At the sight of climbing up the Weathertop, Tei and the hobbits let out a groan. Even Melina signed. Paint said nothing, but looked at the hill with tired eyes. Only Whiskers didn't complain. He was more then happy to ride on Tei's shoulder. When they reached the top, they all plop down on the ground, despite its hardness. Yet Aragorn was still able to take the watch. Taking bundle of cloth from Bill, he opened it to reveal four swords, as short as Tei's. Tei was amaze that the Ranger seems to have so many extra blades.
"These are for you." He said as he handed the short swords to the hobbits.
"Aren't Tei going to get one?" Merry asked,
"I've already got one." Tei said, pulling his out. At the sight of the elvish markings, Sam's eyes widened with wonder. "Here." He offered the blade to the hobbit.
Sam took it, running his fingers over the markings with wonder, and handed it back to him.
"We can practice if you'd like; all of you." Tei offered. "I've not much lessons myself, from the few days Strider and I were traveling to Bree. But at least I can teach you how to hold a sword."
"Keep you blade close to you." Aragorn said, getting up. "I'm going to have a look around. Stay here." He left.
The hobbits took the swords from their hilts and looked at their first blade.
"Right, let's start then." Sam said, jumping up.
Pippin and Merry did the same, but Frodo lay back down.
"Let him sleep." Tei said, moving away so as not to disturb his rest. He'll need it, Tei though gravely.
"I've got to watch this." Melina murmured beside him.
Tei taught them everything he knew. They were clumsy, unskilled with the blade. But with practice, the hobbits would get it. After 30 minutes, the hobbits were done.
"Come, let us cook our supper." Sam said, getting out his utensils.
Tei was uneasy. There was something now that bothered him, some small thing that would mattered greatly to others. But he shrugged it off, unable to find out the answer. Pippin collected twigs, and Merry lit a small fire.
"Have some bacon." Sam offered Tei once the food was done.
"Want some tomato Sam?" Merry asked.
"What are you doing?" Frodo panicked voice brought their attention away from the food for a moment.
"Tomato, sausages, nice crispy bacons." Merry said.
"We've saved some for you, Mr. Frodo." Sam said.
"Put it out, you fools, put it out!" Frodo said, stamping out the flames.
Tei was too scared to say anything as he moved his food away from the ashes. Pippin's cry "That's nice. Ash on my tomato." Was in the background. Any moment now, Tei knew, the Nazgul would be here, drawn by the flames.
"Why are you scared?" Melina whispered. "You know what's going to happen."
"If I had remembered, then Frodo wouldn't have to suffer the Nazgul's blade. We would have gotten there without him getting hurt." Tei whispered in the same tone.
"Where's the fun in that?"
A familiar shriek came, a shriek that Tei hoped never to hear again, yet he knew that he would. They rushed to the edge to look down. Their eyes widened in fear as they saw five shapes, undoubtedly the cloaks of the Nazguls, gliding through the mist towards the root of the watchtower. Any moment now, they would climb up, blade ready to kill.
"Go!" Frodo told them as he drew his blade.
The others did the same, and headed further up the tower. Tei hesitated for a moment, wanting to watch the Nazguls, but Frodo pushed him up. At the top of the tower was a clear space with open air above them. They franticly looked around, knowing that at any moment, the Nazguls would catch up to them. Melina, Paint, and Whiskers were carefully choosing a spot where they would not get in the way, and decided that it was better that they stay at the base of the tower.
"You have to stay here, else wise, they'd get suspicious." Whiskered whispered into Tei's ears before jumping of him onto Paint's back.
Tei nodded as much as he could without the others knowing it. Footsteps crunched, and a blade was pulled. Tei and Frodo were the first one to see him. The Nazgul had just appeared out of the air, his black cloak matching perfectly with the night sky. The gauntlet hand tightened around the hilt of the Nazgul's blade, and he took a step forward. At that moment, the other four appeared as well, blade naked in their hand. The other hobbits knew of the Nazguls now, and all were standing in front of Frodo, knowing that it was the ring that the Nazguls wanted. The Nazguls lowered their blade to the hobbit's chest.
"Back, you devils!" Sam cried, parrying with the one in front of him.
The Nazgul easily knocked his blade out of his hand, and threw him aside. Pippin, Merry, and Tei created a barrier in front of Frodo, but the Nazgul merely pulled them out of the way. Frodo was open to them now.
"Fight, Frodo!" Tei shouted. "Fight them!"
But the hobbit was too frightened. He dropped his blade, and fell. His eyes were on the Nazguls. But he, for a minute, glanced down at the pocket on his chest. He pulled out the Ring, and the Nazguls' head turned towards him. They advanced once more, backing Frodo to the base of a statue. The Ring was close to the tip of his fingers.
"No, no." Tei begged. The others looked at him, wondering what he meant.
But Frodo closed his eyes, and slipped on the Ring. He disappeared, much to the surprise and distress of the hobbits.
"Where'd he gone?" Sam asked.
"When he puts on the Ring, he can disappear." Tei said gravely. "But he will then be visible to the Nazguls and the Dark Lord Sauron."
He was right. One of the Nazguls reached out his hand to where Frodo was before he disappeared, and seemed to try to grasp something, but miss. The Nazgul pulled his hand back, and push his blade forward, hitting something. They knew, because then, a voice very similar to Frodo's cried out. Sam's eyes widened in fear. But another voice cried out, and the Ranger leaped toward the Nazguls, swinging a branch of fire and brandishing his sword. They could hear Frodo cry out once more, as he suddenly appeared again from the spot where he disappeared in the first place.
"Frodo!" Sam cried as they rushed toward him.
"Oh Sam." Frodo panted when they reached him.
Aragorn was still busy fighting off the Nazguls. One by one, their cloaks caught on fire, and they stumbled and fell of the tower. Frodo's chest was heaving at the pain of his shoulder.
"Aragorn!" Tei called to the Ranger.
"Help him." Sam said as the Ranger reached them.
"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade." Aragorn said as he held up the sword. The blade turned black and fizzed away in his hand. He dropped the hilt, the only thing left of the sword. Frodo continued to cry out in paint. "This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine."
Aragorn lifted Frodo, and led them into the woods.
"Don't lag behind." Tei said when he found Melina, Whiskers, and Paint.
"But we're six days from Rivendell." Sam said as he led Bill. "He'll never make it."
"Hold on, Frodo." Aragorn whispered.
Tei caught up with him. "Don't worry, he'll make it."
"Gandalf!" Frodo called.
"Sheesh, he complains too much." Came Melina's voice.
"You try getting stab in the shoulder with a sword." Tei muttered only to her ears.
Aragorn stopped a bit later. Laying Frodo on the ground, he went to look around. Another gasp came from Frodo.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked. "He's going cold!" Sam called to the Ranger.
"Is he going to die?" Pippin asked.
"He's passing into the Shadow World. He'll soon be a wraith like them." Aragorn said.
Frodo gasped once more. Tei could see clearly into his eyes now, and they were covered with a misty covering. A call from the woods startled all except the Ranger.
"They're close." Tei muttered.
"Sam." Aragorn called. "Do you know the Athelas plant?"
"Athelas?"
"Kingsfoil."
"Aye, it's a weed."
"It may help to slow the poisoning." Aragorn handed him the torch. "Hurry!"
As Sam rushed away, Aragorn looked around.
"Over there." Tei said, pointing to a group of plant.
As Aragorn knelt down to examine them, he found that they were Kingsfoil. He nodded to Tei, unsheathed his knife, and started cutting some leaves.
"She is here." Paint whispered with excitement.