Chapter Six
Still Rowan POV
Now I'm mad. We've been running from that stupid rider for hours. We started running when it was light outside. Now it's dark. I don't like it. I constantly looked over my shoulder. There was a screech. I started to scream, but Frodo covered my mouth.
"Stop with the screaming." He muttered. We walked on.
"Not my fault I'm scared." I muttered back. Frodo stopped by a tree.
"Anything?" Sam asked.
"Nothing." Frodo answered.
"What is going on?" Pippin asked, as he kneeled over to take a breath.
"That Black Rider was looking for something. Or someone." Merry said, walking over to Frodo. "Frodo?" Frodo looked at him.
"Get down!" Sam yelled. We looked forward, and then jumped down. The Rider stopped. It looked around, and then trotted off on his horse.
"I have to leave the Shire. Sam, Rowan, and I must get to Bree." Frodo said. Merry nodded.
"Right." He said. His eyes lightened with a sudden realization. "Bucklebury Ferry. Follow me." We all got up to run, and as we were, the Rider came out of the shadows. We stopped, and then started to scramble about.
"I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared!" I yelled. The Rider's horse reared up in front of me. I screamed.
"Run!" Pippin yelled.
"This way! Follow me!" Merry yelled, trying to avoid the Rider.
"Run!" Pippin yelled again. We jumped over a fence and made our way to the ferry.
"Get the rope, Sam!" Merry said. Sam undid the rope, and then we realized Frodo wasn't with us.
"Frodo!" Sam yelled.
"Run, Frodo!" Pippin yelled.
"Go!" Frodo yelled at us. Sam kicked the small raft to make it start floating away.
"Hurry!"
"Frodo, come on!" Merry yelled.
"Come on! Faster!" Sam yelled. Frodo was closing in on us, as was the Rider.
"Jump!" Pippin yelled. I didn't want to speak. Frankly, I was as scared as moth that got its wing caught in a flame. Frodo leaped, and was caught him as he barreled onto the raft. The Rider stopped and screeched. He turned his horse, and left.
"How far to the nearest crossing?" Frodo asked.
"The Brandywine Bridge." Merry answered. "20 miles."
We watched as that Rider joined two more just like him.
"How many are there?" I asked.
"Just three, I'm hoping." Frodo answered.
Later
It was raining. Frodo looked around.
"Come on." He said, and then he walked up to the gate, the rest of us in tow.
"I don't like rain..." I muttered.
"Shh." Merry told me. Frodo knocked on the gate. The opening above our heads opened up, and then the one that was our height opened up.
"What do you want?" a grumpy old man asked. His face was worn, as if it had stood the tests of time.
"We're heading for the Prancing Pony." Frodo answered. The gate opened, and the man held up a lantern.
"Hobbits." He said, surprised. "Five Hobbits! What's more, out of the Shire by your talk. What business brings you to Bree?"
"We wish to stay at the inn. Our business is our own."
The man nodded. "Alright, young sir, I meant no offense. It's my job to ask questions after nightfall." He stood to the side so that we could enter. "There's talk of strange folk abroad. Can't be too careful." He shut the gate as Merry and Pippin got in. People stumbled around, drunk.
"This isn't a nice place. Like, at all." I said. Something smacked me on the back of the head. I looked up, and saw someone actually dumping out their food that just looked nasty.
"Out of the way! Watch where you're walking!" someone yelled at us. Finally, we spotted the sign that said The Prancing Pony. We walked in, and immediately greeted by the sounds of laughter and the smells of pipeweed, sweat, and a bit of filth. We took off our hoods, and shook our heads out a bit. Then, we walked up to the desk.
"Excuse me." Frodo said. I took his hand. A big bellied man with dark hair and sideburns looked down at us.
"Good evening little masters and mistress. What can I do for you? If you're looking for accommodation, we got some nice, cozy Hobbit-sized rooms available. Always proud to cater to the Little Folk, Mister...uh..?"
"Underhill. My name's Underhill. This is my wife, Diamond."
I smiled and waved.
"Underhill, yes." The man said.
"We're friends of Gandalf the Grey. Can you tell him we've arrived?"
"Gandalf? Gandalf." The man looked into space for a minute, and then said, "Oh, yes! I remember! Elderly chap! Big grey beard, pointy hat."
Frodo and I nodded.
"Not seen him for six months." The man told us. We huddled into a little circle.
"What do we do now?" Sam asked.
Later
Well, we ended up getting a table. I sat next to Frodo, who sat next to Sam.
"Sam, Rowan," Frodo said. "He'll be here. He'll come." Frodo mainly said that because we looked disappointed.
Merry weaved himself from people to make it back to our table. He held up a mug. It wasn't even a mug. It was bigger than a mug.
"What's that?" Pippin asked, wide-eyed.
"This, my friend, is a pint." Merry said, smiling.
"It comes in pints?" Merry made a 'yes' sound. He was drinking the ale. "I'm getting one." Pippin stood.
"You got a whole half already!" Sam told him. I rolled my eyes.
"Pippin, Pippin, Pippin... What are we going to do with him?" I asked.
"Keep him. We can't leave him." Frodo said. I shook my head. Frodo lightly kissed me, and then pulled away when Sam said—
"That fellow's done nothing but stare at you since we arrived."
Frodo and I noticed a hooded figure in the back corner smoking a pipe. The man from earlier walked by. "Excuse me." Frodo said. He stopped and looked at him. "That man in the corner. Who is he?"
The man looked at the figure in the corner, and then looked at us. "He's one of them Rangers. They're dangerous folk, they are, wandering the Wilds. What his right name is, I've never heard, but around here he's known as Strider." The man left.
"Strider." Frodo repeated. He twiddled the Ring in his fingers and his eyes closed.
"Baggins? Bracegirdle? Sure, I know a Baggins and a Bracegirdle, of course her name isn't Bracegirdle, but she's related to one. Over there. Frodo Baggins and Rowan Whitfoot." Pippin waved at us as we looked at him in horror. "Frodo's my second cousin, once removed on his mother's side, and my third cousin, twice removed..."
"Now can we leave him?" I asked as Frodo ran over to him. Frodo grabbed his arm.
"Pippin!" he yelled.
"Steady on, Frodo!" Pippin said, as Frodo fell back. Something came out of his hand-the Ring-and then he disappeared. We all looked at each other as Pippin faced away from us. A few minutes later, Frodo reappeared, and the Ranger-Strider-walked over to him, and dragged him to another room.
