Chapter 4- Decisions and Fortresses
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Footsteps. They were the only noise Frodo could hear. And they belonged to him. He was walking down a long hallway in his home and fortress, Bag End. He had a heavy pack on his back, which made his steps slower than usual. He wished he could have found a way to pack lighter, but he was sure he'd need everything he'd brought, and most of it was food.
He stopped, hearing another pair of footsteps, heading his way. He paused, all his senses on alert.
"Mr. Frodo? Is that you Mr. Frodo? Why are you lurking in shadows?" a hobbit a bit younger than Frodo said starring right at him. Frodo then realized he'd backed into a corner while listen to his friend Sam's footsteps.
"Sorry Sam. I didn't mean to. I guess I've just bit a bit afraid, with this ring business and all," Frodo realized he really was a tinge afraid. He had heard plenty of stories about the servants of the Dark Lord, and he had a feeling he really didn't want to meet anymore than he already had. And he had only ever met an orcs, and that was always in battle.
"It's alright Mister Frodo, I meant no offence. I was just asking if you don't mind me doin' so?" Sam looked a bit worried for his long time friend, he was a bit paler than usual and he looked as if he were ready to sprint away at a single noise he didn't recognize.
"Hullo Sam, Frodo," Pip chimed in as he and Merry walked down the stairs. They too had packs upon their backs and Frodo noticed Sam did too. "I am assuming we're all ready to get goin'? I don't want to waste a bit of time, we don't want to keep our hosts in Rivendell awaiting, do we now?"
"I think we need to start speaking a bit more softly of our business. In the Bag End Fortress, I don't believe we have needed to worry. But soon we won't be in Bag End and we'll have to watch our backs. If we keep quiet about our business, we'll be less likely to leak information to the wrong people," Merry said quickly and quietly, but with an air of importance.
"You're right Merry," Frodo elaborated. "Our journey needs to be kept secret. We cannot jeopardize our lives and the, err, message. That's what we'll refer to it for this point on, the message. And I'm Mister Underhill. Take up new name, all of you, so that our identities will not give away whom we are. We do not know how much the enemy knows our errand."
"Alright, But we best get going before the day grows any later than it already has. We'll tell you our names as soon as we've thought of them. And do so discreetly," Merry continued lecturing them about secrecy all the way through Bag End, but finally they were out in the air, and he stopped.
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The sight that greeted the hobbits hadn't been a nice one. They found the outside of the fortress to be barren and smelled like the upcoming battle. They moved on and away as fast as they could manage, and only Frodo looked back for a last glance at his home.
The Shire was no sight for sore eyes. Its beauty had been lost years ago when a band of orcs had attacked. Nearly every hobbit in the area had died. Back then; there had been no fortresses, no army, and no military leaders. In some ways, Frodo thought, life would be better if it was still like that. No military personal telling commoners inside the walls what they should do, no constant worries of being thrown out of the fortress, no people being forced to pay taxes to support the defense of the fortress, no hobbits being sent to fight unwillingly.
But, without the fortresses, there would be no hobbits to fight. There were three great forts made, The Fortress at Bag End, The Fort at Brandybuck Hall and Fort Took, built where the old took had lived. These three forts were built under ground, expertly designed after observing the enemies forts. The enemy's forts were altered, so as to be fit to put under ground, and built with the strongest stuff available. Then, a great wall was constructed. It connected the three forts and made it impossible for any enemy troop to reach the inlaying lands without a struggle.
Within these walls, hobbits lived. They were able to farm and such as they wished, lived as they wished, but the needed to pay taxes and obey laws set by the Military leaders (One from each fort: a Baggins, a Brandybuck, and a Took.). And if need be, fight for their leaders. But, overall, the hobbits within the walls lived a peaceful life. The shire was not attacked all to often, mostly do to the strong forts and the fact that hobbits were not considered a threat. So, the hobbits inside had created a nice little village where flowers grew, children played, and happiness was present. But it was always disrupted when battles were a threat.
Hobbits would then be recruited to fight. Every man, old enough who could grasp a weapon, would have to fight.
And without Gollum, there would be no fortresses. He remembered the story well, Bilbo had told it to him numerous times and he'd even heard the tale first hand a few times from the slimy creature itself. Gollum had come to the Shire, seeking shelter and employment, as a spy. He said that he would provide information of strongholds of the enemy to the hobbits, and help them recreate them to their needs. He promised them the best spy they would ever have. Yet, no family trusted him. Smeagol was a sour fellow, with grayish skin and large eyes. Hobbits looked on him, doubting he could truly be a Stoor. But one family had taken him in, mostly out of pity.
Baggins was the name of that family and they didn't trust their new spy further than they could kick him. But Gollum held to his word and he brought to them drawings of the enemy's fortresses and towers and soon a grand fortress was in the making. It was built into the hill where Bag End had stood, before Sauron's troops destroyed it, therefore it was named the Fortress at Bag End.
While Bag End was being completed, Smeagol spied for the Baggins and was coming up with all sorts of information none of the other scouts could get their hands on. And, all of it was correct. So, little by little, Smeagol earned the trust of the Baggins. And in a few years time, Smeagol had been asked to help construct two more fortresses, one for the Tooks and one for the Brandybucks. Then Gollum advised them to build a wall between them to connect them. Thus, the fortresses had been built.
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"I'm glad we've gotten out of the Shire without any problems, Mister Frodo," Sam commented as the four companions walked beyond the Shire's borders.
"What do you mean Sam?" Frodo looked quickly over to his friend. Why did he say something like that? Had Sam heard something about problems they might have? Sam was working part time as a spy for Frodo, now that he'd become the General of Bag End. No, Frodo had to remind himself, he wasn't a general. He was a lonely traveler that probably wouldn't make it to Bree alive, much less Rivendell or beyond. But, at least he had company.
"I meant nothing by it, Mister Frodo. I was just thinking, if we could get beyond the borders, then we'd be more likely to see nothing of the battle comin' up," Sam frowned as he spoke. He didn't want to see anything of the battle, but he wished he were still back in the Shire. His father, The Gaffer, was ill. He'd taken a wound in the last battle the hobbits of Bag End fought in. And Sam was worried. He didn't know how he would fair without Sam to take care of him. 'Well, if old Gollum can survive all them years with such a foul cold, I suppose my Gaffer can survive a bit without me,' he told himself, but he wasn't sure he believed it.
"Well, there's no use in wonderin' what we would have seen. We're not going to be there. Let's get a move on. We've been on the road for but two days and certain people are already beginnin' to stop a bit too often," Merry always seemed to have some scolding for them in his mind. He continued to lecture on something someone had managed to foul up; Frodo blocked him out.
Why did he continue on this? There was no way they'd make it to Rivendell. They'd be caught in the net of enemies closing in from all sides of the Shire right now. They'd all be killed. Frodo couldn't let everyone get killed. It was no use for everyone to be killed, only the one holding what the enemy wanted, him. He would not let them end their lives following him. He had to leave them, he had to get away. Before something bad happened, Frodo was leaving.
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Footsteps. They were the only noise Frodo could hear. And they belonged to him. He was walking down a long hallway in his home and fortress, Bag End. He had a heavy pack on his back, which made his steps slower than usual. He wished he could have found a way to pack lighter, but he was sure he'd need everything he'd brought, and most of it was food.
He stopped, hearing another pair of footsteps, heading his way. He paused, all his senses on alert.
"Mr. Frodo? Is that you Mr. Frodo? Why are you lurking in shadows?" a hobbit a bit younger than Frodo said starring right at him. Frodo then realized he'd backed into a corner while listen to his friend Sam's footsteps.
"Sorry Sam. I didn't mean to. I guess I've just bit a bit afraid, with this ring business and all," Frodo realized he really was a tinge afraid. He had heard plenty of stories about the servants of the Dark Lord, and he had a feeling he really didn't want to meet anymore than he already had. And he had only ever met an orcs, and that was always in battle.
"It's alright Mister Frodo, I meant no offence. I was just asking if you don't mind me doin' so?" Sam looked a bit worried for his long time friend, he was a bit paler than usual and he looked as if he were ready to sprint away at a single noise he didn't recognize.
"Hullo Sam, Frodo," Pip chimed in as he and Merry walked down the stairs. They too had packs upon their backs and Frodo noticed Sam did too. "I am assuming we're all ready to get goin'? I don't want to waste a bit of time, we don't want to keep our hosts in Rivendell awaiting, do we now?"
"I think we need to start speaking a bit more softly of our business. In the Bag End Fortress, I don't believe we have needed to worry. But soon we won't be in Bag End and we'll have to watch our backs. If we keep quiet about our business, we'll be less likely to leak information to the wrong people," Merry said quickly and quietly, but with an air of importance.
"You're right Merry," Frodo elaborated. "Our journey needs to be kept secret. We cannot jeopardize our lives and the, err, message. That's what we'll refer to it for this point on, the message. And I'm Mister Underhill. Take up new name, all of you, so that our identities will not give away whom we are. We do not know how much the enemy knows our errand."
"Alright, But we best get going before the day grows any later than it already has. We'll tell you our names as soon as we've thought of them. And do so discreetly," Merry continued lecturing them about secrecy all the way through Bag End, but finally they were out in the air, and he stopped.
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The sight that greeted the hobbits hadn't been a nice one. They found the outside of the fortress to be barren and smelled like the upcoming battle. They moved on and away as fast as they could manage, and only Frodo looked back for a last glance at his home.
The Shire was no sight for sore eyes. Its beauty had been lost years ago when a band of orcs had attacked. Nearly every hobbit in the area had died. Back then; there had been no fortresses, no army, and no military leaders. In some ways, Frodo thought, life would be better if it was still like that. No military personal telling commoners inside the walls what they should do, no constant worries of being thrown out of the fortress, no people being forced to pay taxes to support the defense of the fortress, no hobbits being sent to fight unwillingly.
But, without the fortresses, there would be no hobbits to fight. There were three great forts made, The Fortress at Bag End, The Fort at Brandybuck Hall and Fort Took, built where the old took had lived. These three forts were built under ground, expertly designed after observing the enemies forts. The enemy's forts were altered, so as to be fit to put under ground, and built with the strongest stuff available. Then, a great wall was constructed. It connected the three forts and made it impossible for any enemy troop to reach the inlaying lands without a struggle.
Within these walls, hobbits lived. They were able to farm and such as they wished, lived as they wished, but the needed to pay taxes and obey laws set by the Military leaders (One from each fort: a Baggins, a Brandybuck, and a Took.). And if need be, fight for their leaders. But, overall, the hobbits within the walls lived a peaceful life. The shire was not attacked all to often, mostly do to the strong forts and the fact that hobbits were not considered a threat. So, the hobbits inside had created a nice little village where flowers grew, children played, and happiness was present. But it was always disrupted when battles were a threat.
Hobbits would then be recruited to fight. Every man, old enough who could grasp a weapon, would have to fight.
And without Gollum, there would be no fortresses. He remembered the story well, Bilbo had told it to him numerous times and he'd even heard the tale first hand a few times from the slimy creature itself. Gollum had come to the Shire, seeking shelter and employment, as a spy. He said that he would provide information of strongholds of the enemy to the hobbits, and help them recreate them to their needs. He promised them the best spy they would ever have. Yet, no family trusted him. Smeagol was a sour fellow, with grayish skin and large eyes. Hobbits looked on him, doubting he could truly be a Stoor. But one family had taken him in, mostly out of pity.
Baggins was the name of that family and they didn't trust their new spy further than they could kick him. But Gollum held to his word and he brought to them drawings of the enemy's fortresses and towers and soon a grand fortress was in the making. It was built into the hill where Bag End had stood, before Sauron's troops destroyed it, therefore it was named the Fortress at Bag End.
While Bag End was being completed, Smeagol spied for the Baggins and was coming up with all sorts of information none of the other scouts could get their hands on. And, all of it was correct. So, little by little, Smeagol earned the trust of the Baggins. And in a few years time, Smeagol had been asked to help construct two more fortresses, one for the Tooks and one for the Brandybucks. Then Gollum advised them to build a wall between them to connect them. Thus, the fortresses had been built.
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"I'm glad we've gotten out of the Shire without any problems, Mister Frodo," Sam commented as the four companions walked beyond the Shire's borders.
"What do you mean Sam?" Frodo looked quickly over to his friend. Why did he say something like that? Had Sam heard something about problems they might have? Sam was working part time as a spy for Frodo, now that he'd become the General of Bag End. No, Frodo had to remind himself, he wasn't a general. He was a lonely traveler that probably wouldn't make it to Bree alive, much less Rivendell or beyond. But, at least he had company.
"I meant nothing by it, Mister Frodo. I was just thinking, if we could get beyond the borders, then we'd be more likely to see nothing of the battle comin' up," Sam frowned as he spoke. He didn't want to see anything of the battle, but he wished he were still back in the Shire. His father, The Gaffer, was ill. He'd taken a wound in the last battle the hobbits of Bag End fought in. And Sam was worried. He didn't know how he would fair without Sam to take care of him. 'Well, if old Gollum can survive all them years with such a foul cold, I suppose my Gaffer can survive a bit without me,' he told himself, but he wasn't sure he believed it.
"Well, there's no use in wonderin' what we would have seen. We're not going to be there. Let's get a move on. We've been on the road for but two days and certain people are already beginnin' to stop a bit too often," Merry always seemed to have some scolding for them in his mind. He continued to lecture on something someone had managed to foul up; Frodo blocked him out.
Why did he continue on this? There was no way they'd make it to Rivendell. They'd be caught in the net of enemies closing in from all sides of the Shire right now. They'd all be killed. Frodo couldn't let everyone get killed. It was no use for everyone to be killed, only the one holding what the enemy wanted, him. He would not let them end their lives following him. He had to leave them, he had to get away. Before something bad happened, Frodo was leaving.
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