Elves Of Autumn

Chapter # 12 - The Tunnels

Gandalf and Zarneleane remain there while being still and waiting for a chance to come there. Soon, they start to move closer but they had to stay out of sight. Once they had gotten to a certain point, they were in a tunnel but had to fight to get to the other part which happened to be behind the Goblin King.

Back beneath of where the dwarves are, Bilbo was with the horrid creature named Gollum. A husk of his former self before the ring started to possess his mind and making him into a thing with a split personality. No amount of magic or Elvish magic would turn him back into what he was once before.

"Yes. Just...just...just us."

"Yes! Yes! And... and if I win, you will show me the way out. Yes?"

"Yes. Yes!" Gollum starts talking to himself. "And if it loses, what then? Well, if it loses, precious then we eats it!"

Gollum laughs then turn to Bilbo who was standing there.

"If Baggins loses, we eats it whole." he said while continues to crawl there.

Bilbo has to think of a reasonable answer before he spoke.

"Fair enough." he said while putting away his sword as they start their game of riddles.

Bilbo has to think of a good riddle and he takes time to think of one.

"Thirty white horses on a red hill. First they champ, then they stamp, then they stay still." he asked Gollum thinks of the answer.

"Teeth?" he responds as he looks at Bilbo then he answered correctly, then he starts laughing. "Teeth, Yes, my precious. But we... we only have nine." He shows Bilbo his teeth. "Our turn. Voiceless it cries, wingless flutters, toothless bites mouth less mutters."

Bilbo ponders the answer as he thinks.

"Just a minute." he said as he turns to work out the riddle.

"Oh! We knows! We knows!" he said to himself. "Shut up."

As Bilbo was thinking, he turns to see the water ripple from the wind that was in the cave.

"Wind." Bilbo said while turning back to Gollum. "It's wind. Of course it is."

Gollum hisses out in anger while it reverberate through the cave.

"Very clever, hobbitses. Very clever!" Gollum starts to come upon Bilbo and he draws his sword before continuing on with the game of riddles.

"A...a box without hinges, key or... or lid, yet the golden treasure inside is hid."

Gollum mumbles to himself while thinking of the answer.

"Well?"

"It's nasty." He carries on with mumbling to himself as he tries to think of an answer.

"Give up?"

"Give us a chance, precious! Give us a chance! he thinks hard and suddenly comes up with the answer. "Eggses! Eggses! Wet, crunchy little eggses, yes. Grandmother taught us to suck them, yes!"

Gollum laughs, Bilbo gets distracted by bats flying around and turns to see then where the came from. He turns around, he sees that Gollum is gone but he can still hear is voice.

"We have one for you. All things it devours; birds, beasts, trees, flowers. Gnaws iron, bites steel, grinds hard stones to meal.** Answer us."

"Give me a moment, please. I gave you a good and long one." Bilbo starts muttering to himself as he thinks. "I don't know this one."

"Is it tasty? Is it scrumptious? Is it crunchable!" Gollum appears behind Bilbo pacing his hand around his neck, he turns and lets out a gasp while holding his sword out in front of him.