Disclaimer: All the characters and settings belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. This story is my way of working out ideas and concepts already present in The Lord of the Rings. This is done for enjoyment, and for sharing, but not for profit.

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Chapter 4: A Desperate Plea

They walked into the Houses of Healing side by side. Sam's arm was around Frodo, gently encouraging him forward.

It was into an inner courtyard they came. Although the courtyard was surrounded by the Houses, it was open to the sky. The wind did not easily reach here, though, and the sound was muted, hushed. As Sam guided Frodo to one of the curved stone benches that rimmed a still pond, encircling trees shimmered with their new green leaves.

"Now, just you wait here a moment, Master. I won't be long at all."

Frodo nodded mutely. He watched Sam leave. With the faintest of sounds, the trees shivered once more from a stray breeze that had made its way down amongst them.

The pond was clear and rimmed with rounded stones twice the size of Frodo's hand. Despite reflecting the grey clouds from far above, it was restful to his eyes, and Frodo gazed at it for a moment. He could see, revealed at the edge of its mirror-like surface, the lancet windows of the upper walls.

Who stayed in those Houses, he wondered. Men from the battle of the Pelennor Fields, surely. Men who were dying, or in pain. Men who had been fighting to stave off despair, who would have lost all hope if the Ring hadn't gone into the Fire – if Gollum hadn't taken It with him into the flames.

Frodo whimpered then, a strangled sound. Immediately, ashamed of making such a noise, he pressed his hand against his mouth. Only to involuntarily snatch it away again when the pressure pained the scarred gap where once his finger had been.

He looked at his hand despairingly. Why had Sam brought him here? He shouldn't be here, among such brave and honourable folk. His very failure was branded upon his hand as if some awful judgement had been handed down to him at the moment of his evil deed. He toyed with the idea of leaving but quickly let go of it. He could not do that to Sam, dear Sam, who had so gently brought him here.

* * *

True to his word, Sam was not long at all, for Aragorn was with the Warden. When Sam came, Aragorn rose at once and the Warden with him.

"The perian is here?" the Warden asked. He moved towards the door. Aragorn swiftly moved also and bowed in entreaty.

"I ask your leave," Aragorn said, "for I desire to speak with the Ringbearer alone. We do not know yet if he will accept such care as we may wish to give him."

"I will wait," the Warden responded. "When you give me word, my lord, I will come."

Once they were outside, Sam turned to Aragorn. "Thank you, sir. The way he is now, I figure he'd bolt if it was anyone but you."

"I know, Sam," said Aragorn softly. "You know your master well, and we will need your knowledge."

They soon came to the courtyard to find Frodo sitting in the same spot where Sam had left him. He looked up somewhat warily as he heard them approach and his eyes widened when he saw who had come.

"Sam!" he cried in dismay. He sprang to his feet.

Sam ran to him. "Now, don't you worry, Mr. Frodo..."

"He has better things to do than to attend to such foolish nonsense!"

Aragorn held up his hand to silence them. "Sam did well to bring me here, Frodo. When have you ever refused my help in the past?"

To that Frodo had no answer and he sat back down slowly, reluctantly. Aragorn too sat down, facing him. Sam quietly stood behind his master, ready to give help if need be.

"Sam came to me, Frodo, with great concern for you. He fears that you are burdened still with the shadow of Mordor. Is this the truth?"

Frodo made no reply. He looked down, unwilling to meet Aragorn's gaze.

"Something troubles you greatly, and yet you will not talk of it, even when pressed. I care for you very much, Frodo, and it distresses me to see you in pain." He paused for a moment. "Wilt thou not talk to me?"

Frodo's head came up at that, and his face was wrung with guilt and self-loathing. "Forgive me, Aragorn, but I do not know how to speak to you of this. Is it not enough that I keep to myself? I cannot bear to think that I bring such worry and care to my friends."

"If you would not bring worry to those who know and love you, then I would say, nay, it is not enough. Speak, Frodo! Let those who know you judge whether or not they can bear to listen."

A ray of hope came then to Frodo's face. "Would you judge me?" he asked.

"I would judge you."

"Then judge me on this! Judge me on my crime that I have done in defiance of my vow."

Sam made a strangled noise. He moved as if to speak, but Aragorn once more put up his hand for silence. The hobbit unwillingly subsided but settled into his stance as if ready for battle.

"What crime is this that you speak of?"

Frodo blanched but spoke unwaveringly. "At the moment when I should have cast the Ring into the Fire, I chose instead to claim It for my own. I betrayed all who depended on me. I betrayed all the free peoples of these lands."

Shocked and dismayed, Aragorn was silent. After a moment, he spoke. "I cannot judge you on this, Ringbearer. Your fate is not in my hands, and were any of those who appointed you to your task asked to do the same, they would refuse."

Frodo leapt to his feet, his eyes brilliant with sudden tears. "You said that you would judge me. Judge me as you have judged those who have come before you these past few days. I have seen them come to the Citadel since your crowning. What about me? Is not the Shire part of your lands? Am I not subject to your rule?"

"Frodo, what you ask of me is something I have no right to carry out. Yes, the Shire is under my protection, but it has always been my desire to exempt it from all duty to Gondor. You are not ruled by me, and you were not appointed by me to that dreadful task."

"Then who may I turn to?" Frodo's voice was low and trembling. His hands were clenched at his sides. "You asked me if I would not talk to you. I would! But you are my King, whether you will it or not. I do not ask to be exempt from your law! If you refuse me, where else may I turn?"

So intent were they on each others' words that Sam, unnoticed, slipped around between them with his back to Aragorn. He grasped Frodo's wrists and shook them sharply in his fright.

"Master," he said. "What are you saying? What can you be thinking!"

Frodo, almost unaware, tried to free himself from the unexpected assault. "Judge me!" he cried.

"Stop it, Master! Don't you do this to yourself!"

Frodo struggled wildly. "Let me go, Sam!" He tried to pull away but Sam hung on like grim death. Frodo's voice rose in anguish. "You must judge me! I beg you. Do not turn me away!"

The commotion brought two running to the courtyard. The warden and Lady Eowyn started forward in consternation

"Stay back, I beg of you," Aragorn cried. He turned back to Frodo, still struggling in Sam's firm grasp.

"Don't let them near me," Frodo gasped. "I cannot stay here with such noble people. Let me go!"

His struggling became a frenzy, and Sam was hard put to it to not let go. Fearing new hurt for Sam, Aragorn seized Frodo and held him close. But Frodo had worked himself into such a state that he could not react to the change. The struggling grew wilder.

"Please," he cried once again. "Do not condemn me to a prison of soft care and blind forgiveness. I beg you. Do not spare me from your law!"

"Peace, Frodo!" Aragorn shouted. He held Frodo's arms behind the hobbit's back in an attempt to force him to calm. "I will do as you ask."

Frodo's struggling ceased. "You will do this for me?" he asked, panting.

"I will although my heart bids me to refuse."

Frodo lowered his head in relief. Suddenly, however, he realized the position he was in: he was standing restrained by Aragorn. He raised his head and saw Eowyn and the Warden and he averted his eyes in shame. In a sudden desire to flee, he pulled hard against his captor.

"No, Mr. Frodo!" pleaded Sam. "Don't you hurt yourself. You don't know what you're doin'. Let Strider keep you for a moment. Just for a moment."

Frodo stared at Sam, his eyes wide and his body rigid. Aragorn pulled him close and knelt down to the earth, and Frodo's legs buckled as he too was brought downward.

"Hush, Frodo," Aragorn said. He held him firm in his arms. "Your will shall be done. Do not, then, fight against me."

Frodo wept then, as all will to resist fled. For a long while, he lay there on the ground. Aragorn held him and waited for the storm to pass.

* * *

Very slowly, as the sounds of anguish ceased, Aragorn stirred. When it seemed that Frodo was ready, he helped him to his feet. Sam hovered nearby, ready to put out a hand in aid, but there was no need. Aragorn still held Frodo fast. He had reached around Frodo's shoulders to hold his arms, this time in aid, not in restraint. The hobbit leaned on him slightly as Aragorn helped him back to the bench.

"Sam," Aragorn murmured.

Sam nodded, and sat down behind Frodo: a solid, comforting presence at his back.

"Frodo, I give you my word that I will do as you ask. But if I am to do this deed, then, until it is done and I say otherwise, you must obey me; even though you may be loth to accept any command that I may give you. Do you so accept?"

There was a long silence.

"I so accept," Frodo said at last in a soft voice. "I will obey your every command."

"Then, Frodo, son of Drogo, I command you these three things: one, that you enter into these Houses of Healing and accept whatever care may be given to you; two, that you do not leave the boundaries of the Houses without permission of myself or the Warden; and three, that you may only speak to others who have been allowed to pass through the doors."

Sam started when he heard these words. "But surely you don't mean to cut Mr. Frodo off from the rest of us? What he needs is all of us, Mr. Merry, Master Pippin,..."

"What Frodo must understand," said Aragorn sternly, "is that he has given himself over to the hands and the will of the Healers." His voice softened. "Do not be dismayed, Samwise. I would not prevent him from seeing any of you at all. But you also must abide by those restrictions."

Sam settled back, slightly abashed, but then got up hastily as he saw Aragorn rise. Frodo, too, slowly stood.

"Warden, " Aragorn said, and the healer came forward. "I give into your care the halfling, Frodo. You have heard the three commands that I have laid upon him. He will obey you as he must obey me."

The Warden bowed slightly. "I take the perian, Frodo, into my charge from this moment forth, until you release him, my lord."

To be continued