CHAPTER VII “THE MISTY MARSHES”
“Strength and Love”
Frodo opened his eyes and was barely aware of being held in Arwen’s arm, though she
was cleaning him off again. Probably due to the sweat. He snuggled against her, wanting
her warmth. Where was Strider though? He tried to focus on the area around them. They
weren’t at Weathertop any more, the King and Queen had moved him. They were not yet
at Bree though, still in the wild. It was daytime though, yet the mist still swirled about
them.
“Strider?” he whispered hoarsely.
“I’m right here Frodo.” Aragorn reached over and took Frodo’s hand
gently. He smiled at the hobbit and leant over to kiss his forehead.
Frodo struggled a bit to reach out his arms from the blanket. He wanted Aragorn. .it
wasn’t that he didn’t like being in Arwen’s arms, its just that he wanted
to feel the man. He realized drowsily that he was still naked under the blankets, he
didn’t care though.
Aragorn drew the hobbit into his arms, the blankets slipped off, and Frodo clung to the
ranger, wrapping his legs around the man’s waist and resting his head against
Strider’s heart. Arwen sighed and readjusted the blankets as Aragorn held him softly
and rubbed his back. “Frodo. Its alright.”
“No-no its not. I haven’t seen you in so long…Strider…why didn’t
you send for m-me…? Don’t you…don’t you want me?” Tears slid down
the hobbit’s cheeks as he shivered.
Arwen met Aragorn’s eyes with a sigh. She ran her fingers through Frodo’s damp
curls tenderly. “Please don’t think about that now, Frodo.”
“But…” Frodo looked up at Strider.
“We sent you a letter Frodo, it never arrived. We decided to come ourselves.”
Aragorn said softly, touching the hobbits chin and leaning down to give him a soft kiss.
“Of course we still want you.”
“And we love you.” Arwen assured him, taking one of his small hands and kissing
it.
“I love you too….I don’t f-feel well…I th-think…”
“You are very sick, Frodo. We can’t move too quickly with you like this, but we
will get you to Bree soon.”
Frodo coughed and nestled against the man. “I’ll be alright…” he said
weakly. He wasn’t so sure this time though, this time he felt so drained that he
could barely stay conscious for more than a few minutes at a time. He felt comfortable now
though, Strider was holding him. That’s all that mattered. He didn’t care if he
died right now, he’d die happy.
He drifted back into a state of vague awareness, his fingers curling through a lock of
Aragorn’s hair as the man held him gently.
“He needs to be in a warm room, with a fire.” Arwen said softly. “We have
to move him.”
“No…just let him rest comfortably for bit longer.” Aragorn stroked the
hobbit’s cheek. He looked so frail and weak….hardly the hobbit that had left
Gondor. It was as though he was wasting away. “I knew we should not have let him go
home, Arwen…”
“He had to go home. He loves the Shire, Estel.” Arwen rubbed the hobbit’s
back gently, generating warmth to the chilled form.
Frodo nestled against him and smiled softly, “But I want to be with you
too…” he whimpered hoarsely, his voice getting worse and worse the more he
spoke. He was terribly warm…and yet cold at the same time as he shivered even wrapped
in so many blankets and held tightly by the ranger.
“Shhhh.” Aragorn soothed softly. “We are taking you to Bree first,
Frodo.” he nodded to Arwen, ”We cannot afford not to move him. He’s too
sick to stay out in the wild any longer…and his energy is very low. He can’t
fight unless we can give him a comfortable place to do it in.”
The King of Gondor smiled at his Queen reassuringly, seeing the worry in her eyes,
“Frodo is stronger than we have ever given him credit for, Love. He has lived through
far worse.”
“I’m tired of fighting…” Frodo complained softly. “I just want to
be normal.” With that final plea…the small hobbit started to drift back into the
land of sleep and dreams….though he was loathe to go there right now, afraid He
opened his eyes again, clinging to Aragorn. “I can’t
sleep…please…” he whimpered. “I just want to be with you…”
Frodo fretted nervously. He looked up at Aragorn as though hoping the Ranger could take
all the pain away with a touch or a kiss. “I’m sorry.” he said softly.
“I should have waited…”
“You have nothing to be sorry for Frodo.” Arwen said softly steadying her horse
as they prepared to leave. “We should have come to get you sooner and not relied on
the mail.” she leant over and kissed the hobbit gently on the lips, just a small
gesture…then Aragorn did the same…and Frodo smiled…closing his eyes again.
Arwen rose to get up on her horse and open her arms for Aragorn to give her the hobbit.
Frodo was settled on the Queen’s lap and she wrapped one arm around him as Aragorn
jumped up on his own horse.
Frodo’s eyes fluttered open a moment as he watched the Ranger steady his animal and
smile at him reassuringly once again.
The trio began to move then, Frodo resting against Arwen sleeping on and off. It was a
bumpy journey…that really was all that Frodo remembered. He recalled a couple of
nights sleeping between them on the ground. Sometimes Arwen would sing, but Frodo was
barely conscious most of the time. He gazed up at the stars some nights while he listened
to them talk. He had lost the ability to speak a few days ago, his throat was so sore. He
hadn’t eaten much either, even with Arwen’s coaxing. A bowl of soup…maybe
some bread. He didn’t really remember. He shivered uncontrollably most of the time
though, sometimes he wondered if his teeth would fall out he would shudder so much. No
amount of warmth seemed to help either.
Then late one night they were finally atop a hill overlooking Bree. Frodo saw the lights
of the town underneath the starry sky…they were almost like Yule decorations. Had
they made it? He wasn’t entirely sure…and he yawned again, closing his eyes.
Maybe he would wake up next time in a nice warm bed…and he would be warm again.
TBC…