A/N: Hello all! I can hardly believe that it has been almost four months since my last update! ~sigh~ Evil, evil school. You can expect a lot coming out of me over Christmas Break. For now, however, I'll see what I can do. My muse has been neglecting LotR lately and inspiring other genres, so I hope to post an LXG, Pirates of the Caribbean, CSI, and maybe even ~sigh~ a Harry Potter fic by the end of the year. (I can't believe I'm going to post a Harry Potter fic. It goes against humanity.) I'm also working on a piece that would deal with Frodo and Anya's childhood. So there, now you know what I'll be up too. So keep reading and reviewing, and I'll keep writing!
Speaking of reviews, WOWZA! We've hit 40, and I couldn't be happier! Well, I'll be happier if I ever hit 100, but for now, I'll settle for 50. I'm also planning to start individual responses soon, so if you review, be on the lookout for your name! Thanks to BabyGurl-lol, Obelia medusa, PrincessEvenstar, Lamoo, ABCDEFG, Moe23, MBradford, Hobbit Hugger, and all others who have reviewed and continue to review.
For now, thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far and who have been following the story. It has been truly amazing for me. So you keep up your end of the deal, and I'll keep up mine.
With that all said and done, on with the story!
Chapter 12: New Friends and Dangerous Foes
Strider sat by the window of his room, keeping a careful watch on the quiet night. But it was not a peaceful quiet, as one might have expected. No, tonight the air was brimming with evil, and all of the occupants of Bree could feel it. There was a feeling of anticipation in the air; much like the calm before the storm.
An unearthly howl filled the air, causing Strider's grip on his sword to tighten. His gaze swept briefly from the window to his bed, where five little hobbits lay sleeping; all lined up like peas in a pod. He noticed Anya shifting uncomfortably in her sleep, as though troubled by wicked dreams. Strider watched her intently, as though searching for some clue to explain what he had seen earlier that night.
Two hours before
Strider watched in puzzlement as the female hobbit (Anyanka?) clutched her head, crumbling to the floor. Frodo was at her side instantly, keeping her from toppling over and murmuring something in her ear. The other huddled around them, but gave them room. Then the girl raised her head with a gasp. "The Black Riders are in Bree!" Strider's brow knitted as Frodo helped his sister to her feet and he stepped forward.
"How do you know this?" he asked.
She looked up at him, still clutching her twin for dear life. "I saw it," she answered, confusion and fear coloring her voice. "In my head."
Present
Strider sighed, not wishing to relive the confusion of what had happened next. He had declared her a seer, which was clearly what she was. The confusing thing was she was a hobbit. Halflings didn't possess any magical abilities that he was aware of. And judging by the hobbits' reaction to the entire incident, this had never happened to before.
Another howl from the Riders sounded, much closer than the last, drawing Strider's attention back to the window. The subject of the seer was not for him to be concerned with. Such matters were better left to the wise.
A series of high pitched howls erupted from the wing across the way from Strider's window. The Nazgul had fallen for their trap.
"What are they?" asked a quiet voice at his elbow. He turned to find Frodo and Anya sitting on the side of the bed. Frodo stared at him, waiting for an answer. Anya stared at the window, shrinking back slightly from the window, as though at any moment she expected the Black Riders to leap through the window and destroy them all. The other hobbits were awake as well, sitting up in the bed.
"They were once men. Great kings of men. Then Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question. One by one, falling into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will." Strider paused, staring out the window, still keeping watch for the creatures of which he spoke. He continued, weighing his words carefully so that the hobbits might understand the danger of their pursuers. "They are the Nazgûl. Ringwraiths. Neither living now dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring, drawn to the power of the One." He paused again, turning now to look Frodo in the eye.
"They will never stop hunting you."
Anya tossed over yet again, still unable to get comfortable enough to sleep. Ordinarily, she loved sleeping outdoors, but that was usually under the great trees of the Shire, on soft grass with the gentle breeze playing with her hair. Not on hard, rocky swamplands that still reeked of the marshes. They had passed through the last of the marshes earlier that day, or so Strider said. The land around them, however, still held the tell-tale signs of the dreaded marshes. The Neekerbreekers, as Sam had named them, could still be heard, and there were still some flies that were too stubborn to give up a good meal of hobbit flesh swarming about them.
Anya sighed, and rolled over again, listening wistfully to her cousins' snoring. She closed her eyes for a moment as a fly swarmed around her head, and when she opened them, she found herself face to face with her brother.
'Seems I'm not the only one having trouble sleeping,' she thought. Frodo's bright blue eyes stared into her dark green ones. He smiled at her, and she grinned back, remembering the many nights growing up when they had laid awake together, communicating with their eyes as it seemed, simply braving the darkness together.
A quiet singing perked at Anya's ears and she broke her eye contact with Frodo to look in the direction of the voice. To her surprise, it was coming from Strider.
"He knows Elvish," Frodo whispered in her ear. She turned back to face him. He had snuggled closer to her so that they might speak without disturbing anyone.
"Can you make out any of it?" she asked him. Bilbo had taught them both a great deal of Elvish, but interpreting it had always come easier to Frodo.
They were silent for a moment while Frodo listened intently, trying to catch the soft words.
"Something about a woman," he said after a moment. Anya rolled her eyes at him.
"I could tell that much myself," she scoffed. Frodo only raised his eyebrows. They listened together as the song continued; falling into a comfortable silence that only they could create.
"He sounds so sad," Anya mused. Frodo looked at her, curious. "I wonder who she is." Frodo did not answer; he was wondering the same thing himself.
"You'd better get some sleep," he told her. Anya only smiled.
"What about you?" she asked teasingly. Frodo smiled back.
"Maybe I'll ask Strider about his song."
Anya closed her eyes, letting the soft Elvish song wash over her. She had always loved Elvish. It made her feel so…safe. Probably because it reminded her of Bilbo. It reminded her of home.
Frodo watched his twin for a moment as she began to fall asleep, the reached over and tucked some stray hairs behind her ear. Anya smiled softly, his gentle touch one of the last things she thought of before descending completely into the realm of sleep.
Frodo watched his sister as she slept, listening to Strider's song. He wished he could make out more of it, but it was so soft that it was almost more like humming than singing. Deciding that his curiosity would never let him sleep until he found out, Frodo sat up slowly, propping himself up on his elbows.
"Who is she?" he asked softly, just loud enough to be heard by Strider. "This woman you sing of?"
Strider turned his head slightly in the direction of Frodo's voice. "'Tis the Lady of Luthen. The Elf-maiden who gave her love to Beren, a mortal."
Frodo thought back to Anya's comment and had to agree; he did sound sad at the though of this woman. "What happened to her?" he asked.
Strider paused for a moment before answering. "She died." Now he turned, facing Frodo for the first time since their conversation began.
"Get some sleep, Frodo."
A/N: there now, that's that! Please leave little reviews in my stocking so that I will know that someone out there still likes this story. I'm out of school now so things will begin moving more quickly. And FYI, my birthday was Sunday (December 14) so happy birthday to me! See, now you have to review as a birthday/Christmas present to me. So press the pretty blue button in the corner and tell me what you think!