An Olympian's Daughter

Black gate

Frodo and Sam follow Gollum through rocky terrain. "See, see, we've led you out! Hurry hobbitses, hurry. Very lucky we find you." Gollum jumps on a rock. Frodo walks past and Gollum cowers as Sam nears. "Nice Hobbit." Sam steps in to the swamp. "Whoa! It's a bog! He's led us into a swamp!"

Gollum leads the two, "Swamp, yes yes. Come master. We will take you on safe paths, through the mist. Come Hobbits come! We move quickly." Gollum looks back and gestures for the hobbits to follow him. "I found it. I did. The way through the marshes. Orcs don't use it. Orcs don't know it. They go round for miles and miles. Come quickly. Soft and quick as shadows we must be." Frodo, Sam, and Gollum have stopped to rest. Gollum eats a large worm, causing Sam to lose his appetite.

Sam groans "I hate this place. It's too quiet. There's been no sight nor sound of a bird for two days." "No, no birdses to eat. No crunchable birdses. We are famished! Yes! Famished we are, precious." Gollum cries "Here." Frodo throws Gollum a piece of his bread. "What does it eats? Is it tasty?" Gollum chokes on the Elven bread. "Aggh! It tries to chokes us! We can't eats Hobbit food! We must starve!" "Well starve then, and good riddance!" Sam hollers with a snarling lip.

Gollum howls "Oh! Cruel Hobbit! It does not care if we be hungry. It does not care if we should die. Not like Master. Master cares. Master knows. Yes, precious. Once it takes hold of us it never lets go." Gollum reaches towards Frodo. "Don't touch me." Little fires burn in the swamp. Sam sees faces under the water.

Sam screams "There are dead things! Dead faces in the water!" "All dead. All rotten. Elves and men and orcses. A great battle long ago." Gollum turns to face the hobbits. "The Dead Marshes. Yes, yes! That is their name. This way. don't follow the lights." Sam's foot slips again into the water. "Ohh!" "Careful now! Or Hobbits go down to join the dead ones, and light little candles of their own." Frodo is in half-trance and follows the lights, drawn to one of the faces. He stares at it intently.

Suddenly its eyes open and Frodo falls into the water. "Frodo!" Sam yells seeing him fall into the water, under the surface, Frodo sees greenish, ghotsly faces, screaming and reaching for him. Frodo is then pulled ashore by Gollum. Frodo looks at Gollum in disbelief. "Gollum?" "Don't follow the lights!" the creature pulls Frodo away. "Frodo! are you all right?" Frodo lies panting, looking at Gollum.

Night has fallen. Sam is asleep, but Frodo is awake. He holds the Ring in the palm of his hand, staring at it and stroking it. "So bright, so beautiful." Frodo hides the Ring and looks up to see Gollum stroking the center of his palm. "Our Precious." Gollum whispers. "What did you say?" "Master should be resting. Master needs to keep up his strength." Gollum speaks louder so as to distract Frodo from what he had actually said.

Frodo moves over and crouches in front of Gollum.

Frodo questions "Who are you?" "Mustn't ask us, not its business. (gollum gollum)" the poor creature hacks, "Gandalf told me you were one of the River Folk." Frodo says "Cold be heart and hand and bone. And called be travelers far from home." Gollum rambles. "He said your life was a sad story." "They do not see what lies ahead when sun has failed and moon is dead." "You were not so different from a Hobbit once were you? - Sméagol." Gollum looks up slowly. "What did you call me?" "That was your name once, wasn't it? A long time ago." Gollum stutters "My - My name... Smé - Sméagol." Gollum notices something overhead and screams. "Black Riders!" Sam yells, "Hide! Hide!" Gollum pushes Frodo. "Argh!" Frodo feels a sharp pain in his shoulder. Images of the Ringwraiths comes to him in flashes.

"Argh!" "C'mon Frodo, C'mon!" Sam pulls him along, "They will see us! They will see us!" Gollum howls in fear. Frodo clutches at the Ring on his chest. Sam drags him across to hide beneath a bush. The Nazgûl appears riding a flying beast. "I thought they were dead?!" Gollum looks up into the sky for the next one "Dead? No, you cannot kill them. No." The Nazgûl lets out a loud scream. "Wraiths! Wraiths on wings! They are calling for It. They are calling for the Precious!" The call of the Ring is very powerful and Frodo is taken over by it and tries to put the Ring on.

Sam grabs hold of Frodo's hand just as he reaches for the Ring and holds his hand. "It's all right." The Nazgûl continues to circle, then flies away. Gollum pushes them to move much faster than they were. "Hurry Hobbits. The Black Gate is very close." he says as they look down a rocky cliff faced hill.