A/N: Thank you very much to Meldiriel-SoftTwilight for reviewing, and to all other who have read this story. I've tried to make this chapter longer and more eventful, and have tried to stick to the canon as much as possible. Enjoy, and thank you again!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Tolkien, but I am perhaps a little too in love with his work.

Chapter Two: Gone With The Fog

30 September, S.R. 1418

Market Day

Hobbiton

The weather had become colder, much colder. The warmth and sun of the week before had given way to mist and clouds, and as Marigold Gamgee walked out the door of Number Three Bagshot Row, she thought that there was something unnatural about the dense, gloomy fog. As she saw Rosie Cotton standing at the other end of the Row, waiting as patiently as always, Marigold shook off her fears and looked back into the hole, calling out a goodbye to the Gaffer.

She was clad in one of her warmer dresses, a plaid red-and-brown one made from fabric given to her by Frodo Baggins on his last birthday, and had tied a scarf around her golden-brown hair to keep her frizzy culs tame. The hobbitess carried a large basket, empty save for a list of goods she need to buy tucked into the side. Marigold walked the length of the Row quickly, waving a greeting at her friend.

In reply, Rosie shivered and wrapped her cloak closer around her shoulders. "This fog is so dreary," she said, mirroring Goldie's thoughts. "I would much rather sit home with a cup of tea in front of the fireplace, snug and warm. My mum wasn't having any of that, though- she told me that it was market day, and I was going out to run errands, like it or not."

Marigold laughed as she began the familiar descent down The Hill, side by side with her friend. "And, of course, you wanted to see me, so you came all the way out here anyway."

"Marigold Gamgee, I know for a fact you'd rather be at my place with a cup of my mother's tea just as well! Not to mention my dear brother Tom is there..."

Goldie cut the other hobbitess off before she could finish the sentence, not wanting to admit any of her true feelings about her best friends' brother, "Well, someone should tell your dear brother Tom that if he wants his affection to be noticed, he ought to do more than sit on the other side of the room and stare!"

Both girls were overcome by a fit of laughter, but Marigold was the first to recover. "Either way, I think I've found someone new to fancy... though he's up and left Bag End, again!"

Rosie nodded knowingly, "Ah yes, my dear, I've seen you smiling like a fool at that Brandybuck lad..."

"You make it sound quite a bit worse that it is!"

"Well, he doesn't even live on the right side of the River!"

They continued bickering playfully all the way to the center of the village, where there were many stalls and carts assembled, all filled with various goods from all over the Westfarthing. There was a crowd of hobbits, as loud and pushy as always. However, Marigold noticed, there was something missing; it seemed as though the miserable fog had swept through the crowd, taking away all of the usual cheer of market day. There was still laughter, of course, and Goldie heard the voice of the oldest Burrows boy, in the middle of telling yet another one of his absurd stories.

However, she felt uneasy; and the sense of discomfort from earlier in the afternoon had returned in full swing. Marigold frowned slightly and looked sideways at her friend, noticing a similar emotion in her face. She decided not to say anything and instead, taking Rosie by the elbow, she made her way over to one of the stalls.

There was an assembly of pots, pans and kettles, and Goldie began to look for a new tea kettle, remembering the one her older brother had burned in an unsuccessful attempt to make tea on his last visit. Hal had never been one for cooking, and Marigold had always tried to keep him away from the stove on his rare visits. Unfortunately, she had been at Rosie's for the evening, and, well... in short, they needed a new tea kettle.

As Marigold counted out the coins to pay for the new kettle, a sturdy black one she though might even be Halfred-proof, she heard Rosie greeting someone behind her. Goldie turned to face them after putting the wrapped kettle into her basket, and found herself face to face with Estella Bolger.

"Estella!"

She had not seen the hobbitess in months, as the Bolgers resided in the Eastfarthing, but Stella's family had distant, rather stuffy relatives by Hobbiton. Fredegar had begun escaping to Bag End to see Frodo on his family's visits to these relatives, and was usually accompanied by his sister Estella. She soon befriended Marigold and Rosie, and all three shared fond childhood memories of playing house and poking fun at their older brothers.

"Marigold," Estella grinned and the two girls hugged, moving away from the stall to make room for new customers.

"How are things in the Eastfarthing?" Rosie asked, after they had found a comfortable spot by an oak tree in which they could stand untroubled.

"As good as they've always been- the weather has been ridiculous lately, though. My good old brother went off to Crickhollow several nights ago, to stay with friends, and I came here to stay with my aunt." A sudden look of recognition came over the girl's face, "But you know all about the visit to Crickhollow, don't you? It's Frodo Baggins that's moving there, after all! And I hear your brother, Sam, is going with him?" She turned to Marigold at the last sentence.

The oldest lass of the three nodded, sending another knowing look at Rosie, who had blushed slightly at the mention of Sam. "Yes, they left just about a week ago. Sam's going with him to help out with the gardening and housekeeping as I heard Frodo's new home in Buckland hasn't been used in years."

Marigold had her own suspicions on the reasons behind Sam and Frodo's departure, as her brother had been all but kissing every plant in the Bag End garden for weeks before the movie. Before she could share her thoughts with her companions, the three heard a disturbance only several feet away in the form of loud, questioning voices. They scurried over to the crowd forming to find Sancho Proudfoot, standing in the middle of the circle bent in half with his hands on his knees. He was trying to catch his breath before answering the queries of the demanding hobbits.

After several minutes he stood up, concern and fear dancing in his usually friendly eyes. He glanced around the circle before spotting Estella, with Rose and Marigold around her. As if addressing them he spoke .

"Attack on Buckland...just this morning," he managed before a flurry of questions started up again. "Big Folk, they say, appeared in the middle of the night with the fog... from the direction of Hobbiton, no other. They were all black. Attacked a house... Brandybucks had to blow the horns, but they were gone before the dawn."

Marigold took an involuntary step back, as her father's words to Sam, only a week old, came flooding back.

"There's been a strange customer asking for Mr. Baggins of Bag End... sent him on to Bucklebury. Hissed at me, he did. It gave me quite a shudder. He was tall and black-like... I reckon it was one of the Big Folk from foreign parts."

She heard the loud voices of the villagers rising again in alarm, clamoring to know what exactly had happened. Goldie looked sideways at Estella, and a look of fear passed between them before the latter stepped out towards Sancho. "Where? Where exactly did they attack?"

Sancho looked up at Estella. "Bucklebury Ferry. And Crickhollow."