It started when Gollum volunteered to lead them to Mordor. Sam never trusted the wretched creature, and he had always suspected that he was trying to trick them. But Frodo had other thoughts. He actually pitied Gollum. One of Sam's concerns was this.

Gollum was trying to catch a fish, and he was spluttering all over the place as it was slippery in his hands. Now Sam thought he was just behaving like a total idiot, so he told him off.

"Hey, Stinker, don't go getting too far ahead!" Sam shouted at Gollum.

Frodo's reaction was heavy. Nothing Sam had expected.

"Why do you do that?" Frodo preached.

"What?" Sam questioned, confused. Frodo didn't usually speak or behave that way to him.

"Call him names; Run him down all the time."

" Because...." Sam glanced at Gollum, "Because that's what he is, Mr. Frodo. There's naught left in him but lies and deceit. It's the Ring he wants. It's all he cares about."

Frodo glared at Sam with preaching eyes. "You have no idea what It did to him," Frodo told him, "what it's still doing to him."

Frodo took a few steps away then stopped. "I want to help him, Sam," he said, hoping he'd understand.

"Why?" Sam asked, wondering what Frodo meant generally.

"Because I have to believe he could come back."

Sam tried to encourage Frodo that it wasn't possible for that to happen. He had to convince him.

"You can't save him Mr., Frodo."

At that, the Ring got a hold of Frodo. Frodo temporarily went insane. Frodo spun around to face Sam. He had a fiery light in his big blue eyes.

"What do you know about it? Nothing!" Frodo snapped, leaning in so that his pretty face was an inch away from Sam's startled one.

Frodo immediately regained his original state and came to his senses. He stood aghast. Sam took a few steps away, and thought, he knew the reason for Frodo's hot scene. At last Frodo spoke.

"I'm sorry, Sam," he said softly, " I don't know why I said that."

Sam turned to Frodo. " I do. It's the Ring. You can't take your eyes off it. I've seen you. You're not eating. You barely sleep. It's taking a hold of you, Mr. Frodo. You have to fight it."

Frodo leaned in again and whispered, "I know what I have to do, Sam," Then his voice raised.

"The Ring was entrusted to me! It's MY task! MINE! MY OWN!!"

Sam was again startled by Frodo's behavior. He questioned Frodo about it. "Can't you hear yourself? Don't you know who you sound like?"

Frodo just kept walking till he sat down against a rock. Sam followed him and kneeled beside him.

"Frodo, please," Sam pleaded. "Please come back to me. Come back to your Sam. I know it couldn't be you who's throwing those disputes at me."

For a moment Frodo just stared, like he was in a trance.

Then he gasped. "Oh, Sam. Please.....Was that the Ring....Please forgive.... I...I'm..."

"Shhhh." Sam drew Frodo to him close. Frodo started sobbing. He held on to Sam.

"It's all right, Mr. Frodo. It was just the Ring. Frodo, don't cry..."

Frodo hastily pulled away.

Sam gasped. "Mr. Frodo! Are you all right?"

Frodo's eyes were bloodshot and he was pale. He uttered a strange gasping noise. And then he collapsed in Sam's arms.

"Mr. Frodo!!"

Sam quickly laid Frodo down. It must be the severity of all this, he thought. He's under a lot of pressure. He laid out the blankets, and laid Frodo in one of them.

He looked around and saw Gollum watching nearby.

---

Frodo woke 15 minutes later. At first he wondered what had been happening, then the memories came back to him. He remembered the outburst, and he remembered Sam comforting him.

He remembered feeling like the world was spinning around. And that was it.

He must have passed out. Wearily, he turned his head, to find Sam caressing his curly dark hair.


TBC