Chapter14 (yea!)

When I came to, the first thing in my line of vision, was Peregrin Tooks face. I could feel the warmth of the fire as well. I smiled up at him, then tried to look down at my hand.

"I wouldn't..." was all he said before I saw it.

My hand was wrapped in what I knew to be one of my spare shirts. It was thoroughly soaked with blood. I paled, but didn't scream or anything. Laying my head back, I sighed heavily.

"Sam stitched your hand, and bandaged you up. Merry and me tried to help, I was the one who got your shirt to use..." Pippin continued.

Just then I realized something, they had used my shirt. As in, from my pack. Where I also kept my BOOKS.

"What? Did you mean that you got it from MY pack then?" I started, very tense.

"Well...um.... Yes. Was that all right? We didn't know what else to use." He said uncertainly.

"Pippin, did you happen to see some books, uh...just two.... in there?" I asked, again.

"Yes. I saw two, but there was another one as well." He said, giving me an odd look.

"Three?" There were only supposed to be two. "Could you um, get my pack for me then please? I want to see this third book."

He nodded, and walked away a few feet and retrieved my bag. He deposited it onto my lap, after I struggled to sit up. I then dug in it quickly, and there they were...

The two, re-bound "Fellowship of the Ring", "Two towers".

But the third book was "The Return of the King." Still with it's original cover intact. I marveled at this fact for a few seconds, before realizing exactly what my situation was.

"Where are the wraiths, and where is Frodo!" I cried suddenly, remembering.

Pippin gave a tight smile. "Frodo asked a similar question, when he woke up. HE has been awake for little over an hour now. Sam hasn't left his side. Merry and I have been keeping a watch on you."

"And Strider? Where is he?"

Pippin's face darkened. "He left, quite some time ago. That is, after telling us to move the both of you closer to the fire."

"Oh... and how is Frodo, he has fared far worse than myself I am afraid. His wound is much deeper."

I struggled to get up, but Pippin pushed me back. "I don't need Strider to tell me you shouldn't move. I have common sense yet." He said softly.

"I – am – fine." I started tersely, annunciating each word carefully. "It's just my stupid hand, alright?" I finished, as I pushed myself back up.

"Speaking of stupidity, what were you thinking of anyway? Grabbing onto that thing's sword like that?" Said Merry, who had walked over, and obviously decided to join our little chat.

I bit down a frustrated scream. "I was thinking of protecting Frodo." I said through clenched teeth.

"Now don't get upset there Merna.....I thought you were brilliant. Except for the getting your hand hacked up and all...." He finished with a smile and a wink.

"Merry!" Said Pippin, (In a don't-encourage-her manner.)

"Pippin!" Said Merry (In a why-not? manner)

"Boys!"

"What!" (In unison)

"Knock it off, alright? Just help me up, I want to see Frodo... if that's alright with the both of you."

They just looked at me. Standing there, like dolts. So, mumbling under my breath, I got up myself. Very PAINFULLY.

Frodo, as it would turn out, was right on the other side of the fire pit. And had probably heard every word I had said.

And so I walked wobbly over the sort distance, trying to move the fingers on my right hand, and realizing that I couldn't.

Fear began to shoot through me, but I knew Aragorn would be back soon with something to put on my wound. And in the meantime, I prayed that I wouldn't lose all control over my fingers.

Sam was near by Frodo, knees drawn up tight against his chest, and watching for any signs that his master was in need. Frodo was dozing again, and as much as I knew that he needed rest, I felt it necessary to share a few words with him.

"Sam, if you could, please move away from Frodo. I need to talk to him, and I would rather that no one over heard me."

Sam gave me a look that said he was in no mind to let me go bothering Frodo, and opened his mouth to say so...

"Now, Sam please. I know what you would say to me, and I agree with you. But I still wish to talk to Frodo nonetheless." I replied tartly, in pain myself, though ready to argue with him if I had too.

Sam shut his mouth tight, nodded and moved away, reluctantly.

I nodded my thanks, and knelt down close by Frodo myself. I touched his forehead gently... it was hot. I almost pulled my hand back, but instead, I ran my fingers down the side of his face. Chills ran through me, though I can't tell you why.

He awoke, and looked at me through hazy blue eyes. I tried to smile at him, but couldn't.

"Merna?" He choked.

I grabbed up a water-skin quickly, and held it to his lips with my good hand, as he tilted his head up.

In the background, I could hear Merry say "Sam" once, and I knew that Sam must have felt resentful for not being the one to come to Frodo's aid, though he didn't come closer and trouble us.

"What's happened to your other hand?" Frodo asked quietly, laying his head back down, and closing his eyes again.

"I'll tell you the full story later. In short, I got it sliced by a black rider. But that's not why I disturbed your rest. I want to know; did you hear my call? Just before you put on the ring?" I asked quickly, and quietly.

He started, and I fell under his piercing gaze once more. "How do you know..."

"About the ring? I'll not go into it. All I can say is that I do."

He sighed heavily, "Yes, I heard it. But I thought the cry came from Pippin, or Merry. I never thought it would've come from you."

I smiled gently at him. "I know why you paid it no heed, and I don't begrudge you on that, but I..... Well, could you see me? From wherever you were when you had the ring on?"

He shook his head slightly. "I saw but a shadow. And once again, I thought it had been Aragorn.......... Wait, that was you? Then that's when...your hand...." He looked almost confused.

I nodded my head and gave him a smile. "You should have seen me, I jumped for his sword.... I was trying to get it out of his hands, and like a bumbler I slipped, and thus..." I finished showing him my hand.

He shook his head in astonishment, but there was amusement at these thoughts, in his eyes. Then he asked, "Is it numb? Where you were cut? My arm and shoulder are."

I nodded again. Then asked myself 'why am I nodding like a fool?' and answered him properly.

"Yes, it is. I can't even move my fingers. But don't tell the others. Those meddling tweens wouldn't let me have a moment's peace after they heard that. Even if they did mean well." I said with a grin.

Frodo nodded at me, with a smile; and I knew he understood, but still, he looked concerned. The dawn was already growing in the sky.

And at that moment, Aragorn burst through the underbrush.

"Merna, you're awake. Good, sit still by Frodo there. I have something for the both of you." And from a pouch on his belt, drew out several leaves of a strange plant. "This plant I have walked far to find, and I recognized it in the dark only by the scent of its leaves. It is called Athelas."

He threw the leaves in boiling water, and moved close, to bathe Frodo's wound. The fragrance the leaves were giving off was soothing, and I ached to feel it on my numb and frozen palm. But I knew that I would not.

"Merna, take those rags off your hand, and hold it palm up, if you will." Aragorn said softly, but it was not a request, it was a command. Still, I refused.

I shook my head, "No, do not waste that brew on me. Use it on Frodo, he needs it more than I do."

"Nonsense, yours must be cleansed as well." Continued the king-to-be.

I shook my head again stubbornly. "My hand is fine. It is just a little cut. Finish Frodo."

By then, all of my companions' attentions were on me, and I felt my face redden, but I wouldn't give in. I already knew how worsened Frodo got in the book using the full batch, but what would happen if he did not even receive that?

"Enough of this foolishness Merna, you were wounded by an evil blade, same as Frodo, and you shall receive the same treatment." Aragorn said, a note of urgency to his voice.

"No, Aragorn. I am fine and my hand has already been stitched up finely by Sam. And it was of my own fault anyway that I have this wound in the first place. So I shall just have to grit my teeth and bear it. Now, if you would, finish FRODO, he needs this." I shouted at him.

"Merna, please. For me." Said Frodo, who was worried for me, as he really knew how I felt.

I shook my head again. "Trust me."

Then, thinking to create a divine intervention, I was seized from behind, by Merry. Who held me by my forearms tightly. I started to thrash, and squirm, trying to wriggle out of his hold, but he just made it tighter.

"Mer–ry!" I shouted.

"Now don't do that Merna. We're only doing this because we care." Said Pippin, who had come around the front of his cousin. He took my right wrist, and swiftly unraveled the bandage.

"Pippin, stop! Please, he should use it on Frodo!" I called again, though not as loud.

My palm was now exposed, and though I was horrified by how badly it looked, I still insisted upon more care on Frodo's part. My hand was grayish and dead looking, except for right around the stitched up wound. There it was blue and icy colored.

I heard Pippin gasp.

Aragorn came over swiftly after that, and taking a small knife from his belt, cut through the neat stitching. I couldn't even feel the blade. After pulling out the several loose threads, he poured half of his brew over my palm.

The whole ordeal took less then five minutes, and I could feel some of the heat returning to my flesh. He poured the rest over my hand, as I was held there, tense and angry still.

Then here came Sam again, and he sewed me up once more. I could just barely feel the pricking of the needle. When he had finished (within seconds) he wrapped a freshly cut strip of linen, (from someone's shirt no doubt) around my hand. Stitching that in place as well.

Then they released me, looking a bit grim, but satisfied.

"Why didn't you listen to me! All of you! Frodo needed that more then I did." I hollered angrily.

"Pah," said Sam, "Your hand might have been the worse if we hadn't!"

I shot him an angry glare. And looked to Pippin and Merry, the traitors.

"He is right, you know." Said Merry. Pippin nodded.

"I don't care. I know what I am talking about." I said, tears of anger and fear for Frodo had begun to prick at my eyes.

"Merna, settle down. You've lost a lot of blood. Your body wont be able to handle this..." Started Aragorn worriedly.

But I was still angry, and intended to tell them so, "You've all acted like fools today, do you know that! I am fine!"

But suddenly, I started to swoon, and the faces I was gazing at became blurry, and unclear. I was dizzy now, and I reached out for something to lean on...finding nothing, I hit the soft earth once more, and felt my head bounce with impact.

'Dammit,' I thought. 'The ranger was right.....'

Then, like an idiot girl, I fainted.

Author: Hope you all liked it, more coming soon! I wrote this chapter quickly so it could be updated right away. Let me know what you think.

Thanx, and REVIEW!

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