So! Chapter 4! Well, I would like to say it's a bit more interesting than a few of the last ones, at least I hope it is :p anyways, enjoy. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

After some time of waiting… as patiently as I could, I heard a loud crash as the gate was knocked down. 5 nazgul charged into Bree, crushing the gate keeper.

I saw a flicker in the window above me, and smirked in a birdy way as the wraiths fell for the trap I had so brilliantly come up with, though of course Strider got all the credit. I snorted and shivers as they realised they had been fooled. The lights from the room above me dimmed and I leaned up, peering through it with one huge, golden eye. My dark brown feathers fluffed up in the wind and I sniffed with disgust as the nazguls horses whinnied and stomped.

I heard Strider quickly order the hobbits to leave and I dived into the shadows as the halflings and man left the Prancing Pony Inn.

I am not a cross country bird. My endurance, to be completely honest, was atrocious. But I would never say that to anyone!

The green grass smelt sweet to my nostrils as I crept through the forest out skirting the fell prairie.

An apple hit me on the head just as I heard Pippin ask about something called 'second breakfast' and 'elevenses'.

I scowled at the ranger and he smirked back cockily. Oh, when I get my talons on him! I crushed a log between my claws, eyeing him as I did so. He furrowed his brows and turned around.

1 point to me, 0 to Strider.

My feet felt like they would drop off at any moment.

I cawed unhappily and secretly smiled as the halflings jumped out of their skins. I blinked slowly and carried on, tripping over roots and sticks in my way.

How I longed for the sky, its soft breezes carrying the clouds through the open blue. I thought back to the dark Rangers promise; how he could heal my wing long enough for me to fly for a few hours. Hopefully by hours he meant days.

Finally, we came across a bunch of ruins. Strider said something about their name, but… I don't really care.

He handed the halflings, who may I just remind you have no idea how to swing a stick, let alone an inch thick razor sharp piece of steel! They would end up killing themselves!

Strider excused himself, saying he was going to 'take a look around' or something like that. He came over to me.

"Well, Princess, look after them while I'm gone," he sneered. I rolled my eyes and shuffled my ombré feathers, practically collapsing onto the hard stone beneath us.

"Will do."

I was flying. The breeze caught my wings, lifting me higher. The altitude caused tiny blankets of frost to adorn my speckled feathers.

Then suddenly I was flying through smoke. It was so dark, so grey and dismal. I couldn't see anything! I shuddered and a loud roar echoed through The space.

I coughed as the tiny particles clustered in my lungs. Then I was falling. I couldn't move my body. I fell, and fell, and fell.

The sound of shouting woke me from my fretful dream with a start. Beads of sweat rolled down my beak and into my mouth, causing me to spit them out and cough. My throat was raspy and dry. The ranger peered at me, then at the halflings who were surrounded by the 5 wraiths.

"Go to them, " I said hoarsely. He shook his head and knelt down beside me, where he grabbed my wing and straightened it out. I flinched, pulling away and pulling him to his feet.

"Would you stop? I'm trying to help you!" He shouted, gathering the attention from the nazgul. The hobbits saw there chance. Or, at least, Sam did. He charged and got swiped away with a simple flick. I winced out of pain for myself and him as he hit the wall and the Ranger applied a pulpy medicine to the cut.

Within seconds I felt a knew energy filling my body, and I struggled to my feet, nodding at Strider.

Stretching my wings out, within a couple of flaps I was up in the air. Oh how good it felt to be free! I dived down and landed in front of the halflings, my wings open and arched, to shield them.

"Step away from them!" I cried to the wraiths, snapping with my beak. They took a step back, then continued advancing. I snarled and grabbed one by the head, swinging it around and flinging it into the wall.

I heard a cry of terror from behind me, and turned to see the 3 hobbits cowering in a corner over an injured Frodo. I hissed and kicked at the attacker who had just stabbed Frodo.

It landed and sent it flying into another crumbling piece of the ruins, which proceeded to collapse on it.

"Whose next?" I spat at the remaining nazgul. They growled at me, but made no attempt forward. I spun round to see faces of fear and awe.

"w-what… W-who are y-you?" Sam asked, eyes wide. I chirped sweetly, bending down to face them.

"I am your protector," I answered softly, "And protect all of you is what I will do."

He looked like he was about to say something. But time seemed to stop. The shadows stopped dancing on the walls. The halflings stopped breathing. I turned to see Strider brandishing a torch and sword. He had stopped moving too.

Some,thing was wrong. My bones creaked in the silence uneasily. This was… Strange. I cannot even describe it. It felt like the world had stopped. I was the only thing… Alive, moving.

Then a faint whisper told me otherwise.

It was a tiny, ash grey moth, fluttering next to my head. I turned towards it, just making out the faint words it was speaking, in a strange language I had never before heard. Yet, somehow, I understood it!

'Asweq nuy intreh jikolp Gandalf Estre Isengard' it said softly. 'Go now, to help Gandald in Isengard'

I twitched my wings, their pearly under feathers softly stroking the moths antennae.

'Muniy, Utsyer' I muttered under my breath.

I honestly have no idea how I knew what I was saying. But, it felt natural. Like it was the language of my ancestors. It was in my blood, and I had to answer the call of the messenger.