And now I present to you, drumroll please…

CHAPTER 4!

Hope you like it!

Sorry for not updating. This was a bit of a long chapter.

Oh, here's the disclaimer: I absolutely positively, do not own anything other than my OC's.

Chapter 4: Black Riders

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

The shrill piercing shriek cut through the night like a knife. Kayden bolted upright, her hand automatically flying to her sword hilt. "W-what was that?" she asked, urgency and panic evident in her voice.

"That was a Nazgúl, a Ring-Wraith. There are nine of them. They were once great kings of Men who were given Rings of Power. With the creation of the One Ring, however, they became slaves of the Dark Lord Sauron. They hunt the one who carries the One Ring and will not stop until they have their prey," Aragorn replied, his face grave. "But there is no need to worry," he added in a less somber tone. "They despise fire over all else." Aragorn gestured toward the crackling fire in the middle of their camp. "Go back to sleep."

Kayden nodded and settled back down, moving closer to the campfire as she did so.

~o*o*o*o~

It was a few days after Peyton and Robin had first met Sam and Frodo. The four were walking through a large cornfield.

"Well, I'd say, at this pace, we'll reach Bree within a day or so," Sam remarked happily.

"I thought you said you were going to Rivendell," Robin said, confused.

"We are, Robin. We just have to go to Bree to meet up with a friend of mine, Gandalf the Grey," Frodo explained.

"Who's Gandalf the Grey?" asked Peyton.

"He's a good friend of Mr. Frodo," Sam said. "He's a wizard, if you know what I mean. And he makes the most wonderful fireworks. Why, at Mr. Bilbo's birthday party, he…" And with that, Sam began telling the girls tales of Gandalf's magic around the Shire. So engrossed were they in his stories that they did not notice Frodo for a long time.

"Hey, where'd Frodo go?" Peyton asked after a while. The three of them looked around frantically, quickening their pace through the corn.

After a few minutes, the trio emerged out of the maize onto a road. But there was still no sign of Frodo.

"Mr. Frodo?" Sam called out worriedly, beginning to run. Peyton and Robin quickly followed suit.

"Frodo!" shouted Robin.

"FRODO!" yelled Peyton.

~o*o*o*o~

"Frodo!"

"Huh?" Frodo asked turning around to find no one. I must have imagined it, he thought.

"Frodo!"

There it was again. Frodo stopped and turned around to see Sam, Peyton, and Robin panting, all with worried looks on their faces, which soon turned to relief.

"We thought we'd lost you," Sam sighed. Peyton and Robin nodded their heads in agreement.

"What are you talking about?" Frodo asked, puzzled by his friend's words.

"It's just something Gandalf said."

"What did he say?"

"'Don't you lose him Samwise Gamgee.' And I don't mean to."

Frodo laughed. "Sam! We're still in the Shire. What could possibly happen?"

WHAM!

A small figure came crashing out of the corn, closely followed by another, both knocking Frodo and Peyton to the ground.

"Frodo!" gasped the one on top of the hobbit. "Merry!" he yelled to the one on top of Peyton. "It's Frodo Baggins!"

"Hello Frodo!" the one on Peyton greeted before being angrily yanked up by Sam.

"Get off of him!" he commanded, turning to help Frodo and Peyton up. "Frodo, Peyton, are you alright?"

The two nodded their heads. "Who are they?" Peyton asked, gesturing to the two figures, who were quite shorter than her.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck, known by most as Merry," Frodo replied, gesturing to the one who had landed on Peyton, "and Peregrin Took, known by most as Pippin." At this he pointed to the one that had fallen on top of him, before adding in an undertone, "Distant relatives of mine." Peyton and Robin tried to suppress their smiles as the two hobbits began heaping vegetables into Sam's arms.

"Hold these," ordered Merry.

"You've been in Farmer Maggot's crop!" Sam exclaimed incredulously.

Merry, ignoring Sam's statement, continued giving Sam the stolen vegetables. "-and these."

Suddenly a dog barked and a sickle appeared above the corn. A voice began yelling something incoherent as Merry grabbed Frodo by the shoulder, pushing him into the maize before running, Pippin, Robin, Peyton, and Sam following close behind.

"Dunno why he's so upset! It's only a couple of carrots," Merry shouted over the din of rustling corn.

"And some cabbages and those few bags of potatoes that we lifted last week. And the mushrooms the week before," Pippin added.

"Yes Pippin, my point is, he's clearly over reacting! Run!"

The six of them continued crashing their way through the fields. Suddenly, the edge of a cliff appeared in front of them. Peyton and Robin skidded to a halt, as did Frodo, Merry, and Pippin. But Sam didn't and ran straight into the group, causing all of them to tumble down the cliff.

"Oof!"

"Ah!"

"Ow!"

With a thump, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Sam, Robin, and Peyton all landed in a crumpled heap.

"Ooh, that was close," Pippin called out cheerfully.

Merry groaned. "Oh, I think I've broken something." Robin tried hard to stifle her laughter as he pulled out a carrot from beneath him, neatly split in half.

"And who might you be?" Merry asked. Robin was never good at refraining from laughter.

"I'm Robin," she said, giggling as she added, "And that is my friend, Peyton." She pointed to the crumpled heap on the ground, groaning as it sat up. Peyton had leaves and twigs entwined in her hair and looked just as irritated as Sam, who was right next to her.

"Trust a Brandybuck and a Took," Sam grumbled, brushing himself off.

"What?" Merry asked indignantly. "It was just a detour. A shortcut."

"A shortcut to what?" Peyton asked, annoyed.

"Mushrooms!" Pippin exclaimed. Merry, Robin, and Sam quickly rushed over to him. Peyton, not really wanting to eat wild mushrooms, glanced over at Frodo, cautiously walking up the road.

"I think we should get off the road," he said thoughtfully. The hobbits ignored him, but Peyton stood up and joined him on the road.

Suddenly, a wind swirled down the road, and a bone-chilling shriek filled the air. Frodo's eyes widened. "Get off the road!"

Quickly the hobbits abandoned the mushrooms, Frodo and Peyton following. All six of them crammed into a ditch under one large tree root. Frodo looked up through the roots and saw a horse's black hoof step down.

Robin inched closer to Merry as a thump was heard, signaling that the rider had dismounted. The rider bent down, placing its hands on the tree roots directly above them. It seemed to sniff the air like a dog tracking someone. Peyton was trying to avoid the spiders and centipedes hurrying away. Suddenly Frodo felt an overwhelming urge to put on the Ring. His eyes closed as he fingered the ring. Both Sam and Peyton noticed this and quickly slapped his hands, snapping him out of it. Then Robin grabbed the bag of mushrooms and threw it in a general direction away from where they sat. The rider, hearing the sound, mounted his horse and left with another ear-splitting scream.

The six scurried away as fast as they could. Presently, they stopped to rest. "What was that?" Merry asked, scared out of his wits. Frodo paused, breathing heavily, glancing at the ring he still held in his hand.

~o*o*o*o~

Night had fallen. Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Sam, Robin, and Peyton hurried as fast as they could through the forest, darting behind trees, trying to keep out of sight. Often, a piercing shriek was heard, making their blood run cold.

"Anything?" Sam asked anxiously, peering out with Frodo from behind a tree.

"Nothing," Frodo replied.

Pippin, who had used up the last of his energy long ago, stumbled up behind them. "What is going on?" he asked.

Merry confronted Frodo, a suspicious glint in his eye. "That black rider was looking for something. Or someone." He turned, looking Frodo in the eye. "Frodo?"

"Get down!" Peyton shouted. A Black Rider was silhouetted against the moon. Its horse whinnied as it turned and left.

"I have to leave the Shire," Frodo said, a desperate look on his face. "Sam, Peyton, Robin, and I must get to Bree."

Merry nodded his head. "Right. Bucklebury Ferry. Follow me." He sprinted off through the trees, the others closed behind. Suddenly, a Rider appeared in front of Frodo. It emitted another shriek as the horse reared, trying to trample the poor hobbit.

"Run!" shouted Pippin.

"Frodo!" Merry yelled over the racket. "This way! Follow me!"

"Frodo!" Peyton called, looking over her shoulder. More Riders were on their trail.

"Follow me!" Merry repeated.

"RUN!" screamed Robin.

Quickly they hopped over a gate and ran as fast as their legs could carry them to the dock. Unfortunately, Frodo and Robin were farther behind that the others. Sam, Peyton, Merry, and Pippin reached the ferry before them. Immediately, they began preparing the little raft for departure.

"Get the rope, Sam," Merry ordered. Out of all the hobbits, he could control boats and watercraft the best.

"Frodo!" shouted Sam as he untied a rope attaching the ferry to the dock.

"Robin!" yelled Peyton as she undid the other rope.

"Run!" Pippin hollered as Frodo and Robin neared the ferry. The Riders were closing in on them.

"Come on! Come on!" they urged as the ferry began to drift away.

"No!" Frodo and Robin yelled, and with a great leap, they landed on the raft. The Rider skidded to a halt, turned around, and joined his fellow creatures of darkness.

"How far to the nearest crossing?" Frodo asked worriedly.

"Brandywine Bridge, twenty miles," Merry informed him.

Needless to say, no one rested during the trip across the river. They were too scared.

Merry and Pippin finally appear in the story!

Sorry if you wanted to see more of Kayden and Aragorn. I believe they will be in the next chapter.

Please review!

Thank you to all those that already did!