A/N- Hello all. First of all, sorry that it's been awhile since the last update. I've really been struggling to get this chapter written. Also, I apologize that the past few chapters have been rather boring and straight out of the movie, but I just needed to get these guys to Bree so that I could start having my fun. I promise that this chapter will be much better than the ones before it.
Thank you to all of you who have reviewed my story, especially Lamoo and Obelia Medusa. Shirebound, it has been an honor to receive your review as well. I hold all three of these authors in the highest regard when it comes to LotR fics, and I highly recommend their stories to all of you. Warning: if you read Lamoo's story "the fellowship and the elf next door" (which I highly recommend) I get a cameo as Anya. However this is not the same Anya that is in my story. Don't get the two confused.
Special thanks are due to Obelia Medusa for submitting the 30th review to this story! Getting this many reviews, and almost all of them being good, has been a real pleasure for me. It has encouraged me greatly, and they will continue to encourage me, so keep sending them!
Obelia Medusa…here is the virtual cookie that I promised you. Don't let it spoil your supper.
The song in this chapter is from the chapter "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony" in the Fellowship of the Ring. I don't own it, didn't write it, it's not mine. Also, this chapter won't resemble the scene in the movie very much; it's based more on the book. Some of the lines are taken from the book as well.
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, then I don't own it. I own Anya, that's about it. Don't sue me, I make no money off of this, my only profit is the lovely reviews that you peoples send me.
Now then, with that all said and done, on with the chapter! Please read, review, and enjoy!
Chapter 11- At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
It was well after nightfall when the hobbits reached the gate of Bree. It was also storming hard, and had been almost ever since they had gotten off of the ferry. They were soaked; their cloaks doing little to keep the rain off of them. Hiding in the trees across the road from the gate, they waited to make sure that the coast was clear.
"Come on," Frodo said finally, leading them across the road to the gate. Anya and Sam were right behind him, with Merry and Pippin in the back. Frodo knocked loudly on the locked gate to raise the gatekeeper's attention.
The gatekeeper hobbled out of his hut to the gate, and opened the slot that he used to see through. Seeing no one, he then stooped to a lower slot that was about waist high. Now he could look the hobbits in the face.
"What do you want?" he grumbled.
"We're heading for the Prancing Pony," Frodo replied. At that the gatekeeper closed the slot and opened the gate, lifting his lantern so that he could better see who was on the other side.
"Hobbits," he said, sounding mildly surprised. "Five hobbits. What's more, out of the Shire by your talk. What business brings you to Bree?" For some unknown reason, his tone did not settle well with Frodo.
"We wish to stay at the inn. Our business is our own," Frodo answered curtly. Anya and Merry began looking about nervously, half expecting to see Black Riders coming up through the rain. Anya prayed that the gatekeeper would simply let them through; this was taking far too long.
"Your business is your own, but it's my business to ask questions after nightfall," the man said.
"We are hobbits from Buckland, and we have a fancy to travel and stay at the inn here," Merry said to the gatekeeper. "I am Mr. Brandybuck. Is that enough for you?"
"Alright young sir, I meant no offense. But if you're heading for the inn you'll find that more than old Harry will be asking you questions. There's talk of strange folk abroad. You'll not be the only guests at The Pony this night." With that, the old man stepped back to let them through. He closed the gate behind them, and bid them a good night.
The hobbits walked down the slope into the town. The tall buildings surrounding them were rather intimidating, as were the men and horses that were all about them. The hobbits stayed close in their pack, walking as quickly as possible until they spotted the sign for The Prancing Pony.
They stumbled into the inn, and found that the old gatekeeper's words had been true. They were by far not the only guests. The common room was filled with men, and there was a smaller party of hobbits as well.
Frodo stepped up timidly to the large counter, which was at least a foot taller than he was. "Excuse me," he called.
A man's head appeared over the counter. "Good evening, little masters. What can I do for you? If you're looking for accommodations we've got some nice hobbit-size rooms available. Always proud to cater to the Little Folk, Mr.…?" He trailed off, waiting for Frodo's name.
Frodo hesitated for a moment, remembering Gandalf's words about leaving the name of Baggins behind him. "Underhill. My name's Underhill," he replied. "Are you Butterbur?" he asked, remembering the name that had been on the sign.
"Yes, yes, that I am," the jolly big man answered. "Barliman Butterbur, at your service."
"We'll need lodgings for five," Frodo said, reaching up to hand the man some coins.
"Yes, well now, I suspect that you'll be wanting to freshen up a bit and have your supper. Nob!" the innkeeper called. A hobbit servant came hobbling up, huffing and puffing. "Nob, show these fine folks to their quarters," Butterbur told him.
"Right this way, gents," the hobbit said with a swoop of his arm. As they walked by, Butterbur caught sight of Anya, and cleared his throat.
"Uh, would you be wanting separate accommodations for the lady?" he asked tentatively. Anya and Frodo exchanged looks, and she shook her head slightly. Both felt that danger was still too near for them to be separated over night.
Frodo turned back to Butterbur. "No thank you, that's all right." Butterbur nodded. The hobbits turned to go, when Frodo remembered something else. "We're friends to Gandalf the Grey; can you tell him we've arrived?"
Butterbur looked confused. "Gandalf? Gandalf." He thought hard for a moment before his face lit up in recognition. "Oh yes, I remember. Elderly chap. Long beard, pointy hat." Frodo nodded encouragingly. "Not seen him for six months," Butterbur finished with a shake of his head.
Frodo turned, shocked, and looked at his friends. Anya and Sam were both looking at him with fear in their eyes; it would take something great to keep the wizard from meeting them as promised, and they all knew it. But Frodo said nothing, and simply walked to the head of the group, giving Nob the signal to lead them to their room.
"Here ye are then, sirs," Nob said as he opened the door to their room. The hobbits walked in slowly, taking in their new surroundings. "And miss," he added as Anya walked past him. He nodded at her admirably when she glanced back at him before he continued.
"There's a bath in the next room there; it's all ready for ye. When you're ready for your supper, just come on down to the commons, and Nob'll fix ye right up. There's a bell on the table, there; if you'll be needing anything else, just give us a ring, and we'll be right with ye." With that, Nob bowed to them and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.
The hobbits stood in silence for a moment, looking around the room and enjoying being alone for a few minutes. Then they spread out, claiming their beds and preparing to wash up. There was no discussion of their order; Anya simply gathered her things and walked into the bathroom. Frodo was next, then Merry, Pippin, and Sam. Most of this was done in silence, the only conversation falling onto trivial matters.
Some time later, they were much cleaner and feeling much better, except for their empty stomachs. "Anni, we're going to head on down to the commons room," Frodo said to his sister.
Anya sat on her bed, slowly brushing her long damp hair. "Alright," she replied. "I'll be down in a bit."
Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Sam headed to the loud, bustling commons room. Butterbur grabbed them almost immediately and began taking them around the room, introducing them to everyone. The names and faces went by so quickly that the four could hardly catch them, but that was of no matter. Most of the crowd was friendly enough, except for a group of men that Butterbur said had come up from the south. The lads soon settled in with a group of hobbits who had cheerfully invited them to join their party. The introductions went around, and unfortunately for Frodo, there were some Underhills among the group. They simply couldn't fathom sharing a name without being related, so they bombarded Frodo with questions about his family. Frodo dodged them as best he could, and they finally stopped asking about that and began asking what brought them so far east of the Shire.
This Frodo was slightly more prepared for. After the gatekeeper had mentioned that people would be asking questions at the inn, Frodo had begun to think of something that he could say.
"I'm writing a book," he answered simply. "About the history and geography of lands outside the Shire." This aroused several people's attention and interests. Many began telling Frodo about themselves, hoping to be included, but when it became apparent that he was not going to be writing the book on the spot, they switched topics yet again. They began asking about the doings of the Shire, but Frodo was not being very communicative, so he and the others soon found themselves sitting alone in a corner.
About this time Anya entered the common room.. She had pulled back part of her hair, but most of it hung loose down her back. She walked in slowly, smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt as she went. She had brought one of her older, simpler skirts with her, knowing full well that once they reached Bree she couldn't wear Frodo's breeches around the town. She looked for her friends carefully, becoming painfully aware that she was the only female in the room
Butterbur saw Anya enter the room and made his way over to her. "I do hope you'll pardon these brutes, little mistress. We're not accustomed to having ladies frequent The Prancing Pony."
Anya gave him a bright smile. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, good sir. Why, if your ale is half as good as it's rumored to be, then I shall find my stay here quite enjoyable." Butterbur laughed at that, a great big hearty laugh. He was taking a quick liking to this young lady.
As he walked her across the room to where her friends were sitting, Anya caught a man in the corner watching her. His face was shielded, but the gleam of his eyes could be seen as he watched her. His eyes followed her across the room, and when he saw that she had spotted him, he nodded to her slightly. She nodded back just as she and Butterbur reached her kin's table.
"Here ye are now, little mistress. If ye be needing anything else, just call for ol' Butterbur," he told them. Anya thanked him and he went on his way.
"Well then, did I miss much?" Anya asked as she sat down beside Sam. Frodo told her quietly what he had told the inquisitive hobbits so that there would be no danger of Anya accidentally contradicting his story. After that they ate and drank in silence, until they had calmed their rumbling stomachs.
After a bit, their stomachs satisfied and the atmosphere cheerful, they began to relax slightly. Merry and Pippin seemed to have fallen back into their old element, becoming comfortable in the inn. Merry disappeared to the bar for awhile and soon returned with the largest mug of ale that the hobbits had ever seen.
"What's that?" Pippin asked, amazing. His cousin's mug was at least twice the size of his own.
"This, my friend, is a pint," Merry replied, taking a sip of the large drink.
Pippin's eyes grew huge. "It comes in pints? I'm getting one." Pippin quickly slid out of his seat and headed for the bar.
"You've had a whole half already!" Anya protested, but to no avail. Pippin was already at the bar. The men around it greeted him wholeheartedly.
Anya sighed and shook her head. Her young cousin could be quite trying at times. Looking around, she found that her eyes once again settled on the strange man in the corner. His long legs were stretched out in front of him; his boots well caked with mud. He wore his cloak, even though it was quite warm in the inn. His eyes were still shielded from view, but occasionally the fire from his pipe would flare and reveal them. His gaze seemed to be fixed on the hobbits.
Apparently Anya wasn't the only one who had noticed the man. "That fellow's done nothing but stare at you since we've arrived," Sam said quietly to Frodo. Anya tapped Sam on the shoulder and motioned for him to switch places with her so that she could sit next to her brother.
"He was watching me when I came into the room," she whispered to Frodo. "Up until I came over here." Frodo said nothing, but then Butterbur passed by their way, and he reached out and tapped the innkeeper on the leg.
"Excuse me," he said. Butterbur stooped down to their table. "That man in the corner. Who is he?"
"I don't right know," the man answered. "He's one of them Rangers. Wandering folk, they are. He'll disappear for a month or a year, then he'll turn up again. What his right name is I've never heard, but round here, he's known as Strider." Butterbur straightened as someone let out a call for more ale, and went on his way.
"Strider," Frodo repeated softly, as though trying out the taste of the word. Glancing over at the strange man again, he found that they were once again being watched. With a wave of his hand and a nod, Strider motioned for the twins to come and join him.
Cautiously, Frodo and Anya rose from their seats and walked across the room slowly. As they neared, Strider threw back his hood to reveal a shaggy head with dark hair and keen grey eyes.
"Good evening Master…Underhill, if old Butterbur got your name right," the Ranger said.
Frodo nodded. "He did." Anya said nothing, merely watching the exchange. Frodo had been careful to stay in-between Anya and this strange man, not willing to take any chances.
"It would be good for you to keep your young friends from talking so much. This isn't the Shire, and there are many queer folk about." Strider looked past them to the bar, and Anya and Frodo turned and followed his gaze. To their horror, Merry and Pippin were giving a rather comical account of Bilbo's birthday party, and Pippin was doing a fairly accurate recitation of Bilbo's speech. However, he was rapidly approaching the astonishing Disappearance. In Pippin's present state, he may even mention the Ring! The foolish Took seemed to have forgotten all about their danger, and Merry didn't seem to be paying enough attention to realize the danger that they were putting them all into.
"You'd better do something," Strider whispered behind Frodo.
Frodo though for a moment, then jumped up on a nearby table and began to talk. It wasn't much; he was simply babbling to get the attention away from his cousins. He suddenly felt very foolish, and began to finger the Ring in his pocket.
"We are all very much gratified by the kindness of your reception, and I venture to hope that my brief visit will help to renew the old ties of friendship between the Shire and Bree," he said, then he hesitated and coughed.
Now it was clear that he had everyone's attention. Suddenly someone called out "A song, a song!" They supposed that 'Mr. Underhill' had already had too much to drink and drinking songs always made the best of times. Frodo looked at Anya, bewildered, and tried to think of something that he could sing.
Seeing he brother's hesitation, Anya boldly bounded up onto the table and stood next the Frodo. "Well if it's a song that these lads want, then I suspect that we ought to give them one, brother," she said slyly. Frodo caught the gleam in her eye and knew to simply follow her lead.
Anya began to sing the first song that had come to her mind. It was about an inn, which was probably why it came to her just then. Bilbo had written it and had taught it to them many years ago. He had been so immensely proud of it that Anya and Frodo practiced it well enough to perform and sang it for him one night at the Green Dragon. It had been their present to him on their 24th birthdays. Now Anya sang it with pseudo -confidence in her voice and prayed that Frodo would remember how they had performed it so many years before.
"There is an inn, a merry old inn/beneath an old grey hill, /and there they brew a beer so brown/That the Man in the Moon himself came down/ one night to drink his fill." Anya started off semi-soft and let her voice build. Her voice was a bit deep for a woman, but that only made it all the more lovely. "The ostler has a tipsy cat/that plays a five-stringed fiddle;/And up and down he runs his bow,/Now squeaking high, now purring low/now sawing in the middle."
Now Frodo jumped in, falling into the familiar pattern of the song. The next verse was his to sing, and he was determined to match his sister's enthusiasm. "The landlord keeps a little dog/that is mighty fond of jokes;/When there's good cheer among the guests,/He cocks an ear at all the jests/and laughs until he chokes."
Anya picked the song back up; now dancing nimbly on the table, carefully skipping around the cups and plates. "They also keep a horned cow/as proud as any queen; /But music turns her head like ale, /And makes her wave her tufted tail/and dance upon the green."
All eyes in the inn were on the twins as they danced upon the table. Their feet made hardly a sound as they used every bit of their hobbit deftness to their advantage in their movements. The males found themselves intrigued with the pretty lass dancing on the table. The Bree-landers were unaccustomed to females coming into the inn, and on the very rare occasion that one did, they never gave such a show as Anyanka was giving. As for the men, many of them had been on the road for many days, and any pretty female, even a miniature one such as this, was a pleasure for their eyes. Even as Frodo jumped in with the next verse, many of the eyes in the room remained on Anya.
"And O! the rows of silver dishes/and the store of silver spoons! /For Sunday there's a special pair, /And these they polish up with care/on Saturday afternoon."
"The Man in the Moon was drinking deep, /and the cat began to wail; /A dish and a spoon on the table danced, /The cow in the garden madly pranced, /and the little dog chased his tail." Anya sang loudly as she and Frodo danced arm in arm in circles.
"The Man in the Moon took another mug, /and then rolled beneath his chair; /And there he dozed and dreamed of ale, /Till in the sky the stars were pale, /and dawn was in the air.//Then the ostler said to his tipsy cat: / "The white horses of the Moon, /They neigh and champ their silver bits; /But their master's been and drowned his wits, /and the Sun'll be rising soon!'" Frodo's enthusiasm was growing as he sang his two verses; Anya dancing around him and playfully swishing her skirt in a few of the men's faces.
"So the cat on his fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle, /a jig that would wake the dead:/He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune, /While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon: /It's after three!' he said."
"They rolled the Man slowly up the hill/and bundled him into the Moon, /While his horses galloped up in rear, /And the cow came capering like a deer, /and a dish ran up with the spoon."
"Now quicker the fiddle went deedle-dum-diddle; /the dog began to roar, /The cow and the horses stood on their heads; /The guests all bounded from their beds/and danced upon the floor.//With a ping and a pang the fiddle-strings broke! /the cow jumped over the Moon, /And the little dog laughed to see such fun, /And the Saturday dish went off at a run/with the silver Sunday spoon."
"The round Moon rolled behind the hill, /as the Sun raised up her head. /She hardly believed her fiery eyes…" Frodo began.
"For though it was day to her surprise…" Anya entered.
"They all went back to bed!" The twins finished gallantly, singing the last line together.
There was a loud applause which lasted for a long time. Many whistled and cheered as the twins bowed, and others called for the song again. They gave Frodo another drink, and quickly coerced them into singing the song once more.
They began it again, this time even more vigorously than before. The two danced upon the table freely, while the crowd around them clapped their hands and many sang along. When they reached the part of "the cow jumped over the Moon" a second time, Frodo grabbed Anya's hand and they made to leap off of the table.
When they landed, Anya slipped on the bench, wrenching her hand from Frodo's grasp. She rolled on the floor, coming to a crouch. As she stopped, she heard everyone around her gasp. Looking up, she saw that Frodo had disappeared, as though the floor had simply opened up and swallowed him whole. She rose to her feet slowly, aware that the men around her were drawing back, not-so-subtly trying to get away from her. Anya looked around her, and couldn't see her brother anywhere. She looked over to where Sam and Merry were sitting with Pippin. She caught Sam's eye and noticed the panicked looked on his face. In a flash she realized what must have happened.
Looking about nervously, she made a quick curtsey to the crowd and began to walk slowly to where her cousins were sitting. Dropping her eyes, she scanned the floor for any sign of her twin. "Frodo Baggins, you take that thing off this instant!" she hissed under her breath.
Meanwhile, Frodo crept back over to Strider's table. He crawled under the table and took off the Ring. He couldn't figure out how it had gotten onto his finger; he though that he must have had his hand in his pocket when they had jumped off of the table, and when Anya slipped and was jarred from is grip his finger must have slid into the Ring. Now he simply cowered under the table, terribly embarrassed by what he had done.
Suddenly, a hand reached down and pulled him up. Frodo suddenly found himself face to face with Strider. "Well, you've certainly put your foot in it. Or should I say your finger?" Strider pulled Frodo along with him, heading for the stairs. "I would like to have a quiet word with you, Mr. Baggins."
"About what?" Frodo asked, ignoring the use of his real name.
"About something that is of great importance to us both," Strider responded, hauling him up to where the man's room.
Pushing him inside, Strider quickly closed the door and began extinguishing candles. "What do you want?" Frodo asked.
"A little more caution from you, that is no trinket you carry," Strider responded.
"I carry nothing," Frodo protested.
"Really," Strider said. He moved over to the window and continued to extinguish the candles with his fingers. "I can avoid being seen if I wish, but to disappear entirely; that is a rare gift." Strider turned to face Frodo.
"Who are you?" Frodo asked, wondering why a Ranger would be showing such interest in him.
"Are you frightened?" Strider asked, instead of answering the hobbit's question.
Frodo hesitated for a moment. "Yes," he said finally.
"Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you," Strider replied. Before he could continue, there was a noise from outside the room. Strider whirled around, drawing his sword. Then the door swung open and four hobbits stood on the other side. Sam and Anya were in the front, with Merry and Pippin behind them. Anya had what appeared to be a broken off table leg, while Merry had a candelabra and Pippin had an entire chair. Sam was armed with nothing but his fists.
"Let him go, or I'll have you, Long shanks!" Sam roared in a surprisingly strong voice for such a small being. Strider stepped back and calmly sheathed his sword.
"You have a stout heart little one, but that will not save you," the man said. The hobbits remained where they were with their makeshift weapons still raised. Strider looked at them calmly, trying to show that he posed no threat to them or their kin. He looked them over, mildly surprised that out of a group of three males, Anya stood at the front of the group. He wondered why they would allow a female to go headfirst into a potentially dangerous situation. That is, he wondered until he saw the burning fire that lay within the girl's eyes. He understood in a heartbeat that this young woman would gladly fight this man that was at least twice her size single-handed if it meant saving Frodo.
For a moment it looked as though they might still attack but Frodo stepped up and urged his friends down. "It's alright," he said slowly. "I don't think he means us harm." Merry and Pippin lowered their weapons, and Sam unclenched his fists. After a moment of starring at Strider, Anya also put down her weapon.
As they all seemed to relax somewhat, Strider turned to Frodo once more. "You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo," he said.
Strider began to converse with Frodo, and the other hobbits moved inside and closed the door behind them. Anya stood slightly behind the rest, rubbing her temples against the headache that had been growing most of the evening. It had been easy enough to ignore at first, but after Strider had taken Frodo, it had begun to grow. Now it was as if her head was caught between an anvil and a hammer.
She stumbled slightly as her eyesight blurred, and she didn't notice her friends' exclamations as she began to teeter backwards. Just as she felt herself begin to fall to her knees, everything inside of her head exploded in a barrage of pain. Suddenly, it was as if Anya wasn't even in the room at the Prancing Pony. Her vision was completely overtaken by the image of the Black Riders crushing through the gate of Bree, killing the old gatekeeper beneath it. The unearthly howl of the horsemen reverberated inside Anya's head and just as suddenly as the vision had appeared, it was gone.
Anya raised her head with a gasp, finding herself squatted on the floor with Frodo kneeling beside her. "Anni, what is it?" Frodo asked in a slightly panicked voice.
"The Black Riders!" she exclaimed. "They're in Bree!" The hobbits shared looks of confusion as Frodo helped Anya to her feet.
"How do you know this?" Strider asked inquisitively. Anya looked up at him, confusion and fear written clearly in her eyes.
"I saw it," she said slowly. "In my head." Her eyes shifted downwards and she finally looked over at her brother, who was starring at her in bewilderment.
Strider straightened, rising to his full height. "Well gentlemen," he said slowly. "It would appear that we have a seer among us."