Chapter 6
Bilbo crept silently and unseen up the hill from the party field and up his walk way. He swung the gate and door behind him and took off a gold ring, laughing. He flipped it and caught it, then began putting together his traveling things.
"I suppose you think that was terribly clever." Gandalf said accusingly, by the fire. Bilbo started in fright.
"Come on Gandalf! Did you see their faces?!"
"There are many magic rings in this world and none of them should be used lightly." Gandalf said seriously.
"It was just a bit of fun." Bilbo said innocently. "Oh, you're probably right, as usual. You will keep an eye on Frodo won't you?"
"Two eyes, as often as I can spare them."
"I'm leaving everything to him, even this ring." Bilbo looked at it with longing. He took the ring out of his pocket and twirled it slowly in his fingers.
"I think that would be best."
Bilbo glared at Gandalf suspiciously, still clutching the ring.
"All your long years, we've been friends." Gandalf said kneeling down in front of Bilbo. "Trust me as you once did-let it go."
"You're right, Gandalf." Bilbo said, strained. "The ring must go to Frodo." He grabbed his pack and heaved it on to his shoulders. "It's late. The road is long." He started walking out the door, but slowly and with difficulty, turned around and opened his palm with the ring in it. He tipped his hand, letting the ring slide from his hand. It landed with a thump on the floor. Bilbo ran outside and took a deep breath. Gandalf followed.
"I've thought up an ending for my book!" Bilbo stated. "And he lived happily ever after, to the end of his days."
"And I'm sure you will, my dear friend."
The two friends said their good byes and Bilbo hopped down the path and onto the road. He started humming as he walked into the night.
"The road goes ever on and on..."
"Bilbo! Bilbo!" Frodo called as he ran through the green door of Bag End. He stopped and bent down, picking up the fallen ring. He held it in his hand and walked to where Gandalf was sitting by the fire, smoking his pipe. He had avoided the ring and it's power, despite temptation.
"He's gone, hasn't he?" Frodo said sadly. "He talked for so long about leaving, I didn't think he'd really do it. Gandalf?" Frodo questioned the still, brooding wizard.
"Hm, Bilbo's ring." Gandalf looked at it in Frodo's hand. "He's gone to stay with the Elves. He's left you Bag End!" He held out an envelope to Frodo. The young hobbit uncertainly slipped the ring inside it. "The ring is yours now." He quickly sealed the envelope and held it out to Frodo. "Put it somewhere out of sight." He then proceeded quickly out the door.
"Where are you going?" Frodo asked.
"There are some things that I must see to."
"What things?" Frodo persisted.
"Questions. Questions that need answering."
"You've only just arrived! I don't understand."
"Neither do I." Gandalf said soberly. "Keep it secret. Keep it safe." And with that, he turned and shut the door behind him, leaving Frodo bewildered.
Gandalf rode hard all the way to Minas Tirith. On a hill, he could see the horizon erupting in flames. He stared afraid, then galloped into the White City.
He headed straight to the library. A clerk there showed him what he was looking for, the account of Isildur. He read how Isildur defeated the dark lord Sauron by cutting off the finger which held the ring of power, the one ring that could bring destruction to all of Middle Earth.
Isildur had kept the ring for himself, only to have been betrayed and killed. The ring was lost in a river, to have been found by the murderous creature Gollum.
One part interested Gandalf. "The markings upon the band begin to fade." Isildur noted. "The writing, which at first was as clear as red flame, has all but disappeared. A secret now that only fire can tell."
Gandalf raced back to the Shire. He paused and looked back to the horizon. There was eruptions of red thunder. It was as he feared. Mordor had awoken again.
Bilbo crept silently and unseen up the hill from the party field and up his walk way. He swung the gate and door behind him and took off a gold ring, laughing. He flipped it and caught it, then began putting together his traveling things.
"I suppose you think that was terribly clever." Gandalf said accusingly, by the fire. Bilbo started in fright.
"Come on Gandalf! Did you see their faces?!"
"There are many magic rings in this world and none of them should be used lightly." Gandalf said seriously.
"It was just a bit of fun." Bilbo said innocently. "Oh, you're probably right, as usual. You will keep an eye on Frodo won't you?"
"Two eyes, as often as I can spare them."
"I'm leaving everything to him, even this ring." Bilbo looked at it with longing. He took the ring out of his pocket and twirled it slowly in his fingers.
"I think that would be best."
Bilbo glared at Gandalf suspiciously, still clutching the ring.
"All your long years, we've been friends." Gandalf said kneeling down in front of Bilbo. "Trust me as you once did-let it go."
"You're right, Gandalf." Bilbo said, strained. "The ring must go to Frodo." He grabbed his pack and heaved it on to his shoulders. "It's late. The road is long." He started walking out the door, but slowly and with difficulty, turned around and opened his palm with the ring in it. He tipped his hand, letting the ring slide from his hand. It landed with a thump on the floor. Bilbo ran outside and took a deep breath. Gandalf followed.
"I've thought up an ending for my book!" Bilbo stated. "And he lived happily ever after, to the end of his days."
"And I'm sure you will, my dear friend."
The two friends said their good byes and Bilbo hopped down the path and onto the road. He started humming as he walked into the night.
"The road goes ever on and on..."
"Bilbo! Bilbo!" Frodo called as he ran through the green door of Bag End. He stopped and bent down, picking up the fallen ring. He held it in his hand and walked to where Gandalf was sitting by the fire, smoking his pipe. He had avoided the ring and it's power, despite temptation.
"He's gone, hasn't he?" Frodo said sadly. "He talked for so long about leaving, I didn't think he'd really do it. Gandalf?" Frodo questioned the still, brooding wizard.
"Hm, Bilbo's ring." Gandalf looked at it in Frodo's hand. "He's gone to stay with the Elves. He's left you Bag End!" He held out an envelope to Frodo. The young hobbit uncertainly slipped the ring inside it. "The ring is yours now." He quickly sealed the envelope and held it out to Frodo. "Put it somewhere out of sight." He then proceeded quickly out the door.
"Where are you going?" Frodo asked.
"There are some things that I must see to."
"What things?" Frodo persisted.
"Questions. Questions that need answering."
"You've only just arrived! I don't understand."
"Neither do I." Gandalf said soberly. "Keep it secret. Keep it safe." And with that, he turned and shut the door behind him, leaving Frodo bewildered.
Gandalf rode hard all the way to Minas Tirith. On a hill, he could see the horizon erupting in flames. He stared afraid, then galloped into the White City.
He headed straight to the library. A clerk there showed him what he was looking for, the account of Isildur. He read how Isildur defeated the dark lord Sauron by cutting off the finger which held the ring of power, the one ring that could bring destruction to all of Middle Earth.
Isildur had kept the ring for himself, only to have been betrayed and killed. The ring was lost in a river, to have been found by the murderous creature Gollum.
One part interested Gandalf. "The markings upon the band begin to fade." Isildur noted. "The writing, which at first was as clear as red flame, has all but disappeared. A secret now that only fire can tell."
Gandalf raced back to the Shire. He paused and looked back to the horizon. There was eruptions of red thunder. It was as he feared. Mordor had awoken again.