Chapter 6 Attacked by the Nazgul

Aragorn sat staring out the window. They were coming. He could hear their screeching. He turned to where the hobbits, except Frodo

were asleep. Frodo sat on the bed staring straight ahead. The ranger understood why Frodo would not sleep. With the great burden he

carried he would not find peace until he was relieved of it. From across the room he could feel a pair of eyes on him. He turned to find

Mariell's cold suspicious stare upon him. The lass was something of a puzzle to him. When Gandalf had asked him to meet the group here
if he had not expected this. Though Gandalf had been rather hasty in his description of Frodo and Mariell, when he had seen Frodo there

had been no doubt of his identity. But Mariell had been something of a surprise. From Gandalf's description of her he had expected a

child; innocent, frightened; not a woman who would draw her sword upon him to defend her "brother". He studied her now. He guessed

her to be slightly younger than himself, perhaps twenty, twenty-two. She was dressed in men's clothing, black trousers, a red tunic, and

black boots to her knees. Her eyes were dark, very dark. Her skin was pale in comparison to her companions. He might have thought

her an elf if not for her small round ears, which he could see for her dark hair was pulled back into a long braid down her back. He would
find her quite beautiful if it weren't for the coldness in her eyes and the scowl upon her face. A loud screech from the Nazgul woke the

sleeping hobbits and made both Frodo and Mariell jump.

"What are they?" Frodo asked.

"They were once men," Aragorn explained sadly, "great kings of men. Till Sauron the deceiver gave them nine rings of power. Blinded by
their greed they took them without question. One by one falling into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will. They are the Nazgul.

Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the power of the ring drawn to the power of the ONE. They will never stop

hunting you." He saw the fear flash through their eyes. He knew they were scared and that was good. It meant that they wouldn't do

anything foolish. "Get some sleep young ones. We have a long journey tomorrow." Merry, Pippin, and Sam immediately fell back to

sleep. Frodo sat for a moment, but he eventually laid down and was asleep. But Mariell sat, awake and ready, staring at him, her hand

inches from her sword ready to cut him down at a moment. "You should get some sleep, Miss Baggins." "I am not tired, Strider, or

whatever your name is," she replied sharply. He couldn't help smiling. The lass had mettle, he'd give her that much. But if she expected to
be able to protect the hobbits from Sauron's evil forces, she was sadly mistaken.

"If I wanted to cleave your friends in two and steal the ring for myself, do you really think you could stop me," he challenged her.

"No," she said, "but I could make you think twice about it"

"You have strength little one, but you cannot protect them by yourself." She seemed to startle at being called "little one". He imagined

living amongst hobbits it was not something she would be accustomed to hearing. Knowing the ways of hobbits, he imagined that Mariell

had grown up being somewhat ostracized. He did not really know much about how she had come to live in the Shire. He'd asked

Gandalf about her but the wizard had refused to tell him anything about her, but only to protect her. As she sat before her now he could

not help but feel fascinated by her. He had many questions to ask her, but he would have to gain her trust first.

Mariell blinked as the sun shone across her face. She was startled as she realized she was sitting in a chair by a window. Panic overtook

her for a moment until she remembered where she was. Strider's room. The ranger had insisted they stay there last night after explaining

that he was a friend of Gandalf's and had been sent by him to meet them. Although Frodo had been willing to take the man at his word

she had had her suspicions. While the others had slept she had been determined to stay awake to protect them should this Strider attempt
to harm them in any way. But obviously sleep had overcome her. She looked around the room and was relieved to find the hobbits

scurrying about, unharmed. Frodo saw her and hurried to her side.

"Mariell, we were just about to wake you. Strider is getting us a pony, he wants to leave soon." Mariell felt her stomach clench. Dear

Frodo, so trusting.

"Frodo," she said quietly, "are you sure we should follow this Strider." Frodo hung his head.

"The truth is Mariell I don't know what we should do. I hadn't really thought about anything once we got to Bree. I expected Gandalf to

be here so he could tell us what to do. I know you think I am too trusting but I don't believe he means to harm us. We have no choice

but to trust him." The look in Frodo's big blue eyes made it impossible to refuse him anything. "All right Frodo. I suppose there really is

nothing else we can do." Frodo nodded and hugged her tightly.

"I'm scared Mariell," he whispered. She gently patted his back.

"I know. Me too." The door slammed open, startling them both. It was Strider.

"Come my friends, we must leave now." Strider led them from the village and into the wild. Mariell kept herself between Strider and the

hobbits. Frodo might trust this man but she did not. From the sounds of their conversation it did not sound like the other hobbits trusted

him either. "How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf's?" she heard Merry say softly.

"I think an agent of Sauron would look fairer and feel fouler"

"He's foul enough," Merry said. Mariell couldn't help but smile. She had to agree. Strider could do with a bar of soap. She hoped that he
couldn't hear Merry though. It would not be good to offend the man.

"We've got no choice but to trust him," Frodo said. Sam muttered something then about where they were going.

"To Rivendell Master Gamgee," Strider said startling them all. "The house of Elrond." Goodness, Strider had good hearing. They would

have to be careful what they said around him. "Did you hear that?" Sam said. "We're going to see the elves." Mariell could not help but

feel excited herself at the thought. Bilbo had told her and Frodo much about his adventures with elves. He'd even taught them a bit of

elvish. They walked for hours stopping shortly to eat and rest. As they traveled Mariell kept a sharp eye out for danger. Sauron's spies

could be anywhere and she was determined not to be caught unawares. She heard of rustle behind her and found the hobbits getting out

pots and pans.

"Gentlemen," Strider scolded them. "We do not stop till night fall"

"What about breakfast?" Pippin whined. Mariell rolled her eyes. Hobbits and their bottomless bellies.

"You've already had it," Strider said. Mariell shook her head. Strider obviously did not understand the appetite of a hobbit.

"We've had one yes. What about second breakfast?" Strider looked at her as though she could explain their foolishness. She shrugged

and Strider turned away in disgust. "I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pippin," she said to the baffled hobbit.

"What about elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, supper? He knows about those doesn't he"

"I wouldn't bet on it," Mariell said. She looked up as an apple came flying toward her from a bush. She caught it and handed it to Pippin.
It wasn't a typical second breakfast but it would have to do. They continued on and on through the marshlands. They trudged through the
mud swatting at the insects that sought to turn them into a meal. As they journeyed on Mariell's legs felt like they were going to fall off.

The sky was growing dark and the wind was growing colder. Strider had stopped and was looking at a stone building. "This was once

the great watchtower of Amon Sul. We will rest here tonight." Mariell was relieved to rest her tired feet at last. Strider handed the hobbits
a set of long knives, which for them were like swords.

"Keep these close. I'm going to have a look around. " Mariell leaned against the hard stone wall. Frodo sat down next to her and leaned against her.

"I feel as though I've walked to the ends of the earth," he said.

Mariell smiled and rumpled his hair. The day's journey along with the burden of the Ring had obviously left him exhausted.

"Sleep Frodo," she said. Frodo sighed. Mariell could sense his tension. She wished she could ease his burden somehow. She

remembered how Bilbo used to sing to them when they couldn't sleep. She tried to remember the lullaby.

"Who can say where the road goes, where the day flows, only time. And who can say if your love grows as your heart chose, only time."
Frodo's muscles loosened against her as she sang. The other hobbits sat a short distance away and they also listened. Though Mariell

was unaware of it Aragorn who was only a short distance away heard her and paused, entranced.

She finished the song and saw that Frodo was asleep. She kissed his forehead and pulled his head into her lap. She leaned her head back
and closed her eyes. She must have drifted off because the next thing she knew she was smelling smoke and heard Frodo yelling. She

leapt to her feet and saw Frodo stamping out a fire that the others had started. Those idiots! The enemy would be able to spot the smoke
for miles. A terrifying screech sounded from below them. Mariell pulled out her sword.

"Go!" she shouted at them. They rushed up the steps to the roof of the watchtower. Mariell gripped her sword hard as the Nazgul

approached them with their swords drawn. The hobbits drew their swords.

"Back you devils," Sam yelled. He was flung aside like a rag doll. Merry and Pippin jumped in front of her and Frodo but they too were

pushed aside. Mariell pushed Frodo back as she raised her sword against her foe. She swung her sword back and forth driving her foe

back. She spun quickly and blocked the sword of another Nazgul that had come up behind her. She gritted her teeth as she fought them.

She couldn't keep this up. There were too many of them. She groaned as she was knocked off her feet. Pain shot through her shoulder.

She glanced up and saw the Nazgul approaching Frodo. She tried to get to her feet but her shoulder was on fire and she couldn't raise

up. Suddenly, Strider came over the wall, sword in one hand and a flaming stick in the other. In one swift move he stabbed one Nazgul

and set another on fire. Ignoring the pain in her shoulder Mariell jumped up to help him. She drove one Nazgul over the side of the wall

and turned and stabbed another through the throat. In a matter of minutes they were gone.

"Strider!" Sam yelled. Mariell and Strider hurried to Frodo's side. Frodo lay on the ground, his shoulder bleeding and his breathing

ragged.

"Frodo," she whispered, running her fingers over his face.

"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade," Strider said grimly. "This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine." Strider flung

Frodo over his shoulder and they hurried down the watchtower. They moved quickly. Mariell and Strider took turns carrying Frodo.

Mariell was scared. Frodo was getting worse and they were many days from Rivendell. They set him down underneath a stone statue that
looked like a troll. Mariell wondered if these were the trolls Bilbo had told them about in his tales of adventures. She placed her hand on

Frodo's head. He felt like ice.

"Hold on Frodo," she begged him. "Do not give in to this evil." "He's going cold," Sam cried out.

"Is he going to die?" Pippin asked.

"He is passing into shadow. He'll soon become a wraith like them." Mariell squeezed Frodo's hand and mopped his forehead with her

cloak.

"Sam," Strider called from where he stood guard. "Do you know the athelas plant"

"Athelas"

"Kingsfoil"

"Aye, that's a weed"

"It may help to slow the poison," he turned to Mariell. "Keep him warm." She nodded. Frodo was shivering. She removed her cloak to

cover him. Frodo looked at her with vacant eyes. Mariell felt as though her heart were being ripped out. She felt like this was all her fault.
Frodo had looked after her since she was a child. Now when he needed her she had failed to protect him. "Frodo," she whispered.

"Please try. You cannot leave me. You cannot leave me alone. I need you. You are all I have. Please try." The tears were flowing down

her face faster than she could stop them. A rustling in the bushes put her immediately on guard. She breathed a sigh of relief when she

saw it was Sam and Strider. But they were not alone. There was a woman with them. This strange woman knelt beside Frodo and

started examining him while Strider placed the small plant he had with him on Frodo's wound. Mariell looked at the strange woman and

realized that she was an elf.

"He's fading," the elf said. "He's not going to make it. We must get him to my father." Mariell watched helplessly as Strider and the elf

lifted Frodo onto the elf's horse.

"I've been searching for you for three days. There are five wraiths behind you. Where the other four are I do not know." Strider began

speaking in a language she did not understand. It sounded like elvish but she could not tell what he was saying. All she could do was

watch as the elf got onto her horse and rode away with Frodo.

"What are you doing?" Sam yelled. "Those wraiths are still out there." Mariell got to her feet and went to Strider's side.

"Who is she?" she asked.

"Arwen Undomiel. The Evenstar of her people. Her father is Lord Elrond"

"Will Frodo be safe with her"

"If she can get him to Imladris, the power of her people will protect him"

"Do you trust her"

"Absolutely"

"All right then."