A Journey Into Fantasy. A Magic Bed Story... Please read and see how you like it.

[BelovedCaptain]

PROLOGUE
In our present world, there are two siblings named Abigail and Alex Reynolds. When their family moved to an old house from days gone by that the family inherited, they find a bunk bed. But this bed is no ordinary bed. This bed takes you into different times, and even into different stories and movies. A secret panel lies in the bed's boards that hold the controls to move and send the bed on a trip. The two children go on several trips, but only after hours. They have kept the truth of this bed a secret.
Along with the two kids, comes their cat DJ. On the first journey, they had discovered her stowed away admist the folds of the covers; and with her came a secret: on their travels, DJ is able to speak like humans. Her thoughts are expressed quite a bit vocally and the two children became quite used to her sarcasm and know-it-all attitude.

This story, though, was not supposed to happen. Abigail, now 16, had moved into her own room, and Alex was now 14. But one fateful night, the Reynold's family had relatives staying over, and the brother and sister had to share the old room with the Magic Bed.
I repeat: This story happened by accident.....

[BelovedCaptain]

Chapter 1.
Those Books Again

Abigal sat on the top bunk of the old bunk bed. She had just taken a shower and was ready for sleep. After whispering a goodnight prayer, she brought out a book to read and settled down for the night. The time was bedtime, and the siblings had school in the morning. As Alex stepped into the room they were sharing for the night, he spotted the novel she was reading. It was The Fellowship of the Ring, of the fantasy story The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Alex, short for Alexander, was just like any other boy of today. He liked sports, and played baseball very well. Although he wasn't a The Lord of the Rings fan, he had seen the movies (from having a sister who loved the story) and liked the three characters Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli.
"You're reading those books again?" Alex asked his sister.
"Yeaaahhhh...." she drawled.
"Why? You've read 'em twenty times, at least! Don't you know the books by heart now??"
"For your info, this is only my fifth time, and no! I do not know all the book by heart now!"
"Yeah, whatever. It's time for bed, you know. We got school in the morning!"
"Uh huh," she muttered. Alex rolled his eyes and clicked off the light. As both began to settle down for the long night's sleep, a small light switched on, and Abigail held up a teeny book light to continue her night's reading.
Suddenly, she turned to hear a faint meow. Their cat DJ jumped onto the top bunk and sat down on her lap.
"Hey, DJ," whispered Abigail.
The calico cat meowed again.
"Oh yeah. You can't talk unless we're away."
Away meant when the kids are on another magical adventure with their magical bed. This bunk bed was not like ordinary bunk beds. It was older. Noone knew who had made it. The bed could take you into stories, back into time and even into movies. Hidden in the boards was a secret door that held the controls that made the bed begin to start.
The kids had not been on an adventure in a long while ever since they had moved into their own rooms. They had grown unused to the travels and intended to keep it like that, until....
Abigail's lids grew heavy and her head nodded. She soon fell asleep, causing the book to fall down into the hidden panel. Somehow, it fell inside the panel and the controls began to work. Neither kids noticed this, only their cat. The machine began to start up and twirl.
DJ did not want to believe it, but knew it was true. The bed was no longer in the house. It ahd gone into another time period....
Into Another World....

[Nessa the Dancer]

Oooo I like this. I like the way you set the scene at the begining as well, saying that they had had past adventures.

I look forward to more :grin:

[BelovedCaptain]

veryhappy

Chapter 2.
Mr. Baggins
Alex started from his slumber. As soon as his eyes were opened, he sensed that something was different. Looking around, he noticed that they weren't in the bedroom any longer.
"Uh oh. Abby," he whispered. Climbing up onto the top bunk, he began to shake her. "Abby."
"What?!" She nearly shouted, unhappy to be woken up.
"Look where we are!" said Alex.
She did. They were outside, on some sort of hill. They could barely discern thed shapes of small houses in the moonlight.
"Oh no. We must have been sleeping when the machine started up. What do we do? We haven't been on an adventure for a long time.... Who pushed the button, I wonder?" she said pensively while looking around.
"I dunno," exclaimed the voice of their cat, "but whoever did, that book's the reason why we're here. It fell into the secret door, and here we are.... Wherever here is. Do either of you know where we are, exactly?"
"Oh great! We're stuck in that book's story!" Alex complained.
"So we must be in Middle Earth!" cried Abigail triumphantly.
"Huh?"
"It's a land in a fantasy story," explained Abigail.
"A fantasy story?" repeated DJ, confused.
"Yeah, with fairies and Dwarves and Elves," said Alex.
"Oh."
"This is awesome! Now, let me see that book, and I'll be able to figure out where we are," said Abigail. Alex handed the novel to her.
"We're in luck!" she said a few minutes later. "I'm at the part where Frodo is about to leave for the village of Bree."
"Luck? You call this luck? We need to get home! I do not want to go through what you say happens in that book. Besides, you said it takes these dudes in the story one or two years to complete ---whatever it is that they do! We need to get back in a day! No, even less than that!"
Now, you can see that Abigail was more than eager to go on this adventure, but Alex, on the other hand, was not. The reason why is this: in this story there are many adventures the characters face that are full of battles and dangers. The children were young to be going on those kind of quests; but with a little twist of fate, (so to speak) this adventure would happen. After minutes of pleadings and arguments, Abigail agreed to go home. The adventure seemed lost---until the bed wouldn't start up. No matter how hard Alex tried, it would not go. It would stall like and old, used car, but it would not spin.
"Now what?" asked DJ. Abigail shrugged and Alex frowned. "I guess we go on," he grumbled. "Come on, DJ."
The cat sighed haughtily/ "Fine, but if I die, it'll be your fault!" she warned the kids. She leaped and landed on Alex's shoulder.
Abigail could tell by the look on her brother's face that he was worried.
"Don't worry, bro," she reassured. "We have been to other places that lasted for what seemed like ages, and we were back in two hours or so. We'll be fine." Alex merely shrugged.
"So," he said after a few minutes of silent walking, "where are we in Middle Earth exactly?"
"We're in the Shire," answered Abigail in awe. "This is where all the hobbits live."
Abigail stopped walking, noticing the others' blank expressions. "You know, hobbits? The short people with hairy feet?"
"Ohhhh yeaaaahhhh," nodded Alex after a pause.
"Well I'm still in the dark," said their cat. "What's a hobbit?"
"You'll see," replied Abigail. "Hold your horses."
"Where does what's-his-name live?" asked Alex.
"First of all, his name is Frodo. Second, I would say he lives....There." She pointed to a great hobbit hole with a tree on the hill. As they started up to the house, someone came out. He had thick, curly, dark hair on his head and on his feet, which were bigger than any other feet the kids had ever seen. He was also short, shorter than any humans, and even shorter than Alex, who was the shortest in his class and altogether small for his age.
"There, my doubting cat, is a hobbit!" Abigail whispered with glee. "And no doubt about it, it's Frodo himself!"
When she spoke the name Frodo, the hobbit's sharp ears heard her and suddenly noticed them.
Now seeing the children of men in his land with a cat on the boy's shoulder startled him greatly. Frodo Baggins (the hobbit) stared at them speechless.
"Mr. Baggins, I presume?" Abigail greeted him.
"Yes, that is my name. How do you know that I belong to it?" he asked suspiciously.
"Don't worry, Frodo. We're not enemies," said Alex.
"Yeah. What would these two ding-a-lings possess that could possibly harm you? They don't use knives except for cooking, and don't even think about fist-fighting. They don't even have claws! Man is soooo defensleess!" criticized DJ.
Frodo gaped. "Y--your cat talks!"
"We should probably introduce ourselves. My name is Abigail. Friends call me Abby. This here is alexander, my brother. Everyone calls him Alex. The cat is--"
"The cat? No way! You are supposed to say, 'our wonderful pet's name is...' Pllllleeeeeze use that term instead of 'the cat,' all right?"
"Whatever," shrugged Abigail. "Our wonderful pet cat is called DJ."
"And don't ask what DJ stands for, pal!" the cat warned.
"May I ask one thing? Why are you here, Abby, Alex and DJ?"
"It's a long story. We'll explain later. Right now, you don't have much time to listen. All I'll say is---wait! Do you hear something?" said Abigail.
"I did! Let's see what it is from on top that hill!" exclaimed Alex, pointing to a nearby hill.
"Why?" Frodo asked Alex.
"Because then, if the sound is the sound of enemies, they won't know wer'e here from the top of the hill."
Abigail rolled her eyes. "Dum-dum! Of course they'll see us!"
Alex frowned. "Hmpf. Well then, at least we'll get a good look at whoever it is!"
Abigail shrugged at Frodo and they decided to take the boy's advice. They climbed a hill and heard the sound of hooves. A rider all in black rode around the town. It let out a frightening cry that reminded them of a banshee's wail and the scream of a frightened child.
Frodo stared at the kids. "You two, did they..."
"They're not ours," sniffed DJ condescendingly. "We would never have contact with such freaks as those. They seem to have terrible issues."
"Black Riders!" gasped Abigail. Her face went pale.
"Are they those guys that....?" whispered Alex, and pointed to Frodo.
"Yup."
"Oh boy," he groaned. Frodo became confused.
"What is it? What? It seems you know more about these riders and my business more than I do myself!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah, I know. Listen, Frodo. We want to come with you. I know where you're going. You're heading toward Rivendell and---"
"Pullllleeeeeze!" interrupted Alex. "You know everything! Girl, you even know this dude's birthday, for crying out loud!"
"You do?!" exclaimed Frodo.
"Yeah, uh, it's September twenty-second," she shrugged. Frodo whistled.
Maybe these children could be of help... he mused.
"Are you a wizard, or a sorceress or something like that?" he asked aloud.
"Uh, not really. I just know a lot."
"I see." Frodo wasn't sure if he believed her or not.
Another cry was heard and they shuddered. As the hoofbeats came closer and closer, Frodo threw a rock to distract them out of sheer desperation. Surprisingly, the Rider began to follow it.
"Man, Frodo. You should play baseball. You'd be in the little league, of course," said Alex with a smile.
"This is no time for baseball!" snapped Abigail.
"Yeah. Besides, I don't think you could carry a bat," said DJ, looking Frodo over.
"A bat? Do you mean the animal?" asked the hobbit.
"Not exactly," answered Alex.
"Then what do you mean? And what in the Shire is baseball?" asked a very flummoxed Frodo.
"Oh Frodo, Frodo, Frodo!" Alex shook his head and placed a hand on the hobbit's shoulder. "We need to talk later, I can tell."
"Now is not the time!" hissed Abigail, definitely unhappy.
"All right. What do you suggest we do?"
"Well, it seems that the Black Rider follow whatever makes noise, so if you both continue throwing the rocks towards him, we could distract him unitl we're safely outa here."
It was a rather unusual plan, but it worked. As both hobbit and boy kept throwing the rocks, the Rider followed the sound and they ran another few paces. They ducked behind trees, hid next to houses and reached a bridge leading over to the road to the nearby town Bywater.
But they were not out of Hobbiton yet. Another Rider was holding post by a mill that kept the river running. So far, they had managed to stay out of sight of the rider's view, but it was beginning to get very suspicious of the bush they were crouched behind. It was even beginning to sniff.
"Keep throwing the rocks away from us," Abigail whispered very quietly. "If you can just make the rider move away from here a little more, we could try to make a dash over the bridge. We may barely get out of here without being sensed."
"Is that the plan?" asked Frodo.
"Yeah."
"Kind of risky, don't you think?" DJ said.
"Do you know of a better way? If you do, then tell us, O wonderful pet, the Cat!" growled Alex. DJ made stuck her tongue out at him.
Frodo shook his head. "It is still hard to believe that your cat can speak," he whispered to Abigail.

[CrazyMonkey 4 Frodo]

:thumbs: This story is awesome so far...I can't wait for more :hyper:

[BelovedCaptain]

"Well, believe it, because you're gonna hear alot o'me on this journey thingy!" the cat snapped.
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we need to get out of here. Start throwing those rocks!"
This may seem to be an easy thing to do for you and me, but we need to understand that our four heroes had never wielded a sword, or were in a battle. Besides that, Black Riders were not just some demented guys dressed in black on big horses. There was a real aura of fear about them. They not onlyhad blood-chilling screams, but their swords were poisonous and they also possessed something called the Black Breath. It is rather hard to describe this breath. Its effects on the victim vary from filling the person with fear to ultimately killing the victim. All in all, the four of them were terrified.
After a few more rocks, they soon got the guts to sprint over the bridge that led to Bywater, a nearby town in the Shire. Luckily, the nearby Black Rider didn't sense them.
In Bywater, the four heard a hobbit's cry for help and the baying of a wolf.
Frodo noticed the attacked hobbit and cried out, "Robin!"
He chased after the wolf and beat it away with his walking stick.
"Thank you Frodo! I am in your debt!" exclaimed the hobbit, shaking Frodo's hand.
"I'm glad you're all right, Robin."
"Well, I need to get back on patrol. Take care now. I should go and warn the other Shirrifs about the sudden outbreak of wolves. We've not seen wolves here for a hundred years! An ill omen it is! Good night!"
The two kids approached Frodo after the hobbit went on his way.
"Was the Shirrif Robin all right?" asked Abigail.
"Yes. I think he'll be---how did you know he was a Shirrif?" Frodo asked, astounded.
"I pay attention. He clearly said that he needed to get back on patrol, and I know for a fact that the only law enforcers in the Shire are Shirrifs. It's very simple, once you go over facts."
"Oh.....Are you certain you're not a sorceress or an enchantress?" demanded the hobbit. Abigail shook her head hard, making her ponytail sway back and forth.
"I already told ya. I know alot, that's all."
"Well, what I want to know is, how do you know so much about me and my home?"
Abigail was about to speak, but Alex interrupted.
"What I wanna know is when are we gonna get moving? You never know what could be on the road behind us---or what coudl be in front of us, so let's get a move on!"

The four continued on a road that Frodo said led to a part of the Shire called Buckland. As they walked, they heard a series of howls and saw tons of wolves surrounding them. Only Frodo had a walking stick to defend himself and DJ, with her claws, said she could only take one or two at a time.
"RUN!" shouted Alex, and none of them had to be told twice. The wolves were hot on their trail...but all of a sudden, the wolves were gone. They would soon find out why.
They slowed down their run, and found themselves walking amongst the trees.
"The journey toward Buckland seems shorter than I had imagined it would be," Abigail said to herself. Then she took out her book. In the book, Frodo, along with his friends Sam, Merry and Pippin met Elves on their way to Buckland and meet a Farmer named Maggot in the daytime.
"Our coming to this story must have changed the story itself!" Abigail muttered. Apparently, Alex heard her and he stared at her with wide eyes. He halted his walk and grabbed her arm.
"We need to talk later," he said. Abigail nodded.
They kept going until Frodo stopped them short. He pointed to a dark figure on a horse a little way up the trail.
"There's another one!" the hobbit gasped.
"We gotta find a place to hide!" hissed Abigail.
But there was no place to hide, not even a log to crawl into.
"We need to distract him somehow!" said Alex. They all stared at DJ and smiled.
Getting the hint, the cat glared at them all, heaved a sigh and, with head and tail high, walked toward the dark figure.
"They always hafta send in the cat to do the dirty work. Ugh! Someday I'll--" but she said no more. The Black Rider was on the move again and was heading in the others' direction. With a hiss, the cat jumped onto the horse's back and dug her claws deep into the poor animal's backside. The horse whinned and leaped in pain.
"Now's our chance!" cried Abigail. "RUN!"
Those three ran like their lives depended on it. They dashed over a bridge and onto another trail.
The Black Rider grabbed the cat and tossed her into the trees. Then it began heading over the bridge in the three's pursuit.

Frodo was the first to hear the hooves coming. They all began to panic.
"What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?!" hissed Alex, wide-eyed.
Frodo and Abigail darted this way and that, trying to find a place to hide. Then, Frodo tapped her on the arm and pointed to a huge tree. Its gnarled roots were long and hollow, sticking out of the ground, and making a hole in the earth.
"We can hide in there!"
Hobbit and boy darted into the roots in a matter of minutes, but Abigail hesitated.
"Come on!" "What are you waiting for?"
She walked up to the roots and just looked down. "I can't hide in there. I'm too big."
"But--" The hoofbeats were closer now.
"Well, whatever you do, just hide!" hissed Alex.
Abigail found a large patch of long grass and lay perfectly still in it. The Rider did not notice her, but was dangerously close to the hiding place of the other two. She watched in horror as the Rider bent down, touching the roots, and began sniffing. She could see Alex and Frodo literally shaking from fear.
I hafta do something to distract him! she thought. But what?
That was when she spotted Frodo's bag of rocks a few feet away from her. Taking a deep breath, she began to slowly inch her way to the bag. The rider still didn't notice her. With a shaking hand, she took hold of the bag and threw it as high as she possibly could. They could hear it make a crashing sound as it landed in some brush. With a scream, the Rider flew to its horse and vanished into the night.
Breathing heavily, Abigail cautiously poked her head out of the grass. The two were still in the roots and were staring at her.
Is he gone? mouthed Alex.
"He's gone," she said aloud.
All three warily stood up and looked around. There was no sight of man or horse to be seen. Frodo gulped and said, "Well, we should keep moving before it gets darker."
They kept going at a run until they spotted a farmhouse.

[BelovedCaptain]

Chapter 3.
Introductions

The threesome sat down on the grass near a farmhouse panting from their run.They were only able to rest for a moment, for suddenly they heard more than one pair of feet approaching them. Frodo rose and ran ahead, leaving Abigail and Alex alone.
"Hey, Abby, where's DJ?" asked Alex, jumping to his feet.
"I--I don't know! She must be back there," cried Abigail, pointing back toward the road where DJ "fought" the Black Rider. The two kids looked at eachother helplessly. What could they do?
Suddenly, a sound was heard from above. Abigail and Alex gulped as they stared up into the trees. A body covered in leaves fell right smack onto Alex's head and he stared into the leafed face of DJ. Well, after screaming for a minute or two, the boy and cat were lying on the ground glaring at each other while Abigail stood there laughing her head off.
Frodo quickly ran back to the kids.
"Are you all right?" the hobbit asked with concern.
"Yeah, they're fine. We've found DJ," Abigail replied.
"Oh. Where did you go?" asked Frodo.
"Up in the trees. That freak threw me up there not even caring about my personal hygiene. My coat is ruined!" DJ wailed.
"Well, you'll have to deal with that. We have a long journey ahead of us," Abigail told her.
"Abby, do you really think we should do this? I mean, what if we get killed? This is real fighting, not like in the movies. We can go back. The bed is still in Hobbiton," pleaded Alex.
"Alllllleex, this is the chance of a lifetime. Only we can do this! This is the real Frodo, not some actor what's-his-name. Just think. You'll meet the real Aragorn! Omigosh, we're going to meet the real Gandalf!" Abigail cried with delight and hopped up and down. The others watched her questionably.
"What's the matter with her?" Frodo asked Alex.
"Nothing. One of her favorite characters is your buddy Gandalf, that's all."
"Oman, oman oman, Oh-MAN! I'm gonna get his John Hancock! I have to! He's gonna put it here!" And Abigail pointed at her forehead. Frodo and Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Besides Alex," she said, regaining her composure, "Frodo needs our help with It and all, and there are at least four Black Riders between here and where our bed is."
"Oh yeah. It? You mean....?" Alex's voice faded as she nodded. "Oh joy! It. It's the thing that started this mess," he said gloomily.
"It? Do you mean the Ring?" Frodo asked.
"Ssh," hissed Abigail. "The forests have ears!"
Alex looked at the trees and grinned. "Corn has ears, not trees!" he joked. DJ glanced at Frodo and rolled her eyes. The hobbits grinned.
"Alex, you really need to quit trying to make silly jokes," the cat muttered.
"All right," said Frodo, still grinning, "come with me. I want you all to meet some friends of mine." He guided them toward a farmhouse. Three hobbits stood by the house.
"These are my friends---"
"That's Merry, short for Meriadoc, son of Saradoc (he's a Brandybuck). That one over there is Pippin, short for Peregrin, son of Paladin (he's a Took). And the one next to Frodo is Sam, short for Samwise, son of Hamfast (and he's a Gamgee). Right?" Abigail said, pointing to each hobbit one by one.
All four hobbits stared blankly at her, while gaping. Alex and DJ merely smiled. That was their Abby!
"Uh--well--yes. That's--correct..." stammered an astounded Frodo.
"Who are these people?" Merry exclaimed.
"Where did you meet them, Mr. Frodo?" asked Sam.
"And what are they?" cried Pippin.
"We are the children of men, or of the Big Folk," explained Abigail.
"I see...Well, we will get to you two in a minute. But for right now, Frodo, we need to get going to your home at Crickhollow," said Merry. Just then, everyone froze at the sound of barking was heard, followed by,
"Grip, Fang, Wolf! Quit it! Come on, lads!"
"I'd say that would be Farmer Maggot," said Abigail.
"He has dogs!" shuddered DJ. "Three of them!"
A hobbit farmer opened the gate to his farm and looked out at the group.
"What's going on? Why are so many people chatting at this hour of the night, and by my house?"
"Good evening, Farmer Maggot," greeted Pippin.
"Peregrin Took, is it? Mr. Meriadoc as well! It's a good thing that I know you. I was about to set my dogs loose. I thought you were one of those strange folk coming again. Who do you have there?"
"This is Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins. The others are travelers that we found with Frodo. We have yet to learn their names," said Merry.
"We mean no harm, Farmer Maggot," assured Abigail, noticing the farmer's dark looks toward her and Alex.
"Well, seein' as how you seem to trust these people, Mr. Merry, I won't aske any further, but Frodo Baggins, you say? I remember you! You were one of the worst scoundrels around when you were younger! Baggins---wait a minute, that's the same name that outlandish person asked after. He came riding up on a black horse dressed all in black and asked for Baggins! 'They're all up in Hobbiton, sir,' says I. 'Baggins has left,' the man said. 'He is heading this way on foot.' And now Frodo Baggins shows up on my farm! Strange indeed. I can see that you're all travlelin' to somewheres. Where are you headed?"
"For Crickhollow. I have decided to live there," Frodo responded, with the utmost respect.
"Crickhollow, eh? That's where that rider was bound for. Something tells me there is going to be trouble before you get there safe and sound. You can ride in my wagon and I'll take you there myself."
"Thank you, sir. It's a pity that I've been in terror of you all these years. I've missed a good friend!"
Maggot smiled and readied his wagon right away.
"All of you sit in the back," suggested Merry. "And I'll ride up inthe front to guide Farmer Maggot to Crickhollow. If we see something out of the ordinary, just duck down." The hobbits and kids (not to mention the cat) did as he suggested.
"All set?" asked Maggot. "Let's go now."
The ride was quiet, and noone made a sound. Soon enough, they reached Buckland and they went to Brandy Hall after showing Frodo his new home.
As soon as they were all relaxing at Brandy Hall, Merry said:
"Now, I want answers!"
"Hear, hear!" cried the other two hobbits.
"All right, all right," laughed Frodo. "I ran into these three right before I was ready to set out on my way to Buckland. They seemed to know about me and where I was headed, so I brought them along with me."
"You think that was wise? Who knows what they are really after?" asked Merry.
"We're not after anything!" exclaimed Alex. "We just wanna help!"
"Well, they seemed friendly enough. I wasn't concerned at all after they told me who they were," shrugged Frodo. "There's something about them, a sort of air that put me at ease. And besides, they're only children!"

[BelovedCaptain]

"Yeah! Y'all are probably older than both of us!" said Alex. "We're just taller."
"Let me introduce all of us. I'm Abigail, or Abby for short. My brother, here, is called Alex, or Alexander. No one calls him that unless he gets in trouble. Last, but not least, I suppose," DJ glared at her, "is our wonderful pet, the cat. Her name is DJ. I'll tip you all on something: do not ask what DJ stands for. She hates her name."
"That's why she's usually called DJ," explained Alex.
"And don't worry, we're harmless. We're here to help, and besides, I've always wanted to meet hobbits! It's a pleasure!" grinned Abigail. She shook all of their hands.
"Pleased to meet you all," said each of the hobbits. It wasn't long until the three were just as used to the kids as Frodo was. The brother and sister were friendly, and it helped that Abigail, one of the Big Folk, seemed to think that hobbits were actually important, unlike other Big Folk.
"Frodo, we have something to tell you. Do you remember the time when you and Gandalf caught Sam 'spying'?" asked Merry, after they were all acquainted and friendly with the kids.
"Yes, but how---?"
"Well, the truth is," said Merry, trying not to laugh, "the truth is, we know you're not going to really live in Crickhollow."
"What!"
"Yes. You're heading to Rivendell. We know everything that Gandalf told you. We three formed a conspiracy, you see, and we decided that you would be assisted with two more companions on your journey besides Sam. And you can trust us to stick with you through thick and thin. Even though Pippin and I are horribly afraid, we're coming with you, or following after like hounds. Now that we have met your new friends, I suppose six companions are coming with you. Well, since our conspiracy is unmasked, we would like to know where you all came from, Abby, Alex and DJ, and to know more about you. You seem to know a good deal about us already."
"Uh yeah! She knows Frodo's birthday for crying out loud!" exclaimed Alex.
"Yes, yes. She does indeed! Tell them," suggested Frodo.
"Fine. Frodo's birthday is September twenty-second. So is Bilbo's. Yes, I know about old Bilbo Baggins. As for Pippin and Merry, I know that the two of you are cousins; Sam's dad is usually called the Gaffer; Frodo and Merry are cousins, and Pippin is Frodo's second cousin---twice removed. Good enough, or do you want more?" asked Abigail.
The hobbits insisted that no, they were now completely aware that Abigail knew much about them all. They wouldn't have been surprised just then, if she had told them how their homeland had even come to be.
"As for the three of us," continued Abigail, "we aren't from Middle Earth at all. We come from a different world. Please don't ask more. It's a looooong story. All I can say is, we went to bed last night, and woke up here." Noticing the hobbits' confused expressions, Abigail grinned and said, "Like I said, longstory."
Changing the subject, Frodo said, "I suppose we should get some sleep if we want to wake enough to get an early start tomorrow."
"You mean we can come with you?" cried Pippin.
"Of course."
The others clapped or cheered.
"Hooray. Jump about. Clap paws. Squeal with glee," said the cat with sarcasm. Seeing the cat talk made the three hobbits stare.
"Yes, I talk! Get used to it, because you're gonna hear alotta me!" growled DJ. "Now, if you all don't mind, I'd like to get a bit of shut-eye before we go."
"We'll go to sleep after supper," insisted Merry.
"And what about a bath?" asked Pippin. "I think we should have one last bath before we set out. After we're on our journey, baths probably won't be easy to come by."
"Good idea," said Frodo.
The kids said no, they didn't need a bath. And after all the hobbits were fresh and clean, they had supper. The kids only ate some bread, for the main supper was mushrooms. Merry was good enough to lay out two pallets for them to sleep on. When they thanked him, he merely smiled and said:
"Don't you mention it. Good night!"
The next day would be the start of the longest adventure the kids would ever have.

[CrazyMonkey 4 Frodo]

It's coming along very nicely, BC. It's getting so exciting.

[BelovedCaptain]

Thank you. :)

Chapter 4.
Enter the Old Forest

"Gooooood mornin', bro!" shouted Abigail, making Alex jump out of his pallet.
"AUGHHHH!" he screamed. "Man! Why d'you hafta do that?" Abigail smiled and shrugged. Now that he was wide awake, Alex went to find something to eat.
Suddenly, the kids heard three screams which were coming from Frodo, Sam, and Pippin's rooms. Out of Frodo's room came Merry and DJ. Merry was snickering and DJ wore a smug smile.
"What did you do?" the kids asked their cat sternly.
"It wasn't my idea, so don't blame me! Merry boy, here, woke me up and said, 'hey, DJ, you wanna have some fun?' Knowing how I am, you know I accepted. He carried me to Pippin's, Sam's, and Frodo's rooms one at a time, put me on each of their beds, and told me to wake them up by looking them in the eye with wide eyes and say, 'rise and shine, sweetie.' You should have seen their faces when they opened their eyes. It was hilarious!"
Then Sam and Pippin came out of their rooms with bright red faces, not very happy at how they were awakened. Following them was Frodo, angrily glaring at Merry.
"Merry, that was not funny!" he growled. His face was getting redder by the minute.
Someone started to snicker, and it was contagious. Everyone begant o double over with laughter and they were like that for a few minutes.
"All right," gasped Merry, flicking away a tear, "now that we all have stomach aches, we should get going."
His reminder quickly sobered everyone.
"First of all," said Frodo, "we need to find a safe route that will take us to Bree without any unwanted notice."
"Going through the Old Forest is a good way to head," suggeted Merry.
"That very well may be, but it isn't a safe way to head!" warned Abigail.
"Why do you say that?" asked Alex.
"Well, I know of the Old Forest. I haven't heard of all the old wives' tales, but I do know that there is an older and greater power that lurks in the eheart of the forest, not to mention the Barrow-Downs that come afterwards. It's like out of the frying pan and into the fire, for goodness' sake! As a person who is gifted with foresightedness," Abigail noticed Alex rolling his eyes, "I believe that we shouldn't go that way unless you all want to be either harmed by trees, or killed by a Barrow Wight."
"What you say maybe true. The Old Forest is a dark and mysterious place, and I daresay it is a dangerous place, but I'm sure it's not as dangerous as a Black Rider!" Frodo exclaimed. The others stared at his as he explained.
"I saw one thundering toward the East road path. I believe that it will very well remain there for a long time."
"Humph. Well, if you say so," Abigail said doubtfully.
Meanwhile, the hobbits began preparing for the journey. They handed the kids walking sticks and packs with their own rations of food and water bottles. They were also given ponies to ride. Since her pack was too small, Abigail hitched hers onto her pony along with the bedding she had received. DJ sat atop Abigail's pony.
"And we are off, to face all sorts of dangers and perils in which we may never return from. What people see in adventures, I'll never know!" the cat muttered.
"Oh be quiet, DJ!" scolded Abigail.
For the remainder of the day, they rode through Buckland, until they reached a large gate which led to the road toward the Old Forest.
They had left the Shire.
Merry, being the one who had been in the Old Forest before, was the leader. As they rode through the forest, he assured them that he know his way around the forest well enough, but Abigail was still worried. As their journey grew longer, everyone else soon became worried. When darkness fell, they set up camp for the night.
The next day was a long one. As they went deeper into the wood, the air grew stuffier and their spirits dampened. The next day was an uneventful as the others had been. On the fourth day, even Merry seemed a bit concerned. When nightfall came, they once again set up camp. They discussed where they were over supper.
"Okay, just exactly where are we?" demanded DJ.
"Near a place called the Withywindle Valley. We mustn't travel near to it, if we can help it," advised Merry.
"Why not?" asked Alex, curious.
"The Withywindle Valley is said to be the strangest part of the entire forest," said Abigail.
"Yes, indeed. It is the center from which all the strangeness comes from, as it were," added Merry.
"You can lead us through this tangle of trees, right?" DJ asked Merry.
"Uh, well I really thought I could, but it seems that these trees keep shifting. It's as if we are being led that way," he said helplessly.
"I knew this would happen," muttered Abigail.
"Merry thought he could lead us around the forest, but how can anyone get around if the forest won't even stand still?" said Sam gloomily.
"Some shortcut this is turning out to be!" exclaimed Alex.
"Well, at least we've been able to avoid that Black Rider," Merry said.
The next day, after traveling for a few hours, they noticed tath they were riding alongside a brown river. All around them were several willow trees and nearest to the river was an old, large, tall willow tree that bent over all of the travelers.
That was when they began feeling sleepy. Their legs felt like jelly and their eyes were heavy.
Merry and Pippin were the first to fall asleep. Then Alex fell down with a quiet thud. Frodo, knowing something was wrong, tried to stay awake, but fell down beside Alex. Sam scratched his head, confused, while DJ scratched at an itch.

[Nessa the Dancer]

I'm really enjoying this Beloved Captain.

I like how Abby knows things and what is going to happen, but can't do much about it. I also like the cat, it reminds me of the the one in the Song of the Lioness series

[BelovedCaptain]

Mess up! I need to change that last sentence in the above post of mine. It's not supposed to be Abigail scratched his head. It's supposed to be Sam scratched his head. :-/

[Nessa the Dancer]

Not to worry I've changed it :grin:

[BelovedCaptain]

Thanks! :rose:

"Sumthin ain't right here, cat," he said.
"It's DJ," she said, frowning.
"DJ, right. Like I said, sumthin isn't right here. All this tiredness is not just caused by hot air, mark my words. Well, I need to check up on the ponies. I'll be right back."
Sam rose from his sitting position and walked toward the ponies.
"All right, something's definitely wrong with this big, honkin' tree," the cat said to herself. She walked up to the largest willow tree there and stared up at it. "For one thing, trees do not sing, and especially not about sleep and---what?---Water? Don't you try to sing to me!" she shouted at the large willow tree, as an eerily sweet song grew louder in her ears. She watched in horror as the tree took Merry and Pippin and sucked them into its roots/
"Hey! Trees don't do that! Let 'em out!" yelled DJ. She hissed, yelled, howled, screeched and made every possible sound that a cat could make. All the tree did was make a small shudder which resembled laughter.
"Stupid tree," muttered the cat. She began to sharpen her claws on the tree's roots.
Sam returned and saw the cat trying to scratch up the tree. Then he noticed that Frodo and Alex were lying face-down in the river, near the tree's many roots. They began to sink slowly, going down, down, down. Like lightning, he dashed to the river's edge, grabbed their shirts, and pulled them up. They came up spluttering and gagging.
"Aw man! I'm soaked!" complained Alex.
"Sam, that tree threw us in, you know!" said Frodo angrily.
"Yeah! It was not cool!" Alex exclaimed.
"What are we gonna do about the tree?" questioned Sam.
"And where's Abby?" cried Alex.
"Yes, where is she?" Frodo jumped up.
As if on cue, Abigail's head popped out of the water. Gasping for breath, she stepped out of the water, onto the grass, and sat there, glaring at her brother.
"Alex, next time, watch where you're kicking!"
"Sorry!"
Frodo sighed. "Now what about Merry and Pippin?"
"Yes. How are we going to free these two?" asked Sam, looking at the pair of hairy, soled feet sticking out of the roots.
"Old Man Willow, you creep!" Abigail shouted at the tree.
"How 'bout a fire?" suggested DJ. Taking her advice, Frodo and Sam immediately began preparing a fire, building it near the willow tree's roots. As the fire began burning the wood, the two hobbits stuck in the tree began to scream.
"Put it out!" screeched Pippin.
"He's gonna squeeze us in two if you don't! He says so!" shouted Merry.
Sam began stomping out the fire and DJ continued scratching the roots. Frodo and Alex, in sheer desperation, ran ahead, crying,
"Help! Help!"
Then, as if from out of a dream, someone was heard singing a song. A small man with a blue hat and jacket, wearing yellow boots hopped up. Seeing the man, Frodo and Alex repeated their cry for help.
"Whoa!" cried the man, smiling. "Steady there, little fellows. Where you be going to, eh, puffing like a-bellows? What's the matter, then?"
"They're in that tree!" shouted Abigail. She pointed to the big willow.
"Ah, Old Man Willow, is it? I know a song that'll freeze his marrow cold!" And he began to sing.

"You let them out, Old Man Willow!
You should not be waking!
Eat earth, drink water, go to sleep.
Bombadil is talking!"

With a groan, the tree released Merry and Pippin. The strange, little man received many thank you's from everyone.
"Mr. Tom Bombadil, sir," exclaimed Abigail, "we appreciate your kindness."
"Ah, I see you've heard of Tom," he said, giving her a queer look. "Well, I haven't seen anything like this before. Children of Men traveling with the little folk. Strange indeed."
"It's a long story," said Alex.
"Yeah, believe me!" exclaimed DJ.
"Whoa!" hollered Tom Bombadil. "A talking cat as well! How would all of you like to come to Tom's house, eh? We shall have a great supper and all of our share of stories. Ready to follow Tom, then?"
Everyone agreed to staying at Tom Bombadil's house for the night. They followed their new friend until they came to his house situated deep in the wood. At his house, they had a good supper and everyone had a story to tell everyone else. They also met Tom's bride, Goldberry, daughter of the River Woman.
When the next day dawned bright and sunny, the travelers were ready to set out again. Before they departed, Tom gave them some advice.
"Keep to green grass as you go, friends. Don't go near the fields of stone, and don't go prying into the graves of old, dead Barrow Wights. A dangerous land, it is, the Barrow-Downs."
"Thank you for everything," they all answered.
As they walked on the road ahead, Goldberry came to bid farewell.
"Speed now, my guests. North with the wind in the left eye, and a blessing on your footsteps. Make haste while the sun still shines! Farewell, it was a merry meeting!"
With a farewell and goodbye from each of their lips, they turned their backs to her and walked onward, leaving the house of Tom Bombadil behind them, with the road ahead of them.

[Annawen]

This is neat, BC! :thumbs: It reminds me of Superbook. :p

[BelovedCaptain]

Thanks, Anna! veryhappy

Chapter 5.
The Barrow Downs

As the seven travelers continued on the road, the decided to take a different turn through a valley. They walked up a hill, and fog started to replace the sunlight. As it grew later, the fog grew thicker, until night came and nothing was visible but fog. They set up camp and huddled together near a fire, yet as they huddled there, they did not notice that their ponies had wandered off and had gone missing.
"The main road isn't far," stated Merry.
"Splendid. We'll be out of here in no time," said Frodo brightly. "If we keep up this pace, we'll be rid of the Barrow-Downs by sunset tomorrow."
"I wish we could leave right now!" exclaimed Abigail.
"What's the matter, Abigail?" asked Sam.
"I don't trust what's hiding in the fog on these Barrow-Downs," she shivered.
"This place is so cold," said Pippin.
"Do any of you believe in the stories about old, dead Barrow Wights?" asked Merry.
"Not until today," answered Sam, "but Tom said otherwise. Even he, himself. who is the Eldest (as he called himself) was cautious about this place."
"He is very wise. He was here before the Dark Lord. The Ring has no effect of him, he said so himself," said Abigail.
"These burial stones are so creepy!" cried Alex, looking around.
"Shh. Don't shout," whispered his sister.
"Do we really have to spend the night?" moaned DJ.
"Yes, I'm afraid we do," mumbled Frodo.
"If half the stories I've heard are true, we must keep a careful watch throughout the night," warned Merry.
"Why don't we all get some shut-eye?" advised Alex.

The next day dawned cloudy and gloomy. Alex opened his eyes and sat up. The wind was making a lonely sound, and the burial stones were all around him, cold and lonesome.
"What happened?" asked a voice. Alex jumped and looked down at DJ. She frowned at their surroundings.
"Where's Abigail and the hobbits?" Alex asked fearfully.
"Dunno. Did that whatchamacallit get them?" the cat guessed.
"A Barrow Wight? Oh no! What'll we do? We have to find them!" the boy cried. He jumped up, packed his things, grabbed DJ, and looked around.
"Speaking of missing, where're the ponies?" asked DJ.
"Terrific," groaned Alex. "I can't carry everyone's things. I guess I'll have to leave them behind. So, where should we start?"
The two decided that a nearby hill was as good as any place to start from. As Alex climbed it, his companion looked around.
"Thick fog," stated DJ. "I hope we're going the right way."
"All we gotta look for is a big cave thing. A Barrow Wight's lair will probably be in a big stony cave."
"How do you know?"
"Abby told me."
"Oh. Makes sense, I guess."
They wandered around rocky slopes and hills for a few hours. Every stone looked like all the othes they passed, and they began to feel depressed. There were a few skeletons here and there, which wasn't cheering. All in all, Alex began to feel lost. As he blindly traveled through the fog, it began to grow dark.
Alex had begun to climb up a hill that was bigger that any of the others he had climbed before. At the top of the hill, boy and cat could see tall stones that resembled giant teeth sticking out of the ground. These stones surrounded what seemed to look like a small cave.
"We've found it, DJ!" exclaimed Alex.
Suddenly, something hit him from behind, causing DJ to fall to the ground. Her head hit a stone and she knew no more.
"DJ!" shouted Alex. "Where are you?"
"Here," whispered a cold, dark voice that was definitely not DJ's. "I've been waiting for you."
Alex grew afraid. All he could get out was a shouted "No!" before a long, bony hand that smelled like dead, rotting people closed over his eyes. When Alex fainted, a tall, dark figure carried him into the cave. Its lair.

[BelovedCaptain]

DJ awoke with a splitting headache. Stupid kid! Why did he drop her?
"Just wait till we're outa here, boy! I'll---" but she stopped. No one was around. It was now completely dark.
"Uh, Alex? This isn't very funny!" she yelled. No one answered. That made her become scared. Something had happed to Alex, just like what had happened to the others.
I suppose I must find them, she thought, though I wish I knew where I was! Well, here I go, having to save those kids, again!
With the silence of a mouse, she crept on. As she continued walking, she saw a big cave loom in front of her and entered. This was not only a cave. It was a barrow, where the Barrow Wight dwelt. A Wight was an evil spirit that haunted the Downs. If anyone happened to come upon the lair of a Barrow Wight, they would fall under a spell and would never awake from it.
As she looked around, she heard a spell that the Wight was chanting.

"Cold be hand and heart and bone.
And cold be sleep under stone.
Never more to wake on stony bed.
Never, till the Sun fails and the moon is dead.
In the Black Land all stars shall die,
and still on gold, here let them lie,
till the Dark Lord lifts his hand
Over dead sea and withered land."

As she listened to the chanting, she saw the Wight. It was a great, dark creature that was bending over the hobbits and kids. The cat sneaked over to the prisoners and rubbed against Abigail's hand. It was cold. what had this creep done?! They all seemed stiff and cold like the stone all around them. Suddenly the dark creature loomed over Frodo and reached for something he had around his neck. DJ hissed at the thing and swiped at a hand. A greenish-colored light that had been glowing was shut off and she heard a low growl. As a big arm reached for her, DJ darted out of the way and leapt onto a ledge safely out of the Wight's reach.
"C'mon. Think!" she hissed, furiously trying to figure out what to do. That was when a tune awoke in her head. Back at Tom Bombadil's house, he had taught them a song.

"Ho, Tom Bombadil, Tom Bombadillo!
By water, wood and hill,
by the reed and willow,
by fire, sun and moon,
hearken now and hear us.
Come, Tom Bombadil,
for our need is near us!"

That was the song they were to sing if they were in danger. If Tom was near, he would answer to that song and would come to the rescue.
Maybe Tom is near, thought DJ. With hope in her heart, she sang that song as loud as she could. The floor then began to rumble, and Tom appeared out of nowhere!
"Well, my little one, Tom has answered your call!"
He sang a song to the Wight with a loud, rumbling voice, and the Wight fled its lair with a wail. Tom carried the prisoners out of the barrow one by one with DJ following. She watched in awe as Tom sang yet another song which awoke the kids and hobbits. They were all surprised to find themselves robed in white and wearing circlets, bracelets, rings and chains all made of gold.
"Yo, Alex! Dig the bling-blings!" giggled Abigail. DJ rolled her eyes (this would not be the last time she did that).
"Sweet!" he grinned. "But I'd rather have my own clothes instead, wouldn't you?"
"Oh yeah. I don't want to be in this dress---robe---thing. Besides, my extra hair ties are in my pants pocket," muttered Abigail, fussing with her long, unbound hair.
"Mom wouldn't be too happy finding two pairs of hoodies, pants and slippers missing," scolded DJ.
"Oh, she could care less," grumbled Alex.
"I wonder where Tom is," Merry spoke up.
At that moment, Tom was exiting the empty barrow. He carried bundles of jewels, gold, and clothes (not to mention slippers). He spread the treasures around, all except for a brooch that he was going to give to Goldberry. Then he walked over to the others.
"You all will want these things," he said as he handed out the clothes and slippers to each person. Abigail and DJ went into the empty barrow for Abby to change her clothes.
"Hey out there," called DJ, as soon as Abigail was finished changing clothes, "are you guys done and decent?"
"Yeah, we're done and decent," answered Alex.
Abigail and DJ walked out and found the others eating on the grass. Tom was nowhere to be seen. DJ plopped right down beside Alex.
"So," said the cat, as Abigail seated herself, "how did y'all get captured?"
"Well, when I woke up, it was still dark," said Abigail, "and I saw that Sam and Pippin were already in those robes. Then I saw the Wight and I can't remember anything else. I guess I must have fainted when he came near me." Abigail shuddered. Just thinking about that thing putting a robe on her made her skin crawl. The others couldn't remember anything either. All exept Alex. He began to tell his side.
"When DJ was knocked off of me, I heard a voice and I knew I was near the guy's lair. I wasn't able to move, or anything. The Wight touched me, and his hands smelt like---ugh! Like soemthing rotting. I wanted to hurl!" He grimacedc, and didn't say any more.
"What about you, DJ?" asked Sam.
"Oh yes! What about you?" the others asked, looking at her. DJ sat up and cleared her throat, as if preparing to preach a sermon.
"Well, the next day, when you all were captured, Alex and I woke up to find you already missing. The ponies were gone too. We walked around for hours and hours, until we reached this big cave. Then Alex was hit and I was knocked out. When I awoke, I saw that he was missing and with an innate sense of direction, I found that creepy freak's lair. With great cunning and extreme bravery, I was able to scare it off. Tom helped a little," she added. Alex and Abigail rolled their eyes and the hobbits smiled and nodded.
Suddenly, Tom appeared again, this time with their ponies.
"I have spread the Wight's treasures around for anyone to find. The Wight's spell is broken and no Wight shall ever come back to this barrow." He took out four daggers for the hobbits, a smaller sword for Alex (he wasn't a hobbit, after all, but still a little short for a fifth grader), and a sword for Abigail.
"See, DJ," said Alex, grinning. "We aren't so defenseless anymore, are we?" DJ only rolled her eyes again.
"Yes. These are blades for you who go walking into dark and danger."
Abigail was ecstatic. Staring at her new sword in wonder, she said,
"These blades were forged by the Kings of Númenor! They were forged in Westernesse, you know. The Sons of Númenor wander the world now, guarding simple folk like you hobbits from wicked people. These guardians are called Rangers, or the Dúnedain."
"You know much for a child," said Tom.
"It's teenager," she muttered. Tom smiled at her.
"Hm. The blades are perfectly clean, and untouched by time," said Frodo thoughtfully.
"I wonder if any of these swords could harm a Black Rider."
"Tonight," said their rescuer, "you should all sleep at the inn called The Prancing Pony. It's in the village of Bree. I have saddled and bridled your ponies for you. No, no thanks are needed, little friends. I will lead you to the borders of my land."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" exclaimed Alex.
Tom Bombadil led them to the edge of the Barrow Downs and a little farther until they were at an open road. Refusing to go further, he told them to continue riding strait along the road until they came to a gate. With a final farewell, they all watched as Tom bounded back into the woods until he was out of sight. As they continued on alone, they all feared the same thing: would they meet something---or someone dangerous along the way where there would be no help? The kids prayed that they would find the entrance to Bree soon.
As they rode on, Frodo turned to his friends and whispered this:
"Gandalf told me not to use the name Baggins when we arrive at the village of Bree. So, remember all of you, my name is Mr. Underhill. We mustn't utter the name of Baggins until we are on our own again." Everyone else promised they would remember Frodo's alias.
To everybody's relief, they soon arrived at the large man-made gate of the village.

[Wyvern]

Wow! I really enjoyed this! It's got a feeling that's a cross between Tolkien and old-fashioned fairy tales, a really wonderful blend! I hope you plan to post more! :D

[BelovedCaptain]

Thank you Wyvern. It means alot to me. :cuddles:

Chapter 6.
Bree

Frodo was the one who knocked on the gate. A man answered through a hobbit-height window built into the gate, staring at them through dark, wary eyes. This man was the gatekeeper.
"Yes?"
"We're heading for the Prancing Pony," said Frodo. The gatekeeper opened the gate to see four hobbits with a boy and a girl.
"Hobbits!" he exclaimed. "Four hobbits, and from the Shire by their talk, traveling with two children as well! Odd--what business brings you all to Bree?"
"We are just passing through and want to stay at the inn," answered Abigail stiffly, annoyed at the man's nosy questions.
"Our other business is for us to know, and for you to never find out," added Alex, somewhat rudely. Abigail gave him a look which read, "cut it out!"
"All right! All right! I meant no offense. It is just strange that hobbits from the Shire should be traveling with children. I have to be cautious after nightfall, you know."
"We understand that there has been strange folk abroad lately. Hey, you can't be too careful, can you?" said Abigal, pushing the others forward into the village.
The night was a dismal one. It was pouring rain by now, and they were all practically soaked to the skin. DJ, though, had snuggled herself into Alex's pack and wasnt' coming out until they were in a dry building. She did not want to get wet.
As they walked along the muddy roads of the village, Frodo soon spotted a building with a large sign depicting a white prancing pony. They had found the Prancing Pony Inn.
They entered the inn and arrived at the front desk where the innkeeper accepted guests.
"Er, excuse me," Frodo stammered as a big man bent over the desk. He was drying some sort of mug and greeted them with a smile.
"Good ev'nin' to you! What can I do for you, little master?" he said, staring at them with curiosity.
"A room for...uh.." he glanced at Abigail.
"A room for four, with two pallets for bedding please," answered Abigail.
"I've never seen anathin' like it, to be sure! Four hobbits with two children! There's an interesting story behind you all, I'm guessin'! Like, how did you children wind up with hobbits in the first place? And you hobbits, you're from the Shire by the sound o'ya....Shire...what does that remind me of? What's your name, lad?" he asked Frodo.
"Mr. Underhill."
"Well, Barliman Butterbur welcomes ye, Underhill. What was I gonna say? Ah yes, there's a nice, cosy room for four hobbits down the hall. The room comes with your own dining area as well. Here's your key, then. I'll send in ole Nob to put the pallets down for you children. Remember, if you need anything, just ring the bell in the dining room. If you want t'go chat with the other guests, they're all in the great room, at the bar, in there," Barliman Butterbur then pointed to a hallway which led to a room where the six could hear laughter and talking.
When they decided to eat in their own dining room, a serving hobbit named Nob brought in food, and returned with pallets for Abby and Alex to sleep on. The dining table was small, as were the chairs, so Abigail had to kneel as they ate what the kids called "their kind of food": chicken, soup, and bread with tea. No mushrooms.
Nob returned again to see how everything was. After they told him all the food was quite delicious, Nob told them that a stable hobbit named Bob had put their ponies in the stables, fed and watered them. Then he departed with the dirty dishes.
DJ was sitting on a windowsill looking outside, when she said,
"Hey, the rain's stopped."
"Just in time!" exclaimed Merry. "I had wanted to take a walk. I need a sniff of fresh air from all of your smoking!" he told his hobbit friends, who had taken their pipes out and had begun to smoke.
"Wait up. I'll go with you," jumped up Alex. The others delined their invitation to come along. After Merry and Alex left, the other five decided to visit the bar where all the guests sat together.
In this room were all sorts of people. There were hobbits, men, and even a few Dwarves.
Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Abigail found a table and took their seats. The hobbits had got some ale and DJ had begun to stroll around the room. She kept her talking abilities to herself, so she wouldn't cause a scene.
At the moment, Pippin had gone to get another drink (though he'd probably had enough already). The other three kept their seats at their table, feeling a bit glum.
"Where's Gandalf, anyway?" asked Sam. "Didn't he say he'd meet us here?"
"I don't know, but he'll be here. He'll come," said Frodo, trying to convince even himself.
Abigail sighed and looked around. She caught the eye of a man who was watching them. He was broadly built and had dark, stringy hair. He made her very uneasy, as did a smaller, dark-skinned man who sat next to him.
"Many of these men here have been watching us," said Frodo, noticing Abigail staring at the two dangerous-looking men.
"Aye, and I don't like it," Sam joined in.
"We just have to act as natural as possible," advised Abigail.
"Yes, as natural as we can be, what with a talking cat and Frodo's--trinket," Sam said wryly.
The man Abigail had noticed before continued watching them.
I bet he's Bill Ferny, thought Abigal. She looked away and tried to concentrate on other people, and found herself looking at another man. This man wore a cloak with a hood, and was also smoking a pipe. He was sitting by himself in a corner, near a small table that had a plate of food with a candle on it. The man was studying everything around the room, but Abigail caught his eyes watching their party intensely. He especially watched Frodo.
Hmm...
Suddenly, the three overheard Pippin talking to some men about a party with fireworks. Abigail glanced at Frodo and Sam and knew that they were listening as well.
Frodo rose from his seat as Pippin began to say,
"So Bilbo begins a long speech to al lthe 144 hobbits at the party. Everyone's so wrapped up with his words, that they don't see his hand go into his pocket..."
Frodo began to quickly walk toward Pippin. Abigail happened to glance ath the man in the corner and he seemed as tense as a bowstring.
If someone doesn't do something quick, she thought, Pippin's gonna blab to the whole room about the Ring!
Then Frodo jumped onto a table and it became quiet. He started to turn red as he said, "People of Bree, thank you for your wonderful, er, welcome!"
Thinking he had a little too much, ale, everyone shouted at Frodo to sing a song. Knowing this was a plan for disaster, Abigail darted over to the table, and stood right behind Frodo.

[Annawen]

Oh, boy!....

You come up with the most wonderful places to stop! :p

[BelovedCaptain]

:blush: veryhappy

"Creepy night, eh?" asked Alex.
"Oh, I don't think so. Besides, we're right next to the inn. What could happen?" asked Merry.
"I dunno."
They both wandered around, not straying too far from the inn. Alex was nonchalantly studying the houses, when he heard a footstep from the shadows. He knew it wasn't Merry, for the step was heavier than a hobbit's step and hobbits don't wear boots. This shadowy person was. Suddenly afraid, Alex ran back to where Merry stood. That was when he spotted two black figures appear out of the shadows drawing near him and Merry. Alex then knew what the black figures were.
"M-m-m-me-me-mer-mer-rr-y-y..." He stammered.
"What?"
"B-b-b-l-l-a-a-ck..."
"Black? What?" Merry frowned.
"R-r-i-i-d-d---"
"Alex, I can't understand a word you're saying," interrupted Merry.
"L-l-l-LOOK OUT!"
Merry watched as Alex fell down, unconscious from fear. Then he, too, heard to footsteps. They were coming near him and Merry began shaking.
"Wh-who's there? Hello?"
The last thing he saw were two Black Riders above him before he, too, fell down unconscious.

Meanwhile, Frodo was still on top of a table, being ordered to sing a song.
"All right, a song you shall have!" he decided. He sang a song about an inn under a hill that had a dog that couldn't stop laughing, a jumping cow, a dish with a spoon, and a cat that played hey-diddy-diddle on a fiddle. After the line, "with a ping and a pong, the fiddle strings broke and the cow jumped ove the moon!" the hobbit leaped like the song's cow and toppled off the tabke and into Abigail's arms. Yet all did not go well. When Frodo toppled, he could feel cold steel slipping onto one of his fingers, and Abigail found herself holding an invisible hobbit!
Oh great! she thought as everyone surrounded them.
"What did he do?" "Is this some kinda trick?" "How'd he do that?" "Must be sorcery! The girl and hobbit are sorcerers!" "Nah. A conjuror's trick s'all." "C'mon girl, make the hobbit appear again."
As Abigail was surrounded by men, hobbits and Dwarves, someone tugged on her arm, and she saw Sam and Pippin motioning to her to get Frodo out of there. Frodo took the Ring off and the five of them (including DJ) quickly retreated to their room.
When they reached their room and locked the door behind them, they noticed a man sitting in the corner by the fire. Abigail realized that it was he who was cloaked and hooded, sitting in the bar's corner before.
"Hallo! Who are you?" cried Pippin.
"I am called Strider. Mr. Underhill, what you did out there was far worse than anything this young hobbit could have said!"
"It was only an accident!" defended Sam.
"Yet he still drew far too much attention to himself. You have definitely put your foot into it this time, to be sure."
"What is it that you want?" asked Frodo.
"A little more caution from you!"
"Is that all?"
"No. I ask permission to travel with you and help you through your journey."
"I would not agree to any such thing until I knew more about you!" said Frodo suspiciously.
Strider smiled. "Well, at least you seem to be coming to your senses again after that accident. The reason I wish to come along with you is this: I was told to search for a hobbit named Frodo Baggins, and that he had a certain...trinket that was of the greatest importance. This Baggins, I was told, would be traveling toward Rivendell with a few friends." As he said that, he eyed Abigail with curiosity. "So, will you have me?"
"What I'd like to know is this, who told you about a Frodo Baggins and his business?" demanded Frodo.
"My friend Gandalf the Grey."
"You know Gandalf? Have you seen him? Where is he?" cried Pippin.
Sam was still very suspicious of this tall, dark man. "Say no, Frodo. How do we know he's a friend of Gandalf? Isn't that Wizard well-known? This man may just be making this story up to comfort us. How do we know that he's not a spy working for them?"
Then they heard a knock on the door, and Strider hid behind it as Abigail opened it. In came Butterbur, the innkeeper, looking a bit worried.
"Beggin' your pardon, I need a word. I remembered what I had forgotten back at the desk when you all came up. I knew that hobbits from the Shire meant something, but I've been so busy lately, I couldn't remember. I have a letter for a Shire hobbit named Baggins, but called Underhill," he said, staring at Frodo.
"Who gave you the letter?" Frodo asked, a little paler than before.
"Gandalf the Wizard. I was supposed to mail this to you in the Shire, but I guess I forgot. I fear he'll turn me into a block of wood, or something worse! I've just been so overworked these days. Strange folk were seen earlier this week. Riders all in black were haunting the roads yesterday, not to mention that Ranger Strider, always coming and going," he said darkly. You can imagine his surprise when Strider himself appeared from behind the door.
"These 'strange folk all in black' as you call them, come from Mordor. I suggest that you and your folk be on your guard throughout the night."
"Masters, is this man bothering you? My men can show him out, if he is," said the innkeeper, glaring at Strider.
"Oh no. He isn't harming anything. We let him in," said Abigail.
"Humph. I wouldn't trust a Ranger from the North, if I were you. You'd be much better on your own."
Abigail frowned. "Rangers are better men than you have heard. They come from a long-lost country that is only mentioned in stories now. Besides, if we were to set out on our own, those Black Men would find us in a day or two, and we can't stay here forever!"
"Only trying to help, miss. I'll tell you what I'll do. Me and my men will keep watch through the night. We'll tell everyone to retire early and lock their doors," offered the innkeeper.
"That will not stop these riders. They are more powerful than you think," said Strider grimly. Butterbur only frowned, and bid the others good night. Then he left.
"You're not trusted much around here, are you?" said Abigail to Strider, smiling.
Frodo read the letter from Gandalf. It ordered Frodo to leave before his birthday. Gandalf had written to head for Bree without him, and that he would meet them, or follow them if he was late. The letter also said that Gandalf's friend, Strider, would be at Bree, and that they could trust him. But to make sure it was the real Strider, his real name would have to be---
"Aragorn! I knew it! You are Aragorn, son of Arathorn, aren't you?" cried Abigail.
"Yes," said Strider, somewhat surprised. "I was hoping that I could persuade you myself, but I suppose my looks are against me."
"I wanted to believe you," admitted Frodo. "The Enemy's spies look fair, but feel foul. But you feel fair..."
"But look foul, is that is?" Aragorn smiled. Frodo sheepishly smiled back.
Suddenly Sam cried, "Where's Merry and Alex? They haven't come back from their walk yet!"
"Are these friends of yours?" asked Aragorn.
"Yes," answered Frodo. "Merry is my kinsman, and Alex is Abigail's brother," he pointed to the only girl in the group.
"DJ'll find 'em, won't you, DJ?" said Abigail, smiling at the cat, who had been quiet up till now.
"Ugh! Why me? Why is it always the cat?" she whined. Abigail glared at her.
Aragorn stared at Abigail. "Your cat can talk?"
"The name's DJ! Don't ask what it stands for, bucko! Fine! I'll go and find those two bozos," and she walked out of the room, tail and head high.

Our cat searched all over the inn grounds. Through the stables, in bushes, under rocks. Soon she found them a little wy away from the inn's back door. She immediately fetched Aragorn to carry them inside.
"I found them on the street," she explained. Merry and Alex soon awoke and ran up to Frodo.
"We've seen them! They're in the village! There were two of them hissing at eachother. We couldn't get away, and we seemed to be drawn towards them."
"Well, you all do need looking after, just as I thought," said Aragorn.
"Who's this?" asked Alex, just noticing the new face.
"You may call me Strider. So, the Black Riders are here, are they?"
"Yes," said Merry. "At least two of them, but there may be more."
Pippin began to yawn. "What a day this has been! I tell you, I can barely keep my eyes open!"
"All of you should sleep now, but take your things to my room. It will be safer tht way. Tomorrow we leave for Rivendell, but not by the main road," said Strider.
"Another shortcut?" guessed Alex. "Humph. The last time we tried a shortcut, we were almost eaten by a tree and almost killed by a Barrow Wight!"
"But you didn't have Strider then, and his shortcuts don't go wrong," assured Strider. "You are no longer safe here in Bree. They are coming."
"Strider's right!" exclaimed Abigail. "They're probably on their way now! Just picture it when they come. It is in the dead of night---"
"Please don't use the word dead, all right?" interrupted DJ.
"Sorry. It's late at night, and eerily quiet. You are all sleeping in your beds. It is quiet and peaceful....Or so it would seem. Quiet, yes. Peaceful, no. Suddenly, the gate is knocked down with great force! The riders storm through the village, glide swiftly into the inn, and enter this room. Softly, they approach your bedswith their swords out. It's menacingly quiet when the five of them aim at your beds, and wham! They tear the beds apart! But, if we do as Strider says, we'll be safe and sound in his room and these beds in here will be stuffed with mummies, or whatever Strider will use. Right?"
Strider nodded, and the hobbits decided then and there to trust him. Abigail's story had terrified them all, and they were willing to do anything Strider said.

[BelovedCaptain]

The Riders did come, late at night. The only one awake at the hour was Strider, who was tirelessly keeping watch.
Abigail could see him in the candlelight before she drifted off to sleep. He sat there, watching out a window, yet facing the door with his broken sword in his lap. He alone saw the Riders enter the inn. There was silence, until the kids and hobbits awoke to the Riders' terrible shrill cries.
"Oh, I hope the door is locked," hissed Alex. He caught Strider's eye, and the man nodded in an answer.
Strider had tricked the Black Riders. They had entered the wrong room.
The next morning, Strider showed them their intended bedroom. The windows were hanging from their latches, beds were tossed across the room, and pillows and blankets were shredded to pieces. Later that day, they were informed that the stables had been ransacked and everyone's horses and ponies were gone. That would hold them back another hour until they could buy a used pony for carrying their luggage. Luckily, they were able to buy one, although he was thin, starved and beaten. The pony was entrusted to Sam's care and he named the poor Bill.
Within the next hour, Strider led them out of Bree and into the Wild.

[Wyvern]

This is turning into quite the adventure story! I'm really enjoying tagging along! :)

[BelovedCaptain]

Aw, thank you! :cuddles:


Chapter 7.
The Black Riders Attack

As Strider led them through the unchartered hills, plains and woods called the Wild, they came upon a part of the lands called the Midgewater Marshes.
"Okay, open up, Alex, into your pack I go!" annouced DJ. She leapt into his pack as they began wading through the boggy waters. Alex stopped short.
"Uh oh. Abby, what do we do about..." he muttered, pointing at their slippers. The marshy water was a danger to the slippers. If they went sloshing through the water with them on their feet, the slippers could get real dirty or could float away.
"Well, we could wade along with them on and risk losing them, or...we could go barefoot through the marshlands..." answered Abigail.
"Our slippers cost Mom alot of money..."
"But our slippers are already dirty..."
"But if we lose them..."
"If our feet get too cold..."
They stood there at the edge of the bank of the marshes and thought about it. But Strider soon called to them to keep up. They sighed, took their slippers off and put them with the rest of the luggage. They caught up with the others and waded through the chilling water barefoot.
"Alex, Abigail, why are you both barefoot?" questioned Strider.
"You don't expect us to get our $10.00 slippers dirty, do you?"
"But your feet will freeze!"
"We'll sweat it out."
When they camped for the night, their feet were freezing, but not frostbitten. The others kindly gave them extra blankets to warm their feet and they sat very close to the fire.
"It's kinda like Washington's men at Valley Forge," said Abigail brightly.
"Oh, that's comforting," muttered Alex, not comforted at all.
They continued through the marshes pretty much the same way, even though the days were cold and the nights were worse. Strider told the kids that it was surprising that their feet weren't frozen, since the water made the cold even worse. Although the kids seemed to suffer the most, the others were chilled by the freezing weather as well. What was even worse, the marshes had tons of bugs everywhere called midges. Most of the time, when they weren't trying to warm themselves, they were swatting at the swarms of the annoying biting bugs. All this time, DJ never came out of the pack and Alex had to give her food by dropping it into her warm abode.
One night they were camping on a small patch of land in the middle of the marshes, and the bugs weren't biting as much. As they were all warming themselves, Strider, who had gone hunting, returned with venison.
"So, may I ask why two children and a cat are traveling with four hobbits?" he asked, while he cooked his kill.
"It's a long story, sir," Abigail replied, while warming her feet.
"I met them the night before I left the Shire. They've been a great help to us. Abby, here, knows all about the Ring and the Dark Lord," explained Frodo.
"She also knows a lot about you!" exclaimed Alex, looking at Strider. He was also warming his feet.
"Really? Well, Miss Abigail, what do you know about me?"
"Only that your father's name is Arathorn and your mother's name is Gilraen. You were brought up in Rivendell under another name and your mother died when you were young. In Rivendell, you met the love of your life. She is Lord Elrond's daughter and is of the line of Lúthien Tinúviel. It just so happends that you are of the line of Beren. How's that?"

[Wyvern]

Most welcome and thank you for sharing this! :) I think this is going to be the best part yet! Maybe because the title promises it'll be most exciting! :D

Looking forward to more!

[BelovedCaptain]

Thank you!


Strider smiled at her and quietly chuckled.
"It seems you know most of my history."
I also know your lineage. Don't worry, though. I won't say any more than what I have said now," she replied.
The next morning was as cloudy as the previous ones had been. In the evening, Frodo spied a light and told Strider.
"What is that light?" he cried.
"I can't be certain, but it seems to be coming from Weathertop Hill," answered Strider.
"I bet it's Gandalf," stated Abigail.
"Weathertop? What's that?" asked Pippin.
"It was an old fortress where men used to hold watch in case of enemies. Another name for it is Amon Sül," informed Abigail.
"That is our destination," said Strider.
"Goooood morning, world!" shouted DJ, popping out of the pack. "Hey, we're out of those marshes! Now I can ride on that pony!" she leaped onto Bill gracefully. The pony didn't seem to mind at all.
When they reached Weathertop Hill, night had fallen upon them. Strider made a big fire and they huddled around it, all a bit nervous. It was really quiet, as if everyone was afraid to break the stillness. To calm the anxious hobbits and kids, Strider began to tell them a story of an Elf maiden named Lúthien Tinúviel, who had fallen in love with a mortal man named Beren.
Abigail was still anxious and her eyes kept darting sideways and behind her. She wished that the night would end and for morning to come. Suddenly Strider's tale was finished and everyone was quiet again. The hobbits and kids surrounded closer to the fire, as if afraid that the darkness would smother them. The fear grew greater and the shadows deepened. The only one oblivious to the menacing stillness was DJ, who was sound asleep on Bill, her quiet snoring was the only sound that broke the silence.
"What's that?" exclaimed Alex.
"What! What did you see?" cried Strider, jumping to his feet.
"I thought I saw something in the shadows. It was dark and moving," shivered Alex. Abigail slowly rose to her feet and Strider gave her a torch. Then he handed the others their own.
"Stand close to the fire and make a circle," he ordered in whispers.
"What's with the torches?" whispered Alex to his sister.
"Black Riders hate two things: fire and water. These may keep them away," Abigail answered.
"Oh."
The only ones that weren't uncontrollably shaking from fear were Strider and DJ, and the cat was asleep. For the first time, Abigail began to question their coming on this adventure. But there was no turning back now!

They appeared out of the shadows with gleaming swords clutched in their gloved hands. Everyone watched them approach, all tense like a bowstring. Abigail's eyes, though, were not focused on the Riders. Instead, they were glued on Frodo, since he had the Ring. Just as she feared, he began to take the Ring out of his pocket as the Riders came nearer.
As Frodo was about to slip the Ring onto his finger, Abigail desperately threw her torch at the Rider nearest to the hobbit and swiped the Ring from his hand. This action was so quick, that neither Frodo, nor anyone else realized what had just happened. Abigail wasn't quite sure either. All she knew was that she had the Ring and was running for her life. With a screech, the Riders were after her, leaving the camp. Abigail kept running hard.
She stopped and rested against a tree, trying not to move, let alone breathe. As her breathing slowed down to its normal rate, she began to hear footsteps coming near her. She clenched her hand that held the Ring and drew her sword helplessly.
The footsteps came nearer and Strider's head peered down at her from behind the tree. Abigail heaved a sigh of relief and he guided her back to the camp where the hobbits and Alex were again huddled by the fire, waiting anxiously for their return.
"The Ring! Strider, the Ring is gone!" cried Frodo.
"No, it's not. I'm afraid I grabbed it from your hand when the Riders attacked," confessed Abigail.
"Oh....Why did you take it?" he demanded angrily.
"So you, little hobbit, wouldn't find yourself in a mess!" she snapped back.
"Oh, well, sorry.... I didn't mean to get angry. Thank you for helping," apologized Frodo. A smile began to spread on his face.
Abigail also began to cool down. She handed the Ring back to Frodo and gave him a smile. "And I'm sorry for snatching it like that. I'm just trying to help you, and I'm also sorry for getting angry. It's just, I know what can happen. You--"
But she wasn't able to finish what she was going to say. The Riders were heard screaming and they ambushed the campsite. This time, they were fierce. Their mere presence filled the hobbits and Alex with fear and they fell to the ground. Strider tried to ward them off, but he had to defend himself against four Riders as the leader walked toward Frodo. Abigail tried to defend him, but she was thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious. As the Rider came nearer and nearer to him, Frodo once again took out the Ring and this time, he put it on.
With the Ring on his finger, Frodo saw the Riders for what they really were: white, ghostly creatures that lived in a shadowy world. The biggest one of them drew out a knife and aimed for his heart. When he lifted the knife to strike, Frodo ducked and stabbed the Rider in the foot with the words Elbereth, Gilthoniel!
The Rider shrieked at him and stabbed him in the shoulder.
Strider was beginning to defeat the other four riders and set the leader on fire with his torch. The fight continued for a few more minutes, but while he had the torch, the Riders didn't want to face Strider any longer. They had wounded the hobbit and soon he would be lost anyway. After they had fled, the man knelt beside Frodo and inspected the wound. Frodo's left arm was cold and he couldn't move it. A gaping puncture wound was at his shoulder, bleeding.
When Abigail awoke, she saw the others surrounding a weak Frodo.
"Aw man!" she exclaimed unhappily. "He was still wounded!"
Strider said that the hobbit had been stabbed by a Morgul knife, which was poisonous. If Frodo did not receive medical attention soon, they would lose him. In an attempt to slow the poison's flow to the heart, Strider took some herbs called athelas, or kingsfoil to help tend to the wound. It did help, but could not fully heal. Only Elrond, the ruler of Rivendell could fully heal Frodo.
They were immediately on the move, for they were still a good six day's worth away from Rivendell. As they walked, they could hear the echoes of the Riders' cries not very far away. Frodo had insisted on walking, dizzy though he was, but he had begun to slow them down, so Strider decided to place him on the pony. Alex gently took DJ off of Bill (who had slept through the entire event), and Frodo was put in her place. They tirelessly hurried on, trying to get to Rivendell before it was too late.

[Elfdaughter]

I love it, BC!! More, more!

[BelovedCaptain]

Thank you so much! veryhappy


Chapter 8.
"Noro Lim, Asfaloth!"

"Is he going to die?" cried Pippin, as they were resting in a place called the Troll Shaws. This was the fourth day they had been traveling and Frodo had gotten steadily worse, though he tried not to show it, and never complained.
"Frodo's passing into the Shadow world," answered Strider.
"Yes, a piece of the Morgul knife that the rider stabbed Frodo with has entered his body and it's working its way to his heart. If we do not get to Rivendell in time, the pieces will reach his heart and he will become a wraith like them,[I]" informed Abigail.
"Ohhhhh noooo! Buddy boy, here, has the Ring!" groaned Alex.
"You've [I]just realized that?" exclaimed DJ. "Dude, you are so slow!"
Alex glared at her. Then they heard the cries again.
"They're closer," hissed Merry, wide-eyed.
"We need to get to Rivendell now!" urged Abigail. She was in such a desperate state that Strider agreed with her to move on. After a half-hour of traveling, they halted abrutptly as they heard a rider approaching.
"Oh no! They're coming again!" cried Sam, gripping the pony's reins tight.
"No wait, this is a different rider. Don't you hear the sound of bells?" whispered Frodo weakly.
After Strider made sure they were hidden, he took Abigail with him to see who the rider was. They watched as a white horse rode up with and Elf riding him. With a cry of delight, Strider ran up to the rider. The Elf, in turn, leapt off his horse and they both greeted each other warmly. Abigail called to the others to come out of hiding and in turn ran up to the first Elf she had ever met.
"Ai, na vedui, Dúnadan! Mae govannen, mellon!" greeted the Elf.
"Uh, in English, please!" growled DJ.
"He said, 'O, it is at last Dúnadan. Well met, friend!' Uh, at least I think that's what he said," shrugged Abigail.
"That is what I said," assured the Elf. "And I confess, I did not know a young woman could understand our language. I have never seen a girl wear clothes as you wear now." He studied Abigail keenly with interest.
"Oh well, I'm not from around here, sir. This is my brother, Alex, and on the pony is our cat DJ."
"Yo!" the cat waved a paw. The Elf raised his eyebrow, showing some surprise. A talking cat?!
"There seems to be a strange tale woven around these two children. Where in the world did that cat learn how to speak?"
"We're not from here, sir--"
"You're gonna get used to the cat, bub!" snapped DJ, quite rudely.
The Elf ignored her. "My name is Glorfindel. I was told to look for you."
"By Gandalf?" asked Frodo hopefully.
"No. Lord Elrond had word of you from some Elves traveling near the Shire. One of your companioins is wounded, I see."
Frodo, feeling suddenly dizzy, began toppling off the pony. He fell into Glorfindel's arms and the Elf suspected the wound and looked grim.
"He is fading quickly. We must get to Rivendell and soon. I have been searching for you for two days. There are five Riders following you. I do not know where the other four may be. I left a brooch on the road for you to find, did you not pick it up?"
"Yes, I did. I was looking ahead when I spotted it. I seemed to have forgotten about it until now," answered Strider.
"Let us make haste. This Halfling has to make it to Lord Elrond's house before he is far out of our aid."
Glorfindel and the others started traveling again. Frodo was put on the Elf's horse, Asfaloth. The hobbits soon began to tire, and even Alex, who was in shape for baseball games, felt his feet beginning to ache. Yet they had to prod on, for Frodo's sake.
The next day, Strider claimed that he was able to spot the Ford of Bruinen, also called the Ford of Rivendell. All they had to do was make it over the ford and onto the road to Rivendell, and Frodo could be saved.
Abigail was restless. She know what was to happen, and wanted them to hurry. That was when Glorfindel suddenly uttered a shout and darted over to his horse. He first made sure that Frodo was safely secure on Asfaloth, then said:
"Someone must ride with him! I dare not think of the hobbit riding alone!"
"You all stay together. Glorfindel, I will take him," offered Strider.
"No!" shouted Abigail. "I'll take him!" What am I saying?!
"You!" exclaimed all except Glorfindel. He merely smiled and said,
"What's your name, young one?"
"Abigail."
"Abigail, can you ride a horse?"
"You bet!"
"Good," silenced Strider. He lifted her up onto the horse. "Hold the reins with one hand, support Frodo with the other, and do not let go!"
"Wait! I can handle this myself! I don't want her risking her life for my sake!" pleaded Frodo in a fading voice.
"I'll be all right, Frodo. We're in this together!" assured Abigail, ruffling his hair.
"You do not need to worry about Asfaloth. His pace is smooth, and he'll let no rider fall from his back," assured Glorfindel. Then he cried,
"Go now! Fly, the enemy is upon us! Fly to the Ford!" he sprang away from the horse.
Abigail and Frodo both looked back and saw the Riders speeding toward them. Abigail's mind went blank for a minute, until three words screamed at her from her mind.
"Noro lim, Asfaloth!" she yelled. The horse obeyed. The others watched as the horse, bearing girl and hobbit sped away faster than any horse bred by man.

[BelovedCaptain]

Abigail was amazed at the horse's speed. It was even able to outrun the black steeds that were pursuing them. She rode through the forests and toward the Ford of Bruinen. One by one, she watched as the Riders appeared flitting through the trees. Soon, they were surrounding the white horse and were quite close. The Riders screamed at Abigail and she didn't dare to look back. They were now behind her as well as beside her. A few tried to cut them off, but the horse Asfaloth was swift and did quick, tight turns. All nine of the Riders were chasing them now and the chase went on.
Two riders rode ahead and tried to block the path, but Asfaloth just hammered his way through with a whinny and continued his run. Fear rose in Abigail's heart as the treacherous ride continued. She almost screamed when one of the Riders reached out to grab the sick hobbit.
Frodo was weary and frightened. He hoped that the ride would end soon, for the horse was going terribly fast. When a Rider's hand almost touched him, he shut his eyes and began slipping off the horse. Abigail quickly tightened her grip on the hobbit and supported him like she would a child. She screamed:
"Noro lim, Asfaloth!"
The horse was now going so fast that even Abigail felt like she would bounce off at any moment. As Asfaloth jumped over a passing log, Abigail felt herself rising from the horse's back and hung on for dear life. To both girl and the hobbit's relief, they spotted the white, foamy waters of the Ford. The horse reached the water and waded to the other side onto the road that would lead to the Last Homely House, Rivendell. Abigail looked back and saw the Riders remain on the other side of the river.
"Come back, to Mordor we will take you," they called to Frodo in hideous, hollow voices.
"No!" she shouted, before Frodo could speak.
But Frodo, with a small amount of strength and resistance left, said, sitting higher on the horse's back,
"By Elbereth and Lúthien the Fair, you shall have neither the Ring, nor me!" he drew his small sword in defiance. Abigail watched as the leader of the Riders raised his own blade. She covered her face as Frodo's sword shattered into millions of pieces minutes later. After a moment of silence, Frodo gasped and doubled over, in pain. His strength was spent.
The Riders called to him again, and again Abigail answered for Frodo.
"No! You go back to your stupid Master!"
They were angry and amazed at her insult.
"Give up the Halfling, woman!" they hissed.
"No way, José! You're gonna have to take him to get him!" she challenged, drawing her own sword.
Their answer was the sound of their nine blades being unsheathed in unison. Then they began to cross over the river.
Oh dear, she thought, and gulped. Yet, she bravely stood her ground. Look on the bright side, she told herself. If I die, I'll probably become renown, and many songs will be made in my name...if Frodo makes it...Besides all that, I'll go to Heaven! The Riders continued to come closer.
But hope was still with them. When the Riders were in the center of the river, the river itself rose up, took the form of nine white riders, and washed over the black horses. The Black Riders shrieked in rage and tried to get away, but they were engulfed in the waves and the horses drowned.
Abigail heaved a sigh of relief. "Now what? Oh yeah! Rivendell! Let's go to Rivendell, Asfaloth!" she ordered the horse. The horse seemed to understand, and headed in that direction.
"Don't worry, Frodo," she whispered to the unconscious hobbit. "We're almost there."

[Wyvern]

So much to catch up on! Wonderful continuation, as always, BelovedCaptain! I always look forward to reading more of this! :D

[Ithildiel Noldoran]

Ohhh,lovely!!!:DJust got caught up!:):):)

[BelovedCaptain]

Thanks! :cuddles:


Chapter 9
Meeting Others

Abigail rode to Rivendell and there, she was met by the Elves. She snatched Frodo off the horse and burst into the house. Elrond guided her to a room and there, Frodo was put in bed where Elrond would heal him.


Frodo awoke to find himself in a big bed which was quite comfortable.
"Where am I?" he asked aloud, looking around.
"You are in the House of Elrond. If you would like to know, it is ten o'clock in the morning. You've slept in late," answered a familiar voice.
Frodo looked up to see and old man with grey hair and a long beard wearing robes that were also gray. He sat by the hobbit's bed, smoking a pipe. His blue eyes were sparkling with happiness mixed with relief under grey, bushy eyebrows. This was the Wizard, Gandalf the Grey.
"Gandalf! It's you!"
"Yes, I am here. You're lucky to be here, too after all the absurd things you've done since you've left home!"
Frodo smiled sheepishly. He sat up and Gandalf saw him wince a little, for his arm was still sore.
"You said you'd meet us, Gandalf. Why didn't you? We needed you," he said quietly.
"I'm sorry I didn't, but you shall know what happened in good time. You should continue to rest now. I know all about you and what you've been up to. You do have strength in you, my dear friend."
"The others, are they all right?"
"Do not worry, they are all fine. Some are having some well-deserved sleep right now."
"I hope so. Abby should be sleeping."
"Abby?"
"And Alex, and DJ. They have gone through so much to help us."
"Who are they?"
"Haven't you met them? They are two children that came along with us on our journey."
"Oh yes, I have heard of them. A girl, a boy, and a.... talking cat?"
"Indeed. Abigail, the girl, knows quite alot about all of us. You should meet her and her brother. They were excited to meet you."
The two friends looked up at the sound of Sam's voice.
"Frodo? Frodo! Bless you, you're awake!" shouted Sam as he ran in.
"This little one, here, hardly left your side," smiled Gandalf.
"Oh no, indeed! I was that worried about you, you know, and so was everyone else. Abby, Alex and DJ are still sleeping. We all were exhausted, but desperate to see you. Lord Elrond told us to sleep, but I wouldn't. The others will probably wake up soon..."


At that moment, Abigail's eyes fluttered open.
"What time is it?" She gasped. "I have school! Oh, but I'm so tired," she muttered, and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes a minute later as DJ walked in.
"Ahhh, that was a good sleep. I mean, a really super sleep. That sleep rocked!" she exclaimed.
"Hey, Diege. What time is it?" asked Abigail.
"10:05. Why?" DJ hopped onto the bed.
"10:05! I gotta get ready! I'm so late!"
"Late? Late? Late for what?"
"School, duh! Where are my clothes?"
"You're not at home, clueless. We're in that silly story, duh!"
"Huh?" Abigail sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked around. "This isn't exactly my room, is it?" she chuckled, noticing the elvish design. DJ rolled her eyes. Then Abigail lay back down. "I thought I was back at home for a minute. Hey, this bed's really comfortable," she yawned. She fell right back to sleep.
"Sleepy head," muttered DJ.
"Yo, Diege!" yelled Alex as he entered the room.
"Willya shuttup!" hissed DJ. "Abby's still asleep, you dunderhead!"
"Oops, sorry," said Alex, sheepishly.


By now, Frodo felt much better and was up and about. His arm no longer hurt and he felt like he was in his tweens again.
"Yo, Frodo, my man!" exclaimed Alex, as he entered the room.
"Uh, hello, Alex."
"Arrgh. Next time we go into a story, Abigail had better make it a modern one!" muttered Alex.
"Hey, Frodo! Wuz happenin?" asked DJ, walking up. "How are ya?"
"I'm fine. I feel as good as new," he smiled as he petted DJ, who liked caressing as much as any other cat.
"Ooh, yeah! Over by the ears....yeah. Ahhhh, if you have any cats, I envy them. You're a natural. Ohh.." purred the satisfied feline.
"By the by," said Frodo, "how is your sister?"
"Oh, she's still sleeping."
"Still? At this time of day?"
"Yup. She's a teenager, for crying out loud. They always sleep late on the weekends. Besides that, she was tuckered out from the ride. She had never ridden as hard as you guys were riding, and the Elves said she was dead on her feet when you arrived at Rivendell."

[Wyvern]

Wonderful! I love the dialogue :)

[Yiara]

Me too! I love this

[Annawen]

LOL. lol
Mixing the modern with the....not so modern :p...is always funny. ;)

[Wyvern]

A challenge too, I bet?

[BelovedCaptain]

veryhappy


Now fully awake, Abigail let out a jaw-stretching yawn and looked up. Instead of staring at the ceiling, she was staring into the eyes of DJ.
"You awake now? Still tired?" asked the cat.
"Nah. I'm awake now."
"It's about time," muttered the cat. "HEY GUYS! SHE'S AWAKE!" she shouted. "Guess what? I got to meet Gandalf the --- uh, is it Clear? No --- the Purple? Uhh --- Grey! Gandalf the Grey. That's it."
"Cool beans. I wonder when I can meet him."
At that moment, Alex entered her room followed by Frodo, along with an older man. Abigail smiled and immediately hopped out of bed. She knew exactly what the old man was.
"This is young Abigail, I believe?"
"Yes sir," she spoke up right away. "I'm Abigail. I see you've met Alex and DJ, Mr. Gandalf." Wow, Gandalf the Grey, in the flesh!
She held out her hand for the wizard to shake. DJ walked over to Frodo and Alex.
"At least she didn't ask for his autograph," the cat whispered. The two murmered in agreement and nodded.
The kids spent a few hours talking to Gandalf about where they were from and how they got to Middle Earth. They completely amazed the O-so-wise Wizard and he said it was a pity that this extraordinary bed was not here at the moment. He was also surprised about how much Abigail knew about the peoples, places, things and times of Middle Earth. Abigail had tried to read every known book there had been published on the history of the land back in our world, and knew about all the characters, some more than others.
Gandalf began to contemplate on all he had been told. "You are not a wizard, for you have no powers. Yet you have never been to this land before. One must wonder who you really are.."
"Let's just say that I have the gift of foresight. I am still only an ordinary 16 year old. I know that I am nothing like the Elves, but still, this will be very exciting! And don't worry. I won't tell or act like I know what will happen in the future, and I won't prevent anything that may happen."
"Good. I believe that would be a wise decision."


During their stay at Rivendell, our three heroes met other characters, like Arwen, Elrond's daughter, Legolas the wood-Elf, Gimli the Dwarf, and Boromir, a man from a city called Gondor. All had come to discuss about what was to be done about the Ring of Power.
When the entire house had a great feast, the kids were introduced publicly to the whole assembly. Gandalf made the introductions.
"Everyone, these are the two children who traveled with Frodo Baggins and the other three hobbits. Their names are Abigail and Alexander. They come from another world, that we know nothing about, except that they wear strange clothing, and that their cat can talk.
Their "strange clothing" referred to their hooded sweatshirts and their pajama pants. People surrounded DJ to hear her speak, and when she did, some laughed, and some murmured, amazed.
The two children were seated at the head of the table, by Gandalf, Elrond and Frodo. As the group began to eat, Gandalf and Elrond began to discuss about the children.
"Lord Elrond, this young woman, here, seems to have the gift of foresight."
"Does she indeed?"
"Yes. She knows how Middle Earth was shaped, and spoke to me about all the peoples in it." Many listening were amazed at what Gandalf said. Some of them knew nothing about how their world came to be, and yet this young woman did!
"Ah yes. I have heard rumors. Word travels swiftly about a young woman who knows about these things. And even I am amazed. I did not know she knew so much." Elrond looked at Abigail with a new sense of awe.
Abigail blushed an muttered. "I'm just a sixteen-year-old girl. There's nothing special about me. I'm just smart, s'all. I had no idea that my knowledge would make me be treated like this.."
"Well, what did you expect?" hissed Alex. Abigail glared at him.
After the big supper, many people went to sit in the fireside room. This room had a grand fireplace that lit up the room. The elves would sit around the fire and sing enchanting songs about times past and great Elvish lords. People could just sit there and listen, or just reminisce about things. There were many chairs, a couple of sofas, and some benches spread out on a big colorful rug with elvish designs of leaves. In this room, the kids got to meet the famous Bilbo Baggins.
Frodo had introduced them to his uncle and they talked late into the night. As Abigail continued talking with the two hobbits, Alex and Sam both fell asleep, stretched out on the comfortable couch. DJ was relaxing near the fire, stretched out on the lap of Lady Arwen, and receiving all the petting a cat could ever wish for.
Yes, this room had a way of making one feel sleepy. Perhaps it was from the dim lighting, or perhaps it was the lulling music of the gifted elven musicians' spell working its magic on the listeners... Well, whatever the reason, Abigail decided to return to her room to get some shut eye.
After she was settled down for the night, she took out her book and began to read about the hobbits' stay in Rivendell. Soon, she heard a familiar meow.
"Hey, Abby," murmured DJ, as she walked in. She seemed rather sleepy.
"DJ, you seem wiped out."
"Aw, I'm just drowsy." The cat hopped onto the bed and flopped down onto the soft comforter. "I had good, finger-lickin' food. The chicken was even better than KFC, can you imagine? Anyway, I'm soo full, and those Elf dudes were singing and petting me in there. Alex is snoring away in there with Sam. It was past their bedtime." She let out a cavernous yawn. "Ohhh I am so sleepy! Nice bed. It's comfy." The minute she laid her head down, she was officially dead to the world.
"'Night, DJ," whispered Abigail. She stroked the cat and DJ only flicked her tail once in response.

[BelovedCaptain]

I just want to say thank you for all that have read this so far and have been so encouraging. Your comments have been really appreciated! So THANKS!! :grouphug:

[BelovedCaptain]

Chapter 10.
A New Fellowship


The next day, Lord Elrond called for a council with all the Free Peoples' leaders that had traveled to Rivendell. Since it was only for those sent by each kingdom of the Free Peoples, Merry, Pippin, Sam, Abigail, Alex and DJ were not permitted inside the room. They sat outside sulking.
"It ain't fair!" whined DJ, but Abigail had an idea.
"We could send someone insdide to eavesdrop," she suggested.
"Where's Sam?" asked Merry.
Sam had sneaked into the room to listen. DJ, of course, was told to go and join him.
"Why?! I'm gonna get in trouble! I know I'll burst out talking, and then you'll get mad at me, and so will everyone else, and --- all right! I'll go! I'll Go!"
She quickly sneaked into the room, where the council was being held after Abigail threatened to splash her with a pitcher of water.
The cat quietly approached Sam's hiding place and listened, and waited, and listened, and waited, and listened, and listened, and --- well, she was getting very impatient. The people sitting in the room were talking forever about the Ring, and what happened to Gandalf at a place called Isengard. They talked about either hiding the Ring, or ultimately destroying it, about a dream a guy called Boromir had, and about several of the Dwarves' problem with the Enemy, and so on, and so on. DJ was falling asleep when Frodo's voice was heard crying:
"I will take the Ring to Mordor, although I do not know the way."
"I believe this task had been appointed to you, Frodo. If you do not find a way, no one will," said Elrond with a grave smile.
Suddenly, Sam shouted out and ran up to where Frodo was standing. His jerky movements caused DJ to tumble out into the middle of the floor. She looked up at all the faces watching her and Sam.
"Uh, heh heh. Hi..." She chuckled nervously and tried to grin.
"You won't send him alone, surely!" cried Sam indignantly, thinking that was just what they were going to do.
"No indeed, since it is impossible to separate you from your master, even if he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," answered an amused Elrond.
But this was not the end of these surprises. Immediately after Elrond finished speaking, a series of shouts were heard from the door as the door itself was forced open and four bodies tumbled out in a tangle of arms and legs into the room. The two hobbits and two kids landed flat on their faces in front of all the Elves, Dwarves, Men, Hobbits and Wizard. Abigail's back landed on DJ's tail. The cat was far from pleased.
"What? You couldn't land at least four inches to the left?" she growled.
"How about if I sit on you next time?" Abigail shot back.
Gandalf, Frodo and Sam couldn't help but chuckle. Others either smiled or quietlly laughed. These children and hobbits were quite amusing, not to mention the talking cat!
"Ohhh, my head! Did I break anything?" whimpered Alex.
"See what you did, Merry?? You HAD to push on the door!" accused Pippin.
"It is NOT my fault! Alex said to open the door a little wider, so that HE could see better!" retorted Merry.
"Hey! Don't bring me into this!" shouted Alex.
"Why not? You were already in it," muttered Abigail. Brother and sister began making faces at eachother.
"All right, that's enough," ordered Elrond. The four hushed up right away. "It is bad enough that you were eavesdropping without having to quarrel like this!"
"Sir, we want to come with the Ringbearer! We just didn't come this far to stay behind!" exclaimed Abigail.
"As I was about to say before; if we are going to have a party of members to assist the Ringbearer along with his quest, the party must be small with at least nine companions. No larger, for the company should remain small to avoid unwanted attention. Of those who volunteered to assist Frodo, I choose Legolas of Mirkwood to go for the Elves, Gimli, son of Glóin for the Dwarves, Aragorn son of Arathorn, and Boromir of Gondor to go for the Men. Gandalf the Grey shall lead the company and Samwise shall travel with his master. For the last two members, I shall choose ---"
"Merry and Pippin!" exclaimed Merry.
Elrond shook his head. "The two of you could not begin to comprehend the dangers ahead of you."
"Neither can any of us that have been chosen, Master Elrond," Gandalf spoke up, "and in any case, I would rather choose hobbit friendship that that of the greatest power of Men or Elves."
"Very well. Meriadoc and Peregrin shall come along," relented Elrond.
Abigail and Alex sighed. They were not to go.
"If you please, sir," pleaded Abigail. "Can't we come too? Our bed is all the way back in the Shire, and we can't go back by ourselves." Her lower lip trembled, an action that usually got her way. But Elrond wasn't going to allow two children to travel with the Fellowship.
"Lord Elrond, I believe that they can be of help," commented Aragorn. "Abigail, at least. She knew of my lineage, and even the name of my mother."
Elrond sighed, and looked at the kids. They gave him their most pathetic faces, and soon, he gave in.
"I suppose they can go, but they are responsible for themselves! Perhaps they will be able to assist in the fight against the Dark Lord and against Saruman." He shook his head. "I suppose we will forget the idea of a small company then."
So, it had been decided that the Fellowship of the Ring would be not nine companions, but twelve instead (counting DJ, for she would not allow herself to be singled out).
"We'd best get a good night's sleep," advised Abigail.

[Annawen]

LOL! Elrond had to break up the sibling rivalry! lol

[BelovedCaptain]

It was dawn when the Fellowship began their journey. The morning air was cold and misty. Shivering and sad, everyone bade their friends goodbye and started out. DJ was still sleeping and had placed herself in Alex’s pack the night before. She would not hear of being left behind, no matter what the excuses.
This is earlier than when I have to get up for school, thought Abigail. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to block out the cold air.
“Here, take this blanket,” said Legolas, offering a blanket to her.
“Thanks, I needed this,” she smiled. She noticed that Gimli had given Alex a blanket as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The journey thus far had lasted several weeks at least. One day, as they were resting in a rocky area, Legolas spotted something dark in the sky. It wasn’t a cloud, because it was moving too fast. The Elf called the dark mass crebain, and Aragorn shouted the order to hide. Everyone hid under rocks or in bushes. From his hiding place in the brush, Alex could see black birds above him, awfully close to the ground. He wondered, what’s so bad about a bunch of birds? As soon as the birds were off in the distance, they were all allowed to rise from their hiding places.
“Those were spies for Saruman. This must mean that the passage to the South is being watched,” said Gandalf. “We cannot go toward the Gap of Rohan any longer. It won’t be safe. We must cross over Caradhras.”
Caradhras was a bitter, cold, un-welcoming mountain. The terrain was hard to begin with and as they went higher, it became worse. The kids, along with the hobbits were practically frozen to death. The snow was literally up to your chest. The two Men ended up carrying the hobbits and Abigail let Alex lean on her. Since he was colder than she was, she wrapped her blanket around him. They all trudged along, the going becoming rougher and rougher. Several boulders tumbled upon their path, and one almost crushed Boromir, holding Merry and Pippin. It grew continually colder and the snow became higher until they were almost buried in snow.
Abigail tried her utmost best to keep up with the others, but she was freezing and Alex seemed to weigh heavier as she took each step. She soon couldn’t feel her toes and collapsed with Alex beside her. The only moves she made were spasmodic shivers. Alex didn’t move at all.
Aragorn came to their rescue and carried them to their meager camp. There, he bundled them up with as many blankets he could find and turned to Gandalf desperately.
“We must turn back, Gandalf,” cried Aragorn. “This will not only be the death of the hobbits, but of the children as well!”
Abigail nestled her now-shivering brother in another blanket, trying to keep him from the cold. She squinted through the snow to see the white faces of the four hobbits.
She could see Gandalf, blue-lipped and snow covered, nodding. “You are right, Aragorn. We must take another path.”
With not as much struggle as the ascent, the company began their descent down the mountain. Gandalf led them into the old land of Hollin. When they made camp one night, they discussed about what they should do.
“Caradhras has defeated us and there is no safety in Rivendell as long as we have the Ring among us,” said Gandalf.
“I propose that we head for Gondor,” suggested Boromir. “In Gondor, we will have strong allies, and we could defend ourselves and the Ring from the Enemy.”
“The Dark Lord will suspect the Ring there, so we must not go near that city. We would have to pass the Gap of Rohan on that road, and that is too close to Saruman.”
“Let us take a path through the dark. A path that no one will suspect: the path through the Mines of Moria. Long have I wanted to see those darkened halls,” said Gimli.
“That was a way that I had been considering,” admitted Gandalf. “Its secret gates are on the edge of Hollin.”
“I do not wish to take that road, not unless I had no other choice. My memory of that place is very evil,” said Aragorn grimly.
“I do not wish to go either, but what does the Ringbearer say?” questioned Boromir, turning to Frodo.
“I do not wish to go, but I will go, if Gandalf advises it,” was his answer.
With that, the others grudgingly accepted this road.
“I will go, but I fear for you, Gandalf,” said Aragorn in a low voice.
Abigail grew sad. You would, too, if you know what happens in Moria. She, too feared for Gandalf, for he had become a good friend.
“Hark! Do you hear that?” exclaimed Legolas. The others listened as the sound of wolves came nearer and nearer.
“Wolves! You see? We must get to Moria and soon!” cried Gandalf. The howling was closer now, and wolves attacked them in packs. The hobbits and kids kept the pony Bill back while they watched the others fight. The battle was short, and the attacks soon stopped.
In the morning, when they looked for the dead bodies of the wolves, there were none to be found. They had seemed to disappear as if by some evil magic. The only sign of the fight were Legolas’ arrows all over the ground.
“Just as I feared. We need to reach Moria by tomorrow evening, at the latest. Let us be off!” ordered Gandalf, and they went onwards, wishing for the best.

[BelovedCaptain]

Chapter 11.
Moria

The Fellowship soon found them walking alongside a lake. Alex, suddenly afraid of this lake, tried to steer away from it as far as possible. He didn’t understand why he feared this body of water, but for some reason, it made him uneasy. He would be glad when the group would be away from it. Frodo, walking beside him, tapped him on the shoulder. Stifling a gasp, he turned to the hobbit.
“What?” he asked.
“Do you feel strange? I mean, about this lake?”
“Yeah, actually I do. Something tells me that the lake isn’t good. I wouldn’t want to step in it.”
“Good,” sighed Frodo. “I was hoping that I wasn’t the only one feeling nervous about the lake. Now I don’t feel silly.”
Splash! Abigail’s boot landed in the lake. She and Alex had received a pair of boots before they left Rivendell. As she watched the rippling water, the same strange feeling about the lake rose in her heart. Yet she knew why the lake was to be feared. As she walked away from the water, she looked at her boots and suddenly remembered something.
Both her and Alex’s slippers were still in Rivendell!
Oh man! And we went through all that pain and cold in those marshes just to leave them behind! Thought Abigail angrily, mentally kicking herself. When she told Alex, he had a fit.
“We should have let them sink in those marshes! I’m never getting slippers again!” he stormed. Meanwhile, they all continued walking, keeping away from the menacing lake.
DJ yawned. She was still sitting on Bill, the pony, which was carrying the luggage. The two animals had become good friends.
“Are we there yet?” whined the cat.
“Practically,” answered Abigail.
Gandalf led them towards a stone wall and stopped.
“This,” he said, “is the secret door of Moria. I have not been this way for some time.”
“There is a door here?” queried DJ doubtfully.
“Oh yes. One just has to know where to look, for Dwarf doors are invisible to the naked eye when closed .”
“Aye,” commented Gimli. “Their own masters cannot see the doors if their secrets are forgotten.”
“But there is no need to worry,” said Gandalf. “It is a clear night. These doors will only be visible when the moon shines on the patterns. The door is made of ithildin, a substance that only shines in starlight or moonlight. Let us wait.”
The wait wasn’t that long, luckily. The moon soon appeared from the clouds and shone on the door, revealing an elvish pattern of trees, pillars, stars, a hammer and anvil, along with elvish and dwarvish writing.
“Dude,” muttered DJ. Everyone else just stared at it in awe. Gandalf stepped closer to the door and studied it closely.
“What does that writing say?” asked Pippin.
“It tells of those who have made the door, Elves and Dwarves both. It also reads, ‘the Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak “friend” and enter’,” translated the Wizard.
“What does that mean? What does ‘speak “friend” and enter mean’?” asked Merry thoughtfully.
“It simply means that if you are a friend, speak the password and enter,” answered Gimli.
“Exactly. Now, to figure out what the password is,” muttered Gandalf. He laid his staff against the largest star on the door, and chanted a spell, ordering the door to open. Nothing happened.
“Uhh, is something supposed to happen?” hissed DJ to Merry. The hobbit shrugged in response.
Abigail was exasperated. She knew the word, but didn’t want to give it away. As she sat on a nearby rock next to Alex, Frodo and Sam approached them.
“Don’t you know the word, Abby?” asked Alex.
“Of course! It’s a riddle. ‘Speak“friend” and enter’. But don’t worry though, Gandalf will figure it out soon enough. He’s smart.”
“Hm. A riddle, is it?” asked Frodo. Abigail nodded. He shrugged and sat down by Alex.
Sam remained standing, staring at the lake.
“There’s something wrong about that lake, sir, if you get my meaning.”
“You think so, too?” asked Abigail. Sam nodded solemnly.
“We all feel that way, Abby,” said Alex.
Gandalf had tried more spells, but none of them had opened the doors. Frustrated, he tossed his staff onto the ground and sat on a rock. DJ had been awakened by him and was not happy.
“Too loud! Too loud! Can’t you let a poor cat get some sleep?” Gandalf and Abigail glared at her so much, that she soon sheepishly grinned back and went back to sleep. Gandalf smiled cooly, but Abigail rolled her eyes.
Pippin was bored. Gandalf was taking an awfully long time trying to open the doors, and there was nothing to do. Everyone was just sitting around doing nothing. He picked up a rock and tossed it into the lake. The water rippled. The three sitting on the rock gasped and stared at him. Aragorn halted Pippin’s next throw by placing his hand on the hobbit’s shoulder.
“Leave the water alone, Pippin,” he warned in a hushed voice.
Suddenly Gandalf sprang up and laughed. His laughter was loud enough to cause DJ to jump five feet off Bill’s back. She toppled off of the pony.
“Now I know the password! It’s actually quite easy. It is the elvish word for friend: mellon!” he shouted, and the wall revealed a crack in the middle of the doors. They slowly creaked open, showing a stairway leading into the Mines.
Wow, thought Alex.
“Sam, the Mines are no place for a pony, not even for one as brave as Bill. He will not be able to make it up the stairs,” Aragorn told Sam.
“Yes, I’m afraid that poor Bill will have to stay behind,” said Gandalf.
“But, Bill would follow to the death! And what about the wolves? We can’t leave him here all alone!” objected Sam.
“Bill will be fine. He knows the way home,” assured Gandalf. He spoke words of guidance to the pony and it snorted, understanding. “He will ride to Rivendell, or wherever he wishes, where the grass is green and plentiful.”
Sam reluctantly gave in and began unharnessing the saddle and bridle, while silently crying. Abigail helped him and removed DJ – who had leaped back onto Bill – from the saddle.
“Hey, hey, hey!” she objected.
“Hay is for horses and for cows,” said Abigail, putting the cat on the ground.
“Pigs would eat it, but they don’t know how,” grinned Alex.
“What – ever!” DJ rolled her eyes. They watched as Bill walked away from the Mines.
“Hey! Where’s he going?” yelled the feline. “Come back Billy! I can’t go on without you!”
“He can’t come with us,” explained Alex.
“Why not?!”
“Because, there are tons of stairs and horses aren’t good on stairs,” said Abigail.
“Well what’ll I do now? I’ll have to walk! I’ll lag behind and you’ll forget me,” pouted the cat.
Boromir smiled. He liked the cat and he decided to let DJ sit on his shoulders. She was too pleased.
“Oh yeah! This is living. I’ve got a big, comfy, ugly guy!” she said happily.
“Please Boromir, sir, don’t be offended with what she says. I’ll take care of her if she’s too much trouble,” offered Abigail anxiously.
“Don’t worry,” laughed the man. “I think I’ll be able to handle this small, scrawny, annoying cat.”
Abigail smiled viciously and DJ rolled her eyes. The cat sighed an exasperated sigh. Why do I put up with these buffoons? She asked herself.
The Fellowship began entering the Mines, and Abigail began to grow nervous. Something was going to happen, she could feel it. She knew what was in the lake.
Just like clockwork, a tentacle slithered silently across the ground heading for Frodo’s leg! Frodo felt something dragging him back toward the lake. He stumbled and fell on the ground. He began yelling as the water grew nearer and nearer. As he yelled, Abigail turned around and screamed. Darting past the hobbits, she ran for the tentacle. Aragorn looked back to see the hobbits and kids hacking at a slimy tentacle from the lake. Soon it let go of Frodo’s leg.
As they began helping Frodo to his feet, more tentacles flew up from the water and grabbed them all! As the kids and hobbits tried to free themselves, Frodo was lifted from the ground and rose in the air. Alex had been able to free himself and watched as a terrible water creature rose out of the water. It looked like the evil creature from Pirates of the Carribean 2, and it had Frodo!
Without thinking, he drew his sword out and charged strait for the head. He plunged into the water as Frodo cried for help.
“Alex! NOOO!” shouted Abigail.
Keeping his eye on the poor hobbit, he dodged past tentacles, Aragorn and Boromir, who were slashing at tentacles, and kept going for the head of the thing. When he hit the thing, it dropped Frodo and Alex felt a tentacle wrap around his waist. Then one was wrapped around his arm and leg. He was thrown up and hit the water head-first. His head rammed against the lake’s floor and the water whirled around his eyes.
Boromir had caught the frightened Frodo and Aragorn rescued Alex from drowning. Before Alex passed out, he was able to see the entrance to the Mines collapse all around him and Aragorn. Then the world went black.

[Ithildiel Noldoran]

I can't believe I was this late seeing the next installment here!:):)Excellent writing, I am captured again!!;)

[BelovedCaptain]

When he awoke, he dimly saw Abigail bending over him. She had a worried look on her face.
“Are you all right?” she demanded.
“Yeah, I think so,” he drawled, even though he still felt dizzy and his head was pounding. “Where are we? We’re not dead, are we?”
Abigail smiled. “No, silly. We’re in the Mines. It’s dark, because the Watcher in the water caved the doors in. Now we’re stuck, and Gandalf says we’ll have to find another way out.”
“The Watcher?”
“That’s the name of the creature that conked you out. I bet you have a concussion now! You can’t sleep for 24 hours!”
“What! Just because I had a little bonk on the head, that doesn’t mean my brain’ll shrink or anything!”
“Uhh, yeah! It will,” argued Abigail.
Frodo, hearing them arguing, noticed Alex was awake. “Alex! I see that you are awake. I’m glad that you’re all right,” said the hobbit.
“Thanks.”
“And thank you for saving me.”
“Aw don’t mention it,” shrugged the boy. “Well, I see that we’re all here,” he said, noticing everyone standing around. He sat up and noticed that the dim light was coming from Gandalf’s staff. So this is the Mines of Moria.
Moria was a vast, dark, dismal place. It had once been used by the Dwarves, including some relatives of Gimli’s. Yet Dwarves had not used these mines in a long time. Orcs were the ones who now occupied the darkened halls. Orcs, and another creature more evil and hellish. The mines also had various stairways. Some were so big, that, as they climbed them, the hobbits and kids had to climb them like they would a ladder. Gandalf led them along and along. Here in the Mines, one was not sure what time it was or if it were day or night. It was all dark.
At one point in their dark travels, they came upon walls of silver illuminated by Gandalf’s staff. Everyone stared at the silver, amazed. This is really happening. It is! Alex told himself.
“What’s all this shiny stuff?” he asked Gandalf.
“It is called mithril, the riches of Moria. Also called truesilver, it is a substance that was highly treasured by the Dwarves in Moria, yet it was also to be their doom. Bilbo Baggins had a shirt of mithril rings that Lord Thorin gave to him,” answered the Wizard.
“What did he do with that kingly gift?” asked Gimli, unable to restrain himself.
“I do not know. It’s probably in the Michel Delving back at the Shire. I never told him, but that shirt is worth more than anything in the Shire,” smiled Gandalf.
Abigail looked at Frodo and smiled a knowing smile. Frodo nodded and smiled back. Abigail knew what had happened to that shirt.
Gandalf continued to lead them along through the Mines. They came upon a room with three tunnels and Gandalf frowned. He looked at one, then at another and the other.
“Hmm.” He sighed. “I have no memory of this place. We shall rest here.” The Wizard sat on a stone, took off his hat, laid his staff down, and began to smoke from a pipe.
The others followed suit and seated themselves. They talked amongst themselves, while letting Gandalf alone to think. They waited for him to remember where to go.