Frodo, who was asleep, woke up with a start to the sound of Merry, Pippin and Sam gathered around a fire cooking. They pans were rattling and they were talking amongst themselves unaware of the danger they were putting themselves in.
"My tomato's burst." Merry complained.
"Can I have some bacon?" Pippin asked.
"Ok. Want some tomatoes Sam?" Merry offered.
"What are you doing?!" Frodo asked in alarm as he shot to his feet eyes wide in alarm.
"Tomatoes, sausages, nice crispy bacon." Merry said happily.
"We saved some for you, Mr. Frodo." Sam said holding a plate out for him as Frodo ran over.
"Put it out, you fools! Put it out!" He stomped on the fire, trying to douse the flames as the other flinched back.
"Oh, that's nice! Ash on my tomatoes!" Pippin complained.
Suddenly, a Nazgûl's cry pierced the darkness. The hobbits jumped up, startled, and looked over the lip of the overhang spotting five Nazgûl closing in on Amon Sûl. They unsheathed their small swords and Frodo motioned the others to run up the steps, towards the ruins.
"Go!" Frodo ordered.
The dark night surrounded them as they climbed to the top standing in the ring of broken pillars of the old ruin, eyes darting about; shadows rising out of the darkness baring down on them. The Nazgûl surround them, pulling out their long swords; Sam, Merry and Pippin prepare to defend Frodo all of them gripping their swords tightly.
"Back you devils!" Sam said while brandishing his sword.
Sam clashed swords with the Nazgûl, but was swiftly thrown aside. Merry and Pippin closed the gap in front of Frodo, but they too were cast aside. Frodo backed across the hill, dropping his sword, unable to hold it in his fear, with a clatter. He stumbled falling to the ground and crawled backwards, desperate to get away. He shuffles back until he is backed against a fallen column with no way of escape save one.
Frodo brought out the Ring from his pocket and immediately, the leader of the Wraiths felt its presence. He approached Frodo, drawing a long dagger from his black cloak as Frodo tries to scrambled back, terrified, but trapped then desperately, he slipped on the Ring.
The world changed before his eyes as it had before. The Nazgûls' true forms were revealed to him, shining like ghostly kings. The King with the blade reached out for the Ring, and the Ring responded, lifting Frodo's own hand towards the wraith. With desperate strength, Frodo yanked his hand back. The King reared back then thrust the dagger forward stabbing him through the left shoulder, pinning him to the ground, and then reached again for the Ring as Frodo cried out in pain.
At that moment, Strider leapt over Frodo and attacked the Nazgûl with both sword and flaming brand in hand followed by Storyteller with her sword in hand and a dagger in the other. The King withdrew his dagger and dropping it to the ground, the damage done. As the rangers fought back the dark creatures Frodo summoned what strength he could to pull the Ring from his finger and reappeared in the middle of an anguished scream.
"Frodo!" Sam said as he rushed to his side.
Strider and Storyteller continued to fight the Nazgûl, Strider using both sword and torch beating back any who came near him. Storyteller's sword twirled in her hand allowing her to thrust it back stabbing a wraith coming up behind her then another twist sent a wraith off of the side of the tower while with her dagger she blocked the sword of another.
Strider set the others afire and finally drove the rest away except for one who was slowly trying to get away. Strider glanced over his shoulder and threw his brand directly into the wraiths face causing him to burst into flame screaming as he toppled off the tower.
"Strider! Storyteller! Help him!" Sam begged as Strider kneeled before Frodo. He snatched up the Witch King's dagger from the ground, staring gravely at the long, thin, blade.
"We shouldn't have left him alone." Storyteller groaned when she caught sight of the blade and Frodo' wound. She kneeled down next to the young hobbit holding him up as he continued his cries of pain.
"Help him, Strider!" Sam said looking between the rangers desperately. "Storyteller please."
"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade." Strider said as the Morgul Blade suddenly melts and vanished into the air like smoke. Strider threw the hilt down in disgust before looking back to Frodo, his face grim.
"Do something." Sam pleaded.
"This is beyond our skill to heal." Storyteller shook her head.
"He needs Elvish medicine." Strider said urgently as he lifted Frodo up. "We need to get him to Rivendell."
Storyteller hurriedly gathered their supplies along with the hobbits then they quickly set out leaving the tower behind. Strider carried Frodo at the head of the group, the hobbits following and Shadow take up the back making sure no one fell behind, the Nazgûl cries were still heard piecing through the air.
"Hurry!" Strider urged them on.
"We're six days from Rivendell. He'll never make it!" Sam said despairingly.
"Yes he will." Storyteller said in determination as she urged them to move faster.
"Hold on, Frodo." Strider said as Frodo mumbles and cries out in a state of extreme delirium.
-0-
"Gandalf...Gandalf?" Frodo called feverishly as his eyes flickered open, clouded and red- rimmed, his brow beaded with sweat, his skin drawn and deathly pale.
"Is he going to die?" Pippin asked fearfully. Time seemed to stop for a moment as everyone looked to Strider and Storyteller. Frodo's breathing was getting shallow and he was begging to really struggle.
"Of course not." Storyteller said sternly as she looked out into the darkness.
"He is passing into the shadow world; he will soon become a wraith like them." Strider said as Storyteller exchange a worried look with him then a distant cry of a ringwraith carried through the air.
"They're close." Merry said nervously as Frodo gasped in sudden pain.
"Sam, do you know the Athelas plant?" Strider asked as he handed Frodo over to Shadow who gently lowered to the ground while cradling him close to keep him warm and tries to get him to drink some water.
"Athelas?" Sam said uncertainly.
"Kingsfoil." Strider supplied.
"Kingsfoil. Aye. It's a weed." Sam said with a confused nod.
"It may help to slow the poison. Hurry!" Strider said as he led Sam into the woods.
Shadow was unable to coax Frodo to drink anything and kept casting looks around the clearing they were in, her eyes probing the shadows for any danger. Sam and Strider desperately searched the dark forest floor for the Athelas plant, a small, white flowered plant. Strider dropped to one knee before a patch and carefully began pulling it from the ground. Suddenly Strider freezes as a sword blade touches his neck.
"What is this? A Ranger caught off his guard?" Said a teasing female voice as Strider slowly looks up.
Frodo is breathing hard, desperately ill, his body shuddering under the onslaught of the poison eating away at him from the inside out. Storyteller gently wiped his forehead while speaking encouragingly to him softly in an attempt to calm him down while his cousins hovered around them. Frodo's half- conscious point of view gave him surreal impression of a shimmering figure in white as she leapt off a horse, an ethereal vision of Arwen.
"Frodo, Im Arwen...telin let thaed. I am Arwen, 'I have come here to help you.'" Arewen urgent. "Lasto Beth nin, tolo Dan na ngalad. 'Hear my voice, come back to the light.'"
Frodo's eyes close as a small amount of relief enters him while Arwen fell to her knees next to the hobbit.
"Who is she?" Pippin asked.
"Frodo?" Arwen said worriedly as Strider gave the Athelas to Shadow who chewed it up then pressed it to Frodo's wound causing him to gasp out in pain.
"She's an elf." Sam said in awe.
"Arwen, thank the stars." Storyteller said in relief. Arwen shared a quick look of assurance with Storyteller who nodded back before they focused back on Frodo. "The blade's poison is spreading quickly."
"Let me see." Arwen now appeared in her earth bound form, a young Elven woman with tousled hair, dressed in mud-splattered riding clothes. "He's fading...he's not going to last. We must get him to my father." Arwen said desperately. Aragorn quickly takes Frodo from Storyteller and lifts him up...placing him on the horse. Arwen and Storyteller shot to their feet, Arwen following Strider over to the horse while Storyteller remained with the hobbits. "I have been looking for you for two days."
"Where are you taking him?" Pippin asked.
"There are five Wraiths behind you, where the other four are, I do not know." Arwen said not hearing Pippin.
"Dartho guin Berian ar' Storyteller ...rych le ad tolthathon. 'Stay with the hobbits and Storyteller...I'll send horses for you.'" Strider said grabbing the reigns of the horse, but Arwen grabbed the reins from him.
"Hon mabathon. Rochoh ellint im. 'I'll take him. I'm the faster rider.'" Arwen argued before Strider clamped his hand over Arwen's.
"Andelu I ven. 'The road is too dangerous.'" Strider said gripping her hand desperately.
"Frodo Fir. Ae anthradon I hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon. 'If I can cross the river, the power of my people can protect him.'" Arwen said looking deeply into his eyes.
"What are they saying?" Pippin asked.
"She's going to take Frodo to Rivendell ahead of us." Storyteller replied as the elf and the ranger gazed into each other's eyes conveying more than they were saying.
"I do not fear them." Arwen said and Aragorn struggled to let her go, but knew that she had the better chance of getting Frodo and the ring to safety so with a reluctant nod he allowed Arwen to mount Alsforth.
"Arwen...ride hard, don't look back." Strider said desperately, Arwen looking down at him trying to convey all she was feeling with her eyes and Strider replied with equal emotion from his own gaze.
"Good luck my friend." Storyteller said as Arwen sent her a small smile.
"Noro Lim, Alsforth, Noro Lim!" Arwen said getting her horse to run at a break neck speed away from them.
"What are you doing! Those Wraiths are still out there!" Sam yelled as Alsforth sprang away, bearing Arwen and Frodo into the night and out of their sight. Strider stared after Arwen, well aware of the dangers she was facing.
"She will make it." Storyteller came up next to him taking her brothers hand in hers.
"I know." Strider nodded before looking to the others. "Come, we must continue on." Strider said and gathering their supply they hurried on following the rangers through the woods as they followed the path Arwen had taken.
Two days later they reached Rivendell with the aid of the horses sent to them where the hobbits quickly inquired of Lindir who met them at the gates the condition of Frodo. Lindir told them of Frodo, that he was in the care of Lord Elrond, and then they were given rooms.
Not soon after their arrival Gandalf came as well looking worse for the ware and was confronted by Shadow who delivered the grave news of Frodo's situation. With the help of Elrond the wizard and elven lord were able to save the young hobbit much to the joy of his friends. After some bed rest Frodo was up and about enjoying the sights of the great elven city.
Frodo and Sam were walking together when suddenly; the voices of Merry and Pippin could be heard as they bound up to Frodo and threw their arms around him followed by Storyteller. She was wearing a soft green off the shoulder gown with silver accents, a silver belt hanging low around her hips, and her straight light golden brown hair was parted in the middle hanging loose down to her waist.
Hanging around her neck was wand point emerald pendant the length of an index finger with two silver snakes, one crowned in gold, wrapping around it halfway down the emerald, the noses of the snakes resting touching on the front of the crystal. It was a necklace handed down through the line of females in her family while the ring her brother possessed was passed through the male line.
"Frodo! Frodo!" Merry yelled along with Pippin, both of them pulling Storyteller along by either of her hands while she laughed happily. Frodo was amazed by the change, she looked nothing like the ranger he had traveled with, she looked beautiful and he felt himself blushing in her presence.
"We're so glad you are okay." Storyteller said as she hugged and kissed him on his cheek causing him to go even redder in the face.
"Thank you Storyteller." Frodo smiled then Sam looked past Frodo smiling at bent figure sitting alone on a bench, in the sun. Frodo turned, following Sam's gaze his eyes widening in recognition and happiness.
"Bilbo!" Frodo exclaimed. Bilbo had aged significantly since Frodo last saw him, but that didn't seem to faze Frodo who rushed forward as Bilbo broke into a broad grin, embracing each other happily.
"Hello, Frodo, my lad!" He said jovially, the other joining the happy reunion as Storyteller watched with a wide smile.