Disclaimer; Everything to do with Lord of the Rings belongs to J.R.R
Tolkien.
A/N; So if you haven't got the story already, you'll have to have a quick flick through, coz its hotting up now! Saz has been struck down by a Black Rider, and they need to get to Bree as fast as they can! Kooky keeps blaming herself, though… she tried to save her from being skewered, but the Rider was too fast! What will happen now? Read on to find out…..
CHAPTER FIVE
Blisters in Bree
Anxious witches and Hobbits dashed after Sam, who carried Saz quickly along fields and plains, trying to make their way to Bree in the fastest time possible. Saz was growing faint, and they didn't know what to do! Sam leapt over a tree log with ease, even though Saz was a little heavy for such a small person to carry.
"I should have never let you come…" said Frodo sadly to Rochelle. "I mean, it isn't fair that you are with me. You should be back in Hobbiton…"
"Just shut up, Frodo you silly billy…" she smiled, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We WANTED to come so don't blame yourself!"
Frodo nodded, even though he had doubts that Roch wasn't being entirely honest. She looked comfortable in her new hobbit clothes, she seemed extremely worried about Saz, but whether or not she didn't blame Frodo was hidden in her face. He gave up trying to read her and pressed on silently. The sun was rising in the East, and as it gave off little warmth it was still a bit chilly. Pippin was moaning about food, but went quiet when Kooky gave him an evil eye. He then realised Saz was slipping away, and it wasn't very nice to talk about his stomach. Kooky, Sam and Pippin never told the others that Saz was getting worse. They had managed to slow the loss of blood down by wrapping the wound up in thick cloth, but every time she coughed a little blood came out of her mouth. It wasn't very heartening.
"We should be there by dinner time if we don't rest again," muttered Sam to Frodo. "We should start moving again right away, though."
"Alright then." Frodo agreed, and they packed up their belongings and went on.
It was sunset, and only a little way past Dinner time when they arrived at the gates of Bree. The guard let them in as the sky started to cloud over, and they made their way hastily to the local nurse.
"Oh dear… dear, dear…" the nurse tutted. "Well…I can have her wound sewn up, and can let her stay here until there's some improvement, but it really is up to her to fight."
Kooky and Sam nodded while the others just looked at Saz pleadingly. Her eyes were not open, she still coughed a lot, and her breathing was becoming worse. They could only pray that she'd pull through, and then they would have to walk a bit slower on their journey and take better care. They didn't know what poison Black Riders' swords held.
The nurse dismissed them after a while and they went to the Prancing Pony Inn for a drink and some rest. Gandalf had told them to wait for him there when they got to Bree, as he should have arrived before them, but they needed to go there anyway. They couldn't go on without a good night's sleep, even if Saz wasn't injured.
Frodo had told them to call him Mister Underhill for security reasons, and not to give out his real name. They understood totally. They couldn't risk them all being found out. They were already in a lot of danger. They agreed and Frodo went to ask about Gandalf.
"I don't know," said Merry sighing. "What a to-do."
Even though Kooky's heart was sagging, she laughed. Little Merry was somehow enlightening.
"It makes you think doesn't it," said Pippin, putting down his drink, "about how people are strong, and poisons and stuff. I mean, if there IS a poison in the sword that struck Saz, I don't think she'd give up. She seems like a fighter. I think she'll survive."
Ro and Kooky smiled gratefully at him, their eyes were misting over and they fiddled with their drinks. It was so sweet.
Frodo came to the table a little shaky and sat down.
"The Innkeeper says he hasn't seen Gandalf in six months…" Frodo announced softly. "He's not here…"
Merry gulped down the last of his drink and said rather loudly, "Well we ARE early you know and Gandalf probably isn't finished finding out information about the Ri…"
Pippin put his hand over Merry's mouth and apologised hastily for his friend's big mouth.
"Oh that's nice isn't it?" said Merry, shoving Pippin away. "I've got blisters on my feet because of this dangerous journey and all YOU lot can do is shut me up!"
People were looking curiously and somewhat slyly at their table now and Kooky felt a twinge in the back of her head. Someone was looking at her.
"Merry, please!" Pippin tried exasperated, but Merry just laughed and flopped on the table, falling asleep.
"What's up with him?" asked Ro.
"I don't know, he's not usually like this," explained Pippin. "He wasn't even like this a second ago!"
Frodo noticed someone walking away from near the friends' table and putting a pipe underneath their cloak… except the pipe was emitting blue smoke.
"He made Merry try and blurt things out…" he whispered to Sam, but Kooky overheard. "He's just gone now… he wants us to be in trouble."
"Well it worked," replied Sam, as a figure in a cloak walked over to Frodo.
"I think we need to have a chat, Mister UNDERHILL…." He whispered harshly, and grabbed Frodo by the scruff of the neck, pulled him out of his seat and into a little common room near the back of the Pub, closing the door. No one noticed Frodo's sudden disappearance, not even Sam, and when he knew Frodo had gone in an instance he rounded the friends up (including Merry who was now much better) to go and find his Master's whereabouts.
"W… who are you?" asked Frodo.
"Are you afraid…?" said the stranger simply.
"I beg your par…"
"Are you afraid?!?" said the stranger again.
Frodo looked at him. "Well yes, I…"
"You're not frightened enough, let me tell you that," laughed the stranger. "I know what hunts you, Frodo."
Frodo looked at the stranger in amazement. How did he know his real name? Why was he being held in this room with him? What did the stranger want? And how on earth did he know what hunted him?
"May I ask what it is you want with me?" said Frodo bravely.
The stranger took back his hood and smiled at Frodo. His hair was jet black and chin-length, and he was unshaved, but in his smile he seemed pleasant. Kind of.
"I want to protect you." he said earnestly. "You are in deep trouble, and one of your friends being on the brink of death isn't warming to know. It is very disturbing. You need all the help you can get."
Frodo eyed him strangely. This was too suspicious. Why would somebody suddenly decide to help him freely? Even if they did know all the dangers that were afoot, and of Frodo's quest.
When asked this, the stranger chuckled.
"I am a friend of Gandalf's. He said to wait for you here and help you myself if he did not return in time. And…" the stranger held out his arms from his sides and Frodo got a better look at his clothes. "Here I am."
At last Frodo felt like he trusted the fellow.
"Alright," he said warily, even though he did not feel it. "I believe you…You know my name sir, now will you kindly tell me yours?"
The stranger jumped at being called "sir" apparently not used to it.
"The people of Bree call me Strider." He answered. "Strider will do."
"Yes, Strider will do…" repeated Frodo thoughtfully.
A/N; So not a BIG cliff-hanger here, but you still don't know if Saz will survive! What has happened to Gandalf? What's with the man with the pipe? And will Strider be able to protect them more than usual? Find out next time, in CHAPTER SIX!!!!!!
A/N; So if you haven't got the story already, you'll have to have a quick flick through, coz its hotting up now! Saz has been struck down by a Black Rider, and they need to get to Bree as fast as they can! Kooky keeps blaming herself, though… she tried to save her from being skewered, but the Rider was too fast! What will happen now? Read on to find out…..
CHAPTER FIVE
Blisters in Bree
Anxious witches and Hobbits dashed after Sam, who carried Saz quickly along fields and plains, trying to make their way to Bree in the fastest time possible. Saz was growing faint, and they didn't know what to do! Sam leapt over a tree log with ease, even though Saz was a little heavy for such a small person to carry.
"I should have never let you come…" said Frodo sadly to Rochelle. "I mean, it isn't fair that you are with me. You should be back in Hobbiton…"
"Just shut up, Frodo you silly billy…" she smiled, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We WANTED to come so don't blame yourself!"
Frodo nodded, even though he had doubts that Roch wasn't being entirely honest. She looked comfortable in her new hobbit clothes, she seemed extremely worried about Saz, but whether or not she didn't blame Frodo was hidden in her face. He gave up trying to read her and pressed on silently. The sun was rising in the East, and as it gave off little warmth it was still a bit chilly. Pippin was moaning about food, but went quiet when Kooky gave him an evil eye. He then realised Saz was slipping away, and it wasn't very nice to talk about his stomach. Kooky, Sam and Pippin never told the others that Saz was getting worse. They had managed to slow the loss of blood down by wrapping the wound up in thick cloth, but every time she coughed a little blood came out of her mouth. It wasn't very heartening.
"We should be there by dinner time if we don't rest again," muttered Sam to Frodo. "We should start moving again right away, though."
"Alright then." Frodo agreed, and they packed up their belongings and went on.
It was sunset, and only a little way past Dinner time when they arrived at the gates of Bree. The guard let them in as the sky started to cloud over, and they made their way hastily to the local nurse.
"Oh dear… dear, dear…" the nurse tutted. "Well…I can have her wound sewn up, and can let her stay here until there's some improvement, but it really is up to her to fight."
Kooky and Sam nodded while the others just looked at Saz pleadingly. Her eyes were not open, she still coughed a lot, and her breathing was becoming worse. They could only pray that she'd pull through, and then they would have to walk a bit slower on their journey and take better care. They didn't know what poison Black Riders' swords held.
The nurse dismissed them after a while and they went to the Prancing Pony Inn for a drink and some rest. Gandalf had told them to wait for him there when they got to Bree, as he should have arrived before them, but they needed to go there anyway. They couldn't go on without a good night's sleep, even if Saz wasn't injured.
Frodo had told them to call him Mister Underhill for security reasons, and not to give out his real name. They understood totally. They couldn't risk them all being found out. They were already in a lot of danger. They agreed and Frodo went to ask about Gandalf.
"I don't know," said Merry sighing. "What a to-do."
Even though Kooky's heart was sagging, she laughed. Little Merry was somehow enlightening.
"It makes you think doesn't it," said Pippin, putting down his drink, "about how people are strong, and poisons and stuff. I mean, if there IS a poison in the sword that struck Saz, I don't think she'd give up. She seems like a fighter. I think she'll survive."
Ro and Kooky smiled gratefully at him, their eyes were misting over and they fiddled with their drinks. It was so sweet.
Frodo came to the table a little shaky and sat down.
"The Innkeeper says he hasn't seen Gandalf in six months…" Frodo announced softly. "He's not here…"
Merry gulped down the last of his drink and said rather loudly, "Well we ARE early you know and Gandalf probably isn't finished finding out information about the Ri…"
Pippin put his hand over Merry's mouth and apologised hastily for his friend's big mouth.
"Oh that's nice isn't it?" said Merry, shoving Pippin away. "I've got blisters on my feet because of this dangerous journey and all YOU lot can do is shut me up!"
People were looking curiously and somewhat slyly at their table now and Kooky felt a twinge in the back of her head. Someone was looking at her.
"Merry, please!" Pippin tried exasperated, but Merry just laughed and flopped on the table, falling asleep.
"What's up with him?" asked Ro.
"I don't know, he's not usually like this," explained Pippin. "He wasn't even like this a second ago!"
Frodo noticed someone walking away from near the friends' table and putting a pipe underneath their cloak… except the pipe was emitting blue smoke.
"He made Merry try and blurt things out…" he whispered to Sam, but Kooky overheard. "He's just gone now… he wants us to be in trouble."
"Well it worked," replied Sam, as a figure in a cloak walked over to Frodo.
"I think we need to have a chat, Mister UNDERHILL…." He whispered harshly, and grabbed Frodo by the scruff of the neck, pulled him out of his seat and into a little common room near the back of the Pub, closing the door. No one noticed Frodo's sudden disappearance, not even Sam, and when he knew Frodo had gone in an instance he rounded the friends up (including Merry who was now much better) to go and find his Master's whereabouts.
"W… who are you?" asked Frodo.
"Are you afraid…?" said the stranger simply.
"I beg your par…"
"Are you afraid?!?" said the stranger again.
Frodo looked at him. "Well yes, I…"
"You're not frightened enough, let me tell you that," laughed the stranger. "I know what hunts you, Frodo."
Frodo looked at the stranger in amazement. How did he know his real name? Why was he being held in this room with him? What did the stranger want? And how on earth did he know what hunted him?
"May I ask what it is you want with me?" said Frodo bravely.
The stranger took back his hood and smiled at Frodo. His hair was jet black and chin-length, and he was unshaved, but in his smile he seemed pleasant. Kind of.
"I want to protect you." he said earnestly. "You are in deep trouble, and one of your friends being on the brink of death isn't warming to know. It is very disturbing. You need all the help you can get."
Frodo eyed him strangely. This was too suspicious. Why would somebody suddenly decide to help him freely? Even if they did know all the dangers that were afoot, and of Frodo's quest.
When asked this, the stranger chuckled.
"I am a friend of Gandalf's. He said to wait for you here and help you myself if he did not return in time. And…" the stranger held out his arms from his sides and Frodo got a better look at his clothes. "Here I am."
At last Frodo felt like he trusted the fellow.
"Alright," he said warily, even though he did not feel it. "I believe you…You know my name sir, now will you kindly tell me yours?"
The stranger jumped at being called "sir" apparently not used to it.
"The people of Bree call me Strider." He answered. "Strider will do."
"Yes, Strider will do…" repeated Frodo thoughtfully.
A/N; So not a BIG cliff-hanger here, but you still don't know if Saz will survive! What has happened to Gandalf? What's with the man with the pipe? And will Strider be able to protect them more than usual? Find out next time, in CHAPTER SIX!!!!!!
