Chapter 33:
Erin looked up at the huge wall above her. She was so scared, she wouldn't admit it, but she was terrified. Terrified for the baby. How was she supposed to get up this steep rock wall carrying a baby? It just wouldn't work. "Frodo, do you have any ideas how I could get the baby up there safely?" Erin asked, looking to where Sam, Frodo, and Gollum stood.
"Excuse me, Miss," Sam spoke up, "You could put the baby in your bag, if you close it up so just Elijah's head is sticking out, it should be all right".
"Good idea, Sam!" Erin cried, taking off her backpack and gently putting Elijah in it.
He was sleeping peacefully and Erin smiled. He was such a good baby, he hardly cried at all. "Hobbitses, hurry, we must leave now, more orcs will come soon," Gollum hissed, starting to climb the wall.
Frodo looked over at Erin, "Are you sure you can climb today?"
"I'll be fine, besides, you heard Gollum, we have to leave before more orcs come," Erin decided.
She didn't admit it, but she was still feeling quite weak and sore. "You'd best go first, Erin. It's the safest way. If any rocks should fall, they will fall beneath you," Sam explained.
Erin put one hand on a rock that was sticking out and then she put her leg on a lower one. She slowly started to climb the way. She was shaking with fear by now, what if she fell? She gulped and reached for another rock. She looked down and saw Sam and Frodo were right behind her. "It's all right, Erin! You're doing fine!" Frodo called.
Erin continued to mount the wall and reached for another rock. It broke off and she screamed. "It's ok, keep going," Sam prodded.
Finally, after two hours of struggling, Erin reached a landing and quickly pulled herself onto it. "Thank god," She whispered, sitting down right away.
Next, Sam came up and took a seat beside Erin. "Where's Frodo?" Erin asked, worried a little.
"He'll be right up, he's a bit tired," Sam replied, taking out a little bit of Lembas.
A minute later Gollum rushed to the edge of the wall and saw Frodo almost at the top. "Careful Master, careful! Very far to fall! Very dangerous on the stairs. Come Master! Come. Come to Smeagol," He hissed, as Frodo made his way closer to the top.
The ring was out of Frodo's shirt and rested over his vest now. Gollum stared at it and his eyes grew wide. He started to reach for it. "Get back you! Don't touch him!" Sam cried, suddenly jumping up with his sword.
Elijah woke up and yawned. "What's happening?" Erin asked, confused.
"That little bugger is trying to take the ring, again!" Sam accused Gollum.
Gollum pulled Frodo up the rest of the way and turned towards Sam and Erin. "Why does he hate poor Smeagol? What has Smeagol ever done to him? Master... Master carries a heavy burden. Smeagol knows. A heavy, heavy burden. The fat one cannot know. Smeagol will look after Master. He wants it, he needs it. Smeagol sees it in his eyes. And soon, he will ask you for it. You will see. The fat one will take it from you," Gollum cried, pointing at Sam.
Frodo clutched the ring tightly and quickly stuck it back into his shirt. "Frodo, come sit down, you look so tired," Erin offered, patting a spot beside her.
"No, do not go Master, she wants it too! We knows it!" Gollum Hissed.
"Don't be stupid, you retching creature. Come sit here, Frodo," Erin encouraged.
Frodo looked a little worried but he walked over to Erin and took a seat. He took Elijah in his arms and rocked him back and forth. "What a good baby, he rarely cries," Frodo said, smiling.
"I warrant he's a lot like his father," Sam suggested.
"He is, just look at those big blue eyes and his hair, it's starting to curl already," Erin replied, stroking Elijah's head softly.
Erin, Frodo, and Elijah were all asleep. Sam was starting to feel a bit woozy. He shook himself awake. "I have to stay awake, who knows what that creature could do," Sam thought, trying to keep in focus, "Well, he is sleeping".
A few minutes later, Sam tried to stay awake but he now found it impossible. His head drooped and his eyes finally closed. Gollum opened his eyes quickly and made sure that everyone was sleeping. Once he noticed they were all out of it, he quietly scurried over to Sam's backpack. "Let's see how this stupid fat hobbit likes it when he is the one who everyone hates, yessss, preciousss," Gollum said, quietly.
At the other side of the landing, Erin groaned and rolled over. Gollum gasped, but she wasn't awake. He quietly took some of the Lembas from Sam's pack and went over to the edge of the cliff, making sure he was as quiet as possible. He threw most of it over the cliff, but he went back over to Sam and crumbled the rest on Sam's vest. He laughed quietly to himself as he dusted the crumbs off of his hands. Sam woke and looked at Gollum. "What are you up to? Sneaking off, are we?" He accused.
"S-sneaking? Sneaking! Fat hobbit is always so polite Smeagol shows them secret ways that nobody else can find, and they say sneak. Sneak? Very nice friend, oh yes my precious, very nice!" Gollum cried, waking up Elijah.
He started to sniffle. "Now look what you've done, you've waken the baby!" Sam exclaimed, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Sam walked over to Elijah and picked him up and started to hum to him. He looked to Gollum, "Alright! Alright! You just startled me is all. What were you doing?" He demanded.
"Sneaking," Gollum replied, with a smirk.
"Fine. Have it your own way," Sam finished, as he walked over and woke up Frodo and Erin, "Sorry to wake you, but we must be moving on".
"It's still dark," Frodo answered.
"Ya, Can't I sleep for just a little while longer?" Erin pleaded.
"Sorry, we must leave. It's always dark here," Sam replied, giving Elijah to Frodo, "But we'll have a bit of breakfast first".
Sam walked over to his pack and opened it. "It's gone!" He cried, suddenly, "The elven bread!"
Erin's eyes widened. "What? That's all we had left," Frodo cried, his voice raising.
Sam pointed to Gollum, "He took it, he must have!" Sam cried, angrily.
"Smeagol? No, no, not poor Smeagol. Smeagol hates nasty Elf bread".
"You're a lying rat! What did you do with it?" Sam accused.
"He doesn't eat it, he can't have taken it," Frodo protested.
Erin covered her ears and tried to comfort Elijah, who was starting to wimper. Gollum reached to Sam, "Look. What's this? Crumbs on his jacketses!" Gollum exclaimed, "He took it, He took it! I've seen him. He's always stuffing his face when Master is not looking".
"That's a filthy lie!" Sam defended himself as he started to punch Gollum, "You stinking, two-faced sneak".
"Sam! Sam stop!" Frodo cried, as Gollum cried out in pain.
Frodo reached for Sam to stop him, "I'll kill him!" Sam screamed.
By now Elijah was crying and kicking. Erin covered his ears and then screamed, "SHUT UP! STOP IT!! YOUR SCARING THE BABY!!!!!!!!!!!"
There was a silence and then Sam spoke up, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it to go so far. I was just so... so angry. Here, just... let's just rest a bit".
"I'm all right," Frodo assured him.
"No, you're not all right. You're exhausted. It's that Gollum, this place, That thing around your neck," Sam cried, starting to raise his voice again, "I could help a bit. I could carry it for a while. Share the load".
Erin put her head in her hands and sighed. This is going to be very frustrating. Frodo looked at Sam suspiciously and put his hand to his chest. Maybe Gollum was right about Sam. "Get away!" Frodo screamed, jumping back.
"See? See? He wants it for himself," Gollum accused again.
"I'm sorry, Sam. It is you," Frodo said, looking down, "You can't help me anymore. Just please, go home".
"You don't mean that!" Sam cried, collapsing to his knees and starting to cry.
Frodo walked over to Erin. "Erin, you should go with, Sam. Keep the baby safe," Frodo started.
"NO! Frodo please don't leave me! I love you!" Erin protested, her eyes watering.
"I know you do, I love you too, but Mordor is no place for you or a baby," Frodo said, hugging her.
"No..." Erin trailed off, tears running down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, please, go with Sam, save yourself," Frodo pleaded, kissing her softly on the lips.
He started to walk away. "NO! FRODO!!!!!!" Erin cried, as he started to climb up the wall, leaving Erin and Sam to cry.
(A/N sorry it took so long for this chapter but I've been really REALLY busy lately, but here it is! Hope you liked it, please review, next chapter will be coming soon!)
Erin looked up at the huge wall above her. She was so scared, she wouldn't admit it, but she was terrified. Terrified for the baby. How was she supposed to get up this steep rock wall carrying a baby? It just wouldn't work. "Frodo, do you have any ideas how I could get the baby up there safely?" Erin asked, looking to where Sam, Frodo, and Gollum stood.
"Excuse me, Miss," Sam spoke up, "You could put the baby in your bag, if you close it up so just Elijah's head is sticking out, it should be all right".
"Good idea, Sam!" Erin cried, taking off her backpack and gently putting Elijah in it.
He was sleeping peacefully and Erin smiled. He was such a good baby, he hardly cried at all. "Hobbitses, hurry, we must leave now, more orcs will come soon," Gollum hissed, starting to climb the wall.
Frodo looked over at Erin, "Are you sure you can climb today?"
"I'll be fine, besides, you heard Gollum, we have to leave before more orcs come," Erin decided.
She didn't admit it, but she was still feeling quite weak and sore. "You'd best go first, Erin. It's the safest way. If any rocks should fall, they will fall beneath you," Sam explained.
Erin put one hand on a rock that was sticking out and then she put her leg on a lower one. She slowly started to climb the way. She was shaking with fear by now, what if she fell? She gulped and reached for another rock. She looked down and saw Sam and Frodo were right behind her. "It's all right, Erin! You're doing fine!" Frodo called.
Erin continued to mount the wall and reached for another rock. It broke off and she screamed. "It's ok, keep going," Sam prodded.
Finally, after two hours of struggling, Erin reached a landing and quickly pulled herself onto it. "Thank god," She whispered, sitting down right away.
Next, Sam came up and took a seat beside Erin. "Where's Frodo?" Erin asked, worried a little.
"He'll be right up, he's a bit tired," Sam replied, taking out a little bit of Lembas.
A minute later Gollum rushed to the edge of the wall and saw Frodo almost at the top. "Careful Master, careful! Very far to fall! Very dangerous on the stairs. Come Master! Come. Come to Smeagol," He hissed, as Frodo made his way closer to the top.
The ring was out of Frodo's shirt and rested over his vest now. Gollum stared at it and his eyes grew wide. He started to reach for it. "Get back you! Don't touch him!" Sam cried, suddenly jumping up with his sword.
Elijah woke up and yawned. "What's happening?" Erin asked, confused.
"That little bugger is trying to take the ring, again!" Sam accused Gollum.
Gollum pulled Frodo up the rest of the way and turned towards Sam and Erin. "Why does he hate poor Smeagol? What has Smeagol ever done to him? Master... Master carries a heavy burden. Smeagol knows. A heavy, heavy burden. The fat one cannot know. Smeagol will look after Master. He wants it, he needs it. Smeagol sees it in his eyes. And soon, he will ask you for it. You will see. The fat one will take it from you," Gollum cried, pointing at Sam.
Frodo clutched the ring tightly and quickly stuck it back into his shirt. "Frodo, come sit down, you look so tired," Erin offered, patting a spot beside her.
"No, do not go Master, she wants it too! We knows it!" Gollum Hissed.
"Don't be stupid, you retching creature. Come sit here, Frodo," Erin encouraged.
Frodo looked a little worried but he walked over to Erin and took a seat. He took Elijah in his arms and rocked him back and forth. "What a good baby, he rarely cries," Frodo said, smiling.
"I warrant he's a lot like his father," Sam suggested.
"He is, just look at those big blue eyes and his hair, it's starting to curl already," Erin replied, stroking Elijah's head softly.
Erin, Frodo, and Elijah were all asleep. Sam was starting to feel a bit woozy. He shook himself awake. "I have to stay awake, who knows what that creature could do," Sam thought, trying to keep in focus, "Well, he is sleeping".
A few minutes later, Sam tried to stay awake but he now found it impossible. His head drooped and his eyes finally closed. Gollum opened his eyes quickly and made sure that everyone was sleeping. Once he noticed they were all out of it, he quietly scurried over to Sam's backpack. "Let's see how this stupid fat hobbit likes it when he is the one who everyone hates, yessss, preciousss," Gollum said, quietly.
At the other side of the landing, Erin groaned and rolled over. Gollum gasped, but she wasn't awake. He quietly took some of the Lembas from Sam's pack and went over to the edge of the cliff, making sure he was as quiet as possible. He threw most of it over the cliff, but he went back over to Sam and crumbled the rest on Sam's vest. He laughed quietly to himself as he dusted the crumbs off of his hands. Sam woke and looked at Gollum. "What are you up to? Sneaking off, are we?" He accused.
"S-sneaking? Sneaking! Fat hobbit is always so polite Smeagol shows them secret ways that nobody else can find, and they say sneak. Sneak? Very nice friend, oh yes my precious, very nice!" Gollum cried, waking up Elijah.
He started to sniffle. "Now look what you've done, you've waken the baby!" Sam exclaimed, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Sam walked over to Elijah and picked him up and started to hum to him. He looked to Gollum, "Alright! Alright! You just startled me is all. What were you doing?" He demanded.
"Sneaking," Gollum replied, with a smirk.
"Fine. Have it your own way," Sam finished, as he walked over and woke up Frodo and Erin, "Sorry to wake you, but we must be moving on".
"It's still dark," Frodo answered.
"Ya, Can't I sleep for just a little while longer?" Erin pleaded.
"Sorry, we must leave. It's always dark here," Sam replied, giving Elijah to Frodo, "But we'll have a bit of breakfast first".
Sam walked over to his pack and opened it. "It's gone!" He cried, suddenly, "The elven bread!"
Erin's eyes widened. "What? That's all we had left," Frodo cried, his voice raising.
Sam pointed to Gollum, "He took it, he must have!" Sam cried, angrily.
"Smeagol? No, no, not poor Smeagol. Smeagol hates nasty Elf bread".
"You're a lying rat! What did you do with it?" Sam accused.
"He doesn't eat it, he can't have taken it," Frodo protested.
Erin covered her ears and tried to comfort Elijah, who was starting to wimper. Gollum reached to Sam, "Look. What's this? Crumbs on his jacketses!" Gollum exclaimed, "He took it, He took it! I've seen him. He's always stuffing his face when Master is not looking".
"That's a filthy lie!" Sam defended himself as he started to punch Gollum, "You stinking, two-faced sneak".
"Sam! Sam stop!" Frodo cried, as Gollum cried out in pain.
Frodo reached for Sam to stop him, "I'll kill him!" Sam screamed.
By now Elijah was crying and kicking. Erin covered his ears and then screamed, "SHUT UP! STOP IT!! YOUR SCARING THE BABY!!!!!!!!!!!"
There was a silence and then Sam spoke up, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it to go so far. I was just so... so angry. Here, just... let's just rest a bit".
"I'm all right," Frodo assured him.
"No, you're not all right. You're exhausted. It's that Gollum, this place, That thing around your neck," Sam cried, starting to raise his voice again, "I could help a bit. I could carry it for a while. Share the load".
Erin put her head in her hands and sighed. This is going to be very frustrating. Frodo looked at Sam suspiciously and put his hand to his chest. Maybe Gollum was right about Sam. "Get away!" Frodo screamed, jumping back.
"See? See? He wants it for himself," Gollum accused again.
"I'm sorry, Sam. It is you," Frodo said, looking down, "You can't help me anymore. Just please, go home".
"You don't mean that!" Sam cried, collapsing to his knees and starting to cry.
Frodo walked over to Erin. "Erin, you should go with, Sam. Keep the baby safe," Frodo started.
"NO! Frodo please don't leave me! I love you!" Erin protested, her eyes watering.
"I know you do, I love you too, but Mordor is no place for you or a baby," Frodo said, hugging her.
"No..." Erin trailed off, tears running down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, please, go with Sam, save yourself," Frodo pleaded, kissing her softly on the lips.
He started to walk away. "NO! FRODO!!!!!!" Erin cried, as he started to climb up the wall, leaving Erin and Sam to cry.
(A/N sorry it took so long for this chapter but I've been really REALLY busy lately, but here it is! Hope you liked it, please review, next chapter will be coming soon!)