In the dimly lit drinking room, their light brown eyes followed the empty space at which all gawked at. As they looked up, Strider was now set back, unnocticed. The cloaked stranger began walking slowly to the ranger, keeping their eyes upon the empty space.
* * * * * * * *
Opening his eyes, Frodo found himself in a completely different world; a world consumed by shadow, fear, and hatred. He looked around bewildered and in fear. Turning around, Frodo meets the gaze of an immense, singular orb, a lidless eye, wreathed in flame. Wanting to get away Frodo began to slowly back away in terror. The Eye of Sauron stared down hard upon the small, helpless hobbit. Suddenly, a darkening voice is heard: the voice of Sauron.
"You cannot hide! I see you!" the voice whispered hoarsely. "There is no life in the void, only death!"
Frodo, terrified, backed away from the Eye. Groping for the Ring, Frodo found he could not break his gaze from the Eye.
* * * * * * * *
Finally, he wrenched it off, reappearing with a sigh, under a table. As he rest his backl and head against the hard table to take a breather, a firm hand grasp him, pulling the weary hobbit from out under the table.
"Ah!" Frodo gasped, surprised and frightened.
"You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr. 'Underhill' "the stranger said harshly, pinning Frodo up against the wall. Frodo looked into the eyes of the dark, weathered man. Of course, he only got a glance at him before the poor, defenseless hobbit was thrown up the stairs roughly.
The cloaked stranger that had entered moments before Frodo's disappearence watched as Strider tossed the hobbit around. Pace now quickening, they followed the ranger's footsteps up the stairs. No one took notice.
Flinging open a door, Strider tossed the hobbit into his room. Stumbling, Frodo hit the wooden floor, but quickly regained his balance and jumped to his feet. Putting his back to the wall, he watched the ranger intensely, his breath becoming heaver. Finally he spoke.
"What do you want?" Frodo asked, his voice quivering.
"A little more caution from you." Strider replied grimly. "That is no trinket you carry." The hood of his cloak covered his face entirely now.
"I carry nothing." Frodo replied, now more alerted than ever.
"Indeed." Strider replied quickly, walking over to the windows where the candles lay lit. As he spoke, he put the candles out with his fingertips swiftly.
"I can avoid being seen if I want. But to disappear entirely," Strider threw back his hood, revealing a head of shaggy, dark hair and a pair of keen, grey eyes, "that is a rare gift."
"Who are you?" Frodo asked, watching Strider's every move.
"Are you frightened?"
"Yes."
"Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you." Strider replied. But a that second, the door burst open. Walking in calmly, was the cloaked stranger.
"I've been looking for you." the stranger said in a low voice, paying no attention to Frodo.
"Aniron." Strider replied, still watching Frodo from the corner of his eye.
"Where were you when he put It on?" the stranger asked, still, nothing could be seen of them except their eyes.
Strider ignored the question, now his eyes on Aniron, fully. He stared for a minute and then a sly smile came to his face.
"Why do not reveal yourself?"
Aniron stood for a minute, silent and unmoving.
"Be iest lin. (According to your wish.)" Aniron said, making no effort to remove their cloak.
Frodo stood against the wal, listening and watching the two. At that moment, he finally realized who Aniron was.
"He's the other ranger Butterbur told me about." Frodo said aloud accidentally.
"He?" Strider asked, looking at the hobbit. Frodo froze, not knowing what to say. Aniron slowly reached up to the hood that covered the face and lifted it off. In the moonlight, Frodo saw the face of a young woman. From the little light, Frodo could see that she was much to the liking of Strider in features. In her face showed that she had taken much weathering. What seemed strange to Frodo was her hair. The hair of Aniron stood dark in the light. But unlike Strider who had some flecks of gray, she had streaks of gold. Frodo had never seen this before. Her light brown eyes met the curious gaze of the hobbit. She smiled softly, brushing away the hair that fell in her face. Coming to her knees, she spoke softly to Frodo.
"Hello Frodo. I am Aniron." she smiled at the bewildered hobbit, staring into his eyes. "I hope my friend. here, hasn't caused you too much worry." she added.
Frodo felt himself smiling, and also even more curious. Was she an elf? She certainly reminded Frodo if one. He wanted to ask, but that would be impolite. So, all he did was nod his head.
Aniron got back to her feet and began talking with Strider again.
"As I was saying before, I have been looking for you. I came upon Gandalf on the road and he told me you would need help."
"Gandalf? When did you talk to Gandalf?" Frodo interrupted.
"It was some days ago. I was in search of Strider before I ran into the wizard, but to answer your question, it was about five days ago."
A look of worry immediately sketched itself into Frodo's face. Strider looked away to the window. As far as his eye could go, he thought he saw shadows moving in the distance.
"I've been searching for you. I left Gondor about two, maybe three weeks ago. I need your help. We need your help. Not only that but," Aniron paused. Looking into Strider's eyes, she saw the anxiety and resistance building up. She continued.
"Le aphadar aen. (You are being followed.)" she added darkly, the shadows now coming on to her face. "I have seen five of the Nazgul on the road. And now that Frodo has put on the Ring, they know. They are coming to Bree as we spe-"
At that moment, the door swung open. Strider and Aniron drew their swords quickly. In the doorway stood Merry, Pippin, and Sam. Sam held his fists up in a fighting position which made Aniron laugh aloud.
"Stand off! Or I'll have you, Longshanks!" he yelled, being as strong as Frodo had ever seen him.
"You have a stout heart, little hobbit. But that will not save you." Strider said grimly, putting his sword back into its sheath. "You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo. They are coming."
Look forward to the next chapter COMING REALLY, REALLY SOON! Also, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! Thank you! ^_^
* * * * * * * *
Opening his eyes, Frodo found himself in a completely different world; a world consumed by shadow, fear, and hatred. He looked around bewildered and in fear. Turning around, Frodo meets the gaze of an immense, singular orb, a lidless eye, wreathed in flame. Wanting to get away Frodo began to slowly back away in terror. The Eye of Sauron stared down hard upon the small, helpless hobbit. Suddenly, a darkening voice is heard: the voice of Sauron.
"You cannot hide! I see you!" the voice whispered hoarsely. "There is no life in the void, only death!"
Frodo, terrified, backed away from the Eye. Groping for the Ring, Frodo found he could not break his gaze from the Eye.
* * * * * * * *
Finally, he wrenched it off, reappearing with a sigh, under a table. As he rest his backl and head against the hard table to take a breather, a firm hand grasp him, pulling the weary hobbit from out under the table.
"Ah!" Frodo gasped, surprised and frightened.
"You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr. 'Underhill' "the stranger said harshly, pinning Frodo up against the wall. Frodo looked into the eyes of the dark, weathered man. Of course, he only got a glance at him before the poor, defenseless hobbit was thrown up the stairs roughly.
The cloaked stranger that had entered moments before Frodo's disappearence watched as Strider tossed the hobbit around. Pace now quickening, they followed the ranger's footsteps up the stairs. No one took notice.
Flinging open a door, Strider tossed the hobbit into his room. Stumbling, Frodo hit the wooden floor, but quickly regained his balance and jumped to his feet. Putting his back to the wall, he watched the ranger intensely, his breath becoming heaver. Finally he spoke.
"What do you want?" Frodo asked, his voice quivering.
"A little more caution from you." Strider replied grimly. "That is no trinket you carry." The hood of his cloak covered his face entirely now.
"I carry nothing." Frodo replied, now more alerted than ever.
"Indeed." Strider replied quickly, walking over to the windows where the candles lay lit. As he spoke, he put the candles out with his fingertips swiftly.
"I can avoid being seen if I want. But to disappear entirely," Strider threw back his hood, revealing a head of shaggy, dark hair and a pair of keen, grey eyes, "that is a rare gift."
"Who are you?" Frodo asked, watching Strider's every move.
"Are you frightened?"
"Yes."
"Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you." Strider replied. But a that second, the door burst open. Walking in calmly, was the cloaked stranger.
"I've been looking for you." the stranger said in a low voice, paying no attention to Frodo.
"Aniron." Strider replied, still watching Frodo from the corner of his eye.
"Where were you when he put It on?" the stranger asked, still, nothing could be seen of them except their eyes.
Strider ignored the question, now his eyes on Aniron, fully. He stared for a minute and then a sly smile came to his face.
"Why do not reveal yourself?"
Aniron stood for a minute, silent and unmoving.
"Be iest lin. (According to your wish.)" Aniron said, making no effort to remove their cloak.
Frodo stood against the wal, listening and watching the two. At that moment, he finally realized who Aniron was.
"He's the other ranger Butterbur told me about." Frodo said aloud accidentally.
"He?" Strider asked, looking at the hobbit. Frodo froze, not knowing what to say. Aniron slowly reached up to the hood that covered the face and lifted it off. In the moonlight, Frodo saw the face of a young woman. From the little light, Frodo could see that she was much to the liking of Strider in features. In her face showed that she had taken much weathering. What seemed strange to Frodo was her hair. The hair of Aniron stood dark in the light. But unlike Strider who had some flecks of gray, she had streaks of gold. Frodo had never seen this before. Her light brown eyes met the curious gaze of the hobbit. She smiled softly, brushing away the hair that fell in her face. Coming to her knees, she spoke softly to Frodo.
"Hello Frodo. I am Aniron." she smiled at the bewildered hobbit, staring into his eyes. "I hope my friend. here, hasn't caused you too much worry." she added.
Frodo felt himself smiling, and also even more curious. Was she an elf? She certainly reminded Frodo if one. He wanted to ask, but that would be impolite. So, all he did was nod his head.
Aniron got back to her feet and began talking with Strider again.
"As I was saying before, I have been looking for you. I came upon Gandalf on the road and he told me you would need help."
"Gandalf? When did you talk to Gandalf?" Frodo interrupted.
"It was some days ago. I was in search of Strider before I ran into the wizard, but to answer your question, it was about five days ago."
A look of worry immediately sketched itself into Frodo's face. Strider looked away to the window. As far as his eye could go, he thought he saw shadows moving in the distance.
"I've been searching for you. I left Gondor about two, maybe three weeks ago. I need your help. We need your help. Not only that but," Aniron paused. Looking into Strider's eyes, she saw the anxiety and resistance building up. She continued.
"Le aphadar aen. (You are being followed.)" she added darkly, the shadows now coming on to her face. "I have seen five of the Nazgul on the road. And now that Frodo has put on the Ring, they know. They are coming to Bree as we spe-"
At that moment, the door swung open. Strider and Aniron drew their swords quickly. In the doorway stood Merry, Pippin, and Sam. Sam held his fists up in a fighting position which made Aniron laugh aloud.
"Stand off! Or I'll have you, Longshanks!" he yelled, being as strong as Frodo had ever seen him.
"You have a stout heart, little hobbit. But that will not save you." Strider said grimly, putting his sword back into its sheath. "You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo. They are coming."
Look forward to the next chapter COMING REALLY, REALLY SOON! Also, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! Thank you! ^_^