Disclaimer: Unlike Tolkien or NewLine I don't own any rights to LoTR, its places or characters. I do not even own my own sanity anymore.

Summary: What happened to the four wraiths that were not immediately chasing Frodo in the Fellowship of the Ring? Set before the Council of Elrond, for the characters that you did not see.

I apologise (a lot) to anyone who's been waiting for a quick update, those who know me will know that quick doesn't exist, but I've been going back and re-writing the story following the advice of members at Henneth Annun (thanks!) so hopefully we'll actually have something half-decent on out hands when I'm done, but for now heres chapter 8.

Four Wraiths Behind You:

8. Hobbits.

Time for Aragorn seemed to tick by very slowly in the Inn. He waited for what seemed to him an age. Glancing outside the window he guessed that evening was just settling in and the Prancing Pony was slowly filling with strangers and folk of a "less than savory nature." Aragorn bought himself another pint and sat back down drawing as little attention to himself as possible.

Dwarves and men lined the room and filled its tables and bar stools. The dwarves, particularly a group huddled around a table opposite from him reminded the ranger of Gimli in the mountains, and he wondered if the group had successfully made it to their destination. Growing increasingly bored by the hour, Aragorn's mind began to wander.

To the outside observer it would have appeared that the man in the corner was extremely antisocial, keeping to himself and avoiding the village's people, but Aragorn was none of these things. The well-traveled ranger had many friends and allies, some north, some south and many east and west. Bree was one of the places that Aragorn rarely visited on personal business and around Eriador, people tended to be wary of the rangers they knew little about. He continued to sit alone and would do so for sometime, until several hours later the inn's door opened to the howling wind and rain. Aragorn's attention peaked intensely.

"My Lord!"

Lord Denethor looked up from an assortment of papers he had been reading through and glanced at the guard who addressed him. They were reports on the imports and exports of the city and it greatly annoyed Denethor to see that many provisions they bought in were growing sparse. Their allies simply weren't happy to venture so close to Mordor since the might of the enemy had begun to grow. His expression conveyed what he was thinking.

"I believe there are travelers," the guard spoke up, "but they are climbing to the top of the city."

Denethor raised an eyebrow. "Climbing?"

"Yes my lord, right towards us."

"Come," the steward ordered and rose from his seat. Gathering his cloak, Denethor left the room swiftly with his guards following. They came outside to the courtyard of the city and waited. On the far side of the courtyard there was quite a commotion; around five guards were crowded around two tall dark haired strangers.

"See what you've done?" Elladan muttered to his brother. Elrohir only tried to look innocent.

"You didn't have to follow me."

"Yet you would still be in this situation," Elladan pointed out with the last word on the matter. The guards escorted them towards the palace and stopped before Denethor.

"Ah," Elrohir remarked quietly.

Elladan gave a brief introduction and explained why they had come.

"A council," Denethor repeated, several times in fact. The twins glanced at one another. "And what is the purpose of this council?"

"Our father would not say," Elrohir replied, "only that he wished for someone to be present to represent Gondor."

"Your father would not tell you, you say? Strange it seems to me, I would think it wise to keep my sons informed with important information, especially if they are to be carrying forth messages of it," Denethor told them. "Perhaps he did not think to trust you with it," Denethor went on, "after all; even a Lord's children can not always be trusted with certain things."

The twins were in the dark as to what the steward was referring to.

"I'm sorry, but it's only our business to inform you. As to what you decide to do, that is you're decision," Elladan said carefully.

"We shall see, my sons have not yet returned from Osgiliath, I trust you understand." Denethor said curtly. They did, all too well for their father told them much concerning Mordor's threat over Gondor and it would not be an easy challenge. Elladan and Elrohir bowed slightly and turned on their way.

"Perhaps this time you could take the road?" the steward commented after them, with a barely recognizable note of amusement in his voice.

"Yes brother..." Elladan echoed.

Aragorn watched closely as the door to the Prancing Pony creaked shut and the warmth returned. Four rather short folk shuffled in and from their appearance it was raining terrifically outside. They wore dark cloaks, short trousers and Aragorn noted no footwear. They milled around at the bar for a moment until the keep at last noticed them. Their conversation was brief and the ranger strained to hear that which was said, still over the noise of the inn he only caught a few odd words of exchange. When finally they were done, only their expressions were needed to gauge that the news was not good. Aragorn could only guess that it was to the effect of Gandalf's absence if indeed these were the Hobbits that he was sent to meet.

Aragorn watched them take up a wooden table across the room where they sat quietly looking around at the strange environment they now found themselves in. Aragorn debated whether to approach them but their number placed doubt into his ever-concerned mind as to who they were, when he had only expected one and perhaps an accomplice. Aragorn decided that he would not act and lit another pipe sitting far back into the corner. He would see what they did.

What Legolas discovered as he entered the clearing of his home was not what he expected. This was not to say that he was horrified nor indeed appalled - astonished would have been far more accurate. The elf gazed around at what once looked like a peaceful forest, what now lay in ruin but not defeat. Never before had Orcs traveled so north to his home and the destruction they wrought was liberal but it was a large crowd of archers, not Orcs who stood victorious.

"We were too late," Legolas heard himself say.

Silinde stood beside him. "It matters not, we were victorious."

"We might not have been," Legolas pointed out. Why am I being so pessimistic! Legolas rebuked; there is nothing to be guilty for!
Because you were lucky, this time, a voice told him, you might not be so lucky again.

"Prince Legolas? Legolas!" The elf looked up. "Your father."

Legolas's stomach lurched, was his father hurt? No Legolas smiled and in an instant all the anguish he felt dissipated. His father was not lost, he was coming towards him. In the crowd the elf prince hardly shone out from the other dirtied faces and he waited quietly for the King to go around and check that all was well. His face once filled with relief and gratitude dissolved into a blank stare when he spotted through the crowd, his son. King Thranduil was notable for not allowing surprise to show on his features, shock was more what he expressed.

Legolas was a little taken aback but he had yet to consider the fact that his father had feared him dead.

"Legolas?"

"Yes father?"

"You're alive?"

Legolas smiled in spite of the moment. "Yes."

Thranduil said no more but embraced his son in a tight grip. It was lucky that the rest of the Elven Company felt the same or Legolas would surely have turned a shade rivaling the sunset.

Aragorn had been witness to many events that could be classified as "reckless" and the ranger now wondered if he should reconsider this thought and consider them careless, for surely what he had just been privy to was certainly reckless and definitely far more careless than anything he could recall. He of course excluded himself from this notion.

Hobbits do not simply disappear without cause!

"I can avoid being seen if I wish," he said and this was certainly true. He was quite capable of slipping in and out of towns or villages quite untroubled by its citizens but he had yet… "To disappear entirely? That is a rare gift!"

"Who are you?" The Hobbit asked. Aragorn looked hard at him, sizing up the Halfling as is doubtful that he could complete the task of taking the Ring to Rivendell. And as Aragorn couldn't answer he did the elvish thing responding with a question.

"Are you frightened?"

"Yes."

At least he is honest, Aragorn mused picking up on faint footsteps outside the door. "Not nearly frightened enough, I know what hunts you."

"Let him go! Or I'll have you Longshanks!"

Without warning, or so it seemed to Frodo, the door burst open to three small yet fierce looking people. The ranger re-sheathed his sword. "You have a stout heart little hobbit, but that will not save you. You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo. They're coming."

Frodo and Sam exchanged confused glances with one another and turned back to the Strider who drew up his hood once more.

"We must leave," he told them sharply.

"Leave? Now wait just a minute!" Sam began to protest but thought better of further arguing with a man twice his height with a sword also no less than half his height.

"It is not safe here," Aragorn urged them, "We will rest elsewhere..."

Elsewhere transpired to be directly opposite the Prancing Pony, which Merry and Pippin both agreed strange if they were in apparent danger.

"So you carry nothing," Aragorn jested to Frodo as they sat on beds in another darkened room. Aragorn took a seat by the window and glanced up and down the street.

"How do you know Gandalf?"

"That is a very long tale. Far too long to tell you tonight, you must get some sleep. But I will tell you that we have been friends for a good many years and I do not believe he would fail to meet you without reason."

"Do you know what has happened to him?" Frodo asked, quickly standing up. Aragorn silenced him with a raised hand. Frodo sat back down.

"Calm, I do not, but I am sure wherever the wizard is he is more than capable of caring for himself. Do not worry about Gandalf, you need to think of yourselves right now."

"And why's that?" asked Pippin.

"Do you remember what happened in the Inn?" Aragorn asked in a hushed voice.

"We thought you'd kidnapped him!" Merry pointed out,

"And that you were going to-"

"Before that."

"I disappeared," Frodo answered quietly. Aragorn nodded.

"What did Gandalf tell you of the ring?"

Frodo looked at his friends uncertainly. He knew he would have to explain everything to them in the end but he had rather hoped to wait until they were safe with Gandalf. He didn't know whether to trust Strider or not but he seemed somehow to be genuine. But appearances can be deceiving.

"Enough," Frodo began, "That it belonged to the Dark Lord Sauron," he revealed. "Gandalf told me it was lost but not destroyed as I'd believed. Sauron's armies are growing in Mordor; he needs the ring to gain his full power. He mustn't get it back."

"Good," said Aragorn, "and what did he say about using it?" Frodo winced.

"Never put it on, for-"

"The agents of the Dark Lord are drawn to its power."

"But I didn't mean-"

"I know," Aragorn said almost laughing at Frodo's innocence. "Of course you did not, why would you? But mistake or not they will still come." Frodo's face fell. So did everyone else's. "I do not mean to frighten you but you are safer knowing the truth. Sleep, I will keep you safe tonight .

Reviewers! Thank you so much, it means a lot to me that you take time to review!

MorierBlackleaf: I'm not sure how far into the series I'll delve, there are many others who have/are who are a lot more talented so I appreciate your enthusiasm! I might do, it will be slow (sorry!) but I'm just hoping to get to a point and go back to rewrite because I can improve a lot!
Lintu: Thankyou! I know my typos are so bad lol, but its my fault usually when I don't send it to Amunet first!

grumpy: Thanks Grumpy! Good to hear from you again, hehe I always loved the rugged and messy Aragorn especially one who can scrub up nicely ;)

Tychen: hehe thanks, Spider-elf! A good name ;) Im sorry your hint didn't pay off I've been worse in this one! I blame exams! Anyway, I thought Legolas needed the rest too and he does have to arrive in Rivendell looking his best so it made sense to go home first and get his things!

Thats it for now, hopefully, fingers crossed and all I'll be updating a little more often when exams are over, and if not you can all flame me to death!