Ilúvatar Adiuvante
Recaptured - Chapter 133

Author: Llinos
Beta: Marigold

The blue path was stained with mud and was becoming harder to follow. Yet the Dark Mind pressed forward with all His force. There it was again! A minute speck of dirty blue, but around it was wreathed dancing tendrils of sparkling quicksilver that were out of place. He sensed the discomfort of the mercurial strands, a growing confusion from an overlong exposure to the foreign consciousness. The muddy blotch was too diminutive; too fragmented to hold its host, so why was such a powerful entity there at all?

Silver beams emanated from the blue smudge, spilling out from the tiny thoughts that they were trying to direct – where? To follow It! His Ring – It was close now. But there was more!

The two parts, the indivisible that had been divided by Its will for preservation, were drawing nearer, almost touching! He could wait no longer, any delay now and the halves would be forced to be whole again and, being whole, the blinding silver force would emerge from the mud-stained blot and seize It!

He could feel the power of that veiled mind. It was trying to disguise itself, but it was too strong. Once the Ring coalesced, the silver light would grasp the Ring and wield It – against Him! He must act now!

Sauron surged forward and slammed a deep black barricade across the silver thoughts. He turned to confront it and compel it to fight. The struggle would be unequal and The Dark Lord knew He could force it before Him into a void from whence there would be no redemption – not this time.

First though Sauron must force His enemy out into the open. He pressed a small corner of His mind down onto the blue mud spot, crushing it as one might squash an ant.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Pippin! Pip, are you all right?" Frodo held his cousin by the shoulders and shook him, "I thought I'd… that is I was so demented, I thought I'd killed you!"

"Not Fro, you not…you notted go kill at We!" Pippin put his hands on top of Frodo's in an attempt to stop the shaking. "You go be to kill We for a littel minute and you not stop judderings We!"

"What?" Frodo stopped the shaking and held Pippin out at arm's length, studying him carefully for the first time. "Talk properly Pip. What's wrong with you? I can't understand a word you're saying."

Pippin gasped and coughed, trying to recover from the near strangling, followed by the shaking. "We speaks keep go scattercakes! Not can't help We do it!"

"Well at least you're talking again." Frodo's mind, which was still fogged by his own near death and the deprivations of his journey through Mordor, was suddenly jolted back to the last time he had seen his cousin in the Tower of Cirith Ungol. "And you can hear again. What of Merry? Can he see?"

"Can." Pippin was still struggling for breath and both he and Frodo fell silent; Frodo's hands still on Pippin's shoulders and Pippin's hands locked tightly over his cousin's. They both took enormous lungfuls of the murky, sulphur-filled air; their shoulders rising and falling in unison, trying to regain their breath and senses. As the two hobbits knelt there, in a gully of pyroclastic rocks in the depths of the dim gloom of Mordor, both tried frantically to understand why they felt a burning resentment for each other.

It was hideous. Frodo had loved Pippin from the first time the smiling baby had grabbed one of his curls and steadfastly refused to let go. Now, something deep inside him, that he vaguely knew was not part of him, wanted to tear his dear cousin limb from limb.

Pippin knew he adored Frodo, even now, with him staring wildly at him with his frenzied blue eyes growing even bigger; he still did – always would. But a nagging growl, deep in his belly, was telling him to push Frodo away, to pin him down on the black pumice and smash his handsome, dark head into the rocks.

"Pip," Frodo finally managed to find his voice, "you have to give It to me."

"Not!" Pippin felt his knuckles involuntarily curl more tightly over his cousin's hands. "Not can't."

"Must!" Frodo gasped, "Pip, It's not meant for you. It's mine, my burden. I have to do this. I- I don't want you… hurt."

"But Eroo sayering not!" Pippin was not even sure how he knew this. "Eroo sayed We got both get go It."

"Eru?" Frodo blinked, the intensity of his stare waning, "What do you know of Eru?"

"He go be friend of We," Pippin too let his grip loosen slightly. "You got be membering of Eroo! He came-ded back at We and save-ded We and he sayering not give at you Fro, got We be togethrer and do right-most thing!"

"You mean your imaginary childhood friend?" Frodo almost laughed, "Pip, you said goodbye to him years ago. Remember? Merry and I made you send him away."

"Do!" It was, in fact, shortly after the incident when Pippin almost hanged himself from the tree. When Esmeralda and Eglantine had heard the whole story, including the part where Eroo had encouraged Pippin to climb the tree in the first place, they had cajoled, threatened and pleaded with Merry and Frodo to stop Pippin from indulging in imaginary friends of any kind. "And he just came-ded back at We – just now. We not askering for he, but he here now." Pippin released his grip on Frodo and pointed behind him. "Look!"

Although Frodo knew better than to fall for Pippin's tricks of that nature, he felt compelled to turn and see what his cousin was pointing at. A vague shadowy shape was coalescing in the dimness of the gully. It floated past Frodo and hovered over Pippin, shimmering ethereal fingers of mist curling around the hobbit's face and neck in silent benediction.

"Wh-what are you?" Frodo stammered in disbelief. Although Merry had told him he had seen Eroo, he had thought his cousin was being whimsical. Merry knew that Frodo loved tales of magick and myth – they both did, but Eroo was just a fanciful notion.

Frodo had not really expected an answer, but a voice, both smiling and sad, fell into his head, from where he could not tell. "I am sent."

"Ar-are you Eru?" Frodo could not take his eyes from the ghostlike being, but was aware that Pippin was calming under his mysterious touch. "I-I mean of the elves, Ilúvatar?"

Mithril-like laughter preceded the voice, which was oddly familiar, but Frodo could not place. "But a scion, a merest sliver of The One. I am sent to watch over this child." The mystical fingers continued to play over Pippin. "He, like you, has a destiny, but it is almost too great for such a small one to bear alone. He has fortitude, but his blood is fae, therefore, I was sent."

"And you were Pip's imaginary friend?" Frodo suddenly realised that perhaps Pippin had not been so daft as a child after all. He felt a flush of embarrassment when he recalled that Merry and he had sent this benevolent deity away.

"You did not send me from him." The being could obviously read his thoughts. "I watched, but it is not my purpose to interfere, only to guide. That was why I guided Meriadoc that day."

"But your voice is…" Frodo broke off as he sensed the being already understood his question.

"Not as Pippin reported? Frodo, the voice you hear is your own. So was the voice Pippin heard as very small child, and so he hears me still."

"Fro?" Pippin broke his reverie, obviously holding his own private conversation with Eroo a'Reroo. "Is you go chatterling at Eroo?"

Frodo nodded his head, "Yes Pip, I always thought you were making it up, that Eroo was imaginary."

"Was imag-gan-iry lot times," Pippin admitted, "but onerly when We does not good games. But go be real friend of We othrer times, speech-ually when We be on We owns."

"So is he here to help us?" Frodo dimly realised that the presence of the being seemed to be diminishing the hatred between them. "What must we do?"

"I cannot do this for you." Eroo spoke once more, "but I can stop some of the evil that is not of your making, for much of it comes from a higher power than should walk Eä and therefore I may dispel it for you."

Eroo reached out his tendril fingers to encompass Frodo and a lightening spark flew from the hobbit's breast. Frodo cried out in pain and clutched at his chest. Then his face relaxed and he took a deep breath. "You've taken him away! Sméagol, I can't feel him any more."

"That is one thing I may do," Eroo continued. "There is one more act that will resolve your dilemma. Now I will speak with Pippin and explain what you both must do, you may listen."

"Eroo?" Pippin looked up lovingly at his long lost friend. "You go helpering We's?"

"Cleek! Taking take It. Poog, yes gettings Rings in hands now! Both you quick and quickerly!"

Frodo was startled at the change in Eroo's voice, but realised that this was how Pippin had always heard him, from when he was a baby. With a surprising lack of reluctance, both hobbits reached inside their clothing and grasped their half Ring and held It up to Eroo.

"Paags! Touch and touching both together, press It back to One! Quickerly do and do!"

Pippin and Frodo looked at each other, both still reluctant to relinquish their claim to an exclusive hold of the Ring of Power. The Ring Itself was screaming inside their heads, "No! Kill him, take Me! Kill! I am Yours, No One may take Me from You!"

But silently the ethereal fingers inexorably impelled their hands to meet and, as the two Rings touched, there was a golden flash of light and the Ring, roaring and protesting inside their heads so that both hobbits were almost overcome with the agony of it, coalesced once more into One.

As the melding completed, Frodo and Pippin fell senseless to the ground, both shocked with the enormity of what they had done and wracked with pain inflicted at the moment of meeting, as the Ring, burning ferociously in a frantic effort not to be joined had thrown all Its animosity, power and hate through the small, defenceless bodies.

Both hobbits had burns on their hands and arms and blood ran from Frodo's nose. A bruise grew large and round on Pippin's forehead from where he had hit the ground and his forefinger and thumb were broken and singed.

Eroo looked down on the unconscious hobbits and then cast his thoughts above, "This was more than was expected. May I perform one last service for them?" And his arms enclosed around the two and, lifting them from the ground, Eroo a'Reroo lightly bore the two hobbits towards the smoking volcano of Orodruin.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Well if Stinker here don't know where Mr Frodo and Mr Pippin have gone, what'll we do now?" Sam kicked at Gollum again, "Shut your noise, we can't think!"

Merry sank to the ground, his head in his hands. There was scarcely a part of his being that did not ache or throb. His recent beatings and brushes with death had left him drained, both physically and emotionally – he had even lost Pippin again and now Frodo with him. "I don't know Sam, but we do need to find them – and quickly!"

"Are you up to it?" Sam studied Merry doubtfully, "you look about done in."

"I'll last as long as I have to." Merry took a long breath, trying to summon some nonexistent reserve of strength. "I feel worse now that elven rope is off, I think it was holding me together somehow."

Another bolt flew over their heads and skewered into the ground just beyond them. "Aich!" Merry was brought back to another more immediate problem, "Mr Smagnude! Sam, we have to help him and explain about the other man."

Sam did not understand this himself, but realised now was not the time for lengthy explanations, the battle between the men and the orc and the other man was still raging fiercely and Mr Merry seemed to know what was going on.

Bloggin decided to take action and, keeping low, darted to retrieve the bolt that had just missed them and crawled over to Smagnu. "Shall I get some more Cap'n? There's a batch o' 'em in the gully."

"Yer go and gets us some then," Smagnu growled, "but mind yerself."

As Bloggin departed on his mission, Merry and Sam had managed between them to drag Gollum, albeit still howling, over to Smagnu's refuge. As the Uruk reached out to pull Merry down, Majdi grabbed hold of the hobbit's arm and pulled Merry behind him.

"Even if you take those three out," Majdi indicated his head towards his former companions. "You're not getting this one. I promised to save him and I'll die before I let you take him to his death!"

Smagnu kept his eyes firmly fixed on his assailants, letting fly another bolt as he spoke, "I don't mean New Little Pip no harm, he knows that."

"But you…" Majdi's protest was cut short as another bolt came too close for comfort and Smagnu caught hold of Sam, pulling him out of the way of the deadly crossbows.

"Get down!" Smagnu snarled, and kept a warning arm across Sam as another onslaught of bolts peppered the rocks behind them.

Merry was shaken from being abruptly pulled into Majdi's protection. As he recovered he realised he needed to explain the situation to his two fierce guardians before they killed each other. "Mr Smagnude, this man did promise to help me. He said he was going to come after me and take me from you – only I didn't know then it would be you. He said he'd not let the Uruk take me to Barad-dûr."

Smagnu squinted at Majdi with puzzlement, his suspicions not quite dispelled, "what was he going to do with you then?"

"I didn't know," Majdi admitted, "I just knew he was blameless and I've had my fill of preying on the weak and innocent for this life. I planned to take him to safety – if I could find any in this forsaken wilderness – or die in the attempt."

"Please Sir," Merry tugged at Majdi's arm, "Mr Smagnude is my friend. He's protected me from even greater peril than this and saved my life several times over."

"And mine!" Sam, not to be left out, delivered a jaw dropping revelation to the four fugitives. "I recognise you now – you're the big Uruk that helped me and Mr Frodo, when we was caught up with the orc soldiers. You carried Mr Frodo when he could scarce even crawl!"

-0-0-0-0-0-

Bloggin scrambled down into the gully on all fours, scraping hands and knees in his hurry. He shoved the used bolts into his britches and, when he ran out of space, stuck two behind each ear and clenched three in his teeth.

His mind had been nagging at him for some time now, but Bloggin had been studiously trying to ignore it. The orc knew his mind wanted him to stop helping his Captain and to go and look for Little Pip hobbit, but his own muddy brain was insisting that he needed to do what he could for Cap'n Smagu first.

'shurg ploog munnut?'

"Bluuks!" Bloggin almost dropped his prize bolts in terror. His mind was obviously very angry with him. Yet still he could not find it in himself to abandon his Captain. Once more he tried to reason with his mind.

'ish gloop smag inne - oplisssh?'

Bloggin's mind was roaring at him, as it had when they first met. The little orc was shivering with fear and would have put his paws to his head if it had not meant dropping his precious bolts.

'igggigggigggiggg?'

'I'm sorry, now listen, you have to find the hobbits for me. Nothing else matters. If you fail in this then all is lost – including your precious Captain. Do you understand?'

'glip – dees?'

'Very well, just those – then you will go where I tell you.'

Bloggin began to scramble up the gully as quickly as he could with his encumbrances and, keeping low, managed to deposit his hoard of bolts at Smagnu's side.

The Uruk barely looked round, intent as he was on keeping his opponents in check. But Majdi took each bolt in turn, carefully examined it and then added it to the Uruk's store or rejected it as spoiled. At least the man and the Uruk, with Merry and Sam's revelations, had formed a tentative, albeit grudging, truce for the moment, both united by a common desire to save these strange little hobbit creatures.

A hail of fire was still emanating from the rocks concealing Vimta and his men and Merry and Sam had sensibly taken cover behind Smagnu and Majdi Rann, who themselves were hiding behind a rocky hillock and were both crouched down to avoid the incoming projectiles. Smagnu occasionally stuck his head over the edge of the refuge in order to let fly bolts at the opposition. Neither was gaining any ground or showing signs of giving up.

"It's amazing!" Merry was still reeling from Sam's news, "Of all the orcs in Mordor, you and Frodo met our Mr Smagnude."

"I don't think nuthin' could surprise me any more!" Sam ducked automatically as another bolt ricocheted off the rock above his head, "I mean, here I find you and Mr Pippin and now I've gone and lost Mr Frodo! We've got to get out of here and find them as soon as maybe!"

"Beggin' yer pardon, sirs" Bloggin put in, "but thass what me mind keeps tellin' me, only I's been argufying with me mind on account of I's not wantin' to leaves me Cap'n!"

Sam frowned at this. He understood the little orc's words, but was baffled as to the meaning. Frustrated and confused, he aimed another kick at Gollum who was still writhing and pulling at the elven rope. "Hold still you!" As Gollum temporarily subsided Sam turned back to Merry, choosing to ignore things he did not comprehend. "Well we're in a right pickle and no mistake. What'll we do now?"

"I'm not sure Sam," Merry put his hands to his head in deep concentration, "I can't even feel Pip properly in my mind at the moment. It's as if he were too preoccupied with something else."

"Do not Meriadoc!" Bloggin's tone suddenly changed. "You must not search for Peregrin in your thoughts!"

Both hobbits were stunned at this incongruous manner, which they both vaguely recognised. Even Smagnu looked round briefly at the little orc's imperious command and Gollum fell to the ground with both hands clenched tightly over his head as if to ward off a blow.

Bloggin seemed unperturbed. "It is clear I need to take drastic action or you will all sit here until the world crumbles about you."

Bloggin stood up, impelled by a bravery he did not feel, ignoring the rain of bolts and the incredulous stares of the hobbits. His mind was rising to a throbbing pitch until he felt his own will crumble like ashes. An eerie blue glow started to emanate from the ragged little body and, with a force that could not be resisted, the orc snatched the crossbow from Smagnu's hands.

All was silent except for the occasional thud of a bolt against the rocks behind them. In the distance Shadowfax abruptly whinnied loudly and pawed at the ground. Bloggin took a bolt and, holding it aloft, called out, "hadron revia celeg ah thaer!"#

Bloggin placed the bolt, which now also shone with a blue light, and took aim. A flurry of fire from his intended targets had no effect on the creature, all the missiles seeming to swerve around the sapphire glow. The arrow flew and, Sam would have sworn later that he saw a track of cobalt fire, like a bolt of lightening, trail from the projectile.

Vimta Ludd was struck through the chest, a deadly blow, and the man slumped forward. His companions froze, open-mouthed at the strange creature now assailing them.

Smagnu found his voice first. "Oi Blog! That was pretty good! Can yer takes the other two out?"

Bloggin silently took the bolt that Smagnu proffered him and held it aloft once more. But, before he could utter his chant, the little orc fell to his knees, dropping the bolt and crossbow, both hands clutched to his ears in agony.

(#Wielder of arrows, fly swift and true.)

0-0-0-0 To be continued 0-0-0-0

Author's Notes:
1. A Confession. I've taken a while to update this because I really wasn't sure where it was going. But to those of you who felt it might never be finished, the good news is, it will! I now know exacterly where it's going and Marigold, the ever faithful, is quite excited about it, so it might just be all right. Actually, it even surprised me!

2. A Clarification – well, an explanation. Eroo a'Reroo is not a fictional character, nor was he created to represent Eru, as far as I know. He is/was, in fact, my daughter's childhood "imaginary" friend. He lived halfway up our stairs and she would become most distressed if anyone stepped on him or in any way implied he wasn't there. You must draw your own conclusions if he is turning out to be something else. How the two names became synonymous is a complete mystery to me. Perhaps my three year old and Pippin knew/know something I don't.

On to Q & A

Spice of Life: After 6 days, I get to the end, and find out that it's actually NOT THE END. I am screaming, I really am.
Llinos: The good news is, it will be, eventually, the bad news is – not yet. But here's a bit more to be going on with.

dancingkatz: Whew! I just finished reading all 132 chapters! My goodness! I probably should have reviewed each chapter but I just had to know what was happening next.
Llinos: Well no matter, just glad to see you've made it this far!
dancingkatz: I also appreciate your consideration in having the slash in separate/stand-alone chapters.
Llinos: I am actually planning to revise the story and remove the slash. I gave in to clamours for slash, but feel now that it is not particularly appropriate to the story.
dancingkatz: I have really enjoyed reading this (through the "What!"s, tears, "Oh, no"s and smiles) and am very much looking forward to the upcoming bits.
Llinos: Good – the next few chapters should be faster now
dancingkatz: BTW I should mention that I really, really, really like that fact that the things that happen to Merry and Pippin and the other characters are plot driven rather than gratuitous.
Llinos: One of my pet hates too! It does not work for me when the h/c is Deus ex machina!
Dancingkatz: (Once a resident of RAF Chicksands, Bedfordshire but now in Dayton, Ohio, USA)
Llinos: That's where Marigold comes from! Dayton, I mean, not Chicksands. Although she is quite near Bedfordshire now! We both live in Bucks!

ERIN: I like it a lot
Llinos: Good!

sarahsweeties: sigh im so glad i have stories to read. if i didn't, i'd go mad like frodo. poor poor frodo.
Llinos: Well he's not quite certifiable yet, although he might need stronger medication than stories!

Tasha: Yay! Finally some updates! It's been forever!
Llinos: Well you know how it is, what with role-plays and stuff!
Tasha: You’re right, Smag is beginning to remind me of a certain Uruk Captain.
Llinos: I think they might be distant brothers – or kissing cousins at least!

slightlytookish: Now you have me so worried about Pippin (and also Frodo). But Pippin! He'd better be all right!
Llinos: I like to give you something to worry about, keeps your mind off the paucity of updates!

Marigold Cotton: Where are they! I can’t wait to read the next part!
Llinos: Well you didn't – did you!

Poppy Muddyfoot: GONE! WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE GONE?!?!
Llinos: "Gone past participle of Go adjective (predic.) no longer present; departed:" OED 2006
Poppy Muddyfoot: Wasn't it Merry who was hanging from a tree?
Llinos: No, Merry was hanging from the Black Gate – Chapter 32/124 – Left Hanging.
Poppy Muddyfoot: Oh no, wait that was Dom Monaghan...(Do you watch LOST?)
Llinos: Yes, but not while I'm writing Recaptured – I don't do multi-tasking.
Poppy Muddyfoot: You know I don't normally say this, but HURRY UP WITH THAT NEXT CHAPTER or I won't have any fingernails left!
Llinos: You don't! So I'd better! I'd hate to think of you unable to scratch!

Sam: So, I have to admit that I love the opening line. It's just so awesome
Llinos: Gosh! I've never had a first line review before – thank you!

Sam: And Pip's imaginary friend? Talk about original, lol. Never would have thought of that one.
Llinos: Aha – but I didn't. See author's notes above!

Blossom: I think it's really sweet the way Pippin's childhood friend is so similar to a certain stuffed rabbit, gives it a nice continuity.
Llinos: No, different universe! Errol belongs to Grey Wonderer – Eroo belongs to my daughter – who incidentally first met him back in the early 80's – long before Errol was even born (or found in a boot sale actually – don't ask!).

TXMedic: O...Eru/Eroo? Eroo speaking like Pippin does now? Very clever.
Llinos: Can't take credit for that, inasmuch I didn't know it was going to happen – see author's notes above – weird or what?

harrowcat: Ooh the imaginary, or not so imaginary friend pops up in time for Halloween!
Llinos: Well in view of the fact he's really "real" – perhaps he's haunting me.
harrowcat: This is edge of the seat reading!
Llinos: Now you must sit comfortably my love, don't want you falling and hurting yourself!

Hai Took: So, I'm curious about Pippin's imaginary friend, Eroo, (nice spin on Eru by the way) he is quite the protector, is he going to come into play again? Perhaps he will need further attention in another story? I must say from experience, imaginary friends are great fun, and sometimes the best company ;)
Llinos: See, this is all quite out of my hands – I have no idea where Eroo came from originally – except he obviously knew my daughter quite well. Perhaps you had the same friends?
Hai Took: Well this chapter successfully distracted me from the mountain of homework awaiting me now I must go climb on my own version of Mt. Doom:) Thanks for the update and can't wait to have more!
Llinos: I trust you have finished your homework now, I've certainly given you enough time. v.b.g.

Pip4: I couldn't help but think that "Eroo" is really "Eru".
Llinos: Indeed – it worries me quite a bit. Does this mean my three year old was channelling Tolkien?
Pip4: And I hope Frodo and Pippin don't die, that would just stink.
Llinos: Again – indeed! I rarely kill people – permanently, although I made an exception in Vimta's case, so more may follow!