Disclaimer: I own none of the characters within.



Author's Notes: Chapter Eleven! Gee, what a fitting name for this installment... to my reviewers:



frodolover - Glad you took a chance with me! And I'm sorry, I've said this before, but, I need Frodo till the end of the story! Then we'll see!



Amarth - Good old Gollum. Believe me, I was just as anxious as you to bring him into this story. He gets a lot more time in this chapter, too. Yay.



Cudae - I love your reviews. Magic words and banging the computer, eh? Maybe the spell has a delayed effect, and this next chapter is the result. :D



TK and tenshiamanda - Here the mystery wolf is revealed. Thanks for all your reviews.



So now! On to...







Chapter Eleven









~



Stepping forward, Faramir came into view. He had been wandering Moria quite frequently since the death of the beta, Beregond, as though his presence could fend off and destroy any foul creature that sought to do evil to another he loved. So he walked the dark land, killing anything he found.



He'd never found anything like this before.



The three little wolves stared back at him, utterly shocked by his sudden appearance. Tilting his head, the Gondor wolf woofed softly. The blue-eyed wolf, who looked no older than a pup, woofed back and wagged his tail.



Gollum was still lying on his side from where Sam had thrown him. Terrified by this gigantic wolf, he twisted to his feet and raced off like a ghost across the tundra, back towards the East.



Advancing cautiously, Frodo touched his nose to Faramir. He smelled... Boromir. The scent was unmistakable. Boromir had long traveled with this wolf, that much was clear. This wolf must be the Gondor warrior's kin, and therefore, an ally. With a yip of excitement, Frodo nuzzled the larger animal happily.



For a moment, Sam still stood with his head turned to the direction their 'guide' had fled. But when his young alpha called, he obediently loped to his side.



Faramir studied the two Hobbit wolves carefully. Unsure of their origin, he sniffed them for any information. A familiar scent tickled his sensitive nostrils. Boromir, his brother. These wolves, then, were automatically considered friends. Shaking his ruff in a gesture of relaxation, he told them not to fear. Then he turned to lead them back to Gondor territory.



Glancing back to the East, Frodo whimpered uncertainly, giving the Gondor wolf pause. Sitting on his rump, Faramir pondered the situation. He had heard a rumor on the voice of the Lorien pack that a group of wolves was headed for the East to fight the Great Hunter. But only two small creatures stood before him.



But what else could they be? And if they sought the Great Hunter, was not Faramir's own grudge against that monster? His only option was to help them.



Barking smartly, Faramir signaled his understanding and loped off in the direction of Mordor. Immediately, the two Hobbit wolves leapt to his side and kept pace with him.



The three moved closer to the shadowed East.



~



For two days they traveled with Faramir. Frodo trusted him implicitly, but Sam was not so sure. He was wary of all things now, terrified that some assassin would slip under his nose and murder his charge. And that would be death for him as well, as he could not go on without the one he swore his loyalty to.



As they went, they saw the scattered tracks of Gollum, as he sped ahead of them and unconsciously laid out a trail to follow. Faramir was interested in these marks, and was anxious to catch up with the other wolf. Upping the pace, he urged the other two on.



Eventually, they came to a rare sight in the tundra. A patch of sunlight, a spot of warmth, and a hot water spring created a waterfall in the middle of snow. It was as they drew near this that Faramir ordered the Hobbit wolves to freeze. All three dropped to the ground and watched.



Presently, Frodo and Sam also spied what the larger wolf had already seen. Gollum himself was swimming in the pool, tossing his head to rid himself of the scent of the Hunter. He drank and paddled around, his yellow eyes almost closed in the state of peace he had found.



Faramir growled softly. He didn't like the sight of that wolf, not at all. Starting to rise, he made to lunge at the creature, but Frodo stopped him with a whimper. Not yet, he said.



The noise was enough, and Gollum's head snapped in their direction, alert. Ears swiveling, he clambered out of the pool and shook off the droplets, his eyes pinned on their hiding place.



Before Sam could react, Frodo was out in the open walking towards Gollum, who stood frozen at his approach. And then, the skinny wolf crept slowly in the direction of the pup, wagging his tail cautiously. Frodo also waved his tail in friendship.



Sam couldn't take it. Looking at Gollum, he saw only danger, and that danger was walking right towards his master. That couldn't be tolerated. Nudging Faramir hard, Sam threw him out in the open.



Seeing no other option than the one he initially planned, the big wolf rolled the momentum and used it to carry him to Gollum, throwing the smaller animal to the ground and pinning him easily. The grey wolf shrieked like he was being murdered, his eyes going huge and pupils dilating as he threw a wild, accusatory glare at Frodo.



Teeth clamped around Gollum's wriggling throat, Faramir glanced curiously at the alpha pup for reaction. The big blue eyes were full of sorrow and pain as he watched Gollum struggle, and Frodo whined softly for his release. Against Sam's snarling orders not to do so, Faramir lifted his grip and let Gollum roll to the side.



Instantly, Gollum was on his feet and trembling like a leaf in a strong wind, staggering about in one place and with ears pressed flat against the back of his head. Whimpering, he glared again at Frodo and then at Faramir, and finally his burning gaze settled on Sam, who shifted restlessly under it.



Growling softly, Faramir looked at Frodo and said plainly, 'Do not trust him'. But Frodo had a sympathetic heart, and Gollum had come to him obediently only to be tricked. It was not fair, in his simple puppy mind.



Trotting towards Gollum in a gesture of peace, Frodo grunt-whined and said 'I am your friend'. Still jittery, the scrawny wolf danced out of the way, but didn't run. He seemed to want to trust Frodo again, but a deep, inner sense told him not to. Not wanting to frighten him further, the pup sat down and watched.



For agonizing minutes the four remained in that tableau, Faramir still standing and confused, Sam bristling, Frodo sitting, and Gollum barely leaning towards the pup but still not moving.



At last, Gollum slithered to Frodo's side. Faramir growled uncertainly, and the grey wolf promptly flipped over on his back. 'I surrender myself to this pup'. It was a message that Faramir could not attack after hearing. He shot Sam a look.



Advancing, Sam moved towards his alpha. Like a lighting bolt, Gollum shot forward and bared his teeth, raising his thin fur in an attempt to be menacing. After posing for a moment, he raced back to Frodo and whimpered, tugging his shoulder. His language was clear:



'Let's continue alone. We don't need him.'



Sam was hurt by the silence that followed, but then Frodo refused to travel without the beta, and he was heartened. With a proud stride, he took his place at his alpha's right.



As confused as he was by these peculiar antics, Faramir managed to come to the conclusion that a farewell was in order. He surely could not travel all the way into Mordor with them; Denethor was alone and still waiting for Boromir's return. Lifting his tail like a bushy flag, Faramir barked his goodbye. Pausing, he turned and sent a meaningful look to Gollum:



'If I see you without the pup, I will kill you.'



Understanding, Gollum cringed to the ground, but managed a thin, defiant growl.



Rearing on his hind legs, Faramir plunged back in the direction of the West, his voice lifted in a song that spoke comfort to the two Hobbit wolves. Their guide, however, merely barked shrilly at it and turned swiftly to the East once more.



Sighing, Frodo and Sam had no choice but to follow him.



~



For days they sped at an unrelenting pace, Gollum always in the lead with his knowledge of the path. Nights seemed to be getting longer, Frodo noticed sadly, and the songs he and Sam sent to the moon begged for the sun to rise again.



Only once did Gollum sing with the other two. The moon was merely a sliver of light in the dark night sky, and Frodo and Sam howled for the goodness they once knew to return. And then a mournful, heart-breaking voice was lifted with theirs, so wrenching and tragic that both stopped singing at once and stared. Gollum stared back, his yellow eyes wide and bright. Shivering, he trotted to his usual sleep spot away from the group and curled up into a tight ball. And that was the end of that.



Still the dark land drew nearer, until suddenly there was no more Moria left to run through, and they stood on the ground of Mordor itself.



Gollum had led them directly to it's gate, and Sam and Frodo could only stare.



Unknown factories sent smoke belching into the sky, and one particularly vast smoke column arose from the factory of Orodruin, the very heart of Mordor and soul of all it's weaponry and transports. The gate itself was a monstrous affair, solid as steel but yet made of some material so black and dense it could not be of any known thing. Deep tracks were cut in the snow, slashing across the landscape, from Orcs and snowmobiles and Nazgul. And a gigantic, concrete wall stretched as far as the eye could see, ridged with barbed wire at the top.



The wolves stood at the gates of Hell.



Terror held him for a moment, but then hard determination seized Frodo and he marched forward, seeing only the need to destroy the Hunter and not the peril of his own life. Doggedly, Sam followed.



At once, Gollum was in front of them, yipping and whining and dancing in place with fear. It was clear that he did not want them here. But then where could they go? Frodo went around him and continued, but the skinny wolf threw himself on the ground at the alpha pup's feet, all but howling in agony.



Uncertainly, Frodo barked for him to stand. He was obeyed, and Gollum fidgeted before his blue eyes. Suddenly, the grey wolf stood straight and sped towards the South, beckoning frantically for them to follow.



His message became unclear, however, when he abruptly dropped to the ground and yelped for them to do the same. They dropped and looked to the gate.



It was opening



The massive metal walls opened, and a black snowmobile roared out and paused. Atop it sat the lead of the Nazgul, trained by the Hunter himself and wearing the terrible symbol of the Red Eye across his breast. Infrared goggles under his ski mask made his eyes appear red and glowing. After sitting and gazing for a moment, he kicked his machine into motion and sped outward. Four more Nazgul sped after him, bound for the Battle of the Deep.



Frodo and Sam trembled, while Gollum writhed silently in the snow. At last, the vision of evil faded from view, and the gates swung shut.



Again, Gollum raced to the South, barking for them to follow. So far, he had proved reliable guide. Perhaps he knew another way. Frodo fell in step behind him, with Sam right on his heels.



They hardly traveled for an hour when disaster struck.



One moment Frodo was running swiftly across the tundra, the next his body was snapping suddenly in the air, and then falling softly to the ground.



In an instant Sam was at his side, gazing in horror at the monster before him. A trap it was, padded on the inside to prevent tearing off the leg of it's victim, but still mean and strong. The serial number 'SH3L08' was printed on its' jaws in garish red type.



It held Frodo's right foreleg in a rigid clamp.



Whining and squirming, Frodo tried in vain to free himself from 'SH3L08's grasp. It was useless. Howling in agony, Sam set about attempting to bite through the trap, but succeeded only in receiving bloody gums. Gollum stood near, stiff as a statue.



Sam turned his hateful eyes on the scrawny wolf. This was his fault. He had led them this way, straight into danger. Springing from his position, teeth bared and claws flashing, the beta threw himself towards Gollum with raw fury.



Reacting quickly, the grey wolf spun and fled, Sam in hot pursuit. They curved around a hill and lost from Frodo's sight. The loyal beta saw only this enemy, in such desperate need of punishment...



Suddenly, Sam skidded to a halt. He heard a snowmobile. And even worse... he heard Frodo yelping in terror.



Swift in his fear and regret for living his alpha alone, Sam raced back in the direction of the cries, barking and whining. Whirling around the corner and speeding at once to where 'SH3L08' lay, he found the trap empty. Snowmobile tracks led back towards the direction of the gate.



Throwing a cursing wail after Gollum, who still ran, Sam turned his attention to the walls of Mordor.



His alpha had been taken by the darkness.







~ To Be Continued