The trip to Emyn Arnen was a pleasant one, with the friends happy in each other's company. The hobbit ponies ambled along and the more powerful horses relished the chance to travel at a slower pace. Once the ladies and children were settled, the menfolk set off for the journey into Mordor. Celeborn had decided to remain in Emyn Arnen and visit some of the Ithilien Elves. He had seen enough of the effects of the Dark Lord's evil in Dol Guldur, and he wanted to see how the Elves from the Greenwood were settling in Ithilien. Young Boromir and Eldarion had protested so much at being left behind that their fathers had finally relented and allowed them to be part of the group, which made both boys feel terribly grown-up. They had promised to be very good and behave impeccably, under pain of a smacking from their mothers when they returned. Boromir knew he might be able to get away with things with his father but his mother was a different matter. Eldarion suspected that crossing either of his parents would not be a good idea, and he was determined to show everyone he was the better behaved of the two boys.

       Sam had grave misgivings, although he did not voice them to Frodo. He feared that going into that terrible place would bring back all Frodo's troubles, and he knew that Merry and Pippin shared these thoughts. During the journey from Emyn Arnen he cast anxious glances at his master, who was talking to Faramir and the children. Frodo appeared calm but Sam knew that beneath that placid surface his thoughts would be roiling as he prepared to face the land where he had endured so much and suffered so terribly. Even Sam felt apprehensive at the thought of seeing Mordor again. In the months and years after the fall of Sauron, Sam had been aware of some of the feelings his master experienced, not least the sense that, no matter how awful it had been, it had been so vivid that normal life seemed muted by comparison. Trying to recapture that, and the whirling sensations of finding himself alive that day in Ithilien, was impossible, but somehow Sam had learned to cope. Marriage and the birth of his children had helped, involving all of his being in a similar way, but it had taken Frodo much longer to come to terms with it. Less than two years had elapsed since Frodo had woken from that frightful illness, and Sam trembled with fear to think that his master might be plunged back into those thoughts. There were small lines of tension around his eyes and mouth, and his bearing was taut. Frodo was so sensitive and highly-strung, too imaginative for his own good. He seemed to think it would be helpful to return to this land; Sam was not so sure.

       They had eaten a fine supper the night before With the stream out of the Morgul Vale blocked, the River Anduin had become much cleaner, and Strider had been in his element. He had caught several beautiful gleaming fish which he showed to the others.

       "Do you know what this is? This is salmon, which only swims in clean waters. They have been back three years now. They are born in a river, go out to sea, stay there until they are ready to breed, then they return to that river, lay their eggs and die. They swim upstream and will leap waterfalls to reach the place of their birth. A remarkable creature, and very fine eating!"

       "We get salmon in the Brandywine too, but not often as big as this," said Merry, his voice full of admiration. "We smoke it too and keep it in the ice house. Makes a good meal with crusty bread - or scrambled eggs on toast."

       "I'm beginning to appreciate what poor old Gollum saw in fissssh!" said Sam.

                                                                              ************

       They were approaching the crossroads from a different direction this time, travelling north instead of south from Henneth Annun. Sam hoped the difference would make life easier for Frodo, but he feared that this would change when they turned east. He watched his master surreptitiously, looking for signs of unease. They entered a great ring of trees and Frodo gasped as he remembered the place. Here the four ways met: the road to Osgiliath and Gondor trailing west, the north way which led to Henneth Annun and round to the Morannon, the road they had just travelled wending south into the far distance, and the east road, once dark and terrible but now simply a road. No darkness or rumbling sounds disturbed the drowsy morning heat, just some faint birdsong and the droning of bees. The sky above was blue and clear, only faintly streaked with very high thin clouds like horses' tails.

       "Look! Oh Sam, the king has been restored!" Frodo cried in wonder. He pointed to the massive seated figure, ancient and mighty, which had given him hope in the darkness. The great stone head had been replaced upon the neck and all the symbols of Mordor cleansed from it. It radiated power and majesty, and strangely the trailing plant which had woven its way about the head as it lay on the ground had done so again, tiny white flowers shining in the sunlight like mithril stars.

       Sam gulped. Gimli patted him on the back and they all dismounted to take a closer look. They had all heard the story of the fallen king and the inspiration the hobbits had felt, to see that evil could not conquer everywhere.

       "This was one of the first things we restored in Ithilien," said Gimli proudly. "When I heard you talk of it I knew this would be a worthy place to begin our restoration." He stroked the stone gently. The silence was full of awe and respect. Frodo placed his hand over his heart in the manner of Gondor, and bowed.

       "Come, my friends," said Legolas, bundling his stout friend back upon Arod. "Gimli's people and mine have done much here, as you shall see. We have worked to make a garden and bring life where once there was only death."

                                                                              ************

       They rode on until they came to the great jutting rock which loomed above them. The road curled round it, close to the mountains and then began to climb, though not as steeply as Sam remembered. Then the valley appeared, deep and sloping back into the mountains. Oh Sam remembered that well enough. He shuddered as he thought of the tower with its revolving turret turning this way and that, watchful and full of evil. Yet the valley was different now. With the sun almost at its zenith the whole of it was bathed in light. There was no tower, and the once steep sides seemed less so, sloping more gently. The road wound into the distance, cleared of all fallen rubble, past the place where the gate once stood.

       Frodo had dismounted and was gazing up at the rock above. Suddenly he remembered .......... ...................... everything. The bridge; the sinister tower with its dark windows like eyes leering through the gloom; the mighty army issuing forth from the gate with the Lord of the Nazgul at its head, his ghoul's face invisible beneath his crown. The stench of Shelob's lair; the spider's red, multi -faceted eyes; the pain of the sting; waking in that filthy tower room to squealing orcs with foul breath and sharp talons pawing at him; his own rage and harsh words to poor Sam as he slowly changed, transformed into someone he no longer recognised, crazed by his need for the Ring; the agony of slow starvation and thirst; the filth and fires of Mordor; the wrench as the Ring was torn from him; the choking ash of Mount Doom; the damage to the Shire and the horror on his own doorstep; battles, deaths, violence, the voice of Saruman: " Do not expect me to wish you health and long life. You will have neither........I merely foretell...................................... "

       Legolas frowned as he saw the hobbit go pale and fierce trembling shake his small frame.

       "Frodo? Are you ill?"

       "E..............ex..........cuse me," Frodo murmured, and stumbled over to some bushes where he doubled over and was violently sick.

       "Frodo!" Sam leapt down and ran to him, catching him just as his legs buckled. He braced Frodo's forehead with one hand while the other made soothing circles in the small of his back. "It's alright, me dear, just get it all up if you need to. Don't fight it now."

       Frodo needed no second bidding. He heaved uncontrollably, his stomach muscles contracting until there was nothing left, and still he went on retching. When the dry heaves finally stopped he fell back against Sam, panting and gasping, tears of effort streaming down his face. "I'm sorry.........I'm so sorry, Sam..." he croaked. Sam silenced him gently, and wiped his lips and chin with a rag. He found a cloth, soaked it with water from his bottle and sponged his master's clammy, ashen face before draping it over his brow.

       "Nothing to be sorry for. You rest now. We don't have to do this, you know. I was afraid it would have a bad effect and it looks as though I was right. We can just turn round and go back to Emyn Arnen if you like."

       "No, Sam. I need to do this. I'll be alright, I just need a few minutes.........." Frodo closed his eyes, his head pillowed on Sam's broad chest. Sam stroked his brow, then started slightly as a shadow fell over them. It was Aragorn.

        "Come, Frodo, the sun is too fierce here. It would be best if you rested in the shade." He lifted the hobbit with great tenderness and carried him to the shade of some trees, where Faramir was spreading a blanket. Sam trotted anxiously behind and rolled up a cloak to use as a pillow. Elladan offered Frodo some water to rinse his mouth while Elrohir refreshed the cloth and bathed his face again.

       "I'm sorry.........I'm being a nuisance........." he whispered. Both Elves looked down and smiled.

       "You are most certainly nothing of the kind, my friend," said Elladan quietly. He knelt beside Frodo, his hands gentle as he loosened the hobbit's shirt collar. "The weight of memory came upon you too hard and fast. You were not prepared for it. I saw it in your face."

       "I........I remembered ......things I thought I'd forgotten............and things I did not know I remembered. I was overwhelmed ..................."

       "Hush! Rest now, and we will all sit and let our mounts frisk for a while." Elrohir's eyes were full of compassion, the light of the stars dancing in them. "Sam is right, Frodo. You do not have to continue. If this distresses you we shall turn back."

       Frodo shook his head. "I just need a little while .......to......pull myself together." He glanced at the twins, who nodded and left him with Sam and a worried-looking Merry and Pippin. They simply sat beside their cousin, quiet and still, offering him what comfort they could.

       Frodo's thoughts were racing as he remembered the Witch-King pausing, that death's head turning as though he sensed another presence in his valley. A shudder went through him at that, but no chill struck his shoulder, and he felt more hopeful that he was indeed free of the Morgul blade now. He tried to think calmly. They were only memories that had no power to hurt him. The evil that had been Minas Morgul was gone, and the tower of Cirith Ungol where he had endured such torments was no more. The king was right - he was alive and here and those who had perpetrated such evil were dead and gone, the spirits of Sauron and Saruman dispersed and fled. Saruman's words were not true, simply another instance of him using his voice to instill fear and doubt in Frodo's heart, and his parents and Gandalf had told him the truth. He had many years to live yet or they would not have been so insistent that he came back. He would not allow the lies of Mordor to infect his life.

       Aragorn drew Faramir aside. "I would not have Frodo made ill over this. He can remain here or go back to Emyn Arnen with Sam and an escort while we go on..............."

       "Blasted fussy, over-concerned Rangers!" muttered a small voice testily. "My eyes may be closed, Strider, but my ears are not! I'll be fine, really."

      "Bloody pig-headed, stubborn hobbits!" said the King, laughing.. He watched the hobbit's lips curve in a smile and felt relieved. The fearful pallor had gone and a faint pink was returning to his cheeks. He crouched down and held Frodo's hand. "We will rest and eat - you probably don't want to now, after such violent vomiting, but perhaps you'd like to sleep?"

       "I'm a hobbit, I'm not missing lunch!" said Frodo indignantly. "Besides, having lost my breakfast I shall be even hungrier than Pippin!"

       Merry snorted. "Now that is an impossibility!" Pippin tried to look suitably wounded but was too thankful to see his cousin looking more himself.

       Frodo sat up slowly, testing to see if the nausea and dizziness had truly left him. Sam propped him against his shoulder, handed him the water bottle and produced some of the crystallised ginger which always helped his nervous stomach. After a while Merry and Pip went to see if lunch was ready. They returned with bread, cheese, meat and ale, although Frodo refused ale and stuck to water. He felt much better with some food inside him, and when the others looked to him he shouldered his pack, took a deep breath and smiled. The children, who had remained at a distance, ran to embrace him, gazing fearfully into his eyes.

       "Are you alright now, Uncle Frodo?" Eldarion asked. "It must seem very strange to be here again."

       "Yes, dear, I'm fine. Just a bit overcome for a while when I first saw that rock and the valley entrance. It brought back all the memories before I was ready to deal with them. I remember crouching there in a blind fog of terror. The top part of the tower swung round in a horrible, watchful way, almost as though it knew we were there.Then I had this terrible compulsion to run across the bridge, even though the Lord of the Nazgul was riding out witha great army. The Ring was trying to drag me to him at that point, I think, but my hand found the Lady Galadriel's Star-glass and I held on to that, which helped me to fight the Ring. I can remember feeling such despair, because I knew Faramir and his men would face that terrible army. Neither of us had any hope we would ever meet again when we parted in Henneth Annun, and at that moment I knew the storm had truly broken. Little did I know what I still had to face.............." He paused, deep in thought, then shook himself.

       "I don't think I'd want to go back if all that had happened to me......." Boromir gazed up at the dark rock.

       "Everything is so different now. You have to remember that we were travelling by night, and even during the day the whole of Mordor was covered in thick cloud. Even the sunlight shunned the place. Now it is back and everything seems so...........ordinary." He hugged both boys and mounted his pony. "Well? Is everyone coming or am I going alone?"

       There was a scramble for the mounts. Beregond and Bergil took an escort ahead, marvelling once more at the resilience of this small being. The path wound towards the white bridge which was still there although the sinister carvings had been removed and new stonework added. The stream bed was dry, not full of vile steaming water and cold curling vapours, and the strange charnel flowers had vanished; one of Aragorn's first deeds had been to set fire to the meads on the approach to the Morgul Vale and Faramir had continued the cleansing, burning the loathesome and evil things which grew there. Now simple meadow plants nodded gently in the warm breeze, attracting butterflies and bees with their fresh perfume so very reminiscent of the Shire.

        They stopped and looked to the side for the First Stair. It was still there but Faramir doubted it would be possible to go far now without coming to a barrier of fallen rock. What the volcanic eruption had not brought down, Saruman's blasting powder had almost certainly toppled.

      Young Boromir fidgeted. He wanted to ask a question but was unsure if he was allowed to. Finally, unable to keep it to himself he blurted out, "Uncle Frodo, do you run screaming if you see a spider now? I............I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you did,.....only.........." He paused, disconcerted by Frodo's hearty laughter.

       "What, like Pip's sisters in the cellars at Great Smials?! No, my dear lad, I live in a house in the ground and if I screamed every time I saw a spider I'd never stop! Spiders are good for the garden, they eat all the insect pests. Sam loves them. Shelob was only a spider in shape, but really she was a sort of demon. I would look very foolish if I ran from little garden and house spiders, and the children would laugh at me. Even tiny Rosie-lass picks them up and talks to them. They would think their poor old uncle had completely lost his senses." He grinned impishly at the two boys and they laughed. They rode beside him and kept up a constant chatter until Faramir intervened.

       "Boys, you'll drive your poor uncle mad with your talking! Give him some peace, for he is having a difficult time."

       "B.....but we thought to distract him with our nonsense, Papa!" said Boromir.

       "And you are, dear boy," said Frodo. "It's alright, Faramir. They are keeping my thoughts where they should be, and it reminds me why I went into Mordor - so that children like these, and Sam and Rosie's brood, could live in peace and freedom, and chatter away happily all their young lives."

       Faramir smiled, although his blue-grey eyes were over-bright. "Well, if they are keeping you cheerful then all well and good. Don't let them nag you into insensibility though, for they would pester you with questions all the way to Mount Doom and back!"

                                                                               ************

       As they rode deeper into the valley it seemed more difficult to equate the land they now saw with the Mordor of their torment. They had not entered by this route then, and the sunlit calm was so at odds with the dark misery and looming evil Sam remembered that they could have been anywhere. Sam glanced to Frodo and was reassured by the look on his dear friend's face. Frodo looked amazed and relieved at the same time, his memories now under control. It seemed absurd that there was, and had been a road into Mordor, and here they were, riding into the Black Land, all the Fellowship save Gandalf and Boromir. The road wound until they came to where the dread Tower of Cirith Ungol had once stood. This was a little more familiar as it was here they had come when they escaped the gate and its guardians.

       Gazing ahead, Frodo could see that at the bottom the road was levelled by the lava flows which had reached the Morgai and the Mountains of Shadow. As their mounts picked their way onto the pumice, Frodo gasped as he saw what remained of the mountain.

       "It's almost gone! The top half has disappeared! Sam! Look!"

       Sam could hardly believe his eyes. The rearing, smoking monster he remembered was no more. More than two thirds of Mount Doom had been blasted into the sky after the Ring went into the fire. The westward side bore a massive hole which revealed the inside of the volcano as it now was; black, silent, without smoke or fire. The inherent evil which had kept the fires roiling and thundering for years had been removed. The final cataclysmic act of self-immolation had produced a lava flood and a rain of boiling rocks which covered the contaminated land and cleansed as it flowed. The accompanying cloud of ash and fumes might have obscured Gondor for months and ruined the harvests of the world for several years had not a great wind blown from the West which kept it over the Black Land. This was followed by massive rainstorms in Mordor which brought the dust and ash to earth safely, cooling the lava and beginning the process of turning the barren land to a more fertile place. It would never be anything other than rocky and inhospitable but ordinary things were growing in a race for life.

       Sam beamed as he dismounted and walked around, recognising plants, mosses and lichens. Odd tufts of grass sprang up here and there and tiny tenacious flowers spilled from cracks in the rock like exotic jewels, purples, whites, yellows, pinks. A small, brightly coloured lizard ran across Legolas' toe and he stooped and picked it up, laughing.

       "Hello, my little friend! You are a welcome sight, I must say. See how he tastes the air with his tongue, Sam? He seeks tiny insects and likes to sun himself on rocks. How colourful he is! How varied are the lives which the Valar have created in Arda! Each has his part to play, and there is perfect balance between them." He set the creature down and it stayed there, black eyes darting, long tongue flicking out. "His bright colours warn birds and snakes that he is poisonous, although sometimes they are not. Some disguise themselves as more poisonous types, simply to fool their enemies into leaving them alone."

      The boys were fascinated by the creature but Boromir resisted the temptation to take the lizard back with him. He had promised his mother he would bring no wildlife out of Mordor.

      "Well I'll be............! Look, Frodo! Willowherb!" Sam pointed to a tall plant with reddish-purple flowers. "That grows in the Shire!"

       "In Gondor and Ithilien it is known as Fireweed because it always grows around burned buildings and areas of dereliction," said Aragorn, kneeling to look more closely. "It likes the conditions created by burning. Look at the moss on the rocks. Rain falls here quite frequently now so the plants do not find it so difficult to survive. It will never be as lush as the Shire or parts of Ithilien but it is no longer a barren desert. Life finds a way, it seems."

       Merry and Pippin were watching Frodo carefully. He was still amazed at the destruction of the mountain, the place which had filled his vision and his consciousness for days, rising in the distance, a formidable cone of shadow and flame, constantly growling. He could scarcely believe that Mount Doom could have been so reduced.

       "You alright, Fro?" enquired Merry, worried by his cousin's lack of conversation.

       "Mmmmm. Do you know what I notice most? Sam? The silence! The mountain seemed to be constantly grumbling and threatening when we were struggling towards it. Even in my sleep I could hear it, even out in the Marshes. Now there is no sound but the wind." He turned a full circle. The orc camp, the roadway, the fissures in the ground, all vanished. Just then Elladan voiced his own thoughts.

       "How ironic and how poetically just it was, that the empire of Mordor should be destroyed by the means by which it was created. The Ring, the secret of Sauron's power, was made in those fires, and those same fires destroyed the Black Land which he created with that power. As you say, Legolas my friend, there is balance in all things!"

                                                                              ***********

       As the sun began to slide over the Ephel Duath towards the west, the party set off back through the valley. They were quiet now but it was with a peace and contentment. Frodo sat lightly in the saddle, riding between Sam and Aragorn, his hands no longer clenched around the reins. He had been into Mordor and nothing fearful had happened to his mind or body. He was tired and would sleep well after a good supper, but the tension he had felt since leaving Emyn Arnen had gone.

       Sam flicked a glance to his master and smiled. There was a little colour in those pale cheeks now, and the lines of strain Sam had noticed during the last few days had gone. He looked over at Merry and Pippin and they all exchanged conspiratorial smiles. Frodo noticed.

       "Why the sly grins? What are you smirking at, Merry?" he demanded, laughing.

       "We were just noticing how much more calm you look, Fro."

       "Yes, m'dear, you do. You've done what you wanted and I hope it's made you feel better about things."

       "Indeed. Has it laid the ghosts for you?" murmured Aragorn, smiling tenderly at the hobbit.

       Frodo nodded. "Yes. Nothing material exists from that time in Mordor now. The towers have fallen, the mountain is destroyed and the land so changed as to be unrecognisable. The only reminders are my memories and this" He held up his right hand with its missing finger. "I can deal with these things."

                                                                               ************

       By the time they emerged from the valley it was almost dark. They made camp near the bridge, the soldiers saw to the mounts and the friends gathered together to eat. The children were more tired than they would admit, and after eating they curled up beside Frodo and slept, soothed by the soft voices of the company. Frodo drank cool ale which had sat in a stream all day, and lazily ate an orange. Merry produced apples from his pack for everyone, much to Sam's astonishment.

       "I swear you have a bottomless pack there! It's surely not possible to have that much room in there!"

       Merry grinned. "I'm just talented! I'm good at packing, and apples tuck in anywhere."

       "We shall make our way back to Emyn Arnen at a gentle pace, and then return to Gondor. We have Ring Day to look forward to!" Aragorn was very excited. "I want you to see how much we think of you in Gondor, Frodo."

       "And it is also your birthday so there will be presents for you," said Bergil.

       "Oh goodness! I shall need to visit the markets of Minas Tirith! Hobbits give presents on their birthdays," cried Frodo. "Some I have brought with me but the rest I shall need to buy."

       "We are not expecting presents, you dear hobbit!" laughed Faramir. "In Gondor we give presents on someone's birthday. And there are many people who wish to give you something on yours. Don't deprive them of that out of modesty, Frodo."

       "Can't we have both?" mumbled Boromir sleepily. "I want to give Uncle Frodo a present, but I don't mind if he wants to give me one too!"

       "Just don't give him something alive!" begged his father. "I dread to think what Rosie would say if you present him with a frog to take home to the Shire!"

       Frodo laughed. "I don't believe that is a commodity we lack at Bag End! When I look out of my window on a spring morning the pond seems to be nothing but eyes! I can hardly walk across the grass without having little froglets leaping ahead of me."

       The friends talked softly. Gradually Frodo drifted off to sleep, his head pillowed on his pack. He was unaware of Legolas lifting him and carrying him to his blankets, and knew nothing more until the smell of bacon frying roused him the following morning.

                                                                              ************

       Rosie was relieved to see her menfolk back safe and sound. She too had feared for Frodo returning to the Black Land, and she scanned him nervously when the group arrived back in Emyn Arnen. Sam smiled to reassure her that all was well and kissed her hard on the lips.

       "Well, my dears? Did all go well?"

       "We're fine, Rose. You weren't worried about us, were you?" Frodo expected her to deny that she had been, even if it were not the truth. She put on a show of not being concerned but they knew she cared a great deal. Her reply surprised them.

       "Of course I was worried, Frodo Baggins! I've been fretting over it since you left, hoping nothing went wrong, and praying to the Lady that you'd be alright."

       Frodo looked startled. "Rose, I would never have led Sam into Mordor again if I'd thought there was any danger. I care too deeply to do anything to harm him." He looked hurt, upset that she could think such a thing.

      Rosie burst into tears and threw her arms around him. "I wasn't afraid for Sam, you silly hobbit! I was so afraid for you! I thought it might bring back all the bad memories and make you ill again! I had visions of them carrying you back..........or worse! I tried not to think about it but I couldn't help it!" She sobbed as she pulled him to her, burying her face in his jacket.

       Frodo was completely nonplussed. He had never seen Rosie so emotional. He patted her curls and spoke quietly.

       "I'm fine, Rosie. I had a host of soldiers, the King, his Steward, three Elves, a dwarf, my cousins and my dear Sam with me. Nothing would have dared to come near me. There are no orcs left in Mordor. As for the memories .......I don't deny that I was rather overwhelmed on one occasion, when I saw the bridge and the pass into the Morgul Vale, but it was a passing thing. I know now that the evil of Mordor has gone and the land is so changed that it is barely recognisable." He held her at arms' length for a moment and smiled, wiping her tears with his own handkerchief.

       Rosie kissed him fiercely, then drew Sam into her embrace. "I couldn't have borne it if you'd been lost to us again or found those memories too much to bear, and nor could Sam. But I'm glad you went if it helped you to put the past behind you. And don't you go scaring me again, do you hear?" she scolded, returning his handkerchief. "Now come and sit down and tell me all about it!"

       Sam and Frodo exchanged smiles and obediently followed the she-hobbit into the house of the Steward.

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