A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything. My computer broke and it took forever to fix it. But, my parents got me a laptop, so now updates should be more frequent. I am going to Greece for a month so there won't be any updates during that time. Anyway, enjoy this chapter. Review, please!
Chapter 3: Journey Through the Woods"Keep up, Samwise." Gandalf called over his shoulder to a struggling Sam. Sam adjusted his pack and muttered darkly under his breath. They had been traveling non-stop for a little over three weeks. Sam and Frodo were both exhausted from the effort. Gandalf was pushing them to the max.
"Can't we take a break?" Sam called to Gandalf, as he reached over to help Frodo up the small hill. "Mr. Frodo is very tired and he needs a bit of rest." Sam gave Gandalf his best pleading eyes. They were in a small forest and had just come to a clearing. Soft grass grew in-between the trees and in the clearing. It was a very inviting place to rest.
"I'm fine, Sam." Frodo said, forcing a smile. "We can keep going if that is what Gandalf sees fit to do." Gandalf turned and faced the hobbits. Frodo was leaning against a tree on the outside ring of the clearing. Sam was looking at him with concern in his eyes. Gandalf studied them. Dirt smudges were on their faces and it was obvious that they had been struggling to keep up with him for the past few days.
Gandalf sighed. He didn't want to stop. After reaching Bree, he had left the hobbits at the Prancing Pony, under the careful eye of Aragorn, the leader of the rangers. Of course the hobbits hadn't known they were being watched. Gandalf had gone out to gather information. What he had found disturbed him. Creatures garbed like black riders had ridden through Bree on their way to the Shire. Frodo, Sam, and he had just missed them by a couple of days. Gandalf knew that they had to be agents of Sauron. Although relieved that Sauron was still searching for the Ring, meaning he didn't have it, Gandalf had been worried for Frodo's safety. Going back to the inn, Gandalf had sent Aragorn ahead to Rivendell with a message for Elrond to gather a council together. The next morning, he had set out with Frodo and Sam. Gandalf knew he had pushed them, but if those riders found them, who knew what would happen. Sighing again, Gandalf gave in to Sam's wishes.
"All right, Sam. You have two hours to rest. That is all we can spare. We need to keep moving after that. We are only about a day's walk from Rivendell." Frodo and Sam both sighed in relief, letting their packs fall onto the soft ground. Sam immediately began digging through his pack, looking for the blankets and some food. Rubbing his aching muscles, Frodo look at Gandalf.
"Thank you. What are you going to be doing while we rest for two hours? Will you rest also?" Gandalf shook his head.
"No, my boy, I will not rest. I want to have a look around these woods." He looked around at the trees, clearly puzzled. "There are usually birds here, even during this time of year. Yet, all is quiet. I want to find out why." Taking a few steps forward, he turned to face the hobbits again.
"Stay in this spot until I return." He commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Do not start a fire for any reason. It is quite warm. You will be fine without one." The hobbits nodded their heads. Gandalf looked at them, trying to judge how sincere they were being. He had a weird feeling that some
other hobbits, in some other time, had started a fire and terrible things had happened because of it. But, he couldn't figure out if that was true or not. Or if his mind was just playing tricks on him. Nodding, he strode off into the woods.
"Well, he's in a good mood, all right. No fire? Why, you can't cook if you don't have a fire." Sam remarked, handing Frodo a blanket that he had pulled out from his pack.
"It's okay, Sam. I'm not really hungry. I've been feeling strange since this whole thing started. Like things aren't as they are supposed to be." Frodo shook his head. "But, Gandalf is right. It is strangely quiet around here. Where are all the birds?" Frodo looked around. Sam shrugged his shoulders.
"How should I know, Mr. Frodo? I'm just a gardener. And besides, it doesn't really matter. We won't be here for very long. You need your rest. Come and have a little shut-eye, Mr. Frodo. I'll keep watch to make sure no one bothers you."
"Thanks, Sam." Frodo laid down next to where Sam was standing and pulled the blanket over himself. Within a few minutes, he was sound asleep. Sam sat down and started his watch. Two minutes later, he was also asleep.
Gandalf strode restlessly through the woods. It was all so quiet and still, as if the earth was waiting for something big to happen. So still. It shouldn't have been this way. Where were the birds? Where were the other animals that inhabited these woods? He hadn't felt silence like this since they had passed Weathertop. He grumbled to himself.
Looking up, he saw a faint glimmer of something between two trees. Curious, he moved toward it. The object was stretched out between the two trees and was rippling, like waves upon a beach. It was transparent and he could see the rest of the forest through it.
Stepping up to it, Gandalf hesitated. He did not know what this strange thing was. It could be some trick of the Enemy, but he doubted that. Taking his staff, he gently touched the rippling object with the tip of it. The end of the staff disappeared into the object.
Gandalf jumped back in surprise, letting his staff fall to the ground. The staff was lying where it had fallen, its end still missing through the object. Composing himself, Gandalf reached down and picked up his staff. Pulling the staff, the end which had disappeared now reappeared as it came out of the object. He wondered about this strange thing. Sticking the staff back in, he tried this twice, with the same results. His staff would disappear when placed in the object, but reappear once he pulled it out. Gasping, revelation dawned on him.
"Oh, my." He whispered. He knew what this strange object was. He had never seen one, but he had read about it once in one of Saruman's books. It was an object which only the Valar could understand. Turning, he ran back to the clearing where he had left Sam and Frodo. They must get to Rivendell and soon. Gandalf now thought he knew what had become of the One Ring.