The Darkness Bearer

++Chapter Nine++

Chapter Nine

÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷

For several days Cody and the Uruk-Hai, who's name happened to be Garza, walked through Mordor, searching for Frodo and Sam. Cody soon became sick of seeing the same landscape, black rocks and smoke. It was a baren wasteland, all there was, was rocks and the occasional stream of lava. At one point they upon a small ditch that was filled with thorns, rotted flowers and maggots that covered the remains of an unknown creature. Cody placed a hand on the side of her face as they walked past for she couldn't bear the sickening sight.

"When do you think we will catch up with them?" Cody asked on their forth day of travel.

"We should see them soon." Garza replied, "But, we are stopping at the next outpost to resupply. I don't have any food and I saw that all you carry is elven scum." Garza spat on the ground as if he were ridding his mouth of a foul taste and licked his sharpened teeth.

"And when will we arrive at the outpost?" Cody asked to try and change the subject.

"If we carry on through the night we can reach it by dawn."

Cody groaned at the thought of nonstop travel, 'How can I possibly do that?'

'I can take over,' She suggested, 'It will be like before and it will give you a small chance to recover.'

Cody hated that idea even more, but she knew it would be the only possible way for her to keep up with Garza. She did not say anything for she did nnot want to give a definent answer, but she already knew it was the only solution.

That night Cody settled in the back of her mind and allowed for Her to take control as they traveled. She was hesitant to not be in control, but it was the only way for her to reach Frodo. 'Just one night,' she thought, 'Just one night, that's it.'

~~~~~~~~~~

"Servant, we're at the outpost." Garza's harsh voice awoke Cody from her thoughts and brought her back into the present. She was thinking of how she was going to show her face to Frodo after what she had done. 'Who would want me after what I have done?' she thought. She sighed and straightened up when the Uruk-Hai's words reached her ears.

"Good," she replied, "Though, we mustn't stay long, only a few hours at most."

"Wait!" Garza screeched, "What is that?" Without saying another word the black orc dashed towards the entrance and inspected dark forms that were scattered across the ground. From where Cody stood she was reminded of an ant colony, the outpost was the hill and the ants were the dead remains of orcs.

'What happened here?' Cody asked.

'It looks as if something killed them all.' She replied.

'No, I couldn't tell.' Cody said sarcastically as she approached the bloodbath.

'I don't know everything, only things Saroun wants you to know.'

"What slayed them?" Cody asked Garza as she neared the gruesome massacre.

"Each other." he replied as he spat on one of the dead carcasses, "Wait here." With only that he stalked into the outpost, kicking several orcs on his way to the entrance.

As Cody stood there, waiting for Garza to return she noticed something small waving in the wind. Out of curiosity she walked over to the object and gently removed in from the spear head that it had been snagged on. She turned it over in her hands several times before she let out a choked sob.

"Frodo." she whispered. She looked out towards Mount Doom in the ever nearing distance as she held the torn cloak close to her chest. "Keep him safe for me Samwise Gamgee, I know you will."

"Here." a rough voice said from behind her, causing her to spin on her heals and slip the piece of elven fabric in her pocket. Cody almost choked when she saw the dried pieces of meat that Garza began to stuff in a potato sack. "This will get us all the way to Mount Doom, if we even make it that far." he cackled. "And these," he said while handing Cody several black cantines, "Will last us even longer. Lets go."

With a heave Cody flung the bottles over her shoulder and struggled to keep up with the black orc. 'Here we go again.'

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

{Three Days Prior}

"Mr. Frodo, this way or we'll be skinned for sure!" Sam whispered as loud as he could over the noise of battle. Orc screams surrounded them and the hobbits tried not to gag on the stench of the unclean bodies and blood.

"Sam, I have to do something first." Frodo replied and began to pull at his grey cloak.

"Mr. Frodo, what are you doin'?" Sam cried and tried to pull on Frodo's arm.

"I have to leave her a sign, I need to let her know that we're still alive."

"After what she did to you? I'd say leave her to wonder! You're leaving a trail for a murderer!"

"She hasn't murdered anyone Sam! Her actions were not her own. Would you do the same for Rosie?" Frodo challenged and stared intently at Sam, blue eyes ablaze with love and determination.

"Just, hurry it up Mr. Frodo, is all I'm sayin'." Sam replied in a small voice and scurried towards the outskirts of the battle. Frodo gave one final tug on his cloak and stumbled onto his back when the corner broke itself away from the remainder of the cloak.

Quickly, Frodo pushed the fabric on the end of a spear head before whispering, "May you find your way into the hands of my love."

"Mr. Frodo, come on!" Sam cried from the other side of both the living and dead bodies.

"Please come back. Codalia Proudfoot, I know you're still in there, somewhere. Come back, for me!"

"Frodo!"

Frodo kissed the grey textile, wishing he could see Cody's emerald eyes one more time, before he turned and ran towards Sam. When he reached the edge of the on going battle, he and Sam slipped off the beaten path and slid down the steep slope into a ditch, hiding them from view of the Enemy.

"Mr. Frodo," Sam said quietly as they listened to the fading feud above them.

"Yes Sam?" Frodo answered without looking towards his gardner and friend.

"Why do you still love her? Even after all she's done to us, why?"

"Why do you doubt my decision Sam? Do you fear that this is the Ring's choice? Because it's not, this is all me talking, nothing is influencing my decision. I still have faith in her Samwise, deep down, she is still Codalia Proudfoot. She is still that frightened little girl Merry saved from the river all those years ago, and she needs me to save her now. She has no one else in this evil place, all of her friends are at battle now, we are her last hope.

"That's why I left a piece of my cloak, to show her the way back to me, to show her that she is not alone in this black land. Because I have no intensions on leaving her too far behind." By this time tears were streaming down his face, leaving game trails through the dirt and grime that covered him from head to toe.

"Well, get some rest Mr. Frodo, you cant be half asleep when she catches up to us, now can you?" Sam said, trying to lighten the mood before he passed out from exhaustion.

Frodo looked towards the night sky and tried to picture the silky blue and the twinkle of stars behind the rusty haze of ash. He tried to imagine the touch of grass and the dew that would begin to settle on each blade instead of the hard packed earth he sat on now.

"Watch over my love Galadriel, I know you will." Frodo sighed as he slowly fell into sleep.

Before he was completely unconscious he felt a hand being gently laid on his and the warm breath of another beside his ear, "I promise."

----------Hey guys! I deeply apologize for the two month wait!!! I didn't mean to put you guys on hold for that long!!! But, I promise I will try to update quicker, but it will be hard with school starting in a week. I hope you liked it nevertheless! Please vote, comment and I'll see you soon! ~God Bless----------