Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR or any of Tolkiens work, only Nividia.

Chapter 16:

The Hobbit must be close

…

Nividia kept her eyes only at Gollum. She did not trust him and she is glad Sam did not either, but she was worried about Frodo. He was getting more tired, he barely slept or got any food in himself. The Ring began being a huge burden for him. Nividia was unsure if he could manage all the way to Mount Doom. The loss of Gandalf went far in him, he missed him and he also had nightmares whenever he slept. In the few days Gollum was here, she had enchanted a sleeping spell on those two Hobbits. It will break whenever she wanted it, but she only took it when she knew they were safe.

Sam told her how they had captured him; if she were there she would have killed the creature on the spot. Not hesitate either, but the creature had promised Frodo to take him to the Black Gate so he would do it. He promised him on the Ring.

"SAM!" Nividia said, but it was to late. Sam had got his foot stuck in the water. He almost lost balance and grabbed Nividia. Frodo and Gollum turned around to them.

"It is a swamp, he has led us into a swamp!" Sam said.

"Yes, to the swamps yes," Gollum said.

"Are you all right?" Nividia asked to only Sam and he nodded. "Try think what you want to say, it makes things a lot easier."

"How?" He asked to her and he was surprised himself Nividia could hear him. She only laughed.

"Elves, Men and Orcs. It was a great battle long ago," Gollum explained as they walked on the road Gollum had found. "The Dead Marshes that is what it is called, yes." Nividia looked down on her paws and saw that she was sinking a bit, she then jumped forwards as it would stop.

"Nividia?" Frodo asked. He had stopped and turned to the tiger that had suddenly jumped. "Is everything all right?" Nividia looked at him.

"Yes, everything is all right. Don´t worry about me, Frodo," she said and smiled to him. They kept walking for hours till the sun went low behind the thick dark clouds. Nividia walked first as she now saw how the way over the swamp went. She had Gollum behind her and then Sam and Frodo. Nividia stopped hearing a scream, a scream so far away she thought it was real. She opened her mind to the surroundings and found out it was no one around here.

"Help me!" A voice said to her. She looked down on the ground, at her paws. She shakes her head and turned to the Hobbits. She saw Gollum run first and then Sam after to someone. Where was Frodo? Nividia took few steps back seeing Gollum grab something in the water, he grabbed Frodo up who was soaking wet. Nividia ran fast over to them.

"Don´t follow the lights!" Gollum warned Frodo. Sam helped Frodo up as he was shaking of the cold. Nividia stood right next to Frodo to keep him warm.

"Mr Frodo," Sam said. "Your clothes, we need to get you out of them."

"Run!" Someone said to Nividia, she looked around to try finding the voice, but it was nothing here. Sam and Frodo went ahead when they saw a small, very small tree to camp next to. Be quiet, Nividia thought to herself. Nividia did not look when Frodo had to change to warm clothes, but as he was finished he sat down eating a small piece of the Lembas bread. Nividia sat down next to him to give him warm.

"T—Thank you," he said freezing. "You should go, Nividia." She looked at him with a question mark. "You haven´t been in your Elf form for a while now, it is all right. We will be safe." Nividia did not like it and looked at Gollum who was sitting by himself looking at the ground to find anything that crawls. "He won´t do anything, he promised," he whispered.

"His still worrying me," she said to only him.

"Sam is here," Frodo said. Frodo knew it would help saying that. Nividia nodded and began walking the way they are going. She walked pass Sam.

"If I am not back, don´t linger for long here," she said to him and he nodded and then she left them. Nividia did not go further than she could not hear the Hobbits, but yet for a Hobbit or any man she went far.

"Run!" She heard again. Oh, be quiet you, she said to herself. I am going to have let Lady Galadriel check on me now… She was just about to change to Elf when she heard it. Screams! Nazgûl screams! She looked up in the air know they will be here after Arwen destroyed their horses and then she saw them. Two Nazgûls. One landed before her and one kept flying above her. But she saw now that the Nazgûl was a figure of a man. Sauron.

"Are you tired that I am killing your ghost all the time that you had to come here by yourself?" Nividia asked as she turned to Elf and pulled her sword. Sauron laughed is dark laugh. He did not dismount his Fell beast.

"Of all people, you know I can´t die unless my Ring will be destroyed," he said. Nividia pointed her sword at the Fell beast. "Since you are here, the Hobbit must be close." He looked around. Nividia then found out, Sauron does not know that the Ring is here. She only hoped that Frodo and Sam manage to hide.

"Well, it looks like we are both on the same mission," Nividia said. Sauron looked at her and furrowed his eyebrows. "I am looking for the same Hobbit." Sauron did not believe her. "I lost him when your Balrog decided to kill me in Moria, no wait…" She thought for a moment. "I am wrong. It is not your Balrog… It is Melkor´s. You don´t have anything, Sauron, well except for nine worthless Nazgûls." Sauron growled at her. "Oh please, Sauron. Growling is my job as a tiger."

"Do you think this is all but a joke for you?" He asked and pulled up his sword.

"I am making it a joke because I know you hate it, now leave!" She threatened him.

"No…" He said and then everything went black for Nividia.