Hey, this is an idea that popped into my head while playing Third Age Total War and thinking about the escalating violence of the pre-war years and the War of the Ring in the north of Middle Earth. It may end up as a short story (5-10 chapter) or go into a longer story arc I have in mind depending on the interest. It begins at the same time as Frodo leaves the Shire into the Old Forest in the books. The main characters are all OCs but based heavily on Tolkien-lore from the books. Unfortunately I lost all my Tolkien works when I moved a few years back so the geography and languages may be a bitoff from canon.. An author's note at the bottom provides a brief explanation of who's who with regard to canon but their background will be revealed more through the story.
Also this about 'a' gray company, not the Gray Company, although they do feature. Tolkien owns that one though.
The Tale of A Gray Company
Adalgar dropped silently from the tree he'd been hiding in as the approaching riders came into view. A few bird-like chirps drew their attention to him. Two short-ish men swung out of their saddles and gave stern formal salutes before Adalgar cracked a smile and greeted them.
"Welcome my sons, what news from the South?"
Raínar approached to make his report while Pilinang moved to attend their mounts.
"Strangers tread heavily on our lands and Shire-Folk are a-wandering. I left Raínthenid and passed word for Raíngang to send Ecthelang to reinforce the South Patrol. Halbor Hirvegillion has joined them temporarily."
"Strangers?"
"Southrons –as usual, but also rumours of riders clad all in black atop great black steeds. Wouldn't usually take notice but they were moving out of the East and where-ever they had been rumoured to be the orcs were unusually quiet."
"Concerning, we must meet with the Dúnedain. What of the wandering hobbits?"
"Four or five. Moving eastward. Passed into the Old Forest two days past. Mostly in-landers from down towards Hobbiton but living in Crickhollow. Three can claim kinship."
That drew a sharp gaze. "Oh?"
"A Took of the Thain's line, a Brandybuck and a Baggins."
Adalgar pressed his fingers too his temples.
"I suppose we'll have to detail a watch over them. Anything else?"
"The Black Riders may have been asking about a Baggins – " He nodded too his brother. "Pilinang trailed them closely for a while when they entered the Forest. They make for Bree. We're not sure but they may have spoken of Gandalf."
Adalgar considered this for a moment and then motioned south.
"I like it not. 'Tis unwise to enter uninvited into the business of Wizards but we have vowed to watch of and protect our kin. And these events are extraordinary indeed."
He raised his voice to make sure it carried to Pilinang.
"Raínar ride to Long-Cleeve and ask Cousin Sigismund to recall the North Patrol to Mother's then ride hard East and patrol the road on the far border of the Downs. Pilinang and I will go south now and join Raínthenid then track them through the Old Forest. Once the rest are set them to patrolling the borders of the Downs. With a little luck we'll run into Halbor and see if he can enlighten us."
Minutes later only quiet woods remained, all traces of the Peredain carefully removed or obscured.
It was three days of hard travel later when Adalgar the younger arrived at the carefully concealed dwelling of his late wife to meet all his sons who had all assembled save Raínar. It still astonished him how different his offspring looked, both to himself and each other.
Raíngang and Raínar, his oldest two were in their early forties with dark reddish-brown hair, a mix of his and their's mother. Both stood a little over five feet tall – a result of Dúnedain blood that also slowed their aging, making them capable of passing for Breelanders in their early thirties. They, along with Pilinang, had matured as hobbits might and the slow aging of the blood of Númenór had mot become apparent until they were well into adulthood.
Pilinang was thirty-four and had inherited much of his Adalgar's Fallowhide look. Slightly shorter than his father – the shortest of the six actually – his broad build and red hair gave him a Dwarvish look. He had grown as a hobbit and so was, by Adalgar's reckoning, only a year into adulthood.
Over on one of the benches Ecthelang, the most hobbitish in appearance as he lacked the broad frame or tall statures of his brothers, was sorting slingshot while the youngest, Ecthelar, sharpened a broad-sword.
Ecthelar was a sight to behold, for in him the blood of the West ran true. At seven feet tall his grey eyes and dark hair were all typically Dúnedain. Ecthelar alone amongst the brother also wore boots, though Raínar and Raíngang sometimes wore footwear in hard weather. As Adalgar assessed them Raínthenid came in, a hobbit version of a Dúnedain he closely resembled a scaled-down Ecthelar.
Keeping things brief and to the point Adalgar didn't bother what repeating what he knew they would have shared amongst themselves.
"We picked up the tracks of the hobbits easily enough but lost them deeper in the Old Forest. They were heading away from the Shire straight towards the Downs.
Raínar has already ridden to patrol the far side and we dare not enter the Downs so all of us shall patrol the edges of the Downs and adjacent forest. Keep an eye of for Dúnedain in case they know more than we do. We don't know where they're headed but it is our duty to defend them until they return to their borders.
I spoke to the Master of Buckland, who has kin among them, but he knew nothing of their departure and cannot guess at their destination.
Gather weapons and kit we ride at first light. Use the extra ponies as pack animals and provision well, we know not when we will return."
Author's Note:
The main charcters (Adalgar and his six sons) are a particularly large Took from the Long-Cleeve North-Took family, which is a seperate branch to Pippin, made up of the descendants of Bullroarer North-Tooks inhabit the northern area of the Shire and only place where the land and weather are harsher (they frequently get snow). Their land also forms the northern and eatern border of the Shire from north Buckland to the Moors which leaves it most exposed to enemies from the northern hills. The North-Took family is canon.
Adalgar and his family are not. Adalgar is a particularly Fallowhidish hobbit who spent his youth wandering the wilder edges of his families land and eventually met and married a Dúnedain woman (causing great scandal in the Shire). Adalgar and his wife Bereth then had six Dúnedain-hobbit sons (Peredain or half men, since the word for hobbit is halfling or Perian half-hobbit would e Perperian and sound stupid). With some of his sons more hobbitish and some more human they don't fit particularly well amongst the people of either parent and are raised to become rangers dwelling just outside the shire to the North East. As part of their Dúnedain heritage, and thanks to the adventurousness of Adalgar, they are trained as rangers (Peredain Rangers) and patrol the Shire's northern edges.
Accodring to Tolkien hobbit's are human descendants and so this should be plausible. All of Adalgar's sons have a traditional Took name but with an Elvish (Dúnedain) translation to use amongst men. Similarly they use For-Túk (North-Took) as an alternate last name. The names and ages along with their meanings are given below:
Adalgar 'Noble-Spear' Fortúk (North-Took) - age 74, a large hobbit of the Long-Cleeve Tooks, descended from Bullroarer. Hobbit name.
Bereth Fortúk - age 78, Adalgar's Dúnedain wife
And their sons:
Raíngang (Elvish) or Isumbras (Hobbit) 'Iron-Arm' Fortúk - age 42, Peredain Ranger leading the Norrth Patrol, traditional Took name.
Raínar (Elvish) or Adalbras (Hobbit) 'Noble-Arm' Fortúk - age 40, Peredain Ranger leading the East Patrol, name made of common Took elements.
Raínthenid (Elvish) or Fortinbras (Hobbit) 'Strong-in/of-Arm' Fortúk - age 37, Peredain Ranger, traditional Took name.
Ecthelang (Elvish) or Isengar (Hobbit) 'Iron-Spear' Fortúk - age 36, Peredain Ranger, composed of Took elements.
Pilinang (Isenflán) 'Iron-Arrow' Fortúk - age 34, Peredain Ranger, composed of Took elements.
Ecthelar (Elvish) or Adalgar the Younger (Hobbit) - age 27, Peredain Ranger, translated from/named after his father.
The elements common to Took names are Isum/Isen - iron, Adal - hour(able), gar - spear, bras - arm, flán - arrow, Fortin - strength in.
Finally a quick note on the physiology of hobbit. Although they are small they are strong for their size, not the strength of a child but a small adult and even stronger. Evidence for this is that they lead active rural lifestyles and are known to be hardy, meaning that they will generally be fit. Additionally it is mentioned that they have prodigious strength (they can throw stones hard enough to be lethal by design rather than fluke, and Bullroarer decapitated a goblin with a club which, even if we say the flying 100 ft part is an exaggeration, is impressive). They are known for good endurance, hardiness and also a natural accuracy with projectiles.