A/N: Celtic, I'm glad you like Estellia, and I'll try to squeeze in Merry and Pippin when I can.

Chapter 4: The Dead Marshes

Gollum happily ran ahead, murmuring and chattering to himself. He paused on a rock and looked back at Frodo and Valia who were walking behind him.

"See? See, we have led you out! Hurry, hurry!" Gollum pattered ahead a little. "Very lucky we find you."

Frodo and Valia walked out, leaving the razor-sharp rock-infested land behind. Valia stepped into a puddle of murky water and fell back into Frodo's arms.

"It's a bog!" she said. She turned to Gollum. "You've led us to a swamp!"

"Swamp, yes," Gollum murmured. "Come, master. We will take you to safe paths through the mist. Come hobbits, come. We move quickly. I found it, I did, the way through the marshes." He smiled happily. "Orcs don't use it. Orcs don't know it. They go round for miles and miles." He stopped and looked back at them. "Come quickly. Swift and quickly."

Valia and Frodo followed slowly, but Valia paused to look in the water. "There are dead things, dead faces in the water."

"All dead, all rotten, Gollum whispered. "Elves and Men and Orcs. A great battle long ago. The Dead Marshes; yes, yes! That is the name. This way; don't follow the lights!" He continued walking. "Careful now, or hobbits go down to join the dead ones and light little candles of their own."

Valia continued then looked back to realize Frodo hadn't followed. "Frodo?" She glanced around then caught him standing by a pool of water not to far away. She stared in shock as he suddenly fell forward into the pool. "Frodo!" she screamed and ran toward it.

Gollum ran ahead of her and grabbed Frodo out of the water. Valia knelt by his side as he struggled away from the pool, coughing and sputtering. He looked up at Gollum in surprise.

"Don't follow the lights!" Gollum hissed, then walked away.

"Are you all right?" Valia whispered, helping Frodo stand.

"I… I'm fine."

That night, Valia was nearly asleep when she heard Gollum speak.

"So bright, so beautiful. Our…precious…." Gollum murmured.

She felt Frodo stir beside her and sit up. "What did you say?"

"Master should be resting. Master needs to keep up his strength."

"Who are you?"

"Mustn't ask us, not its business." He made a gollum sound in his throat.

"Gandalf told me you were one of the River folk."

"Cold be heart and rock and bone. And call every traveler far from home," Gollum murmured as if he hadn't heard Frodo.

"He said your life was a sad story."

"They do not see what lies ahead when sun has faded and moon is dead," Gollum growled, still not paying attention to anything Frodo was saying.

"You were not so different from a hobbit once, were you… Smeagol?"

There was a pause. "W-what did you call me?" Gollum whispered.

"That was your name once, wasn't it? A long time ago?"

"My…my name… Smeagol…"

Suddenly, a screech of a Nazgûl was heard, and Valia sat up, glancing around in fear. Gollum was cowering in fear, and Frodo was looking up in the sky. Valia suddenly cried out and gripped her shoulder; a sudden pain had coursed through her arm.

"Hide! Hide!" Gollum cried, running under the bushes.

Valia went to stand and stumbled, nearly collapsing. Frodo caught her and carried her to the safety of the bushes.

"They will see us. They will see us," Gollum murmured, cowering. "Wraiths! Wraiths on wings!" he cried.

Frodo held Valia in his arms, crouching under the bushes. "I thought they were dead!"

"Dead?" Gollum looked at Frodo. "No, you cannot kill them. No."

Valia whimpered and gripped her shoulder. She looked up at him then her gaze fell to the chain around his neck.

"They are calling for the precious," Gollum whispered, watching the couple. "They are calling for it."

Valia reached for the Ring, but Frodo took her hands in his and held her close, whispering loving and encouraging words in her ear. She sighed and closed her eyes, falling asleep in his arms as the Nazgûl left.

Gollum looked back at the hobbits. "Black gate is very close," he whispered.

A/N: I'm sorry to say this, but I'm locking up all my writing stuff for a month. I'm trying to get my priorities in order, and I'm afraid writing must be at the bottom. I will write until I have the box I'm planning to lock my writing away in, but I will remind you guys every single chapter of the "lock-up". When I finally have the box, I'll tell you in my last chapter for the month, okay?