The Faces of War
Chapter 17: Comforting
Disclaimer: This story is based upon the wonderful characters created by J.R.R Tolkien, I gain nothing from further exploration of the adventures that might have happened....except the chance to exercise my imagination!
Thanks to all who have taken a few moments to review....while the story is nearly done in it's rough draft, I have made changes based on the reviews you given me thus far! Thank you for "participating" in the creation of this story....
Becca.....Frodo will indeed be rescued....after many adventures, lots of pain and angst.The characters of the story will all emerge stronger for the trials they've experienced.
ClaudiaofBree....Galen is a battle scared and hardened individual, who though not perfect, has his compassionate moments...he will "be there" for Frodo and Princess again...restores a bit of Frodo flagging faith in the world of men....
endymion2....Dalmer will indeed have to "step in" to protect his hostage when his brother returns to the quarry....Galen isn't all angel...he has his weak moment, but overall his war hardened heart begins to "crack" under the influence of Frodo and Rosetta....he will play a part in the future rescue of our beleaguered hobbit...Aragorn is indeed puzzled by the disappearance of his friend, he does try to find clues...but soon will have to be little more aggressive in his actions....and the super ruffian waits in the wings.....
Iorhael....nasty business cauterizing...it really "was" done as a medical procedure...I can only imagine how inflicting that "treatment" upon the heels of some other gruesome battle wound must have been like....the "cure" might have been worse than the original ailment!
FrodoBaggins87...I am trying not to be to graphic in the sensitive realm of "personal matters" for our dear Hobbit...it is being inflicted upon him just to show how even the most unimaginable hurts can be "gotten through" if you have faith, love and friends at your side....Frodo will endure more pains...but perhaps not of that nature...I will be more careful to warn at the beginning of each chapter...do know that this pain serves a purpose in the end and that our Hobbit comes out of this stronger! I'm enjoying your newest story as well...keep it up!
Pippin and Merry strode through the cool grey hallways of the palace, neither speaking, but each knowing the thoughts of the other. Aragorn's message had been brief ....Comeback, Frodo's in grave peril, Sam needs you. They'd ridden through the night and leaving Gimli to see to the ponies, they'd immediately sought Sam's quarters. The message had only reached their camp the day before, and as it had taken the King's messenger 3 days to find the ever moving encampment of the Procurement officers, Frodo had been gone from the palace six days and Merry's face was grim with fear.
Gandalf met them outside the door of Frodo's chambers, long white robes sweeping about him as he strode to the end of the hall to meet them. Merry's dark and cold expression did nothing to hid his fear, anger and frustration and as he saw the wizard he let his emotions take flight "why is it we've been held in the dark about this Gandalf? Why were we informed so late?" the stern hobbit asked voice shaking. Gandalf raised an eyebrow to Pippin and received only a worried shake of the younger hobbit's head in return so he turned back to Merry, put his hand upon the hobbit's shoulder and began to walk with them back to the door of Frodo's chamber. "My dearest hobbit, we shall speak of it momentarily". Merry would not be soothed and as they reached the door he said "Why no one knows more of Frodo than us, and Sam, why weren't we told?" Gandalf sighed and raising a bushy eyebrow responded "My dear Merridoc, you were sent for when we discovered he'd been taken from the camp." Merry's face was sullen, a frown etched upon his normally smiling features as Pippin chimed in " what 'e means Gandalf...is why were we not told when Frodo's sadness took hold?" his young face frowning in bewilderment "why were we not sent for when Sam first became worried?"
"Because I'm always worried of him" a sad voice said from the doorway of the chamber. They turned to see a pale and tired looking Sam shaking his head before them "yer right 'o course Mr. Merry, but it's been a hard time fer me of late, wantin' ta respect Mr. Frodo's need fer solitude and balancin' it with all of us worrin' over 'im." Sam turned his back on the trio at the door and headed back into the darkened and lonely chamber. He sat heavily upon the bed and he absent mindedly ran his hand over the soft fabric of Frodo's nightshirt, folded neatly and waiting for it's occupant.
Pippin and Merry looked to one another and followed the wizard into the chamber. They came and quietly took their places on either side of their worried and quiet friend. The wizard's gruff voice broke the heavy silence of the room " Now Samwise, the fellowship finds itself worrying over you my dear hobbit. You've not left this room since we received the ransom note two days ago." The wizard's voice softened "you can not help Frodo through your sadness Sam, no matter how well intentioned." The Wizard looked to the hobbits on either side of Sam "he has sat here for two days with no food and little sleep for all that time, he was well on his way to being exhausted before we received the note. I would ask that you two use the hobbit sense you are so proud of to take care of our Sam until Frodo returns to do so." Gandalf said firmly then added "Sam, I leave it to you to tell of the events you feel so responsible for, while I return to Aragorn to hear of the scout's report." He turned to walk out the door, but spun on his heel as he reached the doorway and said "Sam, Frodo feels your pain too friend, as he would your hope."
After Gandalf left, Merry set his lips in a hard thin line and raising his brow to his cousin went to seek some hobbit comfort. Pippin sat near to Sam, not knowing what to say, but offering the comfort of his arm about the gardeners shoulder. He looked sideways to the solid face of Frodo's loyal gardener and best friend, he sighed and gently massaged Sam's shoulder as he listened to Sam try not to cry. He appraised the damage the last days had wrought upon Sam and did not like what he saw, the normally ruddy complexion of the sandy haired hobbit was pale, he had dark circles beneath his reddened eyes and he ran his hand over Frodo's nightshirt endlessly as he fought to maintain some contact with his master. Pippin had seen his share of frightful and horrific sights during the war, as had Merry, yet he imagined that none that he'd seen would ever compare to the visions that Sam held with in his heart. He thought of Frodo, his scholarly , kind hearted and gentle cousin, he thought of all the ways that Frodo sought to hide his pain from others and he knew that he and Merry would never hear the full tale of those days in Mordor, at least not from Frodo. The young hobbit looked carefully at Sam, he wondered if there were parts of Frodo's tale that Sam carried, parts of their story that Sam would allow to burn inside him rather than burden his master with it's telling. He was struck by the realization that ' though it'll pain him to tell of Frodo's deeds, he'll never heal ...nor will Frodo till the tale is told.' Pippin rubbed Sam's back and leaned his head to the sturdy hobbit's shoulder ' he can't keep the misery of two...not even his stalwart frame can bear that burden'. Pippin's thought's were interrupted by a swift knock at the door and the entrance of Merry and several pages bearing dinner trays.
Merry had taken charge in typical hobbit fashion and he soon had Sam sitting down to a nourishing meal of mushroom stew, baked taters, apple tansey and a rich, soothing custard. The room was silent save for the clink of knife and fork for a few moments as the three friends got down to the business of eating. As they finished, and nibbled to fill up the corners, Merry pulled out his pipe and pouch...then finding a spare offered some longbottom leaf to Sam. Sam looked to the offered pipe and gently taking it in his hands spoke for the first time. "I tain't had a taste 'o this since Lorien...Frodo won't touch it no more...said he'd had enough of smoke and ashes upon Mt. Doom." he said with a sad smile, then wiped a tear from his eyes.
As they lit up, Pippin and Merry looked to one another in knowing silence and pain. Merry broke the smoke filled silence " Sam lad, you'll not do Frodo any good moping about" he said sternly....but then softening his voice continued "he'd not want you to worry yourself sick...and I don't think you'd want him worrying when he needs to keep his wit's about him to save himself and these orphans." Sam nodded "aye Master Merry, I know that...and 'tis not my usual way ta go shuttin' myself up with me worries...it's jest...these past days...I've felt such an air 'o sadness." He drew on his pipe a bit "the sad feelin's are strongest 'ere...in Mr. Frodo's chamber."
Pippin looked a bit confused, not understanding why anyone would opt for sadness "Sam, why ever would ya seek to stay in such sadness?"
Sam got up and slowly walked to the windowseat, he looked out upon the city. Ravaged though it was, it still held and air of grand beauty and mystery that was so unlike the Shire, he shook his head. " 'Tis a fair question Mr. Pippin...I guess I get a sense somehow, in some way I'm not jest feelin' my sadness...but his too...like how he's feelin' right now, the pain, the fear, the loneliness....I feel it too." Merry nodded and looked to his younger cousin knowingly, he understood how the pull of deep friendship could make you feel as though you were with those you loved...he and Pippin had shared such moments and sometimes he felt like it was only the certainly of Pippins love that had brought him through this man sized hell. Sam sat upon the Window seat, the same seat his master'd sat upon not a week ago....and he continued "I feel as if my bein' here is helpin; me reach ta his mind, his spirts are awful low and I don't know how much more pain he can take...I don't know if he can rouse himself from his melancholy ta help himself through this pain...and so I sit here..."
Pippin stared quizzically at Sam "what pain are ya speaking of Sam? We know he's been taken....but how do ya know he's in pain?" Pippins green eyes bore into Sam, worried, demanding and relentless in their gaze. Sam sighed and putting down his pipe he wiped a tear from his eye as he reached to an ornately carved box upon the window seat, he opened the box and removed some yellow and brown stained parchments. He shuddered as he handed the first of the pictures to Merry "two days ago Aragorn received these from the garrison down ta the river." Sam said softly. Merry looked at the drawing, his cousin, his beloved Frodo lying tied to a bed, fear and defiance shining in his eyes. Merry handed the drawing to Pippin and held out his hand for the next drawing that Sam offered. He looked to Sam's face as the next drawing was given to him and he saw the fair haired hobbit's lip tremble in his attempt to stay his tears. Merry frowned and looked down at the drawing, what he saw took his breath and he clenched his teeth as he steadied his emotions. This drawing was also of Frodo, tied to the cot with a look of horror and pain in his eyes as blood ran down his face. Merry briefly noticed a cluster of men standing by Frodo's feet. He handed the second sheet to Pippin and waited for Sam's explanation.
Pippin gasped "These are jest dreadful Sam....I can see ye think they've hurt him...but perhaps it t'ain't to bad." Pippin said trying to reassure his friends. Merry was looking over Pippins shoulder to view the drawing another time as Sam pressed a third parchment to his hand, this one stained with brown, Sam would not release Merry's hand but instead with a deep breath slowly opened the stained paper with his two hands wrapped securely about Merry's. Sam's voice shook as he explained quietly "this to was found at the river garrison" he unwrapped the paper to reveal a gory lump of flesh, blood and hair. Merry's face whitened and he began to tremble slightly as his senses suddenly were drawn to the the second drawing,he looked again at the drawing in Pippin's hand, the men near to Frodo's feet and the knife in one of their hands. His eyes opened wide and he began to shake and breathe heavily as Pippins wondering gaze caught the level of his cousins' distress. Pippin looked wildly from one hobbit to the other, Sam's reddened eyes, Merry's pale face and he found his eyes drawn to the bloody lump upon the parchment. As the slow dawning of such a cruel reality began to come to him, he was forced to look once more upon the second drawing and as he saw the knife, the malicious grin and the unspeakable evil in front of him, he felt the room begin to spin. A rising and vile heat in his throat alerted him to his need and he fell to his knees as Sam quickly placed the privy pot before him. All of Pippin's agony, his hatred and his fear for his beloved cousin came to him and he expelled his despair with force and purpose as he vomited again and again, tears and trembling took him and he gasped from the intensity of his misery.
Merry sent for Aragorn and soon the King had soothed Pippin with one of his potent sleeping draughts and had gently placed him to sleep in Frodo's bed. As Pippin's tears slowly faded and he fell into the dreamless sleep of sedation, Aragorn spoke a few soft words to Merry and left the two hobbits to comfort one another. Merry sat beside Pippin and stroked his unruly curls gently "I do not know how much more pain we are supposed to bear Sam...how much more my Pip can take of this unrelenting cruelty...how much pain Frodo can outlast...I just don't know any more."
He said softly as he turned his tear stained face to the strength of the gardener. Sam clenched his own eyes closed to block the pain a moment before answering "I don't know Mr. Merry...I don't know how ta bear more 'n we have already, but Mr. Frodo would tell us 'look fer the good' ".
Merry thought of the incongruence of that statement under their current circumstances and he snorted "look for the good? Sam, even my good natured and gentle hearted cousin would find the hatred of these acts an affront to all that is right and proper in our world." Merry's eyes flashed his anger. Sam nodded grimly "aye, he would...and that is why he'd tell ya ta look fer the good....for when evil seeks to bring ya down, it 'tis the easy path ta let it take ya." Sam sighed and even smiled in gentle remembrance of his master " 'tis the strong one who can find the good when it 'tis the hardest ta find." Merry was too tired , worried and scared to engage in an argument about where Frodo's philosophies fit into the world of men right now, he ran his hand distractedly through his curls and changed the topic.
"What news has Aragorn gathered from his scouts?" Merry asked as he tucked the blanket one last time about Pippin, then stood and walked to the window seat. He sat down, filled his pipe and waited for Sam to answer. "None ta speak of , he's not found any settlements within 60 leagues of the city that can still sustain life." Sam replied. Merry nodded, in their travels they'd noticed the same thing, the damaged population of Gondor had fled to it's largest city seeking the protection of their King. "Yes" Merry agreed "we've found the same thing, unless there were a few soldiers stationed with 'em, people were scarcely seen in a 100 league radius of the city." Merry drew upon his pipe thoughtfully "but Aragorn must have a sense of where some folk reside...where it is that slaves might be used." Sam sat beside Merry "Slaves perhaps, but not children as slaves." he rubbed his temples, he was feeling muddled, his emotions kept getting in the way of his thinking. He shook his head " I jest don't understand what uses there'd be fer children as slaves, Big strong lads yes...but wee ones? Merry, it jest isn't making any sense and yet I know if we could jest see what foul purpose these men 'ave fer the children...well I think it's the key ta finding Mr. Frodo." Sam's voice drifted off as he recalled Frodo's awakening from his trance, the fear that had shone in his huge blue eyes as he'd seen the future of the children. He wished he'd spent more time talking with his master about his fears, instead of fussing over his health. Sam and Merry sat in companionable silence, the smoke from their pipes drifting through the room even as their own thoughts, thoughts and fears for the cousin and friend that they both loved.
Aragorn sent for more lanterns and directed his aides to have food and drink sent as he met into the late hours of the night with the members of his inner council. They were gathered, once more, about the map table to discuss the news just in from the most recent scout. Gimli huffed in annoyance as he blustered "yer messengers took their time findin' us Aragorn, why we coulda been here days ago". Legolas put a quieting hand upon the stout shoulder of the agitated dwarf "it matters not friend, you could do nothing more than we" he said sadly. That earned a resounding "hurmmppff" from the cantankerous and concerned dwarf.
Aragorn moved closer to the map table "Gimli, you've procured your quarry stones from what passes?" Gimli stepped upon the pedestal of the table to better sight his objective. "The only quarries with men enough ta mine Aragorn are here...near ta the third peak, here at the head of the Arnor pass and this one here, the site of yer prisoner 'o war encampment." Aragorn frowned at the mention of the prisoners, he'd only reluctantly agreed to allow these most hardened remnants of the war to be used as laborers, and the thought of it still did not sit easy with him. Aragorn pushed his regrets aside and continued "in your dealings with the quarry masters, did you see anything that would indicate the presence of children?" The dwarf shook his head grimly "there were precious few wee ones Aragorn, a few beggin' in the garrisons...an orphan here and there with a peasant family...no yer land 'tis barren of the little ones" he finished sadly.
Faramir approached the table from the shadows of a near by window. "Perhaps my lord, you might send some spies of agents of the King to work in their midst to glean news of Frodo and the children?" he suggested. Aragorn shook his head "I have thought of that Faramir, I am afraid that men of this hardened disposition will be too spacious of outsiders for that to work." The King sighed and stared long and hard at the map, an idea gradually began to form in his mind and he shook his head as he pursed his lips, then turning to Gimli once more he asked "How goes the work of the hobbits?" Gimli, happy to be able to offer news of a more positive nature launched into a description of Merry and Pippin's work as procurement officers. "Ye'd be amazed Aragorn ta see Mr. Merry working his wiles ta obtain what he wants...he's slick that one is...I do believe he could talk an Orc out of his armor....and Master Peregrin...well with his charm, let me just say that when it comes ta findin' items of comfort...out hobbits are more skilled than any wizard" he said his voice filled with pride at the exploits of his young friends. Aragorn nodded, he was not at all surprised by the ingenuity of the hobbits, he just hoped that combined with some subtlety and discretion that they'd find information as easily as they searched out supplies.