Chapter 640
Suspicion and Human Nature
Chapter 640 Suspicion and Human Nature
By this time, the Fellowship of the Ring, having already left Lothlórien, had traveled along the Anduin River and arrived at the Van Gogh Forest.
This forest is located on the northern border of Rohan, and further ahead lies the territory of the Rohan Kingdom.
Having arrived here, the Fellowship of the Ring has completed half of its journey.
Seeing that everyone looked tired from their long journey, Gandalf decided to let them rest on the spot before continuing their journey.
"Great, I can finally rest. My legs are about to break from walking so much!"
"Yeah, I never thought traveling would be so tiring!!!"
Piping and Meili, who were on their first long trip, immediately lay down on the grass on the hillside after hearing the instruction that they could rest.
These two of Frodo's playmates were no less wealthy than the Baggins family in the Shire, and were definitely among the richest people in the area.
Therefore, their previous life could be described as pampered.
Their joining the Fellowship of the Ring out of curiosity has certainly taught them a lesson.
“Lord Frodo, go and rest for a while. I'll go see if there's anything I can do to help…”
Compared to the three wealthy "young masters," Sam, who was often responsible for running errands, was obviously much stronger physically.
After the group stopped, he went to help Jin Pi and the others who were busy preparing a hot meal for everyone.
As for Frodo, who had come this far on a sense of responsibility, his physical strength was not much better than Pippin's and Merry's.
Although he really wanted to help Sam cook, it was clear that he wasn't capable enough.
So in the end, he could only walk over and sit down next to the wizard who was smoking a pipe.
“Will we succeed?”
Frodo, who harbored many worries, inevitably found himself lost in thought when he had free time.
As one of the people he trusted most, Gandalf was naturally a good confidant.
"It will succeed~" Gandalf gazed at the distant jungle, preoccupied with his own thoughts, and thus failed to notice the bewildered expression on Frodo's face.
"What kind of person is this Dark Lord Sauron you're talking about? And where will the Elves go after the One Ring is destroyed?" The enormous Dark Lord's Eye seen in the Pensieve made Frodo very wary of Sauron.
At the same time, I also feel sympathy for the elves who were unjustly implicated by the Ring.
Even though the Elven Queen had once coveted the One Ring, it did not prevent Frodo from having a favorable impression of the Elven race.
"The story of Sauron, the Dark Lord, is a long one..." Gandalf exhaled a puff of smoke, preparing to give Frodo a brief introduction to Sauron.
After all, as a Fellow of the Ring, Frodo was naturally the Dark Lord's enemy. Knowing more about one's opponent is never a bad thing.
Before the wizard could say anything more, a gentle breeze reached his ear.
Then, Gandalf's expression suddenly became complicated.
As fellow Maiar sent to Middle-earth to maintain peace, Gandalf always regarded Saruman as a fellow traveler and held him in high esteem.
It's important to know that Saruman, once the only white wizard in Middle-earth, while somewhat arrogant, did make significant contributions to the fight against the forces of darkness over the past millennium.
This very "pioneer" has now betrayed us and joined the dark side.
"Isengard... Wizard Tower... Orcs..."
Gandalf pondered the message carried by the breeze, then suddenly rose and gathered the group, saying, "I have some business to attend to and need to leave for a while. I will be waiting for you at the border of Gondor after I have finished my business."
"Aragorn, the safety of the Fellowship of the Ring is now in your hands."
Isengard is located at the border between Rohan and Gondor, and it is also the only place the Fellowship of the Ring can pass through on their way to Mount Doom.
Therefore, Gandalf wanted to go ahead and check on Saruman's situation.
“No problem, leave the Fellowship of the Ring to me.” Although he didn’t know what had happened, seeing the wizard’s anxious expression, Aragorn immediately accepted the task.
As a descendant of the Queen of the Isildur, Aragorn hadn't been wasting his years in the northern highlands.
In his view, there was no major problem in taking care of the escort team.
“Sam, you’re a good boy. Take good care of Frodo for me…” Along the way, Gandalf had come to realize that Sam was a kind and trustworthy man.
And most importantly, he had a close relationship with Frodo.
Therefore, before leaving, Gandalf gave Sam a few more instructions and handed him the bag of provisions that Lambbas had prepared.
……
“Alright, everyone get moving. Boromir, Pippin, and Merry, go into the woods and see if you can find any firewood. Let’s start a fire and cook as soon as possible, so we can meet up with Gandalf at the Gondor border after we’ve eaten…” After the wizard left, Aragorn arranged everyone’s itinerary.
To get to the border of Gondor, you have to cross the entire Kingdom of Rohan. The distance isn't exactly far, but it's certainly not short either.
Based on the previous pace of the escort team, it would take three or four days, but if they sped up, they could arrive in two or three days.
Special circumstances call for special measures, and Aragorn had confidence in the Fellowship of the Ring.
But just to be on the safe side, he decided to have everyone speed up their journey.
"Ah~ We haven't rested enough yet!!!..."
Piping and Merri, who were resting on the ground, couldn't help but complain after receiving the mission.
Of course, despite their grumbling, the two eventually headed into the jungle.
It's summer now, and finding enough firewood to cook a meal for everyone in the wild isn't easy.
On the other hand, Boromir had already vaguely guessed Aragorn's identity.
Boromir's feelings toward this descendant of the Gondorian royal family were extremely complex.
On one side is his power-hungry regent father, and on the other is the legitimate royal line of Gondor.
When the two sides meet, friction is inevitable.
As the eldest son of the Regent of Gondor, Boromir inevitably harbored some selfish motives. This made him unsure of how to treat Aragorn, a descendant of the royal family.
Of course, aside from his own selfish motives, Boromir was not a bad person at heart.
Therefore, after receiving the task from Aragorn, he did not deliberately oppose him, but obediently walked into the jungle.
Of the remaining people, Kingpie and Sam continued to build the boiler to prepare for cooking, while the elf prince Legolas was in charge of security.
In an instant, Frodo was left all alone, with nothing to do.
The wizard's departure left the hobbit feeling very uneasy. The various thoughts swirling in his mind added to his immense pressure.
Frodo felt a sense of suffocation and wanted to go for a walk to clear his head.
So while everyone else was busy, Frodo walked alone toward the surrounding hillsides.
Legolas and Aragorn quickly noticed the Ringbearer's movements, but both could tell that Frodo was under a lot of pressure lately, and that the surrounding area was open and there was no danger as long as Frodo did not go far.
Therefore, both of them tacitly approved of the person observing the precepts going out to relax.
Meanwhile, on the side of the dark forces, the Ringwraiths had been keeping an eye on the Shire's situation. However, after the One Ring appeared there, first, Mike helped look after the Ringbearer, and then Gandalf stayed by Frodo's side to protect him.
This also meant that the Ringwraith King Angmar, who was secretly following Frodo the Ringbearer, never found a good opportunity to make a move.
Now, with neither Mike nor Gandalf around, the one who had taken the vows chose to act alone.
This undoubtedly gave the Witch-King of Angmar an opportunity to act.
So, as Frodo unknowingly walked into the depths of the forest, the elven sword Spikes hanging at his waist suddenly emitted a blue light and began to vibrate incessantly.
"Who's there?" The perceptive Frodo had heard from his uncle Bilbo about the magic of the Spiked Sword, which would emit strange sounds whenever it touched an enemy.
Of the Fellowship of the Ring, only Boromir had ever shown greed for the One Ring. So Frodo drew his dagger and tentatively called out, "Boromir, is that you?"
It's clear that Frodo has become somewhat paranoid after the incident with the Elf Queen.
In fact, if he had paid a little attention, he would have noticed that since leaving Rivendell, Boromir had been keeping his distance from the Ring.
Having personally experienced the strange power of the One Ring, Boromir, knowing his own lack of willpower, no longer had any desire for its power.
"Did I guess wrong?"
Frodo also learned from his uncle Bilbo that the Spiked Sword would only emit a blue light when it was attacked by evil forces.
Boromir had been traveling with the Fellowship of the Ring and had obviously not had the opportunity to be corrupted by the dark forces.
Just as Frodo was feeling uneasy, the terrifying figure of the Witch King of Angmar gradually materialized behind him, and the cursed sword in his hand pierced towards his back.
"Uh~"
The immense force sent Frodo flying.
If it weren't for the mithril armor he was wearing underneath, that sword would have surely pierced his heart.
Frodo, who had fallen to the ground in a disheveled state, touched his soft armor with relief, then rolled over and looked back, only to see a terrifying black shadow floating in the air.
"Hand over the One Ring!"
The Witch-King of Angmar, his body shrouded in terrifying black energy, roared and swung his sword at Frodo once more.
"No~"
Overwhelmed by fear, Frodo unleashed his full potential, rolling sharply to the side as the cursed sword slashed down, dodging another attack from the Ringwraiths.
However, his physical strength was greatly depleted during this roll.
"will die……"
Seeing the huge dent left on the ground by the cursed sword, Frodo, whose strength was already waning, quietly reached for the One Ring hanging around his neck.
A voice seemed to be telling him that only by wearing the Ring could he escape death.
So when the Ringwraiths approached again, the hobbits, who were already at their last gasp, suddenly vanished from their sight.
Immediately afterward, amidst soft panting, Frodo, now invisible, stealthily crept up behind the Ringwraith, raising his thorny sword in retaliation and slashing at its back.
However, the Witch-King of Angmar, who was a human king in his previous life, undoubtedly had a wealth of combat experience.
He turned to block as soon as the piercing sound of the sword cutting through the air rang out.
Then, Frodo's retaliatory attack was blocked by the Ringwraiths.
Good news! Although the Witch-King of Angmar managed to thwart the attack, he still failed to detect Frodo, who was invisible after donning the Ring.
Of course, there was also bad news. Frodo, who had donned the Demon Slayer, discovered that his already limited strength was rapidly depleting.
Clearly, ordinary people would not be without a price to pay for using the power of the Ring.
Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, Frodo made the right decision: to escape while he was still invisible before he ran out of energy.
However, the experienced Witch-King of Angmar began to listen carefully to the sounds around him.
Soon they heard the faint footsteps of the hobbits as they fled.
"Shu~"
With the sound of the Witch-King of Angmar swinging his sword, Frodo, who was within range of the attack, could no longer hide and could only turn around and raise his sword to fight back.
With a crisp "clang," Frodo was sent flying again, the Ring and the Clanging Sword falling to the side as he tumbled, and he himself was revealed in a disheveled state.
Just as the Ringwraiths were preparing to press their advantage and kill Frodo, Boromir, having heard the commotion, arrived.
"Be careful~"
With a shout, Boromir, clad in heavy armor, lunged forward and shielded Frodo from the fatal blow with his body.
"I'll cover the rear. You hurry and find Aragorn and the others to help..."
Despite being protected by heavy armor, Boromir, who had taken a hit from a Ringwraith, still had a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.
It is clear that it has suffered internal injuries.
However, now was not the time to dwell on that. Realizing the Ringwraiths' terrifying strength, he immediately drew the sword Rohan from his waist and shielded Frodo, whose face had turned pale from exhaustion, behind him.
Frodo, who was saved by Boromir at a crucial moment, then realized how much he had misunderstood Boromir.
Of course, now is not the time to dwell on these things.
"Be careful, I'll go find Aragorn and the others for help..." After picking up the One Ring that had fallen to the ground, Frodo immediately turned and ran back to the camp.
Before they had even taken two steps, a small squad of powerful orcs appeared in the jungle, accompanied by rustling sounds.
"This is bad. These monsters don't look like ordinary orcs..." Holding Frodo, who had been forced back by the orcs once again, Boromir said gravely, "I'll create an opening for you in a moment. You run, run as far as you can!"
Clearly, seeing the fierce orc squads around him, Poromir had decided to fight to the death.
As the eldest son of the regent of Gondor, Boromir was no less capable in battle, and he was confident that he could escort the monastics out before he died.
“Strong Orcs…” At this moment, Frodo looked at the burly orcs about two meters around him and suddenly remembered what the wizard had said before leaving.
"What?" Boromir, who was determined to die, didn't react for a moment.
“They must be Orcs; I’ve heard Gandalf mention them,” Frodo explained.
"A powerful orc? That's certainly a fitting name. But whatever..." Boromir suddenly shouted, "Now! Stay close to me!"
As he swung his greatsword, Boromir charged toward the weakest point in the orc squad's defenses, and with his unstoppable momentum, he actually managed to break through.
"Let's go now!"
After pushing Frodo out of the encirclement, Boromir turned around to fend off the pursuing Orc squad.
Fortunately, throughout the entire process, the Witch-king of Angmar remained on the sidelines watching, otherwise Boromir would have had no chance to send the Ringbearer away.
……
(End of this chapter)