An: Hey you guys. *pout* I got some crazy reviews and I would like to take this time to write and apologize to/thank everyone individually.
To SandraSmit19: Thank you for your continuing support and encouragement. I'm glad you like the idea. So did I when I first started. And thank you for the compliment on writing style. That means more to me than anything you could say about the plot.
To Acharnae: Once again thank you for the compliment on writing style. I would just like to say that this was my first story I ever wrote on fanfic and I didn't know I was writing a Mary-Sue when it started. I have now come to the conclusion that I am, but I guess I'm just one of those people who likes those kinds of things so I'm just gonna keep it the way it is in my brain. Maybe it will get better as it goes along… who knows? As to the "next time", you might try some of my other stories. I'm not sure if they will be any better, but go for it!
To Hirotani: You are absolutely right! I apologize for all the negative things I said in my last chapter. I now realize that it was wrong of me to get so upset. I'll just say in my weak defense that it had been a VERY long day and I was annoyed. I know this isn't really a good excuse for my behavior, but it's the best I've got. However, I am going to keep this story going because I do enjoy writing it, but I will be more gracious the next time I receive negative feedback. I now understand better what I am doing wrong and though there isn't much I can do about it, I appreciate the feedback.
To Black Pearl: Once again, you are right and I apologize to anyone I offended. However, I haven't seen many elf/hobbits around. Could you perhaps point them out to me? I would appreciate it. Very cool name by the way. POTC Rocks!
To Rachel: Parody? This is interesting. I never thought of this as a parody. I know you are probably going to fall out of your chair laughing if you read this, but I really thought this was a good story. I have since been told that I am wrong. I am sorry if you think I'm a troll. I don't mean to be.
To everyone else: I do plan to continue this story as it has been going with perhaps some minor changes. I enjoy writing it, even if it isn't enjoyable for others. So for all you Mary-Sue lovers out there, here's one more chapter for ya!
10: The Black Rider
They were in another field of corn. Only this one was different. This was the field of old Farmer Maggot, an aged hobbit, but one to be reckoned with all the same. And he wasn't exactly partial to trespassers. But, Frodo had insisted that this was the fastest way to where they wanted to go without using the road. Remembering Gandalf's warning about the road, the other two had agreed and now Zilda was making sure to keep her eyes and ears sharp for any sign of the farmer or his pack of hounds. She was continually unsheathing her dagger, which she had dubbed Mornievasa, which means Consumer of Darkness. Sneaking around made her nervous. She also made sure to stay as close to Frodo as she could. She didn't want to get lost in all this corn. She emerged into a furrow and began to follow him right, down the makeshift lane. They had just turned a corner, when she heard a panicked voice call out behind them.
"Mr. Frodo? Zilda? Frodo!?" It was Sam! She had forgotten all about him in her nervousness! She turned and sprinted swiftly down the lane, Mornievasa out and ready, Frodo on her heels. She careened around the corner and screeched to a halt, just before she ran into Sam, running the other direction. Frodo caught up with her and stood beside her. Nothing else was there. Zilda lowered her weapon and glanced around cautiously.
"What is it, Sam?" She asked.
The hobbit lowered his head sheepishly, "I… I thought I lost you."
Zilda sighed with relief and put away her weapon, "By the Valar, Sam, you scared me! I thought all the forces of Mordor were upon us with the way you were carrying on!"
Sam lowered his head even further and dug his toe in the dirt, "Sorry, it was just something Gandalf said."
"What did he say?" Frodo asked suspiciously.
Sam looked up, "Don't you lose him Samwise Gamgee.' And I don't mean to."
Frodo smiled, "Sam, we're still in the Shire! What could possibly happen?"
As if right on cue, Zilda heard a crash and suddenly, two forms came lurching out of the corn and hurtled right into Frodo, throwing vegetables everywhere. Zilda immediately knew who it was.
"Peregrin Hildigrim Took! Meriadoc Rorimac Brandybuck! What exactly do you two think you're doing?" She stood over the two lumps, hands on her hips, the picture of an angry mother. Pippin glanced up at her and smiled his most charming smile at her.
"Zildy, what a surprise, finding you here! What are the odds?"
"Don't you 'Zildy' me! I'm not blind! Get off him!" She grabbed her little brother and his friend and cousin by the collars and jerked them off Frodo. Sam was instantly at his side. Zilda turned the two thieves around and glared her most intimidating glare at them. They immediately began to squirm.
"Now, what in Valinor's name is…" But, Zilda didn't get to finish her rant. Her ears twitched and she released the two culprits and turned toward the faint noise she was hearing. Dogs!
"Here, Sam hold these." Merry said tossing some vegetables into Sam's arms.
"You've been into Farmer Maggot's crop!" Sam cried in indignity. Merry ignored him.
"And these." But suddenly the sound of the hounds and Farmer Maggot's voice came within the hearing of all. Pippin grabbed Frodo and pushed him into the cornrows, quickly followed by Merry with Sam and Zilda trailing behind.
"I don't see what he's so upset about," Merry yelled out, "It's only a couple of carrots!"
"And some cabbages," Pippin added, "And that sack of potatoes we lifted last week. Oh and the mushrooms the week before…"
"Yes, Pippin! My point is he's clearly over reacting!"
"I don't care whether he's over reacting or not!" Zilda exclaimed, "MY point is, he is now chasing all of us! Run!" Suddenly, they burst out of the field. Zilda was looking over her shoulder and soon found herself unexpectedly plunging down a very steep slope, tumbling head over heels. When she hit bottom with the others, she leaped up and looked up the hill they had just fallen down, watching and listening. However, she couldn't see or hear any signs of pursuit and so began to evaluate her many bumps, scrapes and bruises. Finding none to be severe, she then went to evaluate the others.
"Oh! I think I've broken something." Merry whined. Zilda sighed and went to help him up and look him over.
Sam brushed himself off muttering, "Never trust a Brandybuck and a Took."
"Hey, I take offense to that." Zilda said jokingly, helping Merry sit up, after concluding that the only thing he had broken was the carrot he had landed on.
"Besides, this was just a detour, a shortcut." Merry said proudly.
Sam did not look convinced, "A shortcut to what?"
"Mushrooms!" Pippin exclaimed. Everyone turned in the direction he was looking. Sure enough, not three feet from his nose was a little patch of mushrooms. Now it's a well-known fact that all hobbits love mushrooms. So naturally, all of them scrambled to their feet as quickly as they could, scurrying over to the patch and filling what bags they had with the hobbitish delicacy. Zilda smiled and suddenly reached to her quiver that should have been full of arrows. Instead, she found it only to be full of air.
"Oh no." She looked up the hill again and saw, to her despair, all of her shafts scattered about the hillside. She sighed and began the long climb up the hill, retrieving them as she went. Her quiver was almost three-quarters of the way full, when she heard Frodo's voice.
"Get off the road! Quick!" She looked down and saw the hobbits run underneath the root of a tree to hide themselves. Slowly, she felt a cold dread drip over her, down her spine, right down to her toes. Leaving what arrows were left, she hid behind a large tree, waiting in terror, peeking out to watch the road. Her ears were alert to every sound; her eyes caught every little bit of motion. She heard the hoof beats long before she could see the horse and the sound brought a chill to her bones. But not so much as the sight that followed. The horse that emerged from around the bend was terrifying in itself, black as death with demonic red eyes, frothing like a rabid beast. But no horror could compare with the rider. If that's what this hooded ghost could be called. Really it was no more than a shadow, a black petrifying shadow that made you want to scream and run for your life, but somehow, you just couldn't. You knew that even if you tried, it would catch you. And nothing could be worse than that.
The shadow-rider dismounted near the tree where the four hobbits were hiding. Zilda felt helpless and alone. She knew she couldn't help them, but oh how she wanted to! She wanted to scream out to them, tell them to run. But she knew that doing that would only make things worse. And so she waited. The black shade sank to the ground; it's cloak billowing out behind it, one armored claw grasping the root of the tree. Then, Zilda heard a strange rasping sound. The thing was trying to sniff them out! Zilda's breath caught in her throat. She grabbed her necklace through her tunic and could feel it's light burning. If ever they were going to be in trouble it was now. She closed her eyes and began to whisper, so faintly that she had trouble hearing herself,
"Ona rod tenn' met (give power unto us) Echa met thalion (make us strong)." As she spoke she could feel a cool, calm feeling flow through her and out to the four hobbits under that tree, trying desperately to stay strong enough to withstand the torment of being so close to that dark creature of evil. She opened her eyes and saw several things happen at once. Sam grabbed Frodo's hand, which she could now see was clasped around some small object. The ring! Then, in an amazing shock of bravery and sacrifice, Merry threw the bag of mushrooms as hard as he could away from them, distracting the monster above them and giving them time to run toward the woods. Zilda quickly followed them, leaving her arrows for better or worse on the hillside. She caught up with them, collapsed in the underbrush.
"What was that?" Pippin asked. He was ignored, mostly because no one knew what that thing had been anymore than he did. Zilda watched Frodo curiously, then cautiously approached his turned back and placed a trembling hand on his shoulder. He jumped and stuffed something in his pocket, before he turned to meet her concerned gaze.
"Are you all right?" She asked quietly. He thought about it for a moment then nodded firmly and turned away, shouldering his pack and continuing on without a word. Sam quickly followed. Zilda turned to the two boys still left, "Well, it seems you'll be coming with us. The Shire is obviously no longer safe, not that our journey will be anymore so. But at least this way I can keep an eye on you. Come on."
Too rattled to ask any more questions, the two boys obediently followed her through the woods, where they soon caught up with Frodo and Sam, and silently continued their expedition.