Frodo was sitting up and looking around when Gandalf came back. He walked over to Frodo and sat down beside him.
"Are you alright, Frodo?" he asked.
"Yes, though I'd like to thank Sam" Frodo answered.
"Schroligrafa wanted to thank you" Gandalf told him. Frodo was about to answer when the others returned.
"Sorry, Gandalf, the ponies are no where in sight" Sam said approaching Gandalf.
"No, ponieses are gones. We sees the goblinses takes them and we rans" Smeagol said from the other side of the dead fire. He was crouching on a log eating another dead fish and glaring at Shrell.
Frodo thanked Sam and Shrell thanked Frodo and they all had a small lunch ( Frodo had woken up late). After lunch they debated what they should do with out the ponies (which had most of the supplies).
It was decided that they would continue on without the ponies and see how far they could get. It wasn't long before they did set out and the weather was getting warmer as it drew closer to mid-summer. Even if the weather was pleasant the land was rugged and dry and Frodo wasn't at all fond of it. As they went on the day became hotter and hotter until they feared that the sun would surely scorch their flesh. Pippin was the only one who kept up his spirits and tried to cheer everyone up. Frodo was grateful for this and soon found himself laughing at some of Pippin's small jokes and riddles and the others did as well.
"I can't keep your spirits up for long. Shrell, play us a cheerful tune, if you will" he said as he walked beside her. Shrell took out her flute and played a tune that much reminded Frodo of the Shire and it's fields and cheery hobbit holes and the wind in the trees on a warm spring afternoon.He found himself longing to be there and not in the hot weather without shade. Gimli began to sing and Myrth joined in. Shrell stopped playing at the last verse and sang with them as Pippin and Merry skipped along happily.
"So, anyway, how 'bout another riddle?" asked Pippin. They all agreed and had a rather large contest. Smeagol seemed to be getting every riddle that was asked but it was Shrell who finally stumped him but she regreted it afterwards.
"What is a wall that is not tall at all and from a tree it did fall, it will lay where it fell till the squirrels find it and the chipmunks, as well?" she questioned.
"Er, um, rocks?" a very confused and disapointed Gollum answered with little hope. He had a bad feeling that the answer wasn't rocks but it was all that came to mind.
"No, wallnuts!" Shrell answered cheerfully but was soon takled to the ground.
"It cheated! We knows it cheated!" he cried and wrapped his cold fingers around her neck. Shrell tried desperately to pry them off but it was in vain. Gandalf used his staff and knock Smeagol over the head. The creature fell to the ground senseless. Shrell was left rather stunned.
"I guess he had his heart set on winning the riddle game...." she said as she regained her footing.
"Long ago he was cheated in a riddle game. This brought back memories to him and a cheater deserves to die" Gandalf said.
"But I didn't--" Shrell began.
"I know you didn't cheat" Gandalf replied.
"Well, that was then, this is now! That creature should learn to control himself" Merry said crossing his arms. Frodo was still in thought. Bilbo didn't deserve to die and the Gollum creature would have eaten him anyway.
"No, it really was my fault and I lied to the creature. I'm suprised he hasn't killed me already!" Shrell said, shaking her head.
"Well, he suffered the same fate as Frodo. Now they both have nine fingers" Sam put in.
"And both tried to possess the ring" Gandalf said.
"Either way, the creature doesn't deserve to be left here. I shall carry him" Shrell turned and lifted the creature onto her back. Without much further word they set out. Most everyone was hungry but didn't wish to complain. Sam and Legolas helped carry Gollum when Shrell started to stagger and Gimli would carry him when they were tired. Myrth and Gandalf were discussing something as were Arwen and Strider and Merry and Pippin were telling cheerful tales of the Shire. Frodo felt as though soon all of them would come to a bad end. He hung his head and contiued on.
Hours past. Frodo was almost too tired to take another step. It was dusk but the weather was still humid and the land was still like sand and dust. Suddenly, There was a noise from the back of the group. Frodo turned to see Shrell and Sam on the ground with Gollum sprawled out next to them. They were the ones carrying him. Shrell scrambled to her feet.
"Hault!" she cried. Strider singnal a hault and rushed over to were the were. Frodo wasn't far behind. Sam was unconscious.
"We must rest!" called Aragorn to Gandalf.
It was a long night Frodo just tossed and turned and found himself worrying about Sam. He lay there in the sand but kept hearing voices that seemed rather close. After listening a bit longer he could almost make out what the were saying. It seemed to draw him in though he couldn't quite make it out over the sound of Gimli's snoring. Frodo got up. The voices seemed to be everywhere and with every breath he took they came closer. The voices were cold as ice and even though Frodo didn't know they're language he felt as though the were foreboding his death. The sound of hooves beating against the ground came closer and closer but Frodo found he was unable to move. Something held him to the spot. He felt the need to slip on the ring. Disappearing seemed to intrigue him now. His hand slowly crawled towards his pocket. He tried to restrain himself but he just could't. The voices drew coser and louder. He was afraid he could hold back no longer when he felt a bang on the side of his head and then everything went blank.
When Frodo awoke it was not yet daylight. Shrell was the only one awake. He crawled over to her and sat down next to her. She looked up from polishing her dagger and smiled.
"You alright?" she asked.
"I heard strange voices. The only way I could discribe them is......evil" he answered.
"I heard them, too. I could almost see them...."
"I didn't but I couldn't resist the ring." Frodo hung his head. "Anyway, how's Sam?" he asked looking back up at her.
"Out cold" she answered. Frodo looked over at Sam. He was laying there, peacefully.
"I hope he'll be alright" Frodo said.
"You know, your very lucky to have a friend like Sam" Shrell said with a sad smile.
"Yes, he always was there for me" Frodo replied, "You never had a friend like that, did you?" Frodo said frowning.
"No, not until I met all of you"She answered. She held up her dagger and even in the darkness it sparkled. "What do you think?" She said, handing it to him.
"Very nice. I once had a dagger like this. I called it Sting, well, Bilbo named it" Frodo said, turning the dagger over. "Sadly, I missplaced it somewhere...."
"SShh..." Shrell said, suddenly, "I hear those voices, again." She shot to her feet and looked around. Frodo could now see strange, eary, black, spirits in the air. They hardly had form and just drifted like smoke. He stood up next to Shrell.
"What are those?" he asked.
"I don't know" Shrell answered, "but they seem to be where the voices are coming from." The spirits swirled closer. Frodo could almost make out hands in the smoke. They grasped and grabbed at the air.
"How do we fight them?" Shrell asked, despratly.
"I do not know!" Frodo had to yell over the sound of the voices. Suddenly, Shrell gave a shriek of pain. Frodo turned to see one of the stange spirits take over her body. The blackness wirled around her finger tips and her face became cold. Her eyes showed no sign of emotion. Suddenly, she spoke but in a deep, cold, voice:
One ring to rule them all.
One ring to find them.
One ring to bring them all,
and in the darkness....bind them.
The spirit left he body and she fell to the ground. The spirits fled. Frodo ran over to where her body was. Her eyes were closed tightly and her fists were cluched. He sat down beside her and rested her head on his leg. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she stared up at him.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Shrell nodded. "Just rest" he said smiling. She smiled back then her eyes fluttered shut..........To be continued.