A Window To The West
Faramir and his men looked over a map "What news?" asked Faramir.
"Our scouts report Saruman has attacked Rohan. Théoden's people have fled to Helm's Deep. But we must look to our own borders. Faramir, Orcs are on the move. Sauron is marshalling an army. Easterlings and Southrons are passing through the Black Gate." Answered Parn.
"How many?"
"Some thousands. More come every day."
"Who's covering the river to the north?"
"We pulled five hundred men out of Osgiliath, but if the city is attacked, we won't hold it."
"Saruman attacks from Isengard. Sauron from Mordor. The fight will come to men on both fronts. Gondor is weak. Sauron will strike us soon. And he will strike hard. He knows now we do not have the strength to repel him."
As the hobbits blindfolds where removed. The first thing Frodo eyes fell upon was Chica. He smiled a very small smile. She was rubbing her wrist there her bonds had been.
"Here". Frodo said taking her hands and rubbing her wrist. She looked up and smiled at him.
"Thank you". She said once he finished. Frodo nodded.
"My men tell me that you are Orc spies" Said Faramir as he approached them
"Spies! Now wait just a minute." Shot Sam.
"Well if you're not spies, then who are you?" Faramir replied. "Speak!" He said upon receiving no respond
"We are hobbits of the Shire. Frodo Baggins is my name; this is Chica Muddyfoot. And this is Samwise Gamgee.
"Your bodyguard?" retorted Faramir.
"His gardener." Said Sam
"And where is your skulking friend? That gangrel creature. He had an ill- favored look". Faramir spoke again.
"There was no other." Said Frodo Sam and Chica both shot him looks that he ignored. "We set out from Rivendell with seven companions. One we lost in Moria. Two were my kin. A dwarf there was also. And an elf. And two men. Aragorn, son of Arathorn and Boromir of Gondor." He continued . "You were friend of Boromir?"
"Yes, for my part".
"It would grieve you then to learn that he is dead?"
"Dead? How? When?"
"As one of his companions, I had hoped you would tell me. He was my brother."
........................................................
Faramir sat alone deep in thought.
"Captain Faramir. We found it." Said one of his men.
Faramir walked into the small area where the hobbits lay sleeping. Frodo awoke and looked up at him.
"You must come with me. Now." Said Faramir. Frodo got up carefully so not to wake up Chica who had been snuggled up to him.
"Frodo?" She muttered half asleep. Frodo placed a hand on her back.
"Go back to sleep, I will be back soon". He said, and with that she fell back to sleep. Frodo was led outside.
"Down there." Said Faramir pointing.
Frodo looked down to the Forbidden Pool and saw Sméagol dive in it.
"To enter the Forbidden Pool bears the penalty of death." He told Frodo as archers stepped out from the bushes, with arrows on strings, ready to shoot.
"They wait for my command. Shall they shoot?" He questioned Frodo
"Rock and pool, is nice and cool, so juicy sweeeet. I only wish, to catch a fish, so juicy sweeeeet!" sang Sméagol
Faramir eyes moved from Frodo, to Gollum, and to then archers, his hand rose, preparing to command the archers. But, just as he seems about to make the final movement, Frodo spoke.
"Wait-
Faramir stopped, and turned to Frodo.
"This creature is bound to me. And I to him. He is our guide."
Faramir raised his eyebrows.
"Please, let me go down to him." Frodo pleaded.
Faramir nodded, and Frodo made his way down to the Forbidden Pool. Frodo came to a tall rock face entering the Pool, and stopped behind it.
"Sméagol. Master is here." He said beckoning for Sméagol to come to him.
"Come, Sméagol. Trust master. Come."
"We must... go now?"
"Sméagol, you must trust master. Follow me, come on. Come. Come, Sméagol. Nice Sméagol. That's it. Come on."
As Sméagol came to the rock face behind which Frodo stood, Faramir's men jumped on him, and wrestled him to the ground.
"Don't hurt him! Sméagol don't struggle! Sméagol, listen to me!" cried Frodo.
"Master!" Wailed Gollum.
A black cloth was thrown over Sméagol's head. Frodo stared after them, distraught, as Faramir led Sméagol and his men away.
Sméagol was brought to the cave, and thrown to the ground. Crying, he curled up in a corner
"Where are you leading them? Answer me!" Said Faramir
"Sméagol... Why do you cry, Sméagol?"
"Cruel men hurts us. Master tricksed us."
"Of course he did. I told you he was trixy. I told you he was false."
"Master is our friend... our friend."
"Master betrayed ussss!"
"No, not it's business. Leave us alone."
"Filthy little hobbitsesss! They stole it from usss!"
"No... no..."
"What did they steal?" asked Faramir
"My - PRECIOUS!!!!" Gollum shouted, angrily
Frodo had returned to the room they'd been in and was sitting next to Chica as she slept lightly stoking her hair.
"We have to get out of here. You go. Go now. You can do it. Use the Ring, Mr. Frodo. Just this once. Put it on. Disappear. I'll watch over Chica". Said Sam
"I can't. You were right, Sam. You tried to tell me. I'm sorry. The Ring's taking me, Sam. If I put it on, He'll find me. He'll see." Frodo said as he stopped stoking Chica's hair
"Mr. Frodo..."
Suddenly Faramir entered, and drew his sword. Frodo stood up and backed into the wall as Faramir cornered him.
"So... this is the answer to all the riddles. Here in the wild I have you. Three haflings and a host of men at my call. And the Ring of power within my grasp. A chance for Faramir, captain of Gondor, to show his quality." Spoke Faramir as Frodo went into a trance like state.
"No!" yelled Frodo as he pulled away and kneeled in a corner. Chica who had awaked upon hearing him yell went to him and held him.
"Stop it! Leave him alone! Don't you understand?! He's got to destroy it. That's where we're going. To Mordor. To the Mountain of Fire." Shot Sam.
"Osgiliath is under attack. They call for reinforcements." Said one of Faramir's men that had entered the room.
"Please. It's such a burden. Will you not help him?" Sam questioned Faramir.
"Captain?" Said the man.
"Prepare to leave. The Ring will go to Gondor." Said Faramir.
Faramir and his men looked over a map "What news?" asked Faramir.
"Our scouts report Saruman has attacked Rohan. Théoden's people have fled to Helm's Deep. But we must look to our own borders. Faramir, Orcs are on the move. Sauron is marshalling an army. Easterlings and Southrons are passing through the Black Gate." Answered Parn.
"How many?"
"Some thousands. More come every day."
"Who's covering the river to the north?"
"We pulled five hundred men out of Osgiliath, but if the city is attacked, we won't hold it."
"Saruman attacks from Isengard. Sauron from Mordor. The fight will come to men on both fronts. Gondor is weak. Sauron will strike us soon. And he will strike hard. He knows now we do not have the strength to repel him."
As the hobbits blindfolds where removed. The first thing Frodo eyes fell upon was Chica. He smiled a very small smile. She was rubbing her wrist there her bonds had been.
"Here". Frodo said taking her hands and rubbing her wrist. She looked up and smiled at him.
"Thank you". She said once he finished. Frodo nodded.
"My men tell me that you are Orc spies" Said Faramir as he approached them
"Spies! Now wait just a minute." Shot Sam.
"Well if you're not spies, then who are you?" Faramir replied. "Speak!" He said upon receiving no respond
"We are hobbits of the Shire. Frodo Baggins is my name; this is Chica Muddyfoot. And this is Samwise Gamgee.
"Your bodyguard?" retorted Faramir.
"His gardener." Said Sam
"And where is your skulking friend? That gangrel creature. He had an ill- favored look". Faramir spoke again.
"There was no other." Said Frodo Sam and Chica both shot him looks that he ignored. "We set out from Rivendell with seven companions. One we lost in Moria. Two were my kin. A dwarf there was also. And an elf. And two men. Aragorn, son of Arathorn and Boromir of Gondor." He continued . "You were friend of Boromir?"
"Yes, for my part".
"It would grieve you then to learn that he is dead?"
"Dead? How? When?"
"As one of his companions, I had hoped you would tell me. He was my brother."
........................................................
Faramir sat alone deep in thought.
"Captain Faramir. We found it." Said one of his men.
Faramir walked into the small area where the hobbits lay sleeping. Frodo awoke and looked up at him.
"You must come with me. Now." Said Faramir. Frodo got up carefully so not to wake up Chica who had been snuggled up to him.
"Frodo?" She muttered half asleep. Frodo placed a hand on her back.
"Go back to sleep, I will be back soon". He said, and with that she fell back to sleep. Frodo was led outside.
"Down there." Said Faramir pointing.
Frodo looked down to the Forbidden Pool and saw Sméagol dive in it.
"To enter the Forbidden Pool bears the penalty of death." He told Frodo as archers stepped out from the bushes, with arrows on strings, ready to shoot.
"They wait for my command. Shall they shoot?" He questioned Frodo
"Rock and pool, is nice and cool, so juicy sweeeet. I only wish, to catch a fish, so juicy sweeeeet!" sang Sméagol
Faramir eyes moved from Frodo, to Gollum, and to then archers, his hand rose, preparing to command the archers. But, just as he seems about to make the final movement, Frodo spoke.
"Wait-
Faramir stopped, and turned to Frodo.
"This creature is bound to me. And I to him. He is our guide."
Faramir raised his eyebrows.
"Please, let me go down to him." Frodo pleaded.
Faramir nodded, and Frodo made his way down to the Forbidden Pool. Frodo came to a tall rock face entering the Pool, and stopped behind it.
"Sméagol. Master is here." He said beckoning for Sméagol to come to him.
"Come, Sméagol. Trust master. Come."
"We must... go now?"
"Sméagol, you must trust master. Follow me, come on. Come. Come, Sméagol. Nice Sméagol. That's it. Come on."
As Sméagol came to the rock face behind which Frodo stood, Faramir's men jumped on him, and wrestled him to the ground.
"Don't hurt him! Sméagol don't struggle! Sméagol, listen to me!" cried Frodo.
"Master!" Wailed Gollum.
A black cloth was thrown over Sméagol's head. Frodo stared after them, distraught, as Faramir led Sméagol and his men away.
Sméagol was brought to the cave, and thrown to the ground. Crying, he curled up in a corner
"Where are you leading them? Answer me!" Said Faramir
"Sméagol... Why do you cry, Sméagol?"
"Cruel men hurts us. Master tricksed us."
"Of course he did. I told you he was trixy. I told you he was false."
"Master is our friend... our friend."
"Master betrayed ussss!"
"No, not it's business. Leave us alone."
"Filthy little hobbitsesss! They stole it from usss!"
"No... no..."
"What did they steal?" asked Faramir
"My - PRECIOUS!!!!" Gollum shouted, angrily
Frodo had returned to the room they'd been in and was sitting next to Chica as she slept lightly stoking her hair.
"We have to get out of here. You go. Go now. You can do it. Use the Ring, Mr. Frodo. Just this once. Put it on. Disappear. I'll watch over Chica". Said Sam
"I can't. You were right, Sam. You tried to tell me. I'm sorry. The Ring's taking me, Sam. If I put it on, He'll find me. He'll see." Frodo said as he stopped stoking Chica's hair
"Mr. Frodo..."
Suddenly Faramir entered, and drew his sword. Frodo stood up and backed into the wall as Faramir cornered him.
"So... this is the answer to all the riddles. Here in the wild I have you. Three haflings and a host of men at my call. And the Ring of power within my grasp. A chance for Faramir, captain of Gondor, to show his quality." Spoke Faramir as Frodo went into a trance like state.
"No!" yelled Frodo as he pulled away and kneeled in a corner. Chica who had awaked upon hearing him yell went to him and held him.
"Stop it! Leave him alone! Don't you understand?! He's got to destroy it. That's where we're going. To Mordor. To the Mountain of Fire." Shot Sam.
"Osgiliath is under attack. They call for reinforcements." Said one of Faramir's men that had entered the room.
"Please. It's such a burden. Will you not help him?" Sam questioned Faramir.
"Captain?" Said the man.
"Prepare to leave. The Ring will go to Gondor." Said Faramir.