(A surprise appearance is made by someone in this chapter, hope you remember who he is. Oh and this chapter is LONG! Please remember that Navalle belongs to me and all the other characters do not belong to me.)

Chapter 6 Make way for Tom

I took a look at what things had come along with me. In the pile were a bag of tootsie rolls, my backpack that had two notebooks, Advil, two pencils, a pen, and my sweatshirt in it. There were three handguns, two rifles, and a double barrel shotgun. " These will come in handy" I thought, " given the case that I can't use a sword." While scrounging through the pile of guns I found plenty of ammo, magazines, and a large wooden box.

The box was locked tight; I was curious s to know what was in it. I picked up the shotgun and began to pound at the lock. After a few minutes of banging the lock, the lock finally gave way. I carefully opened the box and examined it contents. Inside was an assault rifle with at least fifteen magazines to go with it. There was a fanny pack as well (a fanny pack is a type of gun belt which can hold magazines and small items), in the fanny pack was some 9mm bullets which could be loaded in the handguns.

I started looking for some shells, without them the shotgun was useless, unless I wanted to use it as a club. I opened the shotgun to see if there were any shells inside, there were but there were only two shells. "The shotgun will have to be used only in a severe emergency." Now a problem was presented before me, how was I going to carry all these things?

" Meriadoc, Peregrin, do you mind carrying these things for me?" I asked. Both nodded sheepishly. I handed Pippin the shotgun, and some 9mm magazines, while Merry got the rifles. " Um miss? Said Pippin, " please call me pippin, and him Merry." I nodded at this and continued packing. I stuffed the magazines in my backpack; I buckled the fanny pack around my waist, stuck the handguns in the holsters, picked up the assault riffle and presented myself to the hobbits.

"Are we all ready?" I asked. All of the hobbits just nodded while gawking at me. I couldn't help but smile, it was clear that none have ever seen a woman quite like me. It looked like I was going to have to get them moving, so I did one simple action; I started walking down the road and motioned for them to follow me.

We continued all through the evening and night, we only stopped for five-minute breaks. When dawn finally broke we were on the outskirts of an immense forest. The trees did not look very inviting. It was as though a shadow had the forest in its clutches. Even as uninviting as the forest looked we went straight into the forest.

We took a path that led into the very heart of the place. The path was small and almost hidden under the debris of the forest floor. None of us spoke nor made any noise of the ort except the patter of their feet. Morning was beginning to die and afternoon crept towards us, by noon we came to a clearing with a hill in the middle of it. We climbed the hill and took a look around.

All I saw was trees and more trees they seemed endless. Sam slumped to the ground in dismay. Merry and Pippin had blank looks on their faces. Frodo was fidgeting with something in his pocket. I caught a glimpse of gold…The Ring!!… I had completely forgotten about it! Frodo looked up at me and realized that I was staring at him; I mouthed, "What's wrong?" He said nothing and continued to fidget with the ring.

We stayed on the hill to eat lunch and enjoy the warmth of the sun. After lunch was over with we continued on while the trees seemed to bend theirs boughs to hit us. When evening was coming round we came to a grotto.

A clear and distinct path down the grotto and into the valley below showed itself to us, so we took it. It was slow work down the side of the grotto; it was well after midnight when we got down to the valley. It was pitch black when reached the bottom; I had suggested we make camp for tonight, so we did.

I laid my head down to rest, but after tossing and turning for what had to be at least and hour, I gave up on trying to sleep and decided to stand guard. I got up walked a ways from the others and looked out into the darkness. I stayed up for the remainder of the night and just when the sun peeked over the horizon I heard someone singing.

"I ma bringing flowers for da Maiden of the River!

I ser am Tom Bombadil!" This was all I caught of the song before Tom came skipping over the hill. He caught sight of me and he came running. It did not take him very long for him arrive to where I standing. He bowed low and said, " My, what is a lovely young lady like yourself doing here?" At these words, the hobbits sprang up swords drawn and pointed straight at Tom.

Tom merely smiled at the sight of the swords. " Those won't hurt me haflings," he said, " for I am Tom Bombadil!" I remembered Tom from the book and knowing that he wouldn't hurt us, I motioned to the hobbits to lower and sheath their swords.

" Sir, I said, " we are headed for Bree, could you point out the way for us?" " Yes me lady," he said, " you must north for three miles then head for eight miles, you'll see a road follow it and you'll come to Bree. Yet you all look very tired, maybe its best you stay a day with the maiden and me for a day. I looked to Frodo for answer for this, but surprisingly all the four of the hobbits were looking to me for the answer.

" Just for one day sir." I said. " Then follow me then!" he replied, and with that he went running back to where he first appeared. The hobbits and warily followed Tom who was just barely in sight.

The sun was high in the sky when we reached Tom's home. It was a large wooden mansion type of a home that was nearly engulfed by trees. Tom came running back to the hobbits and I and had us follow him into his house. When we got inside we all took a breath at the inside. Wooden pillars lined the walls of the first we came to, and in the middle of the room was pool of water clearer than any water I've ever seen. The pool was filled with lily pads with their flowers in full bloom. In the pool was a woman with hair as blue as water, skin like a water lily, eyes that shined like diamonds, and she wore a gown that blended in with the water when it touched it, but what was out of the water was the same hue as her hair. She smiled at us got out the water and greeted us.

"Tom told me ahead of time that we had guests and I welcome you to our home. My name is Goldberry or known as the Maiden of the River." She curtsied and walked to off into another room. " Please make yourselves at home" said Tom; " We will have lunch very soon. Oh yes, let me show you to your rooms. We followed Tom up a flight of stairs, and he sowed to each of our rooms.

I waited in my room to be called down for lunch. Tom had asked me told put on a dress for the occasion, for he had said it would please the Maiden. So I had checked what dresses there were in wardrobe, there were only two. There was a green one with leaf etchings, it had low neckline no sleeves and it hugged my waist and flowed from the hips. The other was white with silk lacing around the neckline, the sleeves were also silk, this one hugged my hips as well, but it did flow like the other one. The green looked well on me, in my personal opinion, white does not match brown hair. After putting on the dress, Goldberry came into my room and announced that lunch was ready.

When I arrived downstairs the in which the hobbits and I first entered now had table covered in a variety of foods. The hobbits turned to look and me, but instead of looking they were staring with their mouths open. Well I guess I must have looked nice for even Tom Gawked. Goldberry showed me to my chair and Pippin kindly pulled it out to allow me to sit.

The food ranged from rolls to fried venison, there was even brisket. It all smelled delicious; the hobbits just dove into the food, all except Frodo who remembered his manners. I took few bits of food here and there, knowing that in this time and place women were to show great amounts of manners and politeness.

" Now," said Tom, " if you don't mind, why are you traveling to Bree?" I nodded to Frodo to tell Tom the reason why for I was still pretending that I didn't much of what was going on. Frodo sighed and started his side of the story.

As I listened, I was quickly updated on what happened from the time of Bilbo's party to when I suddenly appeared on his floor, and he ended it up to where he first heard tom's voice. " He has left out the ring," I thought, " is he under the influence of the ring or not?" Tom seemed pleased by the story and dismissed us to our rooms.

Lunch had lasted longer than I had it had. It was beginning to get dark outside. I was tired, and wanted to get some rest, and started to undress and redress into something more comfortable. As soon I dressed into my usual clothes, Frodo appeared in the doorway looking uncomfortable.

He said nothing but it was clear enough that he wanted to tell me something but what I didn't know. " Come in Frodo" I said. He slowly came in and stood in front of me. "May I ask you something?" he said. I nodded my head, curious of what he was going ask me. " What do you know about this?" at that he held out his and in his hand was the ring. I looked at it knowing it contained power but as looked at it, I had the urge not to take it for myself but to get it away from me. " Please Frodo" I said recoiling in disgust by the presence of the ring, " please get that thing away from me." He closed his and put the ring in his pocket. " Lady Navalle what do you know about it?" I had to answer, he was not going to leave until I did so I answered his question, " I know all about it Frodo. Sauron himself forged it, it contains his greed, his cruelty, and his will to dominate. Frodo please believe me in this, I do not want it for myself even when you showed it to me I did not want it, I just wanted it away from me." Frodo nodded his slowly and out the door, but before leaving completely he turned his head at me and smiled.