All Creatures Great and Small: Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, nor make any money from
this publication.
Chapter 2
As Frodo and Merry steadily walked back down the path towards camp, Frodo's keen hearing picked up a slight whine seeming to come from a group of trees they were passing by. Merry also heard it, slowing his pace beside Frodo.
"Frodo?" Merry asked.
"Do you hear it, Merry?"
"Yes. Coming from over in those trees," Merry confirmed.
Frodo found himself walking towards the sound. The whining was getting louder as he approached the area it was coming from. Merry followed silently.
"Let us have a look," Frodo said, curiosity getting the best of him. Frodo quietly walked towards the sound. Merry, on the other hand, really did not want to meet the thing that was making the noise, he felt very uncomfortable with the whole situation, but he knew that his cousin would not leave until he knew that whatever was making the noise was not hurt.
As Frodo passed by the first tree, then another, he eyes were scanning the tall broad trunk trees until they were drawn up over his head where the sound was coming from. Frodo had spotted a rope lying on the forest floor, barely hidden with leaves. Following the rope with his eyes from the forest floor, it trailed the length of the tree up into the air looping over a nearby branch, blossoming out into a net made of rope. The net had been sprung and hanging in mid air was figure trapped.
That was where the sound was coming from. Frodo could not get a good look at the figure. He made for the tree holding the net and tried to find a way to climb it. Noting he did not have many options, Frodo knew he could easily scale it if he had Merry give him a boost. "Merry, come give me a lift?"
Merry had his eyes glued to the swinging figure as well, and his attention was diverted back to Frodo when he spoke. "What are you doing?" Merry asked knowing good and well what his cousin's intentions were.
"Just give me a lift. We need to help it," Frodo pleaded to his cousin. "I'll cut the net down with Sting, set it free, then we can leave. All right?"
Merry did not think this was the safest way to handle this, but he knew Frodo could not leave someone helpless and alone. He knew himself, he would not leave someone helpless as well. So, Merry strolled over to Frodo, interlacing his fingers providing a makeshift foothold, "Here, put your foot in my hands and I will lift you up to the branch," he said. Frodo placed his foot into Merry's hand, steadying himself with his hands on Merry's shoulder. Merry hoisted Frodo into the air almost missing the branch he was aiming for. Merry did not realize how light Frodo was. He thought he might have overestimated his strength. Then it occurred to him "He is losing weight. No wonder Sam is on him all the time to eat".
"Merry! Not so hard," Frodo scolded, grabbing onto the lowest limb of the tree. Frodo barely managed to pull himself up and over the branch with an Omph. His shoulder muscles did not have the strength they once had. He had scaled the whole tree branch by branch. At times knocking some debris into Merry's face.
"Oi, watch what you are doing!" Merry shook his head, wiping his face with the edge of his sleeve.
Frodo looked down to his cousin and grinned. He had finally made it to the branch that the net was tied to. He sat down, wrapping his legs and arms around the branch, inching his way forward to the end where the rope was tied. He then lifted his head, eyes locking with the eyes of the trapped individual. From what Frodo could tell, the being had small reddish eyes, but not frightening. The face was framed by long silver hair seeming to shine when the light struck it just so. The face and hands also had that same silver sheen to it, the rest of the body being covered in a bluish silver robe. Frodo had never seen such beauty before, except for the Elves. "Do not be frightened, I am going to cut you loose," Frodo whispered.
The being tilted its head at Frodo's voice. Frodo did not know if it understood, but the being had stopped struggling in the net.
"Frodo! What is taking so long?" Merry shouted up to him.
Frodo brought himself to stop staring and calmly spoke, "I am cutting the rope now, Merry." Frodo slowly reached for Sting, unsheathing it with his right hand bringing the naked blade up to his breast. He clamped his legs tight around the branch, balancing himself. He raised Sting above his head, and with a swift strike came down on the thick rope, slicing through it with ease.
As the being fell, Frodo heard a "hiss" from the ground. He thought the noise was coming from the being when it fell, but at that same moment something had penetrated Frodo's calf, pinning him to the tree. "Ahhhhh," he screamed, tears of pain spilling down his cheek, clutching his leg with his left hand. He dared to look down to his leg, finding a large arrow had unknowingly been triggered from a hidden crossbow when he cut the rope.
Merry had watched when the being fell and tried to open the net, setting it free. The being was so frightened that when the rope finally came off of him, he pushed past Merry's helping hands and ran out of sight. Merry then heard Frodo scream and looked up into the tree as he spotted the arrow protruding from Frodo's thigh.
"Frodo!" Merry exclaimed, propelling himself forward tripping over another hidden rope. As Merry got up, Sting nearly missed him as it dropped from the hand holding it, landing in the soft earth, blade imbedded. Something wet dropped onto Merry's face when he looked up into the tree.. He brought his hand to his face wiping at it. When he looked at his fingers, they were stained with blood. Frodo's blood. Merry backed up to get a better view noticing two arrows pinning his cousin to the branch he had climbed out on. One was through Frodo's left thigh and the other through his left hand. Frodo's sweat drenched forehead hung down, touching the branch. Merry could hear his cousin whimpering. He could also see that Frodo's back was arching up and down. Merry was wringing his hands within his vest, walking around the tree hoping to find a low enough branch to climb up on. He kept talking, reminding himself he needed to remain calm. "Frodo? Frodo, can you hear me?" Merry yelled walking out from under the tree to try to see Frodo's face from the opposite side.
Frodo turned his head toward Merry's direction, trying to lay his left cheek on top of his right hand for support. "Mer-," Frodo tried to swallow back his pain, attempting to speak again. "Merry," he gulped, trying to sound firm, "Leave, now!" he closed his eyes, bearing the throbbing pain shooting through his leg and hand.
"I will not leave, but I cannot find a way up to you," Merry said defeated. "I am going for help. I will bring back Strider. He should have been looking for us by now. You will be all right?"
Frodo took a deep breath, "And where.do you think.I am going?" breathing hard from the sustained throbbing pain in his leg and hand.
Merry nodded then quickly ducked his head from Frodo's sight as a tear fell from his eyes and ran swiftly out of the trap that he and his cousin happened upon.
Frodo finally succumbed to the pain and let the darkness take him. He did not hear the commotion of men's voices and one little hobbit struggling to get free.
Tbc
Chapter 2
As Frodo and Merry steadily walked back down the path towards camp, Frodo's keen hearing picked up a slight whine seeming to come from a group of trees they were passing by. Merry also heard it, slowing his pace beside Frodo.
"Frodo?" Merry asked.
"Do you hear it, Merry?"
"Yes. Coming from over in those trees," Merry confirmed.
Frodo found himself walking towards the sound. The whining was getting louder as he approached the area it was coming from. Merry followed silently.
"Let us have a look," Frodo said, curiosity getting the best of him. Frodo quietly walked towards the sound. Merry, on the other hand, really did not want to meet the thing that was making the noise, he felt very uncomfortable with the whole situation, but he knew that his cousin would not leave until he knew that whatever was making the noise was not hurt.
As Frodo passed by the first tree, then another, he eyes were scanning the tall broad trunk trees until they were drawn up over his head where the sound was coming from. Frodo had spotted a rope lying on the forest floor, barely hidden with leaves. Following the rope with his eyes from the forest floor, it trailed the length of the tree up into the air looping over a nearby branch, blossoming out into a net made of rope. The net had been sprung and hanging in mid air was figure trapped.
That was where the sound was coming from. Frodo could not get a good look at the figure. He made for the tree holding the net and tried to find a way to climb it. Noting he did not have many options, Frodo knew he could easily scale it if he had Merry give him a boost. "Merry, come give me a lift?"
Merry had his eyes glued to the swinging figure as well, and his attention was diverted back to Frodo when he spoke. "What are you doing?" Merry asked knowing good and well what his cousin's intentions were.
"Just give me a lift. We need to help it," Frodo pleaded to his cousin. "I'll cut the net down with Sting, set it free, then we can leave. All right?"
Merry did not think this was the safest way to handle this, but he knew Frodo could not leave someone helpless and alone. He knew himself, he would not leave someone helpless as well. So, Merry strolled over to Frodo, interlacing his fingers providing a makeshift foothold, "Here, put your foot in my hands and I will lift you up to the branch," he said. Frodo placed his foot into Merry's hand, steadying himself with his hands on Merry's shoulder. Merry hoisted Frodo into the air almost missing the branch he was aiming for. Merry did not realize how light Frodo was. He thought he might have overestimated his strength. Then it occurred to him "He is losing weight. No wonder Sam is on him all the time to eat".
"Merry! Not so hard," Frodo scolded, grabbing onto the lowest limb of the tree. Frodo barely managed to pull himself up and over the branch with an Omph. His shoulder muscles did not have the strength they once had. He had scaled the whole tree branch by branch. At times knocking some debris into Merry's face.
"Oi, watch what you are doing!" Merry shook his head, wiping his face with the edge of his sleeve.
Frodo looked down to his cousin and grinned. He had finally made it to the branch that the net was tied to. He sat down, wrapping his legs and arms around the branch, inching his way forward to the end where the rope was tied. He then lifted his head, eyes locking with the eyes of the trapped individual. From what Frodo could tell, the being had small reddish eyes, but not frightening. The face was framed by long silver hair seeming to shine when the light struck it just so. The face and hands also had that same silver sheen to it, the rest of the body being covered in a bluish silver robe. Frodo had never seen such beauty before, except for the Elves. "Do not be frightened, I am going to cut you loose," Frodo whispered.
The being tilted its head at Frodo's voice. Frodo did not know if it understood, but the being had stopped struggling in the net.
"Frodo! What is taking so long?" Merry shouted up to him.
Frodo brought himself to stop staring and calmly spoke, "I am cutting the rope now, Merry." Frodo slowly reached for Sting, unsheathing it with his right hand bringing the naked blade up to his breast. He clamped his legs tight around the branch, balancing himself. He raised Sting above his head, and with a swift strike came down on the thick rope, slicing through it with ease.
As the being fell, Frodo heard a "hiss" from the ground. He thought the noise was coming from the being when it fell, but at that same moment something had penetrated Frodo's calf, pinning him to the tree. "Ahhhhh," he screamed, tears of pain spilling down his cheek, clutching his leg with his left hand. He dared to look down to his leg, finding a large arrow had unknowingly been triggered from a hidden crossbow when he cut the rope.
Merry had watched when the being fell and tried to open the net, setting it free. The being was so frightened that when the rope finally came off of him, he pushed past Merry's helping hands and ran out of sight. Merry then heard Frodo scream and looked up into the tree as he spotted the arrow protruding from Frodo's thigh.
"Frodo!" Merry exclaimed, propelling himself forward tripping over another hidden rope. As Merry got up, Sting nearly missed him as it dropped from the hand holding it, landing in the soft earth, blade imbedded. Something wet dropped onto Merry's face when he looked up into the tree.. He brought his hand to his face wiping at it. When he looked at his fingers, they were stained with blood. Frodo's blood. Merry backed up to get a better view noticing two arrows pinning his cousin to the branch he had climbed out on. One was through Frodo's left thigh and the other through his left hand. Frodo's sweat drenched forehead hung down, touching the branch. Merry could hear his cousin whimpering. He could also see that Frodo's back was arching up and down. Merry was wringing his hands within his vest, walking around the tree hoping to find a low enough branch to climb up on. He kept talking, reminding himself he needed to remain calm. "Frodo? Frodo, can you hear me?" Merry yelled walking out from under the tree to try to see Frodo's face from the opposite side.
Frodo turned his head toward Merry's direction, trying to lay his left cheek on top of his right hand for support. "Mer-," Frodo tried to swallow back his pain, attempting to speak again. "Merry," he gulped, trying to sound firm, "Leave, now!" he closed his eyes, bearing the throbbing pain shooting through his leg and hand.
"I will not leave, but I cannot find a way up to you," Merry said defeated. "I am going for help. I will bring back Strider. He should have been looking for us by now. You will be all right?"
Frodo took a deep breath, "And where.do you think.I am going?" breathing hard from the sustained throbbing pain in his leg and hand.
Merry nodded then quickly ducked his head from Frodo's sight as a tear fell from his eyes and ran swiftly out of the trap that he and his cousin happened upon.
Frodo finally succumbed to the pain and let the darkness take him. He did not hear the commotion of men's voices and one little hobbit struggling to get free.
Tbc