"I endured him as long as I could, but the truth was desperately important, and in the end I had to be harsh. I put the fear of fire on him, and wrung the true story out of him, bit by bit, together with much sniveling and snarling."

-Gandalf, from Shadow of the Past

"Not my dear Bill," Sam no longer tried to hide his tears. He could see Strider's point, as horrible as it was. He hugged the complacent, unaware pony, who had pulled his head free and was cheerfully cropping the snow for a drink. "Bill, lad, you're needed for a job that no one else can do, you brave old pony. I hope there's a big green pasture out there, wherever you're going," he whispered brokenly. Frodo watched with sympathy from where he sat huddled against Pippin.

Aragorn patted Sam's shoulder. "His sacrifice will not be forgotten, Sam. Here now, hand me his reins." Sam did so, then trudged quickly away, his face a mournful mask. Aragorn lifted the knife over Bill's forelock and pulled his hand back for the swing. Sam averted his eyes. "I'm sorry, Bill," Aragorn apologized, and brought the knife down.

"Hold! Aragorn!" Gimli's voice roared out at the same time, and Bill reared back, startled. The sharp blade whistled by his whiskery nose, cutting nothing but the cold air. Aragorn struggled to calm Bill and received the pony's most reproachful stare. The ranger turned to Gimli with raised eyebrows.

The dwarf was kneeling by a small fire that steadily grew stronger. Its flames snapped merrily upwards. A tired grin flickered across Aragorn's face; he bowed in defeat. "It appears your skin has been saved by Master Gimli," he told the pony. Relinquishing the reins to a grateful and overjoyed Sam, he hurried to Pippin's side. The youngest hobbit was scooped up and deposited by the fire, and joined there by the rest of the Fellowship.

As the heat licked out to envelope Pippin, color returned to his cheeks. Everyone sighed in relief when he opened his eyes. "Wha-what's going on?" he asked faintly, and was met by hearty chuckles.

"You and Bill have just had a rather close shave," Boromir explained.

"But, I don't shave," Pippin hadn't completely gathered his wits yet. "Brr-it's cold. I don't remember stopping to make camp."

"Silly Pip, that's because you weren't awake," Merry laughed. He was as overjoyed as Sam. "You passed out."

Pippin's face fell. "Oh, did we stop because of me? I've passed back in now, so we can go on," he tried to stand up, but was firmly held in place. He looked up in confusion.

"We are going nowhere, Master Peregrine," Gimli spoke for them all. "Aragorn called a halt to our walk just before you succumbed to the cold. It is night now, and would be perilous to travel such a trail in the dark." As he spoke, he fed the fire with a steady flow of branches. The wind howled and railed against the flames, but they were established now.

"Gimli is right," Aragorn agreed. "For now, rest. We move again at first light. The Big Folk will take the watches tonight." He waved off the hobbits' protests.

"And I will take the first," Legolas rose swiftly and left the shallow cave. Aragorn sensed that the elf was tense, troubled about something, so he followed him out. Legolas stood at the edge of the trail staring down into the inky blackness. Snow swirled around their feet, restless webs of white powder, reflecting the moon's dim light.

"What do you see, mellon?" Aragorn quietly asked. "What troubles you so?"

"It is not what my eyes see that troubles me," the elf whispered, barely audible above the wind, "but what my ears heard and my heart felt. Not but a small space of time has passed since I heard it, or thought I did."

"What did you hear?"

Legolas shrugged. "A distant cry, a fell voice carried by the wind, or maybe it was the wind. A shriek, more like a hunting beast. Almost it seemed familiar," Legolas narrowed his eyes. "I cannot say what it was, and I know not if I truly heard it, for the wind in these rocks might play a cruel trick." He turned his gaze on the ranger, and his fair elven face darkened. "The shadow over my heart was not imagined, Aragorn. I felt his presence, not far away. It passed from here before long…still…" he trailed off.

The Ring. Aragorn feared greatly for Gandalf now. If their guide was still alive, he would be faced with the Ring. If he were dead, the Ring would be left open to the Enemy's clutches. Poor Mithrandir. "He is stronger than the shadow, Legolas. We must trust him. And I had better get some rest as well. Goodnight, Legolas, wake me for my shift," he returned to the crackling fire and sank down beside the already snoozing hobbits. Only hobbits could sleep on a night like this. Boromir sat nearby, whittling on a stick; Gimli tended the fire. Rest evaded the ranger as well, and he found his mind racing with fearful thoughts. He desperately missed Gandalf.

oooooooooooooooooo

"Frodo, my lad, up, up! Time for breakfast." Bilbo shook the younger hobbit. "Another morning, and we've a lot of traveling to do."

"Oh, Bilbo, just let me sleep," Frodo muttered. The shaking intensified. "It's too cold to get up…" He blearily opened his eyes and became aware of his surroundings. "Bilbo," aka Gimli, stared down at him, smiling through his beard. It was so bright out, and the sun was only beginning to poke her head up.

"I'm not Bilbo, laddie," the dwarf chuckled. "But will you get up anyway? We've got you some dried meat for breakfast. It's not mushrooms, but it will have to do."

Frodo's senses cleared at the mention of his favorite food, and he sat up. The Fellowship was moving, covering up the black remains of the fire, loading Bill, and eating breakfast. He paused. "How did you know about mushrooms?" He shielded his eyes against the rising sun. They had not had a clear day since the ascent of Caradhras.

"My father Gloin had a few discussions with Bilbo," Gimli smiled, "on his first adventure. He said if hobbits don't mention mushrooms at least once a day, they're probably sick." The dwarf and hobbit laughed together.

"He's very right," Frodo accepted the meat from Gimli and bit off a large bite. The stuff was very tough to eat, but he was surprisingly hungry. Salted pork was the official title, Gimli told him. "Thank you Gimli, for the fire last night. Sam will be forever grateful." The dwarf ducked his head, embarrassed at the praise, waved off the comment. Frodo grinned.

He stood up and went to help the others, when something occurred to him. The chain was missing around his neck. The Ring! He panicked and hurried back to his bedroll. No. No! He tore through the bedding until his mind finally kicked in. It's with Gandalf, fool. You won't find it here. He rocked back on his haunches and sighed. The empty feeling in his chest grew.

Aragorn approached everyone with a handful of ashes. "Put this under your eyes," he ordered. "Smear it on well, and we might prevent snow blindness. The sky is clear and the sun is bright, too bright for our eyes."

Merry laughed as he applied his own ashes. "War paint, Pippin, like the Haradrim out of our fairy tale books at home." Boromir rolled his eyes. "I'm ready. Let's go take some scalps." Merry dashed from the cave to join Legolas, Sam, and Bill outside.

Pippin seemed perfectly well recovered from last night and claimed he was more than all right. Boromir steered him outside with a protective hand. Gimli laughed and followed, his axe slung over his shoulder.

"Frodo?" Aragorn laid a hand on the hobbit's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"I feel lost, Aragorn, to speak the truth. The Ring is gone and a shadow lay on my heart the moment I realized it." Frodo shuddered. "I long for its touch again, but I don't want it near me. I'm sorry, I'm confusing you." He stared up at the ranger. "I'm empty, like a vase without water and flowers."

"I am sorry this was laid upon you, Frodo," Aragorn offered at last. "Perhaps walking will help. We need to move on." The hobbit nodded and the two ducked out of the cave, into the sunshine to resume their trek.

oooooooooooooooooo

Snuff…Snuff…The massive gray wolf bent its great head to sniff at the strange tracks. It could smell humans, dwarves, even an elf, and some unknown smell. Perplexed, it probed deeper into the cave. Horse had been here. Unconsciously, the strong jaws parted and saliva dripped from the red tongue. It was hungry, just like the rest of the pack that lolled about at the cave's entrance.

The pack leader discovered the ashes from a fire, breezed over them unconcerned. It raised its head up and returned to the opening. He snorted at the others and they rose as one, trotting in single file up the trail. Food was up ahead, and not too far away.

oooooooooooooooooo

"So where are you off to, Gollum?" Gandalf asked from his place against the rocks. Gollum had only thought the wizard was sleeping, and was trying to slip away at first light. The wiry creature gasped sharply, startled, and whirled about on all fours. He squinted angrily at Gandalf, but the Maia was unruffled. "I need you this morning."

"We knows," Gollum grunted, and came sliding back to the glowing embers of the fire. "We were hungry, precious. Does the tricksy wizard carry food, does he?" It was as polite as it could be; obviously the fear of Gandalf's wrath still lay upon him. Gollum crept forward until he was crouched at Gandalf's boots. It peered up, blinking the massive eyes hopefully.

"No, I have none," Gandalf told him; revulsion filled him as Gollum drew near, and he pulled his boots away. His words came out sharp, and Gollum cringed on the snowy earth.

"Why's it get angry?" it whimpered. "We's only hungry. No meat since two days, and before that only a small bird, yes precious."

"Small bird?" Gandalf straightened up. "What kind was it? Was it small and black as the night?" He leaned forward and held the shifting Gollum in place with his gaze.

"It was food, precious," Gollum's eyes glazed over and he licked his lips. "Why's it matter what color?"

"Was it black?" The wizard thundered, his well of patience run dry. Gollum shrank down before his growing companion, thoroughly terrified, and hissed the affirmative. Crebain, spies of Saruman, Gandalf suspected. No bird in its right mind would roost up here. So Saruman is still trying to follow us as well. Does this mean he will attempt to block the Pass? Saruman…The sadness that once clutched his heart whenever he thought of the renegade Istar, now had turned into faint anger. If Saruman thought he could stop the Ring's destruction…Gandalf's eyes narrowed at that wizard's betrayal. You have the Ring now, you could stop him easily…"Leave off!" he snarled aloud, and Gollum looked up.

"What's it talking to, we wonder?"

"Myself." You of all people might know what I mean by that. Gandalf grumbled as he stood up and stretched. The sun was beginning to cast great shafts of light over the top of the canyon, piercing down into the darkness around them, driving it away relentlessly. Gandalf was grateful; the Ring's closeness burned him less in the daytime. He covered the fire with snow to hide the ashes. There was no need to help the spies. Then he picked up the belt and strode toward the rocks. Gollum picked his way along behind, muttering.

Gandalf stopped. "This is where I require your services. Your sticky paws will do perfectly. Take this buckle and run it up to that cleft." He indicated the outcropping, Gollum only sniffed.

"What's in it for us, precious? What if we fall from the top? Sticky paws, it says, hisss…Slicky ice, we say." He sat in obstinate silence there, and refused to move.

It horrified him that the unnatural anger was beginning to feel familiar, but Gandalf leaned close to the hideous face. There was no time to sweet talk the former hobbit into helping. "Here is why. If you don't, I will not merely put the fear of fire into you, but fire itself. Imagine, a flame that can never be extinguished until your dying day," he whispered dangerously, lowering his voice to a rumble. "It would not be pleasant; if you do what I ask, our debt will be settled." Would I really do that to him? I should think not…but he doesn't know that. So he bristled his eyebrows and scowled at Gollum.

Gollum eyed him. Why did wizards have to be so quick to get riled? He tugged the belt from Gandalf's hand and scampered to the rocks. "We're going, precious. We'll do it," he grumbled, and started up, one slippery grip after another. Gandalf watched, and despite himself, felt admiration for the creature's nimbleness. Gollum's hands and feet seemed to wrap themselves around the rocks with ease.

Gandalf secured Glamdring in one flowing fold of his robes as he waited. Then he focused on losing his anger. His temper had never been his finest virtue, but he knew he had to fight it, especially when the Ring enhanced it. The Ring fed on wrath and rash impulse. Nienna, if you can hear me, please help me to remember your teachings. I need your guidance…

oooooooooooooooooo

"There it is, Gollum, right of your hand," Gandalf called up from where he waited, hands on his hips. Gollum peered down at the impatient wizard, hissed between his clenched teeth. He wanted something to throttle. He was angry, though he hid it well. They had been led on a wild warg chase, following the tricky wizard instead of Baggins. Baggins…His bulbous eyes gleamed with hatred.

The Precious was somewhere up above him, and he was stuck with a fire wielding man, or something like a man. Gollum's senses told him Gandalf was not as he seemed. The old man was dangerous, filled with a dimmed, hidden power. He had easily thrown Gollum away in their brief struggle. No, we can't throttle him, no wishes to die… we haven't.

"Gollum, look alive," Gandalf called up again. "You are about to pass it."

Gollum forced a crooked smile to his face. "No precious, we sees it. No fear…" He scrambled over the cold surface and crouched over the rock, slipping the buckle into the cleft. It fit perfectly, just as the wizard had hoped. Gollum almost considered setting Gandalf up for a fall, by misplacing the buckle. Then he remembered the perfectly serious threat. "No fire in ourselves, precious," he muttered softly.

Beneath him, Gandalf grabbed the end of his former cloak with his good hand and began pulling himself up, inch by painful inch. His boots struggled to find purchase in the slick rock face. Gollum heard him gasping softly when he had to use his injured arm. It was sweet music to the malicious creature, and he chuckled low in his throat. It deserves it, it does, helping Baggins like it did, to take the Precious from us. We hopes it falls.

His hope was almost fulfilled. With a wild scratching, Gandalf's boots slipped against the rock and he slammed into the wall, but he held on to his makeshift rope. Gollum grunted with disappointment, and settled back to wait. He noticed the wizard suddenly slide his injured hand into the grey robes at his chest, as if searching for something. Gandalf sighed then with evident relief, as he found what he wanted. Gollum was interested in spite of himself, and leaned forward to watch. What's it got that's so precious, we wonder?

oooooooooooooooooo

Gandalf had been reassured that the Ring was still with him. That last mighty jolt could have easily knocked the pouch loose from his body. He hung there for a minute to catch his breath, glanced up and saw Gollum observing. Only a few more feet to go, he encouraged himself. The Ring sat silently in its pouch, and for that he was eternally grateful. To have it screaming in his ears would not help the situation. He wondered if having Gollum to talk to made it harder to focus on the Ring's wiles. If so, he has some part to play indeed…

He moved higher and higher, until at last he topped the last rock and sat next to his belt. To his surprise, and happiness, the other side did not descend back down. The whole canyon had moved up. Gollum sat beside him, peering intently at the Maia. Its eyes were gleaming with a strange light. Perhaps it was only hunger, but Gandalf felt uneasy. It was time to send this creature on its way.

"Well," he gasped out between ragged breaths, "you have held to your word, Gollum. Now I will hold to mine." He worked the buckle out of the cleft, separated his belt from the strips of cloak, and reattached it around his waist. "You are free to go, back or forward, but I will hold you no longer."

"Why's it let us go, precious? We wouldn't, oh no…" Gollum stared. "It's a trick, trick of a tricksy wizard." Is tricky the thing's favorite word?

"You know yourself better than I do, but I am still honoring our agreement." Gandalf regarded him thoughtfully. "And you've yet some part to play, small or great I cannot tell. Something goads me to release you." Besides the fact that I want you as far from the Ring as possible.

"Something tells you? Like the precious speaks to us?" Gollum asked. His face for a moment lost the evil snarl, and it became as that of an old hobbit, worn by some horrible burden, but real and sane. Gandalf felt sorry for it then, and he softened his tone.

"Not like that at all, and this Voice speaks only the right, never evil. You would not understand, pitiful one. That Power is beyond your reckoning, and forever will be, I'm afraid. Will you leave now?" He held his hand out to the path.

"We will, precious. Wizard's company is not easily missed," Gollum's eyes were distant, as if remembering a less evil time. His statement was a common notion of most hobbits, even today, and Gandalf almost chuckled. He watched Gollum scramble over the rocks and slide his way back down to the far bottom, then turned his attention to his trail. Gollum would not be likely to return. It had seen only Gandalf the Grey, a foe too powerful. It had not noticed a weakened wizard, or the Ring, he was sure. Gollum would go back to follow the others. Valar help them now.

Speaking of the Ring…He pulled the pouch from his shirt and tied it to his belt again, then Glamdring. The road goes ever on and on, he thought wearily to himself as he trudged down the icy trail. Just for safety, he kept an eye on the path behind him.

oooooooooooooooooo

Gollum hissed from his perch on the rocks as Gandalf rounded a bend in the trail. He snarled angrily and hit his fists upon the nearest slab. The Precious was with the wizard! He didn't know how, but he knew it was there, burning brightly in that pouch. It called to him so loudly, so strongly. Gollum's mind was not slow; he had seen the familiar look in the wizard's eyes when he reached for the pouch. He recognized an addiction to the Precious.

Hissss… How the Ring had passed from Baggins to Gandalf was not important! It had. No wonder the call had led him on the lower path, away from the Fellowship. "It's ours! He can't have it!" Gollum swiped savagely at the snow. He would throttle the wizard this time, staff or no staff. One on one was better than nine on one; the wizard only thought he was safe. "So wrong, so wrong," Gollum chortled viciously.

He had only been hungry before. Now the Ring called to him. Desire drove the fear from his twisted heart. "It's ours, precious," he hissed in a puff of warm air, and waited, murder written in his face. We wants it…His long fingers dug into the rock. Fire no longer mattered; what was fear?

Well, there's the next chapter. Things are starting to heat up a little. What do ya'll think? Feel free to tell me. Again, no beta besides myself. Thanks for reading. Next update should come in about a week.

I don't know how Gollum popped into my story, but I guess every ringbearer seems fated to run into him. Onto my readers…

Julestripe: I'm very happy that you keep liking it the more I write. Happy readers make happy writers, but if I go off and do something weird, please don't hesitate to tell me. Hope you enjoyed the latest.

Anonymous: hehe, nice name. Thanks much for reviewing, and I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, I like Gandalf very much, so I started writing about him. He's my favorite character off LOTR. And you're right, so very little is written about him, in a favorable light that is. Most people pass him off as being unimportant, or something…Don't be scared to post your stuff. What's the worst that can happen? This site needs more Gandalf stories that don't make him out to be worthless or just an old man. Thanks for the complement too; I'll try to keep up to your expectations.

And all you folks out there reading and not reviewing, all I can say is, well…Keep reading. : )