Oh boy, almost end of the story! Maybe one or two chapters, and then I'll be done. Or maybe the next chapter, and then the story's done. :( Yeah, I know, this story is too short to be good, but...oh well. Each chapter is slightly shorter than I want it to be as well.

Enjoy this one, and review please! (Next chapter may be the last one) Thanks to all who read this story! :D

~littledragoneyes

Chapter 4:

I learned one thing today: life isn't sweet. It's bittersweet. Bitter and sweet, see?

The snow began to clear from our path, thankfully. I was wondering if I'd ever feel warm, dry land again. Night had fallen, or else it was the dark shadows of the mountains that loomed over us. I was pretty sure it was both. We came to a dark, slimy place, until we found a stone wall.

I wasn't interested with what they were speaking. I was tenser about the lake than getting inside. Something about it was too still. Too dark. I was getting cold shivers down my spine every now and then just looking at it. I wish they'd hurry up and get us inside, before something in that thing comes up and attacks us all.

As Gandalf was chanting perplexing words, Aragorn approached both Sam and I."Mines are no place for a pony. Even one so brave as Bill." He said quietly, taking off the baggage on me, and setting it on the ground. Sam just stared back and forth and me and the ranger, before reluctantly stroking my nose and saying, "Bye bye Bill." Immediately I felt weight come off my weary shoulders and I felt much better.

I blinked. What the heck was going on here? What were they doing? Aragorn patted my shoulder and nudged me a bit, as if saying "Go home, take a break, and live life like you're meant to be, kiddo." I didn't want to do it. But if they wanted me to do it, sure, fine, I'll go along with it. I trotted along, leaving behind the group without casting a second glance.

Traveling once more was more than normal for me now. I was used to it. But going somewhere without someone leading the way - now that's different. First of all, I didn't even know where to go. So I decided to head back home. Back to Bree, and hopefully not to Bill Ferny but someone else. Like that chubby man. Rivendell would be the second place I head to, if Bree wasn't an option for me. I took a wild guess and followed the moon, where it was heading.

The terrain became much rugged once more. There weren't many trees in sight, just bare land, rocks, and small bushes. Not even much grass anyways. How long I traveled and stopped was when I ate. You had to go long miles for food.

Oh, how I wished to be back in Rivendell once more, and enjoy the soft comforts of just standing in a stall, talking to your friends, and having food right at your nose. Traveling without food, friends, or shelter was miserable and lonely. But nothing was more miserable than being with Bill Ferny, I reminded myself constantly, and that made me keep going forward.

I squinted in the bright sunlight after a few days of traveling. I was more than weary and tired. I was more than exhausted. I was…more than exhausted. I couldn't find the right word for it at the moment, but that didn't matter. In the air I sniffed something extraordinarily rare. I saw something that wasn't around here for miles. I could hear something that I had longed to hear since Rivendell – a river.

It was broad and large, almost out of place due to the appearance of the rugged, dry terrain. I put on a burst of speed to my walking, not wanting to miss this rare river and wake up, having it all to be a dream. But it wasn't. I jumped right in, feeling cool water splash onto my legs and shoulders. It was refreshing, washing away the dirt and sweat.

Then I dipped my head down, drinking in all the water I could have. My mouth relinquished the feel, savoring it, taking in as much as I could. Finally, when I needed to go back up for air, I took a look at my surroundings. It was a river, alright, and a pretty big one too. It flowed down from the mountains, probably melted snow now flowing. The water glittered with the sunlight, making me squint.

How many more days to go until I get to Bree? I couldn't tell. Maybe...from my experiences, a good couple of more days. I dove back into the water again, memorizing the feel, and taking a great gulp of water before I was back on the road to home.

For the next few days, I was lonely. I wish I had Alfie or Asfaloth with me. I'd even give for Lace or Evita.

After a few more miles, I collasped in weariness besides a few bushes. I wish I was back at that river, drinking and playing. My gaze traveled from the darkening horizon to the already twinkling stars. I stared at them, like diamonds embroidered into a dark silk, playing with different lights. A bigger star, a very bright one as well, glittered with radiant starlight. I wonder if Alfie or Asfaloth or even Sam were looking at those same stars right now. I shifted my weight to get a more comfortable position, snuggling in next to the bushes, no doubt hiding a few birds.

My head rested on my knees nicely, but it was cold. My breath came out in puffs of fog. I wished I could feel Sam's warmth leaning against me, his chest rising with each breath he took when we slept together. I could almost feel him talking to me. I closed my eyes, my imagination imagining that Alfie was gently snoring in the stall next to me. Asfaloth would be murmuring in his sleep, while the rest of the horses in the barn at Rivendell would be sniggering at him, and I would be too.

But here, I was out in the wilderness, with no shelter, friends or warmth. Sure, there was grass, along with a bit of moisture, but nobody to rely on. I had to be independent on here.

Darkness swirled around me, easily taking me into sleepiness. My breathing slowed, and I felt more relaxed than I ever had before. Before I knew it, sleep came over me faster than I could take it.

It was bright again.

I opened my eyes, not feeling at all up to waking up. I wish I could sleep for at least an hour longer. That's what I did in Rivendell.

But the thought of Rivendell made me think of Asfaloth, and the thought of my friend made me think of Alfie, and then I thought of Bree.

And then - I remembered my new mission: get back to Bree.

I groaned to myself, but pushed my body up with four hooves, wobbling slightly. Might as well start now, if the sun isn't too high. I could rest later. Spying a stalk of grass, I trotted over and gobbled it up eagerly, filling my waiting and slightly impatient stomach.

Then I started my journey. I knew Bree couldn't be too far, could it? Just had to keep going.

I made a deal with myself. For every hour of walking, trotting, cantering, galloping - whatever suited me and my amount of energy - I would eat. And it would keep going. It was like that for a while. My weary pony muscles were screaming, sweat dripping off me. I kicked up puffs of dirt whenever I stumbled. My pants came in ragged breaths. I must be getting too old for this. But then, I reminded myself. C'mon, Bill. You're only about ten years old. Most ponies or horses live up to about twenty to thirty years, you're not that old.

I may not be old to live out my life in whatever way I desired it to be, but I was feeling old in experience at weariness.

Then came my mini break time, and I had to almost drag myself to the next stalk of grass. I chomped down on it hungrily, and my mouth felt the need for water. I looked around.

There wasn't water.

Water was way back, maybe twenty miles or so, behind me.

Water would be up ahead. There had to be a river somewhere. Or maybe I would have to wait until Bree, or worse, Bree wouldn't have much hospitality for me and I would have to head back to Rivendell.

But what caught my gaze wasn't that there wasn't water.

There were hills. I stared at it. I hadn't seen hills in a bit. All I was looking at was a flat horizon, with barren land and rough terrain. This was definitely something different. Hopefully they had grass?

Stumbling forward, with a parched mouth, I broke into a canter, summoning the last bit of energy I had. I was running low on it and I knew it. The hills neared, and there were, to my happiness, patches of green in parts of it. But it seemed lonely and sad, all by itself with its other hills. I ran up one, and down the other, to meet up with another hill. Up, and down I went, occasionally stopping to eat some of the green patches.

And then the hills came to an end. I looked back at the hills, seeing the hoofprints I made in the dirt, the path I made in the grass when I plowed right through them. With a chuckle, I returned to flat land and kept going forward.

My head felt nauseous. I didn't feel good at all today when I woke up. Was it something I ate?

I got up and stumbled. My head felt light and woozy, while my stomach felt like it was dragging me down to the ground. Like a bird trying to fly but a chain was holding it down to the ground, so it couldn't fly.

I made a few steps forward, bending down to eat. My legs were wobbly, and I had to regain balance every few seconds. I was pretty sure I ate something that I wasn't supposed to eat...

I squinted in the distance. Bree. Was so far away. I could just make out tiny lumps in the distance, no doubt, buildings of Bree. But not far away, to my left, was a road. Dusty, dirty and dry. I crossed part of the land just to make it to the road, my head still spinning.

Every step was dreadful. Every step I had to drag myself across the dust. I was sore and achy all over.

I swallowed, but couldn't. There wasn't anything to swallow. I was in desperate need for water.

The last thing I could remember was me dragging myself to Bree, where somebody found me on the road, tired to every last inch of my body and bone. I remember some shouting, and then a blurry gaze of someone looking down at me, and..

*gasp* Sorry to leave you at that bit of point where you have to wait to see what happens to Bill!

Hope he turns out alright.

And will he ever see Alfie, Asfaloth or Sam ever again?

Or is he stuck with Bill Ferny?

Review please! :D

Cheers,

littledragoneyes