Mount Doom

Alana wrinkled her nose as the stench of orc, very dead orc, reached her.

"Samwise Gamgee, I swear that if I ever get my hands on you, you will rue the day you were born!"

"It wasn't my fault that the orcs saw our fire! If you hadn't been singing, we would be at home and safe already!" Sam argued.

"Take you longer to get home!" Alana slew another orc with a long, white knife, similar to her father's, Sam noticed.

Once the orcs were dispatched of, Alana instantaneously began hiking up Mount Doom. She was anxious to reach home, and to be with her Grandfather.

"We would have been better off if we hadn't brought her along, Mister Frodo." Sam was saying as he too began up the steep mountain.

"You would have died!" Alana yelled from above.

"Yeah right! I could take care of Frodo." Sam yelled at her as she stopped to wait for them.

"More like his dead body!" Alana replied.

"I'm telling you Mister Frodo, we would be a billion times further if she wasn't here!"

"Must you two fight all the time?" Frodo asked, and sighed when they both nodded.

"I say we abandon her here on this ridge." Sam whispered into Frodo's ear.

"I say you both shut your mouths." Frodo said, pointedly motioning to the orc carcasses on the rocks below.

They trio rounded another corner and for the first time could see the opening to destroy the Ring. But something then happened the travelers did not intend. A scrawny creature stepped out in front of them. Gollum.

"Wicked master! Steal precious! Mustn't go that way, yess, give to Gollum, yess." Gollum hissed and stepped toward Frodo.

"No! No! Back you devil!" Frodo cried as Gollum sprung, tearing at him for the Ring.

Frodo flung Gollum against the rock, and Sam drew his sword. "Leave!" Sam growled. "Leave now!" Lunging at Gollum, Sam thrust his sword at the scrawny creature.

"No! Leave us be!" Gollum began to crawl away, back into the darkness.

Alana, now determined to prove she was help on this quest, didn't move a muscle. Instead she watched the, thing, scamper away.

"Why didn't you do anything, Miss Alana?" Sam asked, looking at her.

"You seem to think you can survive this trip without me, so I'm not going to help you anymore." Alana grinned at Sam's exasperated face.

The road went on, as did the argument between the ever proper Sam and stubborn Elf-child. Frodo frowned, whatever this was becoming, he knew that it was going to get worse, for the Ring was pulling him harder, and weighing even more.

They were soon standing right next to the chasm where they would destroy the Ring. Frodo suddenly felt his attachment bear even heavier on him.

"Throw it in, Master Frodo! It'll all be over, then!" Sam urged.

"Yes Frodo! Sam and I are actually agreeing here! Throw it in and savor our blessing!" Alana screamed loudly at him.

"No. Now that I am faced with this I don't want to get rid of the Ring. It came to me! It's mine!" Frodo took the Ring and jammed it onto his finger, giving into madness. However there was someone that the group had over looked.

Gollum raced at the unseen hobbit. He leapt at him clawing madly, and not even Frodo could escape now. Gollum bit down hard on one of his hands, and with a scream his left ring finger, and took both the Ring and the finger from Frodo. But, Gollum, being to close to the edge, toppled over, and with one last wail, the Ring was gone.

"Oh Frodo, your poor hand!" Sam said a he ran to Frodo.

Flame erupted from the pit and Sam grabbed Frodo. The three raced from the chamber, and shot down the side of the mountain like frightened rabbits.

Collapsing next to a large rock, they laid down side by side, and that it how Gwahir the Giant Eagle found them. The three were swept up and taken towards Gondor, where the rest of the Fellowship was.

Gandalf saw to them, but took Alana from the two hobbits and placed her in another room, for he knew who she was, and the fact she was a young female weighed upon his mind.

***

Alana blinked her eyes open and studied the room she was in. it was blue, with white curtains and two large chairs, one in which was inhabited by a certain wizard.

"Mithrandir!" Alana cried as she sat up.

Smiling Gandalf stood up and walked towards her, letting his white robes fall to the earth.

"You've changed color since we last met." Alana commented. "I guess we can't call you 'Grey Pilgrim' anymore."

"No child. Are you feeling well?"

"About as good as a spring chicken around Mid winter." Alana replied, rubbing her sore arms. "Where's Frodo and Sam? I need to kill Sam, so you should tell me soon."

"Do not worry, young one. All is well. They are attending something, and worring about you, you've been asleep for almost a week." they are also talking to your father, though they aren't mentioning you, and I shan't mention him either.

"I was tired. Still am. Need to sleep. Good, what ever time of day it is." With that Alana slipped off into Elven dreams, leaving Gandalf to watch.

R/R I still have a few good chapters to go before the end. Please don't leave me!