Marie: Here's the next chapter. By the way, I'm not sure how to spell 'Argonoth' so just work with me. We're getting close to the end of the Lord of the Mood Rings: the Mood Ring Club, so once we're finished it might take a while. We're going by the script from when this was a film, but we never did the second one. We'll have to put our heads together!
The next day the group set out, but not without receiving good-byes from the Bells of Gothlorien. Lady Gladbags seemed sad to see Dodo go, probably because she no longer had any minds to read that had other voices to challenge her.
Before they left, Lady Gladbags gave Dodo a gift. She pulled out a little bundle and handed it to him.
"To you, Dodo Flaggins, I give you the light of Parental."
Dodo looked down at the bundle and then unfolded it. Inside was a weird vial that said "Parental". He had no idea what it did. How could something named "Parental" be helpful to him at all? He guessed it would reveal itself in due time.
The group set off, waving to all of them sadly. After all, the woods of Gothlorien may be very dark, but the Bells were still nice.
Good riddance.
Well, Dodo's voice wasn't so sad to leave.
Legolordas and Thonagong both saluted Hitler, who yelled something back in German. They seemed pleased.
Soon the group was paddling out in the cardboard boxes that the Bells had provided for them. Of course, they got a little wet since cardboard isn't the most waterproof material, but it was better than swimming. Bobbits detest water.
After a while they passed between two statues that looked like Thonagong, only cleaner. Actually, anything can be considered cleaner than Thonagong…
The future king whispered the place's name and said, "Long have I wanted to gaze at the faces of my fore fathers."
Mitten looked at him with wide eyes. "You have four fathers!" he exclaimed.
"Who has four fathers?" asked Sad.
"What does 'Argonoth' mean in Bellish?" Dodo asked. He thought that he must sound very intellectual asking this question since most hadn't even heard what Thonagong had said and didn't know that he said it in Bellish.
"He didn't say 'Argonoth', dorkus!" exclaimed Sad.
Dodo looked bewildered.
"He said 'Astronaut'," finished Spam.
Everyone looked at Dodo now, wondering if he was deaf or something. Who'd ever heard of 'Argonoth'?
"Yes, Spam is right. My fore fathers were the first astronauts. Can't you tell by the helmets?" Thonagong motioned to the statues.
"Your four fathers were all astronauts!" exclaimed Mitten.
"Who were astronauts?" asked Sad.
Dodo realized that the statues did indeed look like astronauts. He wondered if Thonagong would become one too when he became king. A king who has had training in outer space is always helpful to the people of Central Earth.
Presently they reached the banks of the shore, resting before they needed to prepare for the next day's journey.
Legolordas came up to Thonagong and whispered with an edge of fear in his voice, "We cannot linger. A shadow and a threat have been growing in my mind."
"Stuff grows in your mind? Do you mean like mold?"
Legolordas quickly shoved Sad away from their conversation. The little bobbit pouted and went to go in search of some firewood.
"You don't need to worry about the northeastern shore," replied the mysterious woodsman coolly.
"It's not the northeastern shore that worries me."
Blini sat down on the bank with a resounding thud. Mitten munched on a piece of bread (when does that little fellow ever stop eating?). Suddenly Blini stole Thonagong's attention.
"Thonagong, I'd say we're taking the most dangerous path into Jeldur. We're headed toward the Lightning Valley. One of us, if not more, will get struck by a huge thunderbolt and then…DEATH!"
Mitten flinched with his bread halfway to his mouth upon hearing the word 'DEATH'!
"And then, it gets even better!" exclaimed Blini.
The young bobbit looked at the mole with eyes wide in bewilderment. Thonagong simply sighed.
"Terrible sweet smelling lands filled with clowns as far as the eye can see!"
Mitten dropped his bread out of utter shock, which tells you he was really frightened by this description since Mitten rarely ever wasted food like that.
"That is our road. I suggest you rest and recover your strength, Master Mole." Thonagong turned back to what he had been doing.
Blini was indignant. "Recover my…grrrr."
Just then, Sad finally came back with his firewood. He looked around and then said, 'Where's Dodo?"
Spam suddenly looked up, alert at the fact that his master was gone. Where had Dodo wandered off to this time? Spam had warned him about that voice of his…
Thonagong looked around also and then his eyes alighted on something that made him realize what was going on. He saw Doromir's accessory (okay, so it was a Patrick-the-star-fish stuffed animal) lying all by its lonesome.
Oh no! he thought. Dodo!
End note: Yeah, this may be short too, but I had to find a stopping point before the end of the story. There's one more chapter after this and it'll be pretty long! What will happen to Dodo? Will Doromir do something? What is Legolordas afraid of? Will Mitten eat the bread that he had already dropped on the ground! Find out when the story continues…