Chapter Ten

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When every one awoke dew covered every blade of grass and reflected everything around them like tiny mirrors. Last night's fire still smoked but the logs had turned to a pile of white ash, a thin pillar of smoke spiraled out of the ash up into the canopy of leaves. Sam had woken up first and was preparing their packs for the day's journey ahead of them.

"Alright," he sighed, "Everything is ready."

"What? We're leaving without breakfast?!" Pippin shouted. He shot up from his spot where he had supposedly been sleeping that morning.

"Don't worry Pippin," Strider said, "I'll make breakfast."

Pippin seemed satisfied with that answer, sat down on a log, drew out his pipe and started smoking. Everyone was busy doing something except for Frodo and Cody. Frodo sat in the same spot he had last night and watched over Cody while fingering his ring that was in his pocket. He didn't understand any of what happened last night. What did Strider mean when he said she had no control of herself? Why did she attack Strider like that and when she talked why was her voice distorted? Frodo loved her but he was afraid that something was slowly eating away at her, becoming her. He shuddered at this and continued trying to answer his questions.

Cody laid on the ground, her wrists were still bound and her muscles were sore from laying in the same position all night. Her back was turned to him but she felt Frodo's eyes staring at her. She was too ashamed of herself to turn and look at him in the eyes. She knew there was something inside of her and she tried to control it but it was stronger than her. Her outburst had lost her the trust of the two people she could trust, Strider and Frodo.

Soon, the smell of frying meat reached the noses' of the hobbits and everyone crowded around Strider for their share of fried meat. Cody sat up and rested against the tree she was tied to like a horse. She gnawed on the knots that bounded her wrists while the group was busy eating breakfast. The knots were tied tight and she was beginning to doubt herself. Sam happened to look up and spotted her work on chewing her ropes.

"Stop that ya she-devil!" he shouted throwing a stick at her. Sam was not real fond of the new member of their group and did not trust her for she attacked their guide and could have done the same to Frodo.

"Sam!" Frodo scolded.

"She was trying to free herself Mr. Frodo sir."

"She wouldn't have made it further than the clearing that we are sitting in now Samwise Gamgee." Strider explained.

Frodo finished his strips of meat and then added several more pieces to his plate.

"You pig." Pippin muttered under his breath who, in fact, ate more than anyone.

Frodo ignored him and strode over to Cody handing her the plate.

"I can't hold the plate." she whispered.

"I'm truly sorry about that." he answered, equally as soft.

Frodo sat down in front of her and handed her a piece of the prepared meat. She gratefully excepted it and began to nibble on the still hot food. When she was finished he handed her another strip until she had eaten all of it. They sat there in an awkward silence while Strider cleaned everything up and stomped out the remaining flames of the fire.

"I trust you Cody Proudfoot even if Strider and Sam don't." he whispered into her ear. His warm breath tickled her ear and sent goose-flesh crawling down her spine.

All Cody could do was put a small smile on her face. She looked down at the uncomfortable ropes that encircled her wrists.

"I'll try and talk Strider into taking those off of you."

"Don't, I know there is something in me and it is trying to take over." she insisted.

Frodo shook his head and said, "I didn't want any of this to happen to you or to me. I'm sorry." He looked at her with his big, beautiful blue eyes and began to say something but then closed his mouth and walked away.

"Frodo." she called with a sense of longing in her voice.

He looked back once but then quickly turned his head and grabbed his stuff. Merry and Pippin watched him do this and looked at each other with confused faces.

"Merry." Strider called.

Merry jogged over to Strider and when he reached him Strider said, "It pains me to do this to her but I need you to tie her to Bill's saddle bags."

"Okay Strider." Merry responded.

He walked over to Cody and gave her a friendly smile but when she looked at him with a pleading look in her eyes a large lump formed in his throat. He went to the back of the tree, untied the rope and, like a dog, led her over to Bill. He retied the rope and then stood facing Cody. Her head was bowed and she stood stroking her palm with her fingers.

"Cody." he croaked.

Slowly she looked up at him, tears pooled her emerald eyes making them look like her irises where swimming. With out warning Merry embraced her in a hug and whispered, "I'm sorry I had to do that." He felt her warm tears fall down his neck and when he backed up her face was wet. He felt his own eyes become watery and he tried to hold them back but one single tear escaped.

"It's okay Merry." she cooed. Cody reached out both of her hands and brushed the tear off his cheek. Merry hugged her one more time and then walked up to the front of the line with Pippin.

Merry and been Cody's first true friend, he was more of a brother to her than a friend. They met in the woods when Cody was exploring by herself, from that first meeting something clicked between them. They soon grew very close and became like brother and sister.

Seeing Cody like that broke Merry's heart and it was all he could do to not free her. He put all his focus on putting one foot in front of the other and tried not to think of Cody's pleading look.

The company walked all day once again and when they settled down no one was in the talking mood. Strider had untied Cody's wrists during lunch so she could eat with out help but as soon as she was done she was bound once again. Merry sat next to her during dinner but neither of then said a word. Frodo sat by himself, Sam tried to sit next him once but was quickly turned away.

Strider gazed into the fire just as he had the night before and had a far away look on his face. He stroked his greying beard as he thought about something that none of them knew about. Pippin passed his pipe around and everyone took a draw of the sweet smelling weed. When the pipe came to Cody she stared at the pipe and at the glowing weed that burned inside of it. She had never smoked before for neither of her parents did it so there was never a pipe or weed in their house. She took a deep breath of the smoke and quickly went into a fit of coughs.

"You're not supposed to take that deep of a breath Cody!" Merry joked, he patted her back as she bent over trying to rid her lungs of the smoke. There were a few chuckles of amusement from Strider, Frodo and Pippin as they watched her double over.

"Now I understand why Mum and Da never smoked." she gasped.

"Aw, its not that bad. Watch this." Pippin said. He took a breath and then blew out three smoke rings.

"Show off." she muttered.

The ice was broken among them as there were light jokes being passed around. The only one who was still unhappy with the arrival of Cody was Sam. He sat alone with his arms crossed and a stern look was etched into his face.

When the fire began to start burning low everyone started preparing for bed. Merry left Cody's side when he went to sleep beside his belongings and soon he was fast asleep. When the hobbits and Strider were asleep Cody lay awake in the dark of night. She felt a tugging inside of her and suddenly a dark figure stood in front of her.

"Get the Ring!" it hissed.

Before she could reply a sudden drowsiness fell upon her and and darkness clouded her mind.

----------------How was that? Did you like how Merry and Cody were friends? Okay just a heads up I'm not going to follow the book exactly so heads up for those of you who might be bothered by that---------