Into the West

Noonday now, Eadlyn sat on the edge of Theodred’s bed sharpening her blades, He watched her as she did so falling in and out of sleep. She had just a few hours earlier helped Eowyn bath him. She sharpened her elvish blades with anger, and frustration. Theodred managed to get his hand to brush against her arm. Turning to him she could see in his eyes question. She turned to ignore him but soon cut her finger “damn it all” She cursed placing the side of her finger in her mouth she sucked away the blood. Pacing now back and forth in the room. He watched, wishing that he could at least find the strength to speak. “Saruman's going to bring Rohan to its end….Eomer gone…Théoden's mad…Eowyn's not enough…the Rohirrim, half have left with Eomer…and look at you” She muttered turning to Theodred she ripped her finger away from her mouth. “ Frodo and Sam are valar knows where….Merry and Pippin are caught in the hands of those…new bred orcs…Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, and Boromir...if they’ve made it…have to be days behind....or trying to follow Frodo….” Eadlyn ranted trailing off “this isn’t right” she said softly “this isn’t how it was supposed to happen….we never should have split up…Gandalf always wanted us to stay together…” She said slowly, a sigh came from her lips. Theodred's eyes where open fully now as he watch her. She looked up at him blankly and walked to his side, kneeling on the ground next to his bed. She took his hand and looked him in his eyes.

“In the past I could look to you for assurance…You are a great leader and when all else failed I knew you knew what to do…” she said Theodred searched her eyes “tell me…what do I do…Go to my company, or aid here…” She asked. Theodred knew not of what her company was to her, and just what they were set forth to do, but in her eyes he could see a great urgency, and yet, would he dare wish for her to go again? That he may not see her. The door twisted and creaked as it opened, Theodred's eyes wandered up to the visitor and then they became cold, his grip on Eadlyn's hand tightened. The she rangers defenses when up as she rose to her feet slowly. She looked over her shoulder to see a small, pasty man, with stringy black hair and glassy blue eyes. She turned around fully and leered at him “Grima” she hissed, she didn’t need to ask she knew. He looked at her mildly afraid just by her looks, her white hot eyes burned with contempt as she placed herself protectively in front of Theodred. In Grima’s hand was a draught bottle, unmarked. “ So you are the rider the towns been going on about…Eowyn is a sneaky little flower…” he said pausing as he walked closer “but not sneaky enough” He added setting the draught down on the night stand. Theodred eyed the bottle with a slight fear. Eadlyn glanced back at him. “I’ve given him medicine…we are not in need of your draught…as it stands…the prince doesn’t want it” She managed calmly. “You…you are not to be trusted…a stranger from afar…you may be a spy” He said slyly, guards entered the room as she spoke. Eadlyn glanced around with unease.

She raised her head high and stood calm, her hands at her sides loosely “there is no man here in Edoras who does not know me…I grew along side of the Prince, and his cousins…I’ve lived in these halls” She said a hiss came to her throat. “And through your shameless serpent eyes I see the deceit of the white hand…you little worm whom crawl on your belly beneath the shadow of Sarumon…tell me now who hear is the spy…” She said taking slow steady steps closer to Grima. Who being a little man stood at her height. “Seize her and lock in the prison…pump her for any information…She is a watcher of Sauron…” Grima stated pointedly the guards Rushed Eadlyn whom fought back slightly “to know what it is I am takes having the eye behind you, Tell them who you serve you prideless cur!” she called as they dragged her out, her eyes landed on the draught as a small vile smirk came to Grima’s face once the guards had their backs to him. “no” she whispered “stop it the draught! It’s!” she called but a guard clasped his hand over her mouth and shut the door to Theodred room. Her calls of protest echoed through the halls of the castle.

"Merry! Merry!" Pippin called seeing his cousin had seemed to be weaving in and out of consciousness. It had been two days since the Uruks had taken them, and they paid no heed to feeding or watering them. From struggling Merry had a slight cut on his head the blood from which had dried in a stream down his face. "You're late. Our master grows impatient. He wants the Shire-rats now." A small hunched back Orc by the name of Grishnakh barked, a look of superiority came to his face “He already knows that you’ve lost the masters ….pet” he added with a sneer. The two chieftains of the Uruks leered at Grishnakh. Pippin listened into the conversation “pet?.....Eadlyn…” He thought it just wasn’t making any since. "I don't take orders from Orc-maggots. Saruman will have his prize. We will deliver them." Mauhur the tallest of the two chieftains growled leering at Grishnakh wanting nothing more than to be able to slice his head clean off and feed it to the wargs.

The Uruks hated their Orc counter parts, almost as much as they hated the Goblins. Pippin’s focus was drawn away from the scene when Merry groaned a bit "Merry! Merry! Wake up! My friend is sick! He needs water. Please!" Pippin called franticly. The Uruks turned to him infuriated and very impatient "Sick is he? Give him some medicine, boys!" Mauhur growled an unkind smirk coming to his face, what little lip skin he did have curled back exposing his sharp jagged and rotting teeth even further. A few of the Uruks surrounded Merry and one poured a foul claret liquid down his throat. It was thick and clotted, with a sticky swamp-ish quality to it. Merry choked and sputtered as the Uruk continued to pour in amusement what was undoubtedly some form of blood into the hobbits mouth.

"Stop it!" Pippin said in disgust, "Can't take his draught!" Mauhur called with a deep throated chuckle of a snarl. Pippin leered at him; Merry spit what was left of the blood out of his mouth and onto the ground. Wanting to gag, being what it was, was bad enough, yet it tasted as though it were several days old, and who was to tell where its source was from. "Leave him be!" Pippin demanded, the Uruk looked at him finding it funny that such a small creature would dare order it around. "Why? You want some? Huh? Then keep your mouth shut." Mauhur ordered, Pippin got quiet but glared at him fiercely. The Uruks turned their attention back on the Orcs.

"Merry?” Pippin questioned quietly, Merry opened his eyes and sighed a bit a small smile coming to his face “Hello Pip” he said lowly "You're hurt." Pippin said nodded to the cut on merry head which had long stopped bleeding. Merry shook his head a bit "I'm fine. It was just an act." Pippin looked at him skeptically “an act?” he asked Merry nodded "See? I fooled you too. Don't worry about me, Pippin." Merry chuckled a bit, but Pippin was still confused, had merry been trying to get the Uruks to leave them behind? Pippin could have told him that plan wouldn’t have worked. Pippin shook his head and sighed “and they call me the fool” he thought watching the Uruks. Ugluk the second and smaller of the two chieftains sniffed the air, he halted the herd and looked around. “what is it you smell?” Mauhur asked urgently Ugluk smelled the air one last time before looking back at his co-captain. “Man flesh” Ugluk growled Pippin’s eyes grew wide, and a bit of hope glimmered there in “Aragorn” he whispered, they had found them, they had come for them, there was still a bit of hope. “They've picked up our trail! Let's go!" Ugluk demanded the herd of Uruks and what few orcs that had joined them picked up their speeds. Pippin thinking quickly tore at the Lothlorien broach on his cloak with his teeth, he had to leave Aragorn and the others some sort of sign that they were still alive and needed help. Finally the broach fell from the cloth and landed on the ground.

Frodo walked ahead of Sam slightly, as Sam struggled to keep control of the rope. The previous day, they had a run in with none other than the creature Gollum. The hobbits had managed to capture him. Only now they did not know what should be done about him. Behind them he wailed and cried putting up a great fuss as she flopped around tugging at the rope. His screaming echoed off of the great rock faces of the land. "It burns! It burns us! It freezes! Nasty elves twisted it. Take it off us!" Gollum whined fingers latched around the lasso on his scrawny neck. "Quiet you!" Sam barked tugging at the rope. "It's hopeless! Every orc in Mordor is gonna hear this racket! Let's just tie him up and leave him!" Sam said as Frodo stopped and glanced at Gollum.

Sam was right, and the idea didn’t seem so bad. Having enough to think about Frodo didn’t want another problem on his hands, nor did they need the extra attention. "No! That would kill us, kill us!" Gollum yelled panicked and afraid, "It's nothing more than you deserve!" Sam called glaring at the toad figured nuisance. Frodo watched Gollum in deep thought. "It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance…” his past words muttered in his mind "Maybe he does deserve to die.” He said almost absently, he then raised his head a bit as the words of Gandalf flooded into his head "Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise can not see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill…" Frodo sighed and furrowed his brows “then again…now that I see him….I do pity him." He added.

Gollum as melted of mind as he was, was still ever cunning, sneaky in all of his nature. He picked up the hint of mercy in the hobbits voice. He could use this, that same pity that had kept his unnatural life going all of these years. A smile crept onto his face of pure callous an strife, however he quickly masked it with fake and impure innocence. "We'll be nice to them, if they'll be nice to us. Take it off us." Gollum said putting on another grand charade Sam eyed him, he didn’t trust him, how could anyone. Nothing Gollum did was sincere, everything seemed fabricated. "We swears to do what you wants. We swears!" Gollum said in low drawn out words, as he got on his knees, Frodo did not seem convinced, and neither did Sam. Gollum looked over the two hobbitses he needed a way into their trust, or he knew he was doomed, never to see his ‘Precious’ again.

"There's no promise you can make that I can trust." Frodo said warily "We swears to serve the Master of the Precious….We- We will swear on…on the Precious!” Gollum said frenetic in his words his eyes darted around for more things to say, he had to be tricksy, yes precious, very tricksy indeed. Frodo watched him, and he could feel the warning in his heart, that this might not be the right way to go, “but what other choice do I have…” Frodo thought glancing back at Sam, who was clearly against having Gollum around at all. “we’ve been going in nothing but circles…at this rate…we’ll never make it to Mount.doom…” He thought. He eyed Gollum one last time "The Ring is treacherous….” He paused in uncertainty “It will hold you to your word." "Yes…” Gollum slurred “on the Precious… on the Precious." He added his eyes wild and his voice lax.

This wild and crazed look did not sit well with Sam, and he was far to close to Frodo. Gollum had shown them as it was how he could not be trusted, and that he could lash out at any given moment. No Sam would not risk it "I don't believe you! Get down! Get down!" Sam called. The loudness of the hobbit frightened Gollum and he went to flee, Forgetting about the rope. As he ran farther than the span of his leash he was jerked the rope making him crash backwards to the ground. “Sam!” Frodo Scolded, Sam looked at his friend in disbelief, he couldn’t have been siding with the creature. "He's trying to trick us! We let him go, he'll throttle us in our sleep!" Sam yelled pointing at Gollum. Frodo understood partial what Sam was saying..unfortunately, enough…They needed a guide. Frodo stayed quiet and watched Gollum as he panted holding his throat. Maybe…maybe there was a chance he would hold true to his word…after all Eadlyn herself had proven not all things meant for Evil where evil themselves. Then it came to his mind “Eadlyn” he muttered, how had she been fairing, was she still alive, or had she fallen to her nature, had Sauron finally gotten her. He remembered back in Rivendell that urge he had to set her free, back in the counsel of Elrond. He remembered that Rabid look in her eyes when the Ring called out to her. Frodo slowly approached Gollum one small step at a time.

"You know the way to Mordor?" Frodo asked slowly kneeling before him, Gollum looked up at the hobbit in fear “yes” he whined. "You've been there before?" Frodo asked, his words were slow and defined as if talking to a very small child or someone whom was slow in mind. "Yes." Gollum croaked. Frodo reached out and snatched the rope off of Gollum's neck and tossed it to the ground. His eyes where very serious and somewhat threatening as he gazed into the creatures eyes. Gollum looked fearful and astonished at the removal of the rope; he looked up at Frodo with wide eyes "You will lead us to the Black Gate." Frodo demanded, “mister Frodo no” Sam warned, Frodo glanced back at him before looking at Gollum as the creature nodded and ran ahead of them Frodo got to his feet. He didn’t want to put his trust in him…but what other choice was he left with.

Gimli & Legolas watched as Aragorn held his ear to the ground, everyone was silent as Aragorn listened to the vibrations, A trick learned by the most skilled rangers. "Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent. Hurry!" Aragorn called getting up and continuing on. A slight hope filled Legolas’ eyes as he followed after him, They were closer. "Come on, Gimli!" He called to the Dwarf who was huffing and puffing as a trailed a bit behind them. "Three days and night's pursuit… no food, no rest, and no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell." Gimli muttered to himself before picking up his pace, even as tired as he was, he was determined not to be the reason this mission failed.