Chaos Unleashed: Part Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Kaia's POV

The air was eerily thick with tension as we departed Minas Tirith. Not one person spoke, laughed, or even dared to crack a smile as we rode through the gate on the horses that had been provided by Faramir to get us to Gondor's border. From there, we would dismount and continue on foot across the river, through Ithilien, and down to the secret, hidden entrance into Mordor. And as we slowly trotted forward, eyes trained to the foreboding mountain range in front of us, I knew everyone was feeling the exact same level of fear for what lied ahead.

My eyes scanned the black, jagged rock as it tore into the sky like sharp teeth, the glare of red flame bleeding into the mass of grey cloud hanging over the shadowed land. Despite the fact that Mordor definitely looked intimidating and evil, a part of me almost favored traveling there over staying in Minas Tirith for another day. Too many bad things had happened there for me to enjoy the city any longer. Briefly, I glanced around our little group to see Kathryn riding slightly off to the left and ahead of me with Pippin seated in front of her, and Erin even farther away, riding right alongside Gandalf at the head of the group. It had been two days since our fight, and we were all still completely ignoring each other. I almost felt guilty, starting off the last leg of our journey that way...but then I remembered how angry I'd been. Almost.

Kathryn, as per usual, had gone right back to sticking with Boromir, who was now flanked by Faramir on the other side. I'd heard news that their dad had committed suicide by jumping off of the top level of the city, and I pitied the two men. Boromir had been more sober than I'd ever seen him, and I figured that was why. Aragorn also seemed really tense as he rode with Merry beside me. I couldn't tell if it was because of the weight of his soon-to-be kingly duties or just from the fear that he wouldn't even make it out of this alive.

What really worried me, though, was Frodo. He was seated in front of me on the horse as my riding partner, and I swear, every time I looked down at him he was playing with the chain around his neck. It had started to rub into the skin, turning it bloody and scarred around the back of his neck. The Ring was getting heavier. It knew we were taking it home. I wondered if anyone else was being affected by it; I'd certainly heard it's call. It was taking a lot of willpower to fight against the temptation, and I could only hope I'd be able to last until we reached Mount Doom.

Later that night, when we stopped to set up camp, I decided to ask the young hobbit about it. The sun had set, and I approached Frodo with a bowl of hot stew that Faramir had prepared. "Here." Frodo nodded his thanks and accepted the bowl, allowing me to sit down in the grass next to him. There were a few moments of silence as I shoveled warm broth down my throat. "So. What's new?"

The hobbit's voice was low and quiet. "...He's calling me." I looked at him. "I can feel it getting heavier. We're so close now..."

I nodded. "Yeah, really. Closer than I ever wanted to be."

"The Shire never seemed so far away."

I frowned slightly at the sadness in his voice. "You'll make it back, Frodo. I'll get you there."

But to my surprise, Frodo hesitated. "...I'm not sure I would want to go home anymore."

"What makes you say that?"

He stared blankly out at the darkened horizon, as if he'd forgotten I was there. "Sam's gone. Bilbo's gone. Without Merry and Pippin, I'd have no one left...no one to travel back with. What if something would happen to them? …I never expected that I could be returning alone."

"Merry and Pippin will be fine," I promised him. "I'll keep them safe, too. You don't have to worry about them, Frodo, you've got enough of your own problems to think about. Speaking of which..." I nodded pointedly towards his chest. "I noticed that you've been playing with it a lot," I whispered. "You doing okay?"

Still, Frodo refused to make eye contact. "I suppose. Though it is a burden I wish I didn't have to bear."

"Yeah...but honestly, you're the only one here that I'd trust with it," I said. "Out of everyone in this entire group, I think you've got the strongest will. Definitely more than some people."

"I know. That's what worries me." That shocked me as well, and I shot him a curious look. Only now did Frodo turn his head to face me, and only now did I notice that his blue eyes were slightly bloodshot. "I have seen them all looking, Kaia. All of them! And I do not want to judge them harshly, but...still...I fear that some of them have been compromised."

My frown deepened. "Who?" Frodo looked away again. "Dude, come on. You can tell me, you know that." The hobbit only shook his head, dark curls bouncing, and said no more. "Okay," I sighed. "I won't force you. Just make sure you eat that, all right? And get some sleep." He nodded once, though I don't think he'd been listening as I stood, finishing off the last of my soup. Glancing over my shoulder as I walked away, a slight shudder went through me as I realized how unhealthy Frodo looked in comparison to two weeks ago. God, please let him be okay. I'd do anything to help get Frodo through this, but I doubt I'll be able to save him from himself.

oOo

Kathryn's POV

I couldn't sleep.

...Nothing new, really.

There was no telling how long I'd been laying there, eyes wide open and staring at a starless sky. My mind had gone off on so many tangents that I could barely even keep track of my own thoughts anymore. I'd thought about everything – the fight, how this mission was pretty much doomed to fail, what I would want as my last meal... Name it, and I'd probably thought about it at some point. All I knew was that it was late at night and I was the only person still awake. And quite honestly, I was enjoying myself. It was the first night in a long time where I (shockingly) hadn't been completely exhausted as soon as my head hit the pillow and was able to really think about stuff.

But of course, someone just had to come in and ruin it.

I was right in the middle of a deep-rooted musing over the subject of how Shrek came into existence when I froze. What the...was that a noise? I paused, laying completely and utterly still for about thirty seconds when I heard it again. A whisper – no, a ghost of a whisper on the wind. What the hell? What was that? Then it sounded again, and this time I fully recognized what it was as I squeezed my eyes shut. A voice.

Instantly, every nightmarish scenario imaginable raced through my mind at breakneck speed. Oh God. What if it's a serial killer? Do they have those in Middle-Earth? Would that just be like a regular assassin? Holy shit, what if it's an assassin. I don't have a plan for this. What do you do if an assassin attacks you? Oh my God, if I had a thing of pepper spray on me right now...

And then I heard it a fourth time. "...Precious..."

What the fuck. What the FUCK. My heart pounded in my chest. Oh my God, what do I do? It's getting closer! Should I wake someone up? But I was so terrified, I felt like I couldn't move.

The voice kept coming, a rasping, rattling sound on the wind. "...Where is the Precious? Where is it? Filthy little hobbitses, stealing from us! Taking thingses that isn't for them!" My eyes snapped open again. Oh my God, it's Gollum. "The Precious belongs to us...to us!" A pause, and I closed my eyes slightly again. I could see a shadow now, moving on the edge of my vision. He was close. "Won't be long now, Precious... Soon, we will take it back. We will take back the Precious...for us."

And then, in an instant, I shot up, shouting as loud as I could and startling everyone else out of their sleep. Just like that, chaos erupted throughout our campsite. Gollum dove from his perch on a rock above our heads, and I heard Frodo give a cry of terror, though I could hardly see anything. "A light! Someone light something!" I yelled, stumbling back and away from the action.

But just as Gollum came within reach of Frodo, there was another yell; another body leaping towards the creature in an attempt to subdue him. "Don't you touch him, you piece of shit!" Somebody else ran past me, and I heart more shouts, along with the ringing of steel as weapons were drawn. There was a thud like someone had been hit, and a strangled wail. Someone – Aragorn – shouted for Frodo, and just then, a piece of wood was lit as a torch, finally illuminating the scene.

My heart pounded in my chest as I took everything in. Frodo was seated back against the rock, flanked by Merry and Pippin on both sides as they slowly pulled him to his feet. The dark-haired hobbit looked terrorized, his eyes wild as his left hand was clutched tight around the Ring that still hung from his chest. Kaia stood close by, with Boromir tightly gripping her upper arms from behind as if to restrain her. Her face burned with anger, glaring at the villain with a look that could've burned him alive. And Aragorn stood across from them all, sword drawn, towering over the pitiful creature that had started it all, a similar look of rage mixed with disgust on his face as he took a step towards Gollum. "Why have you come?" he spat venomously.

Gollum did not answer right away, and I took the moment to look at him closely. He really was nothing more than a sack of skin and bone, pale eyes wide with fear. It felt strange, seeing such a thing in real life. "M-Mustn't be angry!" he finally stuttered. "We never meant to hurt the hobbitses-"

"That's a filthy lie!" Kaia roared, fighting hard against Boromir's grip. Gollum scrambled backwards. "You nearly took his head off!" I blinked. What?!

"Kaia!" Aragorn said sharply.

"Lies! Lies, oh lies! Why does she hate us, Precious?" Gollum cried, covering his ears. "Why does the girl hate us so?" His trademark retching sound came a moment later, and I cringed. God, it's even worse to actually hear it live.

"You know damn well why I hate you!" Kaia shouted again. "Because you want to kill Frodo and take the Ring for yourself!" It was only now that I noticed bits of blood on her rings, and a scrape across Gollum's temple to match.

"We want no such thing, Precious!" Gollum argued.

"Then why have you come?" Aragorn repeated his question, stepping closer again.

Gollum's eyes flicked to the sharp metal blade in front of him, swallowing hard. "...We made a promise...to the Master...of the Precious..." he said slowly. "We swore to serve! Yes, swear we did! But we lost Master!" he groaned dramatically. "Master was taken from us by stinking elveses!" For a moment, his pupils shrank, and I knew that was a hint of malice peeking through. But just as quickly, he returned to normal, looking up at Frodo again with wide, seemingly innocent eyes. "Devastated, we were! And so lonely!" Again, he gagged his own name. "But now...now we have found Master again! Now we can serve!" He seemed to almost smile at the idea.

But Boromir wasn't buying it. "Serve in what way? What use could we have for you?" It was obvious that he didn't have any kind of love for the creature either.

Gollum glanced up at the new face. "Whatever Master wants...we will serve." His eyes returned to meet Frodo's. "...On the Precious."

"You can serve us best by getting out of our sight as fast as you can," Kaia ground out. "We don't need you here."

"No...wait." Frodo's voice suddenly cut through the tension. All eyes turned to him as he spoke, his hand still secured around the chain at his neck. "Perhaps he can help us."

Everyone in the Fellowship looked at the hobbit like he'd gone insane, but Gollum's face lit up like a kid on Christmas day. "Yes! Yes!" He grinned, showing all nine of his teeth as he scurried towards Frodo on all fours. Aragorn's grip on his sword tightened, and Frodo shrank back a bit, but the fragile creature showed no sign of attacking him. "We will serve Master...if Master would have us."

Frodo hesitated, but then nodded. "I would," he said. "I would have you show us the way into Mordor."

Instantly, the tension in the group doubled. "Frodo, no," Aragorn argued.

"Don't," Kaia warned him as well. "We're not lost anymore like before. We know where we're going this time."

"Do we?" Frodo questioned, eyes flickering between the two. "Do we truly know what we're up against?" When no one answered him, he looked to Gollum again, this time going so far as to step up to the pitiful thing. "Do you know the path of Cirith Ungol?"

If it was possible for Gollum to go pale, he did. "The Secret Stair..." he breathed. "...No, no! Mustn't go that way! Master must not take the Precious back to Him!"

"That is our road," Frodo argued. "Do you know it?"

"Not that way! The Precious -"

"Do you know it?"

A pause. "...Yes." Gollum looked reluctant. "We know the way. A dark, terrible way...through the mists...and the rocks...but we know it, Precious...yes."

"And why would we trust him to lead us through it?" Kaia spoke up again. "If he gets us lost through there, we're as good as dead!" She was staring directly at Frodo now, doing her very best to persuade him. "We can't do this, Frodo. We're better off without him."

"No, no! Mustn't go alone!" Gollum jumped in. "Very nasty place, through there! Full of...enemies!" He shrunk back, wincing. "Terrible, terrible enemies..."

"What enemies?" Aragorn now seemed interested. "Orcs?"

Gollum nodded. "Orcses, yes...but others, Precious. Beasts...soldiers of the Eye."

"Men?" Aragorn frowned.

"No," Gollum shook his head. "Beasts." I swallowed hard at that. ...What kind of beasts?

Frodo spoke to him again. "And you know these beasts? You know where they are?"

Gollum hesitated. "...Yes. We knows. We can lead Master away from them, on safe paths to the Secret Stair. And up, up, up the stairs we go...and then through...the tunnel." His eyes darted down to where the Ring hung around Frodo's neck, and I saw Kaia try and jerk out of Boromir's grasp again. "We will keep the Precious safe...Yes, we will. Lead Master and the Precious on safe paths, we will."

Frodo straightened up, looking around at the rest of us, who'd been silent this whole time. "I say we take him."

"Frodo, no," Kaia whispered.

But the hobbit ignored her. "Gollum knows these lands better than any of us do. He could help us."

"That's ridiculous," Boromir scoffed. "He'd kill us in our sleep the first chance he got."

"No, no! We won't hurt the big men or the angry women or the little hobbitses!" Gollum pleaded. "We swore on the Precious!"

"And the Ring will hold him to his oath," Frodo agreed. "He must come with us."

Silence fell over the group for several long, agonizing seconds. I didn't know what to think. Should we take him? I don't trust him, but...I feel like it could have its benefits.

Gandalf then broke the silence from where he'd been quietly observing from behind me the whole time. "I think it would be wise to allow him to lead our company." Kaia looked like she wanted to punch someone. "And ultimately, it is the Ringbearer's decision. He is the center of our quest, after all."

No one seemed to agreed with the wizard, but no one dared to fight with him about it either. Frodo scanned the faces of us all one last time before nodded. "Then it's settled." He looked down at Gollum. "You will be our guide."

As a response, Gollum emitted a screeching cry of joy that made me cringe. "YES! Yes, yes, yes, Precious! We will lead Master, we will lead!" He cackled joyfully, spinning in circles with glee.

"Well then he might as well get on with it," Erin cut in. "Dawn isn't that far away, and I highly doubt I'll be able to go back to sleep now." Murmurs of agreement rippled throughout the Fellowship, and soon enough we were all packing up our stuff again. I couldn't help but keep an eye on Gollum as I went back to rolling up my makeshift bed, though. Maybe he was a good addition to our group, and maybe he would be a help to us on the road to Mordor, but I still didn't trust him one bit.

oOo

Kaia's POV

"Frodo, are you insane?!" I hissed, pulling the hobbit aside as everyone else prepared to leave. "We can't trust him!"

"You can't. I can." He held my intense gaze – odd for someone like him. "We can't just leave him here to die, Kaia."

"Oh, so now you're pitying him?" I gave him an incredulous look. "He just tried to strangle you! If I hadn't leapt in and hit him, you'd be dead!"

"How do you know that?" he bit back. "I could've defended myself."

"No, that's my job. I made you that promise way back when we started all this, Frodo. I told you I would keep you safe."

"Well, perhaps I don't need you to protect me this time," he said, moving to step around me.

I turned with him, completely shocked by his venomous tone. "Are you even listening to yourself right now?"

"Leave me alone."

"I'm not going to break my promise!"

"You should go help the others-"

"Frodo, I'm here to help you!"
"I don't need your help, Sam!"

I stopped, jerking back like I'd been struck. Frodo didn't even realize his mistake, continuing to walk away from me without turning around. I stared blankly after him for a moment, dazed, then quietly went back to my bedroll to gather up my things. Sam. It wasn't even his bitter remarks that hit me hard...it was that name. Is that my role now? Have I taken Sam's place to him? I remembered how devoted Sam had been to his master, and a dull pain formed in my heart as I thought about how long it had been since his warm, smiling face had been around. If I have...then I'm going to be the best damn Sam this world has ever seen.

oOo

Faramir's POV

I suspected that I was not the only one who was displeased with the addition of the creature to our company. Kaia, the girl...she was angry. Not with Frodo, but with Gollum himself. She was very protective of the Ringbearer, but I suspected her hatred of the frail thing was rooted in something deeper than that. Boromir was unsettled by him, too, I could tell. Often I saw his gaze flick to the skulking thing where he walked alongside the Halfling, and I guessed that it was out of mistrust.

I approached him that night as we traveled, matching his pace. "Hello, brother."

Boromir's eyes met mine, and a small smile appeared on his face. "What brings you here? Afraid to let an old man walk alone?"

I grinned, leaning to whisper in his ear. "If you are considered an old man, I'd hate to think what Gandalf would be."

We laughed, and Boromir shook his head. "Ever the joker, I see. I'm sure you kept Éomer on his toes."

"Yes, though it was quite difficult. He's even more stone-faced than you."

Again, my older brother chuckled. "I truly did miss having you around, little brother. Middle-Earth wasn't the same without you and your renowned wisdom."

I rolled my eyes at the sarcasm in his voice. "Well, it was nice to have a break from all your endless speeches about the glory of Minas Tirith."

"Was it?"

"Actually, no," I replied, "because when you weren't around, I was the one who had to do them." I winced at the memory. "I think that should remain your job."

"Oh, they couldn't have been that bad." I stared at him, and he raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're not joking?"

I shook my head. "Pitiful. I'm surprised they didn't move to make someone else steward."

Boromir shrugged. "You never were one for big crowds."

I nodded briefly in agreement as my gaze turned forward. "To tell you the truth, I thought they'd want you to lead them the moment you set foot back in the city." I smiled to myself, another laugh escaping my lips. "They practically worship you." When my brother didn't respond for several seconds, I looked back at him. "Boromir?"

He was staring off into space, brow furrowed, eyes slightly widened as if in fear. "...No..."

I frowned. "Boromir."

But he didn't hear me. "...No, I cannot...lead..."

I reached out, firmly grabbing him by the shoulder. "Boromir!"

"No!" He blinked, snapping out of his trance. I stared at him, worry seizing my heart as his eyes met mine, wild with confusion and terror. "...I'm sorry..." he breathed quietly, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair as he shuddered. "...Faramir, I'm...sorry."

"Sorry for what? Are you all right?" I glanced around to make sure our conversation was still private, but it didn't seem like anyone had heard us from our position at the end of the line.

Boromir did not answer for several seconds, and at first I thought he was going to ignore my question. But when he finally looked up at me again, I felt my worry change into fear, for he looked more shaken and paranoid than I'd ever seen him. "...No..." he whispered again, the word barely passing his lips. "No, I...I'm not all right. I..." He trailed off, closing his eyes like it was painful for him to speak. "...Help me, Faramir."

I opened my mouth, but couldn't immediately find my words. "Of course, brother. I'll help you with anything; what do you need?"

He looked at me again, shuddering. "It's the Ring." How horrifying it was for those three simple words to cause such a weight to settle in my stomach. "I can hear it...calling to me...always. I always hear it." My brother's voice shook. It hardly ever shook. "It speaks to me of the fall of Gondor...of the destruction of our people. And I am a fool – I have been a coward to do nothing for it!"

"No, Boromir," I said. "You are no fool. You are the strongest man I've ever known. It was not by your hand that our people suffered."

"But without my hand, they have remained in suffering," he said. "And I cannot save them; I know I cannot. I know of the lies the Ring whispers to me...but the way things have become, the lies sometimes seem more favorable than the truth."

I tightened my grip on his shoulder in an attempt to bring my brother back to reality. "Do not give in to those lies, Boromir. They will ruin you."

He cringed. "I know. I know, because...they nearly did so before." At my puzzled expression, he explained. "Early on in our journey from Rivendell, I...the Ring called to me then, as it does now. I thought I could fight it, but..." His gaze flicked to Frodo ahead of us. "...Had we gone a day longer without interruption, I would've broken my oath to protect him. I came so close, Faramir...and now I fear that I will not be able to resist a second time."

I stared at him again, not knowing what to say. My brother, the strongest man I'd ever known...and here he was, looking nearly as broken and weary as our father had in his final days. I swallowed hard, remembering what his fate had been. That could not happen again. I leaned in closer to him, forcing him to meet my gaze. "You have faced a thousand evils in this world that most men only envision in their worst nightmares," I said lowly, "and you have defeated every single one with honor and integrity. I know you, brother. You are a warrior; a fighter. To whatever end. You must not let that part of yourself slip away into darkness, understand?" He nodded, hanging on every word. "I have faith in you, Boromir. Unwavering and unending faith. You will face this evil, and you will defeat it as you have all your other foes."

Boromir closed his eyes again, taking a deep breath to calm himself. I tried to shake the eerie image of his broken body from my mind. "...Thank you," he whispered.

I nodded, knowing that no more needed to be said...at least, not to him. "Are you going to be alright? For now, at least?" He nodded. "I'm going to go speak with Kathryn, then. She has been walking alone for some time. Go to the hobbits. Surely they can lift your spirits better than I." The faintest of smiles appeared for a second on his face, and he nodded to me once more before we headed off in our separate directions. It took me mere seconds to catch up with Kathryn, and the moment I reached her, words were tumbling out of my mouth. "Kathryn, I need you to help me keep an eye on my brother."

She turned, startled by my sudden appearance at her side. "What? Why?"

"I can't explain everything to you, but Boromir is starting to succumb to the Ring's call," I whispered. Her eyes widened. "He asked me to help him, and I did, but I feel that two of us can work to protect him better than one."

It seemed to take her a moment to process what I'd said, but she nodded her head quickly. "Yeah, of course! But...why me?"

At that, I smiled at her. "He cares for you, Kathryn. You have become one of his closest friends on this journey. He will take comfort in support from you as much as he would from me."

"You think so?"

"I do not doubt it for a second," I assured her.

She looked at me, then back in Boromir's direction, and the concern was evident in her deep brown eyes. "I'll stay close to him," she nodded again. "The best thing that'll work is probably a distraction."

I smiled again. "Thank you," I said sincerely. "I deeply appreciate your help."

"Hey, like you said: we're close. I care about him, too." She offered me a small smile. "The last thing I want to see is one of my best friends taken away from me by Sauron."

I returned her smile. "I understand that. It is a hard fight to win against the Enemy."

"Yeah," she agreed, turning to look at the threatening horizon ahead of us. "I hope we can all win it."

A/N: Oh my God I am so happy Faramir is in this Fellowship because CUTE BROTHERLY BONDING SCENES oh man that is my JAM

thank u peter j for not giving me that in the movies [sobs]