Subject: Sam Saves the Day
Author:
Posted on: 2011-03-02 16:04:00 UTC

"They really are quite tame, aren't they, Sam?"

Sam Gamgee did not really agree, but gave a miserable "Yessir, Mr. Frodo," as he clung to the spike-finned back of the Fell Beast. The black flapping thing winged its way slowly above the clouds. The two hobbits on its back were a little green in the face, but unhurt.

"It didn't protest much at its nest in that maze of rocks, did it?"

"Nosir, Mr. Frodo."

"It's very strange, but it makes a certain sense. It must be tame. How else would anyone control such a monster?"

"If that's what you think."

"How much farther to Mount Doom do you think, Sam?"

Sam gulped down his fear and peered uneasily over the side. "Not far. It's like looking into a summer bonfire down there."

Frodo Baggins' hands were white from hanging on to the spike in front of him. "Go down," He asked the Fell Beast. It gave a spirited roar and they felt the descent in a wide, dizzying spiral. The stink of ash and gas worsened.

"We'll have to ride this thing out again, won't we?" Sam groaned. "I don't know much for flapping beasts and creatures, but this just seems downright unnatural to me. If we were meant to fly in the sky, don't you think we'd have had wings?"

"Yes, you're right. But it is faster than continuing on foot-- could you imagine it, Sam?"

Sam could. "Would fill up a book or two with just, 'we walked to Mordor,' Mr. Frodo. But- agh- this isn't any pony. Do you think it's wise to ride it without a saddle?"

"It doesn't seem to make much of a difference either way. It seems resolute to keep us from falling, in any case. Why?"

"Because it seem to be getting mighty sore on the back, if you know what I mean, sir."

Frodo looked down. Indeed, where he was sitting was rubbed raw from their clinging legs and their packs. The black hide of the Fell Beast was rubbed slightly reddish, if leather could ever be tender. It had several pustules and warts from unclean conditions and they seemed to be irritated.

When Frodo brushed one cautiously, it burst in a shower of steaming-hot blood and lavalike pus. The hobbit screamed in disgust and surprise.

The Fell Beast didn't like that. It had been descending gradually in slow, careful spirals, but suddenly it spooked and plummeted through the heavy cloud and smoke cover. It flipped over. It looped-de-looped. It barrel rolled. Frodo tumbled from his spot on the creature's back, but when the world stopped spinning, he found that Sam --bless him, Sam!- had caught him by his elven cloak. The Fell Beast had caught Sam's pack gingerly in it's considerate jaws. The two hobbits dangled quite safely-- a stomach-turning drop separating them from the floor of the Black Land of Mordor.

Uneasily staring at the thin wisp of sickly clouds beneath him, Frodo felt a missing weight around his neck, and a stab of primal panic.

"The Ring! I've dropped the Ring!"

--

The One Ring was quite happy. It was here, in Mordor. It was close to its master. Sauron's eye swiveled, saw it fall-- Yes! Perfect! Such good fortune!

Unfortunately, it was falling directly into the open mouth of the Orodruin itself.

Sauron ordered all of his Nazgul on their flying mounts to catch it. They were nowhere near close enough. Sauron focused his thought on it, cursing that his body was gone. But there was nothing that could be done.

The One Ring apologized for its bad timing.

Sauron assured it that no, it's OK, it's not it's fault, they were hobbits on a flapping hell beast and the One Ring couldn't have won anyway.

The Dark Lord of Mordor watched as the One Ring plopped into Mount Doom and was un-made. The Nazgul didn't survive long enough to get to the now-located Ring Bearer. The armies of Mordor collapsed into the blasted land they'd come from. And Sauron rolled his Great Eye before being reduced to not much more than a powerless essence.

Frodo and Sam eventually made it back-- two hobbits on the back of a frightening, yet quite civil monster (Named later in historical records Mananca the Gentle)-- and a certain book and a half was reduced to a few sentences involving the riding and tame nature of Fell Beasts.

And that was the end of that.

Reply Return to messages