An Unexpected Romance

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

I woke sometime later, surrounded by darkness with absolutely no idea where I was. To my right, I could see just the faintest light, and against every instinct I had, I decided to follow it.

I was slightly dizzy upon standing, but I soon heard voices ahead of me. I pushed back the pain and hurried forward. I took a few steps and stumbled, a few more and nearly collapsed. Leaning against the cave wall, I realized that I had probably seriously hurt my head this time.

Slowly and carefully, I entered a large cavern, where there was a sort of lake with large rocks jutting out from the water. As I drew closer, I could hear the voiced more clearly. I snuck behind a boulder until I could be sure it was safe.

Was that...?

It was!

I almost called out, but then I saw the other figure.

It looked like a goblin, but not. It crouched, and did sort of a hop/crawl thing instead of walking. It talked about wanting to eat Bilbo, and I tensed, hand on the hilt of my blade. It hissed and coughed something that sounded like "Gollum," so that was the only suitable name for it.

"I want to play. I do." Bilbo was saying. "I want to play. I can see you are very good at this."

I smiled to myself.

Clever little Hobbit. Playing for time.

Gollum looked up at Biblo, eyes wide, toothless mouth stretched into a smile.

"So why don't we have a game of riddles, yes?" Bilbo said, crouching down. "Just you and me."

"Yes. Yes," Gollum hissed. "Just us."

"Yes, yes." The Hobbit said. "And if I win... you show me the way out, yes?"

"Yes, yes!" The thing said excitedly. Gollum sort of growled, and in a different, crueler voice, said, "And if it loses? What then?"

"Well," He said, in the first voice. "If it loses, precious, then we eats it!" He laughed maniacally, then turned back to Bilbo.

"If Baggins loses, we eats it whole." Gollum said.

Bilbo hesitated a few moments before saying, "Fair enough."

My heart began to pound and I wondered if I could save Bilbo, should the need arise. The pounding of my skull told me no. My hand unconsciously tightening on the hilt of my sword told me there was no way I wouldn't try.

Bilbo put away his sword and Gollum said, "Well, Baggins first."

"Thirty white horses on a red hill. First they champ, then they stamp. Then, they stand still." He said.

Teeth, I though to myself.

Gollum took a moment longer. "Teeth? TEETH! Oh, yes, my precious! But we- we only have nine."

Gollum bared his hideous gums.

"Ew," I whispered."

"Our turn." He said. "Voiceless, it cries. Wingless flutters. Toothless bites. Mouthless mutters."

Wind?

"Just a minute." Bilbo said, turning away. "Uh..."

"Oh, oh!" Cried Gollum's other voice. "We knows! We knows!"

"Shut up!" He hissed at himself.

Bilbo hesitated, staring out at the water. Then, whispered something I couldn't hear.