Disclaimer: Not Mine. I just own Valora.
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Valora ended up staying with Frodo for nearly a month. She earned her keep in that time by doing most of the cooking and helping quite a bit with the cleaning. Frodo insisted that she didn't have to, but she didn't like feeling as if she were a burden to him. She had also learned a bit about herbs and gardening from Sam, as she would often help him when there was nothing else for her to do. She'd even earned a little money from some of the other Hobbits, mostly from baby-sitting. ( A service she ended up providing mostly to Mrs. Bracegirdle, who had about a dozen children.) She had saved most of it, as Frodo insisted on paying for anything that she might need, no matter how much she protested. She was his guest, after all.
But though she loved the Shire, Valora felt homesick. She missed her mother and her friends. She hoped they weren't *too* frantic looking for her, but, at the same time, hoped that she was missed. She wished that she had some way to tell them that she was alright, or, better yet, just go home, but that couldn't be helped. That thought often made her miserable.
At least she had Frodo here. That comforted her somewhat. She'd grown quite attached to the little Hobbit. She liked some of the other Hobbits she had met, some more than others, but she considered only Frodo to be her real friend. Well, maybe Sam. It would be easier to consider him a friend if he would stop calling her Miss Valora, as she constantly asked him to. He stubbornly refused to do so. It was both annoying and endearing. Valora felt a little guilty for keeping the fact that she was from another world from them, but, considering how Gandalf had reacted, she thought it best not to tell them.
She was alone this night. Frodo had gone to the tavern. He'd invited her along, but she had declined, as she usually did. She wasn't really one for ale. Besides, she felt awkward whenever she was around a large group. Especially the Hobbits, when so many of them were still wary of her. Having the place to herself, she had settled down in a chair with a book near the fire. She'd been doing so quite a bit and, as a result, now knew a bit about the geography of Middle-Earth. She knew the basics of the different lands. And some of the creatures that resided there.
Someone knocked at the door. She got up and went to answer it, frowning. Who could that be? Most of Frodo's friends would be with him at the tavern.
She remembered to duck slightly, so as not to hit her head on one of the ceiling beams on the way to the door. Valora wasn't a tall girl. Only five- foot-three, but she was still taller than most Hobbits. She'd bumped her head countless times since she'd been staying here. When she got to the door and opened it, she received a surprise. "Gandalf."
"Where is Frodo?" he asked urgently, moving past her into the house.
"Hello to you, too," she said, slightly irritated. She closed the door. Honestly, the guy basically dumps her on Frodo's doorstep, takes off for weeks and now not even a "Hello, how are you doing?".
"Valora, I don't have time for this. Now, where is Frodo?"
"He's at the tavern. He should be back soon. Why, what is it?"
"The Ring. Do you know where it is?"
Ah. So he'd discovered what the Ring was. Pretending she didn't have the slightest idea why he should be asking, she shook her head. "He hid it somewhere. I'm not sure where." It wasn't like she was lying. She really didn't know where it was and it wasn't as if anyone had asked her if she knew anything about the Ring.
"Put out the lights."
She looked at him, confused. "Gandalf, what-"
"Do as I say, girl!" he said in a tone that left no room for argument. He'd never used that tone with her before. In fact, she'd never heard him use that tone at all.
Reluctantly, she obeyed him, putting out all the candles and lamps. Even the fireplace. "Now what?" she asked once the last candle was extinguished.
"Keep quiet. We wait for Frodo to return."
They sat in the dark for almost an hour. Finally, Frodo arrived.
Frodo frowned as he approached the house. It was completely dark. That was odd. Valora usually kept a lamp burning. Maybe she'd gone for a walk. She did that sometimes. But she usually kept the fire going to keep the house warm. When he hesitantly stepped inside, he looked around. One of the windows was open and a breeze was blowing the papers on a table around. It felt eerie.
Frodo nearly jumped out of his skin when someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. He was relieved to see that it was only Gandalf.
"Is it secret?" asked Gandalf. "Is it safe?"
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Valora re-lit the fire and some candles while Frodo went digging through an old trunk. She watched Gandalf carefully. He was edgy, jumping a little at every sound. It wasn't like him.
"Ah," said Frodo triumphantly as he found the sealed envelope containing the Ring. He held it up. Gandalf immediately snatched it up and took it over to the fireplace. To the confusion of Frodo and Valora, he tossed the envelope into the fire. "What are you doing?" asked Frodo, astonished.
Gandalf didn't answer. Instead, he watched the paper burn away to reveal the Ring. Carefully, he picked it up with a pair of tongs. "Hold out your hand Frodo." They both looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "It's quite cool," he assured. Reluctantly, Frodo held out his hand and Gandalf dropped the Ring into his palm. Frodo was surprised to find that it was, in fact, quite cool. "What do you see? Can you see anything?"
Frodo stared at the Ring in his hand and turned it with his fingers. It was the same plain gold band it had always been. "No. There's nothing."
Gandalf sighed in relief.
"Wait..." said Frodo. As he watched, strange markings appeared on the Ring. Both on the outside and the inside. They glowed red like flames. "There are markings. It's some form of Elvish. I can't read it."
"There are few who can," stated Gandalf in a quiet and grave voice. "The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here."
Frodo and Valora looked at him. "Mordor?" asked Frodo in astonishment.
"In the common tongue, it reads, 'One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.'"
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"This is the One Ring," said Gandalf gravely.
They were in the kitchen now. Gandalf had explained to them exactly what the Ring was. Frodo prepared tea as the other two sat at the table and Gandalf continued telling them about the Ring. He would have prefered to tell only Frodo, but Valora had already seen the Ring and been exposed to it. She should know what it was.
"Forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom. Taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself."
"Bilbo found it..." said Frodo softly, clutching his mug of tea. "In Gollum's cave."
Gandalf nodded. "Yes. For sixty years, the Ring lay quiet in Bilbo's keeping, prolonging his life, delaying old age. But no longer, Frodo. Evil is stirring in Mordor. The Ring has awoken. It's heard its Master's call."
Frodo looked a little sick. "But he was destroyed," he said quietly. "Sauron was destroyed," he said a bit louder.
They all looked at the Ring, startled, as they heard whispers coming from it.
Gandalf shook his head grimly. "No, Frodo. The spirit of Sauron endured. His life-force is bound to the Ring and the Ring survived. Sauron has returned. His Orcs have multiplied. His fortress at Barad-dur is rebuilt in the land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this Ring to cover all the lands in a second darkness. He is seeking it. Seeking it. All his thought is bent on it. The Ring yearns, above all else, to return to the hand of its master." He looked at both Frodo and Valora, sitting across from him. "They are one, the Ring and the Dark Lord. He must never find it."
After a moment, Frodo stood and snatched up the Ring from the table. "Alright, we put it away," he said determinedly, walking into the next room, Gandalf and Valora trailing behind him. "And never speak of it again. No one knows it's here, do they?" His answer was silence. Slowly, he turned to look at the wizard. "Do they, Gandalf?"
Gandalf hesitated slightly. "There is one other who knew that Bilbo had the Ring," he said slowly. "I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum, but the enemy found him first. I don't know how long they tortured him, but amidst the endless screams and inane babble, they discerned two words. Shire and Baggins."
Frodo paled. "Shire. Baggins." he repeated. "But that would lead them here!"
Valora was seized with a sudden dizziness. She gripped the wall. In her mind, she saw an image of a black cloaked figure, riding on a great, black horse. Faintly, she heard an eerie screech. The image filled her with dread. As suddenly as the image had come, it was gone. She furrowed her brow slightly in confusion. The others didn't seem to have noticed, so she said nothing.
"Take it, Gandalf!" Frodo held out the Ring to the wizard, who backed away from it. "Take it!"
"No, Frodo."
"You must take it!" Frodo cried frantically.
"You cannot offer me this Ring," Gandalf said more firmly.
"I'm giving it to you!"
"Don't tempt me, Frodo!" Frodo stopped at the outburst and stared at Gandalf. "I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe. Understand, Frodo," said Gandalf, pleading a bit now, "I would use this Ring from a desire to do good." He swallowed, looking at the Ring. "But, through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine."
"But it cannot stay in the Shire!" protested Frodo.
"No," agreed Gandalf. "No, it can't."
Frodo was silent. Valora had never read this far into the story, but had a sneaking suspicion what was going to happen now. She watched as Frodo folded the Ring into his fist and a determined expression came into his eyes. "What must I do?" he asked softly.
A few minutes later, Frodo was running around the house, shoving things into a pack.
"You must leave," said Gandalf. "And leave quickly."
"Where? Where should I go?"
Valora followed them around, trying to get their attention, but she couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"Get out of the Shire. Make for the village of Bree," said Gandalf.
Frodo looked up as he continued to hastily shove things into his bag. "Bree," he repeated. "What about you?"
"I'll be waiting for you. At the Inn of the Prancing Pony."
"And the Ring will be safe there?"
"I don't know, Frodo. I don't have any answers. I must see the head of my order. He is both powerful and wise. Trust me, Frodo," he said smiling slightly, trying to reassure the young Hobbit, "he'll know what to do."
Having had enough, Valora cleared her throat very loudly, causing them both to look at her. "Now that I have your attention," she said a bit irritably. "I hate to sound self-important, but what about me?" They both stared at her blankly. Sighing in frustration, she continued. "What am I supposed to do? Stay here and wait for someone to come looking for the Ring?"
Gandalf and Frodo looked at each other. She was right. She could not stay here. If the enemy should find her here, they would surely kill her. Or worse, torture her until she begged for death to try to find the whereabouts of the Ring. They couldn't just leave her to that. But she had nowhere else to go. Most of the other Hobbits would be reluctant to take her in, and the few who might had no room in their homes, nor could they afford to feed an extra mouth. It seemed their choices were rather limited.
"Yeah, I didn't like that idea much either," she said, accurately interpreting the looks on their faces. "Looks like I'm going with one of you. So, which one is it?"
The two looked at each other again. They didn't know how well she could travel for long distances on foot. And it might look suspicious if anyone saw a human girl traveling with a Hobbit. Still, Gandalf certainly couldn't take her with him to Isengard. He sighed in defeat, looking at Frodo. Frodo guessed what he was thinking and quickly found another pack for Valora, which she immediately began to pack with her few belongings and some provisions.
"You'll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you," Gandalf told Frodo. "For that name is not safe outside the Shire." He held the pack as Frodo put on his cloak. "Travel only by day," he continued, addressing them both now. He helped Frodo put on the pack. "And stay off the road." He handed Frodo a walking stick.
They nodded. "We can cut across country easily enough," said Frodo as he slipped the Ring into his vest pocket. He happened to know Valora could do so because she had had to chase after a couple of Mrs. Bracegirdle's children once. She'd also chased Merry and Pippin, or, as she referred to them, the annoying Hobbit and the stupid Hobbit, right through the woods once after they'd played a prank on her. He would have smiled at the memory, she had been furious, if the situation now hadn't been so serious. He just hoped she could cut across long distances.
Gandalf smiled warmly down at his friend. "My dear Frodo, Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about them in a month, and yet after a hundred years, they can still surprise you."
Valora froze in the middle of fastening her cloak, which she'd gotten in return for looking after most of the Bracegirdle children for a few days in a row (something she had vowed to never do again), as a noise was heard outside the window.
"Get down," commanded Gandalf quietly. He didn't need to tell them twice. They both hit the floor. Cautiously, Gandalf approached the open window, his staff in his hands. As he peered out into the night, the flowers under the window stirred. Quickly, Gandalf reached out and hit whoever the intruder was with the staff. Whoever it was let out a cry of pain and surprise.
Frodo and Valora both frowned. That yelp had sounded awfully familiar.
Gandalf dropped the staff and reached outside. Their suspicions were confirmed. For the person Gandalf dragged inside and flung onto the desk was none other than Sam.
"Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee!" roared the angry wizard. "Have you been eavesdropping?"
"I haven't been dropping no eaves, sir, honest," insisted an obviously frightened Sam. "I was just trimming the grass under the window there, if you follow me."
Frodo and Valora stood up, both looking exasperated. He could have come up with a better excuse.
"A little late for trimming the verge, don't you think?" asked Gandalf, still angry.
"I heard raised voices."
"What did you hear? Speak!"
"Nothing important," he stammered. "That is, I heard a good deal about a Ring and a Dark Lord and something about the end of the world, but..."
Oh, no. Nothing important about that, thought Valora sarcastically. Still, it was kind of funny and she stifled a laugh.
"...please, Mr. Gandalf, sir, don't hurt me. Don't turn me into anything...unnatural," Sam pleaded.
"No?" asked Gandalf. He looked up at the other two, who were both fighting smiles. "Perhaps not." He looked down at Sam ominously. "I've thought of a better use for you."
Sam didn't like the sound of that.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Come along, Samwise. Keep up," called Gandalf. He was leading them to the edge of the forest.
The sun was just coming up. Today Frodo, Sam and Valora would be leaving Hobbiton and heading for Bree. They were all uneasy about it. Sam in particular wasn't thrilled, considering he hadn't volunteered to go.
"Be careful, all of you," warned Gandalf when they reached the forest. "The enemy has many spies in his service. Birds, beasts." He turned and knelt in front of Frodo. "Is it safe?"
Frodo reached up and placed his hand over his vest pocket.
"Never put it on," Gandalf warned, "for the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power. Always remember, Frodo, the Ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found." With that, he mounted his horse and, giving them one last look, rode swiftly away.
The three looked at each other. Then, they started into the woods.
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Valora ended up staying with Frodo for nearly a month. She earned her keep in that time by doing most of the cooking and helping quite a bit with the cleaning. Frodo insisted that she didn't have to, but she didn't like feeling as if she were a burden to him. She had also learned a bit about herbs and gardening from Sam, as she would often help him when there was nothing else for her to do. She'd even earned a little money from some of the other Hobbits, mostly from baby-sitting. ( A service she ended up providing mostly to Mrs. Bracegirdle, who had about a dozen children.) She had saved most of it, as Frodo insisted on paying for anything that she might need, no matter how much she protested. She was his guest, after all.
But though she loved the Shire, Valora felt homesick. She missed her mother and her friends. She hoped they weren't *too* frantic looking for her, but, at the same time, hoped that she was missed. She wished that she had some way to tell them that she was alright, or, better yet, just go home, but that couldn't be helped. That thought often made her miserable.
At least she had Frodo here. That comforted her somewhat. She'd grown quite attached to the little Hobbit. She liked some of the other Hobbits she had met, some more than others, but she considered only Frodo to be her real friend. Well, maybe Sam. It would be easier to consider him a friend if he would stop calling her Miss Valora, as she constantly asked him to. He stubbornly refused to do so. It was both annoying and endearing. Valora felt a little guilty for keeping the fact that she was from another world from them, but, considering how Gandalf had reacted, she thought it best not to tell them.
She was alone this night. Frodo had gone to the tavern. He'd invited her along, but she had declined, as she usually did. She wasn't really one for ale. Besides, she felt awkward whenever she was around a large group. Especially the Hobbits, when so many of them were still wary of her. Having the place to herself, she had settled down in a chair with a book near the fire. She'd been doing so quite a bit and, as a result, now knew a bit about the geography of Middle-Earth. She knew the basics of the different lands. And some of the creatures that resided there.
Someone knocked at the door. She got up and went to answer it, frowning. Who could that be? Most of Frodo's friends would be with him at the tavern.
She remembered to duck slightly, so as not to hit her head on one of the ceiling beams on the way to the door. Valora wasn't a tall girl. Only five- foot-three, but she was still taller than most Hobbits. She'd bumped her head countless times since she'd been staying here. When she got to the door and opened it, she received a surprise. "Gandalf."
"Where is Frodo?" he asked urgently, moving past her into the house.
"Hello to you, too," she said, slightly irritated. She closed the door. Honestly, the guy basically dumps her on Frodo's doorstep, takes off for weeks and now not even a "Hello, how are you doing?".
"Valora, I don't have time for this. Now, where is Frodo?"
"He's at the tavern. He should be back soon. Why, what is it?"
"The Ring. Do you know where it is?"
Ah. So he'd discovered what the Ring was. Pretending she didn't have the slightest idea why he should be asking, she shook her head. "He hid it somewhere. I'm not sure where." It wasn't like she was lying. She really didn't know where it was and it wasn't as if anyone had asked her if she knew anything about the Ring.
"Put out the lights."
She looked at him, confused. "Gandalf, what-"
"Do as I say, girl!" he said in a tone that left no room for argument. He'd never used that tone with her before. In fact, she'd never heard him use that tone at all.
Reluctantly, she obeyed him, putting out all the candles and lamps. Even the fireplace. "Now what?" she asked once the last candle was extinguished.
"Keep quiet. We wait for Frodo to return."
They sat in the dark for almost an hour. Finally, Frodo arrived.
Frodo frowned as he approached the house. It was completely dark. That was odd. Valora usually kept a lamp burning. Maybe she'd gone for a walk. She did that sometimes. But she usually kept the fire going to keep the house warm. When he hesitantly stepped inside, he looked around. One of the windows was open and a breeze was blowing the papers on a table around. It felt eerie.
Frodo nearly jumped out of his skin when someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. He was relieved to see that it was only Gandalf.
"Is it secret?" asked Gandalf. "Is it safe?"
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Valora re-lit the fire and some candles while Frodo went digging through an old trunk. She watched Gandalf carefully. He was edgy, jumping a little at every sound. It wasn't like him.
"Ah," said Frodo triumphantly as he found the sealed envelope containing the Ring. He held it up. Gandalf immediately snatched it up and took it over to the fireplace. To the confusion of Frodo and Valora, he tossed the envelope into the fire. "What are you doing?" asked Frodo, astonished.
Gandalf didn't answer. Instead, he watched the paper burn away to reveal the Ring. Carefully, he picked it up with a pair of tongs. "Hold out your hand Frodo." They both looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "It's quite cool," he assured. Reluctantly, Frodo held out his hand and Gandalf dropped the Ring into his palm. Frodo was surprised to find that it was, in fact, quite cool. "What do you see? Can you see anything?"
Frodo stared at the Ring in his hand and turned it with his fingers. It was the same plain gold band it had always been. "No. There's nothing."
Gandalf sighed in relief.
"Wait..." said Frodo. As he watched, strange markings appeared on the Ring. Both on the outside and the inside. They glowed red like flames. "There are markings. It's some form of Elvish. I can't read it."
"There are few who can," stated Gandalf in a quiet and grave voice. "The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here."
Frodo and Valora looked at him. "Mordor?" asked Frodo in astonishment.
"In the common tongue, it reads, 'One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.'"
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"This is the One Ring," said Gandalf gravely.
They were in the kitchen now. Gandalf had explained to them exactly what the Ring was. Frodo prepared tea as the other two sat at the table and Gandalf continued telling them about the Ring. He would have prefered to tell only Frodo, but Valora had already seen the Ring and been exposed to it. She should know what it was.
"Forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom. Taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself."
"Bilbo found it..." said Frodo softly, clutching his mug of tea. "In Gollum's cave."
Gandalf nodded. "Yes. For sixty years, the Ring lay quiet in Bilbo's keeping, prolonging his life, delaying old age. But no longer, Frodo. Evil is stirring in Mordor. The Ring has awoken. It's heard its Master's call."
Frodo looked a little sick. "But he was destroyed," he said quietly. "Sauron was destroyed," he said a bit louder.
They all looked at the Ring, startled, as they heard whispers coming from it.
Gandalf shook his head grimly. "No, Frodo. The spirit of Sauron endured. His life-force is bound to the Ring and the Ring survived. Sauron has returned. His Orcs have multiplied. His fortress at Barad-dur is rebuilt in the land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this Ring to cover all the lands in a second darkness. He is seeking it. Seeking it. All his thought is bent on it. The Ring yearns, above all else, to return to the hand of its master." He looked at both Frodo and Valora, sitting across from him. "They are one, the Ring and the Dark Lord. He must never find it."
After a moment, Frodo stood and snatched up the Ring from the table. "Alright, we put it away," he said determinedly, walking into the next room, Gandalf and Valora trailing behind him. "And never speak of it again. No one knows it's here, do they?" His answer was silence. Slowly, he turned to look at the wizard. "Do they, Gandalf?"
Gandalf hesitated slightly. "There is one other who knew that Bilbo had the Ring," he said slowly. "I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum, but the enemy found him first. I don't know how long they tortured him, but amidst the endless screams and inane babble, they discerned two words. Shire and Baggins."
Frodo paled. "Shire. Baggins." he repeated. "But that would lead them here!"
Valora was seized with a sudden dizziness. She gripped the wall. In her mind, she saw an image of a black cloaked figure, riding on a great, black horse. Faintly, she heard an eerie screech. The image filled her with dread. As suddenly as the image had come, it was gone. She furrowed her brow slightly in confusion. The others didn't seem to have noticed, so she said nothing.
"Take it, Gandalf!" Frodo held out the Ring to the wizard, who backed away from it. "Take it!"
"No, Frodo."
"You must take it!" Frodo cried frantically.
"You cannot offer me this Ring," Gandalf said more firmly.
"I'm giving it to you!"
"Don't tempt me, Frodo!" Frodo stopped at the outburst and stared at Gandalf. "I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe. Understand, Frodo," said Gandalf, pleading a bit now, "I would use this Ring from a desire to do good." He swallowed, looking at the Ring. "But, through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine."
"But it cannot stay in the Shire!" protested Frodo.
"No," agreed Gandalf. "No, it can't."
Frodo was silent. Valora had never read this far into the story, but had a sneaking suspicion what was going to happen now. She watched as Frodo folded the Ring into his fist and a determined expression came into his eyes. "What must I do?" he asked softly.
A few minutes later, Frodo was running around the house, shoving things into a pack.
"You must leave," said Gandalf. "And leave quickly."
"Where? Where should I go?"
Valora followed them around, trying to get their attention, but she couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"Get out of the Shire. Make for the village of Bree," said Gandalf.
Frodo looked up as he continued to hastily shove things into his bag. "Bree," he repeated. "What about you?"
"I'll be waiting for you. At the Inn of the Prancing Pony."
"And the Ring will be safe there?"
"I don't know, Frodo. I don't have any answers. I must see the head of my order. He is both powerful and wise. Trust me, Frodo," he said smiling slightly, trying to reassure the young Hobbit, "he'll know what to do."
Having had enough, Valora cleared her throat very loudly, causing them both to look at her. "Now that I have your attention," she said a bit irritably. "I hate to sound self-important, but what about me?" They both stared at her blankly. Sighing in frustration, she continued. "What am I supposed to do? Stay here and wait for someone to come looking for the Ring?"
Gandalf and Frodo looked at each other. She was right. She could not stay here. If the enemy should find her here, they would surely kill her. Or worse, torture her until she begged for death to try to find the whereabouts of the Ring. They couldn't just leave her to that. But she had nowhere else to go. Most of the other Hobbits would be reluctant to take her in, and the few who might had no room in their homes, nor could they afford to feed an extra mouth. It seemed their choices were rather limited.
"Yeah, I didn't like that idea much either," she said, accurately interpreting the looks on their faces. "Looks like I'm going with one of you. So, which one is it?"
The two looked at each other again. They didn't know how well she could travel for long distances on foot. And it might look suspicious if anyone saw a human girl traveling with a Hobbit. Still, Gandalf certainly couldn't take her with him to Isengard. He sighed in defeat, looking at Frodo. Frodo guessed what he was thinking and quickly found another pack for Valora, which she immediately began to pack with her few belongings and some provisions.
"You'll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you," Gandalf told Frodo. "For that name is not safe outside the Shire." He held the pack as Frodo put on his cloak. "Travel only by day," he continued, addressing them both now. He helped Frodo put on the pack. "And stay off the road." He handed Frodo a walking stick.
They nodded. "We can cut across country easily enough," said Frodo as he slipped the Ring into his vest pocket. He happened to know Valora could do so because she had had to chase after a couple of Mrs. Bracegirdle's children once. She'd also chased Merry and Pippin, or, as she referred to them, the annoying Hobbit and the stupid Hobbit, right through the woods once after they'd played a prank on her. He would have smiled at the memory, she had been furious, if the situation now hadn't been so serious. He just hoped she could cut across long distances.
Gandalf smiled warmly down at his friend. "My dear Frodo, Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about them in a month, and yet after a hundred years, they can still surprise you."
Valora froze in the middle of fastening her cloak, which she'd gotten in return for looking after most of the Bracegirdle children for a few days in a row (something she had vowed to never do again), as a noise was heard outside the window.
"Get down," commanded Gandalf quietly. He didn't need to tell them twice. They both hit the floor. Cautiously, Gandalf approached the open window, his staff in his hands. As he peered out into the night, the flowers under the window stirred. Quickly, Gandalf reached out and hit whoever the intruder was with the staff. Whoever it was let out a cry of pain and surprise.
Frodo and Valora both frowned. That yelp had sounded awfully familiar.
Gandalf dropped the staff and reached outside. Their suspicions were confirmed. For the person Gandalf dragged inside and flung onto the desk was none other than Sam.
"Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee!" roared the angry wizard. "Have you been eavesdropping?"
"I haven't been dropping no eaves, sir, honest," insisted an obviously frightened Sam. "I was just trimming the grass under the window there, if you follow me."
Frodo and Valora stood up, both looking exasperated. He could have come up with a better excuse.
"A little late for trimming the verge, don't you think?" asked Gandalf, still angry.
"I heard raised voices."
"What did you hear? Speak!"
"Nothing important," he stammered. "That is, I heard a good deal about a Ring and a Dark Lord and something about the end of the world, but..."
Oh, no. Nothing important about that, thought Valora sarcastically. Still, it was kind of funny and she stifled a laugh.
"...please, Mr. Gandalf, sir, don't hurt me. Don't turn me into anything...unnatural," Sam pleaded.
"No?" asked Gandalf. He looked up at the other two, who were both fighting smiles. "Perhaps not." He looked down at Sam ominously. "I've thought of a better use for you."
Sam didn't like the sound of that.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Come along, Samwise. Keep up," called Gandalf. He was leading them to the edge of the forest.
The sun was just coming up. Today Frodo, Sam and Valora would be leaving Hobbiton and heading for Bree. They were all uneasy about it. Sam in particular wasn't thrilled, considering he hadn't volunteered to go.
"Be careful, all of you," warned Gandalf when they reached the forest. "The enemy has many spies in his service. Birds, beasts." He turned and knelt in front of Frodo. "Is it safe?"
Frodo reached up and placed his hand over his vest pocket.
"Never put it on," Gandalf warned, "for the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power. Always remember, Frodo, the Ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found." With that, he mounted his horse and, giving them one last look, rode swiftly away.
The three looked at each other. Then, they started into the woods.