The Ring of Power

Chapter 23

A/N: Hello! Sorry if this chapter wasn't the best, but if was just a filler for the battle in the next one. I haven't put much about Merry and Pippin and Treebeard in, I don't really like that part of the story, but I will put in the battle at Isengard, but not the Ogsligath fight. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

~Rooney1077

A soldier stumbled over to Faramir, panting and sweating profusely. Faramir stood him up. "Captain," he whispered. "We found the third one."

A small smirk grew on his young face. He strode over to where the young hobbits were resting. You darker haired one, Frodo, awoke suddenly. Faramir bent down to his level. "You must come with me. Now." He said. Frodo looked behind him at Sam's sleeping figure. He did not want to leave his friend, but Sam needed his sleep. Frodo nodded and got up.

Faramir lead him through walls of soaked stone and to the edge of a cliff, overlooking a pond and garden of sorts. Faramir pointed to the water. "Down there." He said. Frodo followed his finger and saw the last of Frodo's little company, Smeagol. The creature dove off a rock gleefully, trying to catch a snack.

"To enter the Forbidden Pool bears the penalty of death." Faramir said to Frodo, searching for some reaction. He gestured to the archers hidden in the cliff. "They wait for my command. Shall I shoot?" Frodo watched Gollum as he slammed at fish against the rock he stood on. He looked worriedly at the archers and at Faramir. Faramir raised a gloved hand, signaling for his bowmen to shoot.

"Wait," Frodo said. "This creature is bound to me and I to him. He is our guide. Please," Frodo stared at Faramir with big eyes. "Let me go down to him." Faramir gritted his teeth, but nodded. Frodo scrambled down the rocks and made his way carefully over to Smeagol.

"Smeagol," Frodo called, grabbing the creatures attention. "Master is here. Come, Smeagol. Trust Master. Come." He said soothingly. Gollum looked up at Frodo with his big blue eyes and Frodo almost wanted to set him free. Almost.

Gollum frowned, petting the fish in his bony hands. "Must- must we go now?" He asked.

Frodo sighed. "Smeagol, you must trust Master. Follow me. Come now, Smeagol. Nice, Smeagol." He said as Gollum followed him with his fish still in his mouth. "That's it." He soothed. "Come on."

Smeagol gave him a smile, the biggest one he could manage with the fish. Suddenly, Gollum felt a sharp pull at his shoulders and he was slammed onto the ground with men restraining him. Gollum felt betrayal, looking up at his master. "Don't hurt him!" Master yelled. "Smeagol, Smeagol, don't struggle." Master told him. All Gollum could do was stare at his master. The next thing the creature saw was blackness.

Frodo watched helplessly as the guards pulled Smeagol away from him and to Faramir. "Enough," the captain said. "Where are you taking them?" He directed toward the creature. "Answer me." The gaurds took the bag off its head and let Gollum go. He curled up in a ball and began talking to himself. "Wy does it cry, Smeagol? Cruel men hurts us. Master tricksed us." Gollum laughed. "Of course he did. I told you he was tricksy."

The conversation with himself seemed to confuse the men and Faramir. "Master is our friend. Our friend." Gollum said in a light voice, but then it turned rough and cold. "Master betrayed us. No, not its bussiness, leave us alone. Filthy little Hobbitses. They stole it!" Faramir was fascinated now, by the creature.

"What? What did they steal?" He asked. Gollum went quiet and turned around slowly. He stared at the man and then growled. "Our precious!" He screamed.

----

Faramir watched the two hobbits converse. He saw Frodo pull out something. A golden oject. The Ring. He decided to intervene. "So, this the answer to all tr riddles." He said, pointing his sword at the hobbit. "Here in the Wild, I have you, Halflings, and a host of men at my call." Frodo got up, keeping an eye on the sword. He back up, into the wall. "The Ring of Power in my grasp." Faramir pointed the sword at Frodo's neck, in a trance. He muttered, "A chance for Faramir, captain of Gondor, to prove his quality."