Chapter up! :) This is pretty short, just so you don't all go unwarned. LOL!

Chapter Two

The pitter-patter of hobbit feet came to him and Strider pressed himself against the wall.

And turning a blank stare towards the footsteps, he smiled, because once he did this, the footsteps stopped.

The blind ranger listened to the breathing; it seemed to hitch a moment and it appeared that he had found Mr. Underhill.

The Hobbit gulped and smiled sincerely. "Excuse us," he said shakily. "We were just going down to eat something." Strider could hear all the other hobbits panting and he grinned beneath his hood.

"I am sorry," he whispered. "Did I frighten you?" the man asked, his voice a little raspy from long days in the wild.

"No." This answer sounded quite uncertain to him. He chuckled inwardly at the fears of halflings.

Though, when he thought about it, he did look a bit too much like a Nazgul for comfort. He shrugged in his cloak to loosen the tense muscles in his back.

"We-were startled, is all."

"Were you now." He grinned and stepped aside. "Well, I am sorry sirs, let me step aside so you may pass." The ranger stepped away and as the four hobbits passed they gave him each a short, frightened stare.

"T-thank you," one of the younger hobbits whispered to the dark figure and trampled down the flight of stairs.

Reaching his arm back into his pack, the ranger flicked out his walking stick and groaned as he made his way slowly after the four young hobbits.

Sitting himself down at the same table, the ranger breathed out through his nose and stretched his back.

"That's my cousin, Frodo!"

Strider clenched his teeth and threw his head back in utter annoyance. He grunted and rubbed his furiously aching temples. "I should have listened to Ada-" he whimpered and leaned starting to get up from his seat.

But what he heard made him grin, a song. Someone was singing! And by the voice he heard, it was Frodo.

He sighed and let his body slacken as it slipped back into the soft, leathery seat.

"...The round moon rolled behind the hill,

As the Sun raised up her head,

She hardly believed her fiery eyes;

For though it was dry, to her surprise,

They all went back to bed."

Strider smiled, the hobbits were quite wonderful singers. But he was too preoccupied with the next words.

"Encore!"

"More!"

"Another round, if ye will, Master Halfling!"

He heard Frodo's unsteady footsteps on the table-top and knew the horror that came to his mind to be true.

The young hobbit would be too tired to do that outlandish dance and song again, and even if he could, he would fall before the end.

He massaged his aching temples once more.

"Eru, give me strength," he muttered, sighing a bit and trying hard to listen to the song that was going about.

The song was beginning to come to a close and Aragorn heard a slight tremor in the young one's voice. Something else caught his attention though.

"Oh, Mr. Underhill! Watch out!"

TBC

I know, it was rather short. Now, onto the reviews!!! runs away before anyone can catch her Ya'know, I am getting some good exercise by running this much.

Thanks, fred!!!! Cool! I need the reviews!!!

No, actually, marbienl. It is from that long ago. I am not a medically learned person therefore I do not know what it takes to create a limp for life. But I do know that I have ready many stories where awful battle wounds were the cause of the characters struggle with his leg. Plus my friend a few weeks a go shredded his thighs and he was limping, the doctor said he would never walk without a limp again. But, thanks to glory of God's awsome power- he is now. (walking without a limp, I mean.) Anyway, so yes, it is from "TBCNSWTMCNS". Yes, I liked the idea of the present, I thought it was another way to confuse the poor people about Saruman. :) Thanks!!!!! Have a great day mellon nin!

Yes, musicdreamer. LOL! I thought that the cherry wood one was a little to big and bulky for him to cart around. Plus he obviously likes to play the game: "Let's see how long it takes you to figure me out", so I thought if he had one that was easier to hide, it would suit his character more. Thanks for reviewing!!!!

Thanks my-fool-of-a-took, though it is not really hard. It is more of me hoping that I am not offending other people and hoping to do it right. It is difficult however to write about those sorts of things when you are not at all blind, or deaf, or mute, or physically handicapped. Probably the hardest things are displaying the dissabilities correctly and trying no to offend others. :) Ya, it helps if you have read that first, though it is not vital. :) Thanks!

LOL! Just wait, Galadryal! The damage to his ego does not end there. wink wink :) Thanks! Glad you liked the last chapter!!! And yes, I am sorry that it got started so quickly so you could not vote. If you have not noticed, I am NOT a patient person. I get really edgy on waiting for things and even the two days was a stretch for me. Thanks for reviewing!

Thank you, Larner! Now, may I ask what a VI proffesional is? And as I have told like about a million people over the course of this story and the last, I am not blind, nor do I know what it is like to be blind. So, I hope this story is as acurate as one could be from somone who has never had to deal with those things. I am proud to say that I did have had somone who was/is blind that was reading my last story and they told me that it was quite accurate. So, I hope that it will be somewhat close. Thank you SOOOOO much for reviewing!!!!! Have a wonderful day!!! :) And please review next time! P.S. LOL, I am feeling stupid and blonde right now, but who is the NFB? Sorry for the questions. I am proud they would be honored, I really liked the idea and I tthought that his normal walking stick would be far to bulky for him to toat around the wild. Especially when he likes to hide his problems from other people, which if you have read the other story first, he does often. SOrry for such a long reply. Hope you had time to read it all. Thanks again!!!

Thanks, MSL! And you were close to being the first. You were the third reviewer. :) That's better than I have ever done reviewing a story. LOL! I am always one of the last, drat it all!!! :) Glad your happy the story won! I am too, if I tell the truth, at first I really wanted "If I Fade Tonight" to win. But now that I take a look back, I am trying to get over a hump in the story and you all would have had to wait for me tofigure it out, which would have been awful!

Thanks!!!!! And no, everkitsune. Legolas will not be appearing in this one. He will however be in the one with the council of Elrond and the actual quest and all that. But this, in the story line of TBCSWTMCS, just would not have worked with him in it. However, there, I think, will be mention of him. Actually, I am sure there will be. :) Thanks for reviewing!!!!!!!!

Ok, guys, that is all I have time for! God bless!!!!!! :) REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!!!!!!