LEAVING LÓRIEN

Chapter 6 -- Sam

Everything’s changed. Everything’s changed since I saw those pictures in the Lady’s Mirror. I can’t bear to think of what may be happening in the Shire... of what may be happening to my Gaffer. I want to run home, how could I have ever left? How can there be such evil? But there’s no going back now. Even if there was, what could I do? What can anyone do?

Mr. Frodo knows what he can do, and that’s enough for me. He’s taking that ring to that fire mountain no matter what. I want to go home, but he’s going on. What did he see in that Mirror? It scared him. But he’s going on. So I have to go on too.

He was scared last night, too. He knew that Boromir was talking about the ring, and so did I. Didn’t anyone else notice? I guess it don’t matter, Boromir is leaving us soon to go home. I know he never promised to go all the way to the Black Lands with us, but it don’t seem right. Mr. Frodo needs all the protection he can get.

This traveling in boats don’t seem quite natural to me, but Strider seems to be quite happy about it. I truly hate to think what we would have done without him with us. He could have grabbed Mr. Frodo’s ring a hundred times by now and run off, but he hasn’t. That Boromir, though, maybe it is best that he go home soon. I just hope Strider don’t decide to go with him. He wouldn’t do that, would he? Mr. Frodo needs him. I’ll beg him to stay, if I have to.

The Lady said she was wearing a ring, though I couldn’t see it. I guess Elf rings don’t make you invisible when you wear them, like Mr. Frodo’s does. I wonder what they do? Maybe the Elf rings keep lands like this so beautiful. It’s good to know there’s places like this. It’s like we’ve seen every lovely place there is, so we can keep some of that beauty in our heads when we’re in the Black Lands. Who could have thought that Sam Gamgee would get to see such things, get to travel with Elves and all?

The Lady wouldn’t take Mr. Frodo’s ring. I wish she had.

Mr. Frodo’s scared, but he’s going on. Everyone was waiting for him to speak up last night, but he didn’t. He hasn’t made up his mind yet. Or maybe he has, and just isn’t saying.

He’ll want to go alone, not bring us into more danger with him, I just know it. Just like last time. He nearly gave us the slip once, he’ll not do it again. I’ll not let him go alone. I don’t know what’s going to happen, I don’t know how I can help him. I don’t even really know where we’re going. But I’ll not let him go alone.

** TBC **