When Shadow woke, it was apparent that he was hanging upside down. When his blurry vision cleared, the Jedi found himself looking at…
Wait…is that…
"WOAH!" The Jedi was immediately sitting upright on the rear of Bill's scraggly body. Instantly, he regretted the sudden movement, but the pain he felt was better than the image he now had burned into his brain. "THAT was a little too personal with the pony…WHO LAID ME LIKE THAT?"
Shadow's companions were too overjoyed to see him alive to bother with answering his question.
"Shadow! Are you alright?" Sam ran to where the Jedi now stood next to the pony, over which Frodo was still draped on his stomach.
"Yes, yes, I'm alright," Shadow said absently as he approached Frodo. His hooded head cocked to the side as he observed Frodo's limbs dangling over the saddle. "That can't be comfortable," he muttered as he lifted Frodo's tiny, shivering body off the pony and cradled him in his arms.
"No," Sam sounded extremely saddened, "I didn't think so either, but it's the only way poor Bill could carry the both of ya…"
"Right," Shadow sighed. He looked fondly down at the rounded Halfling. "It's alright, Sam. Your Mister Frodo wouldn't mind."
"It's good to see you up and around, friend," Strider clapped the cloaked man on the shoulder. Shadow had difficulty reading the expression on the ranger's face. It seemed to be a combination of remorse, sadness, worry, and something else, but Shadow couldn't place it. "I was afraid the wraiths had claimed you as well."
The ranger's eyes fell to Frodo's face. Shadow examined it as well. The hobbit was pale, and shivered as though he were in a freezing rain.
"We warmed him by a fire for as long as we dared, but I feared the Riders would return, and we pressed on," Strider informed the Jedi, "I pray my judgment has not gone amiss."
"How long has it been since the battle?" Shadow asked, still gazing at Frodo's face.
"Not twelve hours," Strider frowned at him, confused, "The sun has yet to reach its highest point, and we left the watchtower two hours after the battle. There was no sign or feeling of the Nine, so we pressed on."
"Then your judgment has been perfect, Strider." Shadow raised his hooded head. "Do not doubt yourself. According to history, you made this journey without my help. You could do it again if need be."
With that, Shadow turned to the hobbits.
"Friends, Bill will not be required to bear Frodo and myself any longer. Please lighten your loads so that we may move all the more swiftly."
The hobbits did as they were instructed, and the journey began anew. Strider watched from where he walked beside the brooding Jedi as Shadow reached back to grab the tail of his cloak and throw it around his front and over Frodo. He knew this shielded the hobbit from any breeze and kept the left side of Frodo's body firmly tucked against his own to keep it warmer.
~#*ITS*#~
Five days passed with little event. Despite worries of another attack, the travelers passed over the Last Bridge and on almost to the Ettendales when Strider turned their course to the south, and a rainy night was passing under the shelter of a rock shelf. Frodo had awakened on and off during the journey and had tried to appear well during his waking hours, but he never left Shadow's strong arms except when they camped at night and he could be moved next to a blazing fire.
The Jedi could feel the hobbit's pain as the days dragged on, and he pushed the group to move as quickly as they possibly could. During his watch at night, Shadow often would drift to the fire, remove his glove and place a pale hand on Frodo's shoulder, singing songs of old to sooth the icy numbness and ease the hobbit's suffering.
"I would gladly take this from you," Strider had heard the dark man whisper one night when he thought everyone was asleep, "if only I knew how."
The sixth day of their journey dawned and early that morning, the group reached a location for which Shadow had been pressing. The group paused for a snack and a song from Sam in the shadow of the three trolls Bilbo had tricked into turning to stone all those years ago.
"We're a day ahead of schedule," Shadow informed Strider while the four hobbits ate, "We should not have reached this place until tomorrow afternoon. We may prevent cutting his fate so close after all…" Strider could not help but be encouraged by these words, but something about the last sentence made the ranger shudder.
The group had moved on, and evening light was beginning to fade when Shadow suddenly stopped as if listening.
"Our help has come at last," Shadow mumbled thoughtfully, "I wondered if our hurried pace would disrupt his tracking, but it appears as though it has not." He then turned to Strider. "Glorfindel has finally found us. He will be upon us shortly."
With that, the Jedi turned, and continued to walk with as hurried a pace as he'd held before.
"Should we not wait for him?" Strider called excitedly.
"He will catch up," Shadow spoke over his shoulder, "but the further down the road we are when he does, the better it will be for Frodo." With a nod, Strider ushered the remaining three hobbits forward.
The sun had fully set when the sound of hoof beats and bells reached the ears of the hobbits. Here, Shadow stopped and turned.
"This meeting may be strained at first," Shadow muttered to Strider. "Glorfindel will not know me in this form." Strider nodded, stepping in front of the Jedi. The hobbits crowded around Shadow as they waited. Shadow warily placed Frodo on his feet next to Sam and stepped back away from them.
Soon enough, around the bend in the road, came a magnificent horse and rider. The steed was brilliant white with a bridle that had precious gems laid into the supple leather. The rider himself was clothed in white, and his hood was down revealing brilliant golden hair. He stopped suddenly, shocked to find the road filled with travelers before him.
"Ai na vedui Dunadan! Mae govannen!" he called as Strider went forward happily, embracing the elf-lord when he dismounted from the horse. The two of them spoke hurriedly in elvish before turning to the others. As soon as the elf laid eyes on Shadow, however, he drew his sword and advanced faster than any of the hobbits could see.
"Glorfindel!" Strider cried, but he was too late. Glorfindel's sword was already lunging toward Shadow's exposed chest faster than sight. Just when it should have hit the target, however, the Jedi was gone. The hobbits cried out in horror, drawing their own tiny swords and running to where Shadow had recently reappeared next to Glorfindel's horse. They stood defensively before their friend while the horse nibbled knowingly at Shadow's hood.
"I was afraid you wouldn't know me as I am now, Glorfindel of Imladris," Shadow spoke softly, "It's alright, little friends, I think Glorfindel is at the point of remembering…"
The Jedi moved forward, hands raised in submission as he approached the elf-lord. When he'd fully passed Strider, Shadow brought on of his hands to his face, and Glorfindel gasped at what he saw. To the shock of Strider and the hobbits, the elf-lord dropped to one knee with a fist on his chest.
"Forgive me, Dai!" he spoke with new awe in his voice, "It was rumored that you had joined the hobbits, but few believed the reports. I was one of the doubters."
Shadow, having replaced the mist over his face, took the elf's shoulders and returned him to a standing position.
"A prince of elves should not be bowing to me," Shadow commented. "What news have you?"
"You know already, do you not?" Glorfindel challenged.
"Indeed," Shadow crossed his arms over his chest, "At least I know what is supposed to be occurring, but…there have been changes."
"There are five of the Nine behind us," Glorfindel's face drew up with concern, "I fear the others will be holding the Ford against us already."
"Shadow," Strider came up from behind, worry marked his face as he addressed his mysterious friend, "Can you stand against them again?" Shadow shot him an unseen look from beneath the hood. It was enough to silence the ranger, but Glorfindel hadn't missed the exchange.
"Tell me what has happened," the elf-lord demanded.
"Please do not exaggerate my involvement," Shadow sighed as Strider began his tale. He told of his meeting with the hobbits at the inn and of Sam's peril. Upon Glorfindel's request, Shadow showed the white scar that now adorned his arm. It was when Strider told of Weathertop that Glorfindel turned on the Jedi.
"You cannot do this!" he cried as Shadow stood with his arms folded across his chest defiantly, "You are too—"
"I KNOW, alright?" Shadow interrupted, "would everyone PLEASE quit reminding me? We have more important things to deal with right now. If this mission fails, my level of seeming importance will hold little value because EVERYTHING will be darkness. Can we please understand that?"
The hobbits watched in confusion as the "big people" bickered. Seeing Shadow throw his little fit made Pippin and Merry giggle. Frodo's pain had redoubled, however, and everything around him was fading into darkness and shadow. As he looked on the three men arguing before him, Glorfindel seemed to glow with a soft iridescence. The light of his people shone all about him amidst the darkness. What truly surprised the hobbit, however, was the bluish opalescence that surrounded Shadow. He'd never noticed that before…
Just then, it felt as though the blade of the Nazgul was piercing Frodo's shoulder once again, and with a chocked noise of agony, Frodo clutched at Sam's arm. Shadow turned instantly, leaving the conversation and rushing to Frodo's side. He lifted the hobbit gently and wound him in his cloak again as they had traveled for most of the journey.
"Damn," Shadow breathed, "the poison increased its speed with our own." Strider explained the Morgul blade and showed the hilt to Glorfindel as they made their way over.
"I trust you've been tending the wound?" Glorfindel spoke to Shadow.
"Indeed," the Jedi shook his head in frustration, "but it doesn't seem to have helped. We increased our speed in hopes that we could get to Rivendell before it got this bad, but it would seem the poison is not affected by time, so much as by the pull of the Nazgul. They have not lost our trail either. We must keep moving."
The next day and the night after that passed with little event. Frodo's days grew grey and formless while his nights became full of terrors untold. His only comforts came from the heat of Shadow's body as he carried him and from the light and voice of Glorfindel.
The next day after that, however, was full of expectation. Shadow had the last watch, and as the sun began to light the eastern sky, he went to wake Glorfindel.
"Be on your guard," Shadow told him, "If history holds true, we will meet the Nine this day…all of them. Five will be behind us, and four will be waiting at the Ford."
"I know you do not wish to speak of your value, Dai," Glorfindel looked hard at the hooded Jedi, "but in truth, you are a crucial player that we cannot afford to lose. Can you stand against them again?"
"I cannot again strike them with a blade, but I will stand if I must," Shadow replied, looking at Frodo, curled in a restless sleep by the fire, "You know I am not stupid, Glorfindel, and neither am I reckless. My history with the hobbit is irrelevant, and if my life is ended on this journey, it will not be needlessly. I would not have taken this guise if all I wanted was to toss my life away. I would simply throw myself before the Enemy. He knows me well as Shadow now, but he is still ignorant of my true personhood…and if everyone will stop fussing over me, he will remain ignorant."
The elf-lord nodded with a grim smile. This answer had been sufficient. Together, he and Shadow woke the hobbits and Strider. Glorfindel placed Frodo atop his magnificent horse, Asfaloth, and together, the weary travelers rode out to face their enemy and hopefully, to reach their destination alive.
~#*ITS*#~
A/N: Well, well, another tidbit has been dropped! As you can see, I've chosen to follow closely with the book in this chapter…sorry if any Arwen fans were disappointed. Next chapter will hopefully follow in quick succession because it's exciting, and I delight in writing exciting parts. XD Comments wanted and welcome!