"Ringspell"     by Tialys

Sam’s thoughts on a certain gold ring.

Sam lifted the ring to his eyes, spinning it slightly so it caught the light, flickering crimson. In the thin gleam of light, you could almost make out the myriad of blood-red specks dancing around the ring’s rim.

Spinning the ring in his fingers, not yet setting it in its proper place, Sam chuckled at the thought of how much he had gone through to finally obtain this small trinket. He had trekked through dark forests, scaled freezing mountains, stumbled through wastelands, and fought the creatures that reside beyond nightmares.

Oh, but it was worth it. To hold the precious circlet of gold now, knowing it was his... it was all worth it.

Not to say any of the path leading to this had been easy – far from it. Giving in to the soft call of the ground – to lay down, just for a moment – had grown stronger as the journey continued. In the end, it was the thought of this that had kept him walking and upright. The promise of finally holding this ring in his hands and having the right to call it his own had been enough, even in the end.

He would have given his life to one day hold this ring and it had been the thing that secured his life. Strange – how life and all its values can change like that.

But it was over now – done; his at last – and Sam could not think of a better way to end it.

Sam smiled, fondly twirling the band of gold once more in his hands before sliding his wedding ring back into place on his finger.

June 8, 2004