Disclaimer: Not mine. Not mine!

AN: There is some quoting from Return of the King in this chapter.

Last Ring-Bearer

Chapter 5

"...I have tokens that I was bidden to show to thee – to thee in especial, if thou shouldst dare to come." The nameless creature known as the Mouth of Sauron turned to his guards and signaled, and one of the orcs came forward with a bundle covered in black cloths, giving them to the Mouth.

When the black cloths were tossed aside, the Captains of Gondor, along with the last remnants of the Fellowship (all but Merry, who was in the Houses of Healing) stared in dismay at what they saw. They were shown Sam's short sword, a grey cloak with a brooch of elven-make, and finally Frodo's mithril coat and tattered garments.

Pippen leapt forward with a cry but was silenced by Gandalf, and the Mouth of Sauron laughed to see their grief.

"So you have yet another of these imps with you!" he cried. "No doubt you thought their size would serve to shield them from the Eyes of the Dark Lord, but he sees all! What use you thought one rat is beyond me, and what worthless spy he was!"

The Messenger laughed again. "I can see he was dear to you. And now his fate shall rest in your hands. Accepts my Lord's terms, or we shall break him and change him and send him back to you so you see what you have done."

"Name the terms." said Gandalf, staring steadily into the eyes of the Messenger.

The Mouth of Sauron named the terms, predictable and cruel. They could not accept the terms and give up all pretense of freedom, but what was the point now that the Ring-bearer had been taken?

Gandalf, surprising many, flatly refused the terms and snatched the tokens from the Messenger's hands. "We did not come here to waste words in treating with Sauron, faithless and accursed; still less with one of his slaves. Begone!"

The Messenger gave a cry and galloped back to the Gate, which swung open wide to reveal a great host which streamed forth. The Men of the West were outnumbered ten to one at least.

The Captains rode back to their army quickly, chased by the jeering yells of the marching host. There was little time for Aragorn to order his men, but Gandalf took a moment to pull him and the other survivors of the Fellowship away.

"Frodo is dead," Gandalf said flatly, as if refusing to believe his own words, "I saw it in the foul Messenger's eyes."

Pippin began to weep for his lost cousin. "We should never have left the Shire." He whispered.

"Look at me, Pippin." Said Gandalf, not unkindly. "Frodo may have fallen, but the Enemy knows not of the Ring, nor of Sam. There is hope left. This battle is not in vain."

Pippin wept still, but he took some heart from Gandalf's words.

Aragorn mounted his horse, eyes bright with unshed tears, and rode off to prepare his Army for this last hopeless battle. The other Companions of the Ring bowed their heads in a moment of remembrance, then prepared themselves for the coming fight.

Sam drew back his hand to throw the Ring away forever. It desperately tried to entice him, to sway his resolve, but his mind was clear. For Frodo. He thought.

But before he could be rid of it, teeth sank into his wrist, and fingers attempted to snatch the Ring out of his fingers. Crying out in pain, Sam wrenched his hand from Gollum's sharp teeth, leaving deep gashes upon his wrist. Cradling it, Sam quickly transferred the Ring to his uninjured hand, cupping it tightly lest it try to escape its destruction.

He jumped back from Gollum's reaching hands, the both of them balanced precariously on the edge of the precipice. "You fool!" Sam shouted above the noise of moving rock and fire. "You'll knock us both off!"

"Fat hobbit tries to destroy the precious!" wailed Gollum, one hand holding his bleeding stomach tightly. "We must have It, precious!" He circled around, until he was facing Sam and the edge, and Sam had his back to the long drop into the Fire.

Now, now is the time! Sam thought, and with a sudden movement tossed the Ring behind him. It was a wrench to let it go, but his steadfast resolve mixed with the panic that Gollum might defeat him let him throw it away, forever.

There was a moment of stillness, where both Gollum and same seemed frozen with disbelief. I did it, the Quest is done! Oh, Mister Frodo, I wish you were here now more than ever.

'I am here.' Frodo's voice, fainter than an indrawn breath.

Gollum seemed to snap back to life. "Precioussss!!!" He sprang forward toward the precipice, heedless of the fatal drop to the Fires below, or the fact that Sam stood in his way.

Still frozen in shock at what he'd done and what he'd heard, Sam did not react quickly enough to get out of Gollum's way. Gollum knocked into his shoulder, and carried them both over the edge.

As he fell, Sam wondered what happened to hobbits when they died. He had heard Gandalf say that Men go to the Isle on Mandos, there to wait for rebirth or the end of the World, or something. The company would not be so bad. He thought.

Gandalf rode upon the back of Gwaihir, Lord of the Eagles, and together with Landroval they searched all of Mordor for a sign of Samwise Gamgee. At last the keen eyes of Gwaihir spotted a small box lying on a rock that was surrounded rivers of fire that would soon be swallowed up and lost.

The Eagles swooped down, braving the peril of the wild winds, and Landroval scooped up the box with his great talons.

They searched for hours more, but at least with a heavy heart Gandalf told his friends to turn back. The last Ring-bearer had been consumed by the evil he had destroyed, and was lost.

Sam eyes opened, and all around him there was blackness. He climbed unsteadily to his feet.

'How did I get here?' He asked aloud, and wondered at the strangeness of his voice. His last memories were a bit jumbled, but he was fairly certain that he was supposed to be dead.

Sam looked around, but there was no light, or sound, and he could not feel the ground beneath his feet.

A hand grabbed his own, holding it tight. Sam started to pull away in fear, then realized that he knew the hand that held his, for he had grasped it so many times before.

'Mister Frodo?' He asked cautiously.

'Hullo Sam.' Frodo's voice sounded cheerful in the blackness. 'I think it's time for our last adventure.'

Sam was heartily sick of adventure, but he felt he had the energy for just one more. 'But how will we find our way? It's so dark.'

Frodo sounded unsure. 'I don't know Sam, I seem to have lost the Lady's phial.'

Remembering, Sam reached into his pocket. 'I have it Mister Frodo! I took it for safekeeping.'

He drew out the phial, and a clear light shone forth. Now instead of blackness, all was a soft and comforting grey. Sam could see Frodo standing next to him, smiling. More than ever, Frodo seemed to shine from within with a crystal light.

'You shine too, Sam.' said Frodo quietly. Sam looked down at himself, and realized it was true. Under the Lights of Eärendil, the hobbits glimmered like faint stars.

Sam laughed. 'Well, fancy that!'

In the distance, stars winked into existence, flashing in response to the star held tight in Sam's hand, or maybe in response to the crystal light shining from Frodo and Sam.

'Do we follow the stars?' asked Sam.

'Always.' said Frodo, and hand in hand they walked towards the silvery lights.

fin

epilogue to follow