"Dina,"
-"Be silent," she whispered. She hid against the tree and pulled her cloak over her head. A black horse, mutilated and bleeding from nails embedded in it hooves, approached with a heavily cloaked rider in all black. Morantwen shook slightly in fright. She could only imagine how the hobbits were feeling. The black rider leaped off its mount and stood in front of the tree root where the hollow was. It lay on its knees and grabbed the roots, sniffing around it. It was drawn to something and Morantwen knew what it was. When she realized what it was, Morantwen's heart and bravery shattered. She exhaled deeply. Suddenly, the rider looked at her. Her eyes glowed maliciously and widened. She saw a log come out of the hollow and land someway away. The black rider swiftly leaped on his horse and bolted away.
Merry was first to bolt out. Followed by Frodo, Pippin, and Sam. Morantwen ran along side them, letting them run somewhat ahead. Astalder's reins were held tightly in her hands. They ran down the road and swerved sharply to the left. They slid down the side at a steep angle and stopped near to the bottom. Merry fell backward as he slid, fall behind in the order. They stopped as Merry started to get up.
"What was that?" he yelled. Frodo stopped abruptly. Not facing any of the others, he opened his hand. He stared at the small, glistening item in it. The Ring felt heavier in his palm. As he caught his breath, he placed it back in his vest pocket and sat down. Placing his hands over his face, Frodo closed his eyes and tried to relax.
Morantwen was also sitting down, against a tree, staring up at the road. She was shaking in fright. Her cloak covered her body entirely so that only her face was exposed. As she stared at the road, her vision started to blur. She rubbed her eyes. She couldn't see. Or, at least she couldn't see what was in front of her.
What she did see was a man. A man in a dimly lit inn. Morantwen would have sworn on her life that she had seen him before. There was a thick cloak upon his shoulders, the hood he wore, shadowed his face. A pipe in his mouth left a veil of smoke over his head, and his legs were stretched in front of him. He stared into Morantwen's blue eyes with eyes of grey. The image of the man began to fade. Morantwen's sight turned black. The road began to come through to the blackness until all trace of it was gone. Morantwen blinked and shook her head. Mounds of questions built up. She was totally unaware of the hobbits until Pippin started talking to her.
"So, who are you? I don't think I've ever seen you 'round here before." Morantwen jumped and turned her head toward him. He was sitting, waiting for a reply.
"Oh, you are right. I have not been around here lately. I am a friend of Frodo and of Gandalf the Grey. Morantwen Ariamor. But, uh, who are you?" Pippin smiled widely, stood up and stuck out his hand.
"Peregrin Took, at your service, M' lady. And this is-"
"Meriadoc Brandybuck, Miss. Cousin of Frodo and Pip here," said Merry, slapping Pippin behind the head.
"Ow! What was that for, Merry?"
"I don't know. Ask me later." Pippin scowled and laughed. Morantwen laughed as well.
"So that means you two and Frodo are all cousins?"
"Yep," said Merry and Pippin simultaneously.
"And Sam?"
"I'm just Mr. Frodo's gardener, Miss Morantwen," said Sam.
"Just his gardener!" exclaimed Merry, "Please! You two have been best friends since the beginning of time! Isn't tha' right, Frodo?"
"Hmm? Oh, of course," said Frodo, looking up. Morantwen walked over to Frodo and sat down next to him.
"Frodo, are you feeling all right? You seem a bit distracted," she whispered. Frodo looked up at her. He looked so tired.
"I have hardly any idea what's going on. I don't know where Gandalf is and I don't know the point of going to Bree," he whispered, looking at his fellow hobbits laughing and playing, "And Sam knows less than I do, meanwhile, Merry and Pip don't know anything at all about it. I don't know about you. Well, do you know what that thing was?" Morantwen looked into Frodo's bright blue eyes with her own. She took a deep breath.
"I wish I knew. But, I think it is what made my eyes so bright that night."
"True. And that was nothing compared to how they just looked. That...thing.... did something to me. To the Ring. The Ring seems to be drawing itself to the enemy. It was taking over me. I would've put it on if it weren't for Sam. He stopped me." Morantwen looked at Frodo in disbelief.