Chapter 12

Unpleasant Encounters

Sirius, Lupin and Tonks were lost.

They had strayed from the main road only to find a burnt-down village, and couldn't remember how to get back again. Sirius was moodier than ever, and Tonks spent her time trying to liven things up by singing and talking, which only made Sirius worse. Lupin ignored them and tried to think of something to get them out of their mess.

They had all lost track of time since leaving the road. They had just about given up hope of finding some place with food when Tonks heard hoof beats in the distance. "I swear that's a horse!" she cried.

"Then there might be a person on it," Sirius said, scanning the area.

"And it might not be a good person," Lupin pointed out.

"Right," Sirius said. "It sounds like they're coming toward us, but they're too far away to see us yet. Let's hide back here until they get closer and we can see who it is."

An unusually large boulder in the middle of nowhere proved an excellent hiding place for the three as Sirius peeked over the top, waiting for the horse to get closer. He had been right; not only was there a person on the horse, it was headed right for them.

"It's a man," Sirius whispered to the other two. "I…I can't see him very well…hold on…he's got this big shield on his back and he's wearing all this fancy stuff…probably somebody important…"

"Does he look nice?" Tonks asked.

"I don't know, but this might be our only chance to ask for directions," Sirius said.

"All right then," Lupin said. "Let's go."

The three stepped out from behind the rock. The man on horseback slowed to a stop in front of them. He looked very happy to see them.

"Greetings, friends!" he called. "I travel from Gondor on errand to a land called Imladris, an elf-haven on the other side of the Misty Mountains. I have lost my guide and the main road, and for many days I have been traveling without finding it. Can you assist me?"

All three hearts sank. "We're lost, too," Tonks said glumly. "We were hoping you could give us directions."

"Oh," the man said, looking upset. "Well…I cannot help you much, although I believe I know the general direction of things. Are you Rohirrim? For you do not look it…"

"We aren't Rohirrim," Sirius said. "We came here from a town called Bree."

"Bree? Hmm…I have never heard of it. But then again, I do not often venture so far from Gondor. Wait! I never introduced myself, did I? I am Boromir, son of the Steward Denethor, of Minas Tirith."

Lupin bowed his head respectfully. Tonks and Sirius followed his example. This pleased Boromir. "Travelers, where is it you wish to go?" he asked curiously.

"To Isengard," Sirius replied.

"Isengard?" Boromir repeated. "Yes, I have heard of this place…you are not far from Isengard, if my knowledge of that land is correct. There is a great wizard who lives there, or so I have heard."

"We have business with him," Sirius said.

"Ah," Boromir said, trying not to look suspicious. "I see…well, I may not be able to give you directions to Isengard, but I do know where you can find someone to help you. Edoras, capital of Rohan, is not far from here. The Rohirrim are friendly with the wizard in Isengard, or so I believe, and their lands are far too close together not to know where the other is. Edoras is very close. I passed by there only yesterday. Head…"

"If you passed by there only yesterday, then why didn't you ask them for directions to your elf place?" Sirius asked suspiciously.

Boromir was taken aback. Tonks managed to slam her foot down on Sirius's without Boromir noticing.

"My errand," Boromir said, with a note of annoyance, "is very secret. I cannot trust the people of Rohan with the information I have. If I told them my destination, they would surely question me about it."

"We understand," Tonks said quickly, before Sirius could ask why he would tell three random travelers where he was going but not the people of Edoras.

"Well," Boromir continued, "as I was saying, Edoras is very close. It is large, and set on a hill, so it is difficult to miss. Just head due east and you are sure to come upon it."

"Thank you," Lupin said. "We greatly appreciate your help, and we are sorry we cannot give you help in return."

"It is all right. I shall manage. Farewell, my friends, and good fortune be with you on your travels."

Boromir rode off.

"Glad he's gone," Sirius said.

"What was that?" Tonks asked angrily.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"That…that 'why didn't you ask them for directions' thing? Are you always like this to strangers?"

"I don't like him," Sirius said. "There was something about him. 'My errand is very secret.' What is that supposed to mean? And he claims to be the son of some steward, and he also says he's far from his homeland, but he travels alone."

"He said he lost his guide," Tonks reminded him.

"Yeah, well, that's a really stupid excuse," Sirius snapped. "I don't think we should trust him. I don't think we should go to this Edoras place. He said himself that he doesn't trust the people there with his special information; why should we?"

"If I recall," Lupin said calmly, but with a touch of annoyance, "you trusted two strange men in a pub with our information. If there is a chance people there might help us, then by all means, let's find this Edoras place so that we can get to Isengard before Voldemort takes over the world."

------------------------------------------

"That is Weathertop," Strider said, pointing.

"Are those ruins on top of the hill?" Neville asked.

"Yes," Strider replied. "This used to be an outpost in the kingdom of…oh, never mind. Let us just go over there. We can camp for the night."

There was something about the way Strider said this that worried Hermione. As they were heading up ancient steps that led to the top of the hill, she asked, "Is there something you're not telling us?"

"Stop asking me questions," Strider said.

"You know something," Hermione said firmly. "Something about this place."

"Yes, I do!" Strider said exasperatedly. "I know many things about this place! But they are not important right now!"

Hermione sighed and continued walking, but she was sure Strider looked nervous.

After they set up camp, the hobbits started singing songs. Strider asked them to lower their voices. When Pippin wanted to know why, he said simply that it was annoying, but everyone could tell there was something else on his mind. Hermione noticed that his hand strayed to his sword hilt every time he heard a sound emerging from the darkness.

The company enjoyed only two hours of peace before the trouble began. There was a loud shriek from somewhere close by—a shriek that was all too recognizable.

Strider leapt up and ran to the edge of the hill. Then he ran across to the other side and looked out. "Five Nazgul!" he cried. "They followed us from Bree!"

The hobbits struggled up. Sam kept a wary eye on Frodo, who looked disoriented, and probably not from sleepiness.

"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" Hermione asked Strider. He didn't respond.

"All of you get around Frodo," he said, facing them all. "If they get the ring, the world is lost."

Frodo went to a back corner, and all of them surrounded him, weapons in hand.

Strider pulled out his sword and stood, ready.

Harry unexpectedly stepped away from the group surrounding Frodo and went up next to Strider, holding out his short sword.

"What are you doing?" Strider hissed. "They're almost here!"

"You're going to need help," Harry said.

"Get back with the others!" Strider said urgently. "You might be killed!"

"Harry," Hermione snapped, "this is no time to…"

But there would be no more arguing. The five Nazgul were surrounding them on all sides of the hilltop, swords raised.

Strider lunged at two of them, screaming. The Nazgul screamed back. He started fighting them both, and Hermione gasped. Oh, what an idiot! He's going to get himself killed, and we won't have a guide…

But Harry was the real idiot. Seeing Strider's move, he imitated him, and went after two Nazgul himself. "Harry, NO!" Hermione cried.

"Harry, get over here!" Ron said.

But Harry didn't listen. He tried hitting them with his short sword, but it didn't seem to affect them. One of the Nazgul strayed away, heading for the group surrounding Frodo. The remaining Nazgul reached out a clawed hand, and suddenly Harry remembered another scabbed hand reaching out from under a ragged black robe, and a woman screaming…

Harry hesitated, and the Nazgul made its move. The clawed hand grabbed Harry's wrist and snapped it. Harry screamed in pain and dropped his sword.

The Nazgul raised his sword, ready to strike, but Strider appeared out of nowhere with a flaming torch and thrust it right through the Nazgul's back. The Nazgul shrieked and disappeared down the hill, its robe in flames.

Meanwhile, the company surrounding Frodo was having bad luck. Nobody was skilled with a sword other than Strider, and all anyone could do was block. But slowly and surely the remaining four Nazgul were breaking up the group, heading for Frodo…

Strider flew back into action, taking on a Nazgul that was furiously dueling with Dumbledore and Ron. Strider blocked every move, and when he finally saw an opening he thrust his torch through the creature. Like the other one, it shrieked and ran.

Now Harry was in trouble again. Another Nazgul had come at him, and Hermione had desperately run over to help him because he was forced to try and block with the short sword in his left hand. Hermione was only a little better at holding it off than Harry, and its blows were so fierce that with every block her strength started to fail. Strider knew she wouldn't be able to hold it off for much longer but also saw another Nazgul heading for the four hobbits and Neville. He threw his flaming torch at the one attacking Harry and Hermione with amazing accuracy, setting its head on fire. Then he went after the one heading for the hobbits, managing to drive it away but not hurt it because his torch was gone. Hermione ran immediately over to the fire and winced with pain as she grabbed a flaming log. She headed over to Strider as fast as she could and handed it to him, but this Nazgul was worse than any of the others so far…and nobody saw the other one going after Frodo, because nobody saw Frodo. He had put the ring on in self-defense.

Frodo could see more than just black robes when he looked at the Nazgul approaching him. He saw a face—a thin, white, pointed face—and a crown on its head. The Nazgul pulled out a sword and stabbed Frodo through the chest.

Frodo cried out, and at the same time pulled off the ring. Suddenly everyone saw him. Strider ran after the Nazgul that hit him, fighting ferociously with the most powerful of all the five (and technically all nine). The other Nazgul had all fled, and everyone watched as Strider dueled with the last one. Then, finally, he managed to set its robes on fire. It shrieked like the rest and took off.

Sam was kneeling next to Frodo, who looked like he was dying. Strider hastily pushed Sam out of the way in order to inspect Frodo's wound. Everyone could tell by the expression on Strider's face that the diagnosis was not favorable. Strider picked up a sword that lay next to Frodo. "Morgul Blade," he said, and as they looked at it, the blade shattered into dust.

"We have to get Frodo out of here," Strider said quickly. "This wound is no normal one. The powers in that blade…they will turn him into a wraith, like the Nazgul. If we do not hurry, Frodo will pass into shadow…"

"What can we do?" Sam asked, crying.

"We have to get him to Rivendell," Strider replied.

"But that's days away!" Merry said.

"We can do it," Strider said firmly. But in his eyes Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore could tell he didn't have much hope.

----------------------------------------

"Father?"

"Yes?"

"Just how powerful is Sauron?"

Lucius Malfoy smiled. "Very powerful, from what the Dark Lord tells me. He controls this whole land of Mordor, and is planning on destroying Gondor, the greatest kingdom of Men…"

"If he's so powerful, why should he need us?"

Lucius frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why's he letting us stay in his tower? And why does he talk so much to the Dark Lord, and tell him all his plans?"

"It is a beneficial alliance to him. This way, he learns about the other world."

"But couldn't he learn about it just as easily torturing us, or something? Why would someone so powerful waste his time with people like us?"

"Do you deny our Dark Lord's power?"

"Well…no…but…"

"There. A beneficial alliance."

Lucius Malfoy turned and prepared to leave the room.

"Father, wait," Draco said quickly. "I have another question…"

"What is it now?"

"When the Dark Lord…" Malfoy hesitated. "What did he do to the Weasley girl? I mean when she first came, and…"

"It does not concern you."

"Of course it does! If I want to become powerful, I'm going to have to learn spells like that eventually…"

"You can learn more about it when you are ready to," Lucius snapped. "I have business to attend to."

What business? He's as bored here as I am…I bet he doesn't even know how to do the spell the Dark Lord performed. I bet…I bet he doesn't even know what it is…just like he doesn't understand what Sauron is up to…

For the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy began to doubt the intelligence of his father. As he continued to ponder the mysteries behind this new alliance, he could hear through the open door the screams of Ginny Weasley, who was receiving her daily torture from Lord Voldemort. He went up and closed the door, but while this may have lessened the effect the screams had on his ears, he could not ignore the effect they were having on his mind.