Alraia

"We have to move quickly," said Frodo quietly, almost to himself, on the third night of our voyage. We stood sullenly on the brink of a cliff that teased us in falling down to the ever impending bogs.

"Where to, then? We have no guide cross these lands. I'm certain I've passed this rock three times today!" I exclaimed. The Ring-bearer nodded, to my relief, and we set up camp on the dismal gray rocks. The moon frowned upon us as we labored, the earth on which we stood seemed to want nothing more than to heave up and throw us to our doom.

"We are not welcome in these lands," I whispered in Elvish. To have the earth reject me threw shards into my heart. Sam, who had overheard, shot me a sympathetic glance. The moment, however, was broken by hisses of sharp breath and a stone falling down beside us.

"Gollum!" Sam snarled. "How I wish your pater had killed him!" Frodo said nothing, to my confusion, but instead looked thoughtfully out into the dark. Frodo walked away from our huddle, and the next thing we knew there was a yelp and the sound of a tumbling hobbit body.

"Frodo!" Sam and I cried, and I looked anxiously down the precipice while Sam dug in his pocket, muttering, "rope-rope- It must be here- Yes!" Smiling, Sam threw coils of shimmering silver Elven rope through the darkness to Frodo. He scrambled up and fitfully hugged each of us in relief.

"Frodo," said Sam softly, "was there a nook down there, where no one could see us- not even Gollum?" I smiled, knowing what he was thinking. Frodo nodded. So we each clambered down the rope, and squeezed in the dark hole, feeling safe for now, even as we progressed to the most perilous place of them all.

"Lembas for dinner tonight!" Frodo said cheerily, and Sam and I groaned. It had been my favorite childhood treat, and now I couldn't stand the taste. I did eat it, and thanked Galadriel for the energy it gave me. I heaved a sigh, and settled for a fitful sleep.

***

Trundling through the edges of Emyn Muil proved no easier. The thought of Gollum, however, did alleviate our tempers: for he could certainly not clamber down that cliff! I slept easily thinking of that, in our less than secure camps for the night. This was all well, until one moonless night, where Frodo shook me awake. He pointed to the cliff, and I could see a gray shape hunkering down it as a centipede would. I shuddered, and looked away. It was a sleepless night for me. I assured Sam and Frodo that I would watch him, and I scrambled on to a rock nearby. Casting my eyes away from Smeagol, and deep into the stars, I found Elbereth and prayed that we would successfully complete the mission. That a guide would come for us, that we wouldn't be lost in the marshes for ever. Taking a deep breath, I looked again at Gollum- and found that he was not on the cliff. Panic seized my body: Sam! Frodo! Where were they!? I lurched towards the camp, and found Gollum hunched over Frodo, knife to his neck, and oily gray hands searching for his Precious. I yelled and threw myself on top of Gollum, killing him with a bare stroke of my knife.

*gasp* WHAT NEXT?! Alraia, Frodo and Sam are not cooperating, so I'm having a little trouble with finishing this chapter. Check back, though, more is coming soon! PS this fic won't end with Return of the King, that would be really stupid. These first three chapters are only setting the scene. (but I hope you'll like it anyway)