The Darkness Bearer

++Chapter Twelve++

Chapter Twelve

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Two days had passed and Cody still lagged behind the two hobbits by several miles. She staggered on her leg for it had finally healed and she could take the tourniquet off, but a stiff and painful scab had formed over the wound. She tried to ignore the pain, but it was almost to the point where it was almost unbearable.

"One foot in front of the other." she grunted through gritted teeth.

Since the day she killed Garza she had noticed that She had gone dormant and not said a word since the attack. She went deep into the depths of her mind, but every time she searched she came back empty handed. No sign of the old splinter could be found anywhere.

'Out of all the times to leave me,' she thought, 'You leave me now?''

As night crept upon the already black day Cody was searching for Her when she suddenly heard voices that seemed foreign to her since she had not heard another voice in almost a week. At the last second she slid and rolled behind a rock for she couldn't bring herself to a complete stop in time. When she was safely behind the large stone she peaked around the side to see two grime covered figures looking around frantically.

"I'm gonna get that little stinker! Where is he?" one of the figures growled as he threw a rock in her general area.

Through all the dirt and grime Cody could not make out who it was and the other had its back towards her.

"Sam," he said, turning around so Cody see its face, "What if that was Codalia?"

Cody gasped when she saw the startling blue eyes under the tangled mat of black hair. 'Frodo and Sam! I've found them!'

'Don't go over there just yet, Frodo's not ready to see you. You're not ready to face him, possibly never on this trip.'

'So, you decide to show up just to tell me I can't go see Frodo when this whole time that's what I've been trying to do! Is that it?'

'I didn't have a choice!'

'You didn't have a choice, right.' Cody snorted.

'When you were dying the Dark Lord panicked and forced me to withdraw from your mind; he placed me into the mind of a filthy orc until he was sure you would survive. I have only just arrived because he got excited that you had found the Ring-Bearer.'

'Your tongue is still poisoned snake! Stop telling lies!'

'You silence your own tongue! I'm trying to save his life! Isn't that what you want?'

Cody flinched when she suddenly grew inside of her mind, boiling with anger.

'If we go over there the Dark Lord will twist me back into that creature I was before, when I was still young and new to your mind, thoughtless, no thoughts of my own, just the desire to kill and take.'

'That's what you still are to me! You have taken my thoughts and turned them into yours!'

'What choice have I had?'  She whispered and went silent once more.

'I guess that makes both of us. You were forced into me and I was forced to hold you.' Cody sighed, trying to make Her speak once again for she missed the presence in her mind.

'Those thoughts I took from you.' She spoke softly in the corner of Cody's mind, 'I gave them back. They were not mine, I will never have thoughts like those, they were just a burden to me.'

'Who are you?' Cody asked, trying to be gentle with the sudden alien.

'I'm just a servant of the Dark Lord, same as you.'

'No, who are you really?'

There was a pause and Cody started to drift into sleep for she thought no response would come, but just before her mind went dark there was a small answer.

'My name is Ystävä.'

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"I'm gonna get that little stinker! Where is he?" Sam demanded as he threw a rock where the noise had come from.

"Sam, what if that was Codalia?" Frodo asked softly, looking around for the familiar green eyes.

"Mr. Frodo," Sam replied gently, pity filling his voice, "I don't think Miss Codalia will be following us anymore."

"Why have you a sudden change of heart?

"My heart has not changed, she's gone Mr. Frodo, that scream we heard, I'm afraid that was her."

"Stop saying things like that." Frodo pleaded, tears streaming down his face. "She's alive, I can feel it!"

"Mr. Frodo," Sam said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Let her go."

"You know I cant do that Sam. Even if I tried, I couldn't leave her memory among this sickness and death."

"She would understand." was all Sam said before he shuffled over to his pack and pulled out one of the few remaining lembas waffers, "Now, come and eat Mr. Frodo."

"I'll eat in the morning." Frodo mumbled and slumped onto his side, dumping his pack on the ground.

"Mr. Frodo, you need to-" but when Samwise turned around Frodo was already snoring lightly, exhaustion taking control of his body. "Very well, you might as well do the same Sam Gamgee."

As Sam settled down to sleep, Frodo slowly opened his eyes and tried to search for his hidden love. He knew she was close, and yet, he could not find her.

'Lady Galadriel, I know I have asked for much, but please, send me a sign that she is close.'

When nothing happened, he closed his sky blue eyes and let a single tear fall onto the dusty ground.

'I'm sorry Cody, goodbye.'

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'Codalia, get up little one. You're love needs faith right now.' a gentle voice ruffled her matted brown hair. Cody stirred when the scent of sapling pines and crystal streams wafted up her nose.

"What am I to do?" she whispered, still in her dreams.

"Give him a sign that you are alive without disturbing the being within you." was her reply and then the golden light that filled her dream dimmed and went out, causing Cody to shiver and wake up on her own.

"Give him a sign." she murmured under her breathe, racking her brain for a way to tell him she was there. Her eyes slowly began to scan her surrounding and they fell upon her pack filled with water skins she had swiped from Garza. With flying fingers she undid the strap and pulled out four water skins, two for each of the hobbits.

"Ystävä," she whispered lightly, remembering the name She had told her earlier that night. When no reply came from the dormant creature, she grabbed the two water skins and snuck around her outcrop of rocks.

Watching where she stepped she weaved herself around small ditches and loose rocks that littered the ground. As she neared the hobbits' camp her heart began to flutter for she had not been near Frodo for some time. She was afraid that She would sense her nervousness and kept frequent tabs on Her. When she was standing several feet away from Frodo she carefully set the water skins down and began to scratch in the dry ground. When she was satisfied with her work she spun on her heels and faced the sleeping form of Frodo.

"Hello, love." she whispered. Tears rushed down her face and she barely contained the sob that threatened to burst forth. "I love you, I always will. I just can't face, not yet, not until this is over, if it ever is." Cautiously, and without thinking, she crept up to him and gently stroked his hair; emotions that she hadn't felt in weeks washed over her and she resisted the urged to shake his shoulder.

Suddenly, she felt a shift in her mind and flinched when she realized She was getting up. With a quick kiss to the top of his head, Cody fled to her hiding spot and closed her eyes, ignoring the questions that boiled up inside of Her.