Chapter 9

So we had come past the Dead Marshes and onto the slopes of Mordor. The eye of the Dark Lord must have known that I had passed this way. I could feel the burden again of Gollum, for fear of the Dark Lord had made him stronger.

" It is not safe my precious, we must flee this place. Remember you what happened the last time we came here?" Gollum spoke to me one night while the two were sleeping. I was smart to him though, I knew my7 place.

" We must serve the master. He listens to the precious, I have seen him. He will do what the precious wants." I could feel the hatred of Gollum and heard the hissing from between our teeth. " We protects the precious from him. He must not have it."

" Yes, but if we stray closer he will find us. He will take the precious. We should… protect the precious ourselves yesss?" I felt my hand moving over the dirt towards the little one, I pulled it back.

" But Smeagol said he would be very very good. Nice hobbit! He took cruel rope off Smeagol's leg. He speaks nicely to me."

" Very very good, eh, my precious? Let's be good, good as fish, sweet one, but to ourselfs. Not hurt the nice hobbit, of course, no, no." I could have taken it and slid away. He would not have been able to follow me back the way we had come. The Dark Lord would hesitate to send his orcses that way. I had swore though, I would not break my word.

" But the Precious holds the promise."

" Then take it, and let's hold it ourselfs! Then we shall be master, Gollum! Make the other hobbit, the nasty suspicious hobbit, make him crawl, yes, Gollum!" I looked back at the fat one, I did despise the wretch. Always watching me, after everything I went through to keep him safe.

" But not the nice hobbit?"

" Oh no, not if it doesn't please us. Still he's a Baggins, my precious, yes, a Baggins. A Baggins stole it. He found it and he said nothing, nothing. We hates Bagginses." Yet I did not share Gollum's feelings. This one was kind and gentle with me, he was honest from the start. I would not betray the promise of something so long ago.

" No, not this Baggins."

" Yes, every Baggins. All peoples that keep the Precious. We must have it!" I knew now that Gollum's fear had changed back to hunger, one that could not be fed with fish alone. How I missed fish, it had been a long journey since the mines.

" But he'll see us, He'll know. He'll take it from us!"

So I would argue with Gollum each night whilst the hobbits slept their sweet dreams. He would not argue during the day, he was afraid of Sting.

On one evening master instructed me to lead them to the Black Gate. I knew that orcses would be guarding it, how would I protect the precious then. I was good and faithful though, and led diligently over the western hillsides. I watched the skies though, and when three times I saw the shade of the Wraiths, I fell. Three times meant that his shadow riders knew of our coming. Gollum would not permit me another step.

Then master forced us, he pulled on the Sting, and Gollum hissed through my lips. Then we scurried onwards, penned in from both sides. I know of the wall and of the gate. It would be guarded heavily, and would not be penetratable. I told master this but he would not listen. So we reached the black gate and he saw for himself. Saw the impossibility of the task ahead. Then he believed Smeagol.

Believed, and yet still he refused to return to the safe places. Refused to give the Precious to Smeagol for his service. Had I not been a good guide for him? I had kept the precious safe had I not? He told me he wanted behind the gate, and so I told him of another way.

Authors notes: A lot of the conversations in the last few chapters have been air lifted directly from the master. While this is indeed inevitable, the thoughts behind Smeagol's words are my own conjecture. Please review.