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Chapter 11 Trapped!
Frodo could barely believe his eyes. He felt queasy and faint for a moment, then white-hot rage took it's place. "Sam!" he cried again, furiously pulling on the door to the cell with his free hand. It wouldn't budge.
"It's locked!" cried Pippin in dismay and began to look around for a key.
"Here!" called Merry from near the door. He had found a large ring of keys hanging on a hook. Obviously, one of the keys must fit the cell doors. Pippin hurried over and took the ring. Returning to the cell, he began trying different keys. There must have been 20 of them.
"Hurry!" urged Frodo impatiently. He was still staring into the cell. Even with the torch, it was hard to see Sam clearly, but it was clear he was in a bad way. Finally, with a satisfying clunk, the door swung open. Frodo and Pippin rushed into the cell. Frodo thrust the torch into Pippin's hands as he approached the back wall. There was a wooden ladder-like structure attached the rear wall of the dank, fetid cell and this is where Sam's friends finally found him. He was half-naked, wearing nothing but filthy, tattered trousers. His arms were stretched high above his head and securely bound to one of the rungs. He legs were just as securely bound to a lower one. His head rested on his chest and his normally kind face was so bruised and swollen, Frodo would never have recognized him. His emaciated body was covered with welts, gashes and burns and over all of this was a patina of blood, bruises and filth.
Frodo felt hot tears of anger and grief trickling down his cheeks. He closed his eyes for just a moment to pull himself together, then taking Sting, he carefully sliced through the bonds holding Sam's feet. "Pippin!" he cried quietly as he started to climb up the rungs to where Sam's hands were tied, "Get ready to catch him!" Pippin looked around the cell and seeing another sconce in the wall, thrust the torch securely into place. He then positioned himself below Sam. He watched intently, a look of anguish on his face as he tried not to stare at Sam's tortured body. "Here he comes!" Frodo held onto Sam's wrists as Pippin moved forward to grab hold of his legs and together they gently lowered Sam to the ground.
Frodo dropped to his knees and cradled Sam's battered face in his lap. One eye was completely swollen shut. His lips were also swollen and split. He was obviously seriously dehydrated. "Oh Sam!" cried Frodo, brushing Sam's matted hair from his eyes. "Sam! Can you hear me? Wake up, Sam! It's me, Frodo! We've come to rescue you!" There was no response. Frantically, Frodo placed his ear on Sam's chest and listened intently. He gave a small sigh of relief when he finally detected a faint, rapid heartbeat. He sat back up and looked at Pippin. "He needs water!"
Pippin handed Frodo his water skin and watched anxiously as Frodo carefully poured a few drops into Sam's mouth. At first nothing happened.. The cousins glanced at one another. Frodo poured a little more and smiled as Sam finally produced a slight swallow. Frodo continued to pour small amounts of water into Sam's mouth. He then dampened the corner of his cloak and gently cleansed away some of the blood and filth. "Frodo!" called Merry nervously, "We must hurry! Remember, Jalan said that Black Wizard might show up at any time!" Frodo nodded, but looking at Sam, he felt a cold lump in the pit of his stomach. How could they ever get Sam back through the tunnel? "Sam!" he whispered again, his voice choking on the tears "Please, wake up! Please, Sam! You must help us!" He gently shook Sam's shoulder.
Suddenly, Sam gave a slight shudder and his good eye fluttered. "Sam!" cried Frodo again, a little louder, "Come on, Sam! That's it! Wake up!"
Slowly and painfully, the lid of Sam's good eye slid open and he looked around in confusion. When he caught sight of his dear master's face, his eye widened with disbelief followed by horror. "Noooooooooo!" he moaned, his rasping voice barely audible. "Noooo! Noooo!" He weakly tried to push Frodo away, still moaning.
Frodo and Pippin looked at each other in dismay. Merry ventured away from his look-out post to see what was going on. He gasped in distress as he caught sight of Sam. "What did that monster do to him?"
But Frodo was more concerned by Sam's odd response. Finally, Sam feebly grabbed Frodo's shirt pulled his master's ear near his mouth. "Go!' he wheezed, "Trap!" With harsh gasping breaths, his hand dropped and he lapsed again into blissful unconsciousness.
Frodo stared at him in shock, then looked at his cousins. "He said it was a trap!" He thought for a moment. "Pippin, go find Jalan! I don't know if Sam is right, but we need to know if Jalan is still there." Pippin nodded, clutching his sword ever more tightly in his hand, he silently disappeared out through the door and into the corridor. "Merry," said Frodo wiping tears from his face. "We must carry Sam out of here."
Merry nodded. "I can do it, Frodo," he replied grimly, "I'm stronger than you are." Frodo sadly smiled his thanks. He knew Merry was right. Next to Sam, Merry was the strongest of the four. Removing his cloak, Frodo tenderly wrapped his friend in its warm, comforting folds. Then, carefully he helped raise Sam and drape him over Merry's shoulder.
They turned and began to make their way out of the cell, when with a feeling of dread, they noticed a long shadow falling across their path. Looking up, they saw a tall, menacing figure silhouetted in the doorway. "Going somewhere?" a harsh voice demanded with a sneer. Merry and Frodo stared at each other in shock. The Black Wizard had arrived.
Pippin hurried back the way they come, turning down the narrow corridor where Jalan supposedly waited. It was empty. "Jalan!" he whispered as loudly as he dared, continuing to move further down the passageway. It was obvious, Jalan had deserted them. He started back towards the torture chamber when the sound of footsteps froze him to the spot. They were walking down the main corridor. Pippin waited until they had passed, then silently approached the juncture of the two passageways. He cautiously peered around the corner to the left but immediately pulled back. He had seen a tall man, dressed all in black entering the chamber. Frodo and Merry were trapped!
Chapter 11 Trapped!
Frodo could barely believe his eyes. He felt queasy and faint for a moment, then white-hot rage took it's place. "Sam!" he cried again, furiously pulling on the door to the cell with his free hand. It wouldn't budge.
"It's locked!" cried Pippin in dismay and began to look around for a key.
"Here!" called Merry from near the door. He had found a large ring of keys hanging on a hook. Obviously, one of the keys must fit the cell doors. Pippin hurried over and took the ring. Returning to the cell, he began trying different keys. There must have been 20 of them.
"Hurry!" urged Frodo impatiently. He was still staring into the cell. Even with the torch, it was hard to see Sam clearly, but it was clear he was in a bad way. Finally, with a satisfying clunk, the door swung open. Frodo and Pippin rushed into the cell. Frodo thrust the torch into Pippin's hands as he approached the back wall. There was a wooden ladder-like structure attached the rear wall of the dank, fetid cell and this is where Sam's friends finally found him. He was half-naked, wearing nothing but filthy, tattered trousers. His arms were stretched high above his head and securely bound to one of the rungs. He legs were just as securely bound to a lower one. His head rested on his chest and his normally kind face was so bruised and swollen, Frodo would never have recognized him. His emaciated body was covered with welts, gashes and burns and over all of this was a patina of blood, bruises and filth.
Frodo felt hot tears of anger and grief trickling down his cheeks. He closed his eyes for just a moment to pull himself together, then taking Sting, he carefully sliced through the bonds holding Sam's feet. "Pippin!" he cried quietly as he started to climb up the rungs to where Sam's hands were tied, "Get ready to catch him!" Pippin looked around the cell and seeing another sconce in the wall, thrust the torch securely into place. He then positioned himself below Sam. He watched intently, a look of anguish on his face as he tried not to stare at Sam's tortured body. "Here he comes!" Frodo held onto Sam's wrists as Pippin moved forward to grab hold of his legs and together they gently lowered Sam to the ground.
Frodo dropped to his knees and cradled Sam's battered face in his lap. One eye was completely swollen shut. His lips were also swollen and split. He was obviously seriously dehydrated. "Oh Sam!" cried Frodo, brushing Sam's matted hair from his eyes. "Sam! Can you hear me? Wake up, Sam! It's me, Frodo! We've come to rescue you!" There was no response. Frantically, Frodo placed his ear on Sam's chest and listened intently. He gave a small sigh of relief when he finally detected a faint, rapid heartbeat. He sat back up and looked at Pippin. "He needs water!"
Pippin handed Frodo his water skin and watched anxiously as Frodo carefully poured a few drops into Sam's mouth. At first nothing happened.. The cousins glanced at one another. Frodo poured a little more and smiled as Sam finally produced a slight swallow. Frodo continued to pour small amounts of water into Sam's mouth. He then dampened the corner of his cloak and gently cleansed away some of the blood and filth. "Frodo!" called Merry nervously, "We must hurry! Remember, Jalan said that Black Wizard might show up at any time!" Frodo nodded, but looking at Sam, he felt a cold lump in the pit of his stomach. How could they ever get Sam back through the tunnel? "Sam!" he whispered again, his voice choking on the tears "Please, wake up! Please, Sam! You must help us!" He gently shook Sam's shoulder.
Suddenly, Sam gave a slight shudder and his good eye fluttered. "Sam!" cried Frodo again, a little louder, "Come on, Sam! That's it! Wake up!"
Slowly and painfully, the lid of Sam's good eye slid open and he looked around in confusion. When he caught sight of his dear master's face, his eye widened with disbelief followed by horror. "Noooooooooo!" he moaned, his rasping voice barely audible. "Noooo! Noooo!" He weakly tried to push Frodo away, still moaning.
Frodo and Pippin looked at each other in dismay. Merry ventured away from his look-out post to see what was going on. He gasped in distress as he caught sight of Sam. "What did that monster do to him?"
But Frodo was more concerned by Sam's odd response. Finally, Sam feebly grabbed Frodo's shirt pulled his master's ear near his mouth. "Go!' he wheezed, "Trap!" With harsh gasping breaths, his hand dropped and he lapsed again into blissful unconsciousness.
Frodo stared at him in shock, then looked at his cousins. "He said it was a trap!" He thought for a moment. "Pippin, go find Jalan! I don't know if Sam is right, but we need to know if Jalan is still there." Pippin nodded, clutching his sword ever more tightly in his hand, he silently disappeared out through the door and into the corridor. "Merry," said Frodo wiping tears from his face. "We must carry Sam out of here."
Merry nodded. "I can do it, Frodo," he replied grimly, "I'm stronger than you are." Frodo sadly smiled his thanks. He knew Merry was right. Next to Sam, Merry was the strongest of the four. Removing his cloak, Frodo tenderly wrapped his friend in its warm, comforting folds. Then, carefully he helped raise Sam and drape him over Merry's shoulder.
They turned and began to make their way out of the cell, when with a feeling of dread, they noticed a long shadow falling across their path. Looking up, they saw a tall, menacing figure silhouetted in the doorway. "Going somewhere?" a harsh voice demanded with a sneer. Merry and Frodo stared at each other in shock. The Black Wizard had arrived.
Pippin hurried back the way they come, turning down the narrow corridor where Jalan supposedly waited. It was empty. "Jalan!" he whispered as loudly as he dared, continuing to move further down the passageway. It was obvious, Jalan had deserted them. He started back towards the torture chamber when the sound of footsteps froze him to the spot. They were walking down the main corridor. Pippin waited until they had passed, then silently approached the juncture of the two passageways. He cautiously peered around the corner to the left but immediately pulled back. He had seen a tall man, dressed all in black entering the chamber. Frodo and Merry were trapped!