Chapter 5

5 months later

Perci lounged in her throne, waiting. Waiting for what, she didn't know. But she knew she was waiting for something.

Her and Bilbo had arrived in Atlantis almost 5 months ago and it looked like Bilbo didn't want to leave and she wasn't going to push him to do so. It seemed whatever hold that ring had had on Bilbo had left a mark on his mind and the peace and simple lightness of Atlantis was chasing it away.

"My queen!" A lion roared coming into the throne room. Perci looked up from the knife she had been twirling.

"What is it, Kiki?"

"Hobbits, my lady, and a man were spotted entering the forest, one looked very pale and injured. And it looks like they are being followed."

"Followed? By what?"

"Black Riders."

Perci stood and began walking rapidly. "Get me a fast steed."

"You can't go out there by yourself!" The young lioness began to panic at the thought of their queen being injured or worse, killed.

"I can, and I will. I am the queen! Get my steed and then get the healing ward prepared. I'm going to be heading straight there with the injured as soon as I get back." The lioness didn't want to but did as she was told, bowing her head and racing off knowing that her queen would be changing clothes and would be ready to go in minutes.

There was no time to waste.

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"Athleas or Kingsfoil! That's what we need!" Strider called out to Sam as the two of them looked through the forest, trying to find something that could help save Frodo whom had gotten stabbed by a Morgul blade.

"Do you think she could help Mr Frodo?" Sam asked.

"Who?"

"Miss Perci."

"I do not know. I've never met her before." The hobbits didn't know that Strider was in fact Estel, the young human boy in Rivendell that had bonded with a pegasus and he didn't want to clue them in on his identity yet.

"I'm sure she can." Sam said confidently.

That was when Strider spotted the Athleas and grabbed some before Sam and him raced back to Merry, Pippin, and Frodo. He chewed up the plant and then spread it on Frodo's wound, causing him to cry out.

Then they heard the sound of a horse racing towards them. "Get behind me!" Strider stood in front of the hobbits with his sword drawn towards teh oncoming enemy.

But soon he and the non-injured hobbits relaxed. Out of the trees came a lightly armoured figure on a pure black stallion with a circlet on her brow and a slightly glowing sword in her hand. Three more horses carrying male Rangers and one being led by a Ranger appeared. Strider didn't recognize them, so knew they must be semi-retired Rangers, especially if they lived in Perci's kingdom.

"Perci!" "Miss Perci!" The hobbits cried out in relief.

"What has happened to Frodo?" Perci exclaimed dismounting her horse and coming towards them, kneeling down on the other side of the hobbit, the other three hobbits huddling themselves around the familiar figure.

"He was stabbed by a Morgul blade."

Perci's eyes widened. She saw Strider's waterskin on his side. "I don't have my healing supplies with me but I can stave off the vileness of a Morgul blade until I reach the healing ward. I'm going to need your water skin, Ranger."

Strider willingly gave the woman his water skin and he wasn't the only one that watched on in awe as the water came out of the water skin at the command of the Lady of the Sea.

The water wrapped itself around her hands and began to glow blue. She lowered her hands and placed them lightly over the wound. She nodded in approval of the Athleas spread already over the wound.

Frodo began to trash and cry out at the healing magic Perci was enacting, calling him back from the shadows that wanted to claim him. Frodo's eyes opened blearily.

"Perci?" He whispered before going unconsious once again.

"I need to get him to Atlantis to heal him fully. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis will carry the hobbits and Ranger there is another horse for you. We need to move."

"My lady there are Black Riders out there!"

"I know. That's why we need to move."

And move they did. Perci led them back through the forest at a full gallop with Arthos and Sam behind her. Porthos and Pippin behind them. Strider and Merry behind them, with Aramis bringing bringing up the rear. They were almost to the cave that led to the beach that anchored Atlantis to land when they heard a screech behind them. Perci didn't even pause as she continued on, even as the Black Riders began to come out of the trees.

She slowed her horse down just enough to pass Frodo as gently as she could to Aramis before spinning her horse around to face the oncoming enemy.

"GO!" She commanded as the Rangers started to slow. Perci then felt a tug in her stomach and in the land between the forest and the cave entrance which used to be a river was a dry bed. Then all of a sudden, water came crashing towards the Black Riders that were attempting to charge Perci but they were swept away by the water, their screeches being washed away. The river, which was a river now, was ten foot deep, ten feet wide, and a hundred feet long. No one without her permission was going to be able to even cross it now. Perci turned her horse back towards the cave entrance and began to race after the hobbits and Rangers. She came out of the cave to see her two stone guards guarding the entrance like they should be from any intruders.

"Guards! Let them pass!" The two stone guards removed their spears and brought them back to their sides and became stone once more, acting like the statues they are. Perci took Frodo back from Aramis. "I need to get Frodo to the healing ward. Athos, send out messengers to Rivendell, Mirkwood, Lorien, Erebor, Iron Hills, Gondor, and Rohan, as well as to Gandalf."

"And have them say what?"

"Tell them that Black Riders surround Atlantis, that the One Ring has been discovered."

Perci had been racing towards the healing ward as she talked, the hobbits and men following. The three hobbits and Strider were looking around in awe, having never seen it before. Strider's mother had forbidden him from going when Lord Elrond and his elves had gone after the Battle of the Five Armies and this was his first time seeing it.

"Kiki and Kia will lead you four to your rooms and will come and get you when dinner is being served. Athos, have the messengers ride a Pegasi or Threstral. I want the messages to get there as quickly as possible."

Athos, Porthos, and Aramis bowed their heads and departed.

"Who are Kiki and Kia?" Merry asked. Pippin began nudging his best friend and favorite cousin fore he had spotted what Sam, Merry, and Strider had not.

Perci didn't hear them as she had finally reached the healing ward and had entered.

"We are Kiki and Kia." The three males turned and their eyes widened. Two large tawny colored cats stood in front of them and they could see more prowling further throughout the city.

"Uh, how can you talk? Animals can't talk in the Shire!" Pippin blutrted out, his voice squeaking.

"The Power of Atlantis and of Queen Persephone allows us and most of the animals on Atlantis to speak. Now come, you have some time to clean up and rest before the queen calls for you."

Strider and the hobbits slowly followed the big cats, their minds slowly drifting back towards the hobbit currently fighting for his life and the monarch that is helping him fight.

They hoped Frodo would be able to pull through. But they shouldn't have worried.

Frodo was a Baggins and he had a great destiny and journey ahead of him.