1Chapter 5

You and I will meet again

"Frodo, I have some disturbing news. Gimli went out this morning to find the others. I could not prevent him and did not want to leave you and the others unprotected. He came back not long ago with many wounds. He told me he had found the others, but they were no longer alive. I did the best I could for him, but the enemy was bred solely for destruction. His wounds were too many and too grave." Boromir broke off, unable to tell Frodo that yet another member of their Fellowship had been killed. The Ringbearer's eyes were filled with tears. "Do the others know yet?" he asked.

Boromir shook his head. "Not yet; I wanted to tell you first." Just then, Sam ran up.

"Mr. Frodo, I can't find Pippin and Merry!" he exclaimed. Without hesitating, Frodo ran blindly into the fog calling their names. Before Sam could run after him, Frodo was lost from sight.

"Pippin! Merry! Pippin! Merry!"

"Frodo, Frodo," came Pippin's terrified voice.

"Pippin! Where's Merry?" The two were inseparable, but the other half of the pair was nowhere to be seen.

"I don't know. We got separated!" Just then, they heard a scream. Both Hobbits dashed toward it, making sure they stayed together. After running a short distance, they saw Merry lying on the ground, bloody and barely conscious.

"Hallo, Pip," he said, pain resounding in his voice.

"Merry, come on. We must get you to Boromir; he will be able to do something for you," Pippin said, so full of hope.

"I don't think so, Pip. I'm dying. I can feel it." Merry's face braced in pain as he said it.

"No, Merry. You'll live. You have to," Pippin protested, his eyes filling with tears.

"Frodo," Merry called, his voice barely above a whisper. "If the Quest is ever finished, be sure Cousin Bilbo mentions me in his book." He looked at Pippin for the last time. "Save the Shire for me, Pip." With that, Merry's breath slowed and then stopped entirely. A few moments later, Frodo felt the ground shake. Pippin, who for once knew what was going on, charged headlong into the Uruk-Hai.

"For Merry!" Pippin shouted as he disappeared. Frodo watched in horror as a few Uruk-Hai fell and the others eventually retreated. Pippin was nowhere to be seen.

"Pippin!" Frodo screamed and ran to the battle scene. He scanned the ground until he found the Elven brooch of Lorien beside the body of an Uruk-Hai. He rolled it with much difficulty and found Pippin's body crushed beneath it. Frodo felt for his heartbeat, but it wasn't there. Frodo dragged him over beside Merry's body. He knew he would not be able to drag their bodies back to the Shire, so he buried them there near Amon Hen. He wept long beside their mounds, marked with the leaves of Lorien. That was where Boromir found him much later.

"The Hobbits?" he asked. Frodo nodded, not looking up. "I'm sorry, Frodo. This is all the more reason for you to go to Minas Tirith. You must rest and get reinforcements. You and Sam cannot go to Mordor alone."

"The longer we procrastinate, the stronger Sauron will become."

"But if the Ring comes to Gondor, we can fight him, repel his strength. Then when Sauron is weakened, we can set out and destroy the Ring." Frodo was only half-listening to Boromir. In his heart, he knew what he must to, but he was terrified.

"This task was appointed to you. If you do not find a way, no one will," Galadriel said in Frodo's mind. Suddenly he was resolved.

"Boromir, I'm going to Mordor. The Ring must be destroyed."

Frodo felt Boromir's hands grasp his neck tightly. There was a crazed light in his eyes. He was now power mad, strong and dangerous.

"Boromir, let go!" Boromir didn't hear Frodo's cries. Frodo struggled but could not get free or even reach the Ring. He felt consciousness beginning to leave him. Then he heard a voice.

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." The voice was Gandalf's. The words he had spoken to Frodo so long ago in Moria were perhaps the truest thing Frodo had ever heard. Now Frodo could see Gandalf's face, gentle and kind, telling him without words not to be afraid. Frodo knew he was going to meet his old friend again. Frodo no longer saw Boromir's mad face, but saw him as he was when he once taught Pippin and Merry to swordfight. He saw their faces, as well, happy and innocent as their homeland. He saw Gandalf's smiling face and his last battle, the day he fell in Khazad-Dum. He saw Gimli as he had been outside Khazad-Dum, more joyful than he was on any day afterwards. Legolas singing of Nimrodel as the Fellowship entered Lorien, his ancient eyes shining with the wisdom of ages. He saw Aragorn beside the Lady Arwen in Rivendell, years younger than he seemed at any other time. Then he saw the Shire and Gandalf spoke again.

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." As he said this, Frodo saw Sam's face. Sam! He was still alive. With every ounce of strength and breath he had left in his Hobbit body, Frodo screamed long and loud.

"Sam!" Then consciousness, and life, left him, and he was gone.