And now that promise choked Sam's throat and stabbed his senses. To go
back was to be recaptured. But to leave meant forsaking his duty, his
Frodo.
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AN: I have a lj under aelfgifu and it would be cool to be friended! Come by and let your opinions and suggestions be heard! ____________________________________________________________________________ ______
Chapter 37 - Haunted Homecoming
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Merry leaned down and wrapped his arms around Frodo, lifting him from Sam's lap and placing him quickly onto the floor.
"Up Sam!" demanded Merry, roughly heaving the surprised hobbit up by the crick of his elbow. Sam's hands were still bound behind him and only muffled sounds of dismay were detectable behind the gag. Merry ignored them, turning his complete attention to herding Sam roughly to the open door. Sam cast a frantic glance back toward Frodo lying quietly on the floor.
"He's coming too," breathed Merry hurriedly and pushed him forward so forcefully that Sam stumbled into a near fall. "Leg it, Samwise! Make haste!" Merry whipped his head back and bellowed his orders. "Pippin! Cut Frodo's leg bonds! He must walk! Quickly!"
Pippin unfurled the blanket that had been wrapped around Frodo, revealing Frodo's skinny shirtless chest marred with bruises, and a back webbed with a criss-cross of pale red lines. Pippin winced at the sight, but had leisure to do little more.
"Hold still, Frodo dear," said Pippin as he patted his cousin's locks, now wilted with perspiration. "I'm going to cut the rope, and I don't want to nick your poor skin."
Frodo gave an empty nod as Pippin drew out a small utility knife from his belt. Pippin sliced Frodo's bonds with hard strokes of the knife, as if he were trying to cut loose a horse from a burning burn. "Please walk, Frodo," he begged, his face flushed with exertion.
Sharp prickles broke through the field of numbness on Frodo's legs. Frodo took a single shaky step before tumbling to the floor and falling hard on his outstretched palms. Pippin winced hard, hot sweat pouring out of him in a sudden wave of panic. With a mighty groan, Pippin thrust his arms around Frodo's chest and hoisted him up from behind. Frodo's legs immediately began to buckle under his own weight, forcing Pippin to arch back to pull him to rights again.
"Please, please, stand, Frodo!" pleaded Pippin, now gasping in exertion. "You must do this for me!"
Frodo nodded wearily, too happy to have use of his legs to question where they might be heading. Pippin allowed Frodo to use his lithe body as a crutch as both of them staggered down the hall like an injured animal walking unsteadily on all fours. Slowly and painfully the circulation rushed back into Frodo's legs, causing a river of pain to course through them with each step. With Pippin's help, Frodo finally coaxed his reluctant legs to step on their own accord.
Frodo's quiet elation at being allowed to move under his own power was muted by the dissonance of his swimming brain. Frodo's mind was beginning to disconnect from his body -giving him a vague sensation of watching himself at a distance with a detached curiosity. The corridor passed by him in a rush of swirling browns. The world around him blurred at the edges, pitching and rolling like a ship in rough seas. Frodo squished his moist eyes shut to make it stop, savoring the darkness and the floating sensation that masqueraded as rest. Finally, Frodo leaned into Pippin so completely that the petite hobbit had to ease him down to the floor with a groan of infuriation and despair.
Frodo's eyes flickered open, not even recalling when they had closed in the first place. One moment Frodo remembered lurching down the hall toward the circle of light that was the door, the next he was blinking up at the ceiling, carefully considering a rather large knot in one of the upper beams. It occurred to Frodo that he had not fallen down, but asleep.
A blurry worry-washed hobbit face came into view above him, blocking out the knot he'd found so entrancing moments before.
"Hullo, Pip," Frodo mumbled
"Frodo!" screeched Pippin in a shredded voice. "Up now-please! Merry is--- "
"Right behind you," supplied Merry in a surly tone. "Wondering why you two are not out the door yet when our need for haste is so dear!"
Pippin leapt out of his skin at the sound of Merry's voice. He had not heard Merry's agitated footsteps marching down the corridor to retrieve the stragglers. Pippin threw a panicked look behind him and found himself staring straight into the eyes of his cousin, now glowering at him as he leaned over an unmoving Frodo. Merry dug his nails into Frodo's forearms then hauled him into sitting position by tugging on his bound wrists. Frodo opened his eyes a crack.
"Can't a hobbit sleep?" grumbled Frodo churlishly.
Merry suppressed an urge to strike him. Frodo moaned as he was stood up and half carried, half dragged to the door, a cousin at each arm. Frodo's feet were making a show at stepping motions, though only every third step actually hit the floor. The door drew closer. Frodo hazily remembered that his last outing had not gone well, but realized he was presently too disoriented to form a coherent question, and too tired to care.
When the three hobbits finally reached the threshold, the shock of the full sunlight hit Frodo's unaccustomed eyes like a physical force. Frodo cringed as if recoiling from a blow.
"So bright," he mumbled before the more urgent question rose to the surface of the murky pool of his thoughts. "Sam?"
"Is coming too," finished Merry abruptly. Merry was now pulling Frodo so quickly that he no longer made a pretense of stepping and let the tops of his feet drag across the silky wet grass.
Frodo blinked and squinted as he was led to a waiting wagon. Sam was already lying face-up in the bed, his ankles now tied with a hasty knot. Wherever Frodo was headed, Sam would be going with him.
Frodo sighed in relief, forgetting why he did so even before the exhale was spent. His chin lolled down to his chest as they approached the waiting cart. As Pippin and Merry heaved Frodo up, they could hear his soft snores.
"Frodo! Frodo! Frodo!" sounded Merry brusquely until he detected some manner of response. Frodo opened his red-rimmed eyes a crack, half wondering how he came to be lying on a hard wooden surface staring up into the blazing eyes of his cousin. Merry's voice seemed to be uttering dire warnings about being still and quiet or facing nebulous unspecified "consequences." And there was some matter about a short ride through Buckland that Frodo couldn't quite decipher. Frodo nodded in what he dimly hoped were all the right places though not much of what Merry said coalesced into anything remotely clear in Frodo's undulating mind. The only aspect that Frodo perceived clearly was Merry's threatening tone.
More demands, more threats, and then Merry indicated the warm lump lying beside Frodo. Sam. Sam turned his face to Frodo during Merry's impromptu oration, keeping his expression inscrutable while under Merry's penetrating glare.
"----Until we arrive at our destination--,"
Merry's voice never seemed to stop once in full flow about consequences. Frodo felt his mind slipping in and out of tune once more, his eyelids finally giving up to the inevitable and falling shut. Part of Frodo waited for the kick or blow, but it never came. Instead, Merry had turned his attentions to Sam for a few seconds. Frodo instinctively drew his legs up to his body in the fragile hope that Merry, in his obvious haste, would forget to bind them. Merry seemingly read Frodo's mind as he wrapped a coil of rope around Frodo's ankles and tied them fast, ignoring Frodo's soft but audible sigh.
The last thing Frodo was cognizant of before drifting from consciousness was the loud flap of a thick blanket being shaken out and thrown over their prostrate bodies, encasing them together in a grey filmy darkness that he found strangely comforting.
Frodo was roused from his fathomless slumber by the feel of Sam's scratchy wrist bonds bumping relentlessly against his fingers. Sam had rolled onto his side with his back to Frodo and was mumbling something urgently from behind his gag. Frodo used the last once of his strength to push words from his reluctant lips.
"Sam?" mumbled Frodo wanly through the thick haze of exhaustion.
Sam's muffled rantings grew more insistent by the second. He seemed to be repeating something like "Ey ands" and Frodo suppressed a giggle before his eyelids began to flutter shut again.
If Frodo's mind was too muddled to spot an obvious opportunity, Sam's was not.
"Un-ey ey ans, Odo!" demanded Sam, his hands now threshing Frodo's fingers with such force it had begun to become painful.
Frodo suddenly realized that besides Sam's mumblings and the normal outside sounds, it was silent. Merry and Pippin had left them, certainly not for long. And the reason Sam's hands could bump against his own was because while Sam's were tied in back, Frodo's were in front. And they were concealed under a blanket.
Finally Frodo understood. Frodo now had the perfect window of opportunity to unbind Sam.
"Oh, yes!" groaned Frodo. "Untie your hands! Of course, dear Sam. So tired yet try I will."
Frodo probed his fingers over the braided hemp, seeking the offending knots. His sinewy fingers discovered not one, but two separate knots, one tight, one surprisingly loose and yielding. Frodo began to awaken as his nimble fingers worked. His heart pounded madly with excitement and dread, keeping his ears open to catch any sounds that would indicate his cousins were returning; his hands quivering as he silently, desperately tore at the bonds.
Frodo had no way of knowing that Merry had first bound Sam's hands with a slip knot before tying a second coil tightly around the first. What Frodo did perceive was that the length of rope closest to Sam's skin slackened with the most gentle of probing. Frodo suppressed a cry of delight when the slipknot unwrapped completely and allowed itself to be pulled off of Sam's wrist with a smooth steady tug. Sam wiggled his wrists, and found a passable range of motion. Frodo dug his fingers into the second knot, which was not going down without a fight. But Frodo's thin, supple fingers were animated by determination, and within minutes, the knot began to give. Sam perceived the yielding of his shackles and pulled outward with his wrists as Frodo wrenched out at the knot.
"Sam," whispered Frodo as he braced his feet on Sam's back. "On the count of three pull your hands toward you and I'll pull out."
Sam nodded.
"One, two, three!"
Frodo's body was thrown back with the recoil as the cruel bracelet of rope slipped off. Sam immediately snatched off his gag and took a hasty cleansing breath before addressing Frodo with a panicked "Master!"
"Sam!"
Frodo could guess by the shift in Sam's body that he was attacking his own ankle bonds. With a single violent pull, Sam had wrenched the sloppy knot at his ankles apart. He immediately rolled around and embraced Frodo in a rib-cracking hug. Frodo allowed himself to savor the sign of tenderness from his Sam, despite the shot of pain it sent through his tender back and aching chest.
"Mr. Frodo- What did they do to you? Your poor chest! I shall kill him, Frodo! I died inside watching them hurt your poor back, Master. I swear upon my life Merry won't hurt you like that again, not if Sam Gamgee has aught to do with it!"
Sam's voice was breaking with impending tears, but time would not allow for crying, even in joy.
"Sam---"
"Frodo," cut in Sam breathlessly. "They could come back in seconds. I'm going to unbind your wrists. If the weasels return, I'll put me hands back in place, then start again as soon as we move. I reckon the noise of the wheels will drown out me movement. We shall escape as soon as I have you free!"
Sam dug his fingers relentlessly under the ropes entwining Frodo's wrists, regretting the damage he must be doing to Frodo's poor skin, but knowing the consequences of failure, now much more dire than a bit of chafed flesh; and knew that Frodo well understood.
"Getting there, Mr. Frodo! Your Sam will have you free before Merry can lay another foul finger upon you!"
Frodo's mind suddenly cleared as his fear left him and his voice came out as clear and cold as ice.
"Sam, leave now. You must leave me behind."
"No!" exclaimed Sam louder than he intended and tore at Frodo's ropes with renewed violence. "I shant leave you! I shant abandon you to torment and death at the hands of that rat of a hobbit!"
"You made a promise," Frodo said flatly and Sam's whole body clenched at the memory.
"I promised that if one of us was taken, the other would go on," replied Sam desperately, his strong fingers not ceasing for a second.
"Sam!" cried Frodo reproachfully. "You have the chance to escape right here, right now! You promised, Sam!"
Sam heaved a painful sigh. He knew Frodo was right, but he couldn't, wouldn't leave him. Not while hope remained of getting them both out of this hell.
"Shush up, Mr. Frodo!" grumbled Sam. "I need to concentrate on these nasty ropes."
It was a stopgap reply, and Sam knew it.
"Sam, you ass!" cried Frodo. "This is your chance to save us both! Go! For Eru's sake-leave me!"
Sam secretly wished for Merry and Pippin's hasty return to save him from this misbegotten promise. He acknowledged Frodo's words with a noncommittal grunt and continued working feverishly.
Frodo kicked Sam with surprising strength. "Out- fool, out!" Frodo ordered in a furious tone he'd never used with his gardener before.
Silence.
"Samwise Gamgee," blurted Frodo in a haughty tone that was nearly comical under the circumstances. "I release you from my employ for blatant insubordination! So leave me, damn you!"
Sam bit down a chuckle behind his teeth.
"Your Uncle Bilbo hired me, Master Frodo. And only he can fire me," countered Sam. "And I don't see no sign of Bilbo breaking through the bushes at present. You shan't get rid of me that easily. So, with all due respect, stop you're babbling and let your Sam untie you. I'll use my old gag on ye, if you won't let me rescue you in peace."
"Mule of a Gamgee!" screeched Frodo, now truly maddened. "Can't you see I'll slow you down, and we'll both be caught? Think with your head, not your heart!"
"Do you want me to gag you?" chased Sam. "I made it plain clear, Mr. Frodo. I ain't going nowhere without you!"
"You promised me!" huffed Frodo as he wrenched his wrists from Sam's iron grip.
"I know about my infernal promise!" Sam replied in an urgent whisper. "When we both are out of this cart, we'll talk about promises! Now lie still Master Baggins!"
As soon as Frodo's wrist binds came loose, Sam realised he had made a critical error in his distraction. He had wasted precious minutes unbinding Frodo's wrists when he should have been working on the part that really mattered, his feet. Sam cursed under his breath and grasped at Frodo's legs, forcefully pulling them toward him before his master could protest and curl them up beyond his reach.
Sam instantly felt Frodo's resistance and felt Frodo's newly freed hand grasp feebly at his own wrist.
"Lie still!" ordered Sam in a voice that would brook no argument. He closed his hands over Frodo's wrists and tossed them roughly back to their owner. "I'm doing this!"
"Alright, you damn fool," sighed Frodo with obvious irritation laced with an undercurrent of gratitude. "I will go with you. But you must remember your promise! If one of us is taken, the other one must go on!"
"We're both going, or ain't neither of us going!" cried Sam.
"Sam!" gasped Frodo. "Your promise!"
"We shall both go!" countered Sam, nearly yelling. "BOTH!"
"Yes," replied Frodo. "We established that! But if I am taken, get away, get help!" Frodo voice dropped to a doleful whisper. "I don't know if I can do it, Sam. I can barely walk, much less run. Merry hasn't let me walk and my legs won't do what my mind tells them anymore. You see, Sam. You are my last hope. If one of us is taken, Sam, the other must go on. If it's me, Sam, if I am taken, you must go on. Promise!"
"He'll hurt you, Mr. Frodo!" cried Sam. "You know what he's capable of. He'll torment you to your death to draw me back."
"Sam, Sam," sighed Frodo. "You cannot save me with your tears. You are nothing but a liability to me, and I to you - Not because you are weak, but because you are loyal and loving. He will use us against each other. Will Merry hurt me? Certainly, Sam , he will. But he shall do so anyway, and I could bear it if I knew you were doing something to help rather than sobbing into your gag. I'm stronger than you think, Sam, and this is my decision. Respect it."
"But Master Frodo, how shall I live with myself knowing what he done to you?"
"You shall do so knowing that the fate of Middle-earth is in your gentle hands and that by running you are providing my only hope for salvation. Now promise me that if I am caught, and Sam, I believe in my current state I will be, promise me you will get away to get help. Find Gandalf. Find anyone. Sam, promise!"
"But Mr. Frodo-"
"Promise! I must hear you promise!"
"I promise!"
"Promise what, Sam," said Frodo. I need to hear you say it."
"I promise to find help."
"Not good enough," replied Frodo. "I need to hear that you will go on, no matter what you see; no matter what you hear. No matter what they do to me. That even if I am beaten and broken, you shall go on. That if I am caught, you will go on without me."
Sam pulled off Frodo's leg bonds triumphantly. "We must go now, Frodo!" Demanded Sam.
"Promise, Sam! I'll not move a muscle until you promise!"
"Yes, Frodo," cried Sam, the tears now streaming down his cheeks as he pushed the hateful words from his mouth. "I'll abandon you, paying no heed to what I see or hear 'em do to you. I'll leave you to be beaten and broken-I'll do this FOR YOU! Is that what you want me to say? Is that what you ask?"
"Yes, Samwise Gamgee, my dear hobbit-indeed, my dearest hobbit, friend of friends, that //is// what I ask."
"Now," said Sam, "let's be---"
Sam quieted in an instant as he heard the unmistakable crunch of a barn door closing in the distance, the clop of pony hooves, the hurried tones of Pip and Merry, mainly Merry, moving closer and closer.
Sam cursed beneath his breath.
"Frodo," whispered Sam. "They are coming. We will make off when we get wherever we're headed to, unless we get a chance sooner."
Frodo nodded and both hobbits made their best efforts to set their bodies to the closest approximation of the positions they had held when Merry had last seen them. Sam desperately hoped Merry would not see fit to look under the blanket-but retied his gag and draped what was left of the ropes loosely over their feet and wrists to keep up appearances. Their hearts pummeled their ribcages as Merry's solid fast footsteps drew closer until, at last, the voice hovered directly above their tensile forms. A series of objects, tools, baskets and, Sam noted sardonically, rope, were thrown into the bed next to the hobbits. Frodo's breath hitched as Merry unexpectedly folded the blanket down over the heads of his involuntary passengers.
"Frodo, Sam," said Merry in a warning tone. "We're off now. I cannot over emphasise how vital it is for both of you to behave and do nothing to draw attention to yourselves. Do you understand Frodo?"
"Yes," answered Frodo blankly.
"Sam?"
Sam nodded absently, counting the long seconds before the shielding blanket was drawn back over their curly heads, waiting until the thick fabric settled before he dared exhale. Sam listened as the pony was hitched up, and heard the joints of the wagon creak under the weight of the two hobbits climbing upon it. Finally, with Merry's stern "Gee-yup," the trap lurched forward under the pale morning sun.
* * *
Sam and Frodo had remained silent throughout the trip, not wanting to give Merry any excuse for additional vigilance. Sam had rolled himself over to face Frodo, moving inch by inch each time the wagon hit an especially bumpy patch of road when his own movements would be unlikely to be noticed. Frodo's eyes had long ago drifted shut, though the tips of his mouth curved up in a gentle grin when Sam reached out and grasped his delicate hands, encasing them in fleshy warmth.
Frodo slept while Sam's mind buzzed and hummed like a swarm of bees caught up in a gust of wind, turning over every possible contingency and solution -anything so that he'd not be forced to adhere to that hated promise. Creeping doubts bubbled to the surface of his mind, fueled by Frodo's own words. Frodo had not lied. He was weak and physically broken down. What if he truly could not walk on his own? Could Sam carry him? Certainly-to the ends of Middle-earth if he must. But could Sam carry Frodo and outrun an unburdened Merry?
That thought niggled at him, chewing at the edges of his frail complacency. Sam squeezed Frodo's hands tight, tears beginning to prickle at the backs f his eyelids once more. So unfair! So much pain heaped on this noble hobbit before him-the hobbit who now slept peacefully after preaching the unthinkable. No, Sam could not leave him, not if there was any way around it.
Sam regarded Frodo as he slept. His manifold hurts had been softened by the concealing blanket that only permitted a soft gauzy grey light to filter through its thick weave. Sam stared as if trying to imprint this image of his dear master in his mind's eye, in slumber, at peace, in a place suspended somewhere between hope and desperation. Sam asked himself again. Could he do it? Could he abandon Frodo in order to save him?
The sudden halt of the cart broke Sam's unsettled reverie. He squeezed Frodo's fragile hands tightly until the hobbit's eyes blinked open, bleary, unfocused, and unfathomably sad.
"Sam," sighed Frodo softly.
Sam offered up his best imitation of a smile and mouthed "It's time," he said before once more replacing the gag.
Frodo nodded and a shadow passed over his features. He parted his lips and mouthed two words-
"You promised."
* * *
"So this is it," Sam and Frodo heard Pippin remark as two sets of feet slid with a crunch into dried leaves.
"Yes," answered Merry. "Not much to look at now, but in its day it was a homey smial, one of the loveliest homes in Buckland. And Primula kept a magnificent garden, so I've been told."
Frodo's ears perked up at the mention of his mother's name, accompanied by a sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach. No, Merry would not take them there of all places! But deep in his heart he knew Merry had.
"Hiding in plain sight, so to speak," chirped Merry.
"I'm surprised no one else moved in after, well, after it wasn't being used anymore."
"Are you kidding?" chuckled Merry. "Bucklanders won't go near it. A superstitious lot, I'm afraid. They say it's haunted, or at least, fits the profile of a place that ought to be haunted, all things considered. No, dear Pip. No one comes here. Hobbits don't use it. Most hobbits don't know it. It's been boarded up since I've been alive. Which is why we had to bring these!"
Sam and Frodo heard the sounds of items made of metal being tossed to the ground with a cacophony of clangs, followed by a dull thud (rope, thought Sam, drawing another involuntary cringe), followed by what sounded like a stack of plates and baskets of-food? Last of all, Sam heard the whinny of a pony as the animal was unhitched and led away.
"Come Pippin," exclaimed Merry. "We have work to do. We need to ready the accommodations for Frodo and Sam!"
A set of slim fingers appeared at the hem of the blanket as it was gently pulled down over Sam and Frodo's heads, this time by Pippin.
"Happy homecoming, Frodo!" chirped Merry.
Frodo bit back a scream as he cast his eyes upon the wreck of a smial that had once been his home.
* * *
Sam seized off his gag the moment Pippin and Merry padded off to pry the boards off the smial's faded yellow door.
"Frodo!" whispered Sam as he stared into Frodo's woebegone eyes. "Frodo! We must make for it as soon as they enter the house! That will give us some leeway, weak as you are!"
Frodo nodded, tears now streaming down. Sam longed to wrap his arms around his friend, now looking more fragile than he'd ever remembered. But this escape was too important to be bogged down in emotion. Once they had escaped the clutches of Merry they could emote to their heart's content.
Frodo and Sam heard the sounds of boards creaking and groaning under Merry and Pippin's ministrations, pulling loose and falling with a clunk. Then came the rumbling complaint of a long closed door being pried open after years of disuse, the hinges screaming out their squeaking indictment.
"I have it Merry! It's open!"
Sam gave Frodo an anticipatory glance as they heard some rustling about, then, finally, the slamming of the front door with Merry and Pippin behind it.
"Now!" exclaimed Sam. Throwing off the blanket, leaping from the bed of the cart, and dragging Frodo by the feet onto the ground to -freedom.
Frodo crumpled to the ground.
"Sam! I can't! I'm too weak! Leave me and get help while you still have the chance."
"No Sir!" answered Sam, heaving Frodo up on a strong shoulder and dragging him toward the nearest copse of trees, about fifty yards distant. "Walk, Master. You must walk!"
"Sam! I cannot! Blast it!"
"I'll carry you if I must, but we are both going! So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride."
Frodo clung to Sam's back, his arms loosely about Sam's neck, his legs clasped firmly under Sam's strong arms. Sam staggered to his feet, feeling the burden surprisingly light, but a burden none-the-less. Sam then began running as fast as his legs would carry him across the wide field toward the trees, though weighed down by a backful of Frodo, Sam's progress was slow.
A minute passed, filled only with the crunching of leaves, Sam's grunts of exertion, and Frodo's groans of pain. Then the most unwanted, most horrifying of all sounds rent the morning air. A door flying open and the rending cry that tore through the morning silence
"SAM! FRODO! NO!" followed by "PIPPIN! RUN! THEY'VE ESCAPED!"
Sam jerked his head back in terror and he saw Pippin bolt like wildfire out the door, and Merry sprint toward them faster than he had seen any hobbit run.
"STOP! SAM!" yelled Merry, his voice saturated with fury. "Put him down!"
"I'll not, Merry!" yelled Sam. "Not while I have strength left!"
Frodo wrenched his legs loose and kicked at Sam's shin. "Put me down Sam! Leave me! He's gaining!"
"No!" yelled Sam to both Frodo and Merry.
Sam found an inner strength he did not know he possessed and picked up speed. But Merry was closing the distance with terrifying ease.
"It is hopeless Sam!" screamed Frodo. "Leave me! You promised! You, Sam, must escape. PUT ME DOWN AND RUN!"
"NO!" answered Sam and plowed forward, clenching the hands that tried to struggle free from his iron grip. "Not until there is no other hope."
"There is NO other hope, Samwise! Drop me, damn you! Keep your word!"
Merry was now less than fifty yards away and gaining, but Sam was so close to the sheltering trees. If only he could break through with Frodo, they'd have a chance.
"Put me down, Sam!" ordered Frodo.
"I canno---"
"Put me down, Sam," pleaded Frodo. "I-I think I can run on my own now."
Sam gave Frodo a doubtful look as he gingerly set Frodo upon his feet.
"Now run, Sam!" demanded Frodo. "I'll be right behind!"
Sam nodded, and watched as Frodo took first hesitant, then longer and stronger steps toward the trees.
"Almost there, Frodo," panted Sam, now a dozen feet ahead of his master. "Keep going!"
Sam's heart leapt with elation as he reached the tree line and bounded through it.
"Mr. Frodo! We've made it Mr. Frodo!" Sam paused. "Mr. Frodo?"
Sam whirled about on one foot and threw a panicky look behind him.
"FRODO!"
What Sam saw horrified him. Frodo was indeed running, but not into the trees, but headlong toward---Merry! A soft voice uttering "I'm here, Merry," echoed through the field, ricocheting back and pounding Sam in the gut as hard as any blow. Sam's eyes opened to their fullest extent and his jaw swung loosely from its hinges.
"No Frodo!" Sam rasped to the apathetic trees. "No!"
Merry, Pippin and Frodo converged upon the open field, a wicked smile gracing Merry's lips. Sam watched in horror as he saw Merry draw his hand back and clout Frodo on the jaw, knocking him to the ground in a crumpled heap. Merry and Pippin lifted Frodo roughly by the forearms and dragged him toward the house. Sam stood stock-still, not daring to move into the open, but watching, waiting for something, something the depth of his soul told him would be unbearable. But this was it, he'd promised. And now that promise choked his throat and stabbed his senses. To go back was to be recaptured. But to leave meant forsaking his duty, his Frodo. Sam looked on helplessly as Merry whispered something in Pippin's ear, with Frodo's lolling head bent in between the two cousins. Pippin raced off to the small red shed at the back of the dwelling as Merry pushed Frodo roughly inside his childhood home.
Merry re-emerged alone moments later. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called into the trees.
"Sam! Sam! Come back to us, Sam! All will be forgiven!"
Sam did not budge.
With a shrug, Merry continued.
"Well, then Sam! If you won't come out, then at least don't you go anywhere-not yet! There is something you will want to see!"
TBC
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AN: I am going to have Frodo break soon (temporarily) and I want to know what you want to see in a broken Frodo-esp if you have strong opinions! Please stop by my lj (under aelfgifu) and respond to my "what would a broken Frodo act like" post. You may also post any comments, criticisms, suggestions, plotholes, and questions there, and I will answer right away! ____________________________________________________________________________ ______
To the Reviewers!
Krista- I hope you are not still sitting by that screen-though if you are- here is the update!! And no need to apologize for anything! I love your reviews!!
Elizabeth! Oh-you are not just a number! And I wouldn't send you home if I caught you reading this!! I'm glad you like it!
LOTR Sparkling pippin - I am SO flattered!!! I hope that you will like my updates too! Do keep telling me what you think-will you? (hugs!)
Falking -Wow! I wish you were in my class now-but maybe you are (looks around)! Pippin angst coming your way! And how!
Iorhael- I don't think the filming of this story would get past the ratings- thought yours might! LOL! I can't believe you finally finished Nasty hobbitsess! I'm going to try and get the beta done tomorrow! And I am expecting a sequel to work on soon!!!
Ariel-I think all of your fics are great-if only I could write like you and Aratlithiel! Well, call me thankful that I have you as reviewers and betas. BTW the next chapter is going to be by Aratlithiel-the first one she did for me a long time ago. So I am expecting a review for that one!!!
Sue-well-if Sam escapes, part 1 will be over, and do you want that quite yet? (oops! Almost a spoiler!)
QTPie- And, as you see-another cliffhanger!! Oh-thank you for being such a loyal reviewer!
Lilly Blackstar -oooooooooooooooooooooooooo I hope you liked this!
Chloe-thank you as always! I thought it would be very sad to show that Frodo realizes what Merry is trying to do, and sees that it is working. It will take Sam a longer time to accept it, and don't be surprised if even Merry worries that he has gone too far (oh! What I have planned!)
Endymion - wait till we get to "The Taming of Frodo" chapter I am writing right now! As to why Merry would allow it-well, he is giving Frodo a small reward for cooperating, though, if you noticed, it was still rather cruel, as he did it just as Frodo had hit the end of a long sleep-deprivation session!
Camillia Gamgee-Took- Your are far too hasty! I still have plenty of surprises for all! ;)
Aratlithiel-your chapter is next---It must seem forever ago that you wrote it. I bet you thought it would never get posted! Well, this fic would only be a shadow of itself without you (hugs!)
AN: I have a lj under aelfgifu and it would be cool to be friended! Come by and let your opinions and suggestions be heard! ____________________________________________________________________________ ______
Chapter 37 - Haunted Homecoming
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Merry leaned down and wrapped his arms around Frodo, lifting him from Sam's lap and placing him quickly onto the floor.
"Up Sam!" demanded Merry, roughly heaving the surprised hobbit up by the crick of his elbow. Sam's hands were still bound behind him and only muffled sounds of dismay were detectable behind the gag. Merry ignored them, turning his complete attention to herding Sam roughly to the open door. Sam cast a frantic glance back toward Frodo lying quietly on the floor.
"He's coming too," breathed Merry hurriedly and pushed him forward so forcefully that Sam stumbled into a near fall. "Leg it, Samwise! Make haste!" Merry whipped his head back and bellowed his orders. "Pippin! Cut Frodo's leg bonds! He must walk! Quickly!"
Pippin unfurled the blanket that had been wrapped around Frodo, revealing Frodo's skinny shirtless chest marred with bruises, and a back webbed with a criss-cross of pale red lines. Pippin winced at the sight, but had leisure to do little more.
"Hold still, Frodo dear," said Pippin as he patted his cousin's locks, now wilted with perspiration. "I'm going to cut the rope, and I don't want to nick your poor skin."
Frodo gave an empty nod as Pippin drew out a small utility knife from his belt. Pippin sliced Frodo's bonds with hard strokes of the knife, as if he were trying to cut loose a horse from a burning burn. "Please walk, Frodo," he begged, his face flushed with exertion.
Sharp prickles broke through the field of numbness on Frodo's legs. Frodo took a single shaky step before tumbling to the floor and falling hard on his outstretched palms. Pippin winced hard, hot sweat pouring out of him in a sudden wave of panic. With a mighty groan, Pippin thrust his arms around Frodo's chest and hoisted him up from behind. Frodo's legs immediately began to buckle under his own weight, forcing Pippin to arch back to pull him to rights again.
"Please, please, stand, Frodo!" pleaded Pippin, now gasping in exertion. "You must do this for me!"
Frodo nodded wearily, too happy to have use of his legs to question where they might be heading. Pippin allowed Frodo to use his lithe body as a crutch as both of them staggered down the hall like an injured animal walking unsteadily on all fours. Slowly and painfully the circulation rushed back into Frodo's legs, causing a river of pain to course through them with each step. With Pippin's help, Frodo finally coaxed his reluctant legs to step on their own accord.
Frodo's quiet elation at being allowed to move under his own power was muted by the dissonance of his swimming brain. Frodo's mind was beginning to disconnect from his body -giving him a vague sensation of watching himself at a distance with a detached curiosity. The corridor passed by him in a rush of swirling browns. The world around him blurred at the edges, pitching and rolling like a ship in rough seas. Frodo squished his moist eyes shut to make it stop, savoring the darkness and the floating sensation that masqueraded as rest. Finally, Frodo leaned into Pippin so completely that the petite hobbit had to ease him down to the floor with a groan of infuriation and despair.
Frodo's eyes flickered open, not even recalling when they had closed in the first place. One moment Frodo remembered lurching down the hall toward the circle of light that was the door, the next he was blinking up at the ceiling, carefully considering a rather large knot in one of the upper beams. It occurred to Frodo that he had not fallen down, but asleep.
A blurry worry-washed hobbit face came into view above him, blocking out the knot he'd found so entrancing moments before.
"Hullo, Pip," Frodo mumbled
"Frodo!" screeched Pippin in a shredded voice. "Up now-please! Merry is--- "
"Right behind you," supplied Merry in a surly tone. "Wondering why you two are not out the door yet when our need for haste is so dear!"
Pippin leapt out of his skin at the sound of Merry's voice. He had not heard Merry's agitated footsteps marching down the corridor to retrieve the stragglers. Pippin threw a panicked look behind him and found himself staring straight into the eyes of his cousin, now glowering at him as he leaned over an unmoving Frodo. Merry dug his nails into Frodo's forearms then hauled him into sitting position by tugging on his bound wrists. Frodo opened his eyes a crack.
"Can't a hobbit sleep?" grumbled Frodo churlishly.
Merry suppressed an urge to strike him. Frodo moaned as he was stood up and half carried, half dragged to the door, a cousin at each arm. Frodo's feet were making a show at stepping motions, though only every third step actually hit the floor. The door drew closer. Frodo hazily remembered that his last outing had not gone well, but realized he was presently too disoriented to form a coherent question, and too tired to care.
When the three hobbits finally reached the threshold, the shock of the full sunlight hit Frodo's unaccustomed eyes like a physical force. Frodo cringed as if recoiling from a blow.
"So bright," he mumbled before the more urgent question rose to the surface of the murky pool of his thoughts. "Sam?"
"Is coming too," finished Merry abruptly. Merry was now pulling Frodo so quickly that he no longer made a pretense of stepping and let the tops of his feet drag across the silky wet grass.
Frodo blinked and squinted as he was led to a waiting wagon. Sam was already lying face-up in the bed, his ankles now tied with a hasty knot. Wherever Frodo was headed, Sam would be going with him.
Frodo sighed in relief, forgetting why he did so even before the exhale was spent. His chin lolled down to his chest as they approached the waiting cart. As Pippin and Merry heaved Frodo up, they could hear his soft snores.
"Frodo! Frodo! Frodo!" sounded Merry brusquely until he detected some manner of response. Frodo opened his red-rimmed eyes a crack, half wondering how he came to be lying on a hard wooden surface staring up into the blazing eyes of his cousin. Merry's voice seemed to be uttering dire warnings about being still and quiet or facing nebulous unspecified "consequences." And there was some matter about a short ride through Buckland that Frodo couldn't quite decipher. Frodo nodded in what he dimly hoped were all the right places though not much of what Merry said coalesced into anything remotely clear in Frodo's undulating mind. The only aspect that Frodo perceived clearly was Merry's threatening tone.
More demands, more threats, and then Merry indicated the warm lump lying beside Frodo. Sam. Sam turned his face to Frodo during Merry's impromptu oration, keeping his expression inscrutable while under Merry's penetrating glare.
"----Until we arrive at our destination--,"
Merry's voice never seemed to stop once in full flow about consequences. Frodo felt his mind slipping in and out of tune once more, his eyelids finally giving up to the inevitable and falling shut. Part of Frodo waited for the kick or blow, but it never came. Instead, Merry had turned his attentions to Sam for a few seconds. Frodo instinctively drew his legs up to his body in the fragile hope that Merry, in his obvious haste, would forget to bind them. Merry seemingly read Frodo's mind as he wrapped a coil of rope around Frodo's ankles and tied them fast, ignoring Frodo's soft but audible sigh.
The last thing Frodo was cognizant of before drifting from consciousness was the loud flap of a thick blanket being shaken out and thrown over their prostrate bodies, encasing them together in a grey filmy darkness that he found strangely comforting.
Frodo was roused from his fathomless slumber by the feel of Sam's scratchy wrist bonds bumping relentlessly against his fingers. Sam had rolled onto his side with his back to Frodo and was mumbling something urgently from behind his gag. Frodo used the last once of his strength to push words from his reluctant lips.
"Sam?" mumbled Frodo wanly through the thick haze of exhaustion.
Sam's muffled rantings grew more insistent by the second. He seemed to be repeating something like "Ey ands" and Frodo suppressed a giggle before his eyelids began to flutter shut again.
If Frodo's mind was too muddled to spot an obvious opportunity, Sam's was not.
"Un-ey ey ans, Odo!" demanded Sam, his hands now threshing Frodo's fingers with such force it had begun to become painful.
Frodo suddenly realized that besides Sam's mumblings and the normal outside sounds, it was silent. Merry and Pippin had left them, certainly not for long. And the reason Sam's hands could bump against his own was because while Sam's were tied in back, Frodo's were in front. And they were concealed under a blanket.
Finally Frodo understood. Frodo now had the perfect window of opportunity to unbind Sam.
"Oh, yes!" groaned Frodo. "Untie your hands! Of course, dear Sam. So tired yet try I will."
Frodo probed his fingers over the braided hemp, seeking the offending knots. His sinewy fingers discovered not one, but two separate knots, one tight, one surprisingly loose and yielding. Frodo began to awaken as his nimble fingers worked. His heart pounded madly with excitement and dread, keeping his ears open to catch any sounds that would indicate his cousins were returning; his hands quivering as he silently, desperately tore at the bonds.
Frodo had no way of knowing that Merry had first bound Sam's hands with a slip knot before tying a second coil tightly around the first. What Frodo did perceive was that the length of rope closest to Sam's skin slackened with the most gentle of probing. Frodo suppressed a cry of delight when the slipknot unwrapped completely and allowed itself to be pulled off of Sam's wrist with a smooth steady tug. Sam wiggled his wrists, and found a passable range of motion. Frodo dug his fingers into the second knot, which was not going down without a fight. But Frodo's thin, supple fingers were animated by determination, and within minutes, the knot began to give. Sam perceived the yielding of his shackles and pulled outward with his wrists as Frodo wrenched out at the knot.
"Sam," whispered Frodo as he braced his feet on Sam's back. "On the count of three pull your hands toward you and I'll pull out."
Sam nodded.
"One, two, three!"
Frodo's body was thrown back with the recoil as the cruel bracelet of rope slipped off. Sam immediately snatched off his gag and took a hasty cleansing breath before addressing Frodo with a panicked "Master!"
"Sam!"
Frodo could guess by the shift in Sam's body that he was attacking his own ankle bonds. With a single violent pull, Sam had wrenched the sloppy knot at his ankles apart. He immediately rolled around and embraced Frodo in a rib-cracking hug. Frodo allowed himself to savor the sign of tenderness from his Sam, despite the shot of pain it sent through his tender back and aching chest.
"Mr. Frodo- What did they do to you? Your poor chest! I shall kill him, Frodo! I died inside watching them hurt your poor back, Master. I swear upon my life Merry won't hurt you like that again, not if Sam Gamgee has aught to do with it!"
Sam's voice was breaking with impending tears, but time would not allow for crying, even in joy.
"Sam---"
"Frodo," cut in Sam breathlessly. "They could come back in seconds. I'm going to unbind your wrists. If the weasels return, I'll put me hands back in place, then start again as soon as we move. I reckon the noise of the wheels will drown out me movement. We shall escape as soon as I have you free!"
Sam dug his fingers relentlessly under the ropes entwining Frodo's wrists, regretting the damage he must be doing to Frodo's poor skin, but knowing the consequences of failure, now much more dire than a bit of chafed flesh; and knew that Frodo well understood.
"Getting there, Mr. Frodo! Your Sam will have you free before Merry can lay another foul finger upon you!"
Frodo's mind suddenly cleared as his fear left him and his voice came out as clear and cold as ice.
"Sam, leave now. You must leave me behind."
"No!" exclaimed Sam louder than he intended and tore at Frodo's ropes with renewed violence. "I shant leave you! I shant abandon you to torment and death at the hands of that rat of a hobbit!"
"You made a promise," Frodo said flatly and Sam's whole body clenched at the memory.
"I promised that if one of us was taken, the other would go on," replied Sam desperately, his strong fingers not ceasing for a second.
"Sam!" cried Frodo reproachfully. "You have the chance to escape right here, right now! You promised, Sam!"
Sam heaved a painful sigh. He knew Frodo was right, but he couldn't, wouldn't leave him. Not while hope remained of getting them both out of this hell.
"Shush up, Mr. Frodo!" grumbled Sam. "I need to concentrate on these nasty ropes."
It was a stopgap reply, and Sam knew it.
"Sam, you ass!" cried Frodo. "This is your chance to save us both! Go! For Eru's sake-leave me!"
Sam secretly wished for Merry and Pippin's hasty return to save him from this misbegotten promise. He acknowledged Frodo's words with a noncommittal grunt and continued working feverishly.
Frodo kicked Sam with surprising strength. "Out- fool, out!" Frodo ordered in a furious tone he'd never used with his gardener before.
Silence.
"Samwise Gamgee," blurted Frodo in a haughty tone that was nearly comical under the circumstances. "I release you from my employ for blatant insubordination! So leave me, damn you!"
Sam bit down a chuckle behind his teeth.
"Your Uncle Bilbo hired me, Master Frodo. And only he can fire me," countered Sam. "And I don't see no sign of Bilbo breaking through the bushes at present. You shan't get rid of me that easily. So, with all due respect, stop you're babbling and let your Sam untie you. I'll use my old gag on ye, if you won't let me rescue you in peace."
"Mule of a Gamgee!" screeched Frodo, now truly maddened. "Can't you see I'll slow you down, and we'll both be caught? Think with your head, not your heart!"
"Do you want me to gag you?" chased Sam. "I made it plain clear, Mr. Frodo. I ain't going nowhere without you!"
"You promised me!" huffed Frodo as he wrenched his wrists from Sam's iron grip.
"I know about my infernal promise!" Sam replied in an urgent whisper. "When we both are out of this cart, we'll talk about promises! Now lie still Master Baggins!"
As soon as Frodo's wrist binds came loose, Sam realised he had made a critical error in his distraction. He had wasted precious minutes unbinding Frodo's wrists when he should have been working on the part that really mattered, his feet. Sam cursed under his breath and grasped at Frodo's legs, forcefully pulling them toward him before his master could protest and curl them up beyond his reach.
Sam instantly felt Frodo's resistance and felt Frodo's newly freed hand grasp feebly at his own wrist.
"Lie still!" ordered Sam in a voice that would brook no argument. He closed his hands over Frodo's wrists and tossed them roughly back to their owner. "I'm doing this!"
"Alright, you damn fool," sighed Frodo with obvious irritation laced with an undercurrent of gratitude. "I will go with you. But you must remember your promise! If one of us is taken, the other one must go on!"
"We're both going, or ain't neither of us going!" cried Sam.
"Sam!" gasped Frodo. "Your promise!"
"We shall both go!" countered Sam, nearly yelling. "BOTH!"
"Yes," replied Frodo. "We established that! But if I am taken, get away, get help!" Frodo voice dropped to a doleful whisper. "I don't know if I can do it, Sam. I can barely walk, much less run. Merry hasn't let me walk and my legs won't do what my mind tells them anymore. You see, Sam. You are my last hope. If one of us is taken, Sam, the other must go on. If it's me, Sam, if I am taken, you must go on. Promise!"
"He'll hurt you, Mr. Frodo!" cried Sam. "You know what he's capable of. He'll torment you to your death to draw me back."
"Sam, Sam," sighed Frodo. "You cannot save me with your tears. You are nothing but a liability to me, and I to you - Not because you are weak, but because you are loyal and loving. He will use us against each other. Will Merry hurt me? Certainly, Sam , he will. But he shall do so anyway, and I could bear it if I knew you were doing something to help rather than sobbing into your gag. I'm stronger than you think, Sam, and this is my decision. Respect it."
"But Master Frodo, how shall I live with myself knowing what he done to you?"
"You shall do so knowing that the fate of Middle-earth is in your gentle hands and that by running you are providing my only hope for salvation. Now promise me that if I am caught, and Sam, I believe in my current state I will be, promise me you will get away to get help. Find Gandalf. Find anyone. Sam, promise!"
"But Mr. Frodo-"
"Promise! I must hear you promise!"
"I promise!"
"Promise what, Sam," said Frodo. I need to hear you say it."
"I promise to find help."
"Not good enough," replied Frodo. "I need to hear that you will go on, no matter what you see; no matter what you hear. No matter what they do to me. That even if I am beaten and broken, you shall go on. That if I am caught, you will go on without me."
Sam pulled off Frodo's leg bonds triumphantly. "We must go now, Frodo!" Demanded Sam.
"Promise, Sam! I'll not move a muscle until you promise!"
"Yes, Frodo," cried Sam, the tears now streaming down his cheeks as he pushed the hateful words from his mouth. "I'll abandon you, paying no heed to what I see or hear 'em do to you. I'll leave you to be beaten and broken-I'll do this FOR YOU! Is that what you want me to say? Is that what you ask?"
"Yes, Samwise Gamgee, my dear hobbit-indeed, my dearest hobbit, friend of friends, that //is// what I ask."
"Now," said Sam, "let's be---"
Sam quieted in an instant as he heard the unmistakable crunch of a barn door closing in the distance, the clop of pony hooves, the hurried tones of Pip and Merry, mainly Merry, moving closer and closer.
Sam cursed beneath his breath.
"Frodo," whispered Sam. "They are coming. We will make off when we get wherever we're headed to, unless we get a chance sooner."
Frodo nodded and both hobbits made their best efforts to set their bodies to the closest approximation of the positions they had held when Merry had last seen them. Sam desperately hoped Merry would not see fit to look under the blanket-but retied his gag and draped what was left of the ropes loosely over their feet and wrists to keep up appearances. Their hearts pummeled their ribcages as Merry's solid fast footsteps drew closer until, at last, the voice hovered directly above their tensile forms. A series of objects, tools, baskets and, Sam noted sardonically, rope, were thrown into the bed next to the hobbits. Frodo's breath hitched as Merry unexpectedly folded the blanket down over the heads of his involuntary passengers.
"Frodo, Sam," said Merry in a warning tone. "We're off now. I cannot over emphasise how vital it is for both of you to behave and do nothing to draw attention to yourselves. Do you understand Frodo?"
"Yes," answered Frodo blankly.
"Sam?"
Sam nodded absently, counting the long seconds before the shielding blanket was drawn back over their curly heads, waiting until the thick fabric settled before he dared exhale. Sam listened as the pony was hitched up, and heard the joints of the wagon creak under the weight of the two hobbits climbing upon it. Finally, with Merry's stern "Gee-yup," the trap lurched forward under the pale morning sun.
* * *
Sam and Frodo had remained silent throughout the trip, not wanting to give Merry any excuse for additional vigilance. Sam had rolled himself over to face Frodo, moving inch by inch each time the wagon hit an especially bumpy patch of road when his own movements would be unlikely to be noticed. Frodo's eyes had long ago drifted shut, though the tips of his mouth curved up in a gentle grin when Sam reached out and grasped his delicate hands, encasing them in fleshy warmth.
Frodo slept while Sam's mind buzzed and hummed like a swarm of bees caught up in a gust of wind, turning over every possible contingency and solution -anything so that he'd not be forced to adhere to that hated promise. Creeping doubts bubbled to the surface of his mind, fueled by Frodo's own words. Frodo had not lied. He was weak and physically broken down. What if he truly could not walk on his own? Could Sam carry him? Certainly-to the ends of Middle-earth if he must. But could Sam carry Frodo and outrun an unburdened Merry?
That thought niggled at him, chewing at the edges of his frail complacency. Sam squeezed Frodo's hands tight, tears beginning to prickle at the backs f his eyelids once more. So unfair! So much pain heaped on this noble hobbit before him-the hobbit who now slept peacefully after preaching the unthinkable. No, Sam could not leave him, not if there was any way around it.
Sam regarded Frodo as he slept. His manifold hurts had been softened by the concealing blanket that only permitted a soft gauzy grey light to filter through its thick weave. Sam stared as if trying to imprint this image of his dear master in his mind's eye, in slumber, at peace, in a place suspended somewhere between hope and desperation. Sam asked himself again. Could he do it? Could he abandon Frodo in order to save him?
The sudden halt of the cart broke Sam's unsettled reverie. He squeezed Frodo's fragile hands tightly until the hobbit's eyes blinked open, bleary, unfocused, and unfathomably sad.
"Sam," sighed Frodo softly.
Sam offered up his best imitation of a smile and mouthed "It's time," he said before once more replacing the gag.
Frodo nodded and a shadow passed over his features. He parted his lips and mouthed two words-
"You promised."
* * *
"So this is it," Sam and Frodo heard Pippin remark as two sets of feet slid with a crunch into dried leaves.
"Yes," answered Merry. "Not much to look at now, but in its day it was a homey smial, one of the loveliest homes in Buckland. And Primula kept a magnificent garden, so I've been told."
Frodo's ears perked up at the mention of his mother's name, accompanied by a sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach. No, Merry would not take them there of all places! But deep in his heart he knew Merry had.
"Hiding in plain sight, so to speak," chirped Merry.
"I'm surprised no one else moved in after, well, after it wasn't being used anymore."
"Are you kidding?" chuckled Merry. "Bucklanders won't go near it. A superstitious lot, I'm afraid. They say it's haunted, or at least, fits the profile of a place that ought to be haunted, all things considered. No, dear Pip. No one comes here. Hobbits don't use it. Most hobbits don't know it. It's been boarded up since I've been alive. Which is why we had to bring these!"
Sam and Frodo heard the sounds of items made of metal being tossed to the ground with a cacophony of clangs, followed by a dull thud (rope, thought Sam, drawing another involuntary cringe), followed by what sounded like a stack of plates and baskets of-food? Last of all, Sam heard the whinny of a pony as the animal was unhitched and led away.
"Come Pippin," exclaimed Merry. "We have work to do. We need to ready the accommodations for Frodo and Sam!"
A set of slim fingers appeared at the hem of the blanket as it was gently pulled down over Sam and Frodo's heads, this time by Pippin.
"Happy homecoming, Frodo!" chirped Merry.
Frodo bit back a scream as he cast his eyes upon the wreck of a smial that had once been his home.
* * *
Sam seized off his gag the moment Pippin and Merry padded off to pry the boards off the smial's faded yellow door.
"Frodo!" whispered Sam as he stared into Frodo's woebegone eyes. "Frodo! We must make for it as soon as they enter the house! That will give us some leeway, weak as you are!"
Frodo nodded, tears now streaming down. Sam longed to wrap his arms around his friend, now looking more fragile than he'd ever remembered. But this escape was too important to be bogged down in emotion. Once they had escaped the clutches of Merry they could emote to their heart's content.
Frodo and Sam heard the sounds of boards creaking and groaning under Merry and Pippin's ministrations, pulling loose and falling with a clunk. Then came the rumbling complaint of a long closed door being pried open after years of disuse, the hinges screaming out their squeaking indictment.
"I have it Merry! It's open!"
Sam gave Frodo an anticipatory glance as they heard some rustling about, then, finally, the slamming of the front door with Merry and Pippin behind it.
"Now!" exclaimed Sam. Throwing off the blanket, leaping from the bed of the cart, and dragging Frodo by the feet onto the ground to -freedom.
Frodo crumpled to the ground.
"Sam! I can't! I'm too weak! Leave me and get help while you still have the chance."
"No Sir!" answered Sam, heaving Frodo up on a strong shoulder and dragging him toward the nearest copse of trees, about fifty yards distant. "Walk, Master. You must walk!"
"Sam! I cannot! Blast it!"
"I'll carry you if I must, but we are both going! So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride."
Frodo clung to Sam's back, his arms loosely about Sam's neck, his legs clasped firmly under Sam's strong arms. Sam staggered to his feet, feeling the burden surprisingly light, but a burden none-the-less. Sam then began running as fast as his legs would carry him across the wide field toward the trees, though weighed down by a backful of Frodo, Sam's progress was slow.
A minute passed, filled only with the crunching of leaves, Sam's grunts of exertion, and Frodo's groans of pain. Then the most unwanted, most horrifying of all sounds rent the morning air. A door flying open and the rending cry that tore through the morning silence
"SAM! FRODO! NO!" followed by "PIPPIN! RUN! THEY'VE ESCAPED!"
Sam jerked his head back in terror and he saw Pippin bolt like wildfire out the door, and Merry sprint toward them faster than he had seen any hobbit run.
"STOP! SAM!" yelled Merry, his voice saturated with fury. "Put him down!"
"I'll not, Merry!" yelled Sam. "Not while I have strength left!"
Frodo wrenched his legs loose and kicked at Sam's shin. "Put me down Sam! Leave me! He's gaining!"
"No!" yelled Sam to both Frodo and Merry.
Sam found an inner strength he did not know he possessed and picked up speed. But Merry was closing the distance with terrifying ease.
"It is hopeless Sam!" screamed Frodo. "Leave me! You promised! You, Sam, must escape. PUT ME DOWN AND RUN!"
"NO!" answered Sam and plowed forward, clenching the hands that tried to struggle free from his iron grip. "Not until there is no other hope."
"There is NO other hope, Samwise! Drop me, damn you! Keep your word!"
Merry was now less than fifty yards away and gaining, but Sam was so close to the sheltering trees. If only he could break through with Frodo, they'd have a chance.
"Put me down, Sam!" ordered Frodo.
"I canno---"
"Put me down, Sam," pleaded Frodo. "I-I think I can run on my own now."
Sam gave Frodo a doubtful look as he gingerly set Frodo upon his feet.
"Now run, Sam!" demanded Frodo. "I'll be right behind!"
Sam nodded, and watched as Frodo took first hesitant, then longer and stronger steps toward the trees.
"Almost there, Frodo," panted Sam, now a dozen feet ahead of his master. "Keep going!"
Sam's heart leapt with elation as he reached the tree line and bounded through it.
"Mr. Frodo! We've made it Mr. Frodo!" Sam paused. "Mr. Frodo?"
Sam whirled about on one foot and threw a panicky look behind him.
"FRODO!"
What Sam saw horrified him. Frodo was indeed running, but not into the trees, but headlong toward---Merry! A soft voice uttering "I'm here, Merry," echoed through the field, ricocheting back and pounding Sam in the gut as hard as any blow. Sam's eyes opened to their fullest extent and his jaw swung loosely from its hinges.
"No Frodo!" Sam rasped to the apathetic trees. "No!"
Merry, Pippin and Frodo converged upon the open field, a wicked smile gracing Merry's lips. Sam watched in horror as he saw Merry draw his hand back and clout Frodo on the jaw, knocking him to the ground in a crumpled heap. Merry and Pippin lifted Frodo roughly by the forearms and dragged him toward the house. Sam stood stock-still, not daring to move into the open, but watching, waiting for something, something the depth of his soul told him would be unbearable. But this was it, he'd promised. And now that promise choked his throat and stabbed his senses. To go back was to be recaptured. But to leave meant forsaking his duty, his Frodo. Sam looked on helplessly as Merry whispered something in Pippin's ear, with Frodo's lolling head bent in between the two cousins. Pippin raced off to the small red shed at the back of the dwelling as Merry pushed Frodo roughly inside his childhood home.
Merry re-emerged alone moments later. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called into the trees.
"Sam! Sam! Come back to us, Sam! All will be forgiven!"
Sam did not budge.
With a shrug, Merry continued.
"Well, then Sam! If you won't come out, then at least don't you go anywhere-not yet! There is something you will want to see!"
TBC
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AN: I am going to have Frodo break soon (temporarily) and I want to know what you want to see in a broken Frodo-esp if you have strong opinions! Please stop by my lj (under aelfgifu) and respond to my "what would a broken Frodo act like" post. You may also post any comments, criticisms, suggestions, plotholes, and questions there, and I will answer right away! ____________________________________________________________________________ ______
To the Reviewers!
Krista- I hope you are not still sitting by that screen-though if you are- here is the update!! And no need to apologize for anything! I love your reviews!!
Elizabeth! Oh-you are not just a number! And I wouldn't send you home if I caught you reading this!! I'm glad you like it!
LOTR Sparkling pippin - I am SO flattered!!! I hope that you will like my updates too! Do keep telling me what you think-will you? (hugs!)
Falking -Wow! I wish you were in my class now-but maybe you are (looks around)! Pippin angst coming your way! And how!
Iorhael- I don't think the filming of this story would get past the ratings- thought yours might! LOL! I can't believe you finally finished Nasty hobbitsess! I'm going to try and get the beta done tomorrow! And I am expecting a sequel to work on soon!!!
Ariel-I think all of your fics are great-if only I could write like you and Aratlithiel! Well, call me thankful that I have you as reviewers and betas. BTW the next chapter is going to be by Aratlithiel-the first one she did for me a long time ago. So I am expecting a review for that one!!!
Sue-well-if Sam escapes, part 1 will be over, and do you want that quite yet? (oops! Almost a spoiler!)
QTPie- And, as you see-another cliffhanger!! Oh-thank you for being such a loyal reviewer!
Lilly Blackstar -oooooooooooooooooooooooooo I hope you liked this!
Chloe-thank you as always! I thought it would be very sad to show that Frodo realizes what Merry is trying to do, and sees that it is working. It will take Sam a longer time to accept it, and don't be surprised if even Merry worries that he has gone too far (oh! What I have planned!)
Endymion - wait till we get to "The Taming of Frodo" chapter I am writing right now! As to why Merry would allow it-well, he is giving Frodo a small reward for cooperating, though, if you noticed, it was still rather cruel, as he did it just as Frodo had hit the end of a long sleep-deprivation session!
Camillia Gamgee-Took- Your are far too hasty! I still have plenty of surprises for all! ;)
Aratlithiel-your chapter is next---It must seem forever ago that you wrote it. I bet you thought it would never get posted! Well, this fic would only be a shadow of itself without you (hugs!)