Summary: Part 1 of the Songs of Moonlight and Golden Flower Trilogy.
Wolves have technique, their voices meld together into one song of unity. A song for the pack.
Foxes are creative in their word play, their song full of double meaning as they try to top each other. For a fox always loves to prove he is the cleverest one in the bunch.
Dogs are simple creatures, so are their songs; but their voices hold the most meaning. A dog's song only speaks truth, for it comes from the heart.
The last War of the Ring was damaging to all the races of Middle-Earth. The elves had been disheartened at the waist of life. The men had lost a leader, but they had hope of a new leader. Their hope did not last long, even in defeat Sauron still found ways to corrupt the hearts of men. The demon race took the brunt of the damage of war, fighting on both sides had left them nearly wiped out and with their leader dead the surviving clans were left scattered as their leaders jostled to fill the void at the top. Centuries later, the race of demons are only stories told to small children at night; a shadow of a once proud race.
It's up to a mismatch fellowship to destroy the One Ring; as one member attempts to restore order to her race or watch them be wiped out forever.
Author's Note: This story is a major rewrite of a story A Demon's Heart that I started over 8 years ago. My original version was a poorly constructed LotR fic with an OC jammed in with a dash on Inuyasha reference on the side, makes me cringe any time I go back and look at it. This fic I'm hoping turns out a lot better, I've put a lot of work in planning this out and integrating aspects of both the LotR extended movies as well as the books along with a lot more of the Inuyasha world. For the sake of this story I have messed a bit with the Inuyasha canon; Kagome while being Kikyo's reincarnation was not from the future and there was no well. Also some minor characters that died in the Anime are alive and will be making appearances.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or Inuyasha
Chapter One
The sun was setting as Frodo took one final stroll through the scarcely furnished halls of Bag End. The last of the furnishings he was keeping had been sent ahead just that morning with Meriadoc Brandybuck and Fredegar Bolger; to his new house in Crickhollow.
So many times he had dreamed of going off with Bilbo on one of his adventures; now here he was on the threshold of his own adventure and all he dearly wanted was to just stay here in his cozy safe hole.
"Is this what you felt Uncle, when it came time for you to step out with your merry troop of dwarves?" Frodo asked softly to the nearly empty halls; clutching at the pocket of his shirt where a small band of gold was sitting innocently.
With a sigh, the blue-eyed Hobbit spun on his furry feet and strode out onto the porch; passing Pippin Took who was sitting beside their packs.
"I'm going to take one last look around to see if Gandalf will be joining us, could you get Sam, I think he was having one last taste of the Baggins cellar." Pippin nodded enthusiastically before heading into the hole. Frodo shook his head figuring he was going to have to pull two Hobbits out of the cellar now rather than one.
Heading down the path and threw the gate he turned on to head down the Hill Road. Pausing just at the corner of Bagshot Road he looked around hoping to see Gandalf coming up the path, pointy hat and all. Across the street he could see Folco Boffin's prized sow munching noisily on that evenings supper scraps.
"I don't suppose you have seen a Wizard about now have you Bellatrix?" Bellatrix only grunted in reply as she nosed about her trough.
"Thought not" Frodo muttered with a sigh before turning back up the road to head back to Bag End.
"You'll not find Mr. Baggins here, Sir. He left just this morning with my boy Sam-'
Frodo paused glancing over and just around the corner he could make out the Gaffer talking to some big folk; the stranger was wrapped in a black cloak from head to foot. Whatever the stranger replied was to low and drowned out by Bellatrix's noisy eating for even Frodo's keen Hobbit ears to make out more than a hissing sound.
"-He's move to Bucklebury or some such place down yonder-" the Gaffer continued with a wide gesture to the main road out of town.
A small spark of hope lit in Frodo's chest for a moment, maybe Gandalf had made it and the Wizard just thought he had missed Frodo's departure; even though his head said there was no way this shadowy character was the Grey Wizard. For the shear fact alone that he had never seen Gandalf in such a dark color, not to mention he had discussed his move to Bucklebury with the Wizard just last month; surely he had not forgotten the plan they had set up for his departure.
Taking a step forward Frodo suddenly found himself lifted from the ground, a large hand clamping firmly over his mouth, too large to be a Hobbit hand, silencing his shout of shock. He was lifted clean off his feet and against a chest that was distinctly female.
His captor backed them into the shadows of the hog shelter and away from the black cloaked stranger; who had turned from the Gaffer and was now mounting its nervously pawing steed.
"Not that way perian." The woman whispered barely audible in his ear. "Gandalf has been detained and you can delay no longer."
Frodo struggled against the grip; his feet kicking uselessly as they hit against his captor's knees, while his hands tried to pry the hand off his mouth. These attempts where useless as the woman simply used her other arm to pin his flailing hands to his sides and kneeling down so that his feet where on the ground but boxed between her knees; successfully immobilizing him as easy as a parent might restrain a young child having a particularly violent tantrum.
"Peace little one, I am no threat to you; now be still." The woman whispered firmly but not in a threatening manner, her word seemed to come out as more of a purring growl that vibrated threw the Hobbit's back.
Reluctantly Frodo stilled in his fighting, he could not hope to get out of the woman's iron grip. They both sat silently as the shadowy stranger turned his horse about and kicked it into a gallop, tearing past them only a few feet from their hiding place.
Once the sound of hoof beats had faded they waited in the shadows a few extra minutes before Frodo felt the figure behind him physically relax before the arms that had been holding him still where released.
Stepping away before turning; the Hobbit got the first look at his captor, she was garbed in a dark colored cloak that made it hard to pick her out from the shadows of the hog shelter. What little he could tell from the part in the front of her cloak, she was garbed in similarly colored dark clothing save a bit of white fur, possibly sewn into the upper part of her shirt, it was hard to tell with the shapeless cloak on. The hood was pulled up making any facial features barely visible, save her eyes. They seemed to glow gold faintly in the light of nearby windows as the occupants began to light their candles to push back some of the coming darkness of night.
"My apologies, Mr. Baggins, I had wanted us to meet on different terms but things seem to be going wrong all around." The woman said sitting back on her heels; forearms resting lightly on her knees so that they could speak at eye level. "I was supposed to travel here with Gandalf, but he was unexpectedly detained. He had asked me that if he was kept longer than expected, than I would come in his place and escort you to Bree and he would meet us there as soon as he could."
"I feel at a loss here my lady you seem to know my name but I don't recall Gandalf mentioning you when we spoke of my coming departure." Frodo said straitening his shirt, subconsciously running a hand over his pocket making sure it's contents was still there.
"Forgive me, you may call me Aeglos. That is partly my fault I have been traveling abroad until recently, Gandalf was unaware I had returned until I ran into him. When he explained his need to travel to Isengard and your need to leave the Shire I offered to accompany him as my travels have never brought me this far into the Shire." the woman, Aeglos, said extending one hand to the Hobbit in greeting. Frodo took the offered hand that seem to be so delicate yet still dwarfed his much smaller one, her grip was strong. Her nails seemed to have a sharp edge about them as they grazed the back of his hand but Frodo shook off the thought as she released his hand.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Aeglos. I am Frodo Baggins at your service." Frodo said bowing slightly as his ingrained Hobbit manners dictated. Aeglos shook her head with a small chuckle as she stood back up to her full height his head coming to just above her elbow.
"Please just Aeglos if you must Mr. Baggins, I am not too fond of fancy titles; simply my name will do. Now come we need to collect your things and be off quickly, we cannot delay any longer." She said gesturing for the Hobbit to lead the way back up the road toward his once home.
Leading the way back through the gate to Bag End, Frodo called out to Sam and Pippin who were wiping their mouths as they emerged from the hole, obviously having had one last taste of the beer-barrel in the cellar.
After some hasty introductions the three Hobbits gathered their packs and walking sticks, finally ready to set off.
"Come we must be off now. Night has already fallen and we have a ways to go before we can rest." Aeglos said ushering the three toward the gate and the road out of town. Once they were out of sight of any of the candle lit windows, she gestured for them to follow her off the path.
"Come, stay close, don't want you getting lost in the dark."
"Why are we going off into the wood? It would be far easier if we just follow the road." Pippin said pausing at the back of the group at the edge of the road.
"There are some unsavory characters about on the road right now and I would just assume not to run into them, especially not in the dark; I'm sure Mr. Baggins would say the same. Don't worry we shall not get lost." The woman said before plunging off into the darkness; Pippin turned a skeptical gaze on to Frodo.
"She's right, there was a rather suspicious looking character talking to the Gaffer; I think it would be best we didn't run into him." Frodo replied to his cousin's look before stepping off the road; Sam loyally following him without complaint.
Though not as brightly lit by the moon and stars as the road the Hobbits kept track of the long-legged woman quite easily; though not as sharp as Elves, Hobbits eyes were very keen even at night. They carried on like that for some time while there taller companion had slowed her pace significantly to make up for their shorter strides.
Aeglos kept at it well into the night following some invisible path that seemed to lead them straight east bypassing the winding road; they came across the road once in the night.
Pausing in a thicket they waited till Aeglos said it was clear for them to cross, Pippin grumbling at the back about over cautious strangers. By the time the moon was beginning its descent back down to the horizon Aeglos was finally forced to call a stop as the Hobbits where beginning to stumble in there weariness; coming to a small thicket of trees and brambles that grew around a small clearing of grass.
"We will stop here for now and start back up first thing tomorrow." Aeglos finally said after Pippin nearly went head first into one of the bramble bushes after tripping on a stray root. With a weary sigh the three Hobbits set down their packs.
Unpacking his bed roll Frodo looked over to see Pippin had fallen asleep half slung over his pack, rear in the air, bedroll still rolled and forgotten by his side.
"He will get an awful kink in his neck sleeping like that he will." Sam chided shaking his head before clearing the ground of twigs and rocks then spreading out Pippin's bedding and maneuvering the younger Hobbit into the roll with his head still pillowed on his pack. Task done Sam made his way back to his own bed which was already laid out near Pippin's.
"Do you need any help with that Mr. Frodo?"
"No Sam I've got it." Frodo replied finishing setting up his own bed on the other side of Pippin so the younger Hobbit was sandwiched between him and Sam.
Seating himself down on his bed Frodo looked to see Aeglos had removed her own small pack and was now seated at the edge of their makeshift camp; reclining back on her hands staring up at the moon.
Feeling his gaze Aeglos turned to face him, her eyes giving an ominous glow as they caught the moonlight in an unsettling way.
"Get some sleep; we should not be disturbed here." Frodo nodded in reply, too tired to do anything but lay back and rest his poor feet. Curling up in his blankets he could hear Pippin at his back softly snoring and Sam's mutterings about a root in his back. After a few minute of fighting with his own persistent root or maybe it was a small bolder, surely roots could not be that hard and seemed bent on digging into his back. Finally he gave up and drifted into an exhausted sleep.
Frodo woke up the next morning to Sam and Pippin's hushed whispering.
Standing he stretched trying to work out the aches in his body from a long nights walk and sleeping on the cold hard ground. Looking over he saw Sam and Pippin huddled together over a breakfast of bread, cheese and dried fruit, along with what looked like a pile of fresh picked blueberries from some of the nearby bushes.
"What are you two going on about?" He asked walking over to the pair gathering up his own breakfast that had been set aside.
"It's that woman from last night, Aeglos. Sam says she is an Elf."
"She is!" Sam insisted pointing his hunk of bread at Pippin practically giddy, he had always dreamed of seeing the elves like the ones from Mr. Bilbo's tales.
"I don't know" Pippin countered popping a berry into his mouth "I thought old Bilbo said elves didn't ink their skin like dwarves."
Curious to see for himself Frodo moved around the pair to find the woman in question stretched out on the grass.
Now that it was daylight he could make out her features a lot better; especially since she had taken her hood off at some point in the night. Her long legs where stretched out and crossed at the ankle; her knee high leather boots looked worn but still in good condition, the same could be said with her black leggings and charcoal grey tunic. At her belt was a sword where her hand rested lightly on the hilt.
In the light he could see he had not imagined the sharpness of her nails each one seemed to come to a deadly point and could make out a gleaming edge on them like a finely honed blade. Her other hand she had tucked up out of sight under her head.
He could see why Sam thought she was an Elf; her skin was smooth and pale, her cheeks and jaw where sharp and strong as if carved from stone rather than flesh, her ears where delicate and tapered to a point; all of these seemed to give her an almost predatory beauty. Her hair was a light color, not like the pale blond he had heard Bilbo speak of when he told tales of the Elven King of Mirkwood. This was pure white; like that of freshly fallen snow, the silken strands were now free from their confining hood and spilled down around her shoulders making it hard to tell how long it really was.
Here was where things seemed to get odd. For one Bilbo had always said the Elves slept with their eyes open or they could not dream; but here was Aeglos seeming peacefully asleep with her eyes closed. Pippin had also been right about Bilbo saying that Elves did not mark themselves with ink like dwarves. Yet here was this Elf, if that was what she was, with a multitude of those ink markings; from the pair of blood red stripes curled around the wrist tucked by her head, to the matching set of stripes across the pale skin of her cheeks like streaks of blood across snow. Accenting the outer corner of each of her almond-shaped eyes was yet another set of pale teal blue markings. Finally there was one of a darker blue color that had hints of purple in it that was the shape of a crescent moon resting on her brow.
"Pippin's right Sam I don't think she is an Elf." Frodo said glancing back at the two bickering Hobbits. Sam looked dejected while Pippin looked smug. When he turned back to the sleeping woman Frodo nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Aeglos was no longer asleep, if she ever had been to begin with, but was staring straight at him. Her liquid gold-colored eyes locked with clear blue ones; which were made all the more unnerving by the fact the pupils were thin slits rather than rounded, making them look even more catlike.
"If you have finished eating we should be moving on soon." Aeglos said in a soft voice as she moved into a seated position her eyes releasing Frodo's to stare down at her hand as she tugged her sleeves back down to cover the red marks on her wrists.
"Ms. Aeglos are you an Elf?" Sam blurted out before he could stop himself, causing him to blush red down to his ears. Aeglos glanced up at Sam who blushed even harder before letting her gaze shift to the other two who were doing their best not to look too interested in the answer as they picked at their food. Stand Aeglos pulled her now what could be seen to be nearly knee length hair over one shoulder, twisting it into a loose rope she coiled it up at the base of her neck. Tugging her hood up over her hair she paused for a moment.
"No, I am not." She said simply before tugging her hood fully over her head and blocking her features from view.
They traveled on for the rest of the day, stopping only briefly so the Hobbits could rest their feet at lunch time. Any other attempt at stopping where met by Aeglos sternly egging them onward. At one point in the morning Pippin had stated it was time they stop for elevenses which Aeglos replied to by dropping a bag of nuts into his hands and plowing onward into the brush so that they had no choice but to follow her or become lost.
By late in the evening their path once again crossed that of the main road where they had to use the road to cross a rather rapid flowing stream. Pippin had been regaling Sam and Frodo with the tale of the last time he and Merry had been out this way and the trouble they had gotten into with one of the local farmers; when Aeglos paused suddenly in the road causing Pippin to nearly plow into the backs of her legs.
"Wha-" Pippin started only to stop when their guide raised her hand in a motion for silence then tilted her head as if listening for something. They all stood like that for a long moment before Aeglos broke the silence.
"Get off the road, find someplace to hide yourselves." She said softly cursing in her native tongue; the area was far too scarcely grown to have much in the options of suitable hiding places. Quickly the three Hobbits jumped down into a small gully to hide under an overhang of roots of an old tree that was tilting dangerously over the road.
"Stay out of sight and not a sound out of any of you." She said before walking to opposite side of the road, picking up a handful of grass and dirt she rubbed it over the exposed skin of her hands and clothes making her already worn clothes look even more threadbare. Pulling out a leather pouch from her pack and walking slowly along the road before kneeling by a clump of plants that had some medicinal properties. She had just started picking through the weeds to find anything usable, when the rider from the previous night came around the bend.
"Good-day to you Sir," Aeglos greeted, her voice dropping down in pitch and becoming rougher, taking on more of the accent of the men of the region. Standing back to her feet with a handful of Athelas, the rider drew his horse up level with her as she made a show of placing the Athelas in her pouch. "What brings ye out to these parts, there not but Hobbit out that way." She said hunching her shoulders as she gestured the way the rider was headed.
"I come from yonder." The rider replied pointing back the way he had come, his voice oddly deep and hissing. "Have you seen Baggins?"
Aeglos brought her hand her chin as if in thought before replying.
"Only Bagginses I know round these parts is up in Hobbiton."
"Baggins has left," The rider whispered in reply, "He is not far. He is coming. I wish to find him. If he passes will you tell me? I will come back with gold."
"No you won't, now be off with you. I've better things to do than chasing after Halflings for strangers." Aeglos growled making a shooing motion with her free hand; the rider let out a hissing sort of laugh before wheeling his horse about and spurring it right at her. Dodging to the side Aeglos drew her sword but the rider just continued on its path charging into the brush. She waited till she could no longer pick up the sound of the horse and rider before tucking her herb pouch back into her pack as she sprinted back across and down the road. Leaping down in to the gully the Hobbits had hidden she did not sheath her sword.
"Come quickly before anyone else comes by" she said leading them off in the opposite direction the rider had gone in. That night they did not stop for dinner till Aeglos finally called a halt in a cluster of large rocks atop a small hill. They once again lit no fire and had a meal of cold rations before curling exhausted into their bedrolls.
Aeglos stood guard all night and nudged the Hobbits all awake at first light.
The next day was much like the first; eating on the go and steering clear of the road as much as possible. They did not see any sign of the rider that day and as the sun began to sink down close to the horizon they once again took to the road for the final stretch as they made their way to the Ferry that would take them across the river.
As they neared the Ferry they could see a small figure walking down the road toward them. As the figure got closer Pippin let out a joyous laugh.
"Merry! Look Frodo its Merry come to meet us!" The Hobbit said before running ahead. Sure enough as the group drew near the figure could be made out to be another Hobbit with brown curly hair.
"I was about to call it a night and head home when I decided to have a look to see if you lot might have fallen into a ditch." The Hobbit called Merry said laughing as the rest of the group caught up to him and Pippin who had nearly bowled the poor Hobbit over like an over excited puppy. Aeglos chuckled as she watched the two as Merry tried to shove Pippin away from him. After finally getting some breathing space Merry looked over the group before coming to rest on their cloaked companion. Straightening his vest he bowed slightly. "Meriadoc Brandybuck at your service, who might you be?"
"Aeglos at yours," The cloaked woman said inclining her head. The calm moment only lasted a moment before Pippin pounced once again, telling Merry all about their journey the past few days as they continued down the road and turned a corner were the Ferry came into sight. The four Hobbits continued to chat animatedly as they walked toward the Ferry not realizing their fifth member had stopped at the bend and was looking back the way they had come. They had not even crossed a quarter of the distance to the Ferry when a shout came from behind them.
"Run! To the Ferry run now!" the four pause for a moment looking behind them in confusion to Aeglos drawing her sword as she walked backwards briskly before whirling toward them.
"Don't just stand there go!" She shouted as her hood fell back in her rapid movement. Now that they had ceased talking the Hobbits could hear the sound of pounding hooves on the road behind them.
The sound seemed to trigger their flight reflex as the all began to run toward the Ferry. The four had made it just over halfway when the rider in black rounded the corner at full speed. In a blur of motion Aeglos lunged toward the rider; her sudden appearance startling the horse causing it to rear in panic just as she slammed her body into its side with such force it toppled over on to the ground. Its hooves flailed dangerously about as its rider was flung from the saddle.
Using her momentum to roll out of the way Aeglos rolled into a crouch, sword still in hand, as the horse kicked it's hooves wildly and rocked as it heaved itself back to its feet. Just then two more riders, identical to the first, came round the bend. They were forced to quickly swerve out of the way as the rider less horse bucked wildly; nearly hitting one of the other riders, before its rider could bring it back under control and mount it again.
While the three riders where dealing with their momentary distraction; Aeglos used the time to catch up with the four Hobbits; who had all boarded the Ferry, save Merry who was struggling with the lines tying it to the dock.
"Move!" she snapped before bringing her sword down on the thick lines, her elvish blade slicing threw them like a hot knife through butter. "Get us away from the dock, quick." She said pushing Merry onto the Ferry before stepping on herself as it began to slowly drift out onto the river. Merry quickly picked up one of the long poles and used it to push the Ferry further away as fast as he could
"Pippin, come help me with this." Merry instructed pointing out another pole to the younger Hobbit. The two Hobbits worked as fast as they could pushing them out into the current but one rider that had manage to swerved clear of the chaos at the bend was closing the distance fast; at this rate he would be able to jump his horse onto the Ferry before they could get out of range of the dock.
Just as the horse galloped onto the dock Aeglos spun silver hair flaring as it caught in the night breeze, raising her free hand two of her nails glowed; with a flick of her wrist a whip of energy flicked out and around one of the docks support pillars and with another flick the pillar was ripped out with a loud crack causing the whole dock to tilt precariously before collapsing into the river taking the rider and horse with it.
Lowering her hand, the glow and whip had faded the instant the pillar was destroyed.
"Where is the nearest crossing?" she asked as they watched the water logged rider spur his horse out of the river before it and the other two rode off into the darkness.
"Brandywine bridge, 20 miles upriver." Merry replied steering the Ferry toward the opposite bank.
It was late in the night before the weary group made it to Crickhollow; where they would be staying the night. As tired as they were from their journey the Hobbits seemed to perk up considerably when they finally arrived at Frodo's new home; as thoughts of hot baths and a good hot meal spurred them on with new energy.
When they finally made it to the house they were greeted by Fatty Bolger, who was in the process of making dinner for them and had put a kettle on the stove filled with water for the three hobbit sized tubs in the room off the kitchen. Aeglos declined the use of one of the tubs when Frodo offered to let her get cleaned up first; she insisted that Frodo, Sam and Pippin go ahead and have their baths as she was far too tall to even hope to fit in the tub.
To make up for their lacking of a bath in her size; Merry provided her with a wash cloth, basin of hot water and soap in one of the other unused rooms so that she could at least clean up a bit and change before dinner. Down the hall she could hear the Hobbits start to sing, each trying to outdo the others. It came to an epic end with Pippin's voice carrying above the others followed by a loud splash and complaints from the other two occupants in the room.
Running a fine bone comb threw her damp hair she tied it back with a strip of leather before replacing her comb in her small pack of belongings. She removed her sword from her belt before strapping it on; while she would not be wearing the blade at the moment she wanted it at hand just in case.
Now that she had changed into her spare clothes that where heavily worn but thankfully clean. They consisted of a faded pair of patched brown leggings and a mossy green tunic which had a charred burn mark along the front hem. While most of her cloths had seen better day, she did have one article of clothing that looked considerably newer than the rest; a shawl of white fur, a similar shade of white as her hair that went from mid-back and was draped around her shoulders.
Dinner was a cheery event as the Hobbits chatted among themselves while they sat about a table by the cozy fire in the sitting room. A few times they tried to include Aeglos in their talks but she seemed content to simply sit and listen while they ate. While Aeglos had not joined them for any of the previous day's meals; she did join them in eating this time at the Hobbits insistence. She found herself sitting on the floor on a rather plush cushion in place of a chair, finding it more comfortable than trying to wedge herself at the table in one of the Hobbit size furniture.
Dinner was wonderful as Fatty and Merry had gone all out for Frodo's Welcome Home feast, including a whole bowl of roasted chicken and wild mushroom. Aeglos picked bit of everything that smelled good; she had a keen nose which made is so much worse when she stuck a fork full of juicy chicken in her mouth and trying not to grimace at the blandness of it.
Nodding her approval at the cooks she didn't have the heart to tell them that while her nose could pick out the exact herb used in every dish she had little sense of taste; everything pretty much taste the same unless the flavor was extremely strong.
Once dinner was done and the dishes had been cleared; Pippin and Merry began trying to wheedle information out of Frodo until he finally caved. He told them his plan to sneak out of the Shire at Gandalf's urging after finding out one of Bilbo's old possessions needed to be taken away or risk putting everyone in Hobbiton in danger. Though no matter how much they prodded he did not say what the item was; only that it was very dangerous and was most likely why the Riders in Black where looking for him.
As it turned out his secret plan to leave was not so secret; the pair had guessed weeks ago he was planning on leaving they just hadn't realized how dire it was that he needed to leave.
The conversation then turned to the next day; Aeglos insisted they needed to leave before first light, they had a head start on the riders; she wanted to hold that lead for as long as possible. Leaving by any of the main gates or roads was quickly dismissed before Merry suggested they pass through the Old Forest.
"We can't go in there its haunted, you mark my words." Sam shouted
"Those are just tails they tell the little ones. It's not really haunted Sam." Pippin replies
"I don't know if its haunted or not but there is something strange about those woods and folk tend to go in and don't come back out, but as I see it no one would expect us to go in there which is why it is the perfect place to go. The Riders would not dream of looking for us in a forest everyone avoids." Merry reasoned
"That sounds like the best option and if we run into anything dangerous I will be there to deal with it." Aeglos added comfortingly.
Finally they came to the decision that they would take the road threw the Old Forest; with them they would be taking five ponies; four for each of the Hobbits going and one to carry their supplies. Aeglos insisted that she could keep up without a horse when they offered to try to find one. She stated that she did not need one even if they could find one this far west of Bree before sunrise.
Once the last of their plans were finished; they all settled in for the night. Aeglos left the bedding untouched that Frodo had laid out for her and chose to sit up well past the time the others where fast asleep. Sitting cross-legged against the wall by the front door, sword resting in the crook of her arm; propped against her shoulder, she sat and listened.
Before the sky had even begun to lighten she rose from her self-appointed guard post and went to wake the others. They left the house a short time later after a hearty breakfast and their packs filled with provisions.
Elvish Translation
Perian-Hobbit/Halfling
Elvish Name Meaning
Aeglos-1. A plant like furze (gorse), but large and with white flowers. 2. Icicle (a pendent spear of ice formed by the freezing of dropping water).
Author's Note- Well there is the rewrite of the first chapter. Let me know what you think. Remember feedback feeds the Plot Bunnies.
Edited 12/17/15 for Grammar and Spelling Errors
