Chapter 4
They arose at daybreak, the knowledge of the task ahead of them pinning them down like stones to their chests. Athena looked up to where Strider was sitting. It appear to he had been awake of some time. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she saw Butterbur rushing into their room, panic written on his face which rubbed off onto the whole room before he had even opened his mouth.
'A raid!', he cried. 'A raid on the "Pony"! They broke into your rooms and slashed the beds apart!'. The distress in his voice was unmistakeable. If Gandalf had not told him to help them, Athena felt that he would've banished them from the Inn, if not from Bree forever.
'We will have to leave at once. A breakfast on our feet is the best we can hope for now', said Strider, giving Butterbur a glare out of the corner of his eye, one that would've burned even the Black Riders. Athena grabbed a couple of bags and looked down at Sam
'Come on Sam, well get the pony packed up' she told him. But before he had chance to answer, Butterbur did
'They broke into the stable and took every pony and horse in the place,' he told her with a tinge of guilt. For he was supposed to be keeping watch. This time, it was Athena's turn to glare.
'So much for your incantation,' chided Frodo, with immediate regret, as she turned her glare from Butterbur to him, and intensified it. She did not mind if anyone ever questioned her, she would always return it with a witty remark. But if anyone ever questioned her magick, it invoked her wrath, which was intensely furious.
'What do you mean? They did not find us. We are alive. It worked perfectly!' she retorted. Frodo did not dare say anymore on the matter. He felt her gaze was like a knife at his throat, just waiting for an opportunity to slice.
'Strider is right. We shall have to set off as soon as possible, regardless of or current predicament. How much can you carry on your backs?' she asked, momentarily turning her attention away from Frodo.
'As much as needs be,' said Pippin, want to show that he was tougher than he looked.
'I can carry enough for two,' said Sam said proudly.
'Can we not at least try to buy horses, or at least one for the baggage,' Frodo cut in. Athena cast her eyes back to him. She tried to look sympathetic, but what seemed like constant whining was wearing thin on her.
'I fear that at least one pony will be a necessity,' agreed Strider, his fists clenched tightly at his side. He had hoped to slip quietly out of Bree. There was no hope of this now, and it both worried and infuriated him. Butterbur agreed to go out and look for a pony, eager to make amends, either out of fear of Gandalf, or fear of Strider.
It was a few hours before Butterbur's men returned, and with them they brought a pony they had bought from Bill Ferny. It was a lame looking animal, and Athena wondered if it would be able to survive the walk, let alone the baggage, but it would have to do. She and Sam got the pony packed up, and before too long, they were ready to go, although they had lost a good four hours by that time.
As they walked through Bree, it soon became apparent that their hopes of slipping away quietly had become unrealistic. There were many people in the street watching them and shouting at them, and not all looks and shouts were good. With every glare and comment, Athena felt the anger welling up inside her a little more, until she felt ready to burst. Pippin looked up at her and saw the fire brewing in her eyes. He put a hand on her arm, as if to will his calmness into her. Athena resisted the temptation to rip her arm away from him, and put her hand on his, forcing a smile to let him know that his sweetness was appreciated.
After a while the group of unwanted followers they had accumulated gave up their pursuit and made their way back into Bree. They then decided that it was now safe to leave the open road and go across country. He tried to reassure the hobbits that this would not be as hard as they expected. This inspired a little relief within the company, until they found themselves at the Midge-water Marshes.
The air was thick with midges. Athena sucked in an exasperated breath at this sight. She had always hated insects of any kind, and the thought that she must now walk through them riled her up completely. But, if Strider said that was their way, she trusted him enough to toil through it. They made their way through as quickly as possible, but speed did not come easily, especially not to the hobbits who felt like they were being eaten alive.
Night started to fall, but they were not yet out of the marshes. It became obvious that they would have to make camp in this atrocious spot. While the hobbits seemed to welcome the chance of rest, wherever they may take it, Athena knew she would find only restlessness here. She decided to put it to good use.
'Rest, Aragorn,' she bid. 'You above all must have your wits about you. I cannot find sleep here.'
'Well you must attempt it at least,' he told her. 'You have already gone one night with little sleep. Another one and you shall be dead on your feet, and then you will be nothing less than a hindrance to us all.'
Athena's jaw dropped. She would have answered back, but his final words to her hit her like rocks, taking her breath with them. "Hindrance"! In all their years of travel, he had never referred to her as anything near as belittling as that. She gave in to him; she had little choice, as her eyes were also fighting against her. She lay down beside Pippin, still struggling with the shock and anger inflicted by Strider. She was just about to let sleep take her, when she saw a bright white flash in the distance. She sat straight up, and looked over at Strider. It appeared that he and Frodo had also seen this.
'What was that,' Frodo asked, half fascinated, half anxious.
'I dare not guess,' said Strider, giving an answer without giving any answer at all, which was often his way. He looked back over at Athena, and they both guessed silently together; Gandalf.
