CHAPTER 13

THE TOWER OF CIRITH UNGOL

I was led to the very top of a dark tower into what appeared to be a small, cold torcher chamber. I watched as the patrol dropped Frodo on the ground and set to work untangling his web cocoon. I was shoved onto the floor and Shagrat moved towards me. Plan…I needed a plan quick! Then suddenly I thought of it. I sniffled and started to fake cry, hiding my face in my knees as real tears started to fall down my face.

"Hey, stop that!" Shagrat exclaimed, "What is wrong with you!?"

"You're going to hurt us," I wailed, I was sounding like Gollum, "You're going to kill us!"

Shagrat seemed taken aback, "Stop yer cryin'!" he snapped.

I wailed louder, "We're young!" I exclaimed, "Too young to die!" I was bawling now.

"Aww, Shagrat, what did you do to her?" exclaimed a by-standing orc.

"Uhh…"

"Poor lass," said Gorbag, "Why do Uruk-Hai have to be so heartless?"

"Excuse me!?" exclaimed Shagrat, "orcs are no better!"

"At least Orcs don't kidnap young lasses and make them cry!"

"What happened to you!?" exclaimed Shagrat, "You're my best captain…and now you care about….lasses!" the two began to argue back and forth. I looked at them, grabbed the first weapon I saw, a large, rusty axe, from the weapon wall and slipped away.

"Oi! Come back here you!" exclaimed Shagrat.

Crap! The two captains began to chase after me. I ran over to where Frodo lay, he was shirtless….and still unconscious, some orcs were fighting over his belongings, his Mithril vest lying untouched. I picked it up and threw it at Shagrat and Gorbag, who got distracted with it and began to fight over it. I killed the other orcs that were in there, grabbed Frodo's shirt, slung it over one shoulder, as well as Frodo. I put my cloak-hood on over my head and ran out of the chamber, axe in hand, keeping Frodo from falling off my shoulder with the other. I power-walked through the dark and quiet halls toward the stairs, suddenly, a weak voice cut through the quiet. "Millie…" groaned the voice, "Millie…" Frodo had regained consciousness. "I'm here, it's okay." I answered. I made my way toward the stairs, which was easy, considering the great commotion that was going on. I slowly walked toward it and peered over the side, my mouth gaped, a civil war was going on between the Orcs and the Uruk-Hai!

"I have got to get out of here," I said to half to myself, "Or we're toast."

I heard an orc screech in terror as it flew through the air and landed with a thump in the hallway. I slowly made my way toward it and held the axe against its neck. It let out a yelp and began to roar and scream, its arms flailing at the feeling of the axe-blade. I hacked off its head and almost threw up, not believing that I had just killed it. I decided then that I would not try and get out, it was too risky. If anything were to happen to me, it would leave Frodo weaponless, and as weak as he was, he would not last very long, and that has been done will be in vain, the poor Sam would arrive here, only to find two dead bodies. So in the meantime, I would hide and wait until Sam came, then we would all escape together...and go on. I tightened my grip on the axe, stood up tall, and headed away from the stairs, back in the direction that I had come. I headed down the hall until I came to a door that appeared to lead into another room. I took a deep breath and slowly opened the door, making sure that there were no enemies inside. There wasn't, it was empty and silent. They're all down there fighting, I headed inside, I shook my head and grinned, stupid orcs. I closed the door quietly and barricaded it with some old, rusty weapons that I had found in the corner in a pile. I gently set Frodo on the ground and handed him his shirt, which he put on quickly. I paced back in forth with the axe tight in my hand, my boots making soft clonking noises against the wood. "Millie?"

I turned to Frodo, "Yeah?"

"I'm so sorry…for everything." he said.

"It-it's ok…you didn't really mean all those things you said. I understand."

"I hope that you don't think less of me."

I kneeled down in front of the little hobbit and began to take the left over cobwebs from his face and out of his hair, "Of course not," I said. I finished removing the cobwebs and cut the bonds from his hands with a small rusty dagger from the ground. Thinking that it would be useful, I put the dagger in my belt.

"I'm sorry I put you up to this." Frodo said sadly, "I never wanted you to endure a fate such as this." A small tear fell down his cheek.

I took Frodo's hands and looked into his eyes, "I would never think less of you, you are one of the best things that have ever happened to me, and I am glad to be here with you, and share this fate…I love you."

Frodo looked at me with his tear stained face. "You really mean that?"

"Of course."

Frodo managed a weak smile, "I'm glad you're here with me." He said.

I smiled.

BANG! BANG! BANG! "I know you're in there!" came an angry orc voice, "Open up before I do it for ya, then you'll wish you'd listened." Shagrat! He'd found us! I stood up and readied the axe in my hands, "Stay behind me," I told Frodo, I handed him the dagger, "if the worst should happen, don't grieve me; use this to fend them off." He nodded and stood up. The door broke into a shower of splinters with a snap and Shagrat and two other Uruk-Hai came in. I began with hacking off the heads of the two followers before I faced Shagrat. "Well, well Lassie, looks like you won't be seeing the light of day again. I narrowed my eyes. Shagrat lunged and almost hit me, but I deflected the blow my clashing the blade with the axe. We began to duel. We hacked and slashed at one another. Then Shagrat caught sight of Frodo and laughed, "You're working this hard to protect that little rat? Ha, ha!"

"He ain't no rat, you are, and you will not take him from me again!" In a swift movement, I knocked the sword out of his hand and had the axe raised above my head, ready to take Shagrat's life, "Say goodbye ass-rat." I said. Suddenly, he froze, and crumpled to the ground, dead. Standing above him was none other than Sam. I lowered the axe and dropped it, then ran over and embraced Sam, "Sam!" I exclaimed.

"Millie!" he stopped hugging me and suddenly became very serious, "Where's Mr. Frodo?"

"Right over here." I peered down at the little hobbit.

"Mr. Frodo!"

"Sam!" The two hobbits embraced one another. "Oh Sam," said Frodo, "I'm so sorry, for everything."

Sam suddenly turned away.

"Sam?" Frodo asked, puzzled.

Sam took something out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Frodo, it was the Ring! "I thought I'd lost you'd…so I took it…only for safe keeping." Frodo said nothing but just fastened the Ring around his neck, looking Sam in the eyes closely. "Thank you Sam," he finally said, "But I wish you hadn't, it's not your burden to bear, it's mine, you must understand." His voice was full of compassion, "it will destroy you." His voice was not full of anger, but of deep compassion and love.

Sam slowly nodded, "Come on now, we should go." We nodded.