The Fellowship sat in a forest clearing. They sat very quietly around in twos or threes. Gimli and Legolas were arguing enjoyably about dwarves and elves. Merry and Pippin were undoubtedly plotting and hatching more plans of mischief. Frodo, Mabrie, and Samwise sat quietly together, not speaking. Boromir, Gandalf and Aragorn sat together, set apart from the others, conversing in mutters about the journey. Quite suddenly, Gandalf called them all together. " I must explain to you all the road that I have chosen for this errand." He looked seriously around at all of them. "This task will be quite possibly the most perilous ever undertaken. Does everyone here acknowledge that?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Then I can continue."



* * * * *



Diamond was not far away from them. In fact, she was literally looming overhead. Unnoticed, she crouched in a limb of a very old tree, gathering up the long folds and belled sleeves of the burgundy velvet traveling gown Arwen had given her. She suddenly heard Gandalf announce that he was going to tell them of his plans for the roads ahead. She attempted to move out further along the branch, like a cat moving along a rail.

Maybe had she not chosen such an old tree to reside in, or had stepped more carefully, she would not have fallen. As she stepped forward, some of the dry old bark fell away under her foot immediately after she had shifted her weight onto that foot. Consequently, she fell right along with it, into a hawthorn bush ten feet below.



* * * * *



Mabrie, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin all jumped. Everyone looked around at the bush. "What on earth was that?" asked Pippin, looking startled.

"Hmmmm....." Gandalf muttered. "Stay here," he said to them, and strode off toward the bush. "Wonder what that was," said Merry, seemingly concerned.

"Whatever it was, it sounded like it was pretty large..." said Sam darkly. Pippin and Mabrie peered around the tree that hid Gandalf from view. They saw him, his arm suspended over the bush. Then, without warning, he plunged his hand right into the middle of the bush, and grabed something. There came from the bush a squeaky "OUCH!"

Well, well, what do we have here," said Gandalf amusedly.

"What is it?" asked Frodo, apprehensively.

Gandalf beckoned to him. "Come, hobbits, and see for yourselves."