A New Shadow- Prelude to the Revenge of the Ring and the Dark Throne

One Ring to rule them all, and another ring more.

The shadows grow restless, craving for war.

The hobbit folded his arms. "You sure are strange." He said, watching the woman underneath the tree reach into her pocket and retrieve a leather pouch and a long, wooden pipe.

Ignoring his words, the woman said, "Tell me, young hobbit," She dug her hand into her sack and out with it came a pinch of tobacco, which she placed in the mouth of her pipe. "You must have a name."

"Why should I tell you?" He replied, more confused than he was angry.

Before answering, the woman rose to her feet and snapped her fingers. And from her long, black nails came a small fire, no more intense or bright than that of a candle. She held the small flickering flame over her pipe until smoke rose from its wide end. She then reached out and grabbed her black staff, which leaned against the same oak tree beside her and said out of the corner of her mouth, "Because I want to address you more formally when I tell you this." As the hobbit raised an eyebrow, she removed the pipe from her mouth, made an O shape with her mouth and blew out a perfectly round ring of smoke. She watched it float into the blue sky before glaring back at the hobbit boy. "You are a fool for thinking that Sauron was the end." The hobbit raised his other eyebrow in surprise; not just by her statement, but by the deep and sincere tone with which she spoke it. "No, my friend." She continued. "Sauron was only the beginning."

Before the boy had any more time to question, more time to worry, or even more time to ponder the magnitude of what this woman had just told him, a voice as loud and shrill as a crows call split the sky above.

"FRODO!" The voice shouted. "It's time for supper! Come and get it while it's warm!"

Frodo, whose name it was revealed to be, looked over his shoulder behind him and let out a sigh. "That's my sister…" he explained.

"I could have figured." The woman replied. "Frodo…" She repeated slowly, as if mulling it over. "How… quaint."

"There. Now you have my name." Frodo said, looking back up at the towering woman. "Now it's only fair that I should have yours in return."

"Very well then. My name is Beatrice." Said the woman, without any hesitation. She stooped over and picked up her black, pointed hat by its brim. She dusted it off before placing it atop her head of raven hair. "Beatrice the Black."

Frodo was left with so many questions that day, regarding who that woman was, where she came from. About what brought her to the Shire, and what her particular interest with hobbits was all about. But most importantly and most glaring of them all, what did Beatrice mean when she told Frodo about Saruman? All Frodo could do was wonder as he stood atop his hill, watching Beatrice pace away down the dirt road of Hobbiton and into the distant sunset.

To be continued in The Lord of the Rings: The Revenge of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Dark Throne.

Characters:

Frodo Gamgee III – Gabriella Gamgee – Reuven Razumir – Beatrice the Black – Ezra Eaglebrooke – Ryan – Oakstump – King Evermorn – Anclagon – Morgoth