New Dream Adventures of Raven Knight

2017, 05-19

The Healing of Sméagol

I am on a rocky path at the top of a very steep stairway, almost like a ladder. I see Frodo and Sméagol off to the side whispering about something while Sam is trying to pull himself up the last few steps to flat ground. I reach down and give Sam a hand, helping him up the last couple steps. Frodo and Sam both want a break, Sméagol wants to keep going. I ask Sméagol if he wouldn’t like some food first. He says he is starving, but can’t eat nasty food from the elves. I tell him I can give him a nice, big, juicy fish… Sméagol drools a bit so I have my Penticon computer function as a Star Trek replicator and I replicate a large fresh trout. I hand Sméagol the fish and he seems as happy as a dog with a bone and tears into the fish raw, much to Sam’s disgust.

I ask what Sam wants. He sarcastically answers, saying he wants a big bowl of beef stew with lots of fresh vegetables and potatoes and a big hunk of fresh bread with butter and an apple tart for dessert and a pint of good ale to wash it all down. I can tell he is not really expecting it, so I welcome him to the only five star inn of Mordor, The Flying Raven. I have my Penticon replicate exactly what he asked for on a small table for easier eating. I ask what Frodo wants, he just says he can’t remember the taste of good food any longer. I hesitate, then replicate the same thing for him as Sam asked for. Sam stares in shock for a bit and then starts eating. Frodo eats as well, and says he is grateful, but doesn’t seem to get any enjoyment out of the meal like Sam clearly does. After they’re done eating I ask how much water they have. Sam says not much, can I create that, too? Yes. I take their water skins and use the Harry Potter spell Aguamenti to fill them both with fresh cool water. Sam says he’s never even seen Gandalf create food and drink like that! We continue on our way and finally come to a tunnel. In there is where I will have to heal Sméagol, I’ll do it in there so it will be less likely to be seen by enemies.

I follow everyone into the tunnel, which smells like all of the worst things I have ever smelled all rolled into one. The passages are dark, but I can see with my night vision. I follow until there is a fork in the tunnel and neither Frodo nor Sam know which way to go. Frodo calls out to Sméagol but there is no answer. Then the thing starts coming out of the dark passage. A huge spider, coming straight for the two hobbits. It’s Shelob. I go right up to the big ugly spider and, in a commanding tone, tell her that under no circumstances is she to lay fang or stinger or web on either of those two hobbits. No go back to your lair and you can feed later. Shelob stops, seems to consider briefly or maybe resist obeying, but then disappears quickly back down the passage. I tell the hobbits to go ahead, and when they reach the wall of web to cut it with Sting, I have to go find Sméagol. Sam says he wants to pay Gollum back for his treachery, I tell him that’s not the idea at all and head off down a different passage to find Sméagol.

I leave the hobbits and go deeper into the caves, just trusting my instinct to lead me to Sméagol. The smell is getting so bad that I want to vomit, I wonder how Sméagol can stand it. I find him near an exit to the outside, looking out through a passage. I approach him, and he says I’m nasty and I’m ruining everything before retreating back into the caves. I follow him and catch up with him in a larger chamber. I focus on the song Touch My Heart from the Devil Hunter Yohko soundtrack. Light energy fills the chamber and flows through Sméagol. After it’s done he looks disoriented, but not harmed. I follow that up by using Of Wolf and Man by Metallica. “I feel a change, back to a better day. Shape shift, hair stands on the back of my neck! Shape shift, in wildness is the preservation of the world, so seek the wolf in thyself!” The energy again surrounds Sméagol, this time his physical form changes into a form that could only be a hobbit. He looks very surprised and confused. He asks what has happened. I feel like I am about to wake up. I tell Sméagol not to worry, I’m going to disappear but I will be back as fast as I can. Everything fades as I wake.