Chapter 3
That night I lay wide awake in the room I shared with Merry. It wasn't that I wasn't tired, I was, but I was confused, excited and a little scared. Unceasing winds of thought were wisping through my mind. I didn't have much of an idea where we were going, not that I was worried about that. Frodo wouldn't let a crazy person lead us on a wild goose chase, I was certain of that. He knew Gandalf and trusted him; Frodo had a reputation for being a good judge of character.
I suppose it was just the overwhelming events of the past day and a half that kept me awake. My peaceful world had been flipped upside down in less than forty-eight hours. It was exciting, and I was still trying to get adjusted to the excitement when I awoke in the morning.
When Merry and I arrived in the hall, Gandalf, the grey bearded one, was saying that the other members of our crew would meet us in Mithlond, and from there we would sail to Mordor. The elf who had escorted me yesterday stood near Gandalf. I waved and he smiled back.
"We'll have to stay off the road. the pirates will be after the map and they may or may not have discovered that it came here," he continued. "We will have to be very quiet, because noise could alert area pirates," Gandalf replied. "Any other questions?" The entire room erupted in shouts including Merry and I asking together if we were bringing food. One of the short, bearded ones, whom I later discovered was called Gimli, asked if elves were really necessary on this quest. I couldn't make out what anyone else shouted. Gandalf sighed loudly.
"Order! Order!" yelled the elf dressed in crimson. All eyes turned to him.
"Let's go," Gandalf ordered. The company began chatting. "QUIETLY!" the wizard wheeled and turned on us. Even the birds were silent as the whole lot of us left Rivendell in complete silence.