DEBBIE DOES THE TWO TOWERS
Chapter Five: Stranger Danger EXTENDED
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"So
those are the Dead Marshes, huh?" Debbie wrinkled her cute, upturned nose.
"The *Stinky* Marshes would be a better name." "I've been smelling something fishy since long before the Marshes," Sam complained, looking sidelong at Gollum. He'd been extra-grouchy ever since he'd realized that their unwanted fourth companion meant no quality time alone with Debbie. "Oh...maybe I can clean up in the water in here, if it isn't too icky," Debbie rambled happily. "Well, on we go!" Sam's eyes were dubious as he surveyed the vast expanse of squishy ground leading toward the red sky of Mordor. "Are you sure this isn't some kind of trap?" he asked "Like I said, it's in the book," Debbie replied. "I'll show it to you in the crystal window if you want. Although actually I think we're in the movie, mostly, but this bit's pretty much the same either way." The three other travelers looked at her without comprehending. She smiled down at them. "So yes, it should be safe to go in. Lead on, Sméagol!" Gollum's face suddenly underwent an astonishing change at the sound of that name. "Wh-what did ssshe call me?" he gasped. "Sméagol--it's your name, right?" Debbie smiled upon the twisted creature as one would upon a lost mongrel pup. "That's what Gandalf told me in Moria, anyway," Frodo interrupted in a tone of voice that sounded as if he was a tad put-out. "Something wrong, Frodo darling?" Debbie questioned, blinking her long lashes. Frodo stammered, forgetting himself. "Er, no. Lead on, Sméagol!" "Good Sméagol leads the *new* Preciousss and the hobbitsess! Good Sméagol finds the way!" Gollum mused cheerfully as he leaped over puddles and onto drier thickets of weeds. Frodo and Sam followed Gollum, with Debbie bringing up the rear. She shivered a little and wrapped her arms around herself in the cold breeze. The hobbit breeches and shirt she was wearing were warmer than the silk teddy, but neither Frodo nor Sam had had a pair of boots to offer her. Still, she reflected, perhaps barefoot was a better way to travel over such squelchy ground. Nothing was more miserable than wet shoes. Frodo stopped and looked back at her. "Lady Debbie, is the Ring troubling you?" he asked anxiously, his wide blue eyes alight with concern. "Could I carry your crystal window for you, since you have taken the burden of the Ring from me?" Debbie started to say that the computer bag really wasn't very heavy, then decided that perhaps Frodo would feel better if he had something to do. "Thanks, Frodo. You're the best." She was pleased to see his face light up with its old happy smile as he took the bag from her. The group continued marching along the soggy ground, following Gollum's spry lead. Little jets of flame now began to spurt up at intervals, and Debbie surreptitiously warmed her toes at one as she passed by. Eventually, growing bored with the endless browns and greys of the marshes, Debbie peeked over into one of the pools. "Hey! There's, like, dead guys in the water!" "Yessss...the Dead Marshes--that'sss what they are called. Orcses and elveses and men. Don't look at them, Precioussss...." Debbie nodded, but found that she couldn't turn away. They looked so remarkably well-preserved, for having been here so long. Some of them were even kind of cute--or would have been, if they weren't so...dead. Suddenly, with all the bending over, she began to feel faint. "Oh--I should've been more careful," she whispered, just before she plunged headlong into the murky water. Debbie quickly shut her mouth to avoid swallowing any of the disgusting-looking water. Various white, ragged-looking beings seemed to be floating toward her with outstretched hands. Ignoring them, she kicked her feet and swam strongly toward the surface. She treaded water for a moment. "The ghosts at the Halloween Haunted House are much scarier than that," she muttered. On a nearby patch of firm ground, the hobbits and Gollum seemed to be arguing about something. "Good Sméagol must rescue the precioussss!" Gollum was pleading. "You're just tryin' to work your way into Miss Debbie's heart, aren't you?" Sam retorted furiously. "I should do it," Frodo insisted. "She took the Ring for me, after all." "Guys!" Debbie called out. "We shall save the Preciousss!" "You're not doin' any savin' of Miss Debbie!" "I should rescue her, since it's my fault she's in this mess to begin with!" "Guys! I'm okay! I don't need saving!" Debbie climbed up out of the water and approached the arguing companions. "My Precioussss!" "Miss Debbie!" "Lady Debbie--you're all right!" "Of course I am. A little wet and cold, but other than that, I'm fine. Now Sméagol, you said you'd lead us, so lead on!" "Yesss, yesss!" Gollum cavorted around joyfully as he continued on their way. ******* Some time later, the four travelers rested in the shadow of a scrubby bush. The hobbits and Debbie were nibbling lembas. "You should try some, Sméagol," Debbie said. "It tastes kind of like Lorna Doones." She held a wafer out to the creature, but he shook his head and turned away. "Stupid elveses make bad food." "Suit yourself," Debbie replied with a shrug. Frodo watched the scene with a smile. Hard though the way ahead of them was, he could not help feeling certain that everything would be all right now that Lady Debbie was with them once again. Suddenly the murky air was filled with the sound of unearthly screeching. "Black riders!" shouted Sam, and they scrambled into what little cover the bush provided. "Wraiths! Wraiths on wings!" Gollum moaned as he cowered nearby. Frodo gazed upward through the branches and saw above him a massive winged beast, atop which sat a Ringwraith who was eagerly surveying the ground below. Debbie squinted at the rider above them. "Wow...he's tall, dark, and...dark." As the rider on the fell beast approached, icy pain shot through Frodo's shoulder. He whimpered and buried his face in Debbie's lap. "Frodo? Are you okay?" she asked, stroking his hair. Frodo heard Sam's voice: "I'll warrant his wound's bothering him again, from when that nasty wraith stabbed him up on Weathertop." "Poor Frodo," Debbie's voice murmured sympathetically. "Maybe I could do something to cheer you up, huh? When the wraith is gone?" "That would be lovely, Lady Debbie--" Frodo managed to say between clenched teeth. "But it hurts...." Debbie clicked her tongue. "Let me have a look." Frodo felt his shirt being pushed back by soft, cool fingers. That touch in itself was almost enough to make him forget the shrieks of the nazgul, now growing more distant as the beast retreated. "Oh!" said Debbie. "I think I see the problem. Looks like you still have a little sliver of something in your shoulder. It's worked its way almost up to the surface now. Just let me find my tweezers...." Frodo heard Debbie rummaging through her shoulderbag. After a short pause, there was a single, sharp tugging sensation in his shoulder and then the pain rapidly receded. He sat up to find Debbie triumphantly holding up her tweezers, which gripped a dull grey shard of something about a quarter of an inch long. Even as they both looked, the shard vaporized and blew away on the damp breeze. "There, is that better?" Debbie asked brightly. Frodo moved his shoulder experimentally and found that all trace of pain and stiffness were gone. "You've cured me!" he shouted with delight as he leaped forward and threw his arms tightly around Debbie's waist. At almost the same time, Sam shouted "You've cured my master!" and and threw his arms around Debbie from the other direction. "Aw, it was nothing, guys!" Debbie said modestly. "Just basic first-aid techniques I learned in Girl Scouts!" As the three of them disentangled themselves from the joyous hug, Frodo saw that even Gollum was watching them with something like a smile. ******* At long last they reached the end of the marshes and set up camp for the night on dry ground. Debbie volunteered to take first watch and sat down on a handy log. Sam wrapped himself up in his cloak and promptly began to snore, while Gollum wandered off, presumably in search of food. Frodo, however, seemed unable to sleep. After tossing and turning for some time, he abandoned the effort and came to sit beside Debbie. The moonlight shone on his tumbled curls and large, soulful eyes. Debbie smiled warmly as she looked into his troubled face. "Couldn't sleep, huh? What's on your mind?" "Lady Debbie, I...I feel like I'm just a liability to you," Frodo answered sadly. "First I couldn't save you when you fell into the water, and then I was no help when the ringwraith flew by....in fact, *you* had to help *me.*" Debbie frowned delicately. "Oh, Frodo, how can you think that? You're *very* helpful. You kept my computer from falling in the water, didn't you?" "I feel like I should be doing more for you...you've taken over the burden of the Ring and all...." Frodo's shoulders slumped and he looked at the ground. "I keep telling you, it's really no burden. You're too hard on yourself." Debbie threw her arms around the disconsolate hobbit and hugged him tightly. She heard him sniffle once, but when she drew back, she saw that his face wore a somewhat more hopeful expression. Debbie grinned impishly at him and nudged him in the side. "I'll tell you *one* thing you could do for me...something you're very good at...." ******* Perhaps an hour later, Gollum made his way back toward the campsite. Some unusual sounds drifted toward him on the still night air, muted as if the people involved were trying not to make too much noise. He softly drew closer so as not to disturb them, and watched the scene before him with rapt attention. "So bright...." he could not help muttering. "Sooo beautiful. Our preciousssss...."
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