And you thought it would stay this plain...
^But I've already twisted the plot...
Third Company
Chapter Four
He had slept fitfully, however through short periods of wakefulness Frodo only thought of Aragorn. Funny that he was so worried about the ranger he had bedded so long ago instead of what lay before his eyes: a dark damp cave and a guard sitting silently at the door. His eyes were a golden yellow, and the moonlight reflected their menacing depths, making it look as if there were only eyes in the dark. It left Frodo with a cold lump in his stomach as he was sure that the silent eyes were growing nearer. His brow beaded with sweat, and his blankets were uncomfortably damp.
“Sam…” Frodo whispered. He would have turned onto his side to face his companion, if it had not been for the blasted sphere Frodo was goaded to call his belly. He rubbed it absently in the dark, frowning. When Sam did not answer, he reached his hand out tentatively to the side, prodding the ground for a limb that indicated his dear friend.
To his confusion, Frodo found Sam was indeed not there. He was alone, and groaned as his stomach began to growl loudly. Briefly, Frodo wondered if the child was faring well. Rations had been more and more scarce since he and Sam departed from the fellowship. So, if just surviving on his own was difficult, how was the baby? He was annoyed to find himself searching around the dimmed room for food, but his appetite was fierce, and already he could feel the all too familiar kicking under his skin.
The sound of shuffling, and Frodo’s body shuddered in alarm. Looking over his towering belly, he could make out only the face of the guard. He observed Frodo silently, and in his discomfort, Frodo shifted.
“What do you want?” Frodo demanded, somehow finding a way to lift himself into a half sitting position, arms shakily supporting his weight from behind.
The guard looked around him warily, and then crouched down to the hobbit. He looked at Frodo’s midsection briefly before gazing into clear blue eyes, never hidden from the dark shadows of the cave.
“You are with child,” he said quietly, his eyes shining with yearning and wonder.
Frodo said nothing, but in inching backwards the guard followed him and grabbed his ankle. “Settle.” He looked around once more, and Frodo could see the guard’s breath collide with the cool night air. Frodo quivered, and pulled his foot away.
“Do not touch me!” Frodo hissed, putting one arm on his belly. He would have called for Sam, but as he looked about the cave he could see that he was alone, with only the guard.
The guard’s yellow eyes glowed with impatience, but his voice was still soft as he leaned in close to Frodo’s face. “I am on duty all night…” he put his hand on Frodo’s stomach, “What got you into this mess, halfling? To whom did you sell yourself?”
“I did no such thing!” Frodo cried, swatting the hand from his belly.
“You did something,” the guard said as-a-matter-of-factly, meeting Frodo’s eyes with such an intense stare that Frodo looked away. The guard’s face softened, and he reached out to grab Frodo’s chin. “Was it your friend? You must be wondering where he is.”
“That is none of your business.” Frodo kept his chin set, but inside he was trembling. If this guard’s intent proved ill--he put a hand on his belly, suddenly urged to protect the thing inside him.
The guard shook his head in approval, “Perhaps so, but it will be everyone’s business around here, once the captain is threw with you.” His eyes hardened. “I would hate for such a pretty thing to expire before I had a taste.”
With widened eyes, Frodo backed away--at least, as far as he could manage; he could feel his face pale as he spoke. It was the faintest whisper, “What?”
“Do not be so coy, halfling. It is more than obvious you have had your fair share. Now come,” his face was so close that Frodo nearly gagged, “Do you say that you would reject another tumble, while you have no risk to take?”
“Yes!”
Frodo gasped as the guard backhanded him, causing him to stumble onto his back. “You fool! Do not forget where you are, halfling,” he poked Frodo’s bloated abdomen harshly, and Frodo hissed at the pain on his sensitive skin. Enraged, the guard stood up, his face in a deep frown. He looked down on Frodo with no sign of kindness or sympathy, and let fall a heavily booted foot into Frodo’s thigh, though it was obvious of his true, yet unsuccessful aim. Frodo did not cry out, but his leg throbbed, and already he could feel the bruise forming on his cheek. Curled around himself, Frodo looked up at the man helplessly.
“It is a shame,” the guard said stolidly, “that you should go so long to conceive what you have, only to loose it in the end.” He looked Frodo in the eye, and the gold of his pupil glittered menacingly, sending shivers down Frodo’s spine. “There is already talk of your demise.”
At that he left.
TBC
Third Company
Chapter Four
He had slept fitfully, however through short periods of wakefulness Frodo only thought of Aragorn. Funny that he was so worried about the ranger he had bedded so long ago instead of what lay before his eyes: a dark damp cave and a guard sitting silently at the door. His eyes were a golden yellow, and the moonlight reflected their menacing depths, making it look as if there were only eyes in the dark. It left Frodo with a cold lump in his stomach as he was sure that the silent eyes were growing nearer. His brow beaded with sweat, and his blankets were uncomfortably damp.
“Sam…” Frodo whispered. He would have turned onto his side to face his companion, if it had not been for the blasted sphere Frodo was goaded to call his belly. He rubbed it absently in the dark, frowning. When Sam did not answer, he reached his hand out tentatively to the side, prodding the ground for a limb that indicated his dear friend.
To his confusion, Frodo found Sam was indeed not there. He was alone, and groaned as his stomach began to growl loudly. Briefly, Frodo wondered if the child was faring well. Rations had been more and more scarce since he and Sam departed from the fellowship. So, if just surviving on his own was difficult, how was the baby? He was annoyed to find himself searching around the dimmed room for food, but his appetite was fierce, and already he could feel the all too familiar kicking under his skin.
The sound of shuffling, and Frodo’s body shuddered in alarm. Looking over his towering belly, he could make out only the face of the guard. He observed Frodo silently, and in his discomfort, Frodo shifted.
“What do you want?” Frodo demanded, somehow finding a way to lift himself into a half sitting position, arms shakily supporting his weight from behind.
The guard looked around him warily, and then crouched down to the hobbit. He looked at Frodo’s midsection briefly before gazing into clear blue eyes, never hidden from the dark shadows of the cave.
“You are with child,” he said quietly, his eyes shining with yearning and wonder.
Frodo said nothing, but in inching backwards the guard followed him and grabbed his ankle. “Settle.” He looked around once more, and Frodo could see the guard’s breath collide with the cool night air. Frodo quivered, and pulled his foot away.
“Do not touch me!” Frodo hissed, putting one arm on his belly. He would have called for Sam, but as he looked about the cave he could see that he was alone, with only the guard.
The guard’s yellow eyes glowed with impatience, but his voice was still soft as he leaned in close to Frodo’s face. “I am on duty all night…” he put his hand on Frodo’s stomach, “What got you into this mess, halfling? To whom did you sell yourself?”
“I did no such thing!” Frodo cried, swatting the hand from his belly.
“You did something,” the guard said as-a-matter-of-factly, meeting Frodo’s eyes with such an intense stare that Frodo looked away. The guard’s face softened, and he reached out to grab Frodo’s chin. “Was it your friend? You must be wondering where he is.”
“That is none of your business.” Frodo kept his chin set, but inside he was trembling. If this guard’s intent proved ill--he put a hand on his belly, suddenly urged to protect the thing inside him.
The guard shook his head in approval, “Perhaps so, but it will be everyone’s business around here, once the captain is threw with you.” His eyes hardened. “I would hate for such a pretty thing to expire before I had a taste.”
With widened eyes, Frodo backed away--at least, as far as he could manage; he could feel his face pale as he spoke. It was the faintest whisper, “What?”
“Do not be so coy, halfling. It is more than obvious you have had your fair share. Now come,” his face was so close that Frodo nearly gagged, “Do you say that you would reject another tumble, while you have no risk to take?”
“Yes!”
Frodo gasped as the guard backhanded him, causing him to stumble onto his back. “You fool! Do not forget where you are, halfling,” he poked Frodo’s bloated abdomen harshly, and Frodo hissed at the pain on his sensitive skin. Enraged, the guard stood up, his face in a deep frown. He looked down on Frodo with no sign of kindness or sympathy, and let fall a heavily booted foot into Frodo’s thigh, though it was obvious of his true, yet unsuccessful aim. Frodo did not cry out, but his leg throbbed, and already he could feel the bruise forming on his cheek. Curled around himself, Frodo looked up at the man helplessly.
“It is a shame,” the guard said stolidly, “that you should go so long to conceive what you have, only to loose it in the end.” He looked Frodo in the eye, and the gold of his pupil glittered menacingly, sending shivers down Frodo’s spine. “There is already talk of your demise.”
At that he left.
TBC