FOTR "A Shadow of the past. "Gollum"! cried
Frodo. 'Gollum? Do you mean that this is the very Gollum creature that
Bilbo met? How loathsome."
"How Loathsome", Frodo remembers
Frodo thought back to that first revelation, his first understanding of
the fullness of the connection of 'his Ring' with Bilbo's adventures.
Somehow the relization that the creature from the tales of his earliest
remembrances was alive made the whole idea of the dangers much more
tangible.
His revulsion of the creature was total and as the totality of the tale
had been played out in Rivendel his disdain for the wretched creature
had grown. The hair on his feet stood on end when he thought of Gollum.
"If only Bilbo had killed him when he had the chance". He'd thought it
many times since the first time and who deserved death more?
Pity, it had been, as Gandalf said, The pity of Bilbo had ruled his own
fate as well as many others he now knew and loved. When he'd finally
met him it was truly loathsome and the hatred had fallen from him for
to hate the creature would be to hate himself. They were victims of the
same thing, The Ring, it drove them both and they both knew it. He did
not hate him but nor did he trust him, not fully there was no way to be
sure and with Sam to remind him of what Gollum really was it was
impossible.
Frodo reached down and grasped the white gem at his breast. "Pity
...Pity I could not destroy it myself...that I did not see its full
power until the end. " Pity I could not save him from his fate...
These thoughts always consumed him, it was one of the last chapters
he'd been trying to get through. To record for all the events of the
war of the Ring was daunting especially since he could not always
remember. But this he did recall and far too well, his final decision
to claim the Ring and finally to see Gollums destiny fullfilled. No
matter how loathsome he was in his eyes it was he who had saved him, He
who had finally and unrevocably fullfilled the quest.
The emotions swirled in his mind...guilt, regret, sorrow. How could he
hate him, or even pity him now? He had saved him from himself saved him
from becoming what he would have become..." loathsome."
"Thankyou Smeagol..."
Frodo sighed, finished the enrty placed the quill qently back in the
well. Placed his head in his hands and sighed again tears filling his
eyes...Thank you.
