Ch 18 The Ring
It was a warm April night, Maliah and Frodo were walking home from the Green Dragon with Samwise Gamgee. The two had become closer to the younger hobbit and he now helped tend to the ever-growing garden of Bag End. The couple said good night to their friend outside the entrance to their home and continued up the path to the door. Once inside, Frodo stopped and looked around feeling something amiss in the air. Seeing his expression, Maliah immediately went on the defense and both peered into the darkened living room. A hand reached from the shadows and grabbed onto Frodo's shoulder, making him spin around and for Maliah to attack the appendage with a nearby walking stick. The hand retreated and Gandalf's face loomed out from the darkness. Both hobbit and dwarf were breathing heavily and stared at the now dirty, unkept wizard watching them with wild eyes.
"Is it secret? Is it safe?" Paranoia was thick in his voice.
Maliah was immediately confused and looked to Frodo who appeared to be as well, but only for a moment. He went over to an old chest in the sitting room, the other two following him, and presented the sealed envelope to Gandalf upon standing back up. It was snatched from his hand and thrown into small fire still blazing from earlier with Frodo and Maliah watching wide-eyed.
"What are you doing?" To say one or both were only bewildered was putting it lightly.
No one moved as the paper was burnt to ashes, revealing a single gold ring on the half burnt logs and embers. With a pair of tongs, Gandalf lifted the ring out of the flames and held it out to them.
"Hold out your hand, Frodo, it's quite cool." A hesitant hand was stuck out and the ring was dropped onto it, his hand reacting to the weight. "What can you see? Can you see anything?"
Maliah was looking over his shoulder as Frodo turned it in his fingers. "Nothing, there's nothing." Gandalf closed his eyes in relief. "Wait, there are markings." Fiery, red letters began to light up on the gold band as though they were just branded on, or burning from within. Both were enthralled in the ring and didn't see Gandalf tense up once again. "It's some form of Elvish, I can't read it."
"There are few who can, the language is that of Mordor; which I will not utter here."
The name struck the two but Frodo asked. "Mordor?"
"In common tongue it says: 'One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."
It was a story, a fable, a legend, lost to time and was either forgotten or shrugged aside. The Ring of Sauron. Frodo knew of the Ring Wars and Maliah had been lecture on the entire history that was documented. And now it was here, in their home for who knows how many years, left behind by Bilbo.
"Let's go to the kitchen, I'll make some tea and set out biscuits." Maliah steered Frodo to the table by his arm, Gandalf following behind them. Frodo sat on one side with Gandalf opposite and the ring was placed between them on the table. Nothing was said until Maliah placed a plate of biscuits down and sat next to Frodo.
"This is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron, in the fires of Mount Doom, taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself."
Maliah and Frodo looked down at it sickened, but Frodo was the one who knew where it came from. "Bilbo found it, in Gollum's cave."
"Yes. For sixty years, the Ring lay quiet in Bilbo's keeping, prolonging his life, delaying old age, but no longer, Frodo. Evil is stirring in Mordor. The Ring has awoken. It's heard its master's call."
From the middle of the table, where the ring lay, a fleeting, low whisper of black speech emitted into the air. "But he was destroyed, Sauron was destroyed." Maliah insisted.
"No, the spirit of Sauron endured. His life force is bound to the Ring and the Ring survived. Sauron has returned. His Orcs have multiplied and his fortress of Barad-dûr is rebuilt in the land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this Ring to cover all the lands in the second darkness. He is seeking it, seeking it, all his thought is bent on it. For the Ring yearns, above all else, to return to the hand of its master: They are one, the Ring and the Dark Lord." Gandalf leaned forward and his gaze bore into Frodo's. "Frodo, he must never find it."
Not believing what she was hearing, Maliah stared at Gandalf for his insinuation. Frodo snatched the ring off the table and walked out of the kitchen with them right behind him. "Alright," he looked around. "We put it away, we keep it hidden! We never speak of it again. No one knows it's here, do they?"
"Gandalf," Maliah rested a hand on the wizard's arm as he shifted uncomfortably. "Do they, Gandalf?"
With a sad look, he opposed what they had hoped. "There is one other who knew that Bilbo had the Ring. I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum, but the enemy found him first." Thranduil hadn't been sure of how or when Gollum had escaped his prison, only that it had happened without help. "I don't know how long they tortured him, but amidst the endless screams and inane babble, they discerned two words. Shire and Baggins."
Maliah's blood ran cold and she looked at her husband's horrified face. "But that will lead them here!" This wasn't going to happen, not in her life would she lose him. "Take it, Gandalf!" Going to Frodo, she made to tear the ring from his hand but as her fingers touched the cold metal, searing pain racked her body. Her back arched as her mouth fell open and a giant, fiery eye took over her vision.
"Maliah!" Frodo dropped the ring away from her and she collapse into his arms. Her heartbeat was still fast, but she appeared no longer in pain; just asleep. He grabbed the ring and stood, thrusting it out to Gandalf. "Take it!"
"No, Frodo…"
"You must take it!"
"You cannot offer me this ring." Gandalf's voice was becoming gruff.
"I am giving it to you!" He took another step closer.
"Don't tempt me, Frodo! I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe." The words were shouted in the hobbit home. "Understand, Frodo ... I would use this Ring from a desire to do good ... but through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine."
Frodo gazed down at his wife laying on the ground unconscious. "It cannot stay in the Shire."
"No, no it can't."
His fingers curled around the gold band into a clenched fist, "What must I do?"
"You must leave, and leave quickly. Get out of the Shire with Maliah for she is no longer safe here either."
"Where will we go?"
"Make for the Village of Bree." Gandalf knelt next to Maliah and spoke unintelligible words under his breath. Within seconds, Maliah was gasping for air and Gandalf was helping her stand. "I will be waiting for you at the Inn of the Prancing Pony."
"What happened?" Maliah murmured holding her head.
"We have to leave, come." He led her gently into the kitchen, telling her to pack as much food as she could while he went to pack knapsacks for them. They met back in the living room, exchanging bags and cloaks. As they made their way to the door, Frodo asked another question. "And the ring will be safe there?" The hidden question evident in his words.
"I don't know, Frodo. I don't have any answers. I must see the Head of my Order. He is both wise and powerful. Trust me, Frodo. He'll know what to do." The couple were at the door now, Maliah putting on her traveling boots and Frodo picking out their walking sticks. "You'll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you, for that name is not safe outside the Shire." He helped Maliah up and adjusted her bags. "Travel only by day. And stay off the road."
"We can cut across country easily enough."
Gandalf stopped what he was doing and smile down at the two. "My dear Frodo. Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet, after a hundred years, they can still surprise you…" He was cut off by a sound outside of the window. "Get down!"
Frodo pulled Maliah to the floor and the watched as Gandalf crept soundlessly to the window, his staff raised. Without warning, he brought the end of the staff down, hitting whatever was outside. Or whomever in this case as a yelp of pain floated through the open window. He reached out and hauled a small body through the opening, tossing whoever it was onto the floor. They blink in surprise at Sam sprawled out on the wood floor staring up in terror at the wizard who loomed over him.
"Confound it all! Samwise Gamgee, have you been eavesdropping?"
Sam waved his arms and shook his head, "I ain't been dropping no eaves, sir! Honest. I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you follow me…"
"It's a little late for trimming the hedges, don't you think?"
"I heard raised voices."
"What did you hear? Speak!" His face turning to stone as he spoke harshly.
"Nothing important ... that is, I heard a good deal about a ring ... and a Dark Lord. And something about the end of the world, but please, Mr. Gandalf, sir, don't hurt me! Don't turn me into anything unnatural!"
Frodo and Maliah were standing again now and smiled to Gandalf at their friend's words.
"No?" the word was drawn out and made Sam look even more worried. "Perhaps not. I've thought of a better use for you."
The couple looked at Gandalf with interest at the tone in his voice. They both had heard it before, though not necessarily from the wizard. It meant Samwise Gamgee was going to be joining them on their journey.
It was the wee hours of the morning, the troupe of four walking away from Hobbiton with Gandalf leading his horse in front with Frodo and Maliah behind him; Sam kept falling behind since he wasn't used to this sort of activity.
"Come along, Samwise, keep up."
When they reached the woods, the same spot where Strider had left her years ago, Gandalf pulled Frodo to the Side.
"Is it safe?"
He patted his pocket and nodded.
"Never put it on, for the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power. Always remember, Frodo, the Ring is trying to get back to its master; it wants to be found." With nothing left to say, he jumped onto his horse, wheeling him around and galloping off.
With only the instruction to go to Bree and stay off the roads, Frodo grabbed Maliah's hand with a smile. They would get through this together, he would just have to make sure she didn't go near the ring. He gave Sam a smile as well before taking a step to start their journey.