Chapter Five: Wizardly Intuition

Gandalf rode swiftly down the streets of Bree, shouting as he went for passers-by to clear the way for his passage. Without waiting for Nob, he left his horse in the stables behind the Prancing Pony and strode quickly into the inn.

He stood in the doorway and took in his surroundings: the dead body, the crying hobbit and her two comforters. Everyone in the inn very quiet…

"It is as I had suspected," Gandalf muttered to himself; "something is amiss -- and I have a feeling this goes deeper than a bar-brawl."

Gandalf quickly approached the three hobbits on the floor and knelt down to speak with them. "Quickly now, can someone explain to me what has happened here?"

Pippin's face brightened as was usual when Gandalf arrived, but when the recent incident was mentioned a morose expression returned.

"Well,... see, this here is Dolly Bracegirdle. That body over there on the floor is her uncle, Mungo Bracegirdle. We, that is Merry and I, arrived to see quite a frightening-looking Big Person standing over Mungo with a knife." Pippin gulped. This wasn't something even the most adventurous of hobbits were used to, let alone Peregrin Took who never ventured further from home than this very inn. Even then, it was rarely that he or Merry ever even left the Shire.

"Miss Bracegirdle here nearly fainted so we've been keeping an eye on her while she recovers." And to Pippin, keeping an eye on someone meant offering them an ale and giving them a reassuring pat on the back.

Though he seemed to be letting the gruesome reality of the whole ordeal roll off his back for Dolly's sake, Pippin was severely shaken up over it. He stood straight and kept his shoulders square but the corners of his mouth kept twitching in a queer manner and his brows were furrowed.

Gandalf seemed to pay little attention to Peregrin's account (though he in fact heard every word) -- nor did he even glance at the dead body beside him. Gandalf took off his hat and reached out his hand to lay on Dolly's shoulder.

"I need you to tell me all that you know about this," Gandalf said softly yet firmly to the grieving Dolly Bracegirdle.

Dolly's face held an expression of wonder, for she had never seen a wizard up close before. Her family tried to keep any relations with the Bagginses unknown, therefore sheltering Dolly from that dreaded disease known as 'adventurousness'.

She took a quavering breath. Hiccups of shock mixed with the ale riddled her sentences. "I've been here on'y a day, sir, visiting my-*hic!*-uncle. There was such a large crowd in the inn that I didn't-*hic!*-realize what happened until later... I'm not sure how-*hic!*-much later. Could've been hours."

She took another deep breath to steady herself. "I don't know who'd be going after my uncle or-*hic!*-why... but he did always seem to have relations with the queerest folk."

She then glanced around warily. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but this might be more important than I know." She paused a bit, seeming to be fighting with herself. "My Uncle Mungo's been making trips to Rohan! Seems he's become real friendly with the Big Folk down there... and in Gondor, too! Don't know what'd give a hobbit the notion to want to have such queer travels as this... but this is my Uncle Mungo we're talking about."

Wiping a stray tear, Dolly took another soothing gulp of her ale.

"Drat!" Gandalf muttered under his breath. "Evil can spread over great distances in no time at all, it seems. I am wearied with this chase!"

Gandalf's mind spun as he stood up and put his hat back on; obviously, he has some idea more about the implications behind the recent happenings than the hobbits who witnessed them. He quickly strode toward the door. He was just about to exit when he suddenly whirled around and spoke to the hobbits again.

"Make sure everyone is on their guard; the murderer could return and make sure that those who witnessed what he has done do not convey any information that would hinder his purposes."

At that moment, Gandalf's expression changed a bit. He added warily: "I trust that no one has left the inn since the incident occured...?"

About to wish Gandalf farewell, Pippin paused and his jaw dropped.

"Roscoe and Ivy..." he muttered.

He ran up to the wizard. "Gandalf! Roscoe Longbottom and Ivy Greenhand! They left just after Dolly discovered it was her uncle! They could be anywhere! Curse my inattentiveness! If I had known they would be in danger, I could have stopped them...", and on he rambled. Poor Pippin looked ready to sock himself in the face.

"Come now, Peregrin Took, don't carry on like a fool!" the wizard said firmly. "There are often things that must happen that are beyond the control of any of us. Don't waste your breath on curses, Master Peregrin: look forward! Stay alert, and see that everyone knows the danger here. I will tend to other matters!"

With that, Gandalf exited the inn, mounted his horse, and left just as quickly and suddenly as he had come.