Disclaimer: See chapter one, part one.
Chapter eight: The spirit of FrodoIf it was day or night, nobody could tell. Gollum walked first leading them up the rocks. There was no sound and deep misty shadows lay by their feet.
"Ugh!" groaned Sam as he sniffed the air " the smell it is getting stronger and stronger." Just then, Gollum stopped and pointed a head.
They where standing at the opening of a cave.
"Is this the only way?" Frodo asked knowing it was the truth and Gollum nodded.
"You mean to say you have been through this hole." Sam asked, disbelief written all over his face and Gollum nodded again.
"Phew! Perhaps you do not mind bad smells. And what makes the smell I wonder" said Sam " It is like…rotten meat or something, some beastly of the orcs, with a hundredth year of their filth I guess" whispered Feavair.
"Well orcs or not, this is the way we must take"
Drawing a deep breath, they passed inside. In a few steps they were in utter impenetrable dark, not even Feavair with her keen elven eyes could see anything. The air was still and heavy and sound fell dead.
Gollum had walked inn first and seemed to be only a few steps ahead, his breath hissing and gasping. As they walked, their senses became dull to touch and hearing, they just walked on.
There was nothing else then pain that ripped through Feavair`s body. It felt like she was swimming in an ocean of broken class cutting and ripping her skin. She felt dizzy and unbelievable tired, and she was sure. he knew she was here
"You come spirit child, you come to me," the voice hissed in her ear.
The darkness that she feared more then her own faith was everywhere and she struggled to keep her breath calm and tried to stop her body from shaking. She tried to think about other things, tried to get back the images of Mirkwood or Lothlórien, tried to picture the sun and the sky. But they were just fragments of a memory long time ago.
At one point, an old root or something caught her foot and she stumbled and fell. Frodo and Sam quickly helped her up, and she was glad it was dark so that they could not see the scars on her palms or the blood that oozed from a cut on her forehead. She could feel her hair stick to her forehead in dried blood and the scars in her palms throbbed.
Without a word, they continued their journey in the dark.
"There is more then one passage here," Sam whispered after a little way. They looked around and saw several passing on both sides disappearing down in the mountain. They kept walking straight ahead now and then; something brushed their foreheads or fell down in their necks.
The stench still grew, it grew until it was the only thing that kept them knowing they were alive. Sam covered his nose, so did Frodo as their eyes started to fill with water from the stench.
One hour, perhaps two or even four hours, how long had they been walking, nobody knew. It felt like days, weeks even.
Unknown to him, Frodo searched for the elf hand, and the hand of his friend. At last, he found both of them and held on tightly in fear that that they would disappear into the darkness and leave him alone.
Feavair let one hand trace the wall so that they would know they were still walking on the main path.
Suddenly, her hand came to a void and she almost fell sideways into the emptiness. Frodo quickly dragged her back and they stumbled to the other side of the wall.
Again, they kept walking, without a word; soon they came to a new difficulty. The tunnel forked or so it seemed, it was to dark to tell. Frodo squinted in the darkness, but could not even see his own hands.
"Feavair can you…." He asked and she nodded, her eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness.
"Yes….I see…it is a fork, but which way?" she asked.
"Where is Gollum, a false choice will surly be fatal" Sam panted. "And why didn't he wait"
They stood for a moment in silence waiting for one of the other to speak first, to make the choice. Once again, Frodo had to choose the way of their journey.
"I guess he is gone this time. I think that was his plan all alone. Gollum!" he growled. "If I ever lay my hands on him again he will be sorry"
Feavair reached out her hand and fumbled in the dark. Her hand found that one of the paths was blocked and she turned to the others.
"Right or wrong, death or life, that is the path we must take, I think the other one is blood" she nodded her head in the direction of the other opening.
"And let us hurry, there is something else then Gollum waiting….I can feel it" Sam whispered.
Frodo nodded, and then something seemed to strike him and he hit his forehead chiding him self. Slowly he unwrapped the gift from the Lady Galadriel and took out the star glass.
Slowly and faintly, it glowed and Sam gasped with delight. "The Lady's gift, I had completely forgotten," he said happily and Frodo smiled faintly. " A light when all other light has gone". Feavair quickly hid her face under her hood, not wanting the others to see how deadly white her skin was, not wanting them to see her body shiver.
"A small silver flame…. This must be the light Eärendil had on his journey" Feavair muttered and Frodo gazed in wonder on this marvelous gift that he had carried for so long.
Suddenly Feavair was overwhelmed by a sense of death and pain. Tears started ran down her cheeks washing away the dirt and sooth that rested on her skin. Frodo and Sam also gasped as they saw a deep and hidden menace, the fear that had lurked over them ever since they entered the came was finally unmasked.
Baleful eyes stared at them, and slowly they advanced. Frodo`s hand began to shake and he dropped the small light. Sam bent slowly down, picked it up, and clutched it in his hands. They were unable to move as the horror crept closer and their body started to fill with dread. Then suddenly the holding spell was broken, and they turned around and fled together.
"What…what is that thing?" Sam gasped.
"Let us not wait and be introduced" Frodo replied.
Feavair turned her head and saw the horror coming towards them quicker. "Stand!" she cried desperately. "Running is no use". They stopped and slowly the eyes crept nearer, and she knew there was no way out, they were doomed all was in vein.
"Mele en coiamin, amin hiraetha"
The eyes approached and the beast within hissed, then suddenly the many eyes meet Feavair`s and they stared at her as in doubt or maybe even fear. She felt her body relax and the creature took a steep in their direction, but it was hesitating.
Then with a loud shrieking sound, it started to back off. The hobbits stared at Feavair and the thing in disbelief.
"What was it, what happened?" the asked and she slowly shook her head and wiped away the tears.
"I…I don`t know, but now is not the time to dwell on that, this may be our only chance of escaping"
Therefore, they turned once more, walking first then running for as they went the floor of the tunnel rose steeply and with every stride they climbed higher from the lair of the unknown creature. Suddenly they felt a cold wind prickle their skin, but it was not a foul wind, it was a wind from an opening.
Holding onto the light, Sam looked and before him, he saw greyness, which radiated and danced in the shadows of the light.
"Cobwebs" Sam cried. "Cobwebs" Frodo took out Sting and slowly cut them down and watched as they slowly fell to the ground.
They hurried on once more. The eyes of the creature were still in their minds. For Feavair another puzzle had emerged. Why had the creature turned around when it saw her, could it possible be in league with the Dark Enemy. Had it return to report on its discovery. Were the guards on their way here?
It was very likely, and that meant that they needed to part soon. If they kept together, the E nemy would find Frodo, Sam and the Ring, and then all would be lost.
"On, on…the Cirith Ungol is before us" Frodo cried happily and they rushed out. A short race a sprinters lap and they would be through, and nobody could stop them.
Unknown to them the anger they had stirred in the beast, in Shelob. Not fly had ever escaped form her net and she was hungry for death and revenge. So what if Sauron had promised plenty for the finding of the elf maiden, she lusted for blood and now she would hunt those who escaped her grasp.
As they walked the path towards the dark city, she appeared again. She squeezed her body out from the upper exit of her lair, and the eyes that had been following them now suddenly held a body. She was like a spider, a great terrible spider with great horn, and a short stalk like neck. Her body was huge and swollen, and her she had great legs with hair of steel bent out from under her body, at the end of each leg was a claw.
She moved with a horrible speed, her eyes fixed on Frodo, either she did not see Sam or she avoided him because he held the light. Feavair, who had been running first, suddenly felt the overwhelming sense of bereavement again and she turned around, knowing what she would see.
"Frodo watch out!" but her cry was cut short, as cold and clammy hand suddenly covered her mouth.
"Got her" Gollum hissed in her ear "at last my precious, we got her, nasty elf and nasty hobbits. Shelob will get them, not Sméagol, he promised he wouldn't hurt master, but not you. Maybe he will give us the precious once he has you"
She watched helplessly as the monster crawled over Sam and Frodo. She could hear Gollum hiss in her hear and she could feel his claws rip at her skin as he held her down. Not knowing where she got the strength from she suddenly freed her self from his gasp, sending him stumbling back.
He cried out in anger and pain, and leaped at her feet as soon as she struggled to get to the hobbit's aid. His fingers were like vices around her ankles, she fell to the ground, and she could feel the air being pressed out of her. Gollum crawled up her legs his sharp nails cutting through her dress and drawing blood from her skin.
She dried to kick him off but he held on, like glue, to her legs. Suddenly he got hold of one of her hands and the grip around her legs loosened. This was just what she needed and with all her might, she kicked her feet furiously at Gollum. One of her foot hit his stomach, he hissed in pain, and he let her go.
She staggered forwards half blinded in pain as she saw the monster bend over the two hobbits. Suddenly Shelob grabbed hold of Frodo`s feet and slung him against the wall. A new pain ripped her body, before she felt a throbbing spasm up her back. She turned around.
Gollum was standing behind her, his eye gleaming in the dark and a broken staff in his hands. Quick as lightning he leaped at her and both his hands clutched around her neck. Gollum hissed again, before he suddenly started to wail loudly.
He let go of her neck and covered his ears while he hissed and cried in pain. Feavair stood for a moment trying to gather her thoughts. Shelob was finished with Frodo and now advanced slowly towards Sam who was standing with his sword raised, clearly shacking with fear.
Feavair looked around, and there she saw Sting next to some rocks. She leaped forward and grabbed the sword. Shelob was roaring over Sam and he stood there valiant with his sword raised and the light stretched out towards Shelob as if the light could shade him from the horror.
Without thinking, with the only knowledge that Shelob could not kill her, Feavair rushed towards Sam. Shelob was ready to strike her claw inches over the hobbit's head. Feavair pushed Sam away and he stumbled towards Frodo.
In the mist of the confusing Shelob hesitated and it was just the distraction Feavair needed. She stroke out blindly and felt the sword dig into the flesh of Shelob`s stomach. The creature wailed in pain a high and screeching sound that cut through glass.
The spider staggered backwards still screeching and looking at Feavair. She stood still feeling her body tense and her arm drenched in blood and smile. She wiped the arm over her face, without thinking, her skin was covered in the spider's gush.
Suddenly she remembered Frodo and Sam and dropped the sword. Sam was sitting next to Frodo, his head in his lap and stroking his hair, tears running down his cheeks. Feavair closed her eyes. She could feel the warmth from Frodo`s body and his pain started to rip through her.
"Is…is he?" she stuttered and Sam nodded, his face tear streaked and his body shaking.
Feavair bent down and placed a hand over Frodo`s heart and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw for a moment nothing but darkness, then a piercing white light cut through.
The blue light was still there, he still had his spirit, the Ring had not consumed it. She felt her self, tense with joy as she started to walk towards the faint light. All of a sudden, the shadow snakes appeared.
She faltered. She was torn; somebody was calling her name, telling her to get away from the spirit, that this light the darkness would claim. Somebody was crying for help. Tightening her fists, she walked forward and raised her hands.
"Step away, you will not take him" the snakes hesitated and raised there head, their tongues flickering in their mouth and they hissed angrily.
One of the snakes swung its head from side to side, before it swiftly curled around the blue light.
"Step away" she ordered, more sternly.
It seemed like she snakes were laughing at her, and she took another step towards them.
"You will not claim him" she said..
Then the snakes leaped at her, but instead of coiling them self around her body, they entered her and she staggered backwards as they started to move around inside her. The blue light started to glow brighter, and soon she had to close her eyes to shed them.
When she opened them up again, she was outside once more, Frodo and Sam sitting in front of her.
Slowly Frodo`s eyes blinked open and he stared around disbelief written all over his face.
"Is it time for dinner already?" he asked. Sam gaped at him, before he flung his arms around his master's neck.
Feavair took a deep and ragged breath and sat down feeling sweat start to prickle on her skin.
"Are you alright?" Frodo asked, Feavair, suddenly. She closed and opened her eyes, slowly and then turned her head towards the city, where a they could hear a loud, trumped, howl.
"What happened, what did you…. how did you?" Sam asked Feavair, who was still staring towards the dark tower. Suddenly she took a deep breath and turned towards them.
"Orcs….are coming you must hide" she ordered.
"Where shall we hide?" Sam asked and she shook her head. Feavair looked around, and then spotted a small opening in the wall, not far from where Shelob had come from. surly the spider would not return after being wounded.
"There, quickly" she said and helped Sam carry Frodo towards the cave. The cave was, seated a little up on the hill and hidden behind a large out-spring form the mountain. The two hobbits climbed in and Feavair handed them their bags and then her. Sam reached out a hand to help her up, when she refused to take it.
"They can not harm me. I am safe"
" What do you mean?" Sam asked. Feavair looked towards the tower again and then turned to Frodo and Sam to explain it, when it suddenly dawned on Frodo.
"It was no fairytale was it?" he asked slowly and she shook her head.
"No, the Spirit Weaver was my mother, and the child is I" she answered.
"Then….that is why you are here…." Frodo said slowly and she nodded.
"What?" Sam asked not following the conversation.
"You must hide, he can't harm me" she repeated and handed Frodo his sword.
"But…but why must you do it?" Frodo asked not wanting to believe it. Feavair bit her lower lip and took another deep breath. She felt slime run down her forehead, she placed both her cold hands on his, stared him deep in the eyes and said.
"Do not try to stop me, for it must be done, or else a new ring will be forge and new evil, greater then this one will emerge, and it will start all over again and when then happens" she smiled sadly at Frodo.
"There may not be a soul as brave as yours to try and end it. This is what must happen and maybe…maybe someday it will all be just a fairytale"
Without another word, she disappeared. Sam was about to shout her name, when Frodo covered his mouth with his hand.
They could hear the orcs coming.
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