Dragon Rider in Middle Earth

XIX

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It is light again. Gollum has been tied at the neck with Sam's rope and is dragged along.

-It burns! It burns us! It freezes! Nasty elves twisted it. Take it off us!- he scratches at the elven rope hanging around his miserable neck.

-Quiet you!- Sam yanks at the rope -It's hopeless! Every orc in Mordor is gonna hear this racket! Let's just tie him up and leave him!

-No! That would kill us, kill us!- Gollum whines.

-It's nothing more than you deserve!- Sam hissed hatefully.

Frodo looks at Gollum with pity in his eyes.

-Maybe he does deserve to die. But now that I see him, I do pity him.

-We'll be nice to them, if they'll be nice to us. Take it off us- Gollum crawls to Frodo on all fours -We swears to do what you wants. We swears!

-There's no promise you can make that I can trust- Frodo said. Gollum kneels in front of Frodo and begs him.

-We swears to serve the Master of the Precious. We will swear on — on the Precious! (gollum gollum).

-The Ring is treacherous. It will hold you to your word.

-Yes... on the Precious... on the Precious- Gollum croons.

-I don't believe you! Get down! Get down!- Sam shouts at him.

Gollum, scared, tries to get away, but Sam jerks the rope and Gollum crashes to the ground.

-Sam!

-He's trying to trick us! We let him go, he'll throttle us in our sleep!- Sam tries to warn Frodo.

Frodo approaches Gollum, who is panting and holding his throat.

-You know the way to Mordor?

-Yes- he hisses.

-You've been there before?

-Yes- Frodo takes the rope off Gollum's neck, and Gollum seems surprised.

-You will lead us to the Black Gate- Frodo orders.

Gollum rushes off and the hobbits follow him. He talks to himself.

-To the Gate, to the Gate! To the Gate, the masters says. Yes!- his voice suddenly changed -No! We won't go back. Not there. Not to him. They can't make us. Gollum! Gollum!- again his voice changed -But we swore to serve the master of the precious!...and again, No. Ashes and dust and thirst there is, and pits, pits, pits. And Orcses, thousands of Orcses. And always the Great Eye watching, watching.

Gollum looks at the hobbits and screams. He disappears into the dark.

-Hey! Come back now! Come back! There! What did I tell you? He's run off, the old villain. So much for his promises.

-This way Hobbitses! Follow me!- Gollum reappeared in front of them.

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Across the land, the Uruk-hai are marching, carrying Merry and Pippin on their backs.

-Merry! Merry!- Pippin called out to his unconscious friend.

Another band of orcs appear.

-You're late. Our master grows impatient. He wants the Shire-rats now- an orc stepped forward.