Chapter 41: The Ring is Mine

Frodo rushed in to the fiery chamber, just ahead of the orcs that Sam and Faramir and his remaining men fought to keep at bay. He held the Ring on its chain over the chasm. Its siren song roared in his ears. He was aware of little else but its hypnotic power, wearing away at the last of his resistance. The pain he had felt since he had first put on the Ring again, the torment of his soul being torn in two, increased intolerably. He yelled out, the agony driving him to his knees. He curled into a ball, his fist still clutched around the Ring.

Sam turned his head a moment when he heard his master’s anguished cry. Frodo had the Ring in his hand now and was slowly drawing it toward his finger. “No, Frodo!” Sam cried desperately, then had to turn his attention back to the battle as an orc nearly skewered him in his moment of distraction. He parried the blow barely in time and fought ever more frantically so he could rejoin his brother. But there were so many of the enemy and Sam was deathly afraid he would not be in time. Faramir risked a glance at him to send him an encouraging smile, admiring the hobbit’s unexpected skill with a blade more than ever before. “I’m glad you are on our side,” he said as Sam impaled another opponent.

“I have to get to him, Captain. I have...” Sam broke off when he saw Smeagol run between the dozens of orcs, toward Frodo. He risked another look back. “Frodo! Watch out!” he shouted, then turned back to dispatch another opponent.

Frodo didn’t hear him. All he could hear was the deafening call of the Ring. And he had no power left to resist it. Not any longer.  He needed it still with him.  I’m sorry.

Smeagol saw what he was about to do and cried out to him, “No! Don’t puts it on! He’ll see! He’ll see!! You can’t lets him have it!”

Frodo did not hear him or sense his approach. He was about to pull off the chain to put the Ring on his finger when Gollum came up to him and knocked him down. “You can’ts have it! It’s ours!”

The current Ring-bearer fought to free himself from the former one. “It’s mine!! You can’t have it!”

The Ring gave him strength to fight, but it also strengthened Gollum who began to choke Frodo. The hobbit fought furiously against the deathgrip, but he was fading fast and collapsed from lack of air. The Ring slipped out of his grasp and he knew no more.