Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, etc. I am only borrowing his characters for this fanfiction and am making absolutely no profit whatsoever from them.

Sam

In darkness he stood, watching the light of Galadriel's Phial slipping further away down the long firth until, finally, it was but a pinprick against the inky horizon, and then it disappeared forever.

It seemed to Sam in that moment as if Sauron had claimed victory at last.

A sob, bigger than any thus far, swelled in his chest and clawed its inexorable way up his throat, demanding release. Sam inhaled deeply through his nose and swallowed hard, mercilessly forcing it back down, smothering it for good.

Frodo's torment may have been beyond his control, but his own was not.

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