Chapter Twelve

Trying to swim, Frodo realized with a grimace that the fog around him was black and suffocating. He attempted to cough and breathe in, but the chilling cold that swept through his spine stole his inhalation away once more and he was left in panic.

'Help me!' he wanted to cry out as the creeping shadows enveloped him.

"Frodo?"

It was as if the melancholy voice had answered his inward cry, and he tried again to give away some sign of life, some sign that he could hear the familiar voice.

Pressure was placed against his shoulder and he felt, as well as heard, a faint cry run from his dry lips and out his throat.

"Hold him!" the voice cried. More pressure was placed against him and, acting instinctively to the torturous pain, the hobbit lashed out with one leg, kicking with more strength than he knew he possessed.

As the kick was delivered, a cry of pain breeched the mist; Frodo could hear another voice, much louder this time, scream as he tried to gain control of his limbs.

For some reason, Frodo noticed that he could not stop kicking and flailing. The pain in his shoulder intensified as he did and he felt himself tiring, but he could not understand why on Arda he continued to writhe.

"Strider, what's wrong with 'im!"

Eventually slowing, he felt a world of torment come crashing down. Gradually, the hobbit opened his eyes to be hit by a fire-lit scene.

The sensation of ice was steadily slithering down his left arm to the point where he could hardly move the limb. He saw two worried faces smiling down upon him through the blur. And though they were overjoyed that he was awake, they were both held fear in their eyes.

"Where is he? Where is the pale king?" he asked, feeling his heart-beat racing at the memory of the ghoulish figure that had stabbed him.

Neither Sam nor Merry knew what their friend was speaking of, and at that point, neither really cared.

Grabbing his master's right arm and holding his hand while rubbing it, Sam nearly sobbed. "Oh, Mister Frodo! You 'ad us so frightened! Strider said you'd wake up, but we were all so worried!"

"That muskrat! He's no more a healer than I am a wizard." Merry lifted his nose in disgust.

"Where is he?" Frodo gaped a bit at how frail his own voice sounded; but even so, he turned his honest blue gaze upon Sam who was busy rearranging the worn out cloak over his body.

"Who?"

"Strider," the hobbit answered, exasperated at his weariness.

"Oh," Merry smiling, a little too merrily for Frodo's liking, and pointed to the side, just a yard away from them. "You gave him a nice kick. Good work cousin." He chuckled dryly and rose to his feet.

Pippin caught his older cousin with a glare as he tried desperately to keep the ranger down. "I see none of this as funny, Merry," he whispered with horror. He could hardly believe that his friend of so many years was turning against the only man that had been truly good to them on this trip- 'well, besides Barliman,' he thought dryly and shrugged. 'He's a good man.'

"Yes, well, you would of course have to be smart to not believe this cunning character." The Brandybuck pointed to Aragorn with a disapproving stare.

"'Cunning character'?" Strider seemed nearly as surprised as the rest of the hobbits, including Frodo, who was now wishing to get up on his feet and stop this fight before anyone else got hurt.

Sam looked up warily, still nervous to share his true position of loyalty to the ranger. "Maybe -" he stopped, licking dry lips. "Maybe he's telling the truth, Mister Brandybuck."

Turning quickly, Meriodoc's mouth fell open and he shook his head, eyes squinted tightly in a angry stare. "Don't tell me you've sided with him too?"

Rising to his feet, Samwise stepped before the hobbit, his own eyes the peek of fury. "Yes," he said with more confidence than he felt. "Who's to say he's a slave of the dark lord- how can any of us say that? We're hobbits!" He chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"Before this journey, I had scarcely ever seen a man, if even that much." He sighed and put a hand out to Merry. "Please, he's harmless."

Indignantly, the human sat up, raising brows high. "Hey, that's not fair. I just defeated all those wraiths and saved your skins, and you call me harmless…" he smiled, though the flicker of mirth never reached his eyes. "See if I ever decide to be your guide again."

Sam gazed at the eyes with a slight befuddlement, for he had never looked upon them steadily before. Strider had always kept his dark head under a hood or in the shadows; never had he revealed his face so freely before.

'Those eyes…' He was lost in thought as he watched the warm flames sparkle in their shallow depths. It was as if everything was dusty - no true color was evident and, to the Gamgee, he could not even keep the human's wandering stare.

"What?" The man started to rise, reaching to draw his sword. The silence that had spread over the company was frightening. 'But with my cursed life, I'm probably going deaf too,' he mused, letting the blade ring harshly against the sheath.

The sound was a comfort, for he could hear it. Yet that did not explain the stillness that had now come over the small camp.

"Strider, are you alright?" The voice was Sam's, and with fear Aragorn touched the wound to his side, fearful that the blood had spread.

He found it dry, no new blood, yet…

Waiting, he sheathed his blade once more and shrugged, altogether confused and wishing more than ever that he could see. Just for one blessed moment he wished that he would not have to rely on his sharp hearing, that he would not have to touch everything he tripped on.

Pippin, feeling fear as Sam watched, was near bubbling with awful anticipation. And it was not good eagerness; it was apprehension. Dread that the gardener might actually see the truth.

"I'm sure he's fine," the young Took blurted, trying to take the attention away from the Ranger. "Blood loss, that's all."

Strider stood, stark still, his breath coming out slowly. From Pippin's words, he finally realized what was going on.

"Blood loss my eye!" Merry scoffed. "He wants our pity!"

Feeling a deep want to retaliate, the human opened his mouth, but as he felt the words rise, he felt something. It was a memory of long ago, one that was comforting and at the same time remorseful. Something inside him snapped and he felt all the trepidation, the ire, the pain fall from him, and though he felt hurt and alone, it was a comfort as he remembered.

The roaring of the waterfall brought the blonde elf's attention up and he looked at the beautiful falls with wonder.

They crashed against the jutting rocks; flowers near the pool beneath spread different scents and they filled Legolas's nose.

After a while, the prince noticed, with some worry, that he was alone. He turned to see Estel, standing a far ways a way, his mouth open a little and his teeth clenched.

The elf blinked inquisitively as he watched the look of pain etched on the young man's pale face.

Walking back to his new found companion, Legolas touched the boy's shoulder gently, as if to ask 'what is wrong?'

Aragorn seemed to know what it meant, his trance faded and his brow bent in ache. "The waterfall, it hurts my ears," he whispered.

Instantly, the prince placed his arm around the human's shoulders and led him away.

Now he knew why Estel had complained; it hurt him. His ears, taking over the place of his useless eyes, now were more sensitive and took in a louder sound. Like a dog's ears, sharp and all-hearing.

Legolas opened his mouth to say 'Let's go back.' But nothing came out. He sighed and patted Aragorn upon the back, rubbing gently to reassure the man and pushing him in the direction of the house.

"Yes, Legolas. Let us go back." The man said as they slowly continued down the garden path away from the waterfall.

Confusion wrapped around the elf for a moment, then he realized something. Aragorn could tell what he was saying just by simple touches. His hearing, as well as his senses for touch, had been heightened.

'Finally, we understand one another, Estel.' Legolas leaned his head against Aragorn's shoulder and smiled.

"I think we do, Legolas, I really think we do…"

Another voice whispered, though it seemed to be more of an echo inside his head. 'You must tell them, Aragorn.'

He felt he wanted to argue, part of him shouted and wriggled against the insane idea. 'Tell them?' he mused. 'Tell them?' His thoughts clashed like the ocean against the rocks and he felt his head throb as a headache assaulted him.

Touching his temple, the ranger sat upon a rock and gulped down his anger, slowly replacing it with remorse, yet also with freedom.

"I want to tell you a story, Merry," he whispered, his voice almost unnoticed as the young hobbit turned back with a glare.

"Why?" he snapped, making no bones that he wanted nothing the man had to offer.

Drawing his finger in the dirt, Aragorn set his face to the stars and breathed a sigh, a prayer escaping his lips as he gulped.

"When I was young, about twenty or so, I met a friend…" he smiled fondly at the memory as he continued. "His name was Prince Legolas Greenleaf, and he was the kindest elf that had ever met me. He did not judge me, he did not fear for me, he simply understood me." Feeling a lump rise, the human rubbed a small rock in his hands for comfort. "Legolas was my eyes, and I was his mouth. Well, sometimes, he didn't even need a mouth." He left this sentence to itself, chuckling inwardly as he remembered Legolas's stubborn temper.

Frodo slowly brought himself up, cringing and holding back a yelp as icy pain enveloped him.

He pushed it away, 'No, you have waited too long, speak it now, Aragorn.' Weakness came over him and he struggled silently to hold himself up so that he could see the ranger through the misty cloud that veiled his sight.

Not knowing what to say, Strider gulped and put a finger to his lips in meditation.

"So?" Merry questioned, a little dumbfounded and confused by the words spoken before. "So, your sight isn't all that good?" he cocked his head to the side, humility finally overriding the want to attack this human.

"I see nothing."

"You can't see me? Or Merry? You can't even see the fire?" Sam was persistent, he pointed to the blaze behind him and stared at the human.

As Aragorn nodded quietly, Sam stomped forward, ire the prominent emotion. "You lied to me?"

Stunned, the man shook his head; this made it ache worse and he felt a need to hold it to his head so that it would not drop off his shoulders. "No, Sam," he whispered, "You never asked that information of me, you trusted me willingly, like Frodo and Pippin. I am giving you no reason to mistrust me, I only tell the truth."

"Then tell us the whole truth; if you are truly blind, than how can we trust you not to get us caught, or dead? How did you lose your sight? Tell us those things, Ranger, and maybe I will reconsider my mistrust!" Folding his arms, Merry continued to stand, placing himself hotly against a large boulder that sat to the side.

Breathing a sigh and rubbing his messy hair, Aragorn winced as the wound to his side ached fiercely. He decided with a wry smile that it was now or never.

"Alright." He licked his lips and scratched his chin. "The morning was clear and crisp, and waterfall greeted me first, as it had all the many mornings before. But this day-" he sighed. "This day was to be like no other…"

TBC

UGH! So, ok. I did reply to all your reviews! And then I pushed save, and the thing did NOT save! So, to answer the majority of your reviews:

Yes, I will continue to post on here, until they cut my account. And yes, I do have another place where I am posting my stories. It is: http/tome. . Tales of Middle-Earth.

Another place where I will be posting is my new yahoo group The Reading Corner. You can find it at this URL: http/groups. And yes, you must apply to become a member before you can read the posts. Anyway, I would be happy to have any, or all, of you on there. :D

At the most there should be six more chapters. At the least there should be three, so I am thinking somewhere in the middle of those two is when the story will be finished. I would like to finish it before I go to Mexico- but if I do not, I will only be gone for nine days.

And the last thing. I haven't yet seen the new rule about replying in the end of your story on new info board, and until I do, I will continue to reply. (shrugs)

Anyway- thanks for all your lovely reviews and I will do my best to reply next time. Right now, I need to go and wash up so maybe I can go play basketball outside with my brothers.

Namarie and may God watch over you all until our next meeting!