Authors note: Sorry for the delay, even lil' vampires gotta take a holiday sometime! Also I realised like Pippin I had know idea what Ringwraiths get up to in there spare time or how to outsmart them, so this chapter may seem a tad random. Cheers for all the great reviews, let me know what you think of this one and don't miss the closing chapter!

Antivika – true, I love vampires, especially of a hobbity nature. I'm thinking about it.

The dark shapes crept through the trees, silent as the dead, which to be fair Pippin thought, they probably were. Before long they reached the path were the riders mounted their steeds. Cautiously the hobbit approached one of the black beasts. As he looked up at the towering monstrosity it suddenly gave a terrible cry causing him to jump back in shock. The wraiths gave a harsh and chilling laughter.

"Come." Said one, as he offered a thin pale hand. Pippin was glad his face was hidden so they could not see the blend of fear and hatred upon his face, as he gazed upon the beings. They waited for him in perfect stillness, like threatening statues.

Mustering all the bravery he had in him he clasped the cold, corpse like hand, which gripped his tightly and threw him onto the back of the saddle. With a shrill cry the wraiths tugged on the reins and the horses galloped off. Pippin clung to the waist of his rider for fear he should fall off as the beast's hooves pounded the ground at rapid pace. And so the sun slowly rose over the forest while MiddleEarth's fate rested on this small hobbit.

At noon they stopped to rest the horses. The hobbit was disappointed to find that his companions were no less terrifying in daylight than in darkness, and even more so that their chosen resting place was a damp and gloomy cave, away from the slight comfort of sunshine.

Upon entering, the nine sat themselves in a perfect circle that Pippin felt obligated to join. It was then he began to worry what was about to take place, who knew what dreadful deeds these creatures carry out when alone – sacrifices, worship of the occult, slash! The one he had ridden with, who appeared to be the leader, began to speak.

"The time is upon us." He announced in a fell voice. He turned to one of them. "Have you got them?"

"Yes." The other hissed in reply. He reached in to his robes and Pippin held his breath in nervous anticipation. However, the item produced was nothing more than a pack of cards. "Your going down! You, Witch King, can't bluff if Mordor depended on it!"

Soon a poker game was taking place, with the usual bragging and jokes all round. Pippin had quite taken to the shadowy beings. Off duty they were as lazy as any hobbit and seemed to love all the latest jokes from the Shire. Laughing he spoke up.

"O.K, stop me if you've heard this one: A hobbit walks into an orc bar and the bar man says... "Sorry mate, we don't serve food!""

The wraiths gave a shrill giggle at the jest, which managed to make Pippin smile despite how disturbing it sounded. Secretly he'd named his companions Witch king, Doc, Dopey, Happy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Grumpy and (for lack of imagination) "other-one" to help keep track.

"Very amusing Halfling!" said the wraith to his right, now known as Grumpy, as he dealt out the pack. "I must admit I wasn't fond of the idea of you joining our number at first, but now the Ring is reclaimed, there is no reason for more than the usual hatred I show towards others."

Curse you, Pippin thought to himself while trying to maintain a cheerful demeanour. Gandalf was right to call you a fool of a Took! How could you so easily forget about the Ring?! Guilt overwhelmed him. He better try and make it up now.

"Say" He replied. "Your quite a cunning wraith, I mean, you've won the last three rounds. How come your only a supporting henchmen?"

Grumpy gave a harsh and bitter laugh.

"I don't know Halfling, who am I to question what Sauron sees fit? Sure, I'd love to be in the Witch Kings shoes, but us Nazgul hardly have promotion prospects, do we now?"

Pippin smiled. Ah, the sweet sound of unresolved issues. He pursued.

"True. And HE" gesturing to the Witch King, now staring intently at his hand, "isn't quite the sharing type when it comes to power, am I right? I bet he'd rather jump into Mount Doom itself before he gave one of you lot a chance to show your worth."

They said nothing, but just glared at their leader throughout the game. Again Grumpy won, albeit Pippin was no longer interested in the game. He saw now that however much he fuel he added to Grumpy's hatred, the Witch King would have to be the one to light the match. (Great metaphor that, he thought to himself. He made a mental note to keep that in this tale, should he survive it. Anyway, back to mischief.)

"I think we should make this the last round." Announced the Witch King, sitting to the hobbit's left. Pippin chuckled.

"Could that have anything to do with the fact you are losing? How much has left your purse tonight? It all seems to be heading to my right! Dealers luck I suppose."

There was a moment's contemplation from the wraith before he spoke up.

"For the this round I think I will shuffle."

"Pray, why this interference?" snapped Grumpy "Now does even the simple act of shuffling a pack of cards require your utter dominance? Are you that possessive that you need yet another thing under your control?!"

"Insolent fool, hand me the cards before I crush you! I care not for power (mine already being absolute) but I'm forced to wonder over the manipulations of you tricky fingers!"

The beast shrieked.

"You have the audacity to accuse me of cheating!"

"Now I come to think of it," interrupted the one (quite rightly) nicknamed Dopey, "I haven't won anything while he's been dealing!"

"Shut up cake-brain!" yawned Sleepy irritably. "A few moments ago you called out "Bingo"! You don't need a fixed pack to make you lose."

Pippin tried to hide his amusement as he watched the two exchange insults while the Witch King was still squabbling with Grumpy.

"Look cheater, the others are fine, its you I don't trust!"

Pippin whispered to Doc, who then joined in the unfolding bedlam.

"If that's true why do you have to carry the ring?"

From under the hood of his black mantel, the deadly gleam of their leader's eyes could be seen.

"Outlaw! Traitor to the Great Eye! How dare thou utter such blasphemous things – you want it for yourself you little turncoat!"

"Liar!" spat Sneezy "You're the one who plans to steal it!"

"Oh, so it's a conspiracy against me is it? Well, I shall slay all of you in thy turn!"

And with that cry of hatred the wraiths drew their swords and leapt each other, in a fearful display of hissing and cursing. The ring of steel upon steel and the sobs of one distraught wraith ("I knew you never liked me – nobody likes me!") filled the air. Eventually one shoved his way out the scrum and tried to reason with the others.

"My brothers!" he yelled, "Stay this madness! We should not shed the blood of our own!" The others ceased and looked at him. He sighed. "See now? God, you lot can be so bloody stupid sometimes!"

And with that last sentiment he sealed his fate as the others charged towards the peacemaker and quite promptly, decapitated him, before continuing with their massacre.

Within minutes, the remaining beast, with somewhat less limbs than he began, collapsed to the floor admitting a final venomous shriek. Pippin emerged cautiously from his hiding place where he had born witness to the carnage, and slowly reached out to touch a nearby corpse to check it was truly dead.

But before the young hobbit's fingers dared to discover the monster's fate, its robes seemed to subside, and its body disintegrated to dust along with the slaughtered companions. A gust wind howled in through the cave entrance and carried off the remains, leaving only nine black robes and Pippin, hand outstretched, staring in disbelief of what had occurred.

After several moments to gather his wits, he finally had the courage to search the robes. Hidden amongst the dark folds of one, there it was. The Ring. So innocent it seemed as Pippin crouched down and picked it up. A distant light gleamed of its smooth surface. Pretty, he thought bitterly, but how he despised it. Idyllic memories of the Shire filled the hobbit's mind, the life of his and his friends, the life this trinket had destroyed.

Pippin looked at it once more and sighed. So pretty. So evil. Suddenly the idea of slipping it on passed briefly through his mind...

Nah, jewellery was for sissies.

And with that thought he placed the Ring in his pocket, and set out on the journey home. But after a few steps he paused and took it out again. It was the end of this little episode, yet he still had the Ring. With a heavy heart he realised what this meant. Another chapter. Bugger.