++Chapter Fourteen++
Two more days had passed and Cody was now uncomfortably close to Sam and Frodo. Rowan hadn't spoken to her since the day she had finally revealed her past, but Cody didn't bother her. The last words she said to her still echoed in her mind, causing the hairs on her arms to stand on end. She didn't want to be a mother, the thought of being one had never crossed her mind.
Now she was at the base of Mount Doom, the foreboding mass of rock loomed above her head, daring her to continue. As she craned her head she saw two figures climbing up the rock, skidding and tripping and the loose lava rock.
"Frodo. Sam." she breathed as she watched them.
'Hurry Cody! There's something evil following them, I can feel it.' Rowan's voice suddenly filled her head. The fear that was built up inside of her was almost unbearable for Cody could feel it radiating in her mind.
'Rowan do you know what's following them?'
'Something filled with greed and hate. Something far older than you and I combined.'
'Gollum.'
As she searched for the vile creature she saw a pale shadow slinking among the rocks, ever gaining on the two weary hobbits. Cody picked up her pace to a steady jog, the best jog she could manage with the footing and her leg, and was soon only several yards away from them. She hid behind a rock and looked for Gollum, her eyes darting around frantically.
'Rowan I can't see him!' she cried.
'He's here, I can still feel him.'
And then as if a signal had been given Frodo gave a cry and collapsed to the ground. Cody snapped her attention to where him and Sam were located and saw two writhing bodies wrestling on the ground. Frodo was pinned under the slender body of Gollum as he tried to wrap his gangly fingers around his neck. Sam was desperately trying to pull Gollum off of Frodo before he got the chance to kill him.
Before she knew what she was doing Cody leapt over her rock and raced to Frodo's side. Using her momentum she wrapped her arms around the creature and threw him off of Frodo. The two tumbled several feet down the side of the mountain before they hit a rock that stopped their descent. Gollum hissed and tried to pull himself free from her grasp but she held onto him tight.
"Cody!" Frodo started to run to her side when she stopped him.
"Frodo go! Destroy the ring!" she cried. "Sam take him!" She starting to loose her grip on Gollum as he squirmed underneath her.
He looked at her for several moments then spun on his heels and ran up the mountain, Sam following closely behind. A tear fell down her cheek as she watched them go but her face was suddenly on fire as Gollum reached up and ran his grimey fingernails down her cheeks.
"Ah!" she cried as she let go to cover her face.
With her arm gone around his neck Gollum darted away only to come back and rip at her already infected leg. "Stupid hobbitses." he spat on it. "Tricksey hobbitses, always tricking us Precious!"
She cried out in pain and desperately tried to kick him off of her but to avail. Her foot finally met the side of his face, causing him to stumble and fall onto his side. He growled at her, grabbed her leg and bit down on it before he raced up the mountain to where Sam and Frodo were battling the temptation of the ring. She screamed as ash and dirt got down into her leg, causing it to fester and bleed profusely.
'Rowan I don't want to die, not like this.' she sobbed.
'You're not going to die child, I won't allow it.'
'But Rowan my leg-' She never got to finish her sentence for as she spoke the ground trembled beneath her and smoldering rocks were shot into the sky. 'If not by my leg I'll surely die from a rock or be burned to death by lava.'
'Cody listen, you must listen to me. Climb onto the rock you hit, it'll protect you from being burned.'
'I don't think I can-'
'You can! You are not destined to die here!'
She slowly nodded her head and began to climb the steep rock. Her fingers and small feet fit perfectly into the holds and she was soon panting on the flat surface.
'Good girl.' Rowan praised softly.
"Cody!" a faint voice was on the wind.
She weakly looked up but her vision was blurred from ash and loss of blood. "Frodo?" she whispered.
"Cody where are you?" it called again.
"I'm here!" she rasped but her voice wasn't heard over the roar of the mountain. Her eyes fluttered close as wings were seen in her vision.
'No! She's here! Cody's alive!' Rowan cried inside of her head.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed from the outside of Cody's eyelids, signaling a trailing eagle. Cody forced her eyes open to see the angelic figure of Tumalíer standing before her. A faint smile crept onto her lips but it soon turned into a pained snarl as a small piece of rock fell onto her.
"You're safe child." Tumalíer said gently as she knelt down beside Cody.
"How do you know?" she asked weakly.
"Because I'm here with you in your darkest hour." she replied and smiled down at her. As gently and carefully as she could, Tumalíer picked Cody up and cradled her in her arms.
"Can you sing to me?" she begged, tears were streaming down her face due to the pain of her leg.
"Of course child." She gently stroked her matted hair and began to sing of Cody's story in elvish. To Cody the song sounded mournful and sad but as the song went on it slowly got happier and then became dark once more. She tried to stay awake for the song for she didn't know what the spirit was singing but her soon closed against her will. "Sleep well." Tumalíer whispered in her ear.
As soon as she did the screech of an eagle was heard above their heads. The elf looked up and smiled as the talons went through her body and grasped the hobbit in her arms. As the flesh of the eagle touched her, her body dissolved into golden light, she was finally free to travel on to the sky where she belonged.
"Farewell Codalia," she spoke as she disappeared into the wind. "May your song be sung for countless ages in the halls of elves."
HEY GUYS I AM SO SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING THIS!!!!!!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME ABOUT THAT AND THE LENGTH OF THIS CHAPTER!!! I PROMISE THE NEXT ONE WILL BE LONGER!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!! ~God Bless
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The Darkness Bearer
Fanfiction*This is the the third book in the Lady of the Darkness trilogy* The small fellowship has made it past Osgiliath and are now heading back in the direction of Mordor. As they get closer Cody is slowly starting to loose control over herself once again...