The Ring is treacherous. Hello, In The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers (2002), Frodo and Sam carry the One Ring to Mordor (where it was forged), to destroy it. The ring is magical and has a will of its own. All It wants is to get to his true master - Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor. It's also "poisonous" to everyone else's mind: it makes them sort of addictive to it. So, in the scene I have a question about, the previous owner of the ring, Gollum, tries to kill Frodo and Sam in order to get back the ring but ends up being kept on an elven leash by them. Gollum: It burns us! It freezes! Nasty Elves twisted it. We be nice to them if they be nice to us. Take it off us. We swears to do what you wants. We swears. Frodo: There's no promise you can make that I can trust. Gollum: We swears to serve the master of the precious. We will swear on the precious. Frodo: The Ring is treacherous. It will hold you to your word. Could you explain the word treacherous here? If treacherous, how could it hold him to his word?