Aftermath
Chapter Three: Reminiscing
Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will...wish I did though.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: I'm gonna format all the chapters from now on so that it's easier to read. People have been telling me to do this in reviews so I figure...oh, well. Might as well attempt it. Anyways...lots of Frodo angst here! Read on!
It was quiet in Ithilien, and Frodo enjoyed it, if just a little. Though the land was ravaged with war it would make its recovery in time. This made him wonder... "
"Shall I ever recover? Will the longing for the Ring ever leave me...or will I be troubled with it forever..." he said to himself, halfway expecting Gandalf, Galadriel or some high power to show up and give him his answer. But no one did. He sighed, looking out the window. They were going down to the dining hall soon, and there would be a celebration in his honor, as well as Sam's. Soft singing echoed from the hall outside his door. It was in the elvish tongue, Frodo could only understand snatches of it. Something about light in the dark and rebirth, a melancholy yet joyful tune that only elves could produce.
"Legolas..." he whispered. He would know that voice anywhere, the elf had sung many times for the Fellowship before all had gone astray in Moria. And even after, though the songs tended to be laments to the great wizard.
"Are you feeling any better, Frodo?" he asked, standing in the doorway in his same elaborate outfit. Now Frodo could tell he was a prince, he never was able to before.
"In body, yes. But in my mind, no, not really. What was that song you were singing just then, Legolas? Something about rebirth..." Frodo replied, curious.
"Actually...I just made it up. So you like it, little one?" he asked.
"It is rather sad, but beautiful. Reminds me of all the singing in Rivendell." he said, smiling a little.
"I would have followed you to the end of all things, Frodo, and you know it. All of us would have. Is it because of Boromir that you left?" Legolas wondered. Frodo shook his head.
"Not completely. The Lady Galadriel told me something...and that was what started it. She knew that the Fellowship would not last...and she told me that I had to go to Mordor alone. And that is what I tried to do, but Sam, stubborn as always, followed me." he said, quiet.
Legolas smiled. "You are lucky to have such a loyal friend, Frodo. He would sacrifice himself for you without giving it a second thought." the elf said, quiet.
"Poor Samwise...I didn't want him to come, but I suppose it's thanks to him that I even got to the Black Gate, let alone all the way to the Cracks of Doom. I should have perished long before if it weren't for him and...."
"Gollum?" Legolas finished. Frodo nodded.
"Yes, Gollum. Though I daresay he would have killed me without Sam there. He tried many times. And even after all of it I trusted him, I was such a fool, I should have listened to Sam."
"You were not yourself then, Frodo. The Ring was taking hold of you, and it clouded your judgement. If you had been of right mind, you would have trusted Sam. It is not your fault, do not even think it."
"How can I not think it? I failed, the Quest would have failed....Gollum and Sam are the heroes, not I. I did nothing right, even when I got to Mount Doom I couldn't cast the Ring in. I even claimed the wretched thing as my own! I failed, and all of Middle-Earth should hate me!"
"Frodo! Stop thinking such horrid thoughts. You are a hero, if not for actually completing the Quest then for having the courage and strength to get as far as you did. No one else could have done it. All things happen for a reason, as Gandalf told you in Moria. You were meant to fail. Gollum was meant to take the Ring from you, thereby ending the Quest himself. You were meant to get only to the end, and have someone else finish for you. All these things were meant to happen, whether we can accept them or not. So, Frodo...don't dwell on it, alright? Just focus on a full recovery, and of feasting down at the feast! The whole of Minas Tirith, as well as the Rohirrim from Gondor and some elves will be there. You must be hungry?"
"Yes, actually, I am. Thank you, Legolas. You have helped much." Frodo said, smiling. The elf smiled back.
"Just take it one step at a time, little one. I shall see you later." he said, walking off down the hall. Sighing, Frodo sat down on the bed. He put his hand to his shoulder and felt the wound there, still a little painful after all these months. Then he felt the wound in his middle, given to him by Shelob, and the pain in it was far worse. He hoped they didn't bother him for long. The spider sting hadn't healed right as he had been tied and unable to really do anything about it, and Sam had no healing things with him. It was bruised still, and ugly, and it stood out from his pale skin. Just looking at it brought back the memory of it as light as day. He could see it clearly, the great ugly spider, towering over him. Gollum, laughing. Sam, fighting, trying to reach him but failing. Then all went dark, and he knew that he was going to die.
Surprisingly, he didn't. And soon, very soon, he would go back home! How he wanted to see Bag End again, and the Gaffer's gardens on Bagshot Row...the Brandywine River, the party tree...it seemed too good to be true. He never thought he would see it again, he believed he would die at Mount Doom, swallowed by the lava. How he wanted to see the fields again, taste the first ripe strawberries, see the birds nesting...it was all so unreal. He wanted to forget about the Ring, but it still haunted his mind. He longed for it. He needed it, and he didn't have it. He couldn't have it, it was gone. And somehow it hurt. That Ring had taken him, the mad desire for it was overwhelming, and the thought that he should never feel it around his neck, never put it on his finger again was unbearable.
Frodo sighed, unfolding the clothes on his bed and dressing for the dinner that would take place later that night. He couldn't go to a feast in a gown, after all! And, even if he knew he didn't deserve it, he would act happy so that everyone would feel better about what they knew he had went through.
Chapter Three: Reminiscing
Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will...wish I did though.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: I'm gonna format all the chapters from now on so that it's easier to read. People have been telling me to do this in reviews so I figure...oh, well. Might as well attempt it. Anyways...lots of Frodo angst here! Read on!
It was quiet in Ithilien, and Frodo enjoyed it, if just a little. Though the land was ravaged with war it would make its recovery in time. This made him wonder... "
"Shall I ever recover? Will the longing for the Ring ever leave me...or will I be troubled with it forever..." he said to himself, halfway expecting Gandalf, Galadriel or some high power to show up and give him his answer. But no one did. He sighed, looking out the window. They were going down to the dining hall soon, and there would be a celebration in his honor, as well as Sam's. Soft singing echoed from the hall outside his door. It was in the elvish tongue, Frodo could only understand snatches of it. Something about light in the dark and rebirth, a melancholy yet joyful tune that only elves could produce.
"Legolas..." he whispered. He would know that voice anywhere, the elf had sung many times for the Fellowship before all had gone astray in Moria. And even after, though the songs tended to be laments to the great wizard.
"Are you feeling any better, Frodo?" he asked, standing in the doorway in his same elaborate outfit. Now Frodo could tell he was a prince, he never was able to before.
"In body, yes. But in my mind, no, not really. What was that song you were singing just then, Legolas? Something about rebirth..." Frodo replied, curious.
"Actually...I just made it up. So you like it, little one?" he asked.
"It is rather sad, but beautiful. Reminds me of all the singing in Rivendell." he said, smiling a little.
"I would have followed you to the end of all things, Frodo, and you know it. All of us would have. Is it because of Boromir that you left?" Legolas wondered. Frodo shook his head.
"Not completely. The Lady Galadriel told me something...and that was what started it. She knew that the Fellowship would not last...and she told me that I had to go to Mordor alone. And that is what I tried to do, but Sam, stubborn as always, followed me." he said, quiet.
Legolas smiled. "You are lucky to have such a loyal friend, Frodo. He would sacrifice himself for you without giving it a second thought." the elf said, quiet.
"Poor Samwise...I didn't want him to come, but I suppose it's thanks to him that I even got to the Black Gate, let alone all the way to the Cracks of Doom. I should have perished long before if it weren't for him and...."
"Gollum?" Legolas finished. Frodo nodded.
"Yes, Gollum. Though I daresay he would have killed me without Sam there. He tried many times. And even after all of it I trusted him, I was such a fool, I should have listened to Sam."
"You were not yourself then, Frodo. The Ring was taking hold of you, and it clouded your judgement. If you had been of right mind, you would have trusted Sam. It is not your fault, do not even think it."
"How can I not think it? I failed, the Quest would have failed....Gollum and Sam are the heroes, not I. I did nothing right, even when I got to Mount Doom I couldn't cast the Ring in. I even claimed the wretched thing as my own! I failed, and all of Middle-Earth should hate me!"
"Frodo! Stop thinking such horrid thoughts. You are a hero, if not for actually completing the Quest then for having the courage and strength to get as far as you did. No one else could have done it. All things happen for a reason, as Gandalf told you in Moria. You were meant to fail. Gollum was meant to take the Ring from you, thereby ending the Quest himself. You were meant to get only to the end, and have someone else finish for you. All these things were meant to happen, whether we can accept them or not. So, Frodo...don't dwell on it, alright? Just focus on a full recovery, and of feasting down at the feast! The whole of Minas Tirith, as well as the Rohirrim from Gondor and some elves will be there. You must be hungry?"
"Yes, actually, I am. Thank you, Legolas. You have helped much." Frodo said, smiling. The elf smiled back.
"Just take it one step at a time, little one. I shall see you later." he said, walking off down the hall. Sighing, Frodo sat down on the bed. He put his hand to his shoulder and felt the wound there, still a little painful after all these months. Then he felt the wound in his middle, given to him by Shelob, and the pain in it was far worse. He hoped they didn't bother him for long. The spider sting hadn't healed right as he had been tied and unable to really do anything about it, and Sam had no healing things with him. It was bruised still, and ugly, and it stood out from his pale skin. Just looking at it brought back the memory of it as light as day. He could see it clearly, the great ugly spider, towering over him. Gollum, laughing. Sam, fighting, trying to reach him but failing. Then all went dark, and he knew that he was going to die.
Surprisingly, he didn't. And soon, very soon, he would go back home! How he wanted to see Bag End again, and the Gaffer's gardens on Bagshot Row...the Brandywine River, the party tree...it seemed too good to be true. He never thought he would see it again, he believed he would die at Mount Doom, swallowed by the lava. How he wanted to see the fields again, taste the first ripe strawberries, see the birds nesting...it was all so unreal. He wanted to forget about the Ring, but it still haunted his mind. He longed for it. He needed it, and he didn't have it. He couldn't have it, it was gone. And somehow it hurt. That Ring had taken him, the mad desire for it was overwhelming, and the thought that he should never feel it around his neck, never put it on his finger again was unbearable.
Frodo sighed, unfolding the clothes on his bed and dressing for the dinner that would take place later that night. He couldn't go to a feast in a gown, after all! And, even if he knew he didn't deserve it, he would act happy so that everyone would feel better about what they knew he had went through.