Author's Note: This particular Nuzgul – to write about Gollum following the fellowship - came in the form of a challenge posted by Jen Littlebottom. Many thanks to her for letting me take a crack at it. Merci bien also, to Cainell for beta reading. Enjoy. SlV

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Yet Frodo began to hear, or to imagine that he heard, something else: like the faint fall of soft bare feet. It was never loud enough, or near enough, for him to feel certain that he heard it; but once it had started it never stopped, while the company was moving. But it was not an echo, for when they halted it pattered on for a little all by itself, and then grew still.

--The Fellowship of the Ring, pg 409—

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Precious is with nasty walkers nine

And now we follows them deep in the mine

Ssss. Careful! Mustn't get too close. Wait 'til nasty stealing hobbit can be gots alone. All alone, precious. Then we can wrap our hands around nasty little necks. Curse Baggins! Nasty hobbit stole our birthday present and we wants it back! Yes precious, we has followed for days! We wouldn't leave precious, no, never! Sneaking peoples keep thieving Baggins close. Too close for us to gets him and find precious. Sss! Must watch. Must stay quiets. Nasty Elf's ears and eyes are sharp, even in mines. Sss, horrid Elves! We hates them! Kept us locked away precious, oh yes, in deep dungeons like mines. They hurts us! Nasty burning hands they has. All they touches burns us. Baggins' Elf wasn't kind to us, oh no. He thinks he was nice, letting us climb trees, but we catches him, precious. Not even mighty Elf princes can fight Orcs and guard us. Musn't let him catch us again – he won't let us climb trees a second time. We must be too quick for them precious. Quicks and quiets so Elves, and Wizards, and nasty Rangers can't find us. Ssss, still hurts where Ranger caught us. Shouldn't have told him about the precious. He wants it for himself, he does. He can't have it! Keeps precious for ourselves. Soon we shall have it back, oh yes, soon it will be ours again. But patience now, precious! Not too close. Must catch Baggins before friends of Baggins catches us. But they won't, oh no, we shall be too quick for them. When Orcs comes, then we will try. Mighty warriors can't watch two things at once! But quiets now we need. Soon enough we shall feel our fingers around Baggins necks…

Mighty warriors, they cannot beat,

Quick hands and soft-padding feet!

Mine. My preciousss…