The Ring That Binds
Authors Note: I don't own the Lord of the Rings, and never will. I'm just an obsessed fan, and have nothing better to do with my life. And sorry about the shortness of this chapter, the chapters should begin to get longer. Anyways, enjoy the story, and please review.
Part Five: The New Dark Lord
Sam stared out at the darkening sky with a heavy heart. A darkness seemed to fill the night as he thought about Frodo. "I should be there by his side, protecting him, and being his hope," Sam thought miserably, but he knew that he couldn't help, not this time. He was a father now, with three very young children, and his place was with them, not Frodo. But still, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on. All he could hope was that Gandalf found some way to save his master, but the triumphant screams, that were heard hours ago, filled him with doubt and dread. Something had gone wrong, Sam knew it, and all he could do was wait, and hope. "Mr. Frodo, please be alright," Sam whispered as his wife put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Sighing, Sam allowed his wife to led him to bed.
The old forest looked cold and haunting as Frodo stared out of one of the windows in Tom's little house. He was mentally and physically exhausted, but sleep couldn't find him. The group watched the silent Hobbit carefully as Frodo opened the widow, and took in a deep breath of the wet air that filled the forest. "What do we do now? When the enemy gets the ring, we wont stand a chance," Gimli asked turning to the white figure that sat smoking a pipe thoughtfully. "I can't believe Mindy would take the ring," Pippin mumbled as he lay on the ground clutching his chest, as he shook with each forced gasp of breath. "Pippin," Merry sighed in concern as he put a comforting hand around his cousin. "Indeed, it is hard to believe. It was a mistake taking her with us, she was weak minded and a burden, and now she has left us in ruin," Gandalf said as Frodo turned to face him, anger clearly flashing in his darkened blue eyes. "She was not weak minded, nor was she a burden. She saved my life," Frodo said glaring at the old wizard who looked at him in shock. It was the first time Frodo had spoken since they had gotten to Tom's. From what Gandalf had heard, all three Hobbit's had to be dragged or carried, but Frodo was the only one that they really had to struggle with. Faramir had carried a kicking screaming Hobbit the whole way, and when they had finally gotten to Tom's, Frodo had gone completely silent, and had refused to speak to anyone. He just stared off into the distance, as he fell into a sort of trance. "Frodo?" Gandalf said reaching out to the Hobbit cautiously. Frodo just shrugged off the touch as he turned to stare back out of the window. "She saved my life..." Frodo mumbled again as he turned to look down at Pippin. "She pushed me to the ground, and snatched the ring from my hand. My mind snapped, and I fought as hard as I could to get the ring, I had no idea at the time...I had no idea that she was doing it all for show. As we lay there struggling, she slipped the ring back into the box, so that the Nazguls would have a harder time sensing it. She used her engagement ring instead, as she drew the Nazguls away. And they will kill her when they find out that she tricked them," Frodo said, his eyes never leaving his grief stricken cousin. "She didn't take the ring?" Merry asked in disbelief as Frodo turned around to face the window again. "Will she be stabbed by a Morgul blade," Pippin asked looking up at Gandalf with desperate eyes. "It is hard to say. It all depends on if they can resurrect the Nazgul king," Gandalf said noticing the defeated look on the Hobbit's face. "He is taunting me, telling me that they wont even use that accursed blade. He wants her to suffer, and to feel the pain until she wishes to die," Frodo said softly. "Who?" Gandalf asked concerned as Frodo turned to look at him with a mad look in his eyes. "I have seen into the stone, I have seen into the dark lords mind. He is able to enter my mind, and torment me to the point of madness. He has one weapon that will destroy me, and yet it is the only thing that can save me," Frodo said turning back around, till his back was facing the group. "Frodo, what are you doing?" Gandalf demanded standing up quickly as the small Hobbit began to laugh. "He was a fool to think that I can't fight him. I will save her, and then I will kill him with his own weapon. It is my fate, and I will be damned if Mindy has to suffer just one moment of it," Frodo said turning to look at the group with a wicked smile. "Frodo Baggins!" Gandalf yelled when he saw the open black box. He knew what Frodo was going to do, and if he did it, then Mindy's sacrifice would have been in vain. There was no way that Frodo would be able to battle the darkness of the ring, and if Frodo would only open his eyes, then he would know just how dangerous it would be to use the ring for such a purpose. But as the wizard charged at the small Hobbit, a dark look crossed Frodo's face, as his finger slipped into the ring, and he vanished.