Chapter 5
Chapter 5: The Black riders
(As dawn breaks over the Shire, Mr. Grouse, with his horse and Lincoln walk through a grassy field.)
Mr. Grouse: (calling behind them.) Come along Clyde, keep up.
(Clyde hurries to catch up, his pack is laden with cookware and other necessities.)
Clyde: (out of breath.) Wait up, this stuff is heavy.
(Clyde catches up as the group arrive at the edge of a wooded area.)
Mr. Grouse: Be careful, both of you. The enemy has many spies in his service: birds, beasts.
(The three stop and Mr. Grouse turns to face the hobbits.)
Mr. Grouse: (to Lincoln.) Is it safe?
(Lincoln places his hand over his breast pocket, where he can feel the ring through the material.)
Mr. Grouse: (warningly.) Never put it on, for the agents of the dark lord will be drawn to its power. Always remember Lincoln, the ring it's trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found.
(Mr. Grouse mounts his horse, and rides away. Lincoln and Clyde watch him go and exchange a look before heading further into the wooded area. The hobbits walk through a field with a house in the background, past a small waterfall, then another field with a forest and mountains in the distance. They come before coming to a field of young corn. Clyde stops.)
Clyde: This is it.
Lincoln: (ahead of him.) This is what?
Clyde: If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home..I've ever been.
Lincoln: (smiling and leading Clyde into the field.) Come on Clyde remember what Pop-Pop used to say? It's a dangerous business Lincoln, going out your door. If you step on to the road, and you don't keep your feet. There's no knowing where you might be swept off to.
-(When dusk fell, Lincoln and Clyde, make camp for the night, Clyde makes Swiss chard frittata in his pan. Lincoln sits in a low tree branch. As they sit around, Lincoln becomes aware of beuatiful singing close by. He sits up, looks around and gets Clydes attention.)
Lincoln: Clyde! (Smiles.) Wood elves.
(The two make their way to a forest path nearby, they watch as a caravan of wood elves, dressed in white, some riding on horses while others walk. They all sing the same beuatiful,errie song.)
Lincoln: (in awe.) Their going to the harbor, beyond the white towers, To the Grey Havens.
Clyde: Their leaving Middle Earth?
Lincoln: Never to return.
Clyde: I don't know why. It makes me sad.
(The two watch the elves until the last one vanished from sight, then head back to their camp, eat the frittata and bed down for the night. But Clyde had trouble falling asleep.)
Clyde: I can't sleep Lincoln. Everywhere I lie there's a great dirty root digging into my back.
Lincoln: (half-asleep.) Just close your eyes Clyde. Imagine your back in your own bed, with soft mattress and a hyper allergenic pillow.
(Clyde lays back down and closes his eyes.)
Clyde: It's no good, Lincoln. I'm never going to be able to sleep out here.
Lincoln: (smiling.) Me neither, Clyde.
(The next morning, the dawn is grey, in a field with a dirt road cutting through it, a black cloaked rider on a large black horse, comes to a stop and looks around. Behind it another voice breaks in. Eight other similarly dressed riders are shown also on horseback. One holds a map and holds it up looking closely from beneath the hood.)
Black rider #1: No, No we should have been there now.
Black rider #2: (point to a spot on the map.) Ok, we made a left a fangorn.
Black rider#1: Yeah, yeah, we made a left at fangorn, and then we went straight at the mines of moria, and after the right at the trollshaws we should be there.
Black rider #3: (irritated.) It'd help if the map wasn't in Sindarin, I can't read Sindarin. It also doesn't help that all we got of that Tattler creature was ,Shire! Loudins! I mean would it kill her to say, WHERE in the Shire!?
(The rider up front sighs.)
Rider up front: (agitated.) If we just stopped and asked for directions like I suggested…
Rider #4: Oh yeah great idea! The villians top henchmen asking for directions…are you crazy , No one would take us seriously!
( Mr. Grouse gallops swiftly across the landscape, soon he reaches his destination, the tower of Isengard, it sits in a green forested area beside the Misty mountains. He gallops under the one gate in the wall surrounding the tower and continues to the stairs under the door. A short girl with dark black hair, and the bangs covering her eyes walks down the steps as Mr. Grouse rides to a stop. She wears ragged, white robes and holds a staff like Mr. Grouse.)
Lucy: (deadpanned.) Smoke rises from the mountain of doom. The hour grows late and Mr. Grouse the Grey rides to isengard, seeking my council. For that's what you came for isn't it, My old friend.
Mr. Grouse: (inclines his head.) Lucy…
(The two take a walk as Mr. Grouse explains what he had learned.)
Lucy: You are sure of this?
Mr. Grouse: (certain.) There can be no doubt.
Lucy: (sigh.) The ring of power has been found.
Mr. Grouse: All these long years, it was in the Shire. Under my very nose.
Lucy: Yet you lacked the wits to see it. Your love of the of the halflings have clearly slowed your mind.
Mr. Grouse: (stammering slightly.) But we still have time. Time enough to counter Sauron, if we act quickly.
Lucy: (questioningly.) Time? What time do you think we have?
(The two head inside Isengard, and head to Lucy's study. Lucy sits down at her desk. The whole room is covered with books and other mystical items, tables, floor, books everywhere.)
Lucy: (ominously) Sauron has regained much of his former strength, though he cannot yet take physical form. His Spirit has lost none of it's..potency. Concealed within his fortress, the Lord of Mordor sees all.
(Mr. Grouse looks concerned as Lucy continues.)
Lucy: His gaze pierces cloud, shadow, earth and flesh. You know of what I speak ,Grouse..a great eye, lidless, wreathed in flame.
Mr. Grouse: (understanding) The eye of Sauron.
Lucy: He's gathering all evil to him. Very soon he will have summoned an army great enough to launch an assult upon Middle Earth.
Mr. Grouse: You know this? (Suspicious) How?
Lucy: (turns and stares at something unseen) I've seen it.
(The Wizards move from Lucy's study to Isengard's throne room , several doors lead to other rooms in the tower. Besides the throne, the only thing is a pedestal with a round object sits under a cloth. Beside the pedestal is a small stack of phone books. After Lucy explained what she had in her possession, Mr. Grouse quickly voices his disproval.)
Mr. Grouse: A palantir is a dangerous tool, Lucy!
(Lucy climbs the phone books and puts her hand on the cloth.
Lucy: (boldly) Why? Why should we fear to use it?
(Lucy rips the cloth off the seeing stone, it looks like a crystal ball filled with dark storm clouds.)
Mr. Grouse: They're not all accounted for. The lost seeing stones, we do not know who else may be watching!
(Mr. Grouse grabs the cloth from Lucy and throws it back over the palantir. His hand briefly touch the surface. A vision of a lidless flaming eye flashes in his mind. He quickly takes his hand off, looking uneasy. Lucy gets off the phone books and goes and sits on her throne.)
Lucy: (sitting down) The hour is later then you think. Saurons forces are all ready moving, the nine have left Minas Morgul.
Mr. Grouse: (disbelief) The nine?
Lucy: They crossed the river isen, not long ago. Disguised as riders in black…lucky.
Mr. Grouse: (uneasy) They reached the Shire?
Lucy: (certain) They will find the ring.. (Looks Grouse right in the eyes) .. And kill the one who carries it.
Mr. Grouse (fearful) Lincoln!
(Mr. Grouse turns and hurries towards the door the entered, before he can leave, it slams shut. Mr. Grouse looks at Lucy, she stares at him behind her bangs. Suspicious Mr. Grouse heads to another door, Lucy looks towards it and it closes as well. Mr. Grouse tries to leave through the other doors, and each time Lucy closes them with her magic .)
Lucy: You did not seriously think that a hobbit could contend with the will of Sauron? There are none who can.
(Shocked, Mr. Grouse looks towards the smaller wizard as she remains sitting.)
Lucy: (trying to be convincing) Against the power of Mordor there can be no victory. We must join with the enemy, Grouse. (leans forward) We must join with Sauron. (warningly) It would be wise, my friend.
Mr. Grouse: (disappointed) Tell me…friend, when did Lucy the Wise abandon reason for madness!
Lucy: (points at the palantir) Sauron, can be very persuasive, Grouse. If we join with him, he will allow us to live .
Mr. Grouse: I'd rather fight a fire demon!
(Mr. Grouse readies his staff, as Lucy thrusts hers out in an attack position as she stands. Mr. Grouse is thrown against the wall. Lucy approach's him there with her staff raised before lowering it releasing him. Mr. Grouse hits the ground. He quickly thrusts with his own staff in a lightning move, that knocks the white robed wizard to the floor. The two go back and forth,exchangeing blows with their staff's, taking turns throwing each other around the room. Lucy slides Mr. Grouse across the floor, before Mr. Grouse sends her flying through the door. Lucy shoots up and raises her hand, the Grey wizards staff is jerked out of his own hands and flies into hers . )
(Lucy delivers a double staff attack that knocks Mr. Grouse to the floor, stunning him and making him gasp. Lucy gets up and holds both staff's out, causing the Grey robed wizard to spin around over and over. Despite the battle, when Lucy speaks it's in a surprisingly, unemotional voice.)
Lucy: (sigh) I gave you the chance of aiding me willingly. But instead you have elected the way of (voice raises) PAIN!
(Using the staff's, Lucy lifts Mr. Grouse into the air. Mr. Grouse screams as he goes higher and higher towards the darkness above.)
(In a cornfield far from Isengard, Clyde steps out from a cluster of corn stalks, for some reason there's a large path in the corn. Clyde looks around when he realizes Lincoln isn't in sight.)
Clyde: (worriedly) Lincoln! Lincoln! Lincoln!
(From further up the path, Lincoln steps into view from around a bend. Clyde sighs in relief.)
Clyde: Thought I'd lost you.
Lincoln: (confused) What are you talking about?
Clyde: Just something Mr. Grouse said.
Lincoln: What did he say?
Clyde: (imitating the wizard) Don't you lose him Clyde McBridgee..(in normal voice)…and I don't mean to.
Lincoln: (smiles) Clyde we're still in the Shire, what could possibly happen?
(Before Clyde could answer, he is struck by a red headed figure that was running through the corn knocking both to the ground, Lincoln looks confused for a moment before he is knocked over in a similar manner by a second red head. The two look at who they crashed into.)
Zach: (on top of Lincoln) Lincoln? (To the other red headed hobbit) Rusty! It's Lincoln Loudins!
(Rusty gets back on his feet as Clyde scrambles over to Zach and pulls him off the white haired hobbit.)
Clyde: Get off him!
(Clyde sets about dusting the dirt and corn stings off Lincoln's cloths as Rusty and Zach pick up off the ground what they had been in a hurry to get away with. As Clyde finish's dusting Lincoln off, Rusty hands him an armful of carrots and cherries.)
Lincoln: What is the meaning of this?!
Clyde: (aggravated) You've been in Farmer Jerry's cherry orchad!
Rusty: What! The guy over charges.
Zach: So we took some free samples.
Clyde: You mean stole!
(The four turn to stare as angry shouting and the barking of dogs come Farmer Jerry's scythe is coming through the corn while said farmer angrily shouts out the theives to get out of his fields and to just wait till he gets a hold of them. Panicking , the four hobbits run away from the angry farmer.)
Rusty: (as they run) I don't know why he's so upset? It's only a few small bags of cherries.
Zach: And some carrots, and some cabbages, and those three bags of potatoes we lifted last week!
Rusty: Yes Zach, my point is he's clearly overacting! Run!
(The hobbits exit the cornfield and keep running. Zach suddenly stops as they arrive at end of a steep incline, Rusty and Lincoln crash into him, and they stagger, but stay stable. Then Clyde crashes into them and sends all four tumble over. They grunt as the finally crash into the bottom and land in a pile. Clyde spits out a mouthful of grass, as Zach looks up to see a pile of animal droppings mere inches beside him.)
Zach: (relieved) Oh. That was close.
(Rusty sits up groaning)
Rusty: (wincing) I think I've broken something.( he reaches underneath him and pulls out a carrot that snapped in half.) Oh
Clyde: (irritated) Trust a Spokes and a Gurdle.
Rusty: (offended) What? That was just a detour. A shortcut.
(Clyde dusts himself off)
Clyde: Yeah right. Shortcut to what?
Rusty: Something important!
(Zach sits up as well, and holds a bag)
Zach: Well ,why we wait for that , cherry anyone.
(Clyde looks at them irritated, before sighing and takes the bag and starts eating the cherries. While the other three snack on the cherries, Lincoln stands all the way up and walks a short way and stares down the path they landed next to. He looks at the three.)
Lincoln: I think we should get off the road.
(The other three don't seem to hear, Lincoln prepared to speak again, when a haunting shriek comes from down the path, accompanied by a strange breeze that rustles the leaves around Lincoln's hairy feet.)
Lincoln: (frightened) Get off the road! Quick!
(Something in the white haired hobbits voice alerts the others something's up. The hurry off the path and crouch in a small alcove, beneath some tree roots. All sounds in the woods stop, as the sounds of a horse comes to a stop above them. Lincoln peers through a small gap in the roots and sees a horse hoof with black fur and what looks like a blood splatter on the hoof, when a pair of metal booted feet drop on the ground as the owner dismounted.
(Lincoln turns around as the owner of the horse, a tall black cloaked ,figure looks over them, sniffing. Insects and arachnids scurry away in fright. As the figure sniffs, Lincoln is filled with fear and fumbles to take the ring out of his pocket. He holds it in two fingers and makes a move to slip it on to his finger of his other hand. The black rider's sniffing becomes more intense. Before Lincoln can put the ring on, Clyde looks over and grabs Lincoln's hand, snapping him out of it, Lincoln holds the ring in his closed fist, while Rusty throws the cherry bag to the side. The bag makes a heavy THUMP, gaining the Cloaked figure's attention. While the figure investigates ,the hobbits make a break for it. The figure discovers the source of the noise.)
Black rider: (excited) Hey! Free cherries, score!
(The hobbits keep running until they have to stop and catch their breath, Zach and Rusty slide on to their backs on the ground while Clyde hugs his knees panting. Lincoln is the only one standing.)
Rusty: (gasping) What was that!?
(Lincoln looks at the ring in his palm. Cuts to night time, Lincoln, Clyde, Rusty and Zach run through the dark forest, Lincoln and Clyde, because their worried about running into the black rider again. Rusty and Zach, also fearful of the rider and also wanting to find out what's going on.)
(Clyde, Rusty and Zach stop while Lincoln runs ahead. He stops behind a tree and looks on ahead.)
Clyde: (yelling quietly) Anything?
Lincoln: Nothing
(The other three joined him.)
Zach: (tiredly) What's going on
Rusty: (knowingly) That black rider was looking for something…or someone. Lincoln?
(Lincoln turns to look at the taller red headed hobbit, before he can speak ,Clyde speaks.)
Clyde: (whispering) Get down!
(The four hobbits crouch, using the low branches as cover. Ahead of them, a black rider clops into view and comes to a stop, looking around before riding down the path out of sight.)
Lincoln: (stares after it) I have to leave the shire. (Rusty looks at him as he continues) Clyde and I have to get to Bree.
(Something in the white haired hobbits voice makes Rusty realize that questions will have to wait. He nods)
Rusty: Right. (He gets an idea) Buckleberry ferry. Follow me.
(The hobbits leave their cover and run down the path towards the ferry. They don't get far, before the black rider lunges out from where it was waiting. Clyde, Rusty and Zach make it past, but the rider and their horse separate Lincoln from his friends. As Lincoln tries to get past, he hears Rusty call to him.)
Rusty: Lincoln! This way. Follow me!
(Lincoln continues to try to get past the rider, with the rider keeps moving to intercept him, knowing he had what it's master sought. Clyde, Rusty and Zach keep going as Lincoln finally feinted going left and going right when it went left. The three ahead reach the river, with a wooden boat house and a raft tied to the dock on shore. They climb aboard the raft, and being preparing to cast off, as Lincoln hurries to catch up with the black rider in hot pursuit.)
Rusty: (urgent) Get the ropes, Clyde!
(Clyde looks up as Lincoln appears running towards them, with the terrifying rider, gaining on him.)
Clyde: Lincoln!
Lincoln: Go!
(The three on board push off, urging their friend to hurry up. Lincoln runs on to the dock as the others float away.)
Clyde: Lincoln! Come on!
Zach: Jump!
(Lincoln makes it to the edge of the dock and jumps with all his might. He lands heavily on the raft. The black rider, reins to a stop, barely avoiding flying into the water, the horse rears up and the black rider shrieks angrily while the hobbits float out of its reach. Turning the black rider gallops back to the path.)
Lincoln: (laying where he fell after his jump) How far to the nearest crossing?
Rusty: (paddling) The Brandywine bridge. Twenty miles.
(As Clyde helps Lincoln to his feet they watch as the rider makes it to the path, Two more black riders appear from the forest and join it in running down the path, heading for a place to cross and continue their pursuit)
Well their we go , the hobbits are being chased by black riders, and Lincoln nearly put on the ring, and yes Lucy is cast as Sarumon, like Matthiamore 's (who I still feel did a better job with his Loud house Star Wars) she's a villain, but rather then the main villain, she's a great wizard, sweet talked into joining forces with Sauron to save her own skin.
Tune in next chapter, where the four hobbits make it to Bree and we'll all meet Loud of the Rings…Luna ,drum roll please…Aragorn.