The hobbits stood, quite bewildered at what was going on. Sam stood, very much alerted now, thinking among himself. Finally he spoke up.
"Mr. Frodo!" he whispered, gather Frodo, Merry, and Pippin into a small circle. "What's going on?" Frodo looked to his gardener with worry in his eyes and replied.
"I don't know, Sam."
"Mr. Frodo, what are you doing? Why are you trusting them? This Strider and Aniron! Who are they?" Sam asked anxiously.
All Frodo could do was shake his head; that was the best reassurance he could give to his friend. Taking the letter before him, he opened it carefully. Inside there was a note, written in delicate handwriting: Frodo instantly knew it as Gandalf's. He began to read the letter aloud.
"Dear Frodo,
Bad news has reached me here. I must go off at once. You had better leave Bag End soon, and get out of the Shire before the end of July at the latest. I will return as soon as I can; and I will follow you, if I find that you are gone. Leave a message for me here, if you pass through Bree. You can trust the landlord (Butterbur). You may meet a friend of mine on the Road: a Man, lean, dark, tall, by some called Strider. He knows our business and will help you. Make for Rivendell. There is hope we may meet again. If I do not come, Elrond will advise you.
Your in haste
Gandalf
PS. Do NOT ise It again, not for any reason whatever! Do not travel by night!
PPS. Make sure that he is the real Strider. There are many strange men on the roads. His true name is Aragorn.
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shdaows shall spring;
Renewed shall be the blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
PPPS. I hope Butterbur sends this promptly. A worthy man, but his memory is like a lumber-room: things wanted always buried. If he forgets, I shall roast him. Fare well!"
Frodo passed the letter around. Strider and Aniron paused their conversation and walked to the Hobbits. Sam eyed them both curiously and then began the questioning.
"How do we know that you're the real Strider? The one Gandalf speaks of." Sam asked, a queer gleam coming to his eye. "You never mentioned Gandalf once. One would think that if you were trying to get out trust, you would say at least that you knew Gandalf!"
"Would you have believed me anyway?" Strider replied.
"You might be a play-acting spy, for all I can see, trying to get us to go with you. And Aniron was not EVEN mentioned in the letter. How do we know she's not for working under Sauruman? Or you? You might have done in the real Strider and took his clothes. What have you to say to that? Both of you!" Sam tensed up, feeling very strong at the moment, and very proud of thinking of the safety of Frodo.
"A stout fellow, you are. But my only answer to you, Samwise Gamgee is this: If I had killed the real Strider, I could kill you. And I should have killed you already without so much talk. If I was after the Ring, I could have it - NOW!" Strider suddenly grew very tall and frightening.
Sam stood awed and frightened, unable to move. Suddenly, a feeling, unlike ever before, surged through his body. For just those few seconds, Sam felt afraid. Not afraid in the sense of being in the presence of a Black Rider, but more like.....trembling in the presence of a king. He shook it away quickly, once again eyeing the rangers.
"But I am the real Strider." Strider replied softly, coming to his knees to meet the hobbits' eyes. "And I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn."
"So the verses apply with your name?" Frodo asked, starting to feel comforted.
"Yes." Aragorn said. "All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost." he added with a smile.
"And what about her?" Merry interrupted. All eyes were drawn to Aniron who stood alone. Immediately, she looked away.
"For now, my friends," Aragorn paused, looking to her, "she is Aniron." Then, Aragorn came closer to the hobbits, pulling them in a circle to his face. "Do not be fooled by the nickname the men of Bree have given her. There is more to her, then meets the eye. She is a ranger, just like me, if that's comforts you." he whispered.
"Not really. We know more about you than her." Pippin interrupted.
"Do not be fooled by the masks she wears, Master Took. She is....." Aragorn paused, searching for the right words. "...she is just like me. That is all I can say now." Finally, Aniron walked to the circle that was excluding her.
"Something I need to know about?" Aniron interrupted, breaking the circle up. An inviting smile was now spread across her face.
"And to comfort you, Master Samwise, I have not, and would not ever, work under the Dark Lord. Trust me Samwise, and the rest of you," she paused, directing her gaze at Frodo. "Telin le thaed.....I've come to help you."
"Are you an elf?" Frodo said, surprised by his curiosity.
Aniron sighed and let out a slight chuckle.
"No." she replied simply. Aragorn looked to her quite queerly. She retrieved his gaze and held it for a moment, but then broke away.
"It's getting late." Strider said. "We need to rest because tomorrow at dawn we leave. I suggest you bring your things in my room." The hobbits looked round to each other in confusion, but then all agreed that Strider would know best.
* * * * * * * *
Outside of Bree the rain beat down upon the houses, stores, and few people who were out. Outside the gate, shadows began coming nearer and nearer. Finally, their shape became clear.
Hope you're liking it! LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER COMING VERY, VERY SOON! Also, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!! Thank you! ^_^
"Mr. Frodo!" he whispered, gather Frodo, Merry, and Pippin into a small circle. "What's going on?" Frodo looked to his gardener with worry in his eyes and replied.
"I don't know, Sam."
"Mr. Frodo, what are you doing? Why are you trusting them? This Strider and Aniron! Who are they?" Sam asked anxiously.
All Frodo could do was shake his head; that was the best reassurance he could give to his friend. Taking the letter before him, he opened it carefully. Inside there was a note, written in delicate handwriting: Frodo instantly knew it as Gandalf's. He began to read the letter aloud.
"Dear Frodo,
Bad news has reached me here. I must go off at once. You had better leave Bag End soon, and get out of the Shire before the end of July at the latest. I will return as soon as I can; and I will follow you, if I find that you are gone. Leave a message for me here, if you pass through Bree. You can trust the landlord (Butterbur). You may meet a friend of mine on the Road: a Man, lean, dark, tall, by some called Strider. He knows our business and will help you. Make for Rivendell. There is hope we may meet again. If I do not come, Elrond will advise you.
Your in haste
Gandalf
PS. Do NOT ise It again, not for any reason whatever! Do not travel by night!
PPS. Make sure that he is the real Strider. There are many strange men on the roads. His true name is Aragorn.
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shdaows shall spring;
Renewed shall be the blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
PPPS. I hope Butterbur sends this promptly. A worthy man, but his memory is like a lumber-room: things wanted always buried. If he forgets, I shall roast him. Fare well!"
Frodo passed the letter around. Strider and Aniron paused their conversation and walked to the Hobbits. Sam eyed them both curiously and then began the questioning.
"How do we know that you're the real Strider? The one Gandalf speaks of." Sam asked, a queer gleam coming to his eye. "You never mentioned Gandalf once. One would think that if you were trying to get out trust, you would say at least that you knew Gandalf!"
"Would you have believed me anyway?" Strider replied.
"You might be a play-acting spy, for all I can see, trying to get us to go with you. And Aniron was not EVEN mentioned in the letter. How do we know she's not for working under Sauruman? Or you? You might have done in the real Strider and took his clothes. What have you to say to that? Both of you!" Sam tensed up, feeling very strong at the moment, and very proud of thinking of the safety of Frodo.
"A stout fellow, you are. But my only answer to you, Samwise Gamgee is this: If I had killed the real Strider, I could kill you. And I should have killed you already without so much talk. If I was after the Ring, I could have it - NOW!" Strider suddenly grew very tall and frightening.
Sam stood awed and frightened, unable to move. Suddenly, a feeling, unlike ever before, surged through his body. For just those few seconds, Sam felt afraid. Not afraid in the sense of being in the presence of a Black Rider, but more like.....trembling in the presence of a king. He shook it away quickly, once again eyeing the rangers.
"But I am the real Strider." Strider replied softly, coming to his knees to meet the hobbits' eyes. "And I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn."
"So the verses apply with your name?" Frodo asked, starting to feel comforted.
"Yes." Aragorn said. "All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost." he added with a smile.
"And what about her?" Merry interrupted. All eyes were drawn to Aniron who stood alone. Immediately, she looked away.
"For now, my friends," Aragorn paused, looking to her, "she is Aniron." Then, Aragorn came closer to the hobbits, pulling them in a circle to his face. "Do not be fooled by the nickname the men of Bree have given her. There is more to her, then meets the eye. She is a ranger, just like me, if that's comforts you." he whispered.
"Not really. We know more about you than her." Pippin interrupted.
"Do not be fooled by the masks she wears, Master Took. She is....." Aragorn paused, searching for the right words. "...she is just like me. That is all I can say now." Finally, Aniron walked to the circle that was excluding her.
"Something I need to know about?" Aniron interrupted, breaking the circle up. An inviting smile was now spread across her face.
"And to comfort you, Master Samwise, I have not, and would not ever, work under the Dark Lord. Trust me Samwise, and the rest of you," she paused, directing her gaze at Frodo. "Telin le thaed.....I've come to help you."
"Are you an elf?" Frodo said, surprised by his curiosity.
Aniron sighed and let out a slight chuckle.
"No." she replied simply. Aragorn looked to her quite queerly. She retrieved his gaze and held it for a moment, but then broke away.
"It's getting late." Strider said. "We need to rest because tomorrow at dawn we leave. I suggest you bring your things in my room." The hobbits looked round to each other in confusion, but then all agreed that Strider would know best.
* * * * * * * *
Outside of Bree the rain beat down upon the houses, stores, and few people who were out. Outside the gate, shadows began coming nearer and nearer. Finally, their shape became clear.
Hope you're liking it! LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER COMING VERY, VERY SOON! Also, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!! Thank you! ^_^