For hours until dawn approached, Arwen had been riding Glorfindel's horse through the fields and open plains of the country. She did not stop to rest or even drink, instead, she kept on going and going to get Frodo to Rivendell in hopes that she could get him to her father. As she enters the woodlands, Arwen heard the sound of screeching. She notices that the Ringwraiths weren't far and were getting closer to where she was. Just then, she turns her head left to see one emerging out of the trees, galloping near her. Arwen wasn't willing to stop and followed Glorfindel's advice to not look back and ride as hard as she could to evade the pursuing enemy.
Just as she reaches a clearing, the Ringwraith rides alongside her, and is then joined by two more that emerged from both sides, screeching as they gallop behind Arwen. However, another two emerged from the trees and tried to grab Frodo, but Glorfindel's horse was incredibly fast than the other horses the Ringwraiths were riding. Now five were following her closely behind now, as it was only matter of time before the Ringwraiths would be victorious in taking Frodo with them to Mordor along with the One Ring. Arwen continued to ride as fast as she could and had been dodging in and out of the trees, only to catch her face on a branch. She felt a little blood coming down the scratch she received, but ignored it.
Once she reaches the open ground, all the nine wraiths continue to gallop after them. They were getting very close to them and started to surround the two before they were nearly close in reaching the ford. Frodo had been moaning, feeling so much and pain. He looks sideways at the wraiths that were nearly close in surrounding the pair. That was when one reaches out his hand to him.
"Noro lim Asfaloth!" (Ride faster Asfaloth!) Arwen cried in elvish. "Noro lim!" (Ride fast!)
Asfaloth pulls away from them, dodging in and out of trees. Jumping a log, they finally reach the river. Arwen rides across to the other side, whilst the nine wraiths stand on the opposite shore facing her, their horses rearing in frustration, the wraiths screeching.
At that moment there came a roaring and a rushing, a noise of loud waters rolling many stones. Dimly Frodo saw the river below him rise, and down along its course there came a plumed cavalry of waves. White flames seemed to Frodo to flicker on their crests and he half fancied that he saw amid the water white riders upon white horses with frothing manes. The three Riders that were still in the midst of the Ford were overwhelmed: they disappeared, buried suddenly under angry foam. Those that were behind drew back in dismay.
Frodo gasped and looked around. We found that he wasn't with Arwen anymore. His eyes widened in shock and confusion, as he found himself not in a place surrounded by trees or even a river. He was surrounded by tall buildings all around him from outside. Frodo was starting to panic and looked around as many people were walking around and passed the young hobbit without even noticing him.
"Excuse me," Frodo said to a hooded woman walking by him. "Where am I?"
The woman was known to be Mika Prada. She had black hair and brown eyes. She sighed and didn't even respond back to answer him as she walked pass the young, confused hobbit.
"Wait!" Frodo called to her.
Frodo was scared now. He had no idea where or where he was. Everything around him started to freak him out.
"This is a dream," Frodo freaked out in a panic. "It's a dream. C'mon, Mr. Frodo, wake up. Wake up!"
Nothing happened. He felt as if he was already awake right now. He refused to believe it since he remembered he was stabbed by a Morgul-Blade and had been riding with Arwen while being chased by the nine Black Riders that were after the One Ring he carried. However, he had a feeling that he was dead and didn't know where to turn up to. That was when the young focused his attention at a young blond-haired man. Out of surprise, Frodo recognized the man he saw when he put the ring on and just at the moment when he got stabbed.
"Danny!" A familiar voice called out to him, distracting him.
Danny turns around and saw it was his friend and brother Ward Meachum. The two gave a quick warm embrace and went on to walk inside.
"Ward," Danny walked over to him to him and a few seconds soon, he gave him a soft embrace. "You look good today."
"So, what'a we got?" Ward asked with a smile on his face.
Danny took a few inches back and began to tell him everything. "Our client Donald Cauley is still waiting for a response."
"Well, were gonna have to tell Megan to take care of it and put our client on hold," Ward said and began to walk with Danny towards the elevator. "Man, that douchebag really is becoming pain in our ass. He's on to us, Danny."
"Not for long, I already got someone on the job who took pictures of that guy and we'll blackmail him if he continues to take a half of our billion," Danny reassured the issue as he pushes the up button.
Frodo watches Danny and Ward walking over to the elevator. Without hesitating since no one could see him, the young hobbit followed them, but kept himself hidden since he feared that Danny might be the only person who could see him. Standing behind a corner, Frodo watches Danny and Ward go in the elevator, but that was Danny stopped for a moment and turned to stare at the corner where Frodo was.
Ward snaps his fingers to get his attention. "Hey! You awake?"
Danny began to focus on Ward. "Ah yeah, sorry."
"What is this, do I come to find you dozing off now?" Ward asked, scoffing.
"Sorry, I just…" Danny stopped and sighed just as he enters once the doors closed. "Felt like I saw someone that I knew before."
"You're thinking its Harold… or LaMuerto?" Ward guessed.
"No," Danny shook his head twice and made a deep sigh. "I've been… having weird dreams lately."
"Weird Dreams?" Ward responded in a weird-looking way. "Everybody has weird dreams."
"But these dreams," Danny paused and corrected. "They seem to be real. I think I'm connected to something… or someone, I don't know."
"Okay, now you lost me," Ward chuckled a bit.
"I'm sorry Ward," Danny apologized. "I shouldn't be talking about my Iron Fist instinct to you here. I know it gets you confused and annoyed, so I prefer we just concentrate on work right now."
"Hey, there's no need to apologize Danny, cause… you've saved Rand Enterprise from tumbling down," Ward remarked. "We put an end to Harold's evil scheme. You're a hero."
Danny started to laugh a bit. "I would go for twos word. 'Billionaire Hero'."
"Haha, very nice," Ward responded in sarcasm. "You got me off the hook."
Frodo looked sideways at the elevators. He tried to figure out how to get them open, but since he didn't know what they were due to living on Arda, it was impossible. He turned to face a tall man in a black suit and red tie. The man's name was Drake Shannon, working as head of security for Rand Enterprises. Frodo walked over to him and hoped he could see him.
"Excuse me, how do you get these doors open?" Frodo asked hastily.
Drake turned his head and Frodo believed he could see him and respond to his question. He then raised his voice. "Hey! You need to push the button in the middle!"
Frodo thought he was speaking to him, but he turns around and saw that head of security was talking to a business employee, who was having trouble trying to have the elevator opened. Just as the doors opened, Frodo ran towards the elevator and managed to leap in the nick of time. Now, he found himself as he was trapped in a small room. He breathed terribly in shock and confusion, and turned to talk to the employee.
"Please, I need help!" Frodo cried. "I don't know where I am!"
The employee didn't respond back to him. Instead of looking down at the young hobbit, he looked at his watch to check the time. He sighed and didn't sound so happy, as if he was missing an important business. Seconds pass, the doors of the elevator open to the last floor of the building, and Frodo ran out and was about to push into a young woman, who was in fact Megan, who was reading a message on her phone. In confusion, Frodo thought he bumped her, but he went through her.
"What?" Frodo breathed heavily.
Megan stopped for a moment and turned around when she heard the voice. "Hello?" The only she saw was nothing and did not see Frodo.
Ward pops out of the door from his office and calls out to her. "Megan!"
Megan didn't move since she heard a voice that came from Frodo, but was nowhere to be seen. Rather than staying, she sighs and walks right over to her boss.
"Talking to someone?" Ward wondered.
"No, I just heard someone say 'what?', and I noticed that no one was there," Megan told him what she heard seconds ago.
"Have you been drinking scotch this morning?" Ward asked if that was the case.
"What? No," Megan scoffed softly, seeing it as a joke. "Of course not."
"Good because I see you pass out a number of times while working, so just watch yourself," Ward warned with a fake smile. "In the meantime, have everything arranged for the meeting tonight here."
"Mr. Cauley will be arriving late," Megan informed.
"That's fine," Ward sighed. "I don't care how late any board member is, I just want to get this whole sh** done. Have Katie meet me at Mike Armstrong tomorrow."
"Yes, Mr. Meachum," Megan complied.
Frodo looked around the building. He couldn't believe what it was like and how no one would ever see him. That was when he noticed a door that was left open. Frodo walked towards the door and entered an office that was revealed to belong to Danny Rand. He looked around and saw a very tall woman pass by him and enters the room to meet with someone. Frodo follows her in to the office and looks around. He turns around and turns to stare at the woman speaking to Danny Rand.
The woman's name was Jeri Hogarth. Jeri Hogarth was known to be a bit ruthless, seemingly amoral, and was good at excelling at manipulation. At the same time, however, she seems to know her own limits, prioritizing "winning" over idealism, in sharp contrast with other lawyers. As such, she is susceptible to manipulation. Jeri grew up in a small trailer park with four siblings. She was frequently bullied at school for being poor. As she grew up, Jeri became estranged from her family. Hogarth once worked as an intern for Wendell Rand, one of the founders that built the Rand Enterprises. She didn't have an office at Rand Enterprises, only a table next to the copy machine, putting files under the table leg because of the uneven floor. During her time there, Hogarth became close to Danny Rand, her boss' son, who gave her affectionate nicknames such as J Money. She once bribed him $5 to not tell anyone how she secretly cussed out one of her bosses.
"So what can I do for you, J-Money?" Danny wondered what this was about.
"Jessica Jones sent me these pictures of you," Jeri grinned, showing pictures of him fighting two individuals.
Danny took a moment to look at the pictures and sighed to be ready to explain to her. "I can explain."
"Please," Jeri insisted.
"These were bounty hunters," Danny explained. "They were causing trouble towards our company. Artie Sigmund and Isadore Dudley were their names. I caught them stealing money that was given to this company, and they were trying to take it away."
"Apparently, they're already in the hospital, and thanks to Detective Mercedes Knight who is placing them under her custody, I am to be your client since they're asking for their clients," Jeri explained to him with a grin.
"Its gonna have to wait," Danny said. "I have a lot of things to catch up right now."
"That I know of," Jeri nodded her head. "Look, I'm not blackmailing you. I don't care about the powers you wield from this Xanadu place you've been talking about, but I need you to get your head in the game. This company is your house."
"Not a lot," Danny added.
"Right," Jeri whispered with a smile and rose up from her chair to leave the office. "I gotta make a call. In the meantime, have fun."
"Will do, J-Money," Danny grinned.
Jeri left the office just as Frodo watched her pass him and closed the door. Frodo looked around and for just one second, he locked his eyes towards Danny, who then rose up from his chair in shock and surprise.
"Its you," Danny gasped.
"You can see me?" Frodo asked, confused since no one else did.
Danny shook his head and asked. "Who are you?"
"Frodo," Frodo answered his name. "Frodo Baggins."
"Danny," Danny said his name. "How are you here?"
"Where am I?" Frodo asked, wanting a specific answer.
"Your in New York," Danny answered his question. "New York City."
"I don't know how I got here," Frodo heavily panicked. "I was…"
"You were stabbed, I know," Danny began to remember everything on what he saw. "I saw one of those things stab you."
Danny left Ward a message that he will be going out for a bit since he needed to find out everything on how Frodo ended up here and how he could be the only one to see him. Alone at a park, which was completely empty and no was there walking, Danny and Frodo were walking closely together. Danny had been listening a lot on what Frodo had been talking about.
"I know it must be confusing, but are you really dead or am I just imagining?" Danny wondered what choice he wanted to answer.
"I don't know," Frodo answered.
"Hey, no offense," Danny scoffed.
"At least its quiet here," Frodo said. "Reminds me a little of home."
"So what's your home like?" Danny asked.
"Its beautiful… and quiet," Frodo told him about the Shire. "The Shire always been the place I call home. Ever since, I never thought I would be far away."
Danny chuckled a bit and began to recall of a place that was quiet. "You know, there was a place that was also, but it wasn't like the Shire. It was in the mountains where the snow moves around. We call it K'un-Lun. Its where I was trained. Learning the ways of martial arts. After I finish practicing for the day, I'd sneak out with my friend Davos. We'd, uh, go eat some donkey.
"Donkey?!" Frodo sounded surprised.
"Donkey's actually pretty good," Danny told him. "I'll take your word for it."
"Was it tough?" Frodo asked.
"Hmm, it was what it was," Danny answered. "I, um I focused on my training. Anything that distracted me from that, I renounced. Material attachments, uh indulgent activities, romantic entanglements."
Frodo chuckled, as well as Danny. Danny felt terribly sorry for what happened to young hobbit. How the pain he felt when he was stabbed by the black riders.
"What were those things that I saw when you put that ring on?" Danny asked him that.
"Ringwraiths," Frodo answered. "I don't know much about them, but they serve the enemy."
"What enemy?" Danny wanted a specific answer.
"Sauron," Frodo answered.
Danny kneels down to get closer and asked. "Who is he?"
"If I told you, what would you say?" Frodo asked.
"As the sworn protector of K'un-Lun, you will tell me everything I need to know about him," Danny said.
"Who are you talking to?" A young man's voice asked from behind them.
Danny turns around and saw it was Daryl Joshua Andrews, one of Colleen Wing's former students that were trained to become soldiers to Carlos LaMuerto's Snakeroot, a faction that aligned with the Hand. Daryl was known to be a bright spirit and often optimistic of himself and those around him. He is also ambitious in his goals, but very mature.
"Daryl, what'a you doing here?" Danny asked, giving a fake chuckle.
"Nothing, I was just having a walk until I noticed you," Daryl pretendedly laughed. "So what's up?"
"Good, listen Daryl, I'm really sorry for what happened back in the compound, I should've told you about the what the Hand was capable of," Danny apologized to him.
Danny recalled the time when he was held a prisoner to the Hand at a compound ran by Carlos LaMuerto. With Davos' help, they charged towards the gate in order to make their escape, but that was when Daryl appeared to block their path and Danny had tried to get him out of the way. When LaMuerto stabbed Danny in the side, Davos broke Daryl's leg. Danny tried to help him before Davos convinced him otherwise as they instead continued making their way towards the exit.
"Yeah, no problem, my leg's fine," Daryl said, showing his left leg. "Becca managed to fix it."
"So, what brings you here?" Danny wondered.
"I can ask you the same thing," Daryl scoffed. "I saw you talking to yourself."
"Ah, you know me," Danny chuckled pretendedly. "But I was just… practicing one of my lines to my girlfriend. You know its complicated on how you get yourself a mate, you gotta practice."
"Yeah, I can see that," Daryl said, not buying it. "Look, I don't want'a bother you, but whatever it is you're doing, I don't want to ask anymore of it is the hell your doing."
"Yeah, no problem," Danny grinned. "Good day."
"You too," Daryl gave him a nod and walked off.
Danny turns around to meet Frodo face-to-face. "I think we need to talk somewhere where no one can think I'm talking to someone."
"But you're talking to me," Frodo said, confused.
"That's the point, Frodo, they can't see you, but I can," Danny reminded him. "I don't know how, but… I think there's something that might've allowed ourselves to be connected to this ring Doctor Strange told me about."
"What is it that you know about the ring?" Frodo asked, suspicious.
Danny looks at him, confused. "Nothing."
"I saw you when I put it on," Frodo remembered. "But the Black Riders didn't see you."
"Black Riders?" Danny asked when heard that. "Who are they?"
"Servants of Sauron," Frodo answered.
"And what does Sauron and his servants want?" Danny wanted more.
"Power… and darkness," Frodo answered again with two words.
It is unknown how long Daryl had been listening to what Danny had been saying, but he must've heard a lot of it. He wondered why Rand was talking to himself. He started to guess if he was actually talking to someone else, but to who? As he walks through the park, he takes out his phone and texts someone and puts it away. He walks out of the entrance to the park and makes his way to black car. He opens the back door and sits himself down. He turns to face his superior. He had black hair and light brown eyes that flickered a bit while inside the car. The man was none other than Carlos LaMuerto, one of the Hand's secondary leaders in the society. LaMuerto had a very gentle and righteous side in him since he gave troubled people training and purpose in life, allowing them a change for scholarship and to make more of their life. While some of the Hand's best leaders were known to be different and brutal, LaMuerto does not use violence as a primary solution to problems, though he still has no qualms about killing innocents who stand in his way. He was strongly against corporations that ran society and abused their power. This showed a bit of a contradiction as he himself demanded complete obedience from others as well.
As a young man growing up in K'un-Lun, his mother had told him all the stories of the Sack Man to keep him in line. Throughout his training in K'un-Lun, LaMuerto became obsessed with the Immortal Iron Fist and learned how to use Chi for healing, while studying everything he could about the Iron Fist. It wasn't long when he joined the Hand, using the bones of Dragons he could find to maintain his long life for centuries. Following the battle of New York, LaMuerto founded the Hand Compound where he intended to recruit and train future soldiers for the Hand. LaMuerto later met an recruited Colleen Wing into the Hand, gifting her with her own Dojo to train Hand soldiers. When one of his pupils betrayed him by defeating him in a duel alongside Danny Rand and Davos, LaMuerto wasn't done with his foes. Due to the effects of the Resurrection Elixir he used to sustain his long natural life, he was resurrected and helped the Hand fulfill their mission in gaining the substance to continue their long life and shatter all of New York. However, he was defeated once again by Colleen Wing, who decapitated him to prevent him from coming back again. After his defeat, LaMuerto's remains were collected by the K'un-Lunan sorceress Phaedra, who used her power to bring him back to life.
Imprisoned in the Eighth City for his crimes on Earth, LaMuerto, along with the other founding leaders of the Hand, would remain in the Dwellings of the Commoners and would guide travelers and outsiders to their destinations. However, it is unknown how he and the other leaders got out of K'un-Lun.
"So, tell me Daryl, what is it that you know so far?" LaMuerto insisted.
Daryl took a moment to explain and began. "I followed him like you said. When I did, he was talking to himself."
"Hmm, who was he talking too?" LaMuerto asked.
"Like I'm asking a lunatic, but no offense sensei, I know you're not," Daryl responded apologetically. "I was thinking Danny was acting like a lunatic, but it did sound to me like he was really talking to someone, but to who?"
LaMuerto was very suspicious of all this. He began to wonder to himself. "It is most possible that our young friend might be experiencing something. But of what, I do not know?"
"Hallucination, perhaps?" Daryl guessed.
"Perhaps," LaMuerto said. "But in the meantime, we must keep ourselves from drawing too much attention. I doubt the Iron Fist and his friends will probably shatter our great society that has stood for a thousand years."
"What is it you want me to do?" Daryl asked.
"Inform the rest of my students," LaMuerto instructed. "Make sure you all keep a close watch on our Iron Fist. Colleen, however, has gained the power of the fist as well. I'm impressed. Her skills have made her into a living weapon and a true warrior that I saw in her from the very beginning. I will speak with the founders immediately, tell them of the news."
"As you wish Sensei," Daryl complied to LaMuerto's command.
Meanwhile, after Frodo explained a lot to Danny about the ring, the black riders, and Sauron, the two cross the street and reach over to the Chikara Dojo. Once inside, they found the place empty, quiet, and a good place for them to continue talking more about the wrath of the Dark Lord and what he plans to do. Danny looked around the whole room and saw that Colleen wasn't there. He then focused on the table where he found a letter that was left for him. Danny read a note Colleen wrote, saying that she will be busy teaching a group of students at the Bayard Community Center, another location for the Defenders. Danny places the note on the table and pours himself some tea in a cup.
"Its a nice room," Frodo remarked.
"We built it ourselves," Danny told him as he took a sip of tea. "Wasn't easy getting the stuff in, but we managed."
"I wish I can see more of this world," Frodo sighed.
"Look I'll help you, and so will Colleen," Danny promised, sitting himself down on a chair. "If I can see you, then maybe she can."
"What can I do?" Frodo asked.
Danny clicked his tongue and took a moment to think. "I need to figure out how I can get to this world you speak of. If I can return to meet with the elders of K'un-Lun, they might be able to show me the way."
"The world has a name," Frodo told him.
"Oh yeah, sorry, Arda," Danny scoffed. "Forgot that. So your at a place called… Rivendell and you think your dead."
"I don't know," Frodo softly said, confused. "I don't know."
Danny was very compassionate and sympathetic to anyone in need of help, including Frodo. "I'll find you there. No matter the outcast, I will help to destroy this ancient evil that seeks to come and bring darkness to every world in the universe." He clenched his fists so tight and they began to glow, something that surprised Frodo. "As an Iron Fist, we are bound to a code of honor and aid."
"How is it that your doing that with your fists?" Frodo asked, surprised.
"Its a long story," Danny explained as he turned to face the cabinet and walk over to get some tea. "I won it. Well, second time because I was worthy to the Masters of K'un-Lun. Before I earned it the first time, I had to face a trial, well compete against one of K'un-Lun's top students. Davos was my opponent, and after hours of fighting, I beat him and then I went to confront Shou-Lao the Undying in his lair. It wasn't easy, but I grabbed the tail of his body, plunged my hands into the now unguarded brazier containing Shou-Lao's molten heart and then I finally earned the power of the Iron…"
Danny turns around and saw that Frodo was gone. Confused of where he is, he was the only one alone in the room. He turns to the front door and saw that no one was there.
I know its confusing on how Frodo ended up on Earth rather than Rivendell. To tell you the truth, Frodo was brought into Rivendell and placed in an enchanted sleep while Lord Elrond and his fellow healers would remove the shard out of him. If you all wonder why Frodo was on Earth and the only one to see Danny Rand, it was Astral Projection. Frodo doesn't have that ability, but someone from the outside was responsible to bring Frodo to Earth while he was in his deep sleep. I won't tell you who it is, but the answer will be told in future chapters.