Faces of War


Chapter 4: Visions


The early morning mists had not yet parted, the sun had barely begun to tease the snowcapped peaks of the distant White Mountains, when Sam felt a gentle squeeze of his shoulder. He slowly turned from his place of slumber to stare into the eyes of the Wizard. "Samwise Gamgee, you will be of no use to Frodo if you fall ill from lack of rest, why did you not seek your own chambers?" The taciturn Wizard asked gruffly. Sam blushed in embarrassment at having been caught sleeping while he had meant to be watching his master and was about to speak when another voice chimed in "Master Gamgee's devotion is to be admired Gandalf" said a voice from the shadows as Aragorn stepped forward....." I requested that he stay, and when last I checked I was the King of Gondor" he said with a smile.


Sam heaved a sigh of relief, he still was a mite bit afraid of getting caught on the wrong side of the Wizard's favor, even after all they'd been to one another. Aragorn moved closer to the bed

"how is he Sam? Any change?" The King asked. "No, not that ye'd notice, he's been so still it's like he's turned ta one 'o Mr. Bilbo's trolls". Aragorn smiled at the mention of the elderly hobbit who'd given to Sam his love of tales, his kind and gentle mentoring and his Frodo. Gandalf moved closer to the bed, waiting for the sun to fully appear before attending to his promise of the night before, he lit his pipe and drew upon it thoughtfully a moment. Aragorn turned from his view of Frodo to ask the Wizard "Gandalf, last night you started to speak of something that has troubled me." Gandalf raised one eyebrow waiting for the King to continue. "You said that the skill Frodo'd developed to close his mind to these...these visions helped and hurt him during the quest." The Wizard nodded silently. "How is this so Gandalf?" he asked quietly.


Gandalf walked away from the pair standing by Frodo's bedside and stopped by the window to where the sun had just finished bidding the world good day. He shook his head a moment to clear his thoughts. "Frodo's ability to close his mind to the intrusion of these visions, to break with the will of the Valar enabled him to resist to the very last the utter evil of the ring, and kept him from the endless pain of insanity." He turned from his view of the window and made his way back to the bed where he gazed sadly upon it's occupant. "This same ability has also closed his soul to the memories of light and goodness which he needs to help him find his way in this new world, this world which he, the Valar...and Sam" he said as he placed his pipe upon the bedside table, staring at a blushing sandy haired hobbit "have brought to us." Gandalf moved to the side of the bed and bade Sam and Aragorn to move from his view as he made ready to pull Frodo from his trance. He placed one hand upon the pale hobbit's forehead and another just over his heart. As Sam watched, it seemed the room grew painfully quiet, not even his breath could he hear. He felt the energy, the life of the very air around him grow until it seemed all inside him was a tingle. He looked from Gandalf to the face of his dear master and noted how he seemed as still as death, he worried that perhaps there'd be no pulling him back when to his delight he heard a sudden gasp as Frodo's body shuddered in relief of it's release. Gandalf stepped back as he felt his own life force work it's way into the frail hobbit upon the bed. He smiled in satisfaction, Frodo would be with them again, although he knew it would not prove easy for the hobbit, the Wizard knew he had cleared the way for the Valar to once again make clear their wishes.


Sam clambered up upon the bed, unable to keep himself any longer from that which he most desired, to be near to Frodo. "Mr. Frodo?" he asked tentatively and watched as dark lashes struggled to lift themselves. Frodo groggily moved his head side to side and exhaled a deep sigh as he fought against the urge to remain hidden by his blanket of sleep. Aragorn, coming to the head of the bed felt the slender neck of the ringbearer and placed his hand then upon his brow. "He is not so cold and his heart has slowed." he reported.


Frodo, after several attempts, was able to open his eyes and found himself staring into the misty gaze of his own dear Sam. Glancing about him to the faces in the room he said weakly "Sam, what has happened? Have I been ill?" "Well, in a manner 'o speaking sir, yes, yes ye have....and yer jest now coming back ta yerself, so you rest, rest easy while I get ye some water and tea fer yer dry throat." Frodo nodded weakly as Sam climbed from the bed in search of a cup of water. His body ached and his head throbbed, he was not much inclined to move but he did have questions which needed answering. "Gandalf" he whispered "What happened? Why do I ache so?" The wizard exchanged cautious glances with King as Sam returned with the water and carefully helped Frodo sit up enough to drink. "You've had headaches again have you not ?" the Wizard asked kindly. Frodo winced as he moved to take the cup from Sam's helpful hands, "yes I have" he looked remorsefully to Sam "for quite a while now I'm afraid". He avoided Sam's hurt expression by attending to the water in the cup. He drank deeply and moving the cup from his lips was about to speak when he found the cup falling from his hands as stabbing pain assailed him. With a sharply indrawn breath he reached to massage his temples, but no relief was to be had and he found his eyes starting to water from the intensity of the pain. Sam sought to wipe the water from his master's night shirt as he tried to comfort Frodo in his pain "Shh sir, lie back, Aragorn'll get ya one of his nice draughts ta ease yer pain."


Gandalf moved closer and said soothingly "let it go Frodo". Frodo shook his head, not wanting to lose control, fighting to keep his mind his own. Gandalf continued in a mesmerizing tone "Let it go Frodo, let your mind open to the vision you are hiding." Through his shield of pain Frodo's eyes sought Aragorn's, the King nodded reassuringly and added "I know Frodo, let it go, we will be here." Sam's eyes opened wide with terror as he watched his master succumb to the horrors that sought to invade his mind. With a moan Frodo's most secret thoughts were overcome and he clenched his teeth in a desperate attempt to stem the tide of visions that waited to overwhelm him. His body tensed and he threw his head back while his back muscles tightened and he arched. He saw himself, as if from a distance as his thin frame was thrust one way and then another, the violence of his thoughts fighting to escape the weakened enclosure of his body. He sacrificed himself to the will of the Valar. and his mind opened.....


He was only aware of pain, jarring bumps causing his body new hurts with each turn of the wheel of the cart. The pain of his body waxed and waned but never left him as there was no easy passage upon the dusty desert path. The glare of the sun beat upon him and his body was aware now of not just pain, but the sensation of heat. Within seconds his awakening senses brought the sound of more pain to his ears, the cracking of whips and muffled cries of children came to him.

'The children' he thought as he struggled against the ropes that bound his hands and tried to sit up. He was made dizzy by his attempts to move and reaching awkwardly to his head he felt the sticky reminder of his attempts to resist the will of those that sought to bring him under their sway. With great effort he righted himself enough to see over the edge of the crude cart. He viewed the line of dusty marching children with despair as he saw their tired and sun burdened faces look to his sudden appearance. Their eyes, already saddened by the events that had

taken their loved ones, were hollow and empty of any hope. He fought with his own long buried memories of loss and loneliness as he watched the weary children trudge through the unforgiving sand and dry brush of the barren landscape. A sudden disturbance to the side of the cart caused him to sit up further and he watched in horror as one of the marchers collapsed. Her small body brought up small puffs of dust as she fell in a faint to the hot sand and rocks , her blond curls coming lose of her kerchief and feathering softly upon her sun reddened cheeks. Another marcher ran with clumsy steps to reach her side but was brought up short of his destination by the cruel crack of a lash which had been cunningly placed about his neck and pulled him back from his goal. A man, rough and cold in his demeanor, stood over the still body of the child in the dust. He used his foot to kick the downed child and with an ugly sneer raised his club....Frodo felt his heart would burst in his fear and anger...."Noooo" he screamed as he scrambled to jump from the side of the cart. He fell to the dust and using the moment of hesitation his scream had bought, ran to the side of the child. He lay himself across her inert body and looked up into the hard and pitiless eyes of the man above him. "She is but a child" he whispered "if it is pain you must inflict, then choose me to be your target". The man nodded wordlessly, gestured for the child to be moved to the cart, and turned once more to the hobbit.

Frodo stared defiantly at the man before him "not the children" he said as the man tied him to the wagon's back "not the children " he repeated to himself as the cart took off, painfully yanking him as he struggled to keep pace with the rope that lead him.


Frodo's scream of "nooo" caused Sam to drop all pretense of being a bystander as he frantically hugged and tried to bring Frodo from his vision. The terrified hobbit clung to Sam and clutched his back frantically as he burrowed his head in Sam's shoulder. Frodo's shaking form and wide eyed look of terror and hatred caused Sam to see another time and place where he'd held his master so. He was, for a moment, back in the tower of Cirith Ungol....where he'd found his master. The Frodo he'd held that day was a shaking and empty shell, naked and splattered with blood and filth, crying "noooo" in much the same way. Tears came to his eyes as he clutched the trembling Frodo to him, he turned to Gandalf in anger "Look what ye've done ta him....have ye no pity fer the terrors e's been through?" Sam gently rubbed Frodo's back as he waited for his master's slender hands to cease clutching at his shirt as the frail body slowly ceased it's trembling. Frodo's final gasps were slowing, his breathing evening out and his shudders reduced to occasional hitches as Sam turned his attentions away from his master to snap at Gandalf "Ye've terrified him...what's this done ta help em?" he asked scathingly.


Gandalf and Aragorn exchanged glances as Sam gently lowered a slowly calming Frodo to his nest of pillows. "It's helped me to see another great evil Sam" said a quiet and resigned voice as Frodo spoke without opening his eyes as he squeezed the hand of his friend. Frodo opened his eyes and stared a moment, as if not seeing the room the room about him "I must find them" he said. His voice gained strength as he continued "they must be saved." He struggled to sit up and Sam steadied him as he sought to clear his blurry vision to lock eyes with Aragorn. "Who are they Aragorn? Who are these lost children and why does no one seek them?" he asked, a demanding tone to his voice.


The King closed his eyes a moment while forming his answer. "They are orphans, the children of refugees and offspring of those who have suffered in the war....children who have been separated from their parents or whose families have perished at the hands of Sauron's armies." Frodo nodded and continued his determined query "what do you know of them?". The King paced the chamber a moment before answering "we know little Frodo, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of such orphans. They are scattered about the city, some we have found jobs for or are being fostered by families here in Minas Tirith, many are unaccounted for." The King shook his head "we will feel the pain of this war for many years Frodo" he said.


Frodo closed his eyes and leaned back into his pillow " they will feel the pain of this war for their whole lives." He was quiet a moment and Sam was hopeful that his master had fallen into a peaceful state of sleep. As Aragorn, Gandalf and Sam looked to the quiet figure upon the bed, Frodo spoke again. "I must find them you know" he said tiredly opening his eyes. "I know my friend" said Aragorn with a nod and a squeeze of Frodo's shoulder "and I must help you." said the King with a heavy heart.