Angel
Chapter 25: Somebody For Someone
Author's Notes: Yoohulloo all loyal (and new) readers! The title of this chapter is actually the name of the song was listening to as I wrote the last part of this fic from. Let me say this now, so I won't be locked up: I
do not own the song Somebody For Someone, it's title, or lyrics. They belong to the Corrs, who are truly an awesome group and I also do not own LOTR as you all know (aren't disclaimers fun?). And a note to reviewers: I've seen this done before in multiple fics, so I've decided to try it: I'm going to respond to your reviews on the previous chapters at the end of the
new chapters! And as for this idea... You guessed it! I don't own it.
Tersa awoke at dawn the next day, but the heavy feeling on her heart
had not gone away.
"If I stay here, I'll probably wander until I starve or am captured..." Tersa said aloud to herself. "...But if I go to try and find Sam, the same thing could happen..."
After a moment, she sighed. "Onward to Mordor you pathetic romantic. It's better than dying here." She pushed the gray boat into the water.
She managed to paddle across the river without drifting too much, and reached the other bank without mishap. She shouldered her pack then looked up at the mountains bordering Mordor. "The one place in Middle Earth I don't want to see any closer, and it's the one place I'm trying to get to. And to find Sam and angst boy no less... "She laughed, then started towards the mountains.
"We really shouldn't leave this here for someone to follow us down." Frodo Said looking up at the elvish rope dangling from the cliff.
"Who is going to follow us down here Mr. Frodo?"
"HOY! A ROPE! I'M SAVED!" Sam and Frodo looked at each other wide eyed. "TERSA?!"
"'Allo!" Tersa waved from the cliff top. "It's lucky you people go in circles so much, or I never would have caught up." She held a handkerchief between her hands and slid down the rope. "You'd think it would be simple. See a mountain, walk towards it until you get there, but not for you two!"
"You came all the way to Mordor just to insult us. Thank you Tersa." Frodo glared.
"I don't mean anything by it Frodo, and you know it. Calm down." Tersa raised an eyebrow at the ring bearer.
"Calm down!? We are in the middle of a quest that the fate of the Middle Earth depends on and you say CALM DOWN!!??!?!?!" Frodo shouted. "HAVE YOU GONE MAD?!"
"No but apparently you have. Here, have a handkerchief." Tersa stuck set her handkerchief on Frodo's head so it hung in his eyes as he started to say something else. "Now, How are we going to get this rope down?"
"Yes, we can't have anyone else following us. Especially none as loud as you." Frodo muttered as Tersa started yanking on the rope.
"Come off you little bugger!" She grumbled, starting to tug harder.
"Tersa its no use. I tied that to that tree stump up there, it won't come free unless I untie it." Sam said, and no sooner had he spoken, the elvish rope fell down at Tersa's feet.
"As you were saying?" Tersa grinned, starting to coil the rope up.
Frodo sighed. "You just have to follow Sam where ever he goes don't you?"
"Shh!" Tersa hissed, blushing. She glared at Frodo. "Just for that, you get to hold this." She put the coil of rope around Frodo's neck. "There. Very stylish."
"I'm sure." Frodo replied with a slight smirk, taking the rope off his neck and handing it to Sam. "Well, if we can't get rid of you, we will just have to continue. In your words Ters, 'onward!'"
As they started off, Sam walked beside Tersa a few steps behind Frodo. "Thank you Tersa."
"For what?" Tersa asked. "I didn't do anything."
"You managed to get Frodo to be at least slightly happy for a few moments. He's been nothing but depressed for two days." Sam sighed. "Not that I blame him."
"What are we blaming on me?" Frodo asked, looking over his shoulder.
"Nothing' Mr. Frodo..." Sam said quickly, looking down at the ground.
"Discussing how depressed and high strung you are of late, that's all." Tersa shrugged, looking at the sky. "Frodo, was the sun always faded like this or is it just because we're here?"
"I think it is just another part of being in Mordor. Any light is smothered and darkness flourishes." Frodo looked toward Mount Doom, his face expressionless and his eyes distant. "Even within."
"What a cheerful note." Tersa muttered, returning her gaze to the sky.
The three walked in silence for the rest of the day, and barely spoke for two days after that. However, the silence would not last for much longer.
"What the-!?"
"Get down and pretend you're asleep!" Frodo whispered, tugging Tersa down onto the ground. "Shh!"
Tersa nodded and closed her eyes. She suddenly heard a hissing above them, coming nearer with each word.
"Where is it? Where preciousss? Does the longhaired one have it? Or the other onessss? They stole it from us, they took you precious, and we wants you!"
Sam and Frodo suddenly sprang up and yanked the creature off of the rocks with a cry. Tersa got up, looking around for something to help Sam and Frodo subdue whatever the thing was that seemed intent on getting the ring away from Frodo. Suddenly she spotted Sam's pack and an idea came to her.
"Give it to usssssssssssss-!" It hissed, attempting to get the ring and choke Frodo in the process.
"No!"
"Sssss-!"
BONG!
Suddenly the creature fell over, and Tersa was standing in his place, holding a frying pan.
"Thanks Ters." Frodo gasped, sitting up, trying to catch his breath from nearly being choked.
Tersa shrugged. "It worked in Moria for Sam."
"You're crazy Tersa." Sam laughed. "Oh well, it worked. Mr. Frodo what is this thing?"
"Its Gollum. He's been following us for weeks now, and he has been watching us for nearly that long." Frodo nudged the gangly creature with his foot, turning it over. "He wants the ring."
"Bleh. It looks like a scary over sized frog." Tersa wrinkled her nose and hid behind Sam so she could peer over his shoulder, as if Gollum would attack her at any moment. "Gollum you said? From Bilbo's stories?"
"Yes. As far as I know there are not two of them." Frodo shrugged, and suddenly Gollum hissed and sat up, holding his head.
"What hits us precioussssss? Who is these thingsss? Ah yes, nasssty hobbitses." Gollum glared at Tersa. "You is the one that hits us!!!! You hurt us, precious!"
"I'm not your precious." Tersa growled at Gollum, then stepped out from behind Sam swung the frying pan at Gollum again. However, he managed to avoid it cowered near Frodo's feet.
"Don't hurts us, don't let them precious... We is sorry, we is..." He stared hungrily at the chain around Frodo's neck where the ring hung. He reached towards it. "We jussst wants precious...."
Frodo quickly leapt backwards, drawing out the ring and clenching it in his fist. "Don't touch me! It's mine!" He suddenly squeezed his eyes shut, and held his head. 'What is happening to me...?' He thought, his mind racing. The strange feeling soon passed however, and he opened his eyes to find Sam fastening the elvish rope around Gollum's neck, much to Gollum's dismay.
"Let usss go! Don't tie us up!"
"Oh be quiet you. If we don't you'll strangle Frodo for that bloody ring." Tersa narrowed her eyes at Gollum then looked over to Frodo, who was rather pale. "Frodo? Are you all right? He didn't hurt you did he? I have the frying pan still."
"No Tersa, I'm fine. Let's get moving." Frodo said weakly.
"The sun is setting Mr. Frodo. Shouldn't we stop for the night?" Sam asked, looking concernedly at Frodo.
"Oh- I'm sorry, I have a head ache. Let's stop for the night, you're right." Frodo collapsed into a sitting position on the ground, holding his head. "I'll be fine Sam, don't look at me like I'm going to die." He smiled weakly. "I just need some sleep."
"Sleep then Frodo. We'll keep a look out for any more ugly frogs like this one." Tersa jerked her head towards Gollum. "We'll just tie this one to a rock or something."
Frodo nodded, and barely had a chance to curl up before he went to sleep.
"You can sleep too Sam, you have dark rings under your eyes." Tersa smiled. "I can watch the irritating frog."
"No, I don't want to leave you alone with him." Sam shot a distrustful glance at Gollum, whom glared back. "He would probably try and throttle us in our sleep if I don't stay up."
"Hm. True. But there is one bright spot in staying up." Tersa responded, looking up at the sky. "You get to look at the stars. They still shine, even if the sun is dulled. I always liked the stars and moon better than the sun."
"I'm the opposite, I like the sun better than the moon. Everything seems so, well, dark after the sun goes down. Even the friendliest animal can seem menacing in the dark." Sam said, tying Gollum's makeshift leash to a nearby rock and sitting down beside his handy work. He gazed up at the sky. "The stars are pretty though, I must admit."
"Yes they are." Tersa sighed, sitting down beside Sam. "They remind me of home... I have been homesick since we left. Even Lothlórien didn't really comfort me."
"I was not so much comforted as I forgot how homesick I was." Sam looked over at Tersa, whom was still gazing at the sky. "Even with all we have gone through you still have a glitter in your eyes, like you have one of those stars in your eyes."
Tersa blushed. "Thanks Sam. I don't know how that is still possible, because my heart hurts more than ever. I don't see what they have left to glitter about."
"Why does your heart hurt?"
Tersa looked over at him sadly. 'Because I love you and you don't love me, you dope.' She sighed. "Never mind Sam, I'm just being selfish. I'm going to sleep, will you be all right without me?"
"Sure I suppose..." Sam said, more to himself than Tersa as he watched her walk off towards her pack to retrieve something, then walk over to the rock wall and lay down. 'You know exactly why her heart hurts you fool, Samwise. She has followed you hundreds of miles simply because she loves you and you don't love her back. You simply do not.'
'Or are you just denying that you're beginning to?'
Sam sighed and looked over at Tersa. She was asleep against the wall a few feet from Frodo, with a small bundle under her head as a pillow. 'My cloak.' He realized with a smile. 'Of all the things to keep with her for this long...' He shook his head. 'Maybe I am denying it. For her sake, I hope I am. Without some spark of happiness out here, she'll surely die. I am already losing Frodo- I can't bear to lose her too.'
Responses: *Sniffles* There's only one from chapter 24, so I'll respond to 23's reviews also.
AnnabelleOdd: YAY! Still existing is very good. ^-^ High school is demonic, ne?
Chapter 23:
Lindsey: I'm glad you like it. ^^ I think that sometimes it has a little too much voice, but that's the only way I can really write, so this will just have to do. ^-^;;;
EJ Kridom: I'm going to keep my fic all in one place until the very end (unless there is a limit to how many chapters you can have in one fic *Sweatdrop*), don't worry. Cavca: I have a bad habit of taking forever to update don't I? ^^;;; I feel sorry for Dalfy too; I save him just to kill him again. Eh well, at least died slightly more peacefully than he did in the books. ^^;;
Wheee! Responding to reviews is fun. ^^ If you guys like it, I may have to do this more often.
Chapter 25: Somebody For Someone
Author's Notes: Yoohulloo all loyal (and new) readers! The title of this chapter is actually the name of the song was listening to as I wrote the last part of this fic from. Let me say this now, so I won't be locked up: I
do not own the song Somebody For Someone, it's title, or lyrics. They belong to the Corrs, who are truly an awesome group and I also do not own LOTR as you all know (aren't disclaimers fun?). And a note to reviewers: I've seen this done before in multiple fics, so I've decided to try it: I'm going to respond to your reviews on the previous chapters at the end of the
new chapters! And as for this idea... You guessed it! I don't own it.
Tersa awoke at dawn the next day, but the heavy feeling on her heart
had not gone away.
"If I stay here, I'll probably wander until I starve or am captured..." Tersa said aloud to herself. "...But if I go to try and find Sam, the same thing could happen..."
After a moment, she sighed. "Onward to Mordor you pathetic romantic. It's better than dying here." She pushed the gray boat into the water.
She managed to paddle across the river without drifting too much, and reached the other bank without mishap. She shouldered her pack then looked up at the mountains bordering Mordor. "The one place in Middle Earth I don't want to see any closer, and it's the one place I'm trying to get to. And to find Sam and angst boy no less... "She laughed, then started towards the mountains.
"We really shouldn't leave this here for someone to follow us down." Frodo Said looking up at the elvish rope dangling from the cliff.
"Who is going to follow us down here Mr. Frodo?"
"HOY! A ROPE! I'M SAVED!" Sam and Frodo looked at each other wide eyed. "TERSA?!"
"'Allo!" Tersa waved from the cliff top. "It's lucky you people go in circles so much, or I never would have caught up." She held a handkerchief between her hands and slid down the rope. "You'd think it would be simple. See a mountain, walk towards it until you get there, but not for you two!"
"You came all the way to Mordor just to insult us. Thank you Tersa." Frodo glared.
"I don't mean anything by it Frodo, and you know it. Calm down." Tersa raised an eyebrow at the ring bearer.
"Calm down!? We are in the middle of a quest that the fate of the Middle Earth depends on and you say CALM DOWN!!??!?!?!" Frodo shouted. "HAVE YOU GONE MAD?!"
"No but apparently you have. Here, have a handkerchief." Tersa stuck set her handkerchief on Frodo's head so it hung in his eyes as he started to say something else. "Now, How are we going to get this rope down?"
"Yes, we can't have anyone else following us. Especially none as loud as you." Frodo muttered as Tersa started yanking on the rope.
"Come off you little bugger!" She grumbled, starting to tug harder.
"Tersa its no use. I tied that to that tree stump up there, it won't come free unless I untie it." Sam said, and no sooner had he spoken, the elvish rope fell down at Tersa's feet.
"As you were saying?" Tersa grinned, starting to coil the rope up.
Frodo sighed. "You just have to follow Sam where ever he goes don't you?"
"Shh!" Tersa hissed, blushing. She glared at Frodo. "Just for that, you get to hold this." She put the coil of rope around Frodo's neck. "There. Very stylish."
"I'm sure." Frodo replied with a slight smirk, taking the rope off his neck and handing it to Sam. "Well, if we can't get rid of you, we will just have to continue. In your words Ters, 'onward!'"
As they started off, Sam walked beside Tersa a few steps behind Frodo. "Thank you Tersa."
"For what?" Tersa asked. "I didn't do anything."
"You managed to get Frodo to be at least slightly happy for a few moments. He's been nothing but depressed for two days." Sam sighed. "Not that I blame him."
"What are we blaming on me?" Frodo asked, looking over his shoulder.
"Nothing' Mr. Frodo..." Sam said quickly, looking down at the ground.
"Discussing how depressed and high strung you are of late, that's all." Tersa shrugged, looking at the sky. "Frodo, was the sun always faded like this or is it just because we're here?"
"I think it is just another part of being in Mordor. Any light is smothered and darkness flourishes." Frodo looked toward Mount Doom, his face expressionless and his eyes distant. "Even within."
"What a cheerful note." Tersa muttered, returning her gaze to the sky.
The three walked in silence for the rest of the day, and barely spoke for two days after that. However, the silence would not last for much longer.
"What the-!?"
"Get down and pretend you're asleep!" Frodo whispered, tugging Tersa down onto the ground. "Shh!"
Tersa nodded and closed her eyes. She suddenly heard a hissing above them, coming nearer with each word.
"Where is it? Where preciousss? Does the longhaired one have it? Or the other onessss? They stole it from us, they took you precious, and we wants you!"
Sam and Frodo suddenly sprang up and yanked the creature off of the rocks with a cry. Tersa got up, looking around for something to help Sam and Frodo subdue whatever the thing was that seemed intent on getting the ring away from Frodo. Suddenly she spotted Sam's pack and an idea came to her.
"Give it to usssssssssssss-!" It hissed, attempting to get the ring and choke Frodo in the process.
"No!"
"Sssss-!"
BONG!
Suddenly the creature fell over, and Tersa was standing in his place, holding a frying pan.
"Thanks Ters." Frodo gasped, sitting up, trying to catch his breath from nearly being choked.
Tersa shrugged. "It worked in Moria for Sam."
"You're crazy Tersa." Sam laughed. "Oh well, it worked. Mr. Frodo what is this thing?"
"Its Gollum. He's been following us for weeks now, and he has been watching us for nearly that long." Frodo nudged the gangly creature with his foot, turning it over. "He wants the ring."
"Bleh. It looks like a scary over sized frog." Tersa wrinkled her nose and hid behind Sam so she could peer over his shoulder, as if Gollum would attack her at any moment. "Gollum you said? From Bilbo's stories?"
"Yes. As far as I know there are not two of them." Frodo shrugged, and suddenly Gollum hissed and sat up, holding his head.
"What hits us precioussssss? Who is these thingsss? Ah yes, nasssty hobbitses." Gollum glared at Tersa. "You is the one that hits us!!!! You hurt us, precious!"
"I'm not your precious." Tersa growled at Gollum, then stepped out from behind Sam swung the frying pan at Gollum again. However, he managed to avoid it cowered near Frodo's feet.
"Don't hurts us, don't let them precious... We is sorry, we is..." He stared hungrily at the chain around Frodo's neck where the ring hung. He reached towards it. "We jussst wants precious...."
Frodo quickly leapt backwards, drawing out the ring and clenching it in his fist. "Don't touch me! It's mine!" He suddenly squeezed his eyes shut, and held his head. 'What is happening to me...?' He thought, his mind racing. The strange feeling soon passed however, and he opened his eyes to find Sam fastening the elvish rope around Gollum's neck, much to Gollum's dismay.
"Let usss go! Don't tie us up!"
"Oh be quiet you. If we don't you'll strangle Frodo for that bloody ring." Tersa narrowed her eyes at Gollum then looked over to Frodo, who was rather pale. "Frodo? Are you all right? He didn't hurt you did he? I have the frying pan still."
"No Tersa, I'm fine. Let's get moving." Frodo said weakly.
"The sun is setting Mr. Frodo. Shouldn't we stop for the night?" Sam asked, looking concernedly at Frodo.
"Oh- I'm sorry, I have a head ache. Let's stop for the night, you're right." Frodo collapsed into a sitting position on the ground, holding his head. "I'll be fine Sam, don't look at me like I'm going to die." He smiled weakly. "I just need some sleep."
"Sleep then Frodo. We'll keep a look out for any more ugly frogs like this one." Tersa jerked her head towards Gollum. "We'll just tie this one to a rock or something."
Frodo nodded, and barely had a chance to curl up before he went to sleep.
"You can sleep too Sam, you have dark rings under your eyes." Tersa smiled. "I can watch the irritating frog."
"No, I don't want to leave you alone with him." Sam shot a distrustful glance at Gollum, whom glared back. "He would probably try and throttle us in our sleep if I don't stay up."
"Hm. True. But there is one bright spot in staying up." Tersa responded, looking up at the sky. "You get to look at the stars. They still shine, even if the sun is dulled. I always liked the stars and moon better than the sun."
"I'm the opposite, I like the sun better than the moon. Everything seems so, well, dark after the sun goes down. Even the friendliest animal can seem menacing in the dark." Sam said, tying Gollum's makeshift leash to a nearby rock and sitting down beside his handy work. He gazed up at the sky. "The stars are pretty though, I must admit."
"Yes they are." Tersa sighed, sitting down beside Sam. "They remind me of home... I have been homesick since we left. Even Lothlórien didn't really comfort me."
"I was not so much comforted as I forgot how homesick I was." Sam looked over at Tersa, whom was still gazing at the sky. "Even with all we have gone through you still have a glitter in your eyes, like you have one of those stars in your eyes."
Tersa blushed. "Thanks Sam. I don't know how that is still possible, because my heart hurts more than ever. I don't see what they have left to glitter about."
"Why does your heart hurt?"
Tersa looked over at him sadly. 'Because I love you and you don't love me, you dope.' She sighed. "Never mind Sam, I'm just being selfish. I'm going to sleep, will you be all right without me?"
"Sure I suppose..." Sam said, more to himself than Tersa as he watched her walk off towards her pack to retrieve something, then walk over to the rock wall and lay down. 'You know exactly why her heart hurts you fool, Samwise. She has followed you hundreds of miles simply because she loves you and you don't love her back. You simply do not.'
'Or are you just denying that you're beginning to?'
Sam sighed and looked over at Tersa. She was asleep against the wall a few feet from Frodo, with a small bundle under her head as a pillow. 'My cloak.' He realized with a smile. 'Of all the things to keep with her for this long...' He shook his head. 'Maybe I am denying it. For her sake, I hope I am. Without some spark of happiness out here, she'll surely die. I am already losing Frodo- I can't bear to lose her too.'
Responses: *Sniffles* There's only one from chapter 24, so I'll respond to 23's reviews also.
AnnabelleOdd: YAY! Still existing is very good. ^-^ High school is demonic, ne?
Chapter 23:
Lindsey: I'm glad you like it. ^^ I think that sometimes it has a little too much voice, but that's the only way I can really write, so this will just have to do. ^-^;;;
EJ Kridom: I'm going to keep my fic all in one place until the very end (unless there is a limit to how many chapters you can have in one fic *Sweatdrop*), don't worry. Cavca: I have a bad habit of taking forever to update don't I? ^^;;; I feel sorry for Dalfy too; I save him just to kill him again. Eh well, at least died slightly more peacefully than he did in the books. ^^;;
Wheee! Responding to reviews is fun. ^^ If you guys like it, I may have to do this more often.