Got another chapter! I like this one, it's funny… I think =P so, read, enjoy, and review! I need reviews! Pwease!

~Hoshiko

Of All Hobbits!

            Ondril woke up the next morning to someone shaking him. He opened his eyes slowly to find Brom standing next to him.

'Come on, Mr. Ondril, wake up.' He said, and Ondril groaned, sitting up.

'Thank's Brom, I'll be out in a minute.'

'Not a problem, Mr. Ondril.' Brom then left, and Ondril got dressed. He dressed in his traveling clothes, and put on his pack. He walked out to the hall to find Brom waiting patiently for him.

'Are you ready, Mr. Ondril?' Brom asked, and Ondril smiled.

'Yes, Brom, come along, we've got a long road a head of us.' Ondril said, and Brom nodded, letting Ondril leave first, and closed the door behind him.

They walked for a good part of that day until lunch time, when they stopped to set up a fire. When they had a nice fire going, and both had settled down with a nice pipe, Brom turned to Ondril.

'Mr. Ondril?' he asked, and Ondril took his pipe out of his mouth.

'Yes, Brom?'

'Does that wizard Brendalin remind you of someone?' he asked, and Ondril nodded.

'Yes, he does. Of course, if you've ever seen a wizard, then you know they all look very similar.' Ondril said, wondering if Brom was remembering being Sam. He was disappointed, though, when Brom looked back at the sky.

'Well, you know rightly that I've never been outside the Shire before, but I've known Mr. Brendalin for a few years.'

'Oh?'

'Yes, he came up to me about eight years ago, and said 'Hello, Master Gardener,' and I said 'Hello, sir, can I help you?' and he nodded. 'Yes,' he said, 'I believe you can. That hobbit, calls himself Baggins, he's your employer?' and I says 'yes, he is.' He then smiled warmly, and I found myself talking with him about you, and your age, and other things.'

'So that's how he came to know where I live.' Ondril said, and Brom nodded.

'Yes, sorry sir…' he apologized, but Ondril laughed.

'It's perfectly all right, Brom. In fact, I thank you.' Ondril said, and though Brom didn't say anything, a smile crept onto his face. They ate their lunch, and started out again. They walked until nightfall, and stopped again, making camp for the night. When they did, they ate dinner, second dinner, and finally supper. By then they were quite full, and they put their blankets down, laying on them.

'Every where I lie, there's a great big root in my back…' Brom complained, and Ondril smiled. He had said that last time.

'Just pretend you're in your own bed, with a nice soft pillow under your head.' Ondril said, and Brom was quiet for a moment. He quickly sighed, though.

'It's no use, Mr. Ondril, I'll never get to sleep like this.' Brom said, and Ondril just kept quiet to himself. If Brom kept saying things like this, he'd have to remember soon. They went to sleep soon, though, and woke in the middle of the next morning. They made breakfast, and were on their way soon.

They were nearing the end of the Shire by the end of the next day, and when they started to eat dinner they could hear a sound in the distance. It was a shriek, like the last breath of a dying animal, and it made both of them stop what they were doing. When they dared to move again, Brom looked at Ondril.

'M-Mr. Ondril?' he stuttered, and they heard it again. 'What's that?' Now, Ondril had thought, when he was Frodo, that he would never forget the fear that a shriek like that put into his heart. This proved him wrong. He had forgotten, and being reminded of it sent shivers down his spine.

'I don't know, Brom…' he lied, and they resumed eating, listening carefully for the sound again. It was a good time before they heard it again, but when they did they found it much closer. Brom was about to say something, but he had no time because something jumped out of the bushes at them.

Both hobbits screamed as two other small bodies ran into them, knocking them to the ground. When the two other bodies picked themselves up, they heaved a deep breath.

'Brom!' one voice said, it was Param.

'Param, what are you doing here?' Brom asked, and Terry stood off of Ondril.

'Being chased.' He said, and when Ondril was about to comment they could hear the shrieks again, even closer.

'Run!' Param cried, and he picked up Ondril and Brom's things, sprinting the other way. The others followed him, and when Ondril looked back he saw a rider in black jump out of the foliage. 'Faster, Terry!' Param screamed, as Terry was lagging behind.

'What do you have in this thing?' Terry cried, and Brom fell back, grabbing his pack from Terry. They then sprinted full towards the river. The black rider was gaining on them, and he groped for Ondril's cape. It caught some of it, but luckily it couldn't hold onto the horse and Ondril at the same time, and had to let go.

It shrieked one last time, and had to stop when they ran into a patch of trees, turning. They could hear others answering it.

'What was that?' Terry asked, collapsing against a tree. Param threw himself on the ground, and Brom looked out from the patch of trees.

'Black riders?' Brom asked, and Param shook his head.

'They just started chasing us!' he said, and Ondril turned to him.

'What were you doing out so late?' Ondril asked, and Param looked down.

'We were… erhm… yes, well, you see…' he trailed off, not finding an explination.

'You were sneaking about Barley's farm, weren't you?' he asked, and Terry took out some potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms.

'He's going to have your tales when we get back.' Brom said, shaking his head in disbelief. Param smiled anyway, and took a rather large bite of a carrot. Terry suddenly yawned, and rubbed his eyes.

'It's late, let's worry about it tomorrow…' he said, and practically fell asleep on the tree he was leaning on. Param rolled his eyes, and helped Terry on the ground.

'Come along, Ter, you big lug.' He said, and Brom came back in.

'They think we've kept going, I think. I saw three other ones going on the other side of the trees.' He said, and took Ondril over to the side.

'Mr. Ondril, what were they doing after those two? Of all hobbits!' he said, and Param squinted at them in the dark.

'I heard that!'

'I don't know, Brom, but their not friends. We shouldn't travel any longer until daylight.' Ondril said, and got out his blankets and bedroll. Brom did the same while Param leaned against a tree. Before they knew it, they were asleep. The black rider chasing them had been more frightening and tiring than any of them could imagine before stepping out of the door.

Ondril woke up the next morning to the mumbling of someone outside the trees. Thinking it was a black rider, he froze. Suddenly Param cried out in shock when something sharp poked into his side.

'Oi! Here you are, you little thieves!' a voice said, and a hand appeared grabbing Param out of the trees.

'Param!' Ondril cried, and woke the other two who had been asleep. Terry immediately jumped up, and grabbed Param's ankles, but he was dragged out too, and when he totally disappeared, Brom and Ondril jumped out of the trees.

'So it was you two, as I figured.' The attacker said. It was Farmer Barley, and he was fuming. 'I was searching for you for the whole night. Wait 'till your parents hear this, they'll swat you good!' he said, and started to drag a protesting Terry and Param away from the trees.

'Wait, Farmer Barley!' Brom said, and Barley turned. When he saw Brom he smiled.

'Hello, lad. What were you two fine hobbits doing with these troublemakers?' he asked, and Ondril smiled.

'Please, sir, we know you're angry with them, but they've had a rough night. We were chased last night, and-'

'Chased, you say?' Barley said and his expression hardened. 'Who was chasing you?'

'They actually started chasing them, and we don't know who it was.' Ondril said, and Barley nodded.

'Well, serves you two right. I'll bring you all back to the house, and see what the Mrs. has to say about this, come along, she's going to start breakfast soon.' Barley said, and let Param and Terry go. Brom and Ondril got their packs, along with Terry and Param, and they followed Barley back to his farm, which wasn't very far away.

Terry and Param kept eyeing things as they walked, but Barley was keeping a good eye on them, and only let go of their shoulders when they were inside the door to his house. His wife greeted them with a warm smile, and when she was rushing them into the kitchen, Barley explained the situation himself.

'Oh, you poor dears!' Mrs. Barley said, and Barley shook his head.

'Serves them right, they were steeling crops.' He said sternly, but Mrs. Barley wiggled her finger at him.

'Now, now, Bart, you know very well that they've paid enough.' She then turned to the others, putting food on their plates. 'Now, dears, you slept out in the cold last night? You poor things! Would you like to stay with us for while?' she asked, and Barley turned a slight red.

'Lilly, please! They've stolen enough already.' He said, but she had made up her mind, and it wouldn't be changed.

'They won't steal anything again, Bart. What do you say to the invitation, boys?' she asked, and Ondril and Brom glanced at each other. When Ondril saw that Brom didn't know what to do, he smiled politely.

'Thank you, Mrs. Barley, but we can only stay for a little while.' He said, and Lilly Barley beamed.

'Of coarse, stay as long as you would like! At least stay for lunch, it's very cold outside, I think… mushroom soup is a good solution to that!' she said, and Terry and Param practically hopped in their chairs.

'Most definitely, Aunt Lilly!' Param cried, and Terry nodded. They were both related to Lilly Barley on their mother's side. Their mothers were sister in laws, Param's mother being married to Terry's father's brother. Their grandmother was sister to Lilly's mother, so they were all related, rather distantly.

'As long as they stay away from my carrots.' Barley scowled.

They stayed for the rest of the day and tried to leave after noon, but Mrs. Barley suggested that they stay the night. Not wanting to upset her, they stayed, but agreed to leave in the middle of the night.

When the time came, Ondril and Brom got their packs, left a note, and walked out the door. As they were going down the path to the road, someone called out behind a tree.

'Where are you two going?' Param asked, coming from behind the tree. Ondril and Brom stopped short, turning quickly to him.

'No where of importance.' Ondril said, but when Terry jumped from behind a bush Brom groaned.

'I believe they tried to give us the slip, Parm!' he said, and ran over to the other two, putting his arm around Ondril's shoulder. Param did the same to Brom and smiled.

'But we're not going to let them, are we?'

'No, I don't believe we are!'

'Well, you believe wrong.' Brom said, obviously annoyed by this point. He was about to say something else when they heard a shriek again.

'Get down!' Terry cried, and they ran off the path, hiding in the bushes. When nothing came they ventured to stand up.

'Where are you going?' Terry asked, very serious. His change in attitude scared Ondril a slight bit, and he glanced at Brom.

'Brom and I need to get to Nolner.' Ondril said, and Terry nodded.

'Right… we can take the Old Ferry, come on!' Terry said, and started running towards the Old Ferry. Luckily they made it there with out any trouble. They ran through the fence, and jumped onto the Ferry. It was tied at four spots, and while they were undoing the first ones, they heard a shriek, and the form of a black rider appeared in the dark. Fear filled them once again, and they unbound the ropes quicker.

'Faster, faster!' Terry cried, his heart racing, he and Ondril helping with the bottom ropes as the rider left off of his horse, and jumped down onto the ground. He took his steps slowly, but the dock was short, and made a grab for the four when he was in arms reach. He had gotten a hold of Ondril's cloak.

'What are you waiting for, push off!' Brom cried, and they pushed off just in time. The black rider leaned too far forward, and when they tugged at Ondril's cloak, fell into the water, disappearing in a shroud of black. He was not going to be back for a great while. The four hobbits cried out in joy, but when they saw the forms of four other riders, they stopped, Ondril grabbing the tiny stone in his pocket. This was not the time to celebrate.