Chapter 24 --- Cherished
The company was nearly a week away from their journey's end and Theoden King's final resting place, when Frodo developed a terrible fear of his pony. He would clutch the reins with tiny, white fists, and tremble horribly. No kind touch or soft voice could reach him. At some times he would stare down at the road below and cry out, struggling to escape whatever nightmare tortured his waking mind. He did not seem to be aware at all of Sam or any familiar face or touch. He clutched at Sam and trembled. The fear Sam saw in his eyes made the gardener weep. "Please, Mr. Frodo, tell me what's wrong." But of course there was not response. The simple hobbit lifted his head to look at Sam and then bit his trembling lip. He looked about him wildly as if something dangerous were near him. Sam could feel him tremble as he panted. "Mr. Frodo, naught's gonna hurt you."
Frodo clenched his eyes shut and a small sob escaped him. "No!" was a searing cry in his mind. "No! Please!" Frodo felt his stomach lurch every time the pony beneath him moved. "I'll fall! I'll fall! Into the fire!" His wild eyes turned downward and saw, rising from the ground, rivers of acid and flame bubbling up to meet him. He clenched Sam tight, his fists trembling.
"Lost!" came a cackling laugh in his head. "And never to be found. Is what shall become of you, Frodo Baggins, if you destroy me." Frodo clenched his eyes shut. Who was Frodo Baggins? What did he destroy? The simple hobbit felt the heat of the fire on his cheeks. He gasped and began to choke on the foul air that seemed to surround him. If this was what happens to him when this Frodo Baggins destroys something, he wished that it never happened, that whatever this was was not destroyed. Distantly he heard sounds, voices, but he could not understand the words.
"What's wrong with him? Why can't he breathe?" cried Sam.
Emáten lifted the gasping hobbit of his pony and set him on the ground. Frodo suddenly cried out. "My lord, I know not."
"No! Not the fire!" But when he touched the ground he felt it did not hurt him and he leapt up. His eyes searched around frantically but there was a shadow before them an dhe fell again to his knees.
Merry and Pippin rushed to their cousin's side. "What's wrong?" asked Merry, kneeling before his cousin. He wrapped his arms around Frodo and rested his head on his shoulder. Frodo shuddered with sobs.
Pippin was watching with horror. "Frodo," he muttered. "You should not be this way." But the young Took was unheeded. Frodo was calming now that he was off the pony. He lifted his head and looked around blearily, seeking Sam. Merry reluctantly relinquished Frodo to the gardener and Pippin could feel Merry's hurt.
Frodo leaned into Sam's grip and bit at his fingernails, his eyes darting about wildly. Emáten watched nervously. "Sir, please, if you will. It is time to be going."
"Emáten," sighed Sam. "We cannot go anywhere if Mr. Frodo is in these states."
"Do you wish for me to inform the king..."
"No." Sam stood Frodo up. The simple hobbit swayed and looked about, confused and very tired. "He'll ride with me, I reckon. We can't just sit round here and there's no way we'd make it back to the Shire on foot."
"Come on, Pip," said Merry. He grasped Pippin by the elbow and began to lead him away.
"No!" cried Pippin. "He shouldn't be this way!" He ran towards Frodo and grasped his shoulders. "Stop this, Frodo! You know me!" Tears formed in the young Took's eyes as he saw Frodo tremble before him in fear. "You know me," he ground out between his clenched teeth.
"I know you, Mr. Pippin," said Sam angrily. "And you are not giving him reason to trust you."
Pippin released Frodo and turned away. "He's my cousin, Sam. You can't understand."
Sam narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps not." His voice was shaking as if it took a great effort for the gardener to keep it even. "But I saw what happened to him out there." Sam saw Pippin's shoulders shudder and he went very still.
"That," hissed Pippin, "hurt's most of all."
"What?"
Merry cast a glance at Sam. "Sam no," he whispered but he could not stop this. He could hide his own pain, but not Pippin's, and not Sam's, and not Frodo's.
Pippin sneered at Sam. "I didn't see him. I wasn't there beside him when he was slipping away. I couldn't cherish ever last moment I had with him. Last I saw my cousin he was walking away from camp, to think about what he should do with the Ring. That was the last I saw of him, and if I knew it then I would have followed him! I would have stuck to his side whether he wanted it or not. You think you are the only one that wanted to follow Frodo, Samwise?"
Sam took a step back. "Does that mean you should hurt Frodo now?" All four now looked to Frodo who in turn looked back at all them and trembled.
"What do they want of me?" came a voice in Frodo's head. "I- I don't understand-" He felt himself stumbling through a thick mist. He reached out and grasped nothing and stumbled along the way. He stood back up and looked back, then all around. There was a veil before him.
Merry placed a hand on Pippin's shoulder. "Come on, Pip. We have to go."
Pippin shuddered and then turned away. Sam watched them go and took a breath before he turned back to Frodo. "Emáten can you help him up on my pony?"
The man swallowed hard. He felt very out of place. "Yes, my lord." He placed Frodo gently on the pony and felt all the muscles in the small hobbit's body constrict. "Better get here soon, sir."
Sam scrambled up behind Frodo and wrapped his arms around him to steady him. Frodo breathed, slightly relieved. Emáten mounted his own horse and the company started to move.
~~~
Envin sat upon the crest of a hill near his home. The mornings light was shining like pale gold as it rose over the peaks in the distance. Envin rubbed his red eyes. Sleep was not very restful lately and he was forced to give himself a bit of a sedative to get to sleep. As a healer he needed to be rested most of all. But his mind was always troubled and dark thoughts did not leave him. He wondered what his queen had meant for him. But most of all he wondered about the Ringbearers.
The healer grasped a parchment in his hand and began to write unsteadily. He wrote mostly notes he took about his patients and how they responded to his treatments. He had pages upon pages about Frodo. His initial state seemed hopeless and very frightening. He reminded himself that without the elflord Elrond he would not have gotten so far with Frodo.
He scribbled down a few things Frodo recognized in the real world. He knew about the passing of life and was grieved by it. He also held no wishes to take life and cherished it.
Envin stopped to wonder. Was this because of Frodo's horrifying journey? Possibly. He wished he knew what Frodo thought of, if indeed he had any clear thoughts at all. It was most likely that is closest thoughts and memories were of Mordor. Then Envin shuddered. Perhaps his only thoughts and memories were of Mordor.
The healer began to write about the first time he had used the thin knife on Sam. Frodo's reaction to that was most important. Watching Sam collapse and be perfectly still made Frodo overwrought with fright. Above anything Frodo recognized Sam as someone he cared for. And by making connections with stillness, blades, blood, and death this brought Frodo closer to reality.
But it was Sam. Sam was Frodo's true link to the real world. Envin suddenly threw the papers to the ground and cried out in anger and frustration. What did it matter now? They were gone. Frodo was trapped and there was nothing that could bring him back. And now his future was grim.
Envin tried to escape the visions but they were stronger than ever and they pierced him like cold steel. "Is it death then? Is Frodo's only escape death? What's the answer!?"
Envin kicked his papers and threw himself down. "I do not care to see what the future holds! I wish to make it myself! How do I change this fate?"
Envin's gaze was caught by the setting sun. He must stop this. But how? He ran back to his home and smiled grimly to himself. "So this is what she meant this vision for. To show me what would be if I did not stop it. Well I'm going. I will find them and stop this."
~~~
A/N: ::leaps on reviewers:: I'm back! And I know I promised that I wouldn't post until I finished but... I couldn't wait. Today proved to be one of the few days I had a bad mood and writing was the only way to cure it. I do have a few chapters written so it's now up to you reviewers to keep me focused so I finish it. Up to the challenge? I hope so. I have big plans for our little hobbits. I know this chapter was pretty short but the other chapters are much better written and just waiting to be read. I'll update in a week. Remember constructive reviews keep my incentive to write ;)
The company was nearly a week away from their journey's end and Theoden King's final resting place, when Frodo developed a terrible fear of his pony. He would clutch the reins with tiny, white fists, and tremble horribly. No kind touch or soft voice could reach him. At some times he would stare down at the road below and cry out, struggling to escape whatever nightmare tortured his waking mind. He did not seem to be aware at all of Sam or any familiar face or touch. He clutched at Sam and trembled. The fear Sam saw in his eyes made the gardener weep. "Please, Mr. Frodo, tell me what's wrong." But of course there was not response. The simple hobbit lifted his head to look at Sam and then bit his trembling lip. He looked about him wildly as if something dangerous were near him. Sam could feel him tremble as he panted. "Mr. Frodo, naught's gonna hurt you."
Frodo clenched his eyes shut and a small sob escaped him. "No!" was a searing cry in his mind. "No! Please!" Frodo felt his stomach lurch every time the pony beneath him moved. "I'll fall! I'll fall! Into the fire!" His wild eyes turned downward and saw, rising from the ground, rivers of acid and flame bubbling up to meet him. He clenched Sam tight, his fists trembling.
"Lost!" came a cackling laugh in his head. "And never to be found. Is what shall become of you, Frodo Baggins, if you destroy me." Frodo clenched his eyes shut. Who was Frodo Baggins? What did he destroy? The simple hobbit felt the heat of the fire on his cheeks. He gasped and began to choke on the foul air that seemed to surround him. If this was what happens to him when this Frodo Baggins destroys something, he wished that it never happened, that whatever this was was not destroyed. Distantly he heard sounds, voices, but he could not understand the words.
"What's wrong with him? Why can't he breathe?" cried Sam.
Emáten lifted the gasping hobbit of his pony and set him on the ground. Frodo suddenly cried out. "My lord, I know not."
"No! Not the fire!" But when he touched the ground he felt it did not hurt him and he leapt up. His eyes searched around frantically but there was a shadow before them an dhe fell again to his knees.
Merry and Pippin rushed to their cousin's side. "What's wrong?" asked Merry, kneeling before his cousin. He wrapped his arms around Frodo and rested his head on his shoulder. Frodo shuddered with sobs.
Pippin was watching with horror. "Frodo," he muttered. "You should not be this way." But the young Took was unheeded. Frodo was calming now that he was off the pony. He lifted his head and looked around blearily, seeking Sam. Merry reluctantly relinquished Frodo to the gardener and Pippin could feel Merry's hurt.
Frodo leaned into Sam's grip and bit at his fingernails, his eyes darting about wildly. Emáten watched nervously. "Sir, please, if you will. It is time to be going."
"Emáten," sighed Sam. "We cannot go anywhere if Mr. Frodo is in these states."
"Do you wish for me to inform the king..."
"No." Sam stood Frodo up. The simple hobbit swayed and looked about, confused and very tired. "He'll ride with me, I reckon. We can't just sit round here and there's no way we'd make it back to the Shire on foot."
"Come on, Pip," said Merry. He grasped Pippin by the elbow and began to lead him away.
"No!" cried Pippin. "He shouldn't be this way!" He ran towards Frodo and grasped his shoulders. "Stop this, Frodo! You know me!" Tears formed in the young Took's eyes as he saw Frodo tremble before him in fear. "You know me," he ground out between his clenched teeth.
"I know you, Mr. Pippin," said Sam angrily. "And you are not giving him reason to trust you."
Pippin released Frodo and turned away. "He's my cousin, Sam. You can't understand."
Sam narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps not." His voice was shaking as if it took a great effort for the gardener to keep it even. "But I saw what happened to him out there." Sam saw Pippin's shoulders shudder and he went very still.
"That," hissed Pippin, "hurt's most of all."
"What?"
Merry cast a glance at Sam. "Sam no," he whispered but he could not stop this. He could hide his own pain, but not Pippin's, and not Sam's, and not Frodo's.
Pippin sneered at Sam. "I didn't see him. I wasn't there beside him when he was slipping away. I couldn't cherish ever last moment I had with him. Last I saw my cousin he was walking away from camp, to think about what he should do with the Ring. That was the last I saw of him, and if I knew it then I would have followed him! I would have stuck to his side whether he wanted it or not. You think you are the only one that wanted to follow Frodo, Samwise?"
Sam took a step back. "Does that mean you should hurt Frodo now?" All four now looked to Frodo who in turn looked back at all them and trembled.
"What do they want of me?" came a voice in Frodo's head. "I- I don't understand-" He felt himself stumbling through a thick mist. He reached out and grasped nothing and stumbled along the way. He stood back up and looked back, then all around. There was a veil before him.
Merry placed a hand on Pippin's shoulder. "Come on, Pip. We have to go."
Pippin shuddered and then turned away. Sam watched them go and took a breath before he turned back to Frodo. "Emáten can you help him up on my pony?"
The man swallowed hard. He felt very out of place. "Yes, my lord." He placed Frodo gently on the pony and felt all the muscles in the small hobbit's body constrict. "Better get here soon, sir."
Sam scrambled up behind Frodo and wrapped his arms around him to steady him. Frodo breathed, slightly relieved. Emáten mounted his own horse and the company started to move.
~~~
Envin sat upon the crest of a hill near his home. The mornings light was shining like pale gold as it rose over the peaks in the distance. Envin rubbed his red eyes. Sleep was not very restful lately and he was forced to give himself a bit of a sedative to get to sleep. As a healer he needed to be rested most of all. But his mind was always troubled and dark thoughts did not leave him. He wondered what his queen had meant for him. But most of all he wondered about the Ringbearers.
The healer grasped a parchment in his hand and began to write unsteadily. He wrote mostly notes he took about his patients and how they responded to his treatments. He had pages upon pages about Frodo. His initial state seemed hopeless and very frightening. He reminded himself that without the elflord Elrond he would not have gotten so far with Frodo.
He scribbled down a few things Frodo recognized in the real world. He knew about the passing of life and was grieved by it. He also held no wishes to take life and cherished it.
Envin stopped to wonder. Was this because of Frodo's horrifying journey? Possibly. He wished he knew what Frodo thought of, if indeed he had any clear thoughts at all. It was most likely that is closest thoughts and memories were of Mordor. Then Envin shuddered. Perhaps his only thoughts and memories were of Mordor.
The healer began to write about the first time he had used the thin knife on Sam. Frodo's reaction to that was most important. Watching Sam collapse and be perfectly still made Frodo overwrought with fright. Above anything Frodo recognized Sam as someone he cared for. And by making connections with stillness, blades, blood, and death this brought Frodo closer to reality.
But it was Sam. Sam was Frodo's true link to the real world. Envin suddenly threw the papers to the ground and cried out in anger and frustration. What did it matter now? They were gone. Frodo was trapped and there was nothing that could bring him back. And now his future was grim.
Envin tried to escape the visions but they were stronger than ever and they pierced him like cold steel. "Is it death then? Is Frodo's only escape death? What's the answer!?"
Envin kicked his papers and threw himself down. "I do not care to see what the future holds! I wish to make it myself! How do I change this fate?"
Envin's gaze was caught by the setting sun. He must stop this. But how? He ran back to his home and smiled grimly to himself. "So this is what she meant this vision for. To show me what would be if I did not stop it. Well I'm going. I will find them and stop this."
~~~
A/N: ::leaps on reviewers:: I'm back! And I know I promised that I wouldn't post until I finished but... I couldn't wait. Today proved to be one of the few days I had a bad mood and writing was the only way to cure it. I do have a few chapters written so it's now up to you reviewers to keep me focused so I finish it. Up to the challenge? I hope so. I have big plans for our little hobbits. I know this chapter was pretty short but the other chapters are much better written and just waiting to be read. I'll update in a week. Remember constructive reviews keep my incentive to write ;)