Chapter 4

Here we are chapter 4

Chapter 4: Many surprises

(Mr. Grouse sat staring into the fire deep in thought. He had tried to pick up the ring when he had come back in, but as his fingers brushed against it a terrible vision of a fiery eye flashed in his mind and he had left it be.)

Mr. Grouse: Riddles in the dark.

Pop-Pop:(disembodied voice) My own. My Precious.

(The sounds of the front door opening draws him from his thoughts but he doesn't take his eyes away from fire place.)

Lincoln:(calling) Pop-Pop!

(Lincoln looks around but hears or sees no sign of his beloved grandfather. He noticed something lying on the ground in front of the door. He bends down and picks it up, it was the same ring he'd seen Pop-Pop fiddling with several times. He looks over to Mr. Grouse)

Lincoln: He's gone hasn't he?

Mr. Grouse:(still staring into the fire) Yes. He's gone at last.

Lincoln:(sadly) I hoped until this evening it was just a joke. He used to joke about serious things, but I knew in my heart he always meant to go. I wish I'd come back sooner, even if just to see him off.

Mr. Grouse:(turning to the young hobbit) Don't feel bad, I really think he preferred to slip away quietly in the end. He's left you Loud End, and his ring.

Lincoln:(turning the ring in his fingers) He's really left me this!

Mr. Grouse:(serious) Yes, but I warn you not to make use of it.

(He holds out an open envelope. Sensing what the wizard wants him to do, Lincoln slips the ring inside and Mr. Grouse closes and seals it before handing it to Lincoln.)

Mr. Grouse: The ring is yours now. Keep it out of sight.

(After Lincoln takes the stashed ring, Mr. Grouse gets up and years to the door, picking up his hat and staff.)

Lincoln:(following) Where are you going?

Mr. Grouse: I have some things to attend to. I'll be back when I can.

Lincoln: What things

Mr. Grouse: Questions. Questions that need answering.

Lincoln: But you've only just arrived! I don't understand!

Mr. Grouse:( bending down and putting his hand on the white haired hobbits shoulder.)

Mr. Grouse: Neither do I. Keep it secret. Keep it safe.

(With that Mr. Grouse turns and leaves Loud End. Lincoln watches him go before staring at the envelope holding Pop-Pop's ring.)

(Far away in the wastelands of Mordor, intense music is heard, while in the fortress of Baradur, a pained voice is heard screaming among the cackles and clamoring of Orcs)

Voice: Shire! Loudins!

(In the city of Minas Morgul, nine dark cloaked and hooded black riders leave the city riding black horses.)

(Mr. Grouse rides on a horse through the wilds on his way to the city of Minas Tirith, he comes to a stop as he sees the unnerving sight of Mount Doom far in the distance before he continues to the city. Once there an unnamed man leads him down a flight of stairs to the library where a pile of scrolls and several old tomes sit on a table, Mr. Grouse studies them intently until he comes upon a passage in one that makes him read and become increasingly worried as he realizes the danger that could come.)

(A week after Mr. Grouse had left for his questions that needed answering, Lincoln is in the green dragon in. Inside is packed with hobbits drinking flipee's and cheering as Rusty and Zach dance on a table singing. Sid hands Lincoln four Flipee's and the white haired hobbit dances around the table Rusty and Zach are on before he carries them a table where Clyde and his dad's Harold and Howard McBridgee are sitting whispering.)

Howard: There's talk of strange folk abroad, dwarves and other folk of a less then savory nature.

Harold: Wars brewing, I hear the mountains are crawling with goblins

(At another table, old Scoots couldn't help but chime in with her two cents.)

Scoots: Far off tales and children's story. Your beginning to sound like Albert . Cracked he was.

(Harold McBridgee smiles as Lincoln walks over to join them.)

Harold:(good-naturedly) Young Lincoln here, he's cracked.

Lincoln:(sitting) And proud of it..(pushes the flipee's to the three).. Cheers Mr. McBridgee.

Scoots: It's none of our business, what goes on beyond our borders. Keep your nose out of trouble and no trouble will come to you.

(This earned an "are you serious face from the four at the table".)

Howard: This coming from you?

(After a few more flipee's all around the hobbits exit the green dragon and start moseying off for their homes. Sid bids goodnight to everyone leaving.)

Sid: Goodnight Lincoln. Goodnight Clyde.

Clyde and Lincoln:(simultaneously) Goodnight Sid.

(After Lincoln and Clyde leave, Boy Jorden gets down on one knee.)

Boy Jorden: Good night, sweet maiden of the frosty flipee's.(this causes Sid to giggle)

Clyde:(irritated) Mind who your sweet talking.

Lincoln:( smiles) Don't worry Clyde, Sid probably knows an idiot better then anyone.

Clyde:(worriedly) Does she?

(As the two walk towards Loud End they bid each other good night and Clyde heads down to number 3 bagshot row, where he lives with his dads under the hill. Lincoln turns and heads towards his front door, which he found unlocked. That wasn't overly concerning, Hobbits don't breaking into each other's houses, it was when he walked in and found the place a mess that he got suspicious.)

Lincoln: pretty sure I didn't leave my house like this when I went to the green dragon.

(Lincoln cautiously enters and begins investigating, picking up papers and putting them back where they were. A grey clad arm reaches from the shadows and spins Lincoln around revealing that it's Mr. Grouse that grabbed him.)

Mr. Grouse:(urgently) Is it secret! Is it safe?

Lincoln:(confused) What?

Mr. Grouse: The ring.

Lincoln: sure, I locked it Pop-Pop's old trunk.

(Lincoln goes over to the trunk and opens it. Mr. Grouse stands alert, whisking around when he believes he heard a noise. Lincoln pulls out the envelope and holds it out to the wizard.)

Lincoln: Ah

(Mr. Grouse snatches the envelope from the hobbit and heads to the fireplace. To Lincoln's horror, the wizards tosses it into the blaze.)

Lincoln:(aghast) What are you doing!

(Mr. Grouse holds him back while the flames burn through the paper revealing the ring. After a moment the wizard uses the tongs to remove the ring from the fire and turns to Lincoln.)

Mr. Grouse: Hold out your hand Lincoln. It's quite cool.(drops the ring into Lincoln's hand) What do you see.

Lincoln:(examines the ring) Nothing…wait there are markings.

(Across the rings surface appear fiery runes)

Lincoln: it's some form of elvish I can't read it.

Mr. Grouse:(gravelly) There are few now who can. It's written in the black speech of Mordor.

Lincoln:(surprised) Mordor?

Mr. Grouse : In the common tongue it reads as One ring to rule them all. One ring to find them. One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them!

(A few minutes later, Mr. Grouse sits at the table staring at the ring while Lincoln poured a freshly brewed pot of tea into cups.)

Mr. Grouse: There is no doubt this is the one ring. Forged in the fiery pits of Mount Doom and taken from the very hand of Sauron by Isildur..

Lincoln:(sits) But Mr. Grouse, if this is that ring, then how come Pop-Pop found it in Tattler's cave?

Mr. Grouse: Because Isildur kept it, after he cut the one ring from Sauron's hand. He was bringing it back to Minas Tirith, when his company was attacked by orcs, as Isildur wore the ring and attempted to swim across the river to safety, the ring slipped from his finger and the orcs spotted and fatally shot him. The ring mean while sat at the bottom of the river for thousands of years, until it was found. Tattler wasn't always the pathetic, twisted creature your grandfather met in the goblin tunnels, Once she was a ordinary Stoor hobbit named Lola

Lincoln:(horrified) Tattler used to be a hobbit?

Mr. Grouse: Yes. One day Lola and a friend of hers Roxanne where out by the river. Somehow Roxanne ended up falling in, as she swam back to the surface, she saw something shining in the water and grabbed it. Once back on land she was surprised to find what she held was a golden ring.

Mr. Grouse:(continuing) At that moment, Lola found her, upon seeing the ring, she demanded Roxanne give it to her, as it was her birthday and she wanted it. When Roxanne refused, the two began to fight, until Lola seized Roxanne by her throat and choked her to death. Then overcome by guilt at her deed and kicked out by the other Stoors, Lola wondered the world until she made her way into the caverns under the Misty mountains, and there she and the ring stayed until 60 years ago when Pop-Pop found it after getting separated from me and the 13 dwarves.

(Lincoln stares in awe at the ring on the table.)

Mr. Grouse: For 60 years the ring stayed in the Shire with your grandfather, prolonging his life. Delaying old age, but no longer Lincoln. Evil is stirring in Mordor I watched Mount Doom awaken ,and that's not all, the Ring has awoken, it's heard it's masters call.

Lincoln:(in disbelief) But he was destroyed. Sauron was destroyed.

Mr. Grouse: His physical form was destroyed, but since the ring survived his spirit endure. His life force is tied to the ring. Sauron has returned, his orcs have multiplied, his fortress of Baradur has been rebuilt in Mordor. Sauron needs only this ring to cover all the world in a second darkness. He seeks and seeks. He must never find it.

Lincoln:(grabbing the ring off the table) All right, We'll put it away. We keep it hidden, and never speak of it again. No one knows it's here? Do they.( Turns to the wizard) Do they Mr. Grouse?

Mr. Grouse: I'm afraid there is one other who knew of Bilbo and the ring. I hunted everywhere for the creature Tattler, called in a favor from a old friend of mine, the greatest tracker in this age. While we were able to track her down, that's how I found out about her finding of the ring . The enemy found her first. I don't know how long they tortured her but amid the endless screams and pointless babble they were able to discern two words. Shire. Loudins.

Lincoln:(putting two and two together) Shire. Loudins! But that will lead them here.

(Lincoln holds out the ring to Mr. Grouse)

Lincoln: Take it Mr. Grouse! Take it. You must take it!

Mr. Grouse:(shaking his head) You cannot offer me this ring, Lincoln.

Lincoln: I'm giving it to you!

Mr. Grouse:(intently) Do not… tempt me Lincoln. I dare take it. Believe me I would use this ring for a desire to do good. But through me it would weird a power to great and terrible to imagine.

Lincoln: But it cannot stay in the Shire!

Mr. Grouse: No. No it cannot(moving to stand in front of the hobbit and Lincoln closes his fingers over the ring, somehow knowing he must do something.)

Lincoln: What must I do?

(Lincoln pulls clothes and other supplies from out of his closets, putting them in a already half full pack as Mr. Grouse explained.)

Mr. Grouse:(handing the hobbit a folded cloak) You must leave, Lincoln.

Lincoln:(taking the cloak) Leave and go where?

Mr. Grouse: Get out of the Shire. Make for the village of Breeze.

Lincoln:(heading to another part of the hole) Bree. What about you?

Mr. Grouse:(following) I'll be waiting for you. At the inn of the Prancing Pony.

Lincoln:(now packing food) And the ring will be safe there?

Mr. Grouse: I don't know Lincoln. I'm afraid I don't have the answers. That's why I'm first going to see the head of my order, She is both wise and powerful. Trust me Lincoln, She'll know what to do.

(As Lincoln continues to pack he added)

Mr. Grouse: You must leave the name of Loudins behind you. That name is no longer safe on the road, your new traveling name will be Warren. Travel only by day, and stay on the road, don't be like Pop-Pop and the dwarves, I told them to stay on the road in mirkwood and what did they do , stepped off the road.

Lincoln: I can cut across country easily enough.

(Lincoln throws on a coat and pulls his pack over his shoulders. Mr. Grouse stands before him and can't help but smile as Lincoln slips the ring into his coat pocket.)

Mr. Grouse: Lincoln, Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all you think there is to know about them in a month and yet after a hundred years… they still manage to surprise you.

(Lincoln returns the wizards smile and looks like he's about to say something, when they both caught the sounds of rustling under the nearest window.)

Mr. Grouse:(ready) Lincoln get down .

( The hobbit crouches down as Mr. Grouse picks up his staff and approaches said window, then with a lightning move, thrust his staff into the rustling grass. There was a grunt of pain and Mr. Grouse reached out and hauled Clyde in by his ear.)

Mr. Grouse:(shouting) Clyde McBridgee, confound it all! Have you been eavesdropping!

Clyde: I haven't been dropping no eaves Mr. Grouse..sir.

Mr. Grouse: How much did you hear?(shouting) Speak.

Clyde:(stammering) W…we..well Lincoln been kinda withdrawn ever since you left last, so I've been checking on every now and again. This time when I saw lights on and raised voices I kinda listened in, if you follow me.

Mr. Grouse: answer the question, what have you heard.

Clyde: Nothing important. I mean I did hear a good bit about that Tattler creature ,a ring, and a dark lord, and something to do with the end of the world .. (imploringly) Don't hurt me Mr. Grouse sir. Don'tlet him hurt me Lincoln. Don't let him turn me into anything unnatural.

(Suddenly Mr. Grouse smiled, and he shared a look with Lincoln.)

Mr. Grouse: No. Perhaps not. I've thought of a worse punishment for you Clyde McBridgee.

Well there's chapter 4 for you guys, like I said I been inspired by Matthiamore to write a Loud house retelling, but I think he's doing a way better job then me, but this is my first published fanfiction do I'm doing my best. Please review

And yes since Lincoln is Frodo it's kinda Obvious that Clyde has to be his Sam.