Following on the tails of Gandalf's robes, the stout hobbit, whom promised the Wizard he would not leave his master's side, finally caught up to him at Rivendell's stables. "Somethin' is wrong with 'im, isn't it. That's what you're sensin!" Sam shouted out to the Wizard watching him climb upon a bare back of a mighty Stallion.
"Go back to the others, Samwise. See to Bilbo. I shall return," Gandalf told Frodo's gardener, grabbing a handful of mane to use as a reign.
"No, I won't. I made a promise to you to protect him. To not leave him. You cannot shut me out! He needs me," Sam retaliated, tugging onto Gandalf's leg, preventing him from galloping off.
"Bilbo needs you as well."
"Merry and Pippin can keep him company. Please, Gandalf, I have to go!" Sam pleaded, tears springing forth caressing his face.
Gandalf could not stand to see Sam cry, nor see him suffer being away from his master. Softening to the pleas, he grabbed hold of Sam's tunic, lifting him into the air and settling him down in front of him. "Hold tight, Samwise," the Wizard warned wrapping his huge arms around the hobbit as he kicked the horse on the side prompting it to full speed out of the stables.
Frodo's blue eyes were dulling as precious oxygen was being withheld by the Man sized hand that covered his mouth and nose, muffling any sound he might had made while the other hand confined his arms securely above his curly head. In his weakened state, the gentle hobbit had not the strength to fight off his attacker, as the man had managed to straddle his small body, making it impossible to raise his legs. All he could do was gaze into the possessed man's brown eyes reflecting the gold circle lying on the his chest, struggling to maintain consciousness.
Legolas Greenleaf took a respite gathering firewood for another day's stay. They had been very lucky to find the Ring-bearer, for the most part unharmed. Frodo had not gained consciousness since he ran into the low ceiling trying to escape Aragorn's arms. His forehead bled heavily, but Strider managed to get the bleeding under control, washing the wound with Athelas.
"We need to keep the cave warm and I want to continue boiling the Athelas. It should help relax Frodo. He responded to it well after the incident with the Ringwraiths," the Ranger addressed Legolas.
"I heard that he would not give up to them. That he put up quite a fight at the Ford," Legolas added, a smile on his face at how the little one quickly made use of his big feet, disabling a Ranger of the North.
Aragorn was quick to catch on to the Elf's private joke, "It could have been you, you know."
"What?" he chuckled, trekking outside of the cave to collect more wood.
When the Elf bent down to pick up one more piece, a feeling overcame him as tiny hairs stood on the back of his neck. Dropping his armful of wood, Legolas took flight, his feet barely touching ground as he raced for the cave's entrance.
Strider had sent Elladan and Elrohir ahead with the prisoners, assuring them that they would be all right. "Frodo needs another day to recover, and with a Wizard here, I am sure no one in their right mind would want to bother us. Besides, I am sure Ada is worried," he concluded.
"All right, but I know the real reason. You are smitten with Arwen and you want to reassure her, not just Ada," he teased. "We will see you on the morrow, brother," Elladan said, urging his horse forward with a clicking of his tongue. The prisoners were jerked into motion and soon found themselves walking away from their bounty.
Aragorn watched as the rescue party descended the hill without any mishaps, until he could make them out as just dots on the landscape. Turning toward the cave to go check on Frodo it was then that he had seen Legolas clearing a heap of stones, bounding for cave. Strider suddenly felt his stomach lurch and wasting no time at all increased his pace until he found himself face to face with the Mirkwood Elf. "What is wrong, my friend?"
"I do not know. I have an uneasy feeling. Evil," Legolas breathed the last words.
Aragorn nodded. "Let us go check on our guest then. He may need some help with the Lady. Sometimes the wounded can be stubborn to deal with," Strider added as one of their injured was most impertinent whenever being tended to.
Slowly the Elf and Man's eyes adjusted to the only light source as they descended deeper into the cave, taking the same path as the wizard before them. They were not, however, ready for the scene that their eyes beheld.
The brown robed Wizard was straddling the hobbit's bucking body, pinning his thin arms above the curly head, "I will have it! I will have it!" Radagast spewed the words from his mouth, smothering the Ring-bearer with his free hand. Releasing the hobbit's wrists, the Wizard picked up the staff that laid by the struggling body, raised it above his head, and with all the strength he could muster brought the wooden weapon down upon Frodo's head.
"NO!" Aragorn yelled, lunging at the mad brown robed figure, but stopped in his tracks.
Before the staff made contact, the bear had managed to turn her enormous body around to face who was causing the little shireling distress. Ignoring the pain from her shoulder, the Lady's great paw made contact with the Wizard's chest, knocking him from his perch.
The hand was gone. He could breathe again. Inhaling deeply of the air he was once denied, Frodo released an audible sigh. He did it again, becoming a natural rhythm once more.
Even though Frodo was breathing, he lay limp on the cold dirt floor of the cave, grateful for Samantha's intervention. He could sense her soft fur cross his exposed skin, realizing that she put her body between his and his attacker's. He could hear the power in her voice as he listened to the battle hidden from his view continue. Feeling safe for the time being, he released his mind to pass into the unknown as familiar voices drifted above.
Aragorn's heart fell when he thought the Ring-bearer dead. If he had not had seen it with his own eyes he would have not believed that a Wizard could commit such an act, or better yet, animals attack him. Then he remembered Gandalf telling him that it was Saruman who had kept him from coming to Frodo's aid and not all Wizards were good. Schooling his anger that was causing his body heat to rise, he signaled Legolas to follow his lead in an attempt to convince the bear to let them help Frodo.
Samantha was using her body as a shield, hovering over the uncovered body of the Ring-bearer as she pinned the Brown Wizard to the dusty floor with one of her front paws. When Radagast tried to wriggle free from beneath the bear's weight, she growled, teeth baring just inches from his face.
"Get off of me, you great beast. You shall not keep me from my prize!" the old man yelled out, his arms flailing, groping near his body for the staff that had been knocked out of his hands. In his botched attempt, he spied Aragorn making his way toward the hobbit. Angrily he spoke, "You shall not have it. I will have all its power and glory! Do you hear me?"
The Ranger ignored Radagast for the time being. His main concern was to see to Frodo. Aragorn quietly approached the great bear with discretion, sheathing his sword in the process. "Whoa, my Lady. We are here to help. Let us help our friend," Estel whispered in Elvish, holding his hand out for her to sniff, reassuring the Lady that no harm would come to the Ring-bearer.
The great bear recognized Aragorn's scent, nuzzling his hand as she kept an eye on the Ranger and one on the individual pinned under her claw. She did not try to hinder access to the injured cub under her.
Able to ease himself closer to the bear, Estel noticed the arrow was still impaled into the mighty beasts' shoulder and knew that adrenaline alone was keeping her standing, protecting the shireling beneath her belly. He had no doubt that the bear took great care not to trample on the hobbit.
The Lady soon relinquished her position as protector, stepping completely over the inert form, still keeping minimal weight upon the Wizard.
"Frodo?" Strider called out as strong, but tender hands cupped the bruised chin, concerned steel gray eyes peering into half-Lidden blue orbs. When he received no response, Aragorn closed his callused hand around the delicate wrists still above the little ones head, drawing the hobbit's arms to his sides.
Frodo hissed, resisting the Ranger's touch, his small fingers weakly clutching the thick hand encircling his wrists.
"Little one?" Aragorn whispered into the pointed ear, taking extra care when picking up the fragile limb. Bruises also appeared on the hobbits ivory skin, shaped in five large circles where strong fingers clamped down onto the delicate wrists. Aragorn surmised that Frodo was lucky that they were not broken maybe just sprained.
Realization as to what may have caused Radagast to lose his mind was soon confirmed as the Ring shone brightly upon the bare ivory chest, humming. Ignoring Its call, Strider quickly grabbed the crumpled blanket found lying against the wall that was once covering the Ring-bearer, spreading it on the ground gently transferring the battered little body on it. Gathering all ends, he wrapped his charge tightly, hiding the Ring from anyone's view. Aragorn then lifted the light bundle, carrying it over to the fire where he sat before the warmed embers cradling Frodo in his lap.
Sticking her snout high sniffing the air, Samantha backed off of the Wizard discerning that the danger had passed. Her strength waning once more due to her injury, the great bear slowly sank to her knees then lowered the rest of her body to the cool floor. Her sides rose and fell rapidly as she tried to regain her breath after expending so much energy.
"Are you going to help me?" Radagast looked up at the Elf, trying to figure out why his ribs ached and why he was on the floor. "Will someone tell me what happened?" he continued to inquire as he got to his feet with Legolas' help, brushing his robes free of dirt. Quickly locating his staff, the Wizard bent down to pick it up, but was met with resistance as a booted foot held it permanently to the ground.
The Elf respected Wizards and their props, but he was completely unsure to let Radagast the Brown have his back. "Aragorn?" Legolas voiced quietly, agreeing to any decision that his friend made.
"I believe the danger has passed, Legolas. He may have it back," Strider commanded as he sat before the fire, trying to coax some liquid into the hobbit with little luck.
"What do you mean that I may have it back?" Radagast questioned as it seemed to him that a Ranger had no business telling a Wizard what he can or cannot have.
"I intended no disrespect, sir, but you were found trying to kill the Ring-bearer," Aragorn said putting emphasis on the last word.
Flabbergasted, the Wizard sputtered, "I would do no such thing. I respect life in all forms. I just cannot..."
"What do you last remember doing?" Legolas asked as he made ready compresses for the hobbits hurts, handing them to Aragorn, who in turn applied them to the newest discoloration's.
Thinking hard on the question, his thick brown eyebrows furrowing together into one he answered, "I had just come to your boiling Athelas, then I saw the Lady, her back to me. As I approached her, a feeling came over me to check on the halfling. I laid my hand upon his chest...Something was calling out. Like it needed my help. That is all that I can recall," he said coming closer to Strider and the bundle he had on his lap.
A moan escaped the hobbit's bruised lips, as he started to come around, feeling warm.
"Will he be all right?" Radagast asked feeling utterly responsible if he had somehow hurt this frail creature.
"I think he will be. Just a few more bruises to heal, but if the Lady had not interfered when she had," the healer added, not wanting to think any further on the matter. The Wizard had unknowingly been tempted by the Ring. He would make sure it would not happen again.
"S...Sa," Frodo tried to speak, breaking Aragorn from his personal promise.
"Frodo? Frodo, please wake up," Estel called to the Ring-bearer.
Daring to open his eyes, the darkness was beginning to take shape. A man, with a scraggly beard and long hair loomed over him. For some reason he was not scared this time. The figure seemed somehow familiar. Inhaling deeply again, the aged leather and a hint of Athelas was detected. "Aragorn? Is it really you?" he cried out hoarse, tears of happiness coursing their way down discolored, swollen cheeks. Small hands wriggled their way out from beneath the cover, feeling the unshaven beard of his friend. The way the fire light highlighted the new bruising on his wrists, a sudden panic came over Frodo as he tried to frantically search for the man that had hurt him, twisting within Strider's arms.
"Shh, tell me, what is wrong, little one?" Estel spoke soothingly in Elvish trying to calm the Ring-bearer.
Bright wide blue eyes pleaded with steel gray, "The man," he gasped. "He, he hurt me. I not breathe. Sam!" the hobbit cried out, seeing the Wizard standing above them unable to break free of Strider's arms.
"Calm down, Frodo," Aragorn begged, trying to get hold of the hobbit as if it were a slippery eel. "He will not harm you again. It was not him, but the Ring," he tried to explain.
"Ooh, oww," the hobbit moaned into Estel's leather coat, as the Ranger squeezed tightly.
Samantha turned her head around, wanting to see who was hurting her cub now as she heard him squeal out. She thought she had left him in good hands. She let out a low meaningful growl and the whole camp quieted.
"Samantha?" Frodo asked settling back down into Aragorn's lap, his renewed strength fueled by fear quelling.
"Samantha? You call the bear Samantha?" Legolas asked. "Why?"
"After I had fallen, I could not remember anything at first. Sam was the first name that popped into my head. When I had seen that she was a female, I just called her Samantha," the Ring-bearer explained his breathing relaxing as he inhaled the aroma of Athelas from the soaked cloths Strider had put to his brow.
Aragorn could not help but to suppress a laugh, his eyes glistening with moisture. Samwise was going to have some competition when it came to caring for his master.
"Will she be all right? I remember blood from her. Those men. Did you get those men?" Frodo's breathing becoming rapid again, perspiration beads forming on his forehead.
"Yes. We got them. The La...I mean Samantha is going to be okay. That is if Radagast can get near her again. She will not let anyone tend her unless she knows you are all right," Strider told him, placing a finger at Frodo's neck, checking his pulse point. "Here, Frodo, have some more water," he said pressing the cup to the hobbit's lips.
Accepting the drink, Frodo held unto the cup with both hands. He winced at how sore his wrists were. He finished the cool liquid, a shiver running through his body. Closing his eyes for just a moment he whispered,"Aragorn, take me to her."
Estel carefully hoisted himself to his feet with his precious cargo in hand and walked to wear the bear lay, panting heavily. He then got onto his knees so that Frodo could face her.
With his sore hand, Frodo gently guided it along the bear's muzzle, then scratched her under her chin. "I am all right. You let them tend your hurt. Then we can recuperate together. Thank you, Samantha," he whispered into her ear, then planted a kiss on her snout.
After Frodo raised his head from hers, he got a wet kiss in return and he smiled.
tbc.
thanks to lindaloyhand, linriel and leia wood for reviewing.
