Chapter 9 Longshanks
For a few days after the ferry incident the hobbits felt safer. For hobbits to have felt fear even just once was something that they did not understand. Nor did they understand why they were on edge and looking over their shoulders all the time. I personally though it was a good thing that they felt this way, maybe for just a little while they would be cautious. I knew on the other hand that Hobbits in general, and these hobbits in particular could not maintain that feeling long. Frodo was different though, that fear that was in his heart was still there, and grew stronger and stronger by the hour. Sam, the ever faithful, watched Frodo and did not like how quiet Frodo was getting. He knew that something was wrong but he did not know how to help. So he hovered. If Frodo so much as twitched Sam was right there. Merry and Pippin had already seemingly forgotten the terror from a few days ago and were eager to get to Bree. They had heard about the town of the big people and looked foreword to this adventure. They could even experience new food and drink and thought that it would be a grand affair.
They did not have far to go to get there and night was falling and then it started raining so they decided to push on and go the rest of the way to the town they could see up ahead. For some reason the closer they go the more leery they felt. Even Merry and Pippin felt it. They kept looking over their shoulders expecting something to jump out at them. Maybe they were learning. There was too much danger all around them and I knew of no other way then to fill their senses with a little caution.
There it was, the town of Bree and its great gates. Everything looked so tall to them and it was a little daunting. They were cold and wet and scared. After looking carefully from the shelter of the woods they braved crossing the road to face the unknown gates and town of Bree. Frodo pounded on the gates and they could hear a grumbley kind of voice on the other side. Then they saw a little window above their heads open then close, and another window open right at the level of Frodo's face. "What do you want?" said the gatekeeper
"We are heading to the Prancing pony"
The gatekeeper opened the door looking at the hobbits up and down. Frodo did not like being looked at in this manner and he did not like just how large this man looked in the gloomy wet night.
Hobbits! Four hobbits! What business brings you to Bree?" The gatekeeper was a curious chap and had never seen the like of four hobbits away from their nice warm hobbit holes on a dreadful night like this.
All of a sudden Frodo got angry. He was wet and tired and had never been so scared in his life and how dare this man question him. "We wish to stay at the in and our business is our own!"
Merry and Pippin and Sam had never seen Frodo snap at anyone so they just looked at him as if he has sprouted a tail.
The gatekeeper was taken aback "All right young sir. I meant no offense. It is my job to ask questions after nightfall. There is talk of strange folk abroad, and ya can't be too careful." Actually the gatekeeper thought it was very strange to see four hobbits out in the wet and cold. But he let them pass
My four Hobbits had just entered the world of men and it was a very large world, full of men that were twice their height and did not look very friendly. The hobbits felt lost and the surrounding world was so different from anything they had experienced. Hobbits hated their dwellings to be more than one storey off the ground and there was no place here reminded of their nice hobbit holes. This world was a very frightening place. They had no idea where to go so they just kept walking hoping in all this confusing to find the Prancing Pony. The large folk were rude too one even belched in their faces, and if they were not careful they would have been ruin down by the large horses and carts. Sam was thinking, that Gandalf or no Gandalf this was no place for Four Hobbits and there was a larger part of him that wanted to take Frodo and go home. But he knew that he couldn't. Then they spotted it, the large sign with the large pony and the words the Prancing Pony. Frodo felt relieved. He would meet gandalf and everything would be better. Merry and Pippin were excited inns meant drink and food they rubbed their hands in anticipation.
They opened the door and there was sound all around them and it felt very loud and the counter was over their heads. Frodo looked up and said, "Excuse me" with very little hope of being heard in the all the din. A large cheery face looked over the counter and said "Good evening little masters! If you are seeking accommodation then we've got some nice cozy hobbit sized rooms available Mr. uh." Frodo felt a little afraid, Gandalf had told him to not use the name Baggins once he left the shire. So after thinking for a moment he said "Underhill, my names Underhill" Barliman Butterbur (for that was who the innkeeper was) had the feeling that this hobbit was not telling him the truth, but it was not any of his business so he let it pass "Underhill hmmm. Merry and Pippin just looked at Frodo and could not believe that he had just told a lie, but they figured he must have a good reason. Frodo needed to find Gandalf so he continued " we are friends of Gandalf the Grey could you tell him that we have arrived" Butterbur seemed genuinely confused "Gandalf hum gandalf ohhhhhh I remember elderly chap pointy hat…I have not seen him for about 6 months" Frodo felt as if he had been kicked in the teeth. Gandalf said he would be here, where was he?. Frodo turned to his friends and they just looked at him, worried expressions across their faces. Sam was almost angry "What do we do now" Frodo just shook his head. Barliman got one of his servants, a very stout hobbit to show then to their rooms. After they had settled in they realized that they were very hungry so they went down into the commons room. They found a table and sat at it but it was so large that it made them feel like children. They ordered food and the more they sat there the uneasier they became; well at least Sam and Frodo felt that way. Frodo was sitting there worried but not wanting to show it and Sam was angry. All that he could think of was that Gandalf promised to be here to help Frodo and he was nowhere in site. Frodo heard him Grumbling and turned to him and said "It's all right Sam he will show up you'll see" Merry and Pippin were having fun. Pippin had just discovered that his favorite drink came in a larger size and was sitting at the counter investigating that fact. Merry was sitting at the table with Frodo and Sam nursing his new found drink in front of him. Sam started getting bothered. There was a tall man over in the corner smoking a pipe that could not seem to take his eyes off of Frodo. Could he be one of those black riders? Was Frodo in Danger? "Frodo that man over there has done nothing but stare at you the whole time we have been here" Frodo looked where Sam had pointed and saw him, or rather saw his eyes behind his hood his eyes reflected the light from his pipe. Butterbur was coming through and Frodo Stopped him and asked "That man in the corner, who is he?" Butterbur turned and looked and took a deep breathe " I don't rightly know except he is one of those rangers, Dangerous folk they are wandering the wild, what his right name is I couldn't say but around he's called Strider" I had seen him there in the Corner, this child of Hope, and I for the first time felt that there was a chance for my hobbit lads to get to safety. Gandalf and Strider had been friends for along time and Gandalf had sent him to this place to watch out for Frodo and Sam. I had no idea how he was going to gain their trust but I am sure he would find away.
Pippin was at the counter having a grand time but the ale had loosened his tongue too much. They men found out that he was from the Shire and had a few questions for him mostly about Bilbo so they asked him if he knew of a Baggins. In the meantime the ring started calling to Frodo, it was always trying to get him to put it on. Frodo was lost in a cloud of thought when all of a sudden he heard Pippin say "Sure I know a Baggins, Frodo Baggins that's him right over there" Frodo jumped up with a start, didn't Pippin remember that he was going by a different name… oh that fool of a took would ruin everything Frodo ran over to where Pippin was to get him to shut up but when he grabbed him he tripped and fell down and the ring flew up in the air, and when Frodo tried to catch it the ring slipped right down on his finger, Frodo disappeared, the crowd gasped. And Strider in the corner felt a moment of dread. I felt it too for I knew that Now THEY would come.
Frodo could not believe that the ring was on his finger, how did it get there. He did not like the world he saw with the ring on. He felt the presence of a great eye that was searching for him. All he wanted to do was to get the ring off of his finger and he tugged but the ring did not want to come off, so he tugged again, only harder and finally it come off of his finger, Once he got it off the world returned to normal and Frodo was much relieved to see that no on had noticed him. He took a deep breath, suddenly he felt someone lift him up and slam him into the wall. "You draw far too much attention to yourself… Mr. Underhill" Frodo looked up, it was the man from the corner Strider then took him and threw him up the stairs. Frodo was terrified ,what was this man going to do to him. Strider opened a door and threw him into a room Frodo went sliding across the floor. He was frightened. "What do you Want" Strider walked over to the candles and put them out "I want a little more caution out of you, that is no trinket you carry" Now Frodo was really frightened this man knew " I carry nothing" Strider looked at him "Indeed I can avoid being seen if I want to, but to disappear entirely that is a rare gift" Frodo could not believe this "Who are you" Strider was angry "Are you frightened" Frodo looked at him and said "Yes" Strider got close to him and said "not nearly frightened enough for I know what hunts you"
Merry Pippin and Sam had seen Frodo disappear and then in a few moments they noticed him reappear and just as they were about to go to him they saw a large man dressed in Black travel worn clothes grab Frodo and throw him into the wall and then they saw him throw Frodo up the stars. That made them angry they started running for the stairs, grabbing what ever they could find as a weapon. Sam was so angry No man was going to hurt Frodo not while he had breath in his body. Pippin had grabbed a Stool and Merry had grabbed a chair. They burst through the room and there he was sword drawn. Sam had his fists doubled up "I'll have at you Longshanks" he was shaking he was so angry. Strider resheathed his sword and said you have a Stout heart little Hobbit you can no longer wait for the wizard, they are coming". I smiled but Sam was not done. The fact that this man had sheathed his sword made him angrier in fact. He was just bristling with fury. Frodo looked at him and smiled, then he looked at the man and somehow he was not frightened of him any more, he may look foul but there was something inside that made Frodo want to trust him. "It's Okay Sam, this is Strider" Strider looked at him in surprise " Strider did not hurt me but he did make a good point about caution" Sam still had not calmed down. "Well if it is caution he wants then he can just go…. now" Strider looked at Sam and got this little smile on his face " I am not here to hurt Frodo Sam, I am here to help you. There are Dark and terrible things that are pursuing you, They are coming for the ring." Frodo looked at him and asked, "How do you know this" Strider got a terrible look of pain on his face " I have had dealings with these creatures" Sam felt a moment of compassion for the look of pain that passed Striders face. "Who are you and how do you know so much of our Business" "They call me Strider Sam and as for how I know, Gandalf told me. He bid me watch for two hobbits that would be getting here soon, though I see that there are more of you than that" He looked at Merry and Pippin. I suspect that these two are the infamous cousins Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took" Pippin and Merry Looked up at him with a start. Merry could not contain himself any longer and said " How did you know that, I think there is more to you than you seem and you don't frighten me anymore" Frodo looked at him and said " You do not scare me either like one of the Black riders do, you have something about you that makes me want to trust you and I suspect if you wanted to hurt us you would have already done it. I believe that you are a friend of Gandalf's, do you know where he is" Strider looked troubled. " I thought Gandalf would be here by now and my heart tells me that he is in danger. First thing I need you to bring all of you things to this room, my heart tells me that you would be safer here and we are going to fix your beds to look as if you were sleeping in them." Merry looked at him with a question on his Lips "Why what ever for" "Meriadoc you will just have to trust me in this". That is just what they did, they brought their things to Striders room, though they did not know why, and then they fixed their bed so that the beds would looked as if they were sleeping. Merry and Pippin thought that it was silly. Sam still did not trust this man and Frodo just had a slightly amused look whenever he looked at his cousins and their reactions to Strider. Frodo did not know why he trusted Strider but I did. Strider was the one person that they could trust, he thought they were very foolish and he knew about what Frodo was carrying. Strider thought the Hobbits were foolish children that were going to get them selves hurt unless he did as Gandalf bade him to do, and take care of them. Watching their antics in the common room down below had done nothing to change his opinion. The black riders would hurt them in more ways than he cared to think of and what Frodo was carrying was too important to be lost because of Hobbit foolishness. Yes he would guard them but when they were safe he had a few words he wanted to say to them about caution. With the night came danger and they were coming for the ring.
The ringwraiths had felt it when Frodo put on the ring and it drew them like a beacon. When he had taken it off there was, for a time, enough of the rings energy left to tell them where to go. They could no longer feel it but they knew that he was in Bree. So they rode hard. They must get the ring for their master.