1Chapter 2
Unfriendly Sounds of Night
"Aragorn, nad no ennas. Nin lasto han." (Something is out there. I hear him.) Legolas yelled to his companion. He was quite certain Gollum could not hear him, for the wind was still too strong. The sting the arrow ached terribly now that the wind had grown all the more forceful. Aragorn may have been right in attempting to bandage it. It was too late now, though. They had to capture Gollum and return to the camp before midday tomorrow and Legolas guessed that Gollum would not be taken without a fight.
"Which way do we take?" Aragorn asked his Elven companion. Legolas concentrated for a moment. "This way," he declared, pointing in the direction of the Anduin River. The two friends fought the wind, Legolas leading. Straining to hear over its fury, Legolas caught the sound of a familiar voice.
"It is close, Precious, Yesss, come to us. Gollum. Gollum. Come, my Precious."
Legolas fit an arrow to his bow while Aragorn drew Anduril. A few steps closer, Legolas guessed, and they would be able to see the horrid creature. His guess was correct. Luckily for them, Gollum had his back turned to the Elf and the Human. He was chomping on a fish out of the river. Legolas had to control himself not to kill, or nearly kill, Gollum, who had escaped the Elves of Mirkwood's grasp. The two companions exchanged a glance, silently counted to three, and attacked. "Ahh!" Gollum screamed, but he realized to late; Legolas and Aragorn were upon him. He fought vigorously, biting Aragorn in the shoulder and kicking Legolas sharply in his right side, causing his previous wound to reopen and resume bleeding. Gollum was nearly spent when Legolas and Aragorn heard a horn. Aragorn, believing it to be the Horn of Gondor, released Gollum and ran in the direction of the sound. Gollum kicked Legolas on his injured side once more, causing the Elf to stumble. Gollum made his escape, but Legolas, pushing the excruciating pain aside, quickly took up the chase.
"Boromir! Boromir! Legolas, have I led us the wrong way?" Aragorn asked, expecting his friend to be close behind him. When he heard no reply but the wind, Aragorn turned around. To his surprise, he saw the Elf nowhere. Aragorn intended to return to his friend, but once again heard the imploring horn. Aragorn ran towards it, figuring Legolas would respond to its sound, as well. He traveled a good distance until he spied something, and it was not what he expected to see at all. He saw the Kingdom of Gondor and himself, King Elessar, overthrowing the Dark Lord. Then the vision changed to destruction, the sundering of the Fellowship and Sauron regaining the Ring. He saw Arwen, his love, dying, her very life being driven from her by Sauron the destroyer. A voice called his name. "Join me, Elessar." He had heard that voice long ago, or so it seemed, on the Mountains of Caradhras. It was the voice of Saruman, the only Istar superior to Gandalf. Aragorn realized now why he had heard Boromir's horn.
"Surely by now it is my watch; why are the two of you still awake?" asked Boromir.
"I could not sleep," Frodo answered honestly.
"Nor could I, and the young Hobbits have profited by that fact, it seems."
"Come, Frodo; you at least must take some rest. You carry a heavy burden. You need sleep. You will be safe while Boromir of Gondor keeps his watch."
Safe. The word stuck in Frodo's mind as he stared into the fog. With Anduril close at hand, Frodo would have felt safe. However, it was not for his own safety that Frodo feared, but for the safety of the Ring. Did Boromir not say, even as they prepared to leave the land of Lorien that it was folly to destroy It? Because of the warning in his heart, Frodo long resisted Boromir's persistence. Weariness eventually took him and he went to lie down by the fire. In the distance of the fog he heard Boromir and Gimli trying to determine what time it was. Their voices comforted him, but sleep would not come to him. The possibilities of the quest were Aragorn and Legolas to not return seemed unthinkable. Never, before the time came as they left Khazad-dum, had Frodo thought about what might become of the Fellowship without Gandalf's guidance. Now he was forced to think of Boromir as the Fellowship's leader. Frodo's mind racked in pain as he saw Boromir using the Ring to defend Gondor against Mordor. Perhaps, as three thousand years ago, they would have the luck of somehow destroying Sauron's immediate power. But, that still left the ultimate test, the destruction of the Ring. Frodo envisioned generations of Fellowships striking out for Mordor, and falling into the same pattern. But what would happen if all the Wizards either died in the quest, as Gandalf had, or fell to darkness like The White Wizard, Saruman? By then the Elves would all be gone from Middle-Earth. Then Sauron would return and wage his final war against the land, and all would be drowned in shadow, for none of the wise remained in that land. Frodo felt his heart break as he saw the end of Lorien and Rivendell. The horror struck him as he saw the Shire consumed by fire and shadow under the power of the Dark Lord. Frodo sat up and tried to erase the reality from his memory as one shakes dreams from the waking world. The vision did not leave Frodo as long as the fog stayed upon the ground. He lay down, at length, again, but did not shut his eyes. He tried hard to remember some tale or song that Bilbo had used to tell him, but only memories of death and pain would surface in his mind. "Gandalf," he called out in thought. If only he had lived. The quest seemed so much easier when the Fellowship had a guide as wise as Elrond. But Gandalf was gone and the other two companions who had left into the dark had not been seen by any friendly eyes.