Farmer Maggot and his dogs, having lost the boys, gave up and turned back for home.

Ruby and Azaelia got up and moved toward where they had disappeared and found a very steep ledge. But as they peered over the edge, the shriek and chill of the black riders grasped them. Again, they ducked in fear. Ruby crawled to the ledge and peered down. Merry and Pippin, along with Frodo and Sam, were hiding behind a rather large log and a few of the riders were…were sniffing the air. They were looking for them! Ruby gestured frantically for Azaelia to come.

"They're looking for us!" she mouthed.

Azaelia slid in next to Ruby on the side of the cliff and looked down. With both of their weight on the ledge, however, the weak dirt crumbled, sending both of them toppling down to the road below.

The two hobbits hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from their lungs. They heard the scream of the riders and struggled out of the bush they had landed it and into a tree. They climbed up into the thickest part of it and stayed as still and as quiet at they could. Azaelia looked around her, identifying the type of tree they were hiding in. Her face turned to panic as she realized it to be a maple tree; the one type of tree she was allergic to.

Ruby saw Azaelia preparing to give off a mighty sneeze and leapt on her, clamping her hand down hard over her face. Azaelia let out a tiny squeak as the sneeze escaped, but it sounded more like a bird chirping. Luckily for all of them, they had distracted the riders long enough for the four hobbits escape.

Ruby and Azaelia carefully and quietly climbed down from the tree and crossed the road, intending to find their friends and question them intensely. Azaelia sneezed again as she and Ruby disappeared into the trees. She followed Ruby until she heard a horse snort. She turned slowly and found a rider standing just a little down the road, but it had its back turned away from them. She gave a little gasp and gave Ruby a small push down the trail that Pippin, Merry, Frodo and Sam had forged only moments earlier.

Ruby bolted after Azaelia's touch, having spotted the same very black sight. They ran down the path, hoping to eventually find the boys, but although they stayed moving until well after dark, they just couldn't. She dropped to the ground, breathing heavy. Azaelia sat nearby and put her head between her knees. Ruby assumed she was still suffering her reaction to the tree.

"Oh Zaelia, we'll never find them," Ruby gasped, "and now I think we're lost."

Azaelia panted, very glad to be away from that blasted tree. She sneezed again and looked around very sadly. The only other place that had maple trees was by the river. She listened and heard a noise a ways away.

"Ruby…Ruby…I think we've found our way to the river! Maybe the boys crossed at Buckleberry Ferry, hoping to get away from those riders!"

Ruby looked about wildly. "Do you mean to tell me we've somehow managed to circle all the way back home!" In a flash, Ruby was on her feet and moving toward the river. She peered out from the edge of the safe cover of the trees, and sure enough, there was Buckleberry Ferry. Just miles from her house.

She was just thinking about going back home when she heard the shriek of the riders. They were riding hard down the roads on either side, leading to the ferry, and standing on the ferry...were the other hobbits! Frodo had just leapt and landed hard on the wooden raft and was now, along with the three other boys, floating away. Safe.

"Azaelia...I don't think the riders are after us." Ruby whispered. "I think they're after one of them."

Azaelia shook her head. "Yes, I think you're right, and if I remember correctly, the rider at my door said 'Shire, Baggins'…Ruby! That means he's after Frodo!"

Ruby clasped her hands to her mouth. Why hadn't she thought of that earlier? "Oh, Az, we have to help them get away! But...oh, but we don't know where to take them…"

"No, but we can follow them, and lour the riders away, if needs be. We can say we're Ruby and Azaelia Baggins or something-it might just save Frodo!"

Ruby nodded. "And if worst comes to worst, they could always go to Bree-they'd be hard to find amongst the big folk..."

"Yes they would. It's worth a shot! Let's go to Brandywine Bridge! It's 20 miles south of here, but we need to get following them right away."

Ruby nodded, adrenaline reviving her. She got to her feet and gave Azaelia her hand as she gave another large sneeze.

"We need to get you away from these trees..."

They hurried all night to get to the bridge; it took until almost dawn to get there. Azaelia was still sneezing occasionally. The line of trees was getting thinner, but there was still the occasional maple.

They crossed the bridge and met a very shaken up old hobbit there. He was seated on a rock, his dog huddle up beside him. When Ruby asked what had him so frightened, he said it was a cluster of riders in black. Azaelia asked where they were headed, and he said, "They took the road to Bree."

Azaelia nodded her head and looked at Ruby. "You were right-to Bree we go."

They pressed on, a gray mist of dawn leading the way to the town of men. When they reached Bree, they found the town in much distress. Most of the outer wall had somehow been knocked down and all around the people were frantic. They picked slowly through the town, trying not to get knocked over, stepped on, pushed, hit, kicked and other such unpleasentries hobbits had to suffer through in the world of humans. As they rounded a corner, a large man holding a carrot smashed right into them, knocking them to the muddy ground. As they struggled back to their feet, they saw a most peculiar sight-a very tall man leading away three very short people.

"Azaelia, it's them! It must be! Come on!" Ruby pulled Azaelia to her feet for what felt like the millionth time in the past two days and they took off after their friends.

"All right, then, let's go!" Azaelia sighed and pushed onward. She was getting very tired now and started stumbling behind Ruby.

Ruby reached her hand out to her friend. "I'm tired, too, but we have to keep up, or we'll loose them." She gave Azaelia an encouraging smile. "We'll stop when they stop, and if there's time, you can take a nap."

"I know, we'll keep going, I'll be all right, I'm just tired from sneezing all night. Did I ever tell you how much I hate maple trees?"

Ruby laughed a little, but the conversation soon died. Neither knew or understood all of what was going on around them, but both had the feeling that it was bad. The worst kind of bad. All morning, the two traveled, trying to keep their friends at least in their line of sight. Or hearing. Or something.