I am so sorry it took me so long to write this! I just took a huge break from writing altogether. But now I'm back! Thank you for everyone who reviewed and followed and favourited! And to answer your question, Emmie, yes there will be smut eventually :D I'm keeping it rated T for now until I get to that part, then I'll change the rating to M. Thank you again for reading!

Chapter 4: Separated

Night was falling and the Hobbits' hearts were still troubled by the terrifying Riders. Holly and Frodo were holding hands while walking alongside their other companions. It was a natural thing for them, considering how close they'd always been ever since they were very young children. It was their only comfort in the lonely chilling night.

"Alright," Sam whispered after a small sigh, "I think we've lost them."

Holly felt Frodo's previously tight grip on her hand loosen up a bit.

"What is going on here?" Pippin asked whoever might know.

Merry picked up his pace to get next to Frodo and Holly.

"That Black Rider was looking for something," he then stepped in front of Frodo, looking him in the eyes, "or someone."

Before Frodo could reply, he felt a sudden tug. Holly then hurriedly dragged him in an alarming manner.

"Hide!"

The urgency in her voice made the others quickly follow her without question. It was then that they realized that a Black Rider was near. They ducked, concealed by the tall grass, holding their breath. The Black Rider walked by, not noticing them. When he was far enough, the Hobbits quickly got up and started quickly walking away. The deafening sound of a horse's angry neighing made their hearts almost stop then beat at a dangerous speed. The Black Rider had seen them. Others quickly joined him and starting chasing after the Hobbits who didn't waste any time running away. Holly and Frodo had let go of each other's hand to be able to run faster. Merry and Pippin were at the lead. The group ran without looking back at their chasers.

"Follow me! To the Bucklebury Ferry!" Merry exclaimed as he ran.

They all reached a nearby river. Without stopping, Merry and Pippin jumped to the nearby ferry and started undoing the rope while the others caught up. Sam leaped on it as well and then turned around to see where his two remaining companions were. Frodo was almost there and Holly was right behind him. The waves then started carrying the ferry further away from the shore.

"Frodo! Holly!" Sam shouted and extended his hand towards them.

Frodo took a huge leap, barely making it on the ferry. Sam hurriedly pulled him up and extended his hand for Holly. It was then that he realized that it would be impossible for her to jump so far.

"Holly!" Frodo screamed at the top of his lungs.

Holly was starting to panic, but she knew that she'd be done for if she stayed there.

"Don't worry about me," she exclaimed while running off along the riverside, "I'll catch up somehow!"

Not paying attention to Holly, the Black Riders tried following the ferry, but the horses soon retreated, afraid of the current. In the meantime, Holly was able to hide behind a large tree, waiting for the Riders to leave. Soon enough, they gave up and turned around. Holly let a sigh of relief escape from her mouth. She peeked at the other side of the river and saw her fellow Hobbits get off the ferry. Frodo stayed there, looking at the other side, hoping to see Holly, but Sam soon pulled him along.

Holly smiled in relief. They were all safe. Now she just had to find a way across. She pulled herself together and started walking along the shore, in hopes of getting to shallow enough part to cross. She walked up the current for quite a while.

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Holly looked up ahead and saw her ray of hope. The river wasn't shallow, but there were rocks that protruded from the tumultuous currents. Holly knew that that was her closest way across.

The Hobbit carefully jumped over on the first rock. After stabilizing herself, she jumped to the next one, then the next… She finally made the last jump and landed on the other side. Now all she had to do was to make it to Bree. She had been there a few times to deliver some pipe-weed. She knew that she was close.

After making it past the forest, Holly found herself in front of a huge gate. Seeing the familiar sight made her anxiousness ease up a bit. She knocked on the gate, awaiting to be welcomed by the gatekeeper.

After a short wait, a man opened a small window at the top.

"Hello?"

Not seeing anyone, he closed it and moved to a lower window.

"Another Hobbit?" He said as he looked more closely at the visiter. "Oh! Miss Holly. Here for a pipe-weed delivery?"

"No, sir, not this time," she giggled, "I just need to get to the Prancing Pony."

"You too? Are you meeting up with the other four?"

Holly's face lit up as she realized who he must be talking about.

"Yes! That's right!"

"Come on in."

He opened the gate for her. After thanking him, Holly went on her way to the Prancing Pony, eager to see Frodo and the others again.

When she arrived there, she was welcomed by the strong smell of alcohol and smoke. The bartender, noticing the newcomer, welcomed her.

"If it isn't Miss Holly!" He gave her a grin. "I don't remember ordering any pipe-weed recently."

"I'm not here for that, this time," Holly replied. "Have you seen four other Hobbits come in here, by any chance?"

The bartender's face became serious.

"Yes, I did. They came here asking to see Gandalf the Grey."

"So they're here?"

"Well, not exactly… One of them created quite a scene, you see."

Holly looked at the bartender questioningly.

"What happened?"

"Well," the man tried to find words to explain what had happened, "he just disappeared all of a sudden, into thin air. At least, that's what some people are saying. I saw the others going up the stairs to the rooms over there."

He pointed at the stairs at the back of the rowdy room. Holly nodded at him and went there too.

When she made her way all the way up, she heard voices. More specifically, she heard Frodo's voice alongside a stranger's voice.

"Frodo!" She called out as she approached the room where the voices were coming from.

There was a moment of silence after she called his name, then…

"Holly!"

Frodo burst out of the room, hugging his friend tightly. Tears started flowing down her face.

"You're alright! You're all alright!" Holly hiccuped in the middle of her sentence. "I was so scared…"

"Keep it down, you two," a calm voice came from inside the room as a human man came out of it.

He had mid-length wavy brown hair and pale blue eyes. A beard and moustache were slightly grown out, framing his rugged face.

"Who…?" Holly looked at Frodo for answers.

"No time to explain that," the man said in his calm soothing voice, "we have to go, the Black Riders probably sensed the ring."

The Hobbits all followed the man out of the Prancing Pony and into an inn across the road. There, the man paid for a room where they all went to rest for the night.

Across the street, in the room they were in, the Black Riders broke in and stabbed the beds, having sensed the ring's power there. Finding no one, they screeched in anger, sending chills to anyone that heard them. The Hobbits woke up from the terrifying sound. The man looked, however, unperturbed.

"What are they?" Frodo whispered in fear.

"They were once men," the man answered Frodo in the same quiet voice. "Great Kings of Men. The Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed they took them without question. One by one falling into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will. They are the Nazgul. Ringwraiths. Neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the ring. Drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you."

Holly bit her lower lip, thinking of her friend's fate. Frodo looked fearfully down at the ring. How long did he have to carry this thing around?

Thank you for everything and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Review and tell me what you think!