A bit short but enjoy anyway

A small room far away from the halls that predicted the fate of the intruders, two others sat and thought in a moody silence. Flopping down on to the bed in the corner, one of them spoke.

"I want to help them."

The girl pranced over and prodded him.

"What was he like?"

"Who?"

"The elf!"

"Oh."

After a few seconds he sat up and gazed at the door.

"They were both really nice Ne. But my dad said we have to listen to the mayor. He says they're bad."

Pointing her chin up definitely, she crossed her arms. Then she sat down next to him.

"I don't care, my mam would want us to help. The man was nice. It's not right to do what they do to people."

The boy looked at her sideways. He knew they would be doing this. She would never give in to the command, even if it was from authority. Ne was hard headed like that. Besides, Freed also wanted to help. Wasn't that the reason he had went to visit them in the first place? If anything, it had only strengthened his resolve.

He would help.

"They'll probably be put in the square. That's what they often do. And that's when we will get them out. It will be easier at night. Though we'll have to wait a day so we know when it's best to start. If it's not too late."

Leaping back off the bed he earlier collapsed on to, he turned back around to Sunine and held out his hand.

Taking Freed's hand she leaped up.

"Well, let's start then. Do you think there's time for any food. I'm awfully peckish."

A WARM WELCOME

He hated this plan.

It was the single worst idea he had ever heard.

Therefore, it came to no surprise to him that it was that daft ranger and imbecile of an elf who had come up with it.

Gimli passed the stick of wood between his hands nervously, really wishing it was the handle of his axe instead of a flimsy, unlit wooden torch. Going over the plan in his head he couldn't help but point out all the flaws.

The fellowship and the villagers would carry it out. It was a small miracle the villagers would go near them let alone help! That woman really had some influence over the people here. Then they had lure the shadow into the village, because that wasn't risky. Somehow, they then had to encircle it with flaming torches being held by them without being possessed or something. Then they had to trap it until day where they could deal with it without it using the night as a strength. What could possibly go wrong. Oh, wait, also the villagers have no clue of the whole plan in case they reject it and cause a problem.

Did Gimli say he hated this plan?

Because he really, really hated this plan.

"I hate this plan."

Boromir looked at him out of the corner of his eye and smiled.

"It leaves a lot to be desired doesn't it."

A grunt was the only response Gimli gave him. Crossing his arms, Gimli narrowed his eyes at the border where a single fire pit remained cold. Several people lined the street from the entrance up to the centre, all holding fully luminescent sticks. Many of them looked confused. And young. Too young for such a plan.

Still, they did what was asked of them.

Gimli and Boromir were waiting to be part of the group that caught the shadow. Excepting the hobbits, who were moved out of concern for their welfare, all of the fellowship was prepared to do the potentially most dangerous job. And that said something. As Gimli said: the plan wasn't fool proof. And the entirety of the collection of people were, debatably, fools.

Gandalf was sitting on a bench, staff on one side, torch the other. He had been against the plan from the start but, unwilling to use magic, made no move to prevent it.

Glóin's son fought with his self control to keep himself from pacing.

What if the shadow didn't turn up? Did anyone consider this? Because Gimli wasn't waiting for a creature that wouldn't show up.

Two more hours in and Gimli had light his torch in preparation and sat with Frodo on the outskirts of the square.

"Do you think it's ever going to show up?"

Snapping out of his musings and switching thoughts to the question passed to him he pondered. It hadn't appeared yet. Maybe it knew it would be walking into a trap. Perhaps it had left or didn't care anymore. A few hours longer and the light of dawn would begin to rise.

"Some point."

It was the best answer he could give without seeming hopeless. To his surprise, Frodo laughed.

"Whatever's the matter?"

Straightening, Frodo looked at Gimli with true happiness in his eyes, something that was starting to to become less frequent.

"Nothing, nothing. Just the same effect as Gandalf's words have but without anywhere near as many of them. I wonder why he doesn't do anything."

Despite the urge to hold back his words Gimli knew Frodo was not a child and wasn't stupid.

"You know why. He won't put anything in danger."

Frodo's hand instinctively went to the chain around his throat and he seemed to wilt.

"I know. But I wish he would help. Maybe not for that awful Kerin, but Sunine and Freed don't deserve this. Neither do their children."

"Middle Earth must come first."

Seeing the effect his words had on the hobbit, Gimli ushered him towards Sam who, upon picking up on his master's distress, lead him off to cheer him up. He then went back to his stationary position waiting and let his mind wonder.

A WARM WELCOME

A call erupted from the gates and all the torches were pushed into a wall of light. The villagers could almost see the shadow pulse along the floor. Their boundary held, most of them too scared to move even if they wanted to, stuck to the spot in fear.

It squirmed along the path at an alarming pace. Never pausing but occasionally looping back. The road behind it was creeping up after it, shutting off with a merging beacon. It was silent but a deep, rough growl filled the village. The presence felt big but only a thin shadow snaked along the floor.

When Gimli saw it he didn't know what to think. Therefore he tried to function according to the plan without putting much thought in. He completed the circle and slowly it became trapped in a shrinking ring. Now the only thing to do was wait.

A weird feeling came over him. Almost like the shadow was watching him. Of course, that was impossible. The creature had no eyes. Then it appeared to shrink. It contained itself in a small ball in the center of its prison.

Over the few hours of darkness left, it did nothing but stay there. Gandalf too weary to approach before dawn.

Just as light broke over the hills and Gimli blinked the sleep away the shadow wisps started shrinking. Fixing his eyes on the smudge he called out to the istari.

"Gandalf! It's shrinking!"

He stumbled over behind Gimli holding a copper jar in one hand and staff in the other.

"Good, I just need to contain it now."

The hobbits crowded behind him, looking on in fascination. Gandalf opened his mouth to mutter words of power when the shadow burst.

Black shards shot into the air and a tornado grew. Tendrils striked out, causing the streets to crack and the villagers to scatter. Only two or three other then the fellowship remained, weapons drawn. Axe in hand Gimli inwardly sighed.

He really hated this plan.

I hate exams. The next chapter may be shorter as well. Sorry for the cliffhanger. Well...

A warm welcome will happen. Not yet, but I can tell you that it will be in the Shire with Sam as requested. Please be patient.