Chapter 2, Running for your life

Ron said goodbye to Sam and headed into the hobbit home. Over the past few weeks he had somehow gotten used to living in the Shire. He didn't know how but he felt safe. Everything and everyone played it cool and relaxed, just his style. He did, however, miss home. Often he wondered whether he was missing back in the real world, or maybe time had stopped somehow. If he was missing he could only imagine how his mother was worrying about him. He wondered whether Hermione and Harry were looking for him.

As he stepped into the dark entry hall of the house something suddenly grabbed him and quickly turned him around. Ron about screamed in fright but stopped himself when he realized that it was Gandalf. He looked different though. It looked as if he had been under a lot of stress.

"Is it secret!" he said desperately, "is it safe!"

Ron was shocked at the sudden change in Gandalf. It took him a moment to get over the feeling and form a complete sentence "The ring, you mean".

"Let me see it!" Gandalf demanded at once.

Ron ran over to a small chest that he had placed the ring in the night that he had gotten there. It was still in the envelope undisturbed and slowly handed it over to the worn wizard. Gandalf ran over and threw it into the fire that he had just lit.

Ron stared in even more shock at what Gandalf had just done. "What are you doing?" he blurted out.

With a pair of long tongs Gandalf reached into the fire and pulled out the seemingly unharmed ring "Hold out your hand. Don't worry, it wont burn you":

Ron put his hand out even though all his instincts were telling him not to. The ring dropped into his hand like a heavy stone, but it wasn't hot at all. What kind of ring is this? he thought to himself.

"Do you see anything on the band?" asked Gandalf. "Any markings of any kind?"

Ron tried his hardest to see what Gandalf said but he couldn't see any markings.

"No" he said at last.

Then the oddest thing happened.

"Wait! There is something:"

Writing started to come out like it was being burned onto the band. He couldn't tell what it was though. It was written in some weird language that he had never seen before.

"Gandalf what ring is this? I've never seen any like it. And the writing. What language is that?"

Gandalf now seemed even more worried. His shoulders sagged and it looked as if he was caring something heavy around inside him. Ron didn't like this at all.

"There is something I must tell you. A lot of things." Ron's stomach grew heavy inside his body.

Gandalf started on a story about an evil lord that had tried to take over all of Middle Earth and how the groups of men and elves had stopped him. The ring had been kept by the king that had cut it from the very hand of Souron and survived up on to this very day. Through a series of events with a creature that Ron could only relate to something like Kretcher the house elf, Bilbo had gotten the ring and now it was in Ron's possession.

"Souron can't come back though right? I mean he's been destroyed." Ron said nervously. "The guy sounds like Valdamort and that is seriusly not a good thing if he can come back."

"His forces are growing behind the high mountains of Mordor" Gandalf said. "He has started rebuilding his armies and now he wants the ring. All he wants more than everything is to get his hands on it. With it he can come back to full power and bring total war upon the kingdoms of Middle Earth."

Ron took a moment. All of this was coming down hard on him. A ring that could ruin the entire world was lying in his house. What were they going to do?

He suddenly wished more than anything that Harry and Hermione were here. They could deal with all this, not him. Especially Harry with everything he's been through Ron thought.

"No one knows it's here do they?" Gandalf remained silent. "Do they Gandalf?"

"Gollum" He said. "He was the only one who knew were it was. Unfortunately the enemy got to him before I could find him. They got two words out of him. Baggins, Shire."

Now Ron could really feel himself about to freak out.

"But that would lead them straight here Gandalf!" He reached into his pocket and pulled the small gold ring out and reached out his arm toward Gandalf. "Take it! It can't stay here in the Shire!"

"I can't"

"Take it Gandalf please! If they come here it will ruin everything!" A picture of the Shire burning flashed in Ron's mind. He couldn't let that happen. Not to this peaceful place of all places.

"I can't!" the wizard suddenly yelled. Ron about jumped back from the outburst.

"I can't take it. It would use me and manipulate me. More evil will be done than good. Do you understand?" Gandalf said with a sad expression on his face.

"But it can't stay in the Shire!" Ron pleaded.

Gandalf shook his head, "No it can't."

Ron suddenly realized what Gandalf meant. As much as he wanted to help he still didn't know if he could do what he was being asked. It appeared he had no choice though. The last thing he wanted was for the Shire to be burnt down to nothing and the people enslaved.

"What must I do?" he asked closing his hand around the ring. Ron felt as if he had just accepted a mission that was bigger than he even thought, though he wasn't sure how he felt or knew this. He would have been stupid to say he wasn't scared.

With in moments Ron stood before the old wizard dressed in travelling gear and pack slung across his shoulders. Gandalf just smiled down at the tiny hobbit. Even if Ron couldn't see his own strength Gandalf sure could. The will of this small person was truly amazing.

"Ok," Ron said, "I'm ready".

Just at that moment there was a sound outside the window. Gandalf moved so fast as he ran to the window and threw the person that had been outside on the little table that lay in the middle of the room. It was Sam.

"What are you doing Samwise!" demanded Gandalf. The wizard had the hobbit on the table with his staff pointing menacingly down at him.

"No..nothing sir. I just heard raised voices and wondered what it was" Sam stammered. "I swear didn't mean anything by it."

Gandalf sighed, "what did you here?"

Sam explained that he had heard just about everything that had been said. Ron couldn't help but smile at his friend. Gandalf seemed very understanding about it all and in the end came up with a good "punishment" for him.

The next morning the two hobbits fallowed Gandalf out of Hobbiton and into the near by woods that surrounded it.

"Listen now" said Gandalf as the came to a stop in the middle of the woods. "Make for the village of Bree. I will be waiting at he inn of the Prancing Pony". Ron and Sam listned to every word that was being said as they knew a lot of bad things could happen if the journey were to go wrong. "Keep off the main roads for evil will be drawn to the ring. You must be careful and make haste. I will meet you there". With that he swung up onto his hourse and road off leaving the two hobbits alone in the woods.

They walked for days on end heading east towards the village. They didn't meet anyone or anything the whole start of the trip. Not a soul until they came to farmer Maggot's, a very old and stubborn man that hated people stealing his vegetables.

Ron and Sam had been walking when two bright red haired people ran straight into them out of the cornfield. It was a moment of utter chaos as bodies landed right on top of one another and vegetables where thrown every which way. Ron could here Sam yelling at the two people.

"Marry, Pippin, you've been into Farmer Maggot's crops again!" he yelled. Away in the distance Maggot could be heard running after the two.

Ron stood up and got his first look at Mary and Pippin. Though he had heard about them before somehow he had never managed to actually see them. What he saw now was something beyond his wildest imagination.

"Fred! George!" he said in utter disbelief staring at his two brothers as they were putting food into Sam's hands. They looked up and their jaws about dropped to the ground.

The sound of an angry farmer caught all fours attention and George yelled, "run!" They all sprang across the field as fast as their hobbit feet could carry them.

Suddenly the ground stopped right in front of Fred's feet and he managed to stop but someone came running into him, then someone else, then the last person added their weight sending the whole group over the hill, falling head over heals.

"Nice going you two!" cried Sam from under Ron and Fred.

"How the bloody hell did you two get here?" asked Ron as he managed to stand up.

"Good question," replied Fred, "We really don't know. Last thing we remember we were creating a new version of the fake wands when we woke up here."

From under Sam George cried out in glee "Mushrooms!" and all three, George, Fred, and Sam ran straight for them. Ron was left on the road that they had fallen onto. Something didn't feel right about this. He had the distinct feeling that they should get off this road.

"Get off the road." He said as the urge became over bearing. "Now you gits!" They seemed to get the point and all four ran over to the side of the road and hide themselves behind a tree.

Everything suddenly seemed to get real quit. There was no sound of the birds or any other wild life. The very air seemed to stop moving. The only thing that could be herd was the sounds of hooves getting closer and closer to where the hobbits now lay hidden.

Whatever it was it was now right on top of them. They could here the rider dismount the horse followed by the weirdest noise any of them had ever heard. It sounded as if the thing was sniffing, trying to find their sent. It made the air around them grow cold and feel dead. Ron was reminded of the dementors that had guarded Hogwarts in his third year.

Ron had the sudden urge to put the ring on. To just disappear and escape. He was just about to put it on when Sam closed his hand about his and drew his attention away.

Fred threw a stone that he picked up. The moment it landed the rider ran after it away from them. They took the chance and ran for their lives away from the road.

Night closed in around them now before they stopped a moment for the shortest breath.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Fred looking toward Ron. "What ever it was it was looking for something. Ron?"

"Ron?" asked Sam, confused.

"I will explain later. Right now, Sam and I must get to Bree as quick as we can."

Fred could see the look in Ron's eyes. Something was wrong. "Buckleberry Ferry," he said to his little brother and started leading the way.

As they neared the river a dark shadow appeared on a rise looking over the forest. They heard the horrible shreak and the sound of more hooves as they made a run for it.

The bridge was only twenty-five feet away now when suddenly a black rider came out of no where right at Ron's heals. He never believed he could run so fast as he did then. Behind him he could feel the rider getting closer and closer. The others where already on the boat as he ran down the dock and with the last bit of energy that he possessed he jumped the distance onto the small wooden platform.

The angry shrieks of the riders could be heard through the forest. The riders ran through the night trying to find the nearest crossing.

For now they were safe, though they didn't know how long that was going to last.