"Hello?" he called.

No answer. Something was crouching low, with a cloak over its head. There was a pale blue light coming from under the cloak. Frodo crawled towards it, calling.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" he said timidly, his small voice drifting through the dim. He reached the- thing, and held out a hand.

It threw the cloak off of its head and turned around sharply. It was an orc. Its piercing scream sliced through the darkness like knives. Frodo jumped back and yelled in terror. The orc changed to Orli and he stood, leering. Then came the terrible hissing.

"PRECIOUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS..."

Frodo hastily put the ring on, hoping that it would all end. Almost at once a blinding light appeared and he shielded his eyes. There, instead of Orli, was a ringwraith. It carried a Morgul Blade. It advanced towards Frodo slowly, raising the blade, getting ready to strike. Frodo cried out in fright. The Morgul Blade sank into his left shoulder. He clutched his shoulder in agony and jolted in disbelief. Scarlet blood oozed slowly between his fingers. Through the pain, he noticed that he still had the ring on. Shakily he pulled it off with difficulty, but he could not open his eyes. For some one was hissing loudly in his ear like thunder...

"PRECIOUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS..."

Frodo awoke with a start, and bumped his head again on the side of a tree. His wrists were bound and his head was throbbing. He looked up wearily. There was a blurred image of Orli. He was cooking something, but looked up. Strangely, his cold staring eyes were clear, but everything else was blurred. He stood up, towering over Frodo, who was laying on the ground. He spoke something, but Frodo couldnt here. But then the terrible hissing came again.

"Are you ready my PRECIOUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS...?"

Frodo yelled and bumped his head on the side of the tree. His vision suddenly became clear. There was Orli again, towering over him in the same position.

"Hey you. No time for little nightmares. Get up." He went round the back of the tree and cut the binding round his wrists. Frodos head still throbbed with weariness and pain. Orli pulled him to his feet by his cloak.

"I can get up by myself." Frodo said wearily, but he didn't pay too much attention.

Orli dragged him along at an alarming speed. Frodo noticed he had left his pack behind.

"Where are we going?!" Frodo asked alarmed as he stumbled over the rocks. He could here rushing water somewhere in front of him.

"You want to know? Isengard." Orli sneered.

"Isengard!? We cant go there!" Frodo cried.

"Yeah well we are." Orli looked smug. "And the sooner we get there, the better."

Oh eru, Frodo thought. They'll find the ring. The quest will have failed. And I'll be doomed to die. Oh Sam. I wish he were here. He'd get rid of Orli.

Sure enough, they came to a large rushing river.

"We're crossing. Now. So get ready." Orli dragged Frodo to the edge of the bank. The river would reach Orli's waist. But Frodo would surely drown. It was too deep for him.

"We can't!" Frodo cried. "Well be killed!"

"Correction." Orli muttered. "I'll survive easily. You'll be lucky to get away with sever head injuries, if you want to put it like that."

Frodo looked down. There was a small sword rushing down with the current. It came to a rock above the surface. And snapped. Frodo cringed. Suddenly, he was pushed from behind, and fell into the deep with a start. He hit his head sharply on the river-bed and pushed upwards to try and reach the surface.

He felt Orli jump in next to him and dragged him along under the water. Frodo started to run out of air. He needed to surface, but Orli dragged him down, as well as the current. He slowly began to choke under the water. It filled his lungs steadily. He became faint and let the current and Orli take him. He felt cold and hungry. The water was claiming his life...

Frodo coughed and spluttered. They were on the other side of the river at last. He lay on the floor, and Orli sat next to him, his hand lay on Frodos chest. Frodo tried to sit up.

"Finally awake are you? You just can't stand a little water, can you?" Orli snapped. "I had to revive you, and what do you give me? Nothing."

"Wait." Frodo said. "You could have just left me for dead. Why didn't you?"

"Because you have something. Something special. That is why we go to Isengard."

"You- you know? How?" Frodo became alarmed. "How long have you known?"

"Since yesterday." Orli replied. "Your chain fell from around your neck while you were asleep. Cant let you die now, can we? Youll just have to bear the burden. Well drop it off at Isengard. Give it to Saruman. Then youll have nothing to worry about." Orli was being sarcastic. Suddenly, he threw a cup of cold water over him.

"Now get up." Orli stood up and pulled him by his arm. "We should be at Isengard by night fall."

"But- we cant! I need to destroy the ring!" Frodo shouted, his confidence coming back.

"Do you know what?! I should have let you die! Now come ON!" Orli picked him up by the scruff of his neck and threw him over his shoulder and Orli walked off into the woods.

"You can't! You can't" Frodo yelled and kicked until he was hoarse. It was getting dark. He suddenly realised he was exhausted, and fell asleep again.