Chapter 5: Don't follow the lights, the passage of the marshes

Gollum, now under Frodo's supervision, has agreed to lead him and his companions to Mordor. However… some were still very wary of Gollum's good service…

"I still don't trust him," said Sam, "I think he's a villain who's going to lead us into trouble."

"Yeah," Yahiko agreed, "for all we know, he's got some tricks under his sleeve."

"At least we're not going in circles this time, Yahiko," mentioned Frodo.

"And with Gollum's help," added Kaoru, "we might just be able to get out of this maze of rocks."

"We all can see that," said Yahiko, "Sam and I just don't trust where he's leading us to, that's all."

"Besides," added Sam, "he's been going off ahead of us too many times already. I warrant he'll be going off to find some of his Orc friends."

"Gollum did promise Sam," said Frodo.

"Indeed he did Mr. Frodo," said Sam, stating the obvious, "but like Mr. Yahiko said, we're not sure about his promises. He won't change his habits in a hurry that's for sure. I'll be at his tail… and I've got the rope handy, if he tries any sort of treachery."

"And I'll watch with you, Sam," Yahiko said, sternly.

"…Maybe they're right Frodo," Kaoru said to Frodo, as they both looked ahead at Gollum, "…but ever since Gollum began to guide us, there's been a change in him. And none of us are sure what kind of a change he's undertaken, or how deep it is… yet."

Frodo paused to think for a moment, taking a few moments to consider what his companions were saying. Indeed Frodo had shared the same suspicions about Gollum, the same as Sam and Yahiko, despite his pity for Gollum.

Frodo eventually replied, "…alright. But I don't think that there is any need for fear… at present."

The Hobbit then turned to Yahiko and Sam and advised to them, "Sam, Yahiko, you may both watch him still, if you wish."

"Right," said a stern Yahiko.

"No problem, Mr. Frodo," Sam said, even more sternly.

Continuing on the journey, Gollum jumped on ahead, as Frodo and the others hurried to keep up to Gollum's fast pace.

"See, see, we have led you out!" Gollum said proudly, perching on a rock, just above the travelers and gestured with his arm, "hurry hobbitses and travelers, hurry!"

The travelers climbed up the rock, following their guide. Gollum then jumped onto a rock at the edge of the maze of rock and cliff and looked back as the others slowly caught up with him. The travelers had finally reached the end of Emyn Muil as they looked on ahead… and saw that Mordor was now closer.

"Very lucky we find you," Gollum added.

"It looks like you made the right choice to let Gollum guide us, Frodo," said Kaoru.

"Yes, Miss Kaoru," agreed Frodo, "…so far. But he's right, we must hurry."

Frodo and Kaoru walked past Gollum and continued down the slope, while Sam and Yahiko walked up to Gollum and glared at him as he shrunk a little, away from them.

"Nice Hobbit, nice little boy," Gollum recoiled nervously.

"Don't call me little, creepy," reproached Yahiko.

Gollum then leapt after Kaoru and Frodo, putting a wide distance between him, Sam and Yahiko.

As the travelers finally came out of the slopes of Emyn Muil, Sam's foot suddenly slipped into a patch of muck.

"Whoa!" Sam exclaimed disgusted. The Hobbit then looked around… to see a swamp before them…

"…It’s a bog!" Sam recoiled, "he’s led us into a swamp!"

There was mist everywhere. Kaoru and Yahiko looked around with frightening awe. The swamp was very vast, as far as the eye can see.

Gollum announced, "A swamp, yes, yes… come, master. We will take you on safe paths through the mist." He then looks back and gestures the travelers to follow, "…come, Hobbits and travelers, come. We go quickly…"

Gollum went on, leading the travelers through the vast, enormous swamp, "…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…"

A couple of days later…

Frodo, Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sam sat on dry tuffs of vegetation chewing on some lembas, as Gollum was on his knees on the firm ground of the swamp.

"I hope this path doesn't take too long," said Kaoru, becoming a little irritated, "It's even worse than Emyn Muil."

"Well, Gimli did say that after Emyn Muil that there would be marshlands as far as the eye can see, Kaoru," Yahiko told her.

"Would you stop quoting what Gimli said, Yahiko," said a nervous Kaoru, "this whole place is starting to ruin my fair complexion."

"As if you had any to begin with," Yahiko retorted.

Kaoru growled at her impulsive apprentice.

"Well, I hate this place too, Mr. Yahiko," said a disgusted Sam, "…it's too quiet. There hasn't been sight nor sound of a bird for two days."

"No, no birdses to eat," Gollum interjected, gloomily, "no crunchable birdses…

"We are famished!" Gollum became upset suddenly, as he waved his arms nervously, "yes! Famished we are, precious."

Not knowing what he should eat, Gollum's eyes caught some movement on the ground in front of him. He then reached out… and picked up a worm. Gollum held it up in front of his face, shook off the dirt… and slurped it into his mouth.

Sam grimaced in distaste as Yahiko and Kaoru had embarrassed looks on their faces, disgusted to see Gollum sucking on a slimy worm. All three of them instantly lost their appetites.

While Gollum was enjoying his meal, Frodo took pity on the wretch… and threw him a piece of Lembas bread as he silently called out, "here."

Gollum then spotted the way bread that Frodo willingly tossed to him and eagerly pounced on it.

"What does it eats," Gollum asked brightly as he picked it up, "…is it tasty?"

With the greatest curiosity, Gollum went and popped the piece of Lembas in his mouth.

But…

"Cough! Cough!" Gollum choked on it, sputtering it out of his mouth with his hands on his throat.

Once more, everyone went embarrassed at Gollum's display of behavior as he coughed the way bread out of his mouth.

'…Maybe it was a bad idea to let Gollum be our guide,' thought an embarrassed Kaoru, 'he's making a complete fool of himself.'

"…It tries to chokes us!" Gollum rasped painfully, "…we can't eats Hobbit food!

"…We must starve!" Gollum ranted further as he rocked himself into the air.

"Well starve then," Sam said angrily, "and good riddance."

"The sooner, the better, I say," Yahiko added his growl.

Kaoru nodded, a little exasperated.

"Oh, cruel Hobbit… cruel, impulsive boy!" Gollum whined, glaring at Sam and Yahiko, "they does not care if we be hungry. Does not care… if we should die!"

Obviously not paying Gollum's rantings of any mind or consequence, Sam held out a piece of lembas, which he popped into his mouth with exaggerated relish.

Gollum then turned to Frodo, and slowly approached him, changing his expression as he faced him…

"…Not like master," he said, lovingly, as Frodo began to glance at him, cautiously, "master cares… master knows.

"…Yes, precious," Gollum cooed in confirmation, as his intent gaze moved to where the ring lay hidden under Frodo’s shirt and a terrible hunger glowed within him…

Frodo then placed his hand upon his chest, clutching the ring, showing that he does know what Gollum was saying earlier. Kaoru looked with concern at Frodo, clutching the ring in his hand, and at Gollum, who seemed to be caring about Frodo…

Gollum then, slowly and softly, lifted his hand, to reach for Frodo's hand as he whispered, "…once it takes a hold of us…

"…It never… lets go…"

"Don't touch me!" Frodo recoiled violently, with a repulsed expression as he slapped Gollum's hand away.

Gollum jerked back as if struck and rejected like a lecherous parasite. Kaoru gasped in shock at Frodo's repulsion of the creature. She now felt that the ring's power was starting to possess Frodo, like it did Boromir. Sam and Yahiko looked at Gollum with contempt expressions, believing that the creature got what he deserved.

Kaoru, however, felt a little different than what the others felt as she too began to feel pity for Gollum, but did not say anything to make the creature feel better. Feeling left out and rejected, Gollum slowly crawled away from the travelers… and curled into a miserable ball for the rest of the break period.

After taking their rest period, the travelers continued to pick their way gingerly though the marshes, following Gollum's lead. They eventually came across a bare plain in the swamp, called Dagorlad, where there were fires burning here and there amongst the weeds and boggy waters.

Sam then looked down…

And saw faces, whole bodies, wearing battle armor, in fact, just beneath the surface, floating in the water, still, rotting and pale.

"There are dead things! Sam exclaimed in repulsion, and horror, "…dead faces in the water!"

Frodo and the others looked down at the water and saw the same dreadful sight that Sam saw. Kaoru paled, as well as shivered, at the sight of the rotting faces.

Gollum replied, "all dead… all rotten. Elves, and men and Orcses… a great battle long ago."

Then Gollum turned to face the travelers, cackling and announcing darkly, "…the Dead Marshes. Yes, yes, that is their name."

"Well, thanks for telling us the name of this place, Gollum," said Kaoru, disgusted, "I feel so much better now."

"Well, I don't," added Yahiko, even more disgusted.

"Yahiko, did Gimli mention anything about dead people in the swamp?" asked Kaoru, shivering still.

"…Uh… I think Gimli left out this part," Yahiko stuttered his reply, looking at the dead people."

"I think I should have a long talk with Gimli when this is over," said Kaoru.

"…I've known about this, Miss Kaoru," interjected Frodo, in a dreamlike voice, "…I know not who they are, but I thought I saw there… Elves and Men and Orcs beside them, as Gollum says. I've seen them too, in the pools where the candles were lit. I saw them… grim faces and evil, noble faces and sad. A fell light is in them now."

"No doubt about that," said Kaoru sternly, "by the way Gollum described… these people must've fought in the first battle against Sauron, 3000 years ago."

"Well," said Yahiko, "is there any way to touch them, or anything?"

"Yahiko!" Kaoru berated Yahiko, "have you lost your mind? You shouldn't think about doing that."

"No," Gollum answered for Yahiko, "no, you cannot touch them. You cannot reach them. We tried once, yes, precious. I tried once; but you cannot reach them. Only shapes to see, perhaps, not to touch. No precious! All dead."

After hearing Gollum's explanation, Sam looked at the creature darkly as he resolved, "well, I don't want to see them. Can't we get on and get away?"

"Yes, yes," Gollum answered as he went forward, gesturing the others to follow, "…this way. Don’t follow the lights."

As they continued forward, Sam's foot slipped into the swamp again.

Gollum warned the travelers, "careful now… or Hobbits and travelers go down to join the dead ones… and light little candles of their own."

"T… thanks, Mr. Gollum," Kaoru stuttered, nervously, "w… we'll try to keep that in mind."

Yahiko, for once, listened to Gollum, trying to avoid looking at the dead warriors. Frodo, however, didn't heed Gollum's warning. As he went slowly straying from the others…

Neither of them noticed that Frodo didn’t follow along. Instead…

He walked trance-like down another dry pathway. Frodo slowly approached one of the faces in Elven armor, being drawn towards it. Frodo continued to walk directly towards the edge of the pathway… and stopped there, continuing to look at the dead Elf…

Sam and the others turned to look back at Frodo, with concern as he looked down into the swamp.

"Frodo!" cried Sam.

Frodo couldn't hear Sam as he was completely mesmerized by the Elven face…

Until suddenly…

…Its eyes popped open, and Frodo fell face down, slowly into the water.

"Frodo!" the others yelled…

SPLASH!

Frodo splashed into the water. Once inside the water… he came to his senses as he saw many faces of the dead, beginning to come up towards him. No longer still… but screaming and grasping. Their rotten robes and hair began to flow about their gruesome faces. The hands of the dead slowly, but frighteningly… reach out for him…

Frodo became frightened as he tries to shield himself from the ghosts of the swamp. But… Frodo felt that this would be his place of death because the ghosts surrounded him tightly as their rotting hands grasped at him, seeking to draw the Hobbit into their realm, and he could only watch in stunned horror…

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Frodo from behind, on the shoulder…

And pulled him out of the bog. Frodo gasped for air as he was slowly, but laboriously, pulled ashore. Moments later, Frodo looked up at his rescuer… and was surprised to see not the face of his Samwise… but the ancient eyes of Gollum…

"…Gollum?" Frodo said in disbelief and perplexed gratitude.

"Don't follow the lights," Gollum warned again as he crawled away.

The other travelers ran over to Frodo's side.

"Mr. Frodo," said Sam, "are you alright?"

"We thought you were a goner there," added Yahiko.

As the Hobbit and the boy wonder about Frodo's condition, Frodo stared after Gollum, panting. Kaoru stood and turned to stare at Gollum, with a perplexed expression also, after his recent heroic feat.

'…Gollum…' thought a bemused Kaoru, '…he saved Frodo.'

The travelers have finally passed the swampy graveyard and continued throughout the remaining paths of the marshes and settled at nightfall. They were almost near the Black Gates now. The thundering fires of Mt. Doom filed the night sky behind the mountains that were just a few miles away from the travelers.

Sam and Yahiko were asleep, but Frodo was awake, on his side faced away from Sam and Yahiko, holding the ring in his hand, stroking it, unable to take his eyes off the ring. Kaoru was also awake, and saw Frodo caressing the ring and despaired, for Frodo's strength against the ring maybe starting to fade, as she suspected.

The power of the ring slowly mesmerized Frodo. But then, just by looking at the ring… Kaoru slowly became mesmerized by the ring's power as well, as she had admitted to herself before joining Frodo on his decision to finish the quest alone.

Suddenly…

"Sooo bright…" chanted Gollum.

Frodo heard Gollum… and quickly puts the ring away. The Hobbit then sat up… and saw Gollum, crouching several yards away, talking to himself and, stroking the center of his palm, as if he had the ring in his hand. Kaoru also sat up and saw the crouching Gollum as well…

"…Sooo beautiful, our preciousss..." Gollum finished cooing.

"…What did you say?" asked Frodo, silently.

"Master should be resting," suggested Gollum, "…master needs to keep up his strength."

"Be that as it may," interjected Kaoru, catching Gollum and Frodo's attention, "you still saved Frodo's life. You owe him that much to answer his question."

"…Miss Kaoru," said Frodo, a little surprised to see her awake.

Gollum turned to face Kaoru and said, "…pretty mistress should be resting too."

Frodo and Kaoru then moved over to Gollum and crouched before him.

"Who are you?" Frodo asked.

"Mustn’t ask us," defied Gollum, "not its business. Gollum, Gollum!"

Frodo continued, "Gandalf told me you were one of the River Folk."

"Cold be heart and hand and bone," Gollum chanted, "cold be travelers far from home."

"He said your life was a sad story."

"They do not see what lies ahead, when sun has failed and moon is dead."

"You were not so very different from a hobbit once, were you... "

"…Sméagol?" Frodo named the creature.

"…What did you call me?" Gollum asked, slowly lifting his head.

"That was your name, wasn't it?" Frodo wondered compassionately, "A long time ago."

"…I have also heard of your story," interjected Kaoru, "I sympathize with you, too. Your real name is Smeagol, isn't it? I can understand now why you did what you did to save Frodo, because he was the only one who knows what you're going through. And for that… you have my respect."

Gollum was shocked to hear Kaoru's sympathy.

"…Thank you," finished Kaoru, with a smile, "thank you for saving Frodo's life… Smeagol."

"…My…" stuttered Gollum, "…my name…

"…S… S… Smeagol…" Gollum smiled as he looked up at Frodo and Kaoru as they returned their smiles.

A bond now formed between the three of them.

"Argh!" Gollum suddenly recoiled in fear and hunched over with his hands over his head, to the loud screeching… that also woke up Sam and Yahiko.

"Black riders!" cried Sam.

"Oh no," said Yahiko, "not these creeps again."

"Hide! Hide!" cried Gollum, looking wildly about.

Sam, and the others, including Gollum scrambled for a patch of shrubs under which to hide. As they did, Frodo suddenly… and agonizingly… felt the pain of the Ringwraith's sword piercing him in the left shoulder and the call of the ring. Memories of the Ringwraiths came to him in brief, frightening flashes, paralyzing the inflicted Hobbit.

"…ARRRGHHH!!!" Frodo cried in pain, experiencing the flashes.

"Frodo!" Kaoru called out, as she and Gollum hid under the shrubs that they found.

Frodo continued to clutch at the ring on his chest, immobilized.

Sam and Yahiko spotted the paralyzed Hobbit and ran over to him.

"C’mon Frodo!" cried Sam as he and Yahiko dragged Frodo across to hide with the others beneath some bramble bushes that they found, "c'mon!"

"Quick!" Gollum cried fretfully, as he gestured them to hide, "they will see us! They will see us!"

"I thought they were dead," said Sam.

"Dead? No, you cannot kill them, no," stated Gollum.

"Yeah," interjected Yahiko, "remember what Aragorn said? These creeps are neither living nor dead. How could anyone kill something as weird as that?"

"Thanks for the reminder, Mr. Yahiko," said Sam.

"My pleasure," replied Yahiko.

"Be quiet, you two!" Kaoru instructed fretfully.

Another loud screech came from the Nazgûl. The Nazgûl appeared, tightening his hold on the reins and sniffing the environment for the ring, like the dark bloodhound that it was. But he wasn't riding on a horse…

Instead…

The wraith was flying high above the marshes, riding a huge, horrid, dragon-like, serpentine creature called a fell beast, with leathery wings, the size of the great eagles of the North. The chilling, blood-curdling screams of the Nazgûl filled the air as it swooped down across the marshlands, near the bramble bushes, where the travelers and Gollum were hiding under, bellowing as it went. The travelers ducked when they saw the wretched, monstrous creature that flew overhead.

"Wraiths!" Gollum cowered as he looked as the winged creature, "wraiths on wings!"

'Man,' thought Yahiko, 'having these creeps ride on horses was bad enough. Now they're riding on dragons? This isn't going to be easy as I though, with these creeps flying in the air. It's even worse than when I fought with Henya of the Juppongatana.'

The Wraith continued to circle and hover around the area, as he was near his quarry. Yahiko and Sam looked up through the shade of the bushes, waiting for it to leave. Suddenly… Frodo once again felt the call of the ring as his eyes rolled back, and his left hand slowly reached into the neck of his shirt of it’s own accord, searching and groping for the ring…

Kaoru also became entranced as she looked at Frodo in his trance. Her hand slowly began to move, to reach for the ring. Gollum then saw Frodo, in his trance, going for the ring…

"They are calling for it," Gollum said, watching Frodo intently, "…they are calling for the preciousss."

Sam then turned his head to see Frodo going for the ring.

"Mr. Frodo!" cried Sam…

Sam immediately grabbed hold of Frodo's hand, pulling it out of his shirt and held it with his own hands soothingly, snapping Frodo out of his trance.

"It's alright," Sam faithfully assured Frodo, "just hold on."

Kaoru then came out of her trance… and puts her stuttering hand on Frodo's other hand, to help Sam calm Frodo.

"Sam's right," Kaoru added contentedly, "don't worry, Frodo, we're here,"

With the support of Kaoru and Sam, the ring's influence began to fade. The Nazgûl continued to circle overhead, one last time… and then gave up, flying off towards Mordor, as it continued to bellow loudly. Yahiko continued to look on, as he made sure that the monstrous creature went away.

"…Okay, guys, the coast is clear," said Yahiko.

Frodo continued panting after feeling that surge of power from the ring…

After the wraith left, Gollum turned to the others, "hurry, Hobbits and travelers. The Black Gate is very close…"