The Ring of Power

Chapter 17

Frodo struggled up the sharp rocks, following Gollum. The Ring had become heavy. It took a lot of his energy to carry it.

Gollum pranced around muttering nonsense. He giggles manically. "See, see?! We've led you out!" Sam and Frodo struggled to keep up. They were not conditioned like Gollum was. "Hurry, Hobbitses, hurry!" Frodo made his way up to Gollum and looked out to the dank and darkened sky. Frodo saw the far away glimmer of the all seeing eye.

Frodo nodded approvingly at Gollum, the creature had yet to leed them astray. The three travelers hurried down from the mountains with Gollum as their guide, Frodo in the middle, and Sam holding up the rear.

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Sam stepped into a hot chunky liquid, or maybe solid, and scowled. "It's a bog. He's led us into a swamp." He accused Gollum. He was already hundreds of yards in front of them.

"Come, master." He said motioning at Frodo. "We will take you on safe paths through the mist. Come, hobbits, come. We go quickly." The hobbits hurried along, keeping an eye on Gollum. Frodo watched his step when walking through the marshes. He did not want to step foot in any of the disgusting water, or whatever it was.

Gollum had said he found a way through the marshes. Frodo and Sam just hoped he was right. Frodo hoped he could help the creature. Sam just wanted to help his good friend.

Frodo walked along with Sam, watching the dead faces in the water. They called for him. Frodo tried to ignore them. He tried to focus on something else. He thought about the quest to destroy the Ring. He thought about his friends in the Fellowship. He thought about Gandalf and Bilbo and home. It was definitely not helping.

The dead souls called for him, yearned for him. He wanted to see what was wrong with them. Frodo stopped to stare at one. It was intriging. Then the face opened its milky white eyes and Frodo fell. He fell into the swamp.

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They had been traveling for days in Fangorn Forest, and surprisingly the Fellowship did not pause, nor stop for any reason the whole time, apart from sleep. They moved blindly in the dark forest.

Gimli licked a black gooy substance from a leaf and spit it out as soon as it touched his tongue. "Orc blood." He groveled.

Elysium frowned. "How do you know?" She asked. Gimli avoided her gaze and moved on, following Aragorn. Legolas grinned, knowing the answer. "It's apart of his regular meal." Elysium laughed.

Aragorn ignored the racket toward the back. He had begun to notice different footprints. He had lost the hobbits hours ago and had been following these ever since. He had a hunch that what creature had these tracks might've taken their hobbits.

Gimli breathed hard and leaned in his ax. "The air is so close in here."

Legolas looked at the trees. Being apart of the Woodland Realm, he was around them many times. He could tell the age and type of tree. He could even feel it's emotions. "This forest is old. Very old." He had heard the legends of Fangorn Forest. "Full of memory...and anger." The forest groaned. Gimli raised his ax and swung it around, as if waiting for the trees to try to pull something on him. "The trees are speaking to each other."

Gimli still swung his ax around manically. The groaning became louder. "Gimli, lower your ax." Aragorn whispered.

"They have feelings, my friend. The elves began it. Waking up the trees teaching them to speak." Legolas said dreamily. Elysium remember the stories her father told her and Arwen about the trees in Fangorn Forest, how they were special. It hurt her to think of her sister and father, but that was all she could think about.