At The Sign Of The Prancing Pony
After a tedious boat ride where Sam threw up six times and Pipe-in and Very Merry thought it would be fun to fill Frieda's pants with fish while he was asleep, they reached Bree and entered the Prancing Pony Inn.
"Good evening young masters." Said Barleyman Butterfly, the innkeeper. "If you're seeking accomadation, we've got some nicy cosy hobbit-sized rooms available, Mister er…"
"U-Underhill," Frieda stammered, thinking it would be best to leave the name of Leaf behind him. For that name was not safe outside the Shire. "My name is Underhill. We're friends of Ganja the Grey. Can you tell him we've arrived?"
"Ganja?" Butterfly said, looking confused. "Ganja? Hmmm… was he an elderly chap, really tall, big grey pubes, pointy cock?"
Frieda nodded.
"Never heard of him,"
Frieda didn't know what to do. Why wasn't Ganja hear yet?
While Frieda was still fuming about being stood up, Very Merry, Pipe-in and Sam got over it after a couple of beers. And pretty soon, they got Frieda drunk too.
Sam shook Frieda's arm. "That man has done nothing but stare at you since we got here…" He pointed at the sinister looking man in the corner.
Frieda turned around and blew him a kiss. Then he stopped Butterfly as he walked past and asked who the man was.
"He's one of them ranger folk. Not very friendly-like. Keeps to himself. Nobody knows his real name but around these parts, he's known as Stoner…"
Frieda watched as Stoner emptied a tub of LSD into his drink and downed it in a second.
"You know, I used to walk home with Demsie when I was seven…" Frieda slurred, rubbing Pipe-in's arm for some reason.
"Who's Demsie?"
"I dunno, but I walked home with him…"
"I think you've had too much to drink. Maybe you should go to bed…"
"I'll take him!" Sam volunteered excitedly, happy to take advantage of Frieda while he was drunk.
"I ain't going to bed yet!" Frieda shouted. "I still need to bake cookies with Cynthia."
"Who's Cynthia?"
"She's friends with Demsie."
"Who's Demsie?"
"I already told you, I DON'T KNOW!" He sighed and said, "I need something green and glorious." And because he was too drunk to know what he was doing, he pulled the One Bong out of his pocket and sparked it up.
At once everything around him began to blur and his hearing became sharper, more enhanced.
The Black Riders suddenly sensed the presence of the Bong nearby and headed for the direction of Bree…
Frieda jumped out of his seat and began spinning around in circles, trying to chase his own tail, or the tail he thought he had anyway. Suddenly he stopped spinning and saw a biug red eye glaring at him.
'You cannot hide…' a voice boomed in his ears. 'I see you… There is no life in the void. Only… death.'
Panicked, Fieda stubbed the spliff out on the table and the man in the corner suddenly stood up and dragged Frieda upstairs. "You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr Underhill"
Frieda screamed like a woman as he was pushed into a bedroom. "What do you want?" He asked.
"A little more caution from you. That is no mere spliff you carry."
"I carry nothing."
"Indeed? I can get effective drugs if I want them, but to get stoned that quickly, that is a rare gift…" Stoner threw back his hood and revealed his face.
"Who are you?" Frieda asked.
Stoner chose to ignore this. "Are you frightened?"
"Yes…" Frieda squeaked.
"Not nearly frightened enough I know what hunts you… It is the-"
Suddenly the door opened and in burst Very Merry, Pipe-in and Sam all three weilding swords.
"Come on then, bitch, bring it on!" Sam bellowed. "I'll fucking chin ya!"
Stoner sighed. "You have a stout heart, Master Hobbit, but it will take more than that on this quest." He turned back to Frieda. You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frieda. They're coming…"