There it was again. That voice.

"Frodo"

He tried in vain to peer into the gloom, but the voice began surrounding him, beating him down, and forcing him to the ground. He covered his ears and tried to block out the sound, but it was no use. Then the real torture began.

"FRODO. COME MY PRECIOUSSSSS"

The hissing grew to a loud shriek. He shut his eyes as hard as he could, but even like that, it was just too much. Suddenly, he had the urge to open them again, so he did. His eyes grew wide with shock. For there, a face lit up. It smiled an evil smile. It shrieked so loud, he felt sure his head would burst. It was Orli. The smile suddenly disappeared and

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH..."

Frodo woke with a start. The nightmares again. He sat up. Where was he now? His blurred vision was not much use, but he could hear someone in front of him. The reality shot back to him once again. His head suddenly became clear, as a bucket of ice cold water was thrown over him.

"Hello, my precious. How are we this morning? Two days you were out cold. Two days! Oh well, time for some more fun soon."

Frodo shivered and wiped the cold out of his eyes. His wrist was swollen and red. Orli was sitting in front of him smirking.

"What do you want?" Frodo asked one more time, a little hoarsely.

"Ask me no questions, and Ill tell you no answers, pretty boy."

"Yes, well I AM asking a question."

Frodo could not put up with this mysterious talk any longer.

"What did you say hobbit?"

The voice became angry, but Frodo knew he had to stand up to Orli, whether he liked it or not: to save himself.

"I SAID, I AM asking you a question. What do you WANT?"

Frodo's voice grew with a little confidence. Orlis expression changed from angry to menacing.

"DON'T you speak to me like that halfling. You know perfectly well what Im doing. I'm HERE to teach you a lesson!" Orli smiled. "And here it is,"

He took a kettle like appliance that was boiling over a fire, and walked over slowly to Frodo holding it up.

"Oh eru..." Frodo shifted quickly over to one side just as Orli let a steaming drop of water drip from the spout. It just missed him.

"Oh really now..."

Orli stepped to the other side, and let another drop splash down. This caught Frodos cloak. Frodo yelped as he watched his cloak burn.

"Standing up eh?" Orli jeered. "Ooh, such a big strong hobbit!"

The two stood staring challengingly into each other's eyes for a moment, daring the other, until Orli suddenly bent down, grabbed Frodo's wrist, and jammed it into the boiling kettle.

His cry echoed into the misty forest.