am I to accomplish such a task? I am an enemy of Gondor. They will kill me on sight. And these halflings you speak of. What are they? How will I recognize them? Do you want them alive?"
The Mouth of Sauron smiled again. At least this soldier seemed to have some intelligence. His questions were valid ones. "Halfings are small men, about the size of children. They come from a place in the West called the Shire. I do not want them killed. You are to convince them that they must come with you to rescue their dear companion, Samwise Gamgee. They believe him to be dead, you see. He is the one that destroyed the Ring of Power."
Radak's eyes widened with surprise then darkened. "And you suffer this creature to live?" he demanded angrily. "Lord Sauron promised us the green lands of Gondor and now you tell me you have the one that destroyed our future? Where is he? I will kill him myself!" Radak stood stiffly before the Mouth of Sauron, seething with barely restrained anger. The false wizard nodded in satisfaction. Yes, this young man would work out splendidly.
"Believe me," the Mouth of Sauron replied smoothly, "He will suffer and that is part of the reason I want his companions here. I wish to make them all suffer, especially that new "king" and his lackey wizard, Gandalf. These particular halflings are very dear to them and it is my desire that the little rats feel the wrath of the Mouth of Sauron. The agony that I will inflict upon them will be nothing compared to the pain that this Aragorn and Gandalf will experience upon learning what I have done to their pets." He smiled thinly. "I may not be able to do much directly to hurt Gondor, but this will certainly strike at their heart! I am keeping dear Master Samwise alive so that he will not die too quickly when the fun begins."
Radak regarded the Black Man thoughtfully. "So, you wish me to find these three halflings and inform them their friend is alive and bring them here?"
"Yes," replied the Mouth of Sauron, "But it is imperative that no one else know. You must convince them that only they can safely rescue their companion and that it will mean certain death for Master Gamgee if anyone else comes along. I do not want Aragorn or Gandalf to know they have left until it is too late." He tilted his head in thought for a moment. "I will send you along with a group of emissaries being sent to Minas Tirith to deal with the king. I suggest you bring along someone younger, a boy perhaps, that you can use to approach the halflings. They are less likely to suspect someone so seemingly innocent. Be sure the halflings do not suspect that this is a trap. Treat them as companions. Make up some story as to why you wish to help them." He smiled again. "I find that when someone discovers they have been betrayed by a "friend" the pain I inflict later is just that more exquisite." He thought of the injured Hobbit locked up in his mountain lair and licked his lips in anticipation. Not only would that rat suffer the pain of betrayal, but also the pain of leading his friends into a trap. This was getting better all the time!
Radak nodded. "I will bring my son, Jalan. He is trustworthy and well- trained. He will do as he is told."
"Excellent," the Mouth of Sauron replied. "You will leave immediately and join up with the emissaries two days south of here. That will give you the cover you need to enter the city" He then reached into his cloak and brought out a small crystal phial. It was the Lady Galadriel's gift to Frodo, the light of the star, Earendil. "Take this with you." he commanded, handing the phial to Radak. "This token should prove to the others you speak the truth concerning their friend."
Radak looked with some interest at the lovely phial, then packed it away. "Yes, my Lord. I will gather my things and my son and leave within the hour." With a bow to the Mouth of Sauron and a nod to his father, the soldier turned and strode from the hut. He would find his son and then the two of them would head out on their mission to bring the Hobbits to the Mouth of Sauron. Radak thought of the one already in the Black Wizard's grasp. He hoped the wizard would allow him to participate in the torture of that one - the one who destroyed the Ring and all their plans of glory. He smiled grimly. That was certainly something to look forward to.
Becky: I'm glad you've enjoyed my stories! I don't think I'm really that good, but heck, I have a lot of fun and as long as people enjoy them, I guess that's the important thing.
Welcome back, Aly! I loved how Sean Astin played Sam in the movies. The cartoon versions always made Sam into such a major doofus. Sean made him real!
Thanks for the great review Aemilia Rose! I've always had an interest in the Mouth of Sauron (I was mad he was cut from the movie!), so I thought I'd stick him a story with Sam. We'll see how this goes!
Sam: You know when I wrote that line about all the bad things coming undone, it seemed familiar, so I went back and looked and you were right. That's what Sam says when he wakes up. Oops!
And of course thanks to my old friends Gamgeefest, Samwise the Strong, motormouth and Bronwyn! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and review!
Chapter 6 A Trap is Planned
The Mouth of Sauron began his trek down the mountain to the small village below. Many years ago, before Sauron began to regain his power, his lieutenant had fled to these mountains to await his Lord's reemergence. The villagers feared and respected him, but avoided him at all costs. His cruelty to those that opposed him was legendary.
The village consisted of a number of small, wooden huts heavily daubed with clay. The population primarily consisted of women, children and old men. Most of the younger men had left to fight for the Dark Lord. He stopped at the largest hut, that of the chieftain of the tribe, an old man called Ankara. The Mouth of Sauron stepped in without any sort of introduction. The old man sitting on the floor looked up, startled. "My, My Lord!" he stuttered coming to his feet and bowing before the intimidating figure before him. "How may I serve you?"
The Mouth of Sauron looked down from his great height unto the bent figure of the chieftain. "I need someone to take a message for me," he said abruptly. "He must be young and quick and reasonably intelligent. Surely there is someone in this poor excuse for a dung heap that is able to assist me?"
Ankara thought for a moment. He had been a proud man, once, but this dark man from the mountains terrified him. He dared not offend him. "My. my son, Radak might be able to help you. He has recently returned from battle with news of the Dark Lord's defeat. He." Ankara stopped abruptly, his face going white as he realized who he was speaking with. The Black Wizard, as they called him, was known to be in league with Sauron himself. Ankara looked up nervously to find the Dark Man smiling grimly.
"I am fully aware of what has happed to Lord Sauron," he snapped, "Now, where is your worthless son? If he fails in the mission I have for him, I shall kill each and every one of the pathetic dogs you call people in this village and your deaths will not be pleasant or painless. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Ankara's eyes went wide as he nodded vigorously then scurried out of the hut to find his son.
The Mouth of Sauron waited impatiently. He was eager to set his plan into motion. A few moments later, Ankara returned, followed by a tall, dark skinned warrior. The man wore the distinctive armor of the Easterling army and he narrowed his dark eyes at the tall man before him. He knew the Mouth of Sauron both from here in the village when he was a child and from when he and the rest of the army gathered on the Gorgoroth Plain for the battle at the Black Gate. The Mouth of Sauron used words and fear to coerce cooperation from the minions of Sauron and all sane men feared him. The warrior licked his lips nervously and bowed.
"How may I be of service, my Lord?" he asked politely. He was a brave man in battle but even he avoided looking Black Wizard in the eye.
"I wish for you to go to Minas Tirith," began the Mouth of Sauron, "I wish you find the halflings that are there. I believe there are three of them. I have been told their names are Frodo Baggins, Merry Brandybuck, and Pippin Took. They are special friends of Gandalf the White and the new king of Gondor. I want you to bring them to me here."
The soldier looked up at this and frowned. "My lord? How am I to accomplish such a task? I am an enemy of Gondor. They will kill me on sight. And these halflings you speak of. What are they? How will I recognize them? Do you want them alive?"
The Mouth of Sauron smiled again. At least this soldier seemed to have some intelligence. His questions were valid ones. "Halfings are small men, about the size of children. They come from a place in the West called the Shire. I do not want them killed. You are to convince them that they must come with you to rescue their dear companion, Samwise Gamgee. They believe him to be dead, you see. He is the one that destroyed the Ring of Power."
Radak's eyes widened with surprise then darkened. "And you suffer this creature to live?" he demanded angrily. "Lord Sauron promised us the green lands of Gondor and now you tell me you have the one that destroyed our future? Where is he? I will kill him myself!" Radak stood stiffly before the Mouth of Sauron, seething with barely restrained anger. The false wizard nodded in satisfaction. Yes, this young man would work out splendidly.
"Believe me," the Mouth of Sauron replied smoothly, "He will suffer and that is part of the reason I want his companions here. I wish to make them all suffer, especially that new "king" and his lackey wizard, Gandalf. These particular halflings are very dear to them and it is my desire that the little rats feel the wrath of the Mouth of Sauron. The agony that I will inflict upon them will be nothing compared to the pain that this Aragorn and Gandalf will experience upon learning what I have done to their pets." He smiled thinly. "I may not be able to do much directly to hurt Gondor, but this will certainly strike at their heart! I am keeping dear Master Samwise alive so that he will not die too quickly when the fun begins."
Radak regarded the Black Man thoughtfully. "So, you wish me to find these three halflings and inform them their friend is alive and bring them here?"
"Yes," replied the Mouth of Sauron, "But it is imperative that no one else know. You must convince them that only they can safely rescue their companion and that it will mean certain death for Master Gamgee if anyone else comes along. I do not want Aragorn or Gandalf to know they have left until it is too late." He tilted his head in thought for a moment. "I will send you along with a group of emissaries being sent to Minas Tirith to deal with the king. I suggest you bring along someone younger, a boy perhaps, that you can use to approach the halflings. They are less likely to suspect someone so seemingly innocent. Be sure the halflings do not suspect that this is a trap. Treat them as companions. Make up some story as to why you wish to help them." He smiled again. "I find that when someone discovers they have been betrayed by a "friend" the pain I inflict later is just that more exquisite." He thought of the injured Hobbit locked up in his mountain lair and licked his lips in anticipation. Not only would that rat suffer the pain of betrayal, but also the pain of leading his friends into a trap. This was getting better all the time!
Radak nodded. "I will bring my son, Jalan. He is trustworthy and well- trained. He will do as he is told."
"Excellent," the Mouth of Sauron replied. "You will leave immediately and join up with the emissaries two days south of here. That will give you the cover you need to enter the city" He then reached into his cloak and brought out a small crystal phial. It was the Lady Galadriel's gift to Frodo, the light of the star, Earendil. "Take this with you." he commanded, handing the phial to Radak. "This token should prove to the others you speak the truth concerning their friend."
Radak looked with some interest at the lovely phial, then packed it away. "Yes, my Lord. I will gather my things and my son and leave within the hour." With a bow to the Mouth of Sauron and a nod to his father, the soldier turned and strode from the hut. He would find his son and then the two of them would head out on their mission to bring the Hobbits to the Mouth of Sauron. Radak thought of the one already in the Black Wizard's grasp. He hoped the wizard would allow him to participate in the torture of that one - the one who destroyed the Ring and all their plans of glory. He smiled grimly. That was certainly something to look forward to.