[pic]
As Frodo, Merry and Pippin headed down the dusty lane, noises of all sorts frightened them as they passed. Frodo began to doubt that this was really a great idea.
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Frodo asked, as he nearly fell flat on his face as he tripped over a branch that must have broken from tree.
"Shut up! And just keep up!" Pippin shouted, one of the many things that he had never done before. Frodo looked over his shoulder and sped up a bit feeling bewildered.
"Look, Pip, where are you taking me!" Frodo demanded now really scared. Pippin's face broke into a wild smile. He started to say something but he stopped as they reached a clearing. All was dark. In the middle of the clearing stood a cottage. It was rather beaten up and looked as though it had been standing for years.
"Why did you bring me here?" He asked looking around at Pippin and Merry, and sounding a bit doubtful and panicky.
"Why? Why? Now I've got a little 'why' question for you Frodo!' Pippin shouted. "Why is everything you ask always a question!" Frodo looked very taken aback and started edging towards the cottage not knowing where he was going. He stumbled over a rock and scrambled to his feet.
"What is the matter with you Pippin!" Frodo said in a horrified sort of voice. Pippin grinned widely and leant against a tree trunk. The necklace that he was wearing fell out of his collar and hung around his neck. Frodo stared at it and tried to figure out what it was. Then he saw it. A golden pendant at the end of the chain. It had a winding path of words and Frodo realised that there were words on it in...Elfish he decided. His stomach gave a horrible jolt and looked at Merry for an explanation. He saw that he too was wearing an insane smile and to his horror, a necklace just like Pippin's.
"Oh, nothings the matter with me alright.' Pippin said rather greasily, "I see you've spotted our pendants and would like you too, seeming you've got so much..." Pippin suddenly stopped dead and glared at Frodo.
"Listen here, cousin, we want you to go in that cottage over there and see what's going on alright? Or else. There's some pretty weird stuff going on...and since you're so...brave...we thought you might check it out." Merry finished for Pippin. Frodo jumped. He had almost forgotten that Merry was there. Pippin and Merry both now stared at Frodo expecting something. Frodo was staring back just as hard and while been, imposturous thoughts were flying through Frodo's head.
"No way! It's my birthday and there's not going to be one single bit of trouble. I'm leaving." Frodo's words sounded more bravely than he felt, but still, he took a step towards them and turned to walk out of the clearing.
"You had better go than! I guess you want to put on your make-up or something before your party!" Pippin snarled at Frodo with a sarcastic hint of anger in his voice. Frodo felt rather hurt that his cousin could just change like...that. As Frodo was leaving the clearing, he turned around to face his cousin's. They were looking up at the trees and had their necklaces out. Frodo shook his head roughly and thought it was just a phase. He climbed his way out of the forest and sat down on a short tree trunk. He put his head in his hands and thought about the day's events. His mind was set on that necklace. "Did this have anything to do with Pippin acting strange?" He thought. Frodo sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked down at the wheel marks on the sand and started to follow them. He thought he had better ask Gandalf what all this meant. Gandalf usually knew the answer to lots of things.
As Frodo, Merry and Pippin headed down the dusty lane, noises of all sorts frightened them as they passed. Frodo began to doubt that this was really a great idea.
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Frodo asked, as he nearly fell flat on his face as he tripped over a branch that must have broken from tree.
"Shut up! And just keep up!" Pippin shouted, one of the many things that he had never done before. Frodo looked over his shoulder and sped up a bit feeling bewildered.
"Look, Pip, where are you taking me!" Frodo demanded now really scared. Pippin's face broke into a wild smile. He started to say something but he stopped as they reached a clearing. All was dark. In the middle of the clearing stood a cottage. It was rather beaten up and looked as though it had been standing for years.
"Why did you bring me here?" He asked looking around at Pippin and Merry, and sounding a bit doubtful and panicky.
"Why? Why? Now I've got a little 'why' question for you Frodo!' Pippin shouted. "Why is everything you ask always a question!" Frodo looked very taken aback and started edging towards the cottage not knowing where he was going. He stumbled over a rock and scrambled to his feet.
"What is the matter with you Pippin!" Frodo said in a horrified sort of voice. Pippin grinned widely and leant against a tree trunk. The necklace that he was wearing fell out of his collar and hung around his neck. Frodo stared at it and tried to figure out what it was. Then he saw it. A golden pendant at the end of the chain. It had a winding path of words and Frodo realised that there were words on it in...Elfish he decided. His stomach gave a horrible jolt and looked at Merry for an explanation. He saw that he too was wearing an insane smile and to his horror, a necklace just like Pippin's.
"Oh, nothings the matter with me alright.' Pippin said rather greasily, "I see you've spotted our pendants and would like you too, seeming you've got so much..." Pippin suddenly stopped dead and glared at Frodo.
"Listen here, cousin, we want you to go in that cottage over there and see what's going on alright? Or else. There's some pretty weird stuff going on...and since you're so...brave...we thought you might check it out." Merry finished for Pippin. Frodo jumped. He had almost forgotten that Merry was there. Pippin and Merry both now stared at Frodo expecting something. Frodo was staring back just as hard and while been, imposturous thoughts were flying through Frodo's head.
"No way! It's my birthday and there's not going to be one single bit of trouble. I'm leaving." Frodo's words sounded more bravely than he felt, but still, he took a step towards them and turned to walk out of the clearing.
"You had better go than! I guess you want to put on your make-up or something before your party!" Pippin snarled at Frodo with a sarcastic hint of anger in his voice. Frodo felt rather hurt that his cousin could just change like...that. As Frodo was leaving the clearing, he turned around to face his cousin's. They were looking up at the trees and had their necklaces out. Frodo shook his head roughly and thought it was just a phase. He climbed his way out of the forest and sat down on a short tree trunk. He put his head in his hands and thought about the day's events. His mind was set on that necklace. "Did this have anything to do with Pippin acting strange?" He thought. Frodo sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked down at the wheel marks on the sand and started to follow them. He thought he had better ask Gandalf what all this meant. Gandalf usually knew the answer to lots of things.
