Prologue
TEMPTATION OF THE RING
"None of us should wander alone, you least of all." Frodo spun clockwise as he heard my voice, surprised. "So much depends on you." I reached down and collected another small log, and laid it on top the pile, which was growing, in my hands. I looked up, and to my shock, saw an expression of fear plastered on his face. "Frodo? I know why you seek solitude. You suffer. I see it day by day. Are you sure you do not suffer needlessly? There are other ways, Frodo, other paths that we might take." The little one spoke up "I know what you would say and it would seem like wisdom, but for the warning in my heart." My blood rushed through my veins, igniting a fury within me from which I never thought I possessed. "Warning! Against what? We are all afraid Frodo. But to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have... Don't you see? That is madness..." how could we possibly destroy the One Ring? Our only chance to destroy Sauron and his evil forces forever! "There is no other way." Frodo exclaimed, almost pleading with me.
But this only fueled my anger, and I exploded! "I ask only for the strength to defend my people!" I threw down the rough wood which was sitting in my arms, sending them hurtling into the ground, the leaves littered on the earth crackling under their weight. "If you would but lend me the ring..." without even realizing it, my hand reached out and towards ring chained to the halfling, who screamed "No!" and Frodo backed up, cowering away.
What was he so afraid of? Surely not me? If so, how dare him! I've done nothing more then be friendly to the little Halfling! The only reason he's here is because Gandalf entrusted him with the ring! It should be I the one who carries it, I should be the one who saves Gondor! "Why do you recoil? I am no thief..." I took a step towards the Hobbit, and to my disgust, he took a leap backwards, his hand clutching the ring that was preciously hanging around his scrawny little neck. "You are not yourself." who is he to tell me, who, what, I am? Does he not understand? He will kill us all! He is insane! "What chance do you think you have? They will find you. They will take the ring. And you will beg for death before the end!" I could see a rising panic take over the Hobbit. "It is not yours save by unhappy chance. It could have been mine. It should have been mine! Give it to me!" An unchallenged desire overtook me, and I lunged for the Ringbearer! He tried to back off, but I caught him by the waist and we fell onto the dirt. It was a flurry of motion as I attempted to grab hold of the precious. The hobbit yelped out "No!" he squirmed. "Give it to me!" then, in an instant he was gone.
I was dazed temporarily, and was suddenly kicked by what seemed was the wind. It was that foolish Frodo, he put on the Ring! "I see your mind! You will take the ring to Sauron! You will betray us! You go to your death, and the death of us all!" I got up and yelled into the trees, yelled so hard the blood rushed into the veins of my head, pounding, the sounds of betrayal. "Curse you! Curse you! And all the halflings!" And with my energy spent, my knees went weak and I collapsed to the ground, into the undergrowth.
And like the turning of the tides, my emotions changed. Blackness no longer possessed my heart, but the bitter aftertaste of my actions resided. I could feel the tears swelling up inside of me. What in the name of Gondor have I done? It's not Frodo who is the fool, but I, blinded by the ring! I have killed us all...what have I done. Where did he go? I must save him, protect him, redeem myself! "Frodo? Frodo? What have I done? Please, Frodo. Frodo..." but my cries went unanswered.
TEMPTATION OF THE RING
"None of us should wander alone, you least of all." Frodo spun clockwise as he heard my voice, surprised. "So much depends on you." I reached down and collected another small log, and laid it on top the pile, which was growing, in my hands. I looked up, and to my shock, saw an expression of fear plastered on his face. "Frodo? I know why you seek solitude. You suffer. I see it day by day. Are you sure you do not suffer needlessly? There are other ways, Frodo, other paths that we might take." The little one spoke up "I know what you would say and it would seem like wisdom, but for the warning in my heart." My blood rushed through my veins, igniting a fury within me from which I never thought I possessed. "Warning! Against what? We are all afraid Frodo. But to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have... Don't you see? That is madness..." how could we possibly destroy the One Ring? Our only chance to destroy Sauron and his evil forces forever! "There is no other way." Frodo exclaimed, almost pleading with me.
But this only fueled my anger, and I exploded! "I ask only for the strength to defend my people!" I threw down the rough wood which was sitting in my arms, sending them hurtling into the ground, the leaves littered on the earth crackling under their weight. "If you would but lend me the ring..." without even realizing it, my hand reached out and towards ring chained to the halfling, who screamed "No!" and Frodo backed up, cowering away.
What was he so afraid of? Surely not me? If so, how dare him! I've done nothing more then be friendly to the little Halfling! The only reason he's here is because Gandalf entrusted him with the ring! It should be I the one who carries it, I should be the one who saves Gondor! "Why do you recoil? I am no thief..." I took a step towards the Hobbit, and to my disgust, he took a leap backwards, his hand clutching the ring that was preciously hanging around his scrawny little neck. "You are not yourself." who is he to tell me, who, what, I am? Does he not understand? He will kill us all! He is insane! "What chance do you think you have? They will find you. They will take the ring. And you will beg for death before the end!" I could see a rising panic take over the Hobbit. "It is not yours save by unhappy chance. It could have been mine. It should have been mine! Give it to me!" An unchallenged desire overtook me, and I lunged for the Ringbearer! He tried to back off, but I caught him by the waist and we fell onto the dirt. It was a flurry of motion as I attempted to grab hold of the precious. The hobbit yelped out "No!" he squirmed. "Give it to me!" then, in an instant he was gone.
I was dazed temporarily, and was suddenly kicked by what seemed was the wind. It was that foolish Frodo, he put on the Ring! "I see your mind! You will take the ring to Sauron! You will betray us! You go to your death, and the death of us all!" I got up and yelled into the trees, yelled so hard the blood rushed into the veins of my head, pounding, the sounds of betrayal. "Curse you! Curse you! And all the halflings!" And with my energy spent, my knees went weak and I collapsed to the ground, into the undergrowth.
And like the turning of the tides, my emotions changed. Blackness no longer possessed my heart, but the bitter aftertaste of my actions resided. I could feel the tears swelling up inside of me. What in the name of Gondor have I done? It's not Frodo who is the fool, but I, blinded by the ring! I have killed us all...what have I done. Where did he go? I must save him, protect him, redeem myself! "Frodo? Frodo? What have I done? Please, Frodo. Frodo..." but my cries went unanswered.