Bring Me With Her

Still There

"See? See? We've led you out! Hurry, Terranses! Hurry! Very lucky we find you." Though Thorin wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to tolerate the sound of Gollum's voice, he actually let out an inaudible sigh of relief when his eyes came in contact with a view that was not completely filled with the boulders of Emyn Muil. Talia was right. The creature had led them out, though it didn't take away any suspicion he had. The deal that was struck with Gollum was still fresh, as were the threats that were made against him. Of course he was keeping his end of the deal.

That brought Thorin's glare back to his face. He let Talia walk ahead so she couldn't see him staring Gollum down, making sure he knew that he would never take his eyes off him. The creature cowered ever so slightly as he passed.

"Nice Dwarfses." he stuttered. The Dwarf king merely rolled his eyes. He doubted the creature grew afraid of him overnight. Not after what he experienced when he first met him. For now, Thorin would allow Gollum to go on with his little act of playing innocent. As long as he wasn't causing trouble, Thorin would contain his temper and tolerate him. If only that would get them to Mordor faster.

Thorin let out a grunt when he took his next step, only to find that his foot sank beneath the ground. He quickly pulled his foot out to shake his boot from the water and the marshes that soaked into it. "It's a bog. He's led us into a swamp!" he angrily growled.

"Swamp, yes, yes. Come, Mistress. We will take you on safe paths through the mist." Gollum replied.

Thorin furrowed his eyebrows, as Talia didn't move forward as Gollum began to lead them further. He approached her slowly, and barely glanced to see her eyes narrowed in thought. "Safe paths through the dark." she murmured.

"What did you say?" Thorin asked, his eyebrows creasing even further, causing Talia to blink.

"Nothing." she told him. Was she truly expecting him to believe that? Thorin could tell by the mere look on Talia's face that it was more than just "nothing". He began to open his mouth to say more when Gollum chimed in.

"Come, Terranses! Come! We move quickly!"

Thorin watched Talia shake her head of her thoughts, and she continued to walk ahead of him. Gollum led them through the swamp on the paths that were the most dry, the three of them having to make the occasional jump across the water every few minutes. "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." Gollum explained.

Walking through the swamp was like walking through Emyn Muil. They had only been there for two days, but Thorin felt like they'd been traveling for two weeks. He could hardly see what lay ahead of them due to the fog. They had to be careful where they stood to avoid falling into the water. The world around them just seemed...dead.

The three of them stopped to rest for a few minutes, and to pull out something to eat. Thorin's eyes lit up when Talia accepted her share of food, and he gave a slight smile when he saw her swallowing it.

Thorin didn't want to admit it, but...conversation between them had been running a bit thin ever since Gollum joined them. Neither one of them enjoyed having a third wheel around. And not to mention the fact that Gollum's presence practically sucked the life out of Talia. Thorin knew very well how the creature made her anxious, and how it drained the energy out of her. It was like he made the burden of the Ring heavier for her, and the weight was growing by the day. Nonetheless, Talia turned her head to look at him, and she smiled back. But their smiles didn't last long as they took in their surroundings.

"I hate this place." Talia muttered, bringing a nod from Thorin.

"As do I. It's too quiet here. There has been no sight nor sound of a bird for two days." he noted.