Andy tried to hold on to something. The dead body of the goblin king, one of the dwarves, the railing of the bridge. With her blood covered hands, everything slipped out of her grip. As her body got slammed against a rock outcrop, a scream escaped her mouth, pain spreading through her ribcage. She slid of the wrong side and fell further into the deep, no one else in sight. The air was forces out of her lungs, as she hit the floor, black dots appearing in front of her eyes. As soon as she could breathe again, she tried to get up. Suddenly, a sound reached her ears, making her stop in her movements. It was getting closer. As quiet as possible, Andy lied back down, hiding between the weird mushrooms that caught her fall. A small, pale figure passed her hiding spot, dragging an unconscious body with him. After it was gone, Andy stayed still for a moment longer, making sure it did not notice her. Carefully she stood up, gathering her Daggers. She was about to follow the creature, as something shiny caught her attention. She bent down, and picked it up from the ground.
A ring.
A plain golden ring.
Or so it appeared.
Without a second thought, she packed it away in her pocket before quickly following the creapy creature. After sneaking through the shadows for a few minutes, a limp in her step, she reached a lake.
"The cold hard lands, they bites out hands, they gnaws our feet! The rock and stones, they're like old bones all bare of meat! Cold as death, they have no breath, it's good to eat!", the creature sang to himself, hitting the head of the goblin with a rock until it was dead.
Andy hid behind a rock, wanting to facepalm herself. Why did she think, this was a good idea? The last time she was here, he already tried to eat her! Why tempt fate like that?
She snapped out of her thoughts, as she realised, she didn't hear anything anymore. Panic flushed trough her body and she pressed herself closer to the rock she was leaned up against. A pebble touching her shoulder was the only warning she got, before it jumped down right in front of her.
"Bless us and splash us, Precious! That's a meaty mouthful!", it spoke joyfully. Andy pushed her daggers to its thin neck, before it thought of doing anything stupid. Seeing the blades, its eyes immediately softened, almost looking puppy-like.
"Thanks for the compliment, toothpick. However, I'm not to eat. "
Gollum finally took a proper look at her. After a second, it turned away.
"It looks like her, doesn't it, Precious. But it cannot be her, can it, Precious. But what if it is?" He turned back to Andy, looking at her suspicious, before carefully crawling closer. Andy felt uncomfortable, but let it happen. After being just out of reach of her, he held his head out and sniffed. "It is her, Precious!", he exclaimed and started bouncing around in excitement, clapping his hands together. "It is the Mistress Andrea!"
"Indeed, it is", Andy confirmed, getting a little uncomfortable of him talking to himself.
"She's back! Now we can eat her, Precious! We couldn't last time. But now we can. Is she soft? Is she crunchy?"
He got closer to her, a hungry look in his eyes. Andy hit the blades of her daggers against each other, creating a metallic sound. Hearing that, pulled him back out of his trance, making him back up with a hiss.
"Oi! I told you, I'm not staying for supper. I need you to show me the way out again, like last time."
"Why? Is the Mistress lost again, Precious?", he asked turning his head to her.
"Yes, toothpick, she is. And I'd like to get unlost as fast as possible", Andy spoke. He was even more unstable, as last she saw him. He still tried to eat her, back then, but as she made him a fire to cook his fish, he turned out to be helpful. More or less. Now, the Hobbit he used to be, seemed completely gone. His Precious has consumed him completely.
"Oh! We knows! We knows safe path for the mistress. Safe paths in the dark. Shut up!", he suddenly growled, snapping his head around. Andy furrowed her brows. That was not a good sign.
"I didn't say anything", she said. Gollum gave her an pointed look.
"Wasn't talking to you", he muttered. "But yes, we was, Precious. We was. "
"Tell Precious to stop playing and show me the way out", Andy demanded.
"Play!", Gollum called out excited, jumping all about the place again. "We love playing games, doesn't we, Precious? Does Mistress like games? Does it? Does it? Does Mistress like to play?" Gollum's voice fell into a threatful growl. His twisted face made a chill sneak up Andy's spine.
"Fine!", she snapped at him, pulling him back to reality. "But afterwards, Gollum shows me the way out. And Precious is not allowed to help, understood. For real, she's having a bad influence on you. "
"Don't speak like that about Precious!" Gollum glared at her. "Precious is my only friend."
"You could have more friends, if it wasn't for Precious", Andy held against it, gesticulating with her daggers. "That what you two have, is called a toxic relationship. "
"Enough of Precious!", Gollum called out, waving with his hands. "Let's play!" Andy shifts along with him, always keeping him in front of her. She didn't want him attack her from the back.
"What has roots that nobody sees, is taller than trees. Up, up, up it goes, and yet, never grows. "
Andy rolled her eyes. "Do you remember what I told you the last time about me?" Gollum's eyes wandered about, trying to find the answer.
"Which part, Precious? Which part!", he asked angry.
"Hey, we said, Precious stays out of this. And I mean the part, where I told you, that I'm older than the moon and watched the Valars create Middle Earth. "
"Yes, yes! Precious, we remember!", Gollum nods exited, proud that he remembered something of that conversation they had all that long time ago.
"So, in fact, I have seen the mountains grow. Unless everyone else. "
"Yes, yes, that's right. Let's have another one? Yes, come on, do it. Do it, ask us." He fell back into a ramble. "No! No more riddles. Finish it off! Finish it now! Gollum! Gollum", he spat and lunged at her. Andy held her daggers into the air. She didn't show it, but she felt scared. She never knew the Sméagol, but seeing Gollum like this, remembered her of others that she was forced to watch succumb to darkness. And the horror it inflicted within her and everyone who had to watch.
"No, no, no. We said we want to play, remember? It's my turn. And tell Precious to shut up. "
Gollum sat back down, a pout on his lips, waiting for her riddle. "How about, we take a little walk? It helps think." Andy tried to convince him. Gollum's eyes her thoughtfully.
"Really? Is it true, Precious?"
"Yes, of course", Andy answered, as if she was talking to a little child. "Walking increases brain function. Especially after being in the dark for so long. I'd know! I studied it on the seven dwarf lords created by Aulë. "
Gollum thought about it for a second, before he nodded in agreement. "We think that's a great idea, don't we Precious? If we walk, we can think better, so we win better. If we win, we eat the mistress!" delighted of that idea, he stared up to her, hardly able to sit still. Andy gave him a discussed look.
"I never agreed to that!"
"Either we allowed to eat you, or we won't walk", Gollum pouts, folding his arms. Andy let out a sigh, her shoulders dropping.
"Fine! You're allowed to eat me, if I lose. If I win, you end your relationship with Precious. "
Gollum gave her a horrified look. "No!", he whined. "We don't want to say goodbye. "
"Well, then make sure you win, aye?" His tearful eyes slowly shifted into a vicious glim and his grin showed off all his nine teeth.
"Yes, we will win. Come on, Mistress. We walk this way", he spoke crawling of into the dark. Andy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, crossing her finger. She hoped, they would pass a spot she recognised, so she could make her way back outside without being eaten. Determined to win, Andy followed Gollum.
"Ready for a riddle?", Andy asked Gollum, after strolling behind him for a few seconds.
"Yes, yes! Ask us", Gollum called out, sitting on a rock a little higher than her.
"I fly without wings and cry without eyes. What am I?", Andy asked. And Gollum started laughing.
"Easy, easy! Clouds. Clouds are the answer. "
Andy smiled up to him. "Good job, Gollum. I wasn't sure if it's too complicated. I'm proud of you, you still remember what a cloud is. "
Felling flattered, Gollum stuck out his chest, felling proud of himself. Slowly Andy set her feet back in motion, Gollum following without thinking about it.
"Our turn!", he exclaimed, as he thought of his next riddle.
"Shoot", Andy said and gave way to him. After each other, they squished themselves through a tight rift to get to the other side of a wall.
"Voiceless it cries, wingless flutters, toothless bites, mouthless mutters. "
"Give me a minute", Andy spoke, strolling further, pretending to be in deep thoughts. Snickering Gollum crawled ahead on all four.
"We knows, we knows! Shut up!", he hissed at himself again.
"It's wind", Andy pulled him out of his self-conversation. Gollum glared at her, not happy about her brilliance.
"Very clever, Mistress. Very clever", he lurked at her again, getting too close for her comfort.
"I am better than Illúvatar, eviler than Morgoth. The poor have me, the rich want me, and if you eat me, you'll die. What am I?", Andy quickly asked, distracting him. Gollum walked off, muttering the words to himself. Andy let out a shaky breath, she didn't know she was holding. Andy followed him with careful steps, taking in all her surroundings. There was a lot of rock. However, you never know, when a goblin shows up. Or Gollum is creeping off again. Angrily mumbling he kept stomping along his way, subconsciously leading her right to where she wanted to be.
«We don't know! We don't know", he howled, hitting his head. Gently Andy laid her hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay, Gollum. You can't always win", she tried to calm him down. Slowly he took his hands down, turning to her. Taken back by the look on his face, Andy quickly retreated, putting some distance between them. "It was fun seeing you again, Toothpick. However, I need to go. My friends are waiting for me. I hope. Maybe not. In that case, I really have to hurry, to catch up with them again. They'll get themselves killed. "
"But Mistress is lost, Precious. Mistress doesn't know her way out", Gollum said with a grin.
"But she does, Precious. She does", Andy whispered back, making Gollum's eyes go wide. "Take a look. That path there, leads right outside. "
Panicking Gollum looks around, realising, that she was right.
"Mistress tricked us, Precious! She tricked us!", he growled. "Nasty Mistress! Tricking poor Gollum in leading you out. We want to eat you. Yes! Precious, we do. And we will, won't we?" A sly smirk on his lips, he grabs to his pants. Whatever it was he was looking for, it wasn't there. His evil grin changed into a panicked expression, as he couldn't find his possession. Slowly Andy started to step back, knowing very well what he was looking for.
"Where is it! Where is it! No! Where is it!", he turned and twisted around himself, reaching every inch of himself. "Lost!", he cried. "Curses and splashes, my precious is lost!"
"That's probably for the best", Andy whispered, quietly stepping through the tunnel, out of sight if Gollum.
"She stole it", his voice howled, getting closer. "Give it to us!", he cried and started throwing stones at her. Andy tried to duck under all of them while walking backwards.
"I did not steal it", she called back, dodging another stone. "It was lying around and I picked it up. "
"Give it back, it is ours!", he cried and jumped at her. Throwing her to the ground, he tried to strangle her, still screaming. She had one of her daggers in her hand, but actually didn't want to hurt him. So, she tried pushing him off. His skinny hands had a strong grip, she had to admit. And it hurt. In that moment, something happened without her notice. Her eyes shone bright yellow, stinging in Gollum's light sensitive eyes. Large horns towered over her head, far bigger than they should be. Glowing marks appeared on her forehead, her chin and her nose bridge. Her fangs grew, parting her closed lips. She released a frightening loud growl, making Gollum scurry away with a fearful screech. Andy stood up and looked down on him from her full size, her fang bared.
"I should kill you. You are a danger to Middle Earth. You path is full of darkness and bitterness. It will lead you to betray everything you have left. "
A scared whimper crossed Golums lips, as he ducked further down to the ground. Andy stared down on him, a cold expression on her face. After a few moments longer, Andy blinked, her features going back to normal.
"But I won't", she said, making Gollum look up. "You still have a chance of becoming happy and free again. Use your time left wisely. "
She spun around and ran for the exit, leaving the trembling Gollum behind.
"My precious", he whined, rolling into a ball. "Nasty Mistress took my Precious."
Andy closed her eyes, taking a deep breath of the fresh breeze, enjoying the late afternoon sunrays stoking her face. The fears and terrors of the cave melted away, making her tense muscles relax. With a deep sigh, she opened her eyes again. Immediately she found tracks on the floor, leading her right to the company. She put her daggers away, before falling into a run. It took her almost three hours, before she caught up with the company. They had quite a head start. And she was bruised and acing all over her body. So that slowed her down.
"Where is Andrea", Gandalf's voice echoed over the mountain side and made Andy peak up. She was almost there. As she got closer, she slowed down, catching her breath.
"I thought she was following us" Kili looked around, panic in his voice.
"Curse the Halfling, she's lost!", Dwalin called out, also looking around worriedly.
"I saw her last, as she killed the goblin king", Ori pipped up.
"I think I saw her fall", Nori added. Gandalf rushed towards him.
"What happened exactly? Tell me!" Andy was about to call out to them, as Thorin cut in.
"I'll tell you what happened. Miss Baggins saw her chance and she took it. She followed us, out of mockery, and left us the moment it became too dangerous", he growled. "We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. She's long gone. "
Andy's shoulders dropped, tears stinging in her eyes. Angrily her fist clenched, she was ready to storm out and punch him.
"Don't say that!", Fili called out, clearly unhappy with his uncle. Hearing him speak out against Thorin, caught everyone by surprise. "We left her! We took off, without saying a word. She would have every right in going back and abandoning us. We did it with her!" Andy sat down behind a bush, carefully gazing out from behind. "She came for us. She knew, we'd need her help. And the help of the guardian angel. We should thank her, not curse her. You heard what they did to her down there. Months of torture. And yet, she followed us." He turned to look at his uncle. Thorin had turned his head away, after Fili started talking. He knew, he was right. Guilt once again stung through his chest, not letting him go. He lifted his gaze, looking at his nephew. "Out of all of us, she is the most loyal member of this company. No one deserved being a part of it more, than she does. "
Thorin couldn't hold Fili's gaze and looked down again. Hearing that warmed Andy's heart, a smile appearing on her lips.
"That doesn't change the fact, that she's gone", Thorin spoke, without the angry edge in his voice. It sounded more, defeated. As if he lost a fight. Pitiful the dwarves stared at the ground. Andy decided to finally step in.
"That doesn't change the fact, that she isn't."
Immediately thirteen pairs of eyes shot up. With a grin on her face, Andy stepped out of the bush, spreading her arms. "And as you can see, I am not dead, eighter. "
"Andy!", Kili called out, racing towards her. She almost lost balance, as he collided with her, closing his arms tight around her waist. Fili was quick to follow.
«We're sorry», he said. Andy tried to pat his back somehow, but they were making it hard to move.
"I know, boys. Could you please let go of me again? Not that I don't like hugs, it just you're pressing almost every bruise I have. "
The stepped back again, looking down sheepishly. "By the way, nice speech before", she said to Fili, making him turn red. Then she turned to the rest of the company, which has gathered around her.
"Andrea Baggins", Gandalf spoke with a relieved chuckle. "I've never been so glad to see you in my life. "
"How on earth did you get past the goblins?", Fili asked curious.
"How indeed", Dwalin questioned, looking her up and down, searching for bigger injuries.
"Well, I fell to my death, landed in some mushrooms, sacrificed a Goblin to an old, wise creature of the underground lake, asked him a few riddles to win a game and manipulated him in showing me the way out. As he finally caught on, it was too late. I separated him from his toxic girlfriend and made a run for it, while he mourned her. "
Their jaws dropped. "Really?", Ori questioned, with pitched voice. Andy let out a chuckle, shaking her head.
"No. The goblin was already dead, and the creature got him himself. I just followed him back to the lake." They still stared at her in disbelieve. "And he isn't wise. ", she added after a moment of silence.
"Why did you come back?", Thorin broke the awkward silence.
"Pardon?", she asked looking to him, lifting her eyebrows a little. His eyes darkened. He hated repeating himself. And she knew it.
"Why did you come back?", he asked again, gritting his teeth.
"You heard what your nephew said. I knew, you'd need help. I know, what they can do. What of a person would I be, letting you run into it, if I can prevent it?" Thorin had nothing to answer on that. He knew, a thanks would be in order. However, a far awa howl caught their attention.
"Out of the frying pan", Thorin spoke.
"Into the fire", Gandalf ended the saying. "Run!"