NO MATTER WHAT
Chapter 2
The journey would have taken only three days with the horses in good weather but they had neither. The weather was rain and wind and they had no horses. All that they had was their own will to save Sam and the food that they had brought. Hope seemed to dance ahead of them. Never too far off to miss being seen but always too far to be touched. It only made sense to go on to reach the fleeing hope.
As Thranduil predicted, they arrived too early to meet his son. The elf that was ran the inn was not nearly enthusiastic about the possibility of housing a dwarf. As soon as they entered tension filled the air. People looked up from what they were doing to stare at them. It wasn't often that men and hobbits traveled together. They thought that it was odd to see such short people around in the forest.
"You say that you are expecting to meet up with a dwarf, elf and a wizard to find another hobbit. What odd company you keep. Who may I ask is the wizard that you seek? One has arrived here just a week ago. I think that he may be the one you wish to speak with." The elf that ran the inn questioned.
"His name is Gandalf." Frodo informed the elf.
"He is here! That is the wizard that came. You must be Baggens! He has mentioned you to me. He said that you were the one who carried the ring to Mordor. Frodo the nine fingered! How good it is to see you here." The elf looked around nervously. "Could I ask if you need any rooms and how many?" he questioned after turning back to them.
"The three of us can stay in one room if you have one with three beds," He said gesturing to the other two hobbits and himself. "and I think that Strider could have his own. Oh, also, I want to know, do you know if Legolas is going to come here?"
"Yes, he is. He should be coming any day now. I don't know the exact time of his arranged arrival but I do know that he is coming. He will be staying with someone but I do not know their name. Is there anything else that I can do for you?"
"Have any orcs come through lately?" Merry piped up.
"Yes, yes come to think of it, they have. They stayed only a day and left when they saw Gandalf. Only a few days ago. If I remember right, they had a sack with them that wiggled and squirmed about. They said that it was a goblin but I don't believe them. It was too small." With that the elf found some other business to interest himself in.
The small fellowship went off in search of Gandalf. They didn't have to look too far. Elves everywhere they went were talking about a wizard that had come to town. Pippin, the self proclaimed master spy, listened in on conversations in the common tongue and Aragorn listened in on those in Elvish. Between the two they learned a great deal of information but none that helped. They learned of tale of heroism and of Frodo the nine fingered. Apparently, when a hobbit comes to town all other things of minimal importance is left behind and only he is talked about.
"Have you heard, a Hobbit has come to town. They say that it is frodo, the hobbit that took the ring to destroy it." one elf told another.
"I have heard that he is staying at Mori. That is the place that the owner let orcs stay in." the other elf replied. "The owner said that he let the orcs stay there so that they wouldn't attack him. I think he is lying. Either way, I have heard that Legolas Greenleaf is going to come. He is even staying at that inn when he arrives. I wish that he wouldn't. He needs to stay in an inn where the elf is impartial to the destruction of in inn and would gladly sacrifice it to refuse service to such creatures as orcs. There I would feel that he would be safe."
"You have a valid point." Pippin, not thinking as usual, interrupted. Because they looked at him oddly he continued. "I would feel better if that was the case but I wouldn't worry about him too much. I know him well. If any orc tried to attack him without him knowing it they would fail miserably. I know, to sneak up on an elf is hard."
"Well, what to we have here, a small nosey hobbit. How nice. Shame he isn't Frodo." The elf that spoke first said with a smile.
"Nope. Instead you have Pip! The great hobbit that helped Frodo." Pippin told them with great relish in his voice.
"Poor Frodo. I don't see how he would have managed to help. Almost sad that he cannot find better company to travel with." The second elf whispered to the first who laughed when he heard it.
They shooed him away before they said anymore. Pippin, rather than harassing the two elves, went over to sit with the other hobbits. As soon as Pippin sat down Merry handed him a tall mug. Pippin gave a thankful look and then went about telling the other hobbits what he heard. There wasn't that much but it was still worth telling. Soon Aragorn come over saying that he had found Gandalf and that he wanted to talk to Frodo.
Merry and Pippin sat there as they walked away. They wished that they had been asked to talk to Gandalf as well but knew that if Gandalf caught them they would wish that they were hobbitnaped instead of Sam. They waited until Aragorn returned with Frodo.
"I cannot go with you." Frodo said almost in a daze as he approached the table. "Gandalf said that you must gather Legolas and save Sam. Gandalf and I will get Gimli and go in search of the new ring, if there is a new one. He said that it must be that way and so I will listen. When he says that something is for the better it normally is."
Merry and Pippin were too startled at first to do much more than look at him. Sitting there with their mouths wide open they could hear some elves around them calling them fish or frogs hopping that a fly would go into their mouths and be caught. They didn't quite believe what the hear Frodo say and therefore didn't believe that what the elves said was truly what came out of their mouths. They didn't want to believe that Frodo, Sam's best friend, wouldn't be there to greet him when they rescued him from the ors.
"Before Gandalf, Gimli, and I set off we are going to go to Rivendale to hear what others closer to Mordor have heard about the new ring. We might not even get to set off to Mordor for a month after we arrive at Rivendale. I'm sorry guys. I wanted to go with you as much as you want me to come." With that Frodo set off to his room to pack his belongings. They sent the new cooking kit with Merry and Pippin so that Sam could get it quickly.
The next day Frodo was off. Everyone knew that if Gandalf thought that it was best then it probably was. That way not only will the job get done quicker but they would probably meet up near the end. Even if they didn't end up in the same place they would be able to tell tales of their new adventure to each other.
The next two days were spent waiting for Legolas to show up. On the third day the hobbits went to eat dinner with Aragorn and some of the friends that he had made. The restaurant was elven-owned and, because they were friends of Frodo, all the hobbits ate at half price. Aragorn was offered the same deal but didn't take it. He told them that they were already losing enough money on the hobbits. They soon knew what he meant when they saw the food that Pippin and Merry ordered.
By the time they got back Araorn had officially given up on trying to keep the two hobbits sober. They stumbled in after hi slipped into the inn nearly unnoticed. They effectively ruined his efforts to keep quiet by tripping and falling on top of him.
"Oh!" Cried the elf at the counter who had nearly been sleeping. "I didn't know that you were here! Yes! It is you. You were the ones looking for Greenleaf, right?"
"Yes, has he arrived?" Pippin almost jumped up on the counter. He seemed to have thrown off the effects of the beer that he had finished. Merry was still working on throwing them off but could hardly manage to op, let alone jump.
"Just less than five minutes ago. The elf that he was staying wit went up right away. He went off just as you guys came in. some elves stopped him to talk so I don't know how long he has been delayed in getting to is room. Just incase you don't see him in the halls, turn right at the split in the first hall, then you go up a flight of stairs and his room is the third one on the right. (Big place isn't it)"
Chapter 2
The journey would have taken only three days with the horses in good weather but they had neither. The weather was rain and wind and they had no horses. All that they had was their own will to save Sam and the food that they had brought. Hope seemed to dance ahead of them. Never too far off to miss being seen but always too far to be touched. It only made sense to go on to reach the fleeing hope.
As Thranduil predicted, they arrived too early to meet his son. The elf that was ran the inn was not nearly enthusiastic about the possibility of housing a dwarf. As soon as they entered tension filled the air. People looked up from what they were doing to stare at them. It wasn't often that men and hobbits traveled together. They thought that it was odd to see such short people around in the forest.
"You say that you are expecting to meet up with a dwarf, elf and a wizard to find another hobbit. What odd company you keep. Who may I ask is the wizard that you seek? One has arrived here just a week ago. I think that he may be the one you wish to speak with." The elf that ran the inn questioned.
"His name is Gandalf." Frodo informed the elf.
"He is here! That is the wizard that came. You must be Baggens! He has mentioned you to me. He said that you were the one who carried the ring to Mordor. Frodo the nine fingered! How good it is to see you here." The elf looked around nervously. "Could I ask if you need any rooms and how many?" he questioned after turning back to them.
"The three of us can stay in one room if you have one with three beds," He said gesturing to the other two hobbits and himself. "and I think that Strider could have his own. Oh, also, I want to know, do you know if Legolas is going to come here?"
"Yes, he is. He should be coming any day now. I don't know the exact time of his arranged arrival but I do know that he is coming. He will be staying with someone but I do not know their name. Is there anything else that I can do for you?"
"Have any orcs come through lately?" Merry piped up.
"Yes, yes come to think of it, they have. They stayed only a day and left when they saw Gandalf. Only a few days ago. If I remember right, they had a sack with them that wiggled and squirmed about. They said that it was a goblin but I don't believe them. It was too small." With that the elf found some other business to interest himself in.
The small fellowship went off in search of Gandalf. They didn't have to look too far. Elves everywhere they went were talking about a wizard that had come to town. Pippin, the self proclaimed master spy, listened in on conversations in the common tongue and Aragorn listened in on those in Elvish. Between the two they learned a great deal of information but none that helped. They learned of tale of heroism and of Frodo the nine fingered. Apparently, when a hobbit comes to town all other things of minimal importance is left behind and only he is talked about.
"Have you heard, a Hobbit has come to town. They say that it is frodo, the hobbit that took the ring to destroy it." one elf told another.
"I have heard that he is staying at Mori. That is the place that the owner let orcs stay in." the other elf replied. "The owner said that he let the orcs stay there so that they wouldn't attack him. I think he is lying. Either way, I have heard that Legolas Greenleaf is going to come. He is even staying at that inn when he arrives. I wish that he wouldn't. He needs to stay in an inn where the elf is impartial to the destruction of in inn and would gladly sacrifice it to refuse service to such creatures as orcs. There I would feel that he would be safe."
"You have a valid point." Pippin, not thinking as usual, interrupted. Because they looked at him oddly he continued. "I would feel better if that was the case but I wouldn't worry about him too much. I know him well. If any orc tried to attack him without him knowing it they would fail miserably. I know, to sneak up on an elf is hard."
"Well, what to we have here, a small nosey hobbit. How nice. Shame he isn't Frodo." The elf that spoke first said with a smile.
"Nope. Instead you have Pip! The great hobbit that helped Frodo." Pippin told them with great relish in his voice.
"Poor Frodo. I don't see how he would have managed to help. Almost sad that he cannot find better company to travel with." The second elf whispered to the first who laughed when he heard it.
They shooed him away before they said anymore. Pippin, rather than harassing the two elves, went over to sit with the other hobbits. As soon as Pippin sat down Merry handed him a tall mug. Pippin gave a thankful look and then went about telling the other hobbits what he heard. There wasn't that much but it was still worth telling. Soon Aragorn come over saying that he had found Gandalf and that he wanted to talk to Frodo.
Merry and Pippin sat there as they walked away. They wished that they had been asked to talk to Gandalf as well but knew that if Gandalf caught them they would wish that they were hobbitnaped instead of Sam. They waited until Aragorn returned with Frodo.
"I cannot go with you." Frodo said almost in a daze as he approached the table. "Gandalf said that you must gather Legolas and save Sam. Gandalf and I will get Gimli and go in search of the new ring, if there is a new one. He said that it must be that way and so I will listen. When he says that something is for the better it normally is."
Merry and Pippin were too startled at first to do much more than look at him. Sitting there with their mouths wide open they could hear some elves around them calling them fish or frogs hopping that a fly would go into their mouths and be caught. They didn't quite believe what the hear Frodo say and therefore didn't believe that what the elves said was truly what came out of their mouths. They didn't want to believe that Frodo, Sam's best friend, wouldn't be there to greet him when they rescued him from the ors.
"Before Gandalf, Gimli, and I set off we are going to go to Rivendale to hear what others closer to Mordor have heard about the new ring. We might not even get to set off to Mordor for a month after we arrive at Rivendale. I'm sorry guys. I wanted to go with you as much as you want me to come." With that Frodo set off to his room to pack his belongings. They sent the new cooking kit with Merry and Pippin so that Sam could get it quickly.
The next day Frodo was off. Everyone knew that if Gandalf thought that it was best then it probably was. That way not only will the job get done quicker but they would probably meet up near the end. Even if they didn't end up in the same place they would be able to tell tales of their new adventure to each other.
The next two days were spent waiting for Legolas to show up. On the third day the hobbits went to eat dinner with Aragorn and some of the friends that he had made. The restaurant was elven-owned and, because they were friends of Frodo, all the hobbits ate at half price. Aragorn was offered the same deal but didn't take it. He told them that they were already losing enough money on the hobbits. They soon knew what he meant when they saw the food that Pippin and Merry ordered.
By the time they got back Araorn had officially given up on trying to keep the two hobbits sober. They stumbled in after hi slipped into the inn nearly unnoticed. They effectively ruined his efforts to keep quiet by tripping and falling on top of him.
"Oh!" Cried the elf at the counter who had nearly been sleeping. "I didn't know that you were here! Yes! It is you. You were the ones looking for Greenleaf, right?"
"Yes, has he arrived?" Pippin almost jumped up on the counter. He seemed to have thrown off the effects of the beer that he had finished. Merry was still working on throwing them off but could hardly manage to op, let alone jump.
"Just less than five minutes ago. The elf that he was staying wit went up right away. He went off just as you guys came in. some elves stopped him to talk so I don't know how long he has been delayed in getting to is room. Just incase you don't see him in the halls, turn right at the split in the first hall, then you go up a flight of stairs and his room is the third one on the right. (Big place isn't it)"