Chapter 6
Chapter 6 : Night Club
(Later, it started to rain. The four hobbits come to a stop at some trees outside the village of Bree. They all have their hoods up. Lincoln looks around to make sure it's safe , before staring at the gate, that was the entrance of Bree.)
Lincoln: (to the others) Come on.
(The four hobbits run to the gate across the road. Lincoln knocks on the gate, a small viewing hole, opens above them, before closing then a second one closer to their height opens. An old man looks through at them.)
Gatekeeper: What do you want?
Lincoln: We're heading for the Prancing Pony!
(The gatekeeper shuts the viewing hole. Then the gate opens. The gatekeeper stands over them holding a lantern.)
Gatekeeper: (surprised) Hobbits! Four hobbits! What's more your from the Shire by the sounds of ya, what business brings you to Bree?
Lincoln: We wish to stay at the inn. Our business is out own.
Gatekeeper: (nodding) All right, little guy. I meant no offense. (Stands aside and let's the hobbits through) It's my job to ask questions after nightfall. Talk of strange folk abroad, can't be too careful.
( Once through the gate, the hobbits head down the rain clogged street, pens on either side holds horses. The hobbits hurry out of the way as a horse pulling a cart heads in their direction Once the cart's past they head further into the settlement . Where people are quickly entering their houses to get out of the down pour. A guy eating a carrot looks at them, burps and walks away.)
Zach: Okay, that was random.
Rusty: (ecstatic) Guys, I think that was Peter Jackson!
(The hobbits look behind them at the man with the carrot to see if it was him. The nearly run into two men walking down the street.)
Man #1: (irate) Out of the way! Watch where your walking.
(After those two, the hobbits continued down the street until they came to a large, three story building with laughter and the clinking of glasses coming from within. Above the door was a sign depicting a fat, white pony rearing up on it's hind legs. Underneath that was the name of the inn, the Prancing Pony by Chester "Chunk" Munk.)
Lincoln: Well, this is the Prancing Pony. This is where Mr. Grouse told us to meet him.
Clyde: (uncertain) I don't know, place looks kinda iffy…if you ask me. Bree has hobbits, why don't we see about bunking with them.
Lincoln: But Mr. Grouse told us to wait in the Prancing Pony.
Rusty: (adding) Besides, what do you think this is… Mos Eisley?
Clyde: (confused) Where?
Zach: Let's just get inside, if I get anymore drenched I'll shrink smaller than I already am.
(The four enter the inn. The warm, friendly looking bar is filled with multiple mythical races, Casey, Sameer and Nikki appear as hobbits, Kataro and Sergei are men sitting at the bar, drinking flipee's, several other background characters cameo as dwarves, hobbits and more men. Lincoln heads up to the bar, looking for the innkeeper.)
Lincoln: Uh, excuse me.
(Chunk, dressed in a apron covered in flipee stains ,looks over the counter, cleaning a mug. He looks around for a moment before seeing the hobbits.)
Chunk: (friendly and welcoming) Good evening, little mates! What may you be wantin' ? If your looking for accommodation, your lucky your hobbits, that's the only rooms left, lot of strange folk coming up from the south. Rooms are on the ground floor and round windows as hobbits usually prefer.
(Lincoln considered, rest did sound nice, after the run in with that black rider.)
Lincoln: Beds for four, if it's no trouble.
Chunk: Not at all! Always proud to cater to the little folk Mr…..Uhhh (Chunk hesitates, realizing Lincoln hasn't introduced himself yet.)
(Lincoln almost slipped up and said Lincoln, before he remembered that Mr. Grouse had said that name wouldn't be safe outside the Shire.)
Lincoln: Warren, my name's Warren.
Chunk: (pondering) Warren….Warren. Now what does that remind me of….
Lincoln: (interrupting) We're friends of Mr. Grouse they Grey, can you tell him we've arrived?
Chunk: …ahh it'll come back to me..Grouse did you say…Grouse
(Lincoln was starting to think Chunk might just be a tad bit forgetful.)
Chunk: (remembering) Ohhhh, yes I remember him… elderly chap! Big moustache, pointy hat….
(Lincoln nods and Chunk continued)
Chunk:… not seen him for six months.
(Lincoln feels his heart drop into his stomach, Mr. Grouse wasn't here, then where was he? He turns to the other three. Even if they hadn't heard Chunk, his look said enough.)
Clyde: (worried) What do we do now?
(A short time later, the three of the four hobbits sat at a table with three flipee's and food before them. Despite the troubling news that Mr. Grouse wasn't waiting for them like he said, they decided to stay the night and grab a bite to eat.)
Lincoln: (to Clyde) Clyde…he'll be here. He'll come.
(Clyde says nothing, and takes a bite of his food, still looking worried. Rusty comes back from the bar with, a flipper cup with a handle, a straw and a clear top. A man nearly walks into him and blames the hobbit.)
Man: Wha- get outta my way!
(Rusty takes his seat, muttering that the guy nearly ran into him and not the other way around. Zach takes an interest in the cup Rusty brought back.)
Zach: (intrigued) What's that?
Rusty: (proudly) This my friend.. is unlimited flipee cup…free refills. (Rusty drinks from the cup.)
Zach: (amazed) It comes in unlimited!? (Rusty mutters confirmation, still drinking)
Zach: (determined) I'm getting one.
(Zach gets up and heads to the bar.)
Clyde: You got a whole half already!
(Zach doesn't listen and sits down at the bar, along side Kataro and Sergei. The other three just turn back to their meals and keep eating.)
Lincoln: (to himself) Watermelon lime really is the best flavor.
(Clyde suddenly nudges Lincoln and points with his food to something in a corner.)
Clyde: (suspicious) Linc. That fellow over there in the corner has done nothing but stare at you since we arrived. I thought I might have been imagining it. But he hasn't looked anywhere else ,since we took our seats.
( Lincoln becomes nervous upon hearing this and doing his best to be inconspicuous, glances at the spot Clyde had indicated. Amid the throng of laughing, drinking, and eating patrons, at the table in the corner next to the fireplace, a shady looking figure wearing a hood and cloak was staring at him from under the hood, clearly giving him their full, undivided attention. They were leaning back with their dirty , worn boots resting on the table, and was drinking a root beer. Lincoln stared at them. From the hood, Lincoln at first feared they might be one of those riders, but they didn't give him that hopeless, terrified feeling that he felt in the woods. Lincoln turns away, but still he feels their eyes boring into him.)
(Chunk walks by, holding a plate of food in one hand, and a flipee in the other. Lincoln stops him.)
Lincoln: Excuse me, they guy in the corner..who is he? (Chunk nods and looks over, when he sees who the white haired hobbit is talking about, he turns back, looking nervous.)
Chunk: (nervously) She, mate not he. I don't who she is, She's one of those Rangers, dangerous folk they are wandering the wilds. They stop in Bree every now and then, stay a day or two and move on. That one in particular, she's usually no different. Stays, then disappears, for weeks or even years, but this time she stuck around, arrived a day or two before you. She's never told us her name, but around her…we call her Night Club.
(Chunk leaves to deliver the meal he was carrying. Lincoln turns back to his food and thinks about what he just heard.)
Lincoln: (quietly) Night Club.
(Lincoln reaches into his pocket and turns the ring in his fingers. He can feel Night Club watching him, and he closes his eyes, around him patrons continue their meals. It seemed the ring was whispering.)
Ring: (errie whisper) Loudins. Loudins. Loudins!
Zach: (cutting in) Loudins! Sure I know a Loudins.
(Lincoln's eyes shoot open, and he gasps as he realizes what was just said. Over at the bar, Zach is talking to Chunk. He points over at the white haired hobbit.)
Zach: He's over there. Lincoln Loudins, known him since we were kids, and yes he's always had that white hair.
(Lincoln rises to his feet, Clyde and Rusty watch as He hurries over to stop Zach talking. In the corner, Night Club puts down her root beer and looks on with interest.)
(Lincoln reaches Zach and starts trying to pull him away from the bar.)
Lincoln: (desperate) Zach!
Zach: Steady on Lincoln, you'll make me spill my flipee!
(As Lincoln pulls the red headed hobbit, he trips over someone's feet, he falls back on the floor and the force make the ring, which he had taken out of his pocket, fly out of his hand into the air. Upon seeing the gold band, Night Club takes her feet of the table and sits up , looking urgent.)
(Lincoln holds his hand up to catch it, and the ring slips on to his index finger. Lincoln vanished amidst the startled patrons and his own friends eyes.)
(Elsewhere, three Black riders shriek and turn their horses in the direction the call of what they sought was coming from. They head off at a swift gallop.)
(Lincoln sits up and looks around. Everyone is blurry and the background appears grey and foreboding.)
Lincoln: (surprised) Huh.. so this is what it looks like to be invisible.
(Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. A sinister voice whispers.)
Voice: You can not hide….. I see you.
(A evil looking light cuts into the vision. Lincoln turns around, and is horrified to see a flaming, lidless eye staring at him. The blurry figures of the bar patrons vanish in the light as the eyes speaks again.)
Eye: There is no life….in the void..only death.
(Lincoln desperately struggles to remove the ring from his finger, the ring comes off and the vision vanishes as everything and everyone comes back into focus. Lincoln breathes heavily as his heart rate slows back to normal. A quick glance shows everyone is back to doing what they were doing and seemed not to remember the hobbits disappearing. Just as Lincoln began to hope he hadn't raised any suspicion, a hand roughly seized him by his shoulder and dragged him to the stairs. Thrown against the wall, Lincoln found himself staring at the hooded face of the Ranger Night Club.)
Night Club: (sharply) You draw to much attention to yourself, (hissing voice) Warren
(Not waiting for the hobbit to respond, Night Club pushed him up the stairs and into her room. Once inside , she shoved him forward hard enough to send him to the floor.)
Lincoln: (regarding his feet as Night Club shuts the door.) What do you want?!
Night Club: (hushed voice) Little more caution from you, little dude. That's no trinket you carry.
Lincoln: (firmly) I'm not carrying anything.
Night Club: Bogus.
(Night Club peers through the windows , before putting out the candles nearby.)
Night Club: (back to Lincoln) I can avoid being seen, when I wish. But to actually disappear entirely…(turns around and removes her hood, showing she has short brown hair and freckles on her cheeks)..that's one rad gift.
Lincoln: (fearful) Who are you?
Night Club: Are you frightened?
Lincoln: Yes.
Night Club: (shakes her head) Not nearly frightened enough ,I know what hunts you. You've really gone and put your foot in it, or should I say your finger in it?
(Night Club takes a step towards him, seemingly about to speak , when the door to the room, is thrown open. Night Club turns to face whoever is attacking, ripping her sword from it's scabbard. Clyde, Rusty, and Zach burst into the room. Rusty holds a candelabra, Zach , a stool and Clyde holds his fists up.)
Clyde: (bravely) Let him go! Or I'll have you, Pixie cut!
(Smirking, Night Club returns her sword to its sheath.)
Night Club: (amused) You have a righteous heart, little dude. (Sadly) But that's not enough to save you.(to Lincoln) You can't wait for Grouse any longer, Lincoln…they're coming.
(Clyde steps between the Ranger and his friend.)
Clyde: Here, who are you and how do you know Lin… I mean Warren's name?
Night Club: I'm called Night Club, I'm known around here…and it don't matter what he calls himself, Lincoln or Warren…the Black rider's watch the road night and day, they already know what he bears. And after that stunt he pulled, they're probably on their way as we speak.
Lincoln: (defensively) That was an accident!
Night Club: (snorts) it won't matter to them, as long as you have that ring, they'll be on you.
Lincoln: How'd you know of the ring? And Grouse
Night Club: I learned the same way Grouse did, from the same creature that held it for five hundred years.. Tattler, and I've know Grouse a lot longer than you have, in fact I recently did a favor for him in tracking Tattler down. Wasn't easy, she was slippery beast. But I finally caught her in a marshland far in the north…bit me five times before I stuffed her in that sack.
Zach; (excited) What about Grouse? Where is he, do you know?
Night Club: (worriedly) No. There's been no word, no letter.. I've known him for years, and yet this is the first I've ever feared for him.
(The hobbits gather in a group, and step away from the Ranger.)
Rusty: What do you guys have think.
Clyde: If I were you Lincoln, I wouldn't trust her, she warned you to be more careful, I'd say start with her. How do we really know, she's a friend of Mr. Grouse?
(Clyde boldly approaches Night Club and stares her down as well as one can, when the person they're staring down is almost over half your height.)
Clyde: For, all we know she could have just been overhearing us. More than likely she's a play acting spy working….for them!
(Night Club smiles at Clyde's accusation . While Lincoln thinks over all that happened. While Night Club was suspicious, she didn't particularly strike him as an enemy spy.)
Lincoln: (hesitantly) I'm not so sure Clyde. I think an enemy spy would look fairer…and feel fouler.
(Night Club flat out laughs when Lincoln says this. Dispute still not trusting her, Lincoln can't help but feel relieved that she has a sense of humor.)
Night Club: (between laughs) So what your saying is that I look foul, but feel fair.. is that it ,little dude?
Lincoln: (stammering) Well- no..what I meant was….
(Before Lincoln could continue his statement, the sounds of someone coming up the stairs. Night Club stops laughing at once and , heads to hide behind the door. A second later Chunk appears in the doorway.)
Chunk: There you are, Warren… I'm sorry to bother you , but I remembered what it was you reminded me of. Someone told me to keep an eye out for a hobbit leaving the Shire, descripted them in great detail, White hair, blue eyes, traveling with another Hobbit with an afro and glasses. His real names Lincoln Loudins , but he'll be going by Warren.
Lincoln: (suspicious again) Who told you this?
Chunk: Mr. Grouse…he told me to give this letter to you on the off chance something happened to him, but I forgot..one thing drives out another. Those talk of Black riders…that Night Club, hanging around.
(Night Club burst out from behind the door.)
Chunk: (nervous) Night Club … how long were you listening.
Night Club: (ignoring the innkeeper) The Black riders come from Mordor.
Chunk: (terrified) Mordor…. (To Night Club) Save us.
Night Club: Give him the letter, Chunk.
(Fearful from Night Club's Mordor remark, Chunk fumbles and eventually pulls out a sealed envelope with Mr. Grouse's elvish G stamped in the wax. Lincoln eagerly takes the note and after opening it reads it aloud.)
Dear Lincoln:
If this letter finds you..then I 've come to trouble, and cannot meet you in Bree like we agreed. Make for the hidden valley of Rivendell. With luck I should meet you there. If not Lord Mick Swagger will advise you.
PS. I've asked a friend of mine who hangs out around Bree ever now and again, to keep an eye out for you as well, since I'm certain Chunk will forget to give you this letter. Chunk is a good man, but his mind is like Swiss cheese. The people around Bree call my friend Night Club…. Make sure She's the real night Club, her true name is Lunagorn. Can't miss her, short hair , freckles, uses the word "dude" a lot.
Signed
Mr. Grouse the Grey.
(Lincoln rereads the letter and rereads it again, feeling that same heart falling into his stomach feeling as he had, when Chunk had said that Mr. Grouse wasn't in Bree.)
Night Club: (sympathetic) Ah, Sorry, dude. If Grouse can't make it to something, it must be real bad trouble.
Lincoln: (deciding) Well, I suppose we'll, just have to reach Rivendell like he said in his.
Night Club: (aghast) Rivendell! You'd never make it, little dudes. Like I said the Black riders are watching the roads night and day. They'll jump you in some lonely, dark place where's there's no help. I know the way to Rivendell, know the wilds like the back of my hand. I can take you to Rivendell, if you'll have me.
Chunk: (shaking his head.) Well, you all know your business. But I wouldn't take up with a Ranger from the wilds.
Night Club: (angry) What choice do they have! Who else do they have to take up with, besides a fat innkeeper, who only REMEMBERS his name cause people shout it at him all day!
Chunk: (offended) Well, I'm no hero, but I owe it to Mr. Lin..Mr. Warren, for not giving him the letter, if I can be of assistance, I'll do what I can.
(Chunk turns and walks out of the room, and Night Club turns to face the hobbits.)
Night Club: So what do you dudes say?
Lincoln: I wanted to believe you were a ally, even before the letter, ever since you said you were a friend to Mr. Grouse. The letter in my opinion, proves your claim.
Clyde: (still suspicious) How do we know , this is the real Night Club, how do we know she didn't kill the real Night Club, and is just waiting for the chance to strike and take the ring.
Night Club: (calmly) With that mindset, whats to stop me from killing you all right now and taking the ring. If I killed Night Club, I could kill you all no problem.
(The hobbits are quiet as this sinks in. Night Club stares at them before laughing quietly.)
Night Club: Fortunately for you little dudes, I'm the real Night Club… (Draws her sword holds it up, before speaking again)
Night Club…. I am Lunagorn, daughter of Luluthorn, and if by my life or death I can save you..I will.
(The hobbits say nothing, but stare at each other .)
(Later that night, the old gatekeeper hears noise coming from beyond the gate. Irritated at being woken up, he heads for the gate and opens the top viewing hole.. his expression changes to one of fear as the gate is knocked off it's hinges and crushes him, as five Black riders and their horse clamber over him. The riders pay him no mind as they head into Bree. They stop out side the Prancing Pony. While one stays outside to make sure no one leaves. The other four head inside and sniffing for the Hobbits, come to a room, where the smell is strongest. Entering they see all four beds occupied. Drawing their Longswords, they go one to each bed. Holding their swords high, they stab and hack at the bodies under the sheets until the beds are trashed. Victorious they throw off the sheets.)
(A murdered mass of pillows greet them.)
Rider #1 : Oh Shrahk! We killed a bunch of pillows!
Rider #2: Thought it was weird they didn't scream.
(Enraged that they had been had… the riders shrieked before heading back to their horses. In Luna's room, the Ranger watches this. Rustling alerts her to the hobbits waking up and rising.)
Lincoln: (awed) What are they?
Luna: (turns and looks at them) They are the Nazgul, Ringwraiths.. neither living nor dead. Once they were great rulers of men. Then Sauron the deceiver gave them nine rings of Power. Blinded by their greed they took them without question. One by one falling into darkness. Now they serve only him. At all they feel the presence of the ring… they will never stop hunting you.
(Luna turns and watches the Nazgul leave, before turning back to the awestruck hobbits.)
Luna: Get some sleep little dudes..we leave at first light.
Chapter 6 everybody… now Luna 's joined the cast, my favorite Loud Sister will be portraying my favorite Lord of the rings human character… Aragorn son of Arathorn. Strider, Elessar, Estel, etc
Chapter 7 to come, time to see which loud house villian I picked to Stab Lincoln at Weathertop