April 5

Frodo woke up wondering if he had been dreaming but when he got down stairs he realized that he hadn't been. Rose was talking to Sam about

the door being left open the night before and if they had been robbed.

"I assure you Miss Cotton--" He cleared his throat "Gamgee that you weren't robbed. I left the door open when I stepped outside for some

fresh air last night" Frodo told her.

"Good morning Frodo!" Elanor squeaked. She was very glad to see he was up.

"Good morning Elanor" He answered. "How are you?"

"Fine Mr. Frodo, sir" she said happily then returned to her breakfast. Frodo sat down and had breakfast, too. After a long breakfast Frodo

told Sam that he was going to see Merry and Pippin and he'd be back in awhile. Then he ran out the door shut it behind him and started off to

Pippin's house. On the way there Frodo looked over at the tree. Shrell was sitting be side it playing a wooden flute.He watched her for

awhile before she stopped to look over at him.

"If you're going to Pippin's then I'm coming with you" she said standing up.

"Alright" Frodo said cheerfully. They came to Pippin's house quite quickly and Frodo knocked. They waited for awhile then the door opened.

It was Pippin.He stood there speechless then managed to stutter:

"Frodo? Shcoligrafa?" He then began to sob and gave them each a rather suffocating hug.

"Cheer up, Pip. You're acting as if we just died" Shell said patting him on the shoulder.

"I thought both of you were dead! With Frodo getting on that weird ship and you returning to the Waste!" He sobbed on Frodo's shoulder

for awhile.

"Thought getting on that ship would be like dying, too. I didn't know I could come back" Frodo told Pippin as he kept sobbing.

"Oh! Merry is over! I should tell him!" Pippin ran into his house and came back with Merry. There was the same kind of reaction with

Merry as there was with Pippin only he didn't know Shrell and he didn't sob as much.

Pippin invited them inside and they played a hobbit card game called "seven seventy-eight's" (which was alot like poker) and talked

about what they had been doing since Frodo left. Shrell kept quite while they talked but she was winning the card game so all was well

for her.

"Two seven's. I win again." Shrell said puffing up a bit while Merry glared at her.

"Come on, Shrell, go easy on us" Pippin chuckled.

"You'll have enough hazel nuts to last you a life time if you keep winning like this" Merry said folding his arms on the table.

"I'll give you back your hazel nuts. I can't cook, anyway" Shrell said taking the four hazel nuts she had just won.

"You can sure gamble, though! Hey! Why don't you give the hazel nuts to Rose! She's a great cook!" Pippin said cheerfully and in

a rather proud way.

"Alright" Shrell answered.

Just then there came a knock on the door. Pippin got up quickly to answer it.There was a tall man with long dark hair standing outside

the door.He was wearing a long red robe and he had a staff with him.

"Is Frodo Baggins here?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Ye-ye-yes. Come in" Pippin backed away from the door forgetting that he was too big for a hobbit hole.

"Send him out here" answered the man.

Pippin ran back and grabbed Frodo by the arm and dragged him up the hall.

"There's some one here to see you, Frodo" Pippin told him once they came to the door. Frodo stepped outside and shut the door behind him.

He walked over to the man with a confused look on his face.

"Yes?" Frodo asked.

"I am Myrth the Red and I bring news for you, Frodo" he answered.

"How did you--" Frodo started.

"I have my ways" he answered.This left Frodo very confused. How did everyone know his name. He was sure any news of the ring being

destroyed long ago wouldn't have reached the Northern Waste but Shrell had known his name and now this strange man that he had heard nothing

of.

"Oh..." Frodo looked down at the ground.

"Thing stir to the east as we stand here. I will give what I know. Find me when you decide:"

A ring of power,

A ring of pain,

Thought destroyed but does remain,

There it lies in fire and flame,

We'll follow you if you know the way.

With that he turned and walked away. Frodo was left standing there stunned. After running the rhyme over in his mind he stepped inside

Pippin's hobbit hole.

"What does this sound like to you?" Frodo asked as he walked back into the room where everyone was. He recited the verses to them and

then stood looking at them in silence. They were left speechless and shocked and just stared back at Frodo them Pippin spoke:

"and I shall follow you if you know the way!" He declared standing up.

"As will I!" Merry stood up, too.

"Then, I shall as well, Master Frodo" Shrell stood up with a nod.

"Then, let us tell Sam" Frodo said more grim then the rest of them.

Sam decided to come,too, though he didn't want to leave Elanor and Rose.They all had dinner at Sam's and planned to find Myrth in the

morning.It was a very grim night for everyone. If the ring wasn't destroyed then neither was Sauron. No slept well. Shrell didn't sleep at

all but one thing kept turning in all their minds

A ring of power,

A ring of pain,

Thought destroyed but does remain,

There it lies in fire and flame,

We'll follow you if you know the way....

We'll Follow you if you know the way..........to be continued.