───⋰♛⋱───

Tatsuo shots up as she hears Frodo's voice. "Gandalf!" He calls. "My dear, you okay?" The shifter aks, scooting over to the raven-haired hobbit as his friend grows worried. "Nothing. Just a dream." He answers. Tatsuo sighs. She knows that the young halfing is lying. But she doesn't want to pry, so she lets it be.

When the sun peeks through the littering fog, the 3 start their adventure to the burning mountain of doom. Now you're probably wondering what happened. You see, Tatsuo decided that she would join Frodo and Sam using her eagle form to get to them. Her bond with them led her to them quickly though it took a day to find them. But, she had no other choice as her heart had set its path.

Aragorn and Legolas let her through with great pain. They didn't want her to go as their bond with the white-haired beauty had grown strong. But they knew they couldn't voice their thoughts against a shifter's mind; it would only worsen it. So Tatsuo joined the two halflings a day later, and she helped them find their way through the barren wasteland before Mordor's slopes.

That's where they are now. Soon they stop for a minute, looking at the looming black mountain. Mordor "Mordor. The one place in Middle-Earth we don't want to see any closer. It's the one place we are trying to get to. But, unfortunately, it's just where we cant get." Sam says as he turns to face his friends. Tatsuo is watching the lands branch them, her eyes blazing.

"Let's face it. We're lost. I don't think Gandalf meant for us to come this way." Tatsuo sighed, finally turning aorund to face the blonde hobbit. "He didn't mean for many things to happen, Sam. But they did." The blue-eyed shifter sighed and nodded again "he's right. Let's not be discouraged for a simple fail track. I can lead us . I'll take my eagle form," she paused, smiling, "but let's take a break."

They do as she says, sitting down. Tatsuo hands them some of her lembas bread as she looks aorund. She feels a presence the one she felt in Moria. Gollum. It seems like our paths are always connected, little one. Let's hope you'll not be in our way.

♛

A set of rainclouds gallos over the sky toward them, and Tatsuo huffed a sharp breath. "Those rainclouds might." She heard Sam says as if he had thought the same thing as she. But, even in the rain, she wouldn't and at least of all couldn't fly as if it would trouble her inner compás. "Let's continue walking, my friends." She says and patts Frodo on his back, leading them toward Mordor again.

Soon Sam speaks up, "This looks strangely familiar." He says, and Tatsuo sighs, "I would lead us better, but I've never been to Mordor before, and neither can I fly——" she paused and suddenly was in the form of a giant black and white eagle with stars scattered under her wings. "Never mind, the power that is here has nothing over me. I'll fly first and take a survey of this land. Be back before nightfall," and so the mighty eagle set off toward the place where she may die or the place she would burn the dark lord and his minions.

Let's hope for the latter.

Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam sat down, waiting for their guide. The two hobbits considered their journey and how they thought they would be alone. They got scared when they saw a giant black wolf running toward them that day. Her snout was blooded with the blood of prey she had caught in her eagle form.

Suddenly a stink like no other wafts over the land they're in, and Sam scrunches his nose. "Uh! What's that horrid stink? I wonder if there's a nasty bog nearby. Can you smell it?" He asks, turning to Frodo, who nods and looks around. "Yes, I can smell it." He says, squiring.

He then gives Sam a meaningful look. They knew something was out there and didn't want to meet it without Tatsuo. I hope she'll get back soon, Frodo thought with a soft sigh, and bud led his sled into his cloak, slipping into sleep.

♛

Later that night, the two hobbits are huddled against a rockface, appearing to be sleeping. hard breathing fills the air as Gollum appears muttering angerly to himself

"You thieves! You thieves...You filttthy little thieves! Wheeere isss it? Wheeere isss it? They stole it from usss. My Preciousssss." he stretches out his hand to take the ring around Frodo's neck, but before he can reach it, he's suddenly pushed off the rock he's perching on. he screeches as he feels sharp pain surging through his body. Two talons are wrapped around his frail form as a giant black and the white eagle soars in powerful beats with her wings. Soon she drops the screaming creature onto the ground, where he scrambles up as fast as he can. 
Frodo and Sam are already woken up by the rays and watch wide-eyed as the eagle transforms in the air before it lands on a giant black wolf. The beast snarls and snaps her jaws at Gollum, who covers back. Frodo has whipped out his sword and now walks up to the wolf, who acknowledges him with a twitch of her ear. 

Frodo strokes the wolf as his face is hard and cold, the tip of the sword pressed against Gollum's throat. 

"This is Sting. You've seen it before, haven't you-- Gollum!" frodo says, earning a feared look from the creature. Tatsuo tilts her head, not used to seeing this side of frodo. "I'll take care of him, master frodo. Go on and stay close to Sam," she said, and frodo did so, taking away his sword and sealing it. "Gollum," the wolf said, staring into the pale blue eyes of Gollum. He recognized her as much as he feared her. "Tatsuo.." he said, gulping. "you will not harm the hobbits while im here and no more when im went either" Gollum nodded. "good. now will you lead us to Mordor?"

Gollum's eyes widened but the growl from the giant wolf, and he knew he hadn't any choice. as the wolf transformed into the white-haired woman Gollum started to wail as Sam tied the elvish rope around his neck. "come," Tatsuo said and started walking. Though they would need Gollum as a guide soon, Tatsuo wasn't going to go off so more quickly when she yet had things to do. 

So she led them and Gollum as far as she could remember. Gollum knew that if he did not do as the lady of the backend stars had said, he would never see the day of light again and neither come close to his precious. 

He had to be careful that the shifter's eyes were ever watchful. 

───⋰♛⋱───