Hey all, this is crazzymonkey filling in for lavaangel. We're so sorry about the wait for this chapter; between computer problems and writers blocks, all I can say is ACK! So, without further adieu, I present chappy to the fourth. We both hope you enjoy it. :D

Disclaimers: Neither lavaangel or crazzymonkey own anything Lord of the Rings. We only own our original characters and our dear plot bunnies.

The Return of the Ring

Chapter 4

The Party Square was filled with excitement as hobbits from all over the Shire ate, drank, sang, and danced as they pleased. The Party Tree was decorated with many lights, illuminating the entire square.

Vana sat at one of the outside tables, not really wanting to join in on the fun, just there to keep an eye on things should anything dangerous occur. War was banging on Middle Earth's back door. The elf didn't believe that it was much of a time to be partying.

"Fabulous party! Almost as grand as old Bilbo Baggin's eleventy-one celebration!" Vana heard a group of hobbits' conversation a few tables over.

"You were but a wee lad when we had gone to that party," an older woman commented. "You don't remember how the old fool insulted us so. First complicating his speech so we couldn't understand it, then started calling the lot of us a gross." The woman shook her head. "Disgusting. Then that nephew of his was just as confused as the rest of us after Bilbo had pulled that stunt of his. They both ended up disappearing after that. Odd, they were." The rest of the group started nodding at this.

"How dare you speak ill of Bilbo and Frodo!" a hobbit said, outraged. He was walking by the group's table when he had over-heard. "Hold your tongue! They were both the nicest of gentlehobbits I knew! They had both done much more in their time than you could ever dream of! Fought dragons, met elves, and dear old Mister Frodo even faced death many times on his quest to save Middle Earth, that he did! If it hadn't been for him you would have had a lot more than just the Ruffians on your hands!"

The whole party had stopped what they were doing to listen to him. The poor hobbit was on the verge of tears, both out of anger and sadness. Beside him, his wife gave him an encouraging smile and placed a comforting hand on his arm while his taller friend gave him approving pats on the back.

"Here, here!" his friend shouted, silent tears running down his face as well. He wiped them off on his sleeve quickly and started speaking loudly, starting to make a speech. With him being the Thain and was held in the highest of respects, the floor was given to him.

"To quote very dear and missed friends of mine, one had said that we spoke of danger, but we did not understand. That it was no treasure hunt, no there-and-back journey. That he was flying from deadly peril to deadly peril. And the other responded that we did indeed understand, and that was the reason of us wanting to join him; that we had wanted to help him the best that we could. That was how it all began. Those two hobbits were Misters Frodo Baggins and Merry Brandybuck - the Valar bless their souls!" he held up his pint of ale and took a large drink, and many others shouted "Here, here" or "Aye" before doing the same.

Vana held up her mug and said a prayer. "Lotesse Eru tennoio vare-le." She took a swig of her ale to to health of the Ringbearer and the Esquire of Rohan. The party soon went back into full gear, the woman that just got shut down by Frodo's friends scowled at their backs as they continued on their way. The elf followed them with her eyes, watched them take a seat at their table.

"Fiesty lil' fellows, aren't they?" Nori commented, half slurred, as he sat down next to the elf.

Vana gave him a quizzical look with an eyebrow raised in amusement. "How much have you had to drink, Master Dwarf?"

"Not nearly enough for my liking!" he replied with a large goofy smile

Vana laughed. "Your low tolerance really amuses me."

"Nothing new. Always has," Nori commented shrugging. "Have you seen the little lass anywhere? I find it odd that it being her mother hosting the party and all that we have yet to see her this evening."

"No, I have not." She frowned. "Aya is here, though. I'd bet her father's mithril shirt on it. Her mother would never allow for her just to not come."

"Then the lass is just avoiding us?"

"That's what I'm guessing," Vana replied, half shrugging.

"Well, we'd better go find her then!" Nori said while jumping to his feet.

An elven eyebrow rose once again, half in amusement half in curiosity. "Why such the sudden search party?"

"If any of those stories my father or Gandalf have told me about hobbits are true in any way, I'd rather be keeping my shins bruise less and be out of any prank's way."

Aya meanwhile was wondering around the party grounds, and had been since things had begun to be set up. She had a lot on her mind, a lot of questions she just didn't have the answers for.

It had been quite the task avoiding Vana and her dwarf friend Nori. That elf was quite the sharp one. A few times Aya was almost sure Vana had seen her, but had ducked under a table or into a tent.

One question kept repeating itself in her brain over and over, 'Why had she reacted that way to Vana earlier?' She had always felt she could trust the elf before, why was now any different.

Faramir and Liz had been with her earlier and had noticed her somber mood right away. Faramir had smiled before dragging Liz away saying he had something planned that would cheer Aya up quicker then a drunk during a drinking contest at the Green Dragon.

Aya was interrupted from her musings by a very drunk hobbit swaggering up to her. "Excellent par-ttyyyyy, hic, your mom has going on here. Very good ale, hic, good food," He swayed on the spot for a moment. He seemed to be thinking about what to say next. It looked like hard work. "Your great uncle Bilbo was quite the nut case. Glad to see your growing up to be a nice normal hobbit lass."

Aya frowned deeply at the mention of her uncle. She couldn't stand anyone bad-mouthing him or her father. She got enough of that from her mother. Honestly she couldn't see what her father had seen in her mother in the first place.

"You sir, are very drunk. And I would think it wise to retire for the night," Aya said pointing out the obvious. She was trying to keep her temper in check, if this guy would just walk away and say nothing more then she was sure she could calm herself down.

Then he blew it.

"Probably a good thing they went off and got themselves killed. Shire's been a better place since them two left."

Aya was able to stay quiet for about a grand total of three seconds. "YOU OLD FOOL! How dare you say such things! If it wasn't for my father and his friends there wouldn't be a Shire!" She finished, tears were now flowing freely from her eyes.

Vana jerked her head up from the story Nori had been telling her and listened closely. She could have sworn that she had heard Aya's voice over the commotion of the party.

"-An' he jus' kep' on walkin'!" Nori slurred particularly loud, even more drunk than before, strangely enough; the toothy grin never leaving his face. "E'en though he wa' 'bout to pass out!" He thumped his fists against the table several times as he wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. "An' we told 'em to sit 'is arse down, but he won' 'ear of it! 'I'm the bes' drinker in the coun'ry,' he claimed, 'I can hold my drink bet'er than the res' o' yeh.' Nex' thin' we knew, he wa' face down in the mudd ou'side the tav'rn!"

Vana gave Nori a hard look, one that went passed the dwarf in his drunken state as he continued to laugh his head off and consume more ale. "Nori, hush!" she said sternly, the tone of her voice reflecting both importance and her annoyment. The laughter died on his lips, and he sobered slightly. He wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve and set his mug back down on the table.

"Vana?" he questioned hesitantly. The elf held up a hand telling him to be silent.

"Your father was the fool. Him and the others that went and gotten themselves into trouble, they did. Brought that trouble here to us too," the hobbit said.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH THINGS!" Aya roared. "My father was broken, do you hear me? He did much for all of Middle Earth, earned the highest respect from the elves and men alike! Even from the King of Gondor himself!" Aya broke down in sobs near the end, but continued on in her rage, her voice now cracking. "The King... it's all starting again! Why? WHY!" the hobbit lass was near hysterical. "Why is this happening? Why did it have to come back?"

Vana could listen to it no more. She quickly got up from the table, Nori giving her a questioning glance. "What yeh hear with your hearin'?" he asked. Vana ignored him and continued on, heading toward the sound of Aya's sobs. Nori tried getting up to make after her, but the dwarf soon found himself on the ground as his legs no longer would support him. With much slurred cursing in dwarvish, he slowly pulled himself back up onto the bench, ignoring the stares he got from many hobbits at hearing him muttering to himself in his language, all of them right when they figured he was saying something not too nice.

"Aya!" Vana called. She walked quickly between the tables. She reached a tent and pulled open the flap. She was shocked to find a hobbit couple in lip lock and when they noticed they had company they abruptly stopped and stared at her wide eyed. 'Apparently they still fear foreigners,' she thought and would have found the odd situation extremely funny had she not been so worried about her friend. "Sorry!" she said quickly and left the tent, continuing on with her search.

Vana soon found the lass, who was still sobbing but was now at a more controlled point. A hobbit was with her, swaying on his feet, threatening to fall on his rear at any moment. Vana scowled at him. "Leave us! You've already done enough damage." The hobbit eyed her with glossy eyes, but complied and with the best of his abilities made his way to get some more drink.

Vana knelt in front of Aya. "Are you alright?" she questioned hesitantly, only to be answered with a glare. Aya felt the anger build up inside of her again. It was almost as if she had no control over her own emotions.

"Do I look alright to you?" she returned icily. Vana eyed her warily.

"You're not yourself," Vana said quietly, "It has even stronger pull over you than I thought."

Before Aya could respond, a large explosion sounded at the heart of the party, followed by many terrified screams.

"Wha-what's happening?" Aya asked fearfully. She unconsciously clutched the ring tightly, moments before when Vana had turned at the sudden noise Aya had taken the opportunity to remove the ring from her pocket.

"Wraiths, there are Wraiths here!" Nori shouted running up to them axe in hand. He was soaked from head to foot, as if he'd tried to sober up by climbing into a water barrel. Together the dwarf and elf turned to face the hobbit. Vana opened her mouth to speak, but Nori beat her to it.

"Lassie, if you really do have the ring you had better stick close to us. We cannot let the enemy have the ring. That would be the end of us all," Nori finished in a deep growl.

"But I just . . ." Aya began, but was interrupted.

"No time, just stick close to us," Vana instructed, pulling twin daggers from her belt. Aya could only frown as she chewed on her bottom lip. Suddenly two wraiths appeared on either side of them. Aya gasped, feeling as though she couldn't draw a decent breath.

"Aya, Aya this way," a voice called from behind her. "Faramir?" Aya questioned. He only nodded and begin trying to pull Aya away. Vana glanced at them.

"I leave Aya in your hands hobbit. I hope no harm will come to her in your care," Vana said then added, "Lead her into the wood. Make for the nearest village outside of the Shire; which is Bree. I will meet you there at the inn. You know of which one I speak."

"But . . ." Aya protested again.

"There's no time. We gotta go," Faramir interrupted. "Liz is waiting for us."

"My MOM!" Aya said after finally being able to pull herself lose from Faramir's tight grip, after being almost dragged for several yards. Liz ran up to meet them at their approach.

"Oh Aya, I'm so sorry. There was nothing we could do about your mother," Liz said, and Aya noticed she was crying freely and to her surprise so was she. The sounds of battle behind them seemed like a far away thing to the turmoil in her own heart.

"What now?" Faramir asked as they reached the edge of town. Liz still had a arm about Aya's shoulder.

Aya looked up through blurry eyes, "We make for the village of Bree. We'll wait for Vana there, she'll help us decide what to do next." And the three hobbits headed deep into the forest. The sounds of battle went well on into the night.

, >

Oh I hate those ringwraiths. They are soo creepy. Where's my Lego when I need him. /Shudders/ Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter. A bit sad, but sometimes bad things need to happen. Please R/R everyone. I need to know what you think.

lavaangel