Frodo and Sam follow Gollum through rocky terrain. "See, see, we've led you out! Hurry, hobbitses, hurry. Very lucky we find you." Gollum smiles and jumps on a rock. Frodo walks past, and Gollum cowers as Sam nears. Sam steps into the swamp. "Whoa! It's a bog! He's led us into a swamp!" He exclaims in anger and surprise.

"Swamp, yes, yes. Come, master. We will take you on safe paths through the mist. Come Hobbits, come! We move quickly." Gollum says. He looks back and gestures for the hobbits to follow him. "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." He says.

———

Frodo, Sam, and Gollum have stopped to rest. Gollum eats a giant worm, causing Sam to lose his appetite.

"I hate this place. It's too quiet. There's been no sight nor sound of a bird for two days." Sam murmurs. "No, no birdies to eat. No crunchable birdies. We are famished! Yes! Famished we are, precious." Gollum wails. "Here," Frodo says and throws Gollum a piece of his bread. "What does it eat? Is it tasty?" Gollum says and takes a bite but chokes on the Elven bread.

"Aggh! It tries to choke us! We can't eat Hobbit food! We must starve!" He wails again. "Well, starve then, and good riddance!" Sam snarls. "Oh! Cruel Hobbit! It does not care if we are hungry. It does not care if we should die, not like Master. Master cares. Master knows." Sméagol says and crawls closer to Frodo. "Yes, precious. Once it takes hold of us, it never let's go." He continues.

Gollum reaches towards Frodo.

"Don't touch me." Frodo snarls softly, and Gollum backs away, a hurt looks in his eyes.

———

Little fires were burning in the swamp. Sam sees faces under the water. "There are dead things! Dead faces in the water!" He exclaims in both fear and disgust. "All dead. All rotten. Elves and men and orcses. A great battle long ago." Gollum explains and then turns to face the hobbits. "The Dead Marshes. Yes, yes! That is their name. This way. don't follow the lights." He warns. Sam's foot slips again into the water.

"Ohh!" He exclaims. "Careful now! Or Hobbits go down to join the dead ones and light little candles of their own." Gollum says. Frodo is in half-trance and follows the lights, drawn to one of the faces. He stares at it intently.

Suddenly its eyes open, and Frodo falls into the water. "Frodo!" Sam exclaims. Under the surface, Frodo sees greenish, ghostly faces, screaming and reaching for him. Frodo is then pulled ashore by Gollum. Frodo looks at Gollum in disbelief. "Gollum?" He asks. "Don't follow the lights!" Gollum sneers in a final warning. "Frodo! are you all right?" Sam says as he approaches Frodo and sits down beside him.

Frodo lies panting, looking at Gollum.

———

Night has fallen. Sam is asleep, but Frodo is awake. He holds the Ring in the palm of his hand, staring at it and stroking it.

"So bright, so beautiful," Gollum murmurs. Frodo hides the Ring and looks up to see Gollum stroking the center of his palm. "Our Precious." He says. "What did you say?" Frodo asks. "Master should be resting. Master needs to keep up his strength." Gollum says, averting the question Frodo asked. Frodo moves over and crouches in front of Gollum.

"Who are you?" Frodo presses. "Mustn't ask us, not its business. (Gollum Gollum)" Gollum sneers. "Gandalf told me you were one of the River Folk," Frodo says, and Gollum ignores him. "Cold be heart and hand and bone. And called be travelers far from home." He sings softly to himself, trying to block out Frodo. "He said your life was a sad story," Frodo says and looks Gollum in the eyes.

"They do not see what lies ahead when the sun has failed, and the moon is dead." He continues to sing. "You were not so different from a Hobbit once, were you? — Sméagol." Frodo says, and this catches Gollum's attention. He looks up slowly. "What did you call me?" He says. "That was your name once, wasn't it? A long time ago." Frodo says. "My — My name... Smé — Sméagol." Gollum tries.

He then notices something overhead and screams. "Black Riders! Hide! Hide!" "Argh!" Frodo exclaims as he feels a sharp pain in his shoulder. Images of the Ringwraiths come to him in flashes. "Argh!" He wails again. "C'mon Frodo, C'mon!" Sam tries to calm Frodo down. "They will see us! They will see us!" Gollum hiss. Frodo clutches at the Ring on his chest. Sam drags him across to hide beneath a bush.

The Nazgûl appears riding a flying beast.

"I thought they were dead?!" Sam hiss in fear. "Dead? No, you cannot kill them. No." Gollum says. The Nazgûl lets out a scream. "Wraiths! Wraiths on wings!" Gollum screams softly. "They are calling for It. They are calling for the Precious!" He says and looks at Frodo.

The ring's call is compelling, and Frodo takes it over and tries to put the Ring on. Sam grabs hold of Frodo's hand just as he reaches for the Ring and holds his hand. "It's all right." He assured.

The Nazgûl continues to circle, then flies away. "Hurry, Hobbits. The Black Gate is very close." Gollum says.

——-

Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are in the Fangorn Forest. Gimli tastes some liquid on a leaf, then spits it out. "Orc blood!" He spats. "These are strange tracks," Aragorn says. "The air is so close here," Gimli complains. "This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory... and anger." Legolas says. Bass voices are heard from the trees. Gimli raises his ax. "The trees are speaking to each other," Legolas says and looks at the trees.

"Gimli!" Aragorn hisses to his friend, who looks up at him. "Huh?" Gimli says. "Lower your ax," Aragorn says.

"Oh!" Gimli exclaims and does as Aragorn says. "They have feelings, my friend. The Elves began it: waking up the trees, teaching them to speak." Legolas says with fondness. "Talking trees. What do trees have to talk about, hmm? Except for the consistency of squirrel droppings." Gimli huff. Aragorn, nad no ennas!" (Something is out there!) Legolas suddenly exclaims.

"Man cenich?" (What do you see?)." Aragorn aks. Legolas' eyes dart to his right.

"The White Wizard approaches. And something else...." Legolas says and narrows his eyes but can't see the other person next to the white wizard is. "Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us!" Aragorn snarls. Aragorn wraps his hand around the hilt of his sword, Gimli tightens his hold on his ax, and Legolas fingers his arrow.

"We must be quick," Aragorn whispers. The three turn around to attack but are blinded by a bright light emanating from the White Wizard. Gimli's ax and Legolas' arrow are deflected, and Aragorn drops his sword as it becomes hot in his grasp. "You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits." The white wizard says.

"Where are they?" Aragorn hiss. "They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" The wizard says. "Who are you? Show yourself!" Aragorn demands. The light dims, revealing Gandalf, dressed in white. Beside him stands Glóreddhel. Her green eyes glow as consistently but more intense. Legolas and Aragorn smile at their friend.

"I am sorry I left you, but I felt the hobbit's presence. I could not leave them to get killed," she says and looks genuinely sorry. Legolas smiles even more and does a motion with his hand to his heart, saying he's glad that's she's okay. Glóreddhel mirrors it and smiles back. Then Aragorn and Legolas turned to Gandalf. Legolas bows before Gandalf, Gimli following him.

"It cannot be!" Aragorn exclaims. "Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman." Legolas says. " he is Saurman." Glóreddhel says, eating a look of confusion from her friends. "Or rather Saruman as he should have been," Gandalf adds. "You fell!" Aragorn says in disbelief at what he sees. "Through fire. And water." Gandalf nods. Flashback: Gandalf is fighting with the Balrog.

"From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth." He says. Gandalf holds up Glamdring, a flash of lightning strikes it, and he thrusts the sword into the Balrog. The Balrog falls from the peak, dead. "Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside." Gandalf continued.

Gandalf collapses. "Darkness took me. And I strayed out of thought and time." Gandalf's eye becomes a realm of stars, ending in white light. "Stars wheeled overhead, and every day was as long as the life age of the earth." Gandalf is now naked. His hair has turned white. He shudders with a deep gasp as life returns to him. "But it was not the end. I felt light in me again." "I've been sent back until my task is done." "Gandalf!" Aragorn exclaims in relief and happiness.

"Gandalf? Oh yes. That's what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name." Gandalf says smugly. "Gandalf!" Gimli smiles. "I am Gandalf the White," Gandalf says and smiles softly. "And I come back to you now, at the turn of the tide." He ends. They all smile.

——————————

Thanks for reading:)

-Saph