***CHAPTER TWO: Rings and Revelations***
At the end of the night the older Trance Gemini bid the rather disgruntled guests goodnight and returned to Gemini end. The party with be an event talked about in the Shire for months afterward. She entered the house and to her surprise she found the Ring lying on the floor. Picking it up she approached Rommie who was sitting by the fire, seemingly lost in her thoughts. She turned to Trance with a smile. "Ah, the Ring. Your other self has left for Rivendell. She's left you her house and all her possessions." Rommie placed the Ring in an envelope and handed it to Trance. "Keep it secret. Keep it safe."
With that she turned to leave. "Where are you going?", Trance asked her. "There are things I must see to. Questions that need answering." "I don't understand!", Trance said, looking confused. "Neither do I.", Rommie answered before leaving.
Once Rommie had left the Shire she rode hastily to Minas Tirith in Gondor to study the records of the Guderian and the Ring of Power. On the scroll was recorded the following:
This an account of the Second Age and the end of the War of the Ring. The Ring is now quite cool and it's markings which were as clear red flame have all but vanished, a secret that only fire can tell. This Ring is precious to me though I buy it with great pain. All of my bloodline shall be tied to it's fate and never risk any hurt to the Ring.
After reading this Rommie knew that at least there was one way to test whether Trance's Ring was the One Ring. Riding quickly back to the Shire, she proceeded to break into Trance's house and search it while Trance was gone. Trance returned home and stopped in horror, looking at what had happened. Suddenly someone placed a hand on her shoulder. Turning around she saw a very worried and stressed Rommie. "Is it secret? Is it safe?", she demanded. trance went to a chest filled with maps and fished the envelope out from the very bottom. She quickly handed it to Rommie who immediately threw it into the fire. "What are you doing?!", Trance cried. 'And what about keeping it safe?', she added to herself. Rommie took a set of tongs and removed the Ring from the fire. "Hold out your hand.", she told Trance. Noticing the look on Trance's face she added. "Don't worry it is quite cool." Trance took the Ring and stared at it. "What do you see?", Rommie asked her. "Nothing, there's nothing.", she answered. Rommie relaxed slightly, but then Trance said, "Wait there are markings on it. It's some form of Elvish. I can't read it." Rommie sighed. This confirmed her fears. "There are few who can. the language is that of the Mordor, which I will not utter here. In Common it says: One Ring to Rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all. And in the Darkness bind them."
"This is the One Ring, created by the dark Lord Enigma in the Fires of Mount Doom." Trance looked shocked. "But why is it here? My younger self found in Gerentex's lair.", she looked surprised. "Yes and for sixty years the Ring lay quiet in your younger self's keeping, but no longer Trance. The Ring has awoken. It has heard it's Master's call. They are One, the Ring and the dark Lord. All Enigma needs is this Ring to cover all the lands in a second Darkness. Trance, he must never find it.", she added solemnly.
"Alright then I'll hide it away and I'll never speak of it again. No one knows it's here do they? Do they Rommie?", Trance asked, growing alarmed. "There is one other that knew that Your older self took the Ring. I looked everywhere for Gerentex, but the Magog found him first. Eventually they discovered the fate of the Ring. They know it is here. " Trance sighed, feeling afraid yet at the same time determined.
"What must I do?", she asked. "You must leave the Shire immediately. Travel to the village of Bree. I will be waiting for you there at the Inn of the Prancing Vedran." "Will the Ring be safe there?", Trance asked. "I don't know. I don't have any answers. I must see the head of my Order. he is both wise and powerful. Trust me Trance, he'll know what to do." "Travel only by day, and stay off the main roads.", she warned. "I can cut across country easily enough.", Trance replied. "My dear Trance your people are such amazing creatures. You can learn all of their ways in a month and after a hundred years they can still surprise you." Trance smiled warmly and was about to speak when there was a loud noise outside. "Get down!", Rommie ordered, heading toward the window. Reaching out with her staff she hit the pulled in a stunned and terrified TG. "What are you doing here? Have you been eavesdropping?" "No, honest I was just trimming the grass under the window.", she answered, knowing how lame that excuse was, but unable to think of a better one. "I heard raised voices.", she added. "What did you hear?", Rommie demanded angrily. "Nothing", TG protested, "Well that is, I heard a great deal about a Ring, a dark Lord and something about the end of the world, but other then that...", she quickly added, "Please don't hurt Rommie, don't turn me into anything unnatural." "No, perhaps not. I've thought of a better use for you."
"Oh great! That's a comforting thought!", TG replied.