The hobbits are sleeping. A figure climbs down from above them. "You thieves! You thieves... You filthy little thieves! Where is it? Where is it? They stole it from us. My Precious." Gollum hisses quietly and creeps closer. "Curse them! We hate them! It's ours it is... and we want it!" He hisses again. Gollum reaches out his hand towards the hobbits. The hobbits jump up and grab Gollum's arms and pull him down.

They struggle. Gollum gets loose and jumps on Frodo. They fall, and Gollum sees the Ring around Frodo's neck. He desperately tries to get it, but Sam grabs him.

Gollum wriggles loose once more and jumps on Frodo again. Sam gets a hold of him. Gollum bites him on the shoulder and clasps his arms and legs around Sam. Frodo draws Sting and holds it to Gollum's throat. "This is Sting. You've seen it before, haven't you — Gollum!" Frodo hiss as he presses Sting against Gollum's throat. "Yes." Gollum chokes out.

"Release him, or I'll cut your throat!" Frodo threatens. Gollum slowly loosens his grip on Sam and lets out a wail. It is light again. Gollum has been tied at the neck with Sam's rope and is dragged along. "It burns! It burns us! It freezes! Evil elves twisted it. Take it off us!" Gollum complains and wails. I'm in pain. "Quiet you!" Sam hiss. "It's hopeless! Every orc in Mordor is going to hear this racket! Let's tie him up and leave him!" Sam says to Frodo.

"No! That would kill us, kill us!" Gollum says. "It's nothing more than you deserve!" Sam spats. Frodo looks at Gollum. "Maybe he does deserve to die. But now that I see him, I do pity him." Frodo says slowly.

"We'll be nice to them if they'll be nice to us. Take it off us." Gollum pleads.  "We swear to do what you want. We swear!" Gollum says again.  "There's no promise you can make that I can trust," Frodo says wearily. Gollum kneels in front of Frodo and begs him.  "We swear to serve the Master of the Precious. We will swear on — on the Precious! (Gollum Gollum)" Gollum says.

"The Ring is treacherous. It will hold you to your word." Frodo says finally.  "Yes... on the Precious... on the Precious," Gollum says. Sam then suddenly snap.  "I don't believe you! Get down! Get down!" Gollum, scared, tries to get away, but Sam jerks the rope, and Gollum crashes to the ground. "Sam!" Frodo exclaims and tries to calm his friend but in vain. "He's trying to trick us! We let him go; he'll throttle us in our sleep!" Sam cries. Frodo approaches Gollum, who is panting and holding his throat.

"You know the way to Mordor?" Frodo says to Gollum. "Yes."  "You've been there before?" Frodo asks again. "Yes" Frodo takes the rope off Gollum's neck, and Gollum seems surprised.  "You will lead us to the Black Gate," Frodo demands, Gollum rushes off, and the hobbits follow him.

———

Gollum talks to himself.  "To the Gate, to the Gate! To the Gate, the masters say. Yes!" "No! We won't go back. Not there. Not to him. They can't make us. Gollum! Gollum!" "But we swore to serve the master of the precious!" "No. Ashes and dust and thirst there is, and pits, pits, pits. And Orcs, thousands of Orcs. And always the Great Eye watching, watching."

Gollum looks at the hobbits and screams and disappears.  "Hey! Come back now! Come back! There! What did I tell you? He's runoff, the old villain. So much for his promises." Sam says with a sign. Gollum reappears.  "This way, Hobbitses! Follow me!" He says.

———

The Uruk-hai are marching, carrying Merry and Pippin on their backs. "Merry! Merry!" Pippin whispered a shout to his unconscious friend. Orcs emerge. "You're late. Our master grows impatient. He wants the Shire-rats now." Grishnakh snarls.  "I don't take orders from Orc-maggots. Saruman will have his prize. We will deliver them." Mauhúr snaps back. "Merry! Merry! Wake up! My friend is sick! He needs water. Please!" Pippin says.

Sick is he? Give him some medicine, boys!" Mauhúr sneers. Uruks growl, then one pours a sticky red liquid into Merry's mouth. Merry chokes. "Stop it!" Pippin says. "Can't take his draught!"Mauhúr taunts. "Leave him alone!" Pippin yells. "Why? Do you want some? Huh? Then keep your mouth shut." Mauhúr growls.  "Merry," Pippin says, and merry bearly opens his eyes. "Hello, Pip." He smiles. "You're hurt," Pippin says, worry lacing his voice. Merry smiles were trying to hide his pain.

"I'm fine. It was just an act." He says. "An act?" Pippin aks confused.

"See? I fooled you too. Don't worry about me, Pippin." Merry assured his friend tho pippin can see the pain in his face. One of the big orcs sniffs the air.  "What is it? What do you smell?" The leader says.  "Man-flesh." The smoke orc sneers .  "Aragorn!" Pippin exclaims and his face becomes full of hope.  "They've picked up our trail! Let's go!" Mauhúr urge and The Uruk-hai continue marching. Pippin tears his elven brooch off his cloak with his teeth, and drops it onto the ground.

Aragorn is lying down with his ear pressed to the ground. "Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent. Hurry!" He calls out to his thre freinds. Aragon runs off, followed by Legolas and Gimli and Glóreddhel. "Come on, Gimli!" Glóreddhel calls out to their dwarven friend. "Three day's and night's pursuit... no food, no rest, and no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell." Gimli grumbles and continue bbehidm the others.

The four of them run across plains. The companions enter the valley where the Uruk-hai stopped. Aragorn bends down to pick up Pippin's brooch. "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall." Aragorn says. Legolas and Glóreddhel stops and turns to Aragorn. "They may yet be alive." Glóreddhel says with a small smile on her lips, the thought of the halflings alive make her happy and hopeful.

"Less than a day ahead of us, come!" Aragon urges. Gimli stumbles and rolls to the ground. "Come Gimli! We are gaining on them." Legolas calls. "I'm wasted on cross-country. We dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances." Gimli says between his breaths. The four of them come over a hill and pause, gazing across the plains.

"Rohan. Home of the horse-lords." Aragorn says. "There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us." He continues. Legolas scans the landscape before him. "Legolas! What do your elf eyes see?" Aragorn calls to one of his elven friends. "The Uruks turn Northeast. They are taking the hobbits to Isengard!" Legolas says back.

"Saruman." Glóreddhel hiss lowly.

——————-
Not much I know, but better than nothing:)

-Saph