Hey guys! I hope you're all ready for us to meet with Gollum!
Review responses;
Dinosaur Imperial Soldier - She'll be meeting Gollum/Smeagol with Bilbo, and as for the ring. . .well you'll have to find out.
Outofthisworldgal - Yes, Bilbo will be there with her. She won't have a panic attack with the orcs since she's already faced them just after meeting the dwarves. . .Azog however. . .that's a different matter
thewolf74 - Everything will turn out fine in the end, as you are about to find out.
Riddles in the Dark
I groan as I feel myself coming round. My whole body aches. Opening my eyes, I see I have landed in an underground tunnel, a dark tunnel, I can barely see the snout in front of my face. Standing up, I let out a little yelp as I try to put weight on my front right paw. Looking at it, I see it has swollen to twice it's size. It doesn't feel as if it is broken, so it is either sprain or fractured. . .times like this I really need Oin.
I stop as I suddenly hear a voice shouting from up ahead;
"Too many boneses, Precious! Nothing of flesh!"
"Shut up! Get its skin off. Start with its head."
Two voices. . .but, it sounds like the same person. Limping on ahead, I see a blue glow. Following it, I jump back as I come face to steel with a blade. I breath a sigh of relief as I see the owner as Bilbo, he also breathes a sigh of relief seeing me.
"Violet, am I glad it's only you. Are you alright?"
I whimper and hold up my injured paw. He gently takes it into his hand and carefully looks it over.
"We'll get Oin to look at it when we find the others."
I nod whine as I carefully nudge his hand with my nose, seeing the skin on his knuckles broken and bleeding.
He just smiles as he waves it off. "I'm fine, don't worry. Let's just get out of here."
I nod again just as the voice from before starts to sing;
"The cold hard lands, they bites our hands, they gnaws our feet. The rocks and stones, they're like old bones, all bare of meat. Cold as death, they have no breath, it's good to eat!"
"Stay with me, Violet." Bilbo whispers as we both walk on ahead.
Rounding a corner, we see a creature sitting on top of a rock in the middle of a small lake. The creature is singing as he beats a goblin's body.
Walking to the edge of the lake, we stand behind a rock and watch as he smashes the goblin's head with a rock.
The creature suddenly looks up in our direction and we quickly hide behind the rock. Bilbo's blade, which is glowing blue, starts flickering, then completely dies out. I remember being told before that it glows blue when orcs or goblins are nearby. . .so we know the goblin is dead.
Peeking out from behind the rock, we panic as the creature is no longer there. I growl slightly as I hear a wheezing sound from above. Looking up, we see the creature slink over the top and jump, landing in front of us.
Getting a good look at the creature, I see he has pale skin, as if he hasn't seen the sun in a long time, blue eyes, wisps of hair on his head and is wearing a brown loin cloth.
"Bless us and splash us, Precious! Those are meaty mouthfuls!" it exclaims as it eyes us.
I growl slightly as it approaches, but Bilbo places the point of his sword on the creature's throat, causing it to retreat in fear.
"Aaahh. Gollum. Gollum. Ack"
Gollum? Is that it's name?
"Back. Stay back. I'm warning you, don't come any closer." Bilbo says as he keeps his sword pointed at the creature.
"It's got an elfish blade, but it's not an Elfs. Not an Elfs, no. What is it, Precious? What is it?"
"My name is Bilbo Baggins."
Gollum looks at Bilbo in confusion. "Bagginses? What is a Bagginses, Precious?"
"I'm a Hobbit from the Shire."
"Oh! We like Goblinses, batses, and fishes, but we hasn't tried Hobbitses or wolfses before. Are they soft? Are they juicy?"
I bare my teeth this time as Gollum approaches again, Bilbo holding out his sword in front of him and wildly waves it about.
"Now, now, K-keep your distance! I'll use this if I have to!"
Gollum snarls at us, causing Bilbo to step back, I stand in front of Bilbo, ready to pounce if need be.
"We don't want any trouble, do you understand? Just show us the way to get out of here, and we'll be on our way."
"Why, are they lost?"
"Yes, yes, and we want to get unlost as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Gollum answers in a lighter voice.
"Ooh! We knows! We knows safe paths for hobbitses and wolfses. Safe paths in the dark."
"Shut up!" His voice suddenly reverts back to the scratchy voice.
Bilbo looks on in confusion. "I didn't say anything."
"Wasn't talking to you."
Bilbo and I glance at each other in confusion as Gollum continues to talk to himself.
"But yes, we was, Precious, we was." the lighter Gollum speaks.
"Look, uh, I don't know what your game is, but I-"
Gollum suddenly gets excited as he jumps onto the rock he was hidden behind. "Games? We love games, doesn't we, Precious? Does it like games? Does it? Does it? Does it like to play?"
I stop growling as I look to Gollum. At the moment, he reminds me of how Estel would become excited at the mention of games.
". . .Maybe?"
Gollum holds up his hands, then begins reciting a riddle.
"What has roots as nobody sees, is taller than trees. Up, up, up it goes, and yet, never grows."
"The mountain." Bilbo says without hesitation.
Gollum begins laughing uproariously.
"Yess, yess, oh, let's have another one, eh? Yes, come on, do it again, do it-do it again. Ask us."
His voice changes again. "No! No more riddles. Finish him off. Finish him now. Gollum! Gollum!"
Gollum snarls, and begins rushing at Bilbo to kill him, I immediately drop down and growl menacingly, but Bilbo holds out his hand to stop him and begins speaking, while putting his other hand on me to calm me down.
"No! No, no, no. I wa—I want to play. I do. I want to play. I can see you are very good at this." Gollum has a wide pleased grin on his face at this. "S—so why don't we have a game of riddles? Yes, just, just you, me and my friend here."
Bilbo crouches until he is level with Gollum; Gollum scuttles forward, close to Bilbo, whispering excitedly.
"Yes! Yes, just, just—just us." he looks between Bilbo and I.
Bilbo smiles. "Yes. Yes. And—and if I win, you show us the way out."
"Yes. Yes -"
Gollum suddenly snarls, turning away from Bilbo. Gollum's two personality's talk to each other.
"And if it loses? What then?"
"Well, if it loses, Precious, we will eats them!"
Gollum laughs to himself, then turns back to Bilbo
"If Baggins loses, we eats it and wolfses whole."
There is a pause for several seconds as Bilbo digests this new information. I look to him, worrying for a moment.
"Fair enough."
Bilbo stands up and puts his sword away as Gollum looks on interestedly. I look to Gollum and back to Bilbo. He just reaches over and pats my head in reassurance.
"We'll be fine, Vi. I promise." Bilbo says.
I reach forward and nuzzle him to show I trust him. He smiles at me as Gollum speaks.
"Well, Baggins first."
As Bilbo thinks of a riddle, Gollum rests his hands and chin on the edge of a rock. I lay on the ground, staying near Bilbo, thankful to rest my injured paw.
"Thirty white horses on a red hill. First they champ, then they stamp, then they stand still."
As Gollum thinks, he keeps opening his eyes and mouth as if he knows the answer, then changes his mind. Even I try to think of the answer and after a few moments, immediately get teeth. I watch Gollum as he keeps opening and closing his mouth, before he finally replies.
"Teeth?"
Bilbo looks unhappy, as the answer is correct. Gollum becomes ecstatic and laughs throatily. I do have to smile slightly, he is exactly like a child.
"Teeth! Yes, my Precious. But we—we—we only have nine."
Gollum displays his mouth, showing that he really does only have nine teeth. My smile instantly vanishes. I can see Bilbo is also disgusted. Gollum begins reciting his next riddle, while getting closer and closer to the hobbit. Bilbo keeps a large rock between the two of them, while I keep a close eye on Gollum, waiting for any sudden movements.
"Our turn. Voiceless it cries, wingless flutters, toothless bites, mouthless mutters."
"Just a minute."
As Bilbo walks off thinking, I immediately follow to stay close as Gollum's evil face turns into Smeagol's excited face
"Oh, oh! We knows. We knows!"
"Shut up!" The scratchy personality scolds.
I almost let out a bark of laughter as Bilbo observes the water. As I see the water ripple, I realise it's wind at the same time as Bilbo.
"Wind. It's wind! Of course it is."
Gollum snarls in frustration and begins slinking around, approaching Bilbo.
"Very clever, Hobbitses, very clever."
I immediately jump in front of Bilbo, snapping my teeth towards Gollum as he gets too close, causing him to stop, giving Bilbo time to say his riddle.
"Ah, ah, ah, ah. A—a box without hinges, key, o—or, or lid; yet golden treasure inside is hid."
That's easy. Eggs. I watch Gollum as he thinks hard, talking to himself and making many hand motions.
"A box. . .and a lid. . .and then a key. . ."
"Well?"
"It's nasty. Uh, box, uh. . ."
"Give up?"
"Give us a chance, Precious, give us a chance!"
In frustration, Gollum pounding the floor and snarling. He puckers his face up deeply, then suddenly opens his eyes wide as he gets the answer.
"Eggses! Eggses!" He laughs as Bilbo and I sag slightly in disappointment. "What crunchy little eggses, yes. Grandmother taught us to suck them, yes."
As Gollum laughs, Bilbo and I are distracted by a bat squealing in the dark, it's wings fluttering. Turning back around, we see that Gollum is gone. Gollum's voice suddenly starts sounding like an echo from different parts of the cave. Gollum speaks his riddle from some unknown spot. I stay close by to Bilbo, almost tripping him over as I stay by his feet.
"Ahh. We have one for you: All things it devours, birds, beasts, trees, flowers. Gnaws iron, bites steel, grinds hard stones to meal. Answer us."
"Give me a moment, please, I gave you a good long while."
Bilbo tries to think while at the same time he walks around with his sword drawn, looking for Gollum,.
"I don't know this one."
I look to Bilbo, panicking slightly. If he can't answer this. . .we're both dead.
"Is it tasty? Is it scrumptious? Is it crunchable?"
As Gollum says 'crunchable,' Bilbo suddenly jumps forward. Looking back, I see Gollum has appeared over a rock and tried to grab him by him throat, I growl as Bilbo points his sword at Gollum.
"Let me think. Let me think."
"It's stuck. Bagginses is stuck."
Bilbo paces back and forth next to the water, thinking, Even I'm not too sure about this one. Gollum smiles eerily and puts up his hands in a shrug.
"Time's up."
Gollum shifts, preparing to leap on Bilbo. Time! That's it!
"Time. Ti—the answer is time."
Gollum snarls in frustration.
"Actually, it wasn't that hard."
I butt my head into his back playfully, knowing he was struggling really.
"Last question. Last chance."
My ears prick up as I hear the clatter of rock against rock. Looking at Gollum, I see him clutch a rock behind him. I glare and growl under my breath as I keep a VERY close eye on him.
Bilbo thinks for a moment. "Ah, uh. . ."
"Ask us. ASK US!"
The first time he says "Ask us," he says it sweetly. He then roars it a second time angrily, causing me to stand in front of Bilbo, the fur on the back of my neck bristling.
"Yes, yes, alright."
Bilbo strolls to the edge of the lake to think while I watch the creature.
"What have I got in my pocket?"
I look back at the hobbit, wondering what kind of a question that is.
"That's not fair. It's not fair! It's against the rules!"
At the sound of the rock being thrown, I whip my head back around to see he has thrown it on the ground in frustration. I head Bilbo make a startled noise.
"Ask us another one."
"No, no, no, no. You said 'Ask me a question.' Well, that is my question. What have I got in my pocket?"
Gollum jumps off his rock and runs towards Bilbo; Bilbo moves to keep a rock between him and Gollum, I jump on said rock, growling away.
"Three guesses, Precious. It must give us three."
Gollum holds up two fingers to quantify three.
"Three guesses. Very well, guess away."
"Handses!"
I look back to see Bilbo pulling his hand out of his pocket just in time.
"Wrong, guess again."
Gollum crouches on the floor, trying to think of the answer. He mutters potential answers to himself and slaps the floor in increasing anger and ferocity as he fails to come up with the right answer.
"Fish-bones, goblins' teeth, wet shells, bat's wings. . .Knife!"
"Oh, shut up."
Bilbo just stands watching. "Wrong again. Last guess."
"String!"
"Or nothing."
"Two guesses at once; wrong both times."
Upon hearing this, Gollum falls to the floor, sobbing. I breathe a sigh of relief as I jump off the rock carefully and stand beside Bilbo. He smiles as he rubs my head.
"So, come then, I won the game, you promised to show us the way out."
"Did we say so, Precious? Did we say so?"
Gollum slowly turns around and glares hatefully at Bilbo.
"What has it got in its pocketses?"
Bilbo points his sword at Gollum as I glare at him.
"That's no concern of yours. You lost."
"Lost? Lost? Lost?"
Gollum grins as he slowly approaches us. He reaches for something hidden at his side; his face suddenly registers his shock and panic. He begins groping all over himself trying to find it.
"Where is it? Where is it? No! Ahh! Where is it? No! No!"
I look to Bilbo and back as Gollum scuttles around the cave, scattering bones and rocks as he searches in vain for the Ring. He even splashes through the shallows of the lake. His voice breaks as he cries.
"Lost! Curses and splashes, my precious is lost!"
"What have you lost?" Bilbo asks.
"Mustn't ask us! Not its business! No! Gollum, Gollum."
Gollum, leaning over the edge of the lake, sobs quietly. As he stares into the water, his sobs suddenly stop
"What has it got in its nasty little pocketses?"
I look back to Bilbo as he points his sword at Gollum. Looking back, Gollum slowly looks up in shock and anger. At first, he whispers; he then gets louder and louder until he is roaring.
"He stole it. He stole it! Ahh! HE STOLE IT!"
Snarling, Gollum throws a stone at Bilbo. Bilbo deflects it with his sword, then runs away. Gollum jumps for Bilbo but I growl as I jump at Gollum, crashing into him and we roll on the ground.
As I pin him to the ground, Gollum reaches up and bites hard into my shoulder. I howl in pain just before he hits me in the head with a rock, causing me to tumble off him.
He tears off after Bilbo, as I stagger to my feet, feeling disorientated from the hit to the head. I stay still for a moment, taking deep breaths to keep myself steady and to try to shake off the dizziness before I slowly try to make my way out, hoping I have given Bilbo enough time to escape.
Some time later, after hiding from Gollum once or twice, I finally find the exit and with a bark of happiness, run out into the sun, happy to be out of there at last. I lower my head to sniff the ground, trying to pick up on any familiar scent. I stop as I smell out the scents of the others, Gandalf and Bilbo included!
I feel so happy that Bilbo managed to get out. I run on, running towards the scent. Halfway down the hill, my heart soars as I hear Kili's voice.
"Wait, where's Violet?"
Finally knowing where they are, I change back into my human form, staggering slightly from pain and exhaustion.
"Where did you last see her!?" I hear Gandalf exclaim.
"Sh-She was with me in the caves." Bilbo explains. "We met this creature, I don't know what it was, but Violet attacked it so I could escape."
"We need to go back and find her!" Kili cries.
"That won't be necessary." I say as I arrive, smiling as I see everyone is together and alive.
"Violet!" They all cry out.
Kili instantly rushes over and hugs me. I grin through my pain as I hug him back, just relieved to be with him and the others again.
"Are you alright? What happened?" Fili asks once Kili and I pull away from each other.
I open my mouth to answer when there's a sudden howl from behind me. Looking back, I growl as I know the howls to be Wargs. The Orcs have found us.
There we have Gollum, next. . .Violet comes face to face once again with her nightmare. . .Azog the Defiler! Please keep leaving me your lovely reviews, I love haring from you all!
