Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings. If you think so, you're a bit daft. I don't own Gundam Wing either, and if you think so, refer to the previous sentence.

Author's Note: Hello again, welcome to the next short installment of "Of Wings and Rings". I had a long and careful debate about what to do next and wrote two editions for this. I decided to have more fun and used this one. I'm sorry about the fact there are months between this chapter and the last, but I'm reevaluating most of my ideas and work. This one made it to the keep list, so it'll probably get more attention. Keep in mind, college will start for me in a month or so. Updates depend on how I manage my time around that.

Of Wings and Rings

Chapter the Next.

In hindsight, it was probably not wise to interrupt the hobbits' confrontation with Strider. For it seemed the hobbits not only didn't trust them, but him either. Strider's offer to aid them had been declined (swiftly by Sam) and no amount of argument from him seemed to be working. Heero didn't remember there being so much trouble. He began to wonder if he had an abridged edition. He shuddered to think how long an unabridged one would be in that case.

Strider was leaning against the wall with his hand upon his forehead, wondering what he was going to do to make the hobbits see to reason. The pilots were scattered about the room. Trowa and Wufei had stayed near the door, looking more like sentinels every time a hobbit shot a wistful glance toward the door. Heero had moved to the center of the room and seemed to be lost in thought. Quatre was trying his best to look non-threatening despite how odd he looked to the hobbits. Duo however seemed to not notice (or ignore) the tension in the room and had tossed himself onto the bed.

"As much progress as we seem to be making," Duo said after a long moment of silence. "We should probably lock the door and stay in here for the night."

Wufei nodded as Trowa closed the door. "If what was said about these Black Riders is true, the hobbits shouldn't be alone for any reason. They should stay away from the hobbit-sized rooms."

"We don't need your help," Sam said, once again showing how much distrust he had in the lot of them. "Misters Frodo, Pippin, and Merry are bright enough to handle themselves and their own affairs. If they want to go to the rooms Mr. Frodo paid for, than they shall."

"Now, now, Sam," Frodo said now softly. "No need to be rude. I think we should stay. If something happens in our rooms, then it is proof that we can trust them."

"All of them?" Merry asked. "But they don't seem to know each other. Strider sure doesn't know them, even if that Heero fellow seems to know him. How can we be sure?"

"We really don't have many options," said Frodo. "I don't know what Gandalf would have done. But we need to get to Rivendell, and we'll do much better with a guide."

"And a guide you'll find in me," Strider jumped in, seeing his chance forming before him. "I know the road to Rivendell, but most importantly, I can get there without the road. With the Nine about, you should stay off it."

"True," said Heero. "The road should be the last resort when the enemy is on your heels."

"We are excellent at hiding," said Duo. "We've been trained heavily."

"Heero's really good," Quatre said. "I've seen no one match his tracking skill before."

"The more there are, the harder for us to hide," Strider said.

"Yes, but the more of us, the more supplies we could carry," Trowa said. "It's a long way to Rivendell, is it not?"

"Yes," Strider admitted. "More than a fortnight on foot, and I don't suggest going any other way."

"A trip that would be shorter if one travels at night, no doubt," Duo said. "And I've got the eyes for that. If I can spot a nickel with years' worth of rust on it in the middle of a dark alleyway, the woods at night will be no problem."

"Trowa's good at that too," Quatre smiled back at him. "And I know Wufei and Heero can both hunt. That would mean we won't need to carry as much food."

"And if these dark riders catch up with us, we are trained fighters. We can hold them at bay during your escape," Wufei said.

"The Nazgul are strong. Stronger than a band of boys," Strider said.

"We aren't your average band of boys," Duo smirked. "I'm known as the God of Death where I come from."

The hobbits looked aghast.

"Self-proclaimed," Quatre assured them, with a smile. "Duo's really just a raving loony. But don't worry about that."

Duo's eyes went wide, "QUATRE!"

Quatre giggled merrily, despite the situation they were in. "He won't harm a fly. I promise."

"You aren't helping the cause here, Quatre," Trowa said, though he too smiled.

"Let it simply suffice," Heero said. "That we are infamous and of great acclaim in our land. If a fight occurs, you will be glad we are in your company."

"You sure are talking a bit funny, Heero," Duo said.

"His trying to mimic their speech, fool," Wufei said through narrowed eyes.

"Like I mimic you for raving, Wuffie?" Duo said wickedly.

Wufei glared, "Feel lucky, my sword is at home."

Duo looked surprised, "You're unarmed?"

"No, but my sword is at home," Wufei said, and one could see a slightly mischievous glint form in his eye.

"You have no swords?" Strider asked. "What weapons are you using?"

They froze. They all had their guns, going nowhere (even in the house) without them. Would they do any damage to show them in what is obviously a primitive culture?

"We are good at hand-to-hand, but we have some magic up our sleeves," Duo said simply.

Heero shot him a look. Pippin and Merry looked at Duo in wonder.

"Are you wizards?" Merry said, awestruck, then turned to Frodo. "Maybe we don't need Gandalf with us after all."

Frodo looked at Duo thoughtfully, "He doesn't look like a wizard."

"And he isn't one," Strider said, looking confused. "If he was, he'd be a member of the White Council, and Gandalf the Grey would have spoken of him to me."

Duo looked over at Heero and saw something he rarely ever so there: a mischievous glint in his eye.

"He's Maxwell the Black," Heero said. "He travels under the name of Duo, for he is also considered a demon back in our land. He's been called Shinigami there before."

The pilots looked at Heero in wonder, as the hobbits and Strider looked the same way at Duo.

"A demon, you say," Sam said. "Does he do black magic then?"

"Yes," Heero said. "But it's difficult for someone his age. So it happens rarely."

Duo smirked, deciding that if Heero was wanting to be playful, who was he to spoil it for him? "It's hard to control. But don't worry. It only happens when I'm very angry."

"And he's very easily amused," Wufei added, with a smirk of his own.

"But I'm not the only one," Duo's grin widen, unable to stop himself from weaving more into the lie. "Wufei is a . . . Chosen One."

"A what?" Pippin asked, sucking it in.

"A Chosen One. The Goddess of Justice chose him as her servant. He travels the land to ensure that justice is served."

"That seems far-fetched," Frodo said, not biting as easily. "A goddess, you say?"

"Oh yes, and a beautiful one at that. Can't you tell he's not quite human? Look at those eyes of his," Duo supplied.

They all glanced at Wufei in wonder.

"They are shaped rather oddly, Mr. Frodo," Sam said, "But I'm not familiar with Big Folk."

"I've seen many races of Men," Strider said sternly, "I admit to not seeing eyes like his before. But there are many races far to the east we have no contact with."

"That's where we're from," Quatre said, stepping in upon seeing a chance to relate them to the world they were in. "We come from the Far-East. Some of us, farther than others."

"You're of a fairer head than most of the people of these lands," Strider admitted. "But I've seen hair like yours among some of the Rohirrim. Perhaps your originally came from there."

"Alas!" Frodo interrupted, "Such things are not important now! I need rest! If I can't go back to my room, I shall steal that bed."

Frodo climbed unto the bed beside Duo. Strider laughed. "Yes, you hobbits have traveled far. Rest and we shall keep watch over you. The bed is big enough for the four of you."

Duo stood as the other hobbits scrambled up. The four dived beneath the covers and three different snores soon came from the bed. Frodo tried to sleep, but found that he had too many questions to keep at bay. He closed his eyes tight and tried to summon images of the Shire.

Thinking the hobbits were all asleep, Strider spoke again sometime after.

"I'm having trouble believing the tales you weave," Strider informed. "If you come from a distant land, how could you have possibly wandered this far into these?"

"All who wander are not lost," Heero said.

Strider was taken a back. "How do you know those words? Surely you don't know the one who spoke them."

Wufei intervened this time, "Heero can tap into knowledge much more than his own. He has a gift of seeing fragments of the future."

Heero caught on quickly, "It's beginning to fail, I'm afraid. It won't last much longer from my homeland. It'll probably be long-gone before Rivendell."

Strider seemed unconvinced at this bit of far-fetched news as well, but couldn't think of any reason for Heero to know any of the words to the song Bilbo wrote besides the one offered.

"I have no alternative than to believe that, I reckon. But until I've seen proof, my trust will be thin," Strider responded.

"What do you want to see?" Duo asked, as if he was ready to put on a show.

"Anything that will confirm something you have said," Strider stated.

"Very well, in the morning, you'll look for horses and find no one will spare them. The only person willing to give you anything will be Bill Ferny, who has a pony and will ask for far more than it's worth. If what I say happens, then you have your proof."

"But if I have the lot of you, I won't need horses or ponies. You could carry the supplies instead."

"Yes, and horses would leave very obvious tracks that we would have to cover. However, we should buy the pony anyway and load as much of our burden upon him. The lighter we move, the faster we move. Trowa and I could always hang back to disguise his tracks, and ours as well."

"Well, I can agree to that if there is such a pony," Strider reasoned. "If I look for this pony and find him, you'll have earned my trust."

"Mine, too," Frodo said, making himself known. "Though, I already believe that you speak some truth. You predicted that Pippin would mention my name, and you knew Strider was in the corner."

Strider looked startled, "He did?"

Heero nodded, "Yes, and Ringwraiths will attack the hobbits' room later tonight. We should leave the Prancing Pony as soon as we are able."

"Ringwraiths are already here?" Frodo gasped. "We need to hurry. They must have made good time. They had to go out of the way to the Brandywine Bridge, cause we had taken Buckleberry Ferry."

"Rest, Frodo," Strider said. "We'll leave every in the morning. We'll keep watch. But you hobbits will need as much sleep as you can get. There is no telling when you'll get the chance again."

Frodo nodded, but didn't look anymore comforted than he had the first time he had tried for sleep. Still he managed to drift off just as the braided boy said something about 'missing flying already'.