Gandalf placed the half dead hobbits, in Aragorn's arms. "They're so dirty..." Aragorn managed to speak, as soon as he was able to lodge the lump out of his throat. "I found Frodo atop of a jagged rock, untouched by the burning hell, but smoke clung everywhere. He lay just so that he wasn't taking in as much as the smoke....but..."
Gandalf looked down at Sam who was breathing as if he was being strangled. Whiny gasps, that sounded painful to the ears. "Samwise was far from Frodo. He lay close to the smoke, and the lava, and he was half dead by the time we'd scooped him up. I can only assume, by the way Frodo and Sam were laying, that Sam had dragged his master upwards, so that he may get fresher air, and he laid closest to the burning heat, to keep Frodo just the slightest bit cooler..."
Gandalf's eyes darkened, a storm settling inside their light blue color. He shook his head. "What of Merry and Pippin?" "Merry is sound asleep, and may not wake until we reach Ithilien, maybe longer. Master Pippin, has been gravely injured, not much so as these two, but he is border lining."
Without another sound, Aragorn turned sharply to a tent, and made hasty work on the hobbits, aided by Legolas, and anyone else with medical skin.
Frodo was a hard task of getting the blood to stop from his hand, and all the other ailments to cease. It seemed as if lady Death wanted to keep the young elfish like Hobbit within her very grasp. But eventually, Aragorn found himself satisfied, and knew that Frodo would be able to make it to Ithilien, if watched closely.
"How is he fairing?" Legolas asked in a hushed tone, as if not to stir the dead. "He is bad, but his scars and ailments should heal. It's his the heavy scars on his young heart that frightens me the most..." Aragorn trailed off, and Legolas nodded in understatement.
The two turned expecting to see the other men aiding Sam, just about finished, but instead saw men running out, and coming back in to get more medicines. "What is going on?!" Aragorn cried. "Aragorn!" A young man, barely over 19 came to his side.
"He suffers from a terrible fever! And he cannot breathe, even when we breathe for him." Aragorn pushed past someone to see the men working on him, pressing rags dyed red to stop open wounds. Those horrible gasps Sam had been making were louder, more frantic. Buckets of cool water was being splashed upon his naked body, causing only little comfort.
There was a horrible moment, when Sam stiffened, but the closest to him, compressed his chest, and breathed into him, guiding the air in his lungs. Then Sam would stat his horrible whiny gasps. It was worse than the sounds Frodo had made when the icy dagger, spawned by the eye itself, pierced though his pale chest.
"Everyone, out! Legolas! Your herbs!" Legolas nodded, and pulled out a pouch. He had gathered things, to use during the war. Plants he knew, that could save lives, or take them.
He passed the small pouch over and Aragorn pulled out a tiny pale blue flower. Aragorn placed the tiny flower in Sam's mouth, adding water, to try and make him swallow. But it would not go down, only the liquid managed to.
Aragorn took the flower and chewed it up, and then grabbed Sam's face and made Sam swallow the now mashed flower. When Aragorn pulled away, Sam's chest had started to calm, and the whiny horrifying sounds edged away.
"What was that?"
Legolas turned to the men, "The flower will suck the poison, any poison from a body once ingested...it appears it will even take smoke from a body's lungs."
Legolas kneeled down by Aragorn, and the two began to dress the nude hobbit in a long white gown, that went well passed Sam's feet being as the gown was for humans not hobbits. Legolas brushed one of Sam's bare legs, and a howl rose from deep within Sam's belly and then flew from his cracked and bleeding lips.
The cry was so painful, the other men in the tent took steps back, as if they were seeing an Orc coming right at them. Legolas pushed back the gown, and saw horrible burn marks, "Aragorn!" Aragorn went over to his friends side, and what he saw made him fall back, and his shoulders droop.
"Legolas..." Aragorn breathed starring at the horrible marks. Legolas, had begun to rub a fine paste on Sam's legs, which was used to cool the burns, and stop infection. Despite the cries from Sam's unconscious form, Legolas made little time in wrapping up Sam's legs.
"Aragorn...he looks dead." Legolas stated touching his ashy face, his lips having a slightly blue tint.
"Everyone, out, and fetch Gimli and Gandalf." The men left, and within minutes the said people were there.
"What is it? Is Frodo worse? Gandalf asked, not expecting them to be hovering over by Sam. "Gandalf....something is wrong with Sam. He's been consumed by some evil, and now is slipping away from us!" Legolas said, clutching his shirt, as if to clutch his heart.
Gandalf moved them aside, and kneeled by Sam, relinquishing his Staff to Gimli, and took a rag and dipped it in water. "See here Samwise, you can't look this way...let me got the soot off you." The old wizard already knew what was wrong with Sam, but refused to believe it.
He covered Sam's face with the rag, washing away the dirt and the grim. He pulled away the rag, and everyone starred with pain piercing their chests.
His face had not been washed clean. It was still ashy, and the grime did not leave, nothing seemed to change about his face.
"We must make haste." Gandalf said with a shaking voice. "Why? We have all battled long and hard, and if anyone needs rest it 'tis these hobbits! They have fought too hard fro their young and small frames! You must be daft if you don't see it!" Gimli spoke roughly, concerned at what this journey may do to the Hobbits.
"Gimli, if we do not try to get to Ithilien as soon as we can, young Sam will meet his death, and this ashy skin will be permanent."
~*~*~*~*
They had started traveling, but required many breaks, to change all the wounds, and look after Sam. His fever still high, and his wounds still not mended. At a break Gimli was watching him.
He looked over at the hobbit, watching his sweat dampened curls plaster to his skin. "Master Samwise, don't you dare die, you foolish hobbit. Don't you go and die." He said sternly to Sam, stroking his fine beard. Gimli cried out, when Sam's eye snapped open without warning. His eyes vacant and dead.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Came the hoarse yell, and Sam was on top of Gimli, strangling him. "S..Sam...get off! I wo...won't hurt you S...Sam...Don...Don't make me hurt you!" Gimli choked. He knew he could rip Sam off him, but feared to do so, for he could tell by the thin fingers that Sam was fairing worse than he assumed.
Though the fingers thin, and Gimli's neck thick and large, Sam was successfully strangling Gimli. "GIMLI!" Legolas came in and grabbed Sam, holding him tight within his grasp.
Gimli sat up, rubbing his throat, and the others made their entrance. Gandalf and Aragorn froze, and Gandalf spun and nearly shouted,"Take Frodo out of here! It is no longer a safe place for him to stay. The madness of the heat has claimed Master Samwise."
Aragorn scooped up the sleeping hobbit, blankets and all, and fled the tent. Gandalf turned and knelt down taking Sam by his shoulders. "Sam! Sam!" He shook him, and Sam roared, "I'LL KILL YOU!" and continued with his poundings. Gandalf let him, confused as to why Sam was lashing out so violently.
Legolas, had helped Gimli up, and now clutched onto him. He had loved this little hobbit so dearly. He was not a violent type. He loved elves, and was gentle in a soft timid way. But he was always ready to leap to a friends side, no matter what the injury.
Legolas was intrigued by the hobbits care for plants, and there wasn't an elf who didn't appreciate the Hobbit's curiosity and yearning to learn more about the woods, and plants. To see Sam change from the sweet child he remembered into a monster such as this, made him afraid.
Gimli allowed the Elf to cling to him, still rubbing his throat. He was clearly stunned as well.
"GOLLUM! DON'T YOU TOUCH MR. FRODO!" Sam yelled, and the group at once knew, Sam was not seeing them. The heat had for sure gotten to him. "Sam, Gollum is not here...Your safe now Sam!" Sam pulled away, and the anger faded.
The group though they had snapped him out of his madness, but they were wrong. His eyes were still crystallized by madness, and they widened. His mouth opened in a tiny oh, and he twitched as if he'd been hit in the neck, and fell to his side, Gandalf catching him. His eyes were once again closed.
"Gandalf...say he won't die." Gimli, spoke in the tiniest voice any of them had ever heard.
Gandalf said nothing.
~*~*~*~*~*
Several occasions Sam has sunken into madness, and it'd been the best for the hobbits to be away from him. Frodo had woken for a few seconds, he looked around and whispered Sam. With that name on his lips, he fell asleep, and would not wake until they arrived in Ithilien.
Merry woke every now and then, as did Pippin, but not that much. They tried to walk, Pippin always getting too tired. And they both wanted to know where their friend was.
"MR. FRODO! MR. FRODO! DON'T LET ME DROWN!" Sam was screaming his eyes wide open, and blood streaming from his cracked lips. There was so much it looked as if he had been throwing up a gallon of blood. It stained his neck, and gown, smearing on his face, and his hair. There was a red line that was over his eye, where by some means, the blood had found itself there, and made it look as if Sam's head was split open.
He was crying and seemed to change stories. Some they had all witnessed and some they hadn't. "STRIDER!" Aragorn jumped when he heard that name, and took Sam in his arms.
They could not bother with the blood until he slept, being as he would either bite them, or start hyperventilating from fear. They had to wait. At Aragorn's touch, Sam seemed to be at ease, and rest his curly head on his knee.
Sam had lost a lot of wait, and looked like a small child, suffering from a grave illness. Gandalf had his eyes closed, and sat trying to think of some way he could help Sam. He'd been given so much power, but wasn't allowed to cheat fate, but surely he could find away to save Sam.
Gimli and Legolas sat, watching Sam. Legolas's arms on Gimli's shoulder. "Gimli...I had a vision while I slept last night...a most terrible weaving of events."
"Spit it out Elf."
"I dreamed it was you in Sam's stead."
Gimli clasped his hand over the hand on his shoulder, ad he felt Legolas grip him. "Easy you foolish Elf...I'm not goin' anywhere Legolas."
"Gaffer."
The room went still, and Gandalf's eyes fell upon Sam's face. He had his head on Aragorn's knee, and a small smile fell on his ashy face. "Me old Gaffer...It's been so long..." Legolas muttered a prayer for Sam in elfin.
The reprieve of his calmness was slashed, and he'd taken to madness again. "GET OUT OF HERE!" The group jumped when they heard whimpers. They turned to the tent door when they saw wide eyed, Merry and Pippin starring at their friend.
Pippin was barely standing as it was, and crying. Merry holding him, shocked tears streaming down his face. "RUN FOR IT! THEY'LL KILL YOU! THEIR HERE!" Sam shouted, and moved towards them, when he fell as if stabbed, and began to scream.
Merry dropped Pippin, and waved his arms around Sam, trying to find the invisible enemy. "SAM, WHAT IS MAKING YOU BLEED!? TELL ME!" Merry was crying, and shouted as Aragorn scooped him up, Legolas already having Pippin.
The two began to take the hobbits away when they heard, a soft faint whisper. "Mr. Merry, Mr. Pippin?" The two hobbits watched and starred at Sam. He was still on his back, and starred at them. "It's good to see you."
The group smiled, thinking that maybe Sam's madness had finally gone away. But then Sam spoke, "Pippin! Don't ruin Mr. Frodo's garden!" The young hobbits screamed Sam's name, and both passed out.
When they awoke, they were both told of what was wrong, and asked of how Frodo was taking this. When they found out he'd not woken, Merry spoke softly, "I hope Frodo doesn't see him in this state...He would lay down and be no more. He'd die."
~~~Ithilien~~~
Finally, they were at Ithilien. Since the incident at the tent, Merry and Pippin hadn't woken more than once, and Frodo still slept on. Sam who'd gotten the littlest amount of sleep, finally slept, and his lips, and several other small wounds. His weight was slowly coming back but he was still hanging by a thread.
His life at stake.
Gandalf and the others visited him many times, and when he awoke, and talked as if everything was fine, they felt eased. Legolas sung an elfin song for Sam, and he couldn't be any more happier. He always asked of Merry, Pippin, and Frodo. When he was told Merry was awake they asked him if he wanted to see him.
"No...Not yet Mr. Gandalf. Not yet. I 'spose he must have been shaken to see...to see me act so..." Sam searched for a word. "So wrong. I...I think I should wait un...untill I look a wee bit better, be...be...before I see Master Merry."
The others had nodded and left, and let him sleep. But late in the night, Gandalf came back in his room, to see Sam standing, and looking out his window.
"Sam?"
He turned, the wind tousling his hair, and moonlight shining over him. Gandalf stood their starring at the beautiful hobbit, and despair filled him. Sam was still too thin, his face too ashy, and his body to weak, for him to be healthy.
Sam made his way back to the bed, and lay their under the covers.
After a moment he spoke, "I believe, before death, you start lookin' good again, ain't that right Mr. Gandalf? So that the loved ones don' have to stare at something that looked so bad."
Sam gave the most innocent smile, one among the many he had.
Gandalf sat at his side and they listened to each other's silence.
"Mr. Gandalf sir?"
Gandalf chuckled, thinking fondly of the words Sam had chosen to run together.
"Yes, Sam?"
He looked at the ceiling, tears pouring down his soft tanned cheeks. "I never left Frodo's side. Not for a moment unless he bade me too..." He looked Gandalf dead in the eye, "I didn't leave 'em." Gandalf kissed his head, and with a smile said, "I know."
"Can you tell Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin, that they was real nice for bein' friend....firends with me? That they were awfully kin...kind...though I wa...was under them in stature...but they tre...treated me...on the...their level always. Let them...them no I'll miss 'em something awful"
Gandalf nodded and both went silent.
"Gandalf...tell...tell Mr...no...tell My dearest Mr. Frodo..."
Sam looked at him, and clutched onto his white robes.
"I did not leave him once Mr. Gandalf sir. Not once! I al...almost did, for he'd torn my heart out, but th...then I realized...the wretched creature...the ring, and th..the eye had taken his soul...prisoner! But I never left him...I tried so hard, an..and I pray I did not fa...fail. Let Master Frodo know of my love for him. He was a good...a good Master, and I can onl...only hope his Sam was faithful enough.
Let the garde...gardens of his house grow strong, and let his spark of life grow...and le..let him know that the good that was in the wor...world bows it's head to him for keep...keeping it safe. Let him know that his garden needs tendin' to...and he best not wait for me to come and do it! Let his sparkle and dear smile return, and let him keep his Elven beauty.
Will you...Will you...tell him that Gan...Gandalf?"
Gandalf nodded.
Sam smiled, "I would continue...to make his garden lovely...b...but there's onl...only so much a dea...dead hobbit can do!"
"I'll tell these things to your friends, after you say them. You are going to live Dear Sam..." Gandalf took his hand, and left for the door.
"No, I'm no Mr. Gandalf sir."
Gandalf turned.
Sam's eyes were closed, "A lady in a white dress, told me I was go...going to go with her...and I don...don't dare...disobey." He smiled, and closed his eyes, falling quickly asleep.
Gandalf shut the door, denying that Sam wouldn't be there in the morning.
As soon as he entered his room, Sam had already bid the world good-bye
I'm done. The end...sadness
Gandalf looked down at Sam who was breathing as if he was being strangled. Whiny gasps, that sounded painful to the ears. "Samwise was far from Frodo. He lay close to the smoke, and the lava, and he was half dead by the time we'd scooped him up. I can only assume, by the way Frodo and Sam were laying, that Sam had dragged his master upwards, so that he may get fresher air, and he laid closest to the burning heat, to keep Frodo just the slightest bit cooler..."
Gandalf's eyes darkened, a storm settling inside their light blue color. He shook his head. "What of Merry and Pippin?" "Merry is sound asleep, and may not wake until we reach Ithilien, maybe longer. Master Pippin, has been gravely injured, not much so as these two, but he is border lining."
Without another sound, Aragorn turned sharply to a tent, and made hasty work on the hobbits, aided by Legolas, and anyone else with medical skin.
Frodo was a hard task of getting the blood to stop from his hand, and all the other ailments to cease. It seemed as if lady Death wanted to keep the young elfish like Hobbit within her very grasp. But eventually, Aragorn found himself satisfied, and knew that Frodo would be able to make it to Ithilien, if watched closely.
"How is he fairing?" Legolas asked in a hushed tone, as if not to stir the dead. "He is bad, but his scars and ailments should heal. It's his the heavy scars on his young heart that frightens me the most..." Aragorn trailed off, and Legolas nodded in understatement.
The two turned expecting to see the other men aiding Sam, just about finished, but instead saw men running out, and coming back in to get more medicines. "What is going on?!" Aragorn cried. "Aragorn!" A young man, barely over 19 came to his side.
"He suffers from a terrible fever! And he cannot breathe, even when we breathe for him." Aragorn pushed past someone to see the men working on him, pressing rags dyed red to stop open wounds. Those horrible gasps Sam had been making were louder, more frantic. Buckets of cool water was being splashed upon his naked body, causing only little comfort.
There was a horrible moment, when Sam stiffened, but the closest to him, compressed his chest, and breathed into him, guiding the air in his lungs. Then Sam would stat his horrible whiny gasps. It was worse than the sounds Frodo had made when the icy dagger, spawned by the eye itself, pierced though his pale chest.
"Everyone, out! Legolas! Your herbs!" Legolas nodded, and pulled out a pouch. He had gathered things, to use during the war. Plants he knew, that could save lives, or take them.
He passed the small pouch over and Aragorn pulled out a tiny pale blue flower. Aragorn placed the tiny flower in Sam's mouth, adding water, to try and make him swallow. But it would not go down, only the liquid managed to.
Aragorn took the flower and chewed it up, and then grabbed Sam's face and made Sam swallow the now mashed flower. When Aragorn pulled away, Sam's chest had started to calm, and the whiny horrifying sounds edged away.
"What was that?"
Legolas turned to the men, "The flower will suck the poison, any poison from a body once ingested...it appears it will even take smoke from a body's lungs."
Legolas kneeled down by Aragorn, and the two began to dress the nude hobbit in a long white gown, that went well passed Sam's feet being as the gown was for humans not hobbits. Legolas brushed one of Sam's bare legs, and a howl rose from deep within Sam's belly and then flew from his cracked and bleeding lips.
The cry was so painful, the other men in the tent took steps back, as if they were seeing an Orc coming right at them. Legolas pushed back the gown, and saw horrible burn marks, "Aragorn!" Aragorn went over to his friends side, and what he saw made him fall back, and his shoulders droop.
"Legolas..." Aragorn breathed starring at the horrible marks. Legolas, had begun to rub a fine paste on Sam's legs, which was used to cool the burns, and stop infection. Despite the cries from Sam's unconscious form, Legolas made little time in wrapping up Sam's legs.
"Aragorn...he looks dead." Legolas stated touching his ashy face, his lips having a slightly blue tint.
"Everyone, out, and fetch Gimli and Gandalf." The men left, and within minutes the said people were there.
"What is it? Is Frodo worse? Gandalf asked, not expecting them to be hovering over by Sam. "Gandalf....something is wrong with Sam. He's been consumed by some evil, and now is slipping away from us!" Legolas said, clutching his shirt, as if to clutch his heart.
Gandalf moved them aside, and kneeled by Sam, relinquishing his Staff to Gimli, and took a rag and dipped it in water. "See here Samwise, you can't look this way...let me got the soot off you." The old wizard already knew what was wrong with Sam, but refused to believe it.
He covered Sam's face with the rag, washing away the dirt and the grim. He pulled away the rag, and everyone starred with pain piercing their chests.
His face had not been washed clean. It was still ashy, and the grime did not leave, nothing seemed to change about his face.
"We must make haste." Gandalf said with a shaking voice. "Why? We have all battled long and hard, and if anyone needs rest it 'tis these hobbits! They have fought too hard fro their young and small frames! You must be daft if you don't see it!" Gimli spoke roughly, concerned at what this journey may do to the Hobbits.
"Gimli, if we do not try to get to Ithilien as soon as we can, young Sam will meet his death, and this ashy skin will be permanent."
~*~*~*~*
They had started traveling, but required many breaks, to change all the wounds, and look after Sam. His fever still high, and his wounds still not mended. At a break Gimli was watching him.
He looked over at the hobbit, watching his sweat dampened curls plaster to his skin. "Master Samwise, don't you dare die, you foolish hobbit. Don't you go and die." He said sternly to Sam, stroking his fine beard. Gimli cried out, when Sam's eye snapped open without warning. His eyes vacant and dead.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Came the hoarse yell, and Sam was on top of Gimli, strangling him. "S..Sam...get off! I wo...won't hurt you S...Sam...Don...Don't make me hurt you!" Gimli choked. He knew he could rip Sam off him, but feared to do so, for he could tell by the thin fingers that Sam was fairing worse than he assumed.
Though the fingers thin, and Gimli's neck thick and large, Sam was successfully strangling Gimli. "GIMLI!" Legolas came in and grabbed Sam, holding him tight within his grasp.
Gimli sat up, rubbing his throat, and the others made their entrance. Gandalf and Aragorn froze, and Gandalf spun and nearly shouted,"Take Frodo out of here! It is no longer a safe place for him to stay. The madness of the heat has claimed Master Samwise."
Aragorn scooped up the sleeping hobbit, blankets and all, and fled the tent. Gandalf turned and knelt down taking Sam by his shoulders. "Sam! Sam!" He shook him, and Sam roared, "I'LL KILL YOU!" and continued with his poundings. Gandalf let him, confused as to why Sam was lashing out so violently.
Legolas, had helped Gimli up, and now clutched onto him. He had loved this little hobbit so dearly. He was not a violent type. He loved elves, and was gentle in a soft timid way. But he was always ready to leap to a friends side, no matter what the injury.
Legolas was intrigued by the hobbits care for plants, and there wasn't an elf who didn't appreciate the Hobbit's curiosity and yearning to learn more about the woods, and plants. To see Sam change from the sweet child he remembered into a monster such as this, made him afraid.
Gimli allowed the Elf to cling to him, still rubbing his throat. He was clearly stunned as well.
"GOLLUM! DON'T YOU TOUCH MR. FRODO!" Sam yelled, and the group at once knew, Sam was not seeing them. The heat had for sure gotten to him. "Sam, Gollum is not here...Your safe now Sam!" Sam pulled away, and the anger faded.
The group though they had snapped him out of his madness, but they were wrong. His eyes were still crystallized by madness, and they widened. His mouth opened in a tiny oh, and he twitched as if he'd been hit in the neck, and fell to his side, Gandalf catching him. His eyes were once again closed.
"Gandalf...say he won't die." Gimli, spoke in the tiniest voice any of them had ever heard.
Gandalf said nothing.
~*~*~*~*~*
Several occasions Sam has sunken into madness, and it'd been the best for the hobbits to be away from him. Frodo had woken for a few seconds, he looked around and whispered Sam. With that name on his lips, he fell asleep, and would not wake until they arrived in Ithilien.
Merry woke every now and then, as did Pippin, but not that much. They tried to walk, Pippin always getting too tired. And they both wanted to know where their friend was.
"MR. FRODO! MR. FRODO! DON'T LET ME DROWN!" Sam was screaming his eyes wide open, and blood streaming from his cracked lips. There was so much it looked as if he had been throwing up a gallon of blood. It stained his neck, and gown, smearing on his face, and his hair. There was a red line that was over his eye, where by some means, the blood had found itself there, and made it look as if Sam's head was split open.
He was crying and seemed to change stories. Some they had all witnessed and some they hadn't. "STRIDER!" Aragorn jumped when he heard that name, and took Sam in his arms.
They could not bother with the blood until he slept, being as he would either bite them, or start hyperventilating from fear. They had to wait. At Aragorn's touch, Sam seemed to be at ease, and rest his curly head on his knee.
Sam had lost a lot of wait, and looked like a small child, suffering from a grave illness. Gandalf had his eyes closed, and sat trying to think of some way he could help Sam. He'd been given so much power, but wasn't allowed to cheat fate, but surely he could find away to save Sam.
Gimli and Legolas sat, watching Sam. Legolas's arms on Gimli's shoulder. "Gimli...I had a vision while I slept last night...a most terrible weaving of events."
"Spit it out Elf."
"I dreamed it was you in Sam's stead."
Gimli clasped his hand over the hand on his shoulder, ad he felt Legolas grip him. "Easy you foolish Elf...I'm not goin' anywhere Legolas."
"Gaffer."
The room went still, and Gandalf's eyes fell upon Sam's face. He had his head on Aragorn's knee, and a small smile fell on his ashy face. "Me old Gaffer...It's been so long..." Legolas muttered a prayer for Sam in elfin.
The reprieve of his calmness was slashed, and he'd taken to madness again. "GET OUT OF HERE!" The group jumped when they heard whimpers. They turned to the tent door when they saw wide eyed, Merry and Pippin starring at their friend.
Pippin was barely standing as it was, and crying. Merry holding him, shocked tears streaming down his face. "RUN FOR IT! THEY'LL KILL YOU! THEIR HERE!" Sam shouted, and moved towards them, when he fell as if stabbed, and began to scream.
Merry dropped Pippin, and waved his arms around Sam, trying to find the invisible enemy. "SAM, WHAT IS MAKING YOU BLEED!? TELL ME!" Merry was crying, and shouted as Aragorn scooped him up, Legolas already having Pippin.
The two began to take the hobbits away when they heard, a soft faint whisper. "Mr. Merry, Mr. Pippin?" The two hobbits watched and starred at Sam. He was still on his back, and starred at them. "It's good to see you."
The group smiled, thinking that maybe Sam's madness had finally gone away. But then Sam spoke, "Pippin! Don't ruin Mr. Frodo's garden!" The young hobbits screamed Sam's name, and both passed out.
When they awoke, they were both told of what was wrong, and asked of how Frodo was taking this. When they found out he'd not woken, Merry spoke softly, "I hope Frodo doesn't see him in this state...He would lay down and be no more. He'd die."
~~~Ithilien~~~
Finally, they were at Ithilien. Since the incident at the tent, Merry and Pippin hadn't woken more than once, and Frodo still slept on. Sam who'd gotten the littlest amount of sleep, finally slept, and his lips, and several other small wounds. His weight was slowly coming back but he was still hanging by a thread.
His life at stake.
Gandalf and the others visited him many times, and when he awoke, and talked as if everything was fine, they felt eased. Legolas sung an elfin song for Sam, and he couldn't be any more happier. He always asked of Merry, Pippin, and Frodo. When he was told Merry was awake they asked him if he wanted to see him.
"No...Not yet Mr. Gandalf. Not yet. I 'spose he must have been shaken to see...to see me act so..." Sam searched for a word. "So wrong. I...I think I should wait un...untill I look a wee bit better, be...be...before I see Master Merry."
The others had nodded and left, and let him sleep. But late in the night, Gandalf came back in his room, to see Sam standing, and looking out his window.
"Sam?"
He turned, the wind tousling his hair, and moonlight shining over him. Gandalf stood their starring at the beautiful hobbit, and despair filled him. Sam was still too thin, his face too ashy, and his body to weak, for him to be healthy.
Sam made his way back to the bed, and lay their under the covers.
After a moment he spoke, "I believe, before death, you start lookin' good again, ain't that right Mr. Gandalf? So that the loved ones don' have to stare at something that looked so bad."
Sam gave the most innocent smile, one among the many he had.
Gandalf sat at his side and they listened to each other's silence.
"Mr. Gandalf sir?"
Gandalf chuckled, thinking fondly of the words Sam had chosen to run together.
"Yes, Sam?"
He looked at the ceiling, tears pouring down his soft tanned cheeks. "I never left Frodo's side. Not for a moment unless he bade me too..." He looked Gandalf dead in the eye, "I didn't leave 'em." Gandalf kissed his head, and with a smile said, "I know."
"Can you tell Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin, that they was real nice for bein' friend....firends with me? That they were awfully kin...kind...though I wa...was under them in stature...but they tre...treated me...on the...their level always. Let them...them no I'll miss 'em something awful"
Gandalf nodded and both went silent.
"Gandalf...tell...tell Mr...no...tell My dearest Mr. Frodo..."
Sam looked at him, and clutched onto his white robes.
"I did not leave him once Mr. Gandalf sir. Not once! I al...almost did, for he'd torn my heart out, but th...then I realized...the wretched creature...the ring, and th..the eye had taken his soul...prisoner! But I never left him...I tried so hard, an..and I pray I did not fa...fail. Let Master Frodo know of my love for him. He was a good...a good Master, and I can onl...only hope his Sam was faithful enough.
Let the garde...gardens of his house grow strong, and let his spark of life grow...and le..let him know that the good that was in the wor...world bows it's head to him for keep...keeping it safe. Let him know that his garden needs tendin' to...and he best not wait for me to come and do it! Let his sparkle and dear smile return, and let him keep his Elven beauty.
Will you...Will you...tell him that Gan...Gandalf?"
Gandalf nodded.
Sam smiled, "I would continue...to make his garden lovely...b...but there's onl...only so much a dea...dead hobbit can do!"
"I'll tell these things to your friends, after you say them. You are going to live Dear Sam..." Gandalf took his hand, and left for the door.
"No, I'm no Mr. Gandalf sir."
Gandalf turned.
Sam's eyes were closed, "A lady in a white dress, told me I was go...going to go with her...and I don...don't dare...disobey." He smiled, and closed his eyes, falling quickly asleep.
Gandalf shut the door, denying that Sam wouldn't be there in the morning.
As soon as he entered his room, Sam had already bid the world good-bye
I'm done. The end...sadness