Lord of the Rings: Retold

The Two Towers

Chapter 1:

The scene opens with the exterior of the Misty Mountains. Faintly, voices echo within the mountain

Gandalf, "you cannot pass!"

Frodo, "Gandalf!"

Gandalf, "I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor! Go back to the shadow. Dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!"

We zoom into Khazad-dum, Gandalf is confronting the Balrog with his sword and staff held high.

Gandalf, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

Gandalf strikes his staff down and causes the bridge to crack violently. The Balrog falls, and as he falls he snaps his whip, which reaches up and grabs Gandalf by his ankle. The wizard is pulled back, causing Glamdring and his staff to fall after the Balrog and he clings to the ledge by his fingertips. Frodo starts to run to Gandalf, but Boromir grabs him and holds him back.

Boromir, "no! No!"

Frodo, "Gandalf!"

Naryn tries to run forward, but is held back by Freya and Tom.

Gandalf is clinging desperately to the ledge, his fingers groping for a better hold.

Gandalf, "fly, you fools!

Frodo, "NO!"

Gandalf lets go of the ledge, and intercepts his sword, Glamdring, and attacks the Balrog as they're falling deeper and deeper into the pit. Gandalf jumps onto the Balrog's stomach, stabbing at him with all of his might. As they fall, the Balrog turns, causing Gandalf to fall off of the large creature. The Balrog grabs Gandalf and knocks him around against the sides of the pit. Gandalf is able to grab the horns of the Balrog and flip onto the back of the beast's head. He stabs the Balrog again in the back of the head, causing it go roar in pain. The lake of Moria lights up in reflection of the Balrog's fire as he and Gandalf fall into the water!

….

Frodo wakes suddenly from a dream

Frodo, "Gandalf!"

Sam and Naryn wake up next to him and sit up quickly, concerned looks on their faces.

Sam, "what is it, Mr. Frodo?"

Frodo, "nothing."

Naryn, "didn't sound like nothing."

Frodo lays back down, his breathing relaxing.

Frodo, "just a dream."

Frodo, Naryn and Sam climb down a giant rock in the Emyn Muil using Sam's rope from Lothlorien. The bottom is shrouded in mist and fog.

Sam, "can you see the bottom?"

Frodo, "no! Don't look down, Sam! Just keep going."

Naryn, "I already looked down! I don't recommend it!"

Sam slips and a box drops from his bag.

Sam, "catch it. Grab it Mr. Frodo!"

Frodo manages to grab the box and loses his footing while at it.

Frodo, "ahhhh!"

Sam, "Mr Frodo?"

Naryn, "are you alright!?"

Frodo lands safely on the ground and looks up.

Frodo, "I think I've found the bottom."

Sam and Naryn climb down quickly to Frodo. Frodo looks around at the surroundings.

Sam, "bogs and rope and goodness knows what. It's not natural. None of it."

Naryn, "I don't think anything in Middle Earth is natural, Sam."

Frodo, looking at the box, "what's in this?"

Sam, "nothing. Just a bit of seasoning. I thought maybe if we was having a roast chicken one night or something."

Frodo, "roast chicken?!"

Naryn, "out here!?"

Sam, "you never know."

Frodo, smiling, "Sam, my dear Sam."

Sam, "it's very special, that. It's the best salt in all the Shire."

Naryn, "holding on to such a special thing. Understandable."

Frodo, "it is special. It's a little bit of home."

Frodo looks at Sam's rope hanging down from the rock.

Frodo, "we can't leave this here for someone to follow us down."

Naryn, "we don't need bread crumbs behind us."

Sam, "who's gonna follow us down here, Mr Frodo? It's a shame really. Lady Galadriel gave me that. Real Elvish rope. Well there's nothing for it. It's one of my knots. Won't come free in a hurry."

Sam yanks on the rope and all of a sudden it loosens itself from its knot and drops to the ground.

Frodo, amused, "real Elvish rope?"

Naryn, "didn't see that coming."

….

The next day, as they're climbing through the jagged rocks of Emyn Muil, they look toward Mordor. Mordor is seen in the distance, Mount Doom erupting in flame.

Sam, "Mordor. The one place in Middle-Earth we don't want to see any closer is the one place we're trying to get to, and just where we can't get."

Naryn, "but sadly, it's where our path lies."

Sam turns around and looks at Frodo, his face showing a hopeless look.

Sam, "let's face it, Mr. Frodo. We're lost. I don't think Gandalf meant for us to come this way."

Frodo, looking hopeless as well, "he didn't mean for a lot of things to happen."

Sam, "but they did."

Naryn, "it won't do us any good, bickering like children."

Frodo stares at Mordor and suddenly is zoomed into the Eye. Frodo gives a pure look of terror as the Eye seems to fly closer, looking fiery and great. Frodo gasps for breath and collapses to the ground.

Sam, looking concerned, turns to Frodo, "Mr. Frodo? It's the ring, isn't it?"

Frodo, "it's getting heavier."

Naryn, "try to keep calm."

Frodo reaches up and clutches the ring to his chest, his breathing starting to relax again, and then takes a drink of water. Sam sits down as well, taking off his pack and starts to rummage through it.

Naryn does the same.

Frodo, turning to Sam, "what food have we got left?"

Sam, "well, let me see."

Sam pulls out some wafers wrapped in green leaves.

Sam, "oh, yes. Lovely. Lembas bread. And look! More lembas bread."

Naryn, "I've got a little bit of lambdas bread as well."

Sam breaks off a piece for Frodo and throws it to him and then a piece for himself. Naryn eats his own piece.

They start to eat it, their faces still looking gloomy.

Sam, "I don't usually hold with foreign food, but this Elvish stuff, it's not bad."

Naryn, "indeed. Better than any food I had to eat before dad found me."

Frodo, smiling Sam's way, "nothing ever dampens your spirits, does it, Sam? Or yours, Naryn?"

Sam sighs, "those rain clouds might."

Naryn, "rain tends to being back painful memories."

Naryn pulled out his sword to check the blade.

Sam, "I never asked; what's the name of your sword?"

Naryn, "Thorin gave it to me. A blade that could easily slice through a trolls hide. He called it; Fire Drake."

Frodo, "very interesting."

Naryn, "thank you."

...

Frodo, Naryn and Sam sit huddled against a rock face while they are wrapped in their cloaks, in the rain. Gollum is heard breathing and his hand is seen grappling the rock. Frodo looks up nervously and scans their surroundings. Climbing over the rocky terrain, they continue to travel. Their surroundings are darker and mistier, making it hard to see where they are going.

We hear Sam say, "this looks strangely familiar."

Naryn, "you can say that again."

Frodo, stopping and looking around in frustration, "that's because we've been here before. We're going in circles."

Sam's voice is heard, "ugh. What is that horrid stink?"

Sam, turning towards Frodo, "I wonder if there's a nasty bog nearby. Can you smell it?"

Naryn, "I can smell it, bit it's not any bog I've ever smelled."

Frodo's voice is heard from afar, "yes", coming up next to Sam, "I can smell it."

Frodo turns to Sam and Naryn, "we're not alone."

….

Frodo, Naryn and Sam are asleep.

Gollum is climbing slinkily down the cliff above them.

Gollum, "they're thieves. They're thieves. The filthy little thieves. Where is it? Where is it? They stole it from us. My Precious. Curse them, we hates them! It's ours it is, and we wants it."

His hand reaches down to grab Frodo.

Frodo, Naryn and Sam jump up wide awake and all grab hold of one of Gollum's outstretched arms, and pull him down to the ground. He screams raspily and pushes them away from him, causing them to fall down. The Ring on the chain around Frodo's neck becomes visible as Frodo is knocked to the ground. Gollum, seeing the Ring that has come out of Frodo's shirt, jumps on Frodo and starts to grapple with Frodo for it. Sam and Naryn crawl over and grab Gollum's legs, pulling him off Frodo. Gollum whirls around and slaps Sam causing him to fall. He does the same to Naryn! Gollum turns around again and goes back to Frodo, trying desperately to touch the ring. Frodo is using all of his strength to keep Gollum's hands away from the Ring. Naryn and Sam get up again and grab Gollum around his torso and jerks him off Frodo. Gollum, still holding onto Frodo, flings him to the other side as well. Gollum gets loose from Sam and Naryn's grip and pushes off of them back onto the rocks. Gollum turns around and jumps back down onto Frodo. The others grab Gollum again by the torso and lift him off Frodo. Gollum wriggles free and turns in Sam's grip and slaps him. He then bites Sam on the neck while punching Naryn away. They tussle on the ground, Gollum managing to get on his back and get a good grip on Sam's neck, until Frodo unsheathes Sting and points it at Gollum's throat. Gollum immediately relaxes his grip a little, raises one hand in slight surrender.

Naryn joins Frodo and points his sword at Gollum.

Frodo, "this is Sting. You've seen it before, haven't you, Gollum? As well as my cousin here? Release him, or I'll cut your throat."

Gollum makes crying noises, releasing Sam from his grip. His face clinching up in fear and sadness.

….

The next morning they have Gollum tied with Sam's Elvish rope, like a dog on a leash, Sam holding the other end of the rope. Gollum is flailing around and moaning like a pathetic creature.

Gollum, screaming and wailing, "it burns! It burns us! It freezes!"

Sam pulls on Gollum's rope causing him to lose his footing. Sam drags him through the rocks. Gollum grabs hold of a rock jutting out of the ground and pulls on the rope.

Gollum, "nasty Elves twisted it", looking pleadingly at Sam, Naryn and Frodo, "take it off us!"

Sam, "quiet you!"

Naryn, "my ears are bleeding because of your blasted yelling!"

Gollum leans back and cries, "aahhhh!"

Sam turns frustratingly to Frodo, "it's hopeless! Every orc in Mordor's gonna hear this racket. Let's just tie him up and leave him."

Gollum, "no! That would kill us! Kill us!"

Sam, "it's no more than you deserve!"

Gollum rolls around on the ground, wailing, trying to rub the rope off.

Frodo, "maybe he does deserve to die. But now that I see him, I do pity him."

Naryn, "just like dad."

Gollum abruptly stops wailing. He gets up on his knees, his face looking at Frodo pleadingly.

Gollum, "we be nice to them, if they be nice to us. Take it off us! We swears to do what you wants. We swears!"

Frodo, "there is no promise you can make that I can trust."

Naryn, "none of us can trust you."

Gollum, "we swears to serve the master of the Precious. We will swear on…on the Precious! Gollum, Gollum!"

Frodo, "the ring is treacherous. It will hold you to your word."

Gollum nods head and crawls up to Frodo, "yes on the Precious. On the Precious."

Sam, "I don't believe you!"

Sam runs forward to shoo Gollum away. As Gollum runs away, he climbs a big rock. Yanking the rope, Sam pulls Gollum back to the ground.

Sam, "get down! I said, down!"

Frodo grabs a hold of Sam's shoulder, "Sam!"

Sam, "he's trying to trick us! If we let him go, he'll throttle us in our sleep!"

Naryn, "we need a guide, and he's the closest we have to one!"

Gollum gasps for air, clutching his throat. Frodo goes over to him and stands above him.

Frodo, "you know the way to Mordor?"

Gollum, "yes."

Frodo kneels down besides Gollum, "you've been there before?"

Gollum speaks nervously, "yes."

Frodo takes the rope off of Gollum. Gollum has a look of disbelief and surprise and Sam looks on in disapproval. Naryn has an uneasy look, but trusts in his cousin's judgment.

Frodo, "you will lead us to the Black Gate."

Gollum scampers off, moving effortlessly through the jagged rocks leaving the Hobbits and Goblin scrambling behind and trying to keep up.

Smeagol, "to the gate, to the gate! To the gate, the master says. Yes!"

Gollum, "no! We won't go back Not there. Not to him. They can't make us. Gollum! Gollum!"

Smeagol, "but we swore to serve the master of the precious."

Gollum, "no! Ashes and dust and thirst there is and pits, pits, pits. And Orcses, thousands of Orcses. And always the Great Eye watching. Watching."

Gollum turns to the three others in the distance and screams.

Gollum, "aaaarrrggghhh!"

Gollum runs away as fast as possible. Naryn, Sam and Frodo give chase.

Sam, "hey! Come back now! Come back! There! What did I tell you? He's run off, the old villain. So much for his promises."

Naryn, "I'm starting to agree."

Smeagol, "this way, Hobbits and Goblin", he reappears behind a rock, "follow me!"

Frodo, Naryn and Sam continue to follow their new Leader. Sam himself follows while giving a look of anger and frustration.

….

The Uruk-hai are running across the terrain. Merry, Tom and Pippin are being carried on the backs of three Uruk-hai. Merry is in bad shape with a cut on his forehead and doesn't seem too alert. Pippen and Tom are awake and whisper to him.

Pippin, "Merry! Merry!"

Tom, "wake up Mr. Brandibunk!"

Suddenly, an Uruk-hai puts up his hand and signals a stop. A Group of Mordor Orcs appears behind some rocks.

Orc Leader, "you're late. Our master grows impatient. He wants the Shire-rats now."

Uruk-hai Leader, "I don't take orders from Orc-maggots. Saruman will have his prize. We will deliver them."

The Uruk leader turns away from the Orc leader, who immediately shows his dislike for the Uruk. Meanwhile Merry's looking very sick and moaning.

Pippin, "Merry! Merry! Wake up", he looks at the Uruks who are drinking something from a leather pouch, "my friend is sick. He needs water. Please!"

Tom, "he won't survive if he doesn't get anything!"

Uruk, "sick, is he? Give him some medicine, boys! Hahaha!"

An Uruk-hai pours a syrupy liquid into Merry's mouth. Merry coughs and sputters with the liquid in his mouth as he comes to.

Pippin, "stop it!"

Tom, "dear Lord, what is that stuff?!"

Uruk, "can't take his draught! Hahah!"

Pippin, "leave him alone!"

Tom, "by my beard you won't hurt him again!"

Uruk, "why? You want some? Huh? Then keep your mouths shut!"

The Uruk turns away from the Hobbits

Tom, "psst! Merry!"

Pippin, "Merry?"

Merry, conscious again, "hello Pip. Tom"

Pippin, "you're hurt?"

Merry, "I'm fine. It was just an act."

Pippin and Tom are surprised, "an act?"

Merry, "see? I fooled you two too. Don't worry about me, Pippin. You either Tom."

Tom, "you ever pull that again, and I'll whack you over the head with my lute!"

The three of them give a small laugh.

The Uruk-hai leader sniffs the air while looking around.

Uruk-hai, "what is it? What do you smell?"

The Uruk Leader sniffs the air, "Manflesh."

Uruk-hai, "they've picked up our trail."

Pippin, "Aragorn."

Tom, "I knew they'd find us!"

Uruk Leader, "let's move!"

The Uruk-hai pick up speed, Pippin has a thought and acts on it at once. Using his teeth, he tears the leaf-brooch of his Lorien cloak, and looks around and spits it out onto the trail. Tom does the same, carefully tossing a page of sheet music of his pocket. Uruk feet trample on the brooch and page, pushing it further into the ground.

….

Reviews:

Amanny: I'm glad you've been enjoying the story, and thanks for trying to help.

….

I hope I've started the next movie off quite well. Let me know what you all think!

Also, a note; I added in a part to a few of the past chapters. I gave Naryn a weapon. A sword called the Fire Drake, named because of how destructive it was when striking down an enemy. So if you read past chapters, I'll have the sword mentioned in some parts.