All Disclaimers are located on the 1st chapter as well as on the 4th chapter of the story.
Please read, Review and I hope you are enjoying the story so far.
The room was tense as thick silence filled the room as the heavy realization sank in about their situation. "Okay...so what's the plan?" Draco asked breaking the thick silence. She had no desire to stay in one place and just wait for Sauron's lackies to show up. She knew how bad guys worked a hell of a lot better than the good guys. Being one step a head of the bad guys would lead to a higher chance of survival.
"Here take the ring, Gandalf!" Frodo yelled looking panic striken as well as being distraught.
"That's not really much of a plan, Frodo." Draco said in irritation. Not that she could really blame Frodo for panicing in this situation. If she was in his shoes, she most likely would have done the same thing or would have had the ring encased in a heavy metal of some kind as she would have dropped the metal box in the deepest ocean so no one would ever locate it or be able to reach it.
She was no fool, she knew without a doubt that Sauron's minions of darkness would kill them reguardless if they gave up the ring willingly or not. Either way this wasn't going to end well and someone was going to die. Being no stranger to death who had always followed her since the day she was born, she knew when death was ready to strike. The uneasy feeling gripped her shoulders tightly in warning as to remind her that it was just waiting for the time to strike. A feeling that had never once been proven wrong before, a feeling that she often wished for just once to be wrong.
"No, I can't take it Frodo!" Gandalf yelled as he stepped away from Frodo who held up the ring to him. This seemed to snap Draco from her dark troubling thoughts.
"Hey guys..." Draco tried again only to be irturupted by Frodo.
"I'm giving it to you! Take it Gandalf!" Frodo pleaded with him. Draco smacked her face as the voice in her head hissed in irritation.
"I really should have eaten the barrel rider when I had the chance." The voice snarled in her head.
Despite thinking I have gone completely mad, I totally agree that you should have eaten him and the bloody ring while you were at it or at least tempted to melt the stupid thing. Draco thought bitterly to herself.
"I clearly was not in my right mind set at the time." The voice scolded itself.
Obviously...or else we wouldn't be in this bloody mess right now. Draco stated coldly.
"That's very kind of you, but I must decline the offer Frodo." Gandalf said.
"Guys!" Draco yelled a bit louder but was once again ignored. Her eyes narrowed as they shifted in appearance once more to become reptilian looking as they glowed inhumanly in the fire light.
"Gandalf, take the ring! I do not want it!" Frodo yelled.
"Do not give me this ring or even temp me!" He yelled in fury at Frodo who took a step back from him.
"SILENCE!" Draco shouted in Smaug's voice as it echoed loudly through out the room. The room turned deathly quiet as Frodo and Gandalf slowly turned to face her. She stood there letting out a deep inhuman sounding snarl. This seemed to insteantly remind the two that she was still there and was obviously very pissed off at the moment judging by her murderous exspression.
"D-Draco?" Frodo stuttered in fear when he heard that voice escape her mouth. Gandalf was starring with wide eyes of alarm as he stared at her. Draco than took a calming breath as her eyes very slowly shifted back to normal as she approached Frodo quickly.
"Give me that bloody ring, before you throw it out the damn window or something. The way your freaking out, you are going to loose the damn thing, and than we will all be royally screwed!" Draco shouted in her normal voice as she swiftly snatched the ring from Frodo's hand. "Now that I finally have your attention...allow me to re-ask my earlier question...WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE GOING TO DO?!" She screamed in pure rage as her voice seemed to echo through the entire house while she gave them both a look that promised death.
"Draco, give Frodo back the ring." Gandalf said firmly in a weary tone.
"She can keep it." Frodo said quickly only for Draco to snarl at him as she moved swiftly to give Frodo back his ring. He looked ready to protest but Draco's sharp glare stopped him in his tracks as she placed the ring into his hand once more.
"Don't loose it." She growled at him in warning. "How you like it not, Frodo. This is your stupid ring, that you must either take to mordor for it to be destroyed or at least given to someone who can destroy it for you. However be warned that if I fucken have to, i'll carry the damn thing myself to modor and toss it into the firey pits from where it came." She hissed at him.
"You would carry the ring?" Frodo asked her.
"If I bloody have to, I will! Since the damn thing does not effect me, like it clearly does you two." She spat in annoyance as her right twitched violently. Yep she was so going to gain a permeant twitch in her eye after all this was over and done with.
"The ring does not speak to you..." Gandalf said as though he just remembered that little detail.
"Yeah and your point would be what exactly?" Draco asked him as she crossed her arms to glare at him.
"The ring does not effect you like it does us, because it thinks your going to help bring it back to it's master." Gandalf said slowly as he eyed her with suspicion.
"One, There is no way in hell I will do that, because I do not want or wish to be back stabbed in the back by some dark lord wannabe. I know how bad guys work a hell of a lot better than good guys. Secondly I might be evil minded at times, but i'm not stupid enough to let anyone manipulate me in such a way, especially not by some possessed so called magic ring. Thirdly I do not believe in magic or curses. Lastly I still say we should get some baslik venom and destroy the damn ring that way, which would be a hell of a lot safer!" Draco snapped bitterly at him. "Also stop looking at me like i'm going to suddenly turn into a fleash eating monster and try to eat you or something." She added when she caught how Gandalf was starring at her.
"Draco...we can't use a baslik. It's far to dangerous...I mean how would we even get it's venom? Especially if we can not even look into it's eyes without fear of dying because of it's deadly gaze." Frodo asked her with a frown on his face.
Draco was silent as she stared at him. "He has a point." The voice hissed at her which annoyed her.
"Sometimes sacrafices must be made for the greater good. I volunteer the old man to do it." Draco said as she glanced at Gandalf.
"For the last time, we are not using a baslik!" Gandalf shouted as he sent Draco a cold stare. "Also stop talking about one of those creatures."
"Fine...so what is the bloody plan than? Since we can't obviously stay here and my Baslik idea is not happening any time soon." She said coldly as she crossed her arms.
"The paln is for the both of you to travel to Bree in the early hours and meet with the ranger by the name of Strider. He should be at the Prancing Pony. However getting Draco inside is gonna be a challenge." Gandalf said slowly. Draco rolled her eyes at this. It would have been easy had she not be deaged. She was old enough to drink now and yet she wouldn't be able to enjoy it because she been deaged to a child again.
"And you're coming with us right, Gandalf?" Frodo asked.
"I fear you must travel alone for a little while." Gandalf said as Draco's exspression turned down right deadly as well as dark. She very slowly turned to face him in a very creepy sort of mannor. If looks could kill Gandalf most likely would have dropped dead by now and than some.
"What did you just say, old man?" Draco snarled as she let out a deafening growl that sounded no way human as her eyes appeared to glow almost inhumanly from the fire light once more.
"Draco-" Frodo said softly in fear of her. He would never know how this human child could be so intimidating let alone terrifying.
"Stay out of this Frodo...this is between me and the old man." Draco hissed coldly at him as smaug's voice seemed to echo very, very softly within her own voice.
"Draco...you need to calm down." Gandalf said firmly which only caused Draco's temper to flare up.
"Calm down? You want me to bloody calm down?!" She spat angrily at him as her body shook in rage. "I have the right to be pissed off with you! You're the one throwing Frodo and myself to the wolves here!"
"Draco, I am doing no such thing." He said as he gripped is staff protectively as he remembered her earlier threats to destroy his staff. However he feared her threat was soon going to be a frightening reality.
"Okay...let me get this straight. You want Frodo and I, to travel alone. While god knows what is coming after us all because of an evil possessed ring that is currently in our possession. Which is none other a damn horcrux, but I'll bitch about that latter on since now is not the time to do so. These things that are coming after us, have the full intent on slaughtering us during our travel just to claim the ring of power. We also need to reach some place called Bree to go to some bar or pub I must add, which is called the Prancing Pony. Just to meet this Strider person. A person neither Frodo or myself knows anything about, let alone meet and you exspect us put our full trust in this person? Am I correct?"
"That is correct..." Gandalf said slowly.
"Are you out of your fucken mind?!" She screamed as loud as she could. "No offense but Frodo is no warrior, and well look at me! Do you honestly exspect us to reach Bree in one piece completely unharmed?! We would be better protected by a wizard than us being on our own! Also how do we know this so called Stridre guy, isn't going to back stab us, take the ring for himself or worst give us right to the enemy only for us to be slaughtered!" Draco yelled at him.
"Draco, I will try and slow the enemy down while Frodo and your self head out in the early hours. I will meet up with you two again soon. You two must pack and get ready to leave now, so no delays happen. Draco, I know you do not trust people...but just this once you have too. Also strider is a good man and would do no such thing. I trust this man with my life and you can do the same." Gandalf said firmly. Draco looked ready to start screaming at him so more and maybe even attack him.
"If we die...i'm going to kill you!" Draco snapped in pure rage as she stormed off to pack up her small belongs in a travel bag. She didn't feel like arguing with the stubborn old fool anymore. He would only get them all killed. Death was waiting and Draco could feel it's icy presence learking and biding it's time to strike. While it seemed to follow her in hopes she would find it a new soul to take.
"She does not trust people easily does she?" Frodo asked softly as he winced at the sound of door slamming shut behind her.
"She does not trust anyone Frodo, or even allow anyone to be close to her. I don't believe she even knows how to trust others or let others in due to whatever happened in her past. I'm starting to think that the only being that might be able to help her learn how to trust or rely on others might be an elf. Even than I am not sure if they can even help her." Gandalf said as he looked far older than before while he seemed deeply troubled by Draco's harsh words and actions. Frodo frowned at Gandalf's words as he went to quickly pack.
Draco was still growling under her breath as she stormed into her temporary room. She did not like this one damn bit, as she shoved things into her bag. "This is fucken suicide." She hissed angrily as she packed her bag. It was a damn good thing she bought a travel bag during her shopping trip earlier. She had no idea why she bought it but she was glad she did.
"They are coming...I can smell them...blood has been spilt this night...Rest while you can young human...for tomorrow...no rest will be found easily for some time." The voice spoke to her softly.
Why is the damn voice telling me this? Draco wondered bitterly after she got her belongings ready for her unwanted trip. She walked back over to Gandalf who appeared even more jumpy than usual and of course Frodo was there as well. He looked rather reluctant about going on this quest.
"I'm just stating facts...little one." The voice growled at her. "Besides...we have a unwanted guest...listening to our talk...I believe it's the friend of the barrel rider's newphew."
What?! Where!? Draco snarled in rage inside her head as her eyes narrowed sharply to look for the intruder.
"Below the window...to your left." The voice said just as a crow cawing made Gandalf jump in fright as he spun around to attack some unseen foe. Draco stormed over to the window as she opened it swiftly in a furious mannor, before she quickly reached down grabbing the being by it's ear painfully as she twisted it as she yanked upwards.
"OW! OW!" Sam cried out in pain as he reveled himself.
"Sam?! What are you doing here?" Frodo asked as ran over to the window as Draco was snarling in rage down at Sam.
"Talk before I rip your ear off." Draco snarled in a deadly tone.
"Draco, release his ear and allow him to come inside so we can talk. Before you wake up the the entire Shire." Gandalf said as she glared at him. However she insteantly released sam's ear.
"ow...for a kid, your not the nicest person in the world." sam said as he rubbed his ear as he moved to come inside.
"Who ever said I was nice?!" Draco demanded coldly as she glared at him once he was inside. "Now kindly tell us what you were doing evesdropping on us or should I rip your ear off to get my answers?" She snarled once he was inside and after Gandalf had closed the window quickly.
"Draco...be nice." Frodo said in a light scolding tone as she went to flip him off but Gandalf smacked her on the head lightly with his staff making her snarl up at him.
"Behave." He told her.
"I'll break that staff, if it's the last thing I'll ever do!" She snarled at him as she lundged for the staff making the wizard move his staff quickly away from her as she attemps to take it from him.
"You'll have to forgive her, Sam. She has trust issues." Frodo said softly so only Sam could hear him as Draco was trying her hardest to grab Gandalf's staff from him.
"And a temper that could rival that of a dragon, I reckon mr. Frodo. I did not mean to evesdrop, but I was concerned the way Draco had showed up at the bar looking for you. I followed and over heard everything. I'm sorry." Sam said just as Gandalf hit Draco on top of her head again with his staff making her yelp.
"If you do not behave I'll turn you into newt or something." Gandalf threatened her. True it was empty threat but Draco didn't have to know that.
"Learn to sleep with both eyes open...old man...for that staff is going to be used as chop sticks when I get done with it." Draco snarled as she rubbed her head.
"Now that is settled. Sam, I suggest you travel with Draco and Frodo as well."
The old wizard is sending another scarficial lamb to this growing fire. This is only going to go from bad to worse, I just know it. Draco thought to herself.
"Sam how good of a fighter are you?" Draco asked him as she stared at him.
"Fight?" He asked in confusion. Draco resisted the urge to slam her head against the wall at his question.
"It's official than..." Draco said slowly with a blank face completely void of any emotion as her shoulders slumped.
"What's official?" Sam asked her.
"That we're all going to die, in the most painful, torturous and agonizing way ever imagined. Yeah...this was so how I wanted to die, on some suicidal quest...with a evil possessed ring." Draco stated bitterly.
"Draco..." Gandalf warned her.
"No one can esacpe death. It will come and it will strike, like it always does. You can not promise me or anyone that no one will die during this quest." She said firmly as she shoved pass him to retreave her book. "Also do not fool yourself into thinking everything will be okay...it wont be."
"You talk like you have no hope." Gandalf said slowly. Draco said nothing more but her sharp percing glare spoke louder than words. She clearly was agitated, pissed and annoyed beyond reasoning, so he believed due to her temper she was blind to what she was saying and was only speaking out of anger.
"Maybe because I gave up hope a long time ago, and learned the only being you can ever depend on is yourself." She stated coldly as she moved pass him. "I'm going to try and get some rest before our suicidal quest begins. Sam, you might want to take a few items with you." She added coldly.
"Draco, You should not give up hope." Frodo said slowly. Draco said nothing more as she headed down the hall to rest.
"Draco is rather scary." Sam said softly.
"She is deffinately that." Frodo said.
"I hope you boys, know I can still hear you!" Draco snaped from down the hallway before she slammed the door close once more behind her. Sam than headed home to pack for his trip, but promised to be back in the early morning. Gandalf turned to leave however he paused to look at Frodo for a moment.
"What is it Gandalf?" Frodo asked him. Gandalf sighed softly.
"Promise me, that you will keep both eyes on Draco, and do not under any circumstances allow her to travel to Lake town, City of Dale...or to Erebor." Gandalf whispeared once he was sure Draco could not hear them.
"Why would she go to either of those places?" Frodo asked him softly in confusion. "I mean I promise to look after her since she is after all just a child."
"I fear something from sixty years ago, will try and lead her there, if I am right about my fears." Gandalf said in concern.
"Gandalf...what are you not telling me about this girl?" Frodo asked in a slightly scared tone.
"I can't say Frodo. The girl is even a mystery to even myself. I need you to promise me, that you will not allow her to go to those places."
"I'll try...however it might be a hard thing to promise, since she can be rather scary." Frodo said faintly. Gandalf only frowned as he went to prepare himself for tomorrow morning. Frodo felt like he was dragged into something he was not ready for. He briefly wondered if this was how his uncle had first felt when he went on his very first adventure.
That night Draco tossed and turned in her sleep. Her mind showed a town on a lake engulfed in flames, men, woman as well as children burning from the flames, a black arrow percing fleash and the cold icy darkness of water dragging her further downwards towards the bottom of the lake where a well preserved body of a dragon rested with a black arrow in it's chest where the heart was located. Where the arrow was located the chest began to glow softly. The dragon's closed eyes than appeared to snapped open as they glowed like fire in the dark murky water, it's razor sharp fangs seemed to lundge foreward at her.
Draco's eyes snapped open as she bolted upright breathing hard. She did not scream but felt like it was caught in the back of her throat. She had somehow manage to wake herself up just seconds before she could have screamed in terror. It took a few minutes for her to calm down before she silently slipped out of the bed before she looked out the window. Dawn was fast approaching as well as the start of this unwanted quest.
If the old man thinks i'm going to blindly trust this Strider person with my life, he is truly mistaken. I was foolish enough to trust Gandalf in thinking that he could help me, but he ony seems interested in playing mind games with me. I will not make that mistake a second time by trusting others so blindly. Draco thought coldly as she got dressed for the day. She left the room with her bag only to see Gandalf had left sometime during the night. Frodo stood there with Sam. She shifted her travel bag slightly before disappearing into the kitchen where she grabbed a sharp kitchen knife and hid it in her bag. Better to be safe than sorry, since I might be the only one in this group that actually knows how to fight. She thought before hurrying back to the two hobbits. She was wearing her black clothing once more. She would be able to hide in the shadows a lot better this way.
The three turned and left the house to begin their journey in complete silence.
To Be Continued...