Esmeralda West moves into the Shire with her uncle, a few houses down from the Bagginses. As years pass, young Frodo tries to break her out of her shell. Then, Gandalf the Grey tells him about the One Ring. Esmeralda joins the quest with her friend...
Gollum scrambles through the rocks, Frodo and Esmeralda following. He leads them to the edge of the rocks and they see Mount Doom in the distance.
"See? See? We've led you out. Hurry, Hobbitses. Hurry! Very lucky we find you." Gollum looks at Esmeralda and smiles. "Nice Hobbit."
Esmeralda rolls her eyes, before placing her foot on the ground below the rocks, which sinks.
"You've led us into a swamp!"
"A swamp, yes, yes. Come, master. We will take you on safe paths through the mist. Come, Hobbits! Come! We go quickly. I found it, I did. The way through the marshes. Orcs don't use it. Orcs don't know it. They go around for miles and miles. Come quickly. Soft and quick as shadows we must be."
The marshland stretches for miles. They walk for a few hours, before stopping and resting on some rocks.
"I do not like this place." Esmeralda says, making Frodo look at her worriedly. "It gives me the creeps. There's been no sight nor sound of a bird for two days."
Frodo frowns and grabs her hand.
"No, no birdses to eat." Gollum says, sadly. "No crunchable birdses. We are famished! Yes! Famished we are, precious!"
Gollum grabs a worm, then eats it. Although Esmeralda and Frodo found his behavior to be revolting, they pitied him.
"Here." Frodo says, throwing him some Lembas bread.
"What does it eats? Is it tasty?" Gollum says excitedly, before taking a bite and begins to cough. "It tries to chokes us! We can't eats Hobbit food! We must starve!"
"Well starve, then!" Esmeralda snaps, feeling cranky and irritated.
"Oh, cruel Hobbit. It does not care if we be hungry. Does not care if we should die!"
Esmeralda rolls her eyes, before Gollum looks up at Frodo.
"Not like master. Master cares. Master knows. Yes. Precious. Once it takes hold of us... it never lets go."
Gollum reaches out his hand out to touch the Ring around Frodo's neck.
"Don't touch me!" Frodo yells, making Gollum move away, and sit on the ground.
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They continue making their way through the marshes. Marsh flames are everywhere, and in the water there are submerged bodies.
