“Frodo!” Aragorn cried, rushing forward to help him. I jogged along behind him as he pulled the Hobbit to his feet. Frodo’s hand instantly crept to his neckline, and I saw the sheer panic in his eyes when he found that the Ring wasn’t there. He turned to look for it, and I noticed its golden shine in the snow up ahead and sensed Frodo’s relief beside me as he also saw it. I put a comforting hand on his shoulder before he began to walk forward to claim it. Then Boromir picked it up.
“Boromir.” Aragorn said in a warning fashion.
We all knew that Boromir desired the Ring, he was only putting himself in danger by handling it. He held it by the chain and reached out with his gloved hand to touch the Ring itself.
“It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing…” He murmured, as if in a trance.
“Boromir!” Aragorn snapped, “Give the Ring to Frodo.” I noticed out of the corner of my eye that his hand crept beneath his cloak, towards the hilt of his sword.
“As you wish.” Boromir laughed light-heartedly, “I care not.” He returned the ring to Frodo, who instantly slipped it over his head, and then ruffled the Hobbit’s hair before turning away. I laid my hand on Aragorn’s arm and his hand slipped off his sword as the rest of the company walked on. I breathed a sigh of relief as the tension was released. I looked up at Boromir’s retreating figure.
“He’s frightened.” I said to Aragorn as we walked forward. “And it’s his fear that makes his mind weak, and vulnerable to the Ring.”
“I know.” He replied, “I just hope he has the strength to let it go.”
The Fellowship walked on until late afternoon, when we stopped by a frozen lake to eat. I was unhappy about stopping – we would be warmer if we kept walking – but everyone needed a rest. I sat down in the snow with a heavy sigh and looked out over the lake. A light dusting of snow covered the surface, but you could still see the ice reflecting the blue sky above. Somewhere nearby, I heard Merry and Pippin debating whether the ice would be strong enough to hold their weight.
“I wouldn’t advise trying it.” I muttered. “If you fell through, there would be little chance of you surviving. If the cold doesn’t kill you, then you would probably still drown, as it is almost impossible to find the hole you fell through, or break the ice from underneath.”
That seemed to end all thoughts about testing the strength of the ice, although all four hobbits still sat around the edge of the lake.
‘They’ll be fine. It can’t be that deep around the edge…’ I reassured myself as I watched them. Aragorn approached my side and handed some food. I smiled gratefully as he sat down beside me.
“How long will it take to get over the mountain?” I asked quietly.
“Little more than a day, if the pass remains clear.” He replied. I nodded and huddled against his warm body as he put an arm around my shoulders. We sat in silence for a few moments, so I closed my eyes and leant my head against Aragorn’s shoulder.
“Mister Frodo!”
Sam’s startled cry interrupted my moment of peace, along with the loud crack and splash that followed. I sat up in alarm, seeing Frodo desperately trying to cling to the ice at the edge of the lake as his lower body became submerged. I sprang to my feet and dashed towards him, grabbing his shoulders and hauling him out of the freezing water.
“The Ring!” He yelled, pointing to the tiny object that was spinning wildly across the surface of the ice. My heart leapt into my throat as I saw it slide closer and closer towards the crack that stretched across the ice – it had been caused by Frodo’s fall.
