Author's Notes: I don't own anyone from Lord of the Rings. If I did Frodo wouldn't have gone on to the Grey Havens. Legolas would be teaching me how to use a bow and arrow. Aragorn and Arwen would have been married long before the Ring was found. I don't own any of the Inu-Yasha characters. If I did, Sesshomaru would be joining Legolas in teaching me how to use a sword. Enjoy.
Recently I got copies of the show and saw that the spelling of Sesshomaru is indeed spelled wrong. Forgive me but I was going by what I saw in the magnas. I did correct the spelling in all the chapters.
Chapter 4
At the Prancing Pony
Tori shook her kimono slightly as she looked around the Inn. The Hobbits and children had followed her in and were also shaking themselves dry of the rain. Tori made her way through the drunks, and sober people, to the counter.
"Ah, a Lady." Mr. Butterbur leaned over the counter to see Shippo and Rin standing on either side of her. "And your children. We've got plenty of rooms for families."
"We're also going to need a room for some Hobbits." Tori motioned to the four Hobbits trying to avoid some of the drunks.
"But of course." Mr. Butterbur watched Frodo for a moment. "We've got some nice Hobbit-sized rooms, Mr. …"
"Underhill. Mr. Underhill." Frodo looked a little afraid of Mr. Butterbur. "We're looking for Gandalf the Grey."
"Gandalf? Gandalf? Old man with a beard?" Mr. Butterbur looked at the nods he was getting from Tori, the children, and the Hobbits.
"Have you seen him?" Tori looked around the room quickly.
"Nay. I've not seen him in more than six months." Mr. Butterbur didn't see the looks passing between Tori and Frodo since he was too busy rummaging in a drawer for two sets of keys.
Tori nibbled her bottom lip before placing several gold coins on the counter. "Our keys if you don't mind."
"Of course." Butterbur pushed the keys across the counter.
Tori scooped up the keys and led the way to the stairs. She handed one set to Frodo. "Take your room key. I'm going to put the children to bed." Tori grabbed Rin and Shippo's hands and led them up the stairs.
A strange man was coming down the hall toward them. He stopped for a moment before bowing gracefully to Tori, Shippo, and Rin. Tori dropped a quick curtsy and watched the man disappear down the stairs. Shippo and Rin were curious but kept it to themselves as Tori hurried them to the room. Tori unlocked the door and ushered the children into the room.
Shippo hopped up onto one of the two beds in the room. "What are we going to do, Tori? We can't stay here forever."
"I know, Shippo. I'm going to have to talk with Frodo and find out what he wants to do." Tori dropped onto the edge of the bed and buried her face into her hands. "The two of you will be safe. I'm going to leave Kirara with you."
"But don't you…" Rin wrapped her arms around her mother.
"No. She'll stay here with you." Tori smiled at Shippo and Rin. "Dry clothes and then to bed."
"Yes, ma'am." Shippo and Rin scrambled from the bed and hurried to get out dry clothes.
Tori rummaged in her bag and pulled out a dry kimono. Sesshomaru had made her get several kimonos so that she always had a change of clothes with her. She moved behind the screen set across one corner of the room and changed. She shook her head as she draped the wet silk over the screen to dry. She moved from behind the screen to find Shippo and Rin in bed with Kirara lying on the covers between them.
"I want the two of you to rest. I'll be back in a while." Tori moved toward the door and firmly closed it behind her. She slowly made her way down the stairs and into the common room of the Inn.
Frodo had ordered her half a pint of ale and he, Sam, and Pippin were waiting for her when Merry came back to the table with a pint of ale. Tori shook her head as Pippin ran off to get one for himself. Tori sipped on the ale as she listened to the conversations around her.
"We'd made it home and had to attend several weddings." The voice sounded familiar to Tori.
She didn't see Pippin moving over to listen to the strange man. "Then what happened?"
"Tori and Sesshomaru got married the day we got back. About a week later I mated with Ayame and Kagome and dog turd were wed." The man leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs. His tanned skin shone under the candlelight. His black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. "It's hard to believe that all that took place barely a week after we returned from Naboo."
"Did you say Tori and Naboo?" Pippin bounced on his feet slightly.
The man leaned forward and thumped the two legs on the floor. "Sure did, kid. Do you know her?"
"Do I know her? Lady Tori is a great storyteller. In fact, she's over there." Pippin pointed at the table where Tori was sitting with Merry, Sam, and Frodo.
The man jumped to his feet and followed Pippin to the table. "Tori? Is that you?"
Tori looked up and squealed. "Koga! Have you been here the whole time?" She flung herself into his arms.
"Sure have. Where have you been? Did you see any of the others?" Koga sat down after Tori sank back into her seat.
"I've been in the Shire. Rin, Shippo, and Kirara were with me." Tori pushed her ale toward Koga. "They're in our room."
"So you haven't seen any of the others?"
"Nope." Tori laid a hand on Koga's arm. "We'll find them. Believe me, we will find them."
Koga climbed to his feet. "Come on. I want to hear about everything that's happened to you and why you're here."
Tori climbed to her feet and looked at Frodo. "Maybe you guys should come too. I mean most of the story is yours, Frodo."
"Okay." Frodo climbed to his feet and followed after Tori with Sam, Merry, and Pippin right behind him.
Tori flopped down in one of the two chairs in her room as Koga took the other. The Hobbits lined up on Tori's bed. Koga noticed that Kirara was curled up at the foot of the bed containing Rin and Shippo. Koga watched Tori for a moment.
"So where've you been?" Koga leaned backing the chair.
"The Shire. That's where we landed. It was the day of Bilbo Baggins birthday…" Tori began the tale of how they had met Frodo and the other Hobbits. She told him of everything they had done in the Shire and why they were now in Bree. "…But Butterbur hasn't seen Gandalf in six months and he promised to be here."
Koga thought for a minute. "Do you still have the other half of the necklace?"
Tori pulled a matching necklace from her neck. This dragon was gold and wrapped around a white pearl. "Here. What are you going to do?"
"Do you remember what Sesshomaru told us? If you give one half of this necklace to a person, you would be able to see where they were and what kind of condition they were in." Koga took the necklace in his right hand. "Reveal your location." Nothing happened. "Damn. I forgot. Only you can do it, Tor."
"The next time I see Sirius, I'm going to hurt him for coming up with that name." Tori took the necklace back from Koga and held it so that it dangled before her eyes. "Reveal your location." Tori gasped as she watched the pearl. She could see a tower and Gandalf. She also saw Gandalf fighting another man. This man reeked of evil and Tori was terrified that Gandalf might be dead. She continued to watch and saw that Gandalf was indeed still alive. She breathed a sigh of relief as the pearl returned to its iridescent color. She knew that she couldn't tell Frodo that Gandalf had been in a fight so she smiled brightly. "Gandalf's fine. It seems that he's been delayed for a while. We're just going to have to…Ouch!" The dragon charm had sunk its teeth into Tori's hand. Tori looked at the pearl for a minute. 'Go to Rivendell' was scrolling across it. "Go to Rivendell. We're going to need a guide."
"We don't have the gold for a guide." Sam ran a hand through his hair.
Tori shrugged. "Maybe we can get someone with a good heart to help us." She climbed to her feet. "Go on out with the lot of you. Koga and I have to discuss some things." She ushered the Hobbits out of the room and closed the door behind them. She turned to Koga after she heard the footsteps fading down the stairs. "Gandalf's in trouble, Koga."
"What did you see?" Koga waited until Tori was seated before the roaring fire again. "Where's your friend?"
"He was attacked, Koga. He was attacked by the very man that he went to ask guidance from. What are we going to do?" Tori couldn't hold back the tears starting to stream down her cheeks.
"We'll do what you said earlier. We'll get a guide and head to Rivendell. There is a Ranger downstairs that might help. I believe he knows that the elves live…" Koga jumped to his feet as the door slammed open.
Tori jumped up when she saw the worried faces of Sam, Merry, and Pippin. "What happened?"
"We were walking downstairs when Pippin bumped Frodo. The Ring…It slid onto his finger and he disappeared." Sam was shaking badly as Tori turned to Koga.
"Not good. Not good." Tori looked down at Sam. "Then what happened?"
"When Frodo reappeared, a man grabbed him and disappeared up here." Sam tightened his grip on the skillet in his hand. "We've got to help Mr. Frodo."
"And we will." Tori looked over her shoulder at Koga. "Let's go."
-----
Twenty minutes earlier
Frodo sent one last look at the door to Tori's room before making his way down the stairs. He pulled the Ring from his pocket and spun it slightly in his hands. He never felt Pippin run into his back or heard Sam yelling at him not to fall. He only saw the Ring falling toward the floor. He dove toward it and watched fascinated as the Ring seemed to spin around his finger before settling on his finger. He vanished from sight but he could still see everyone around him. He quickly moved among the people and hid under the bar before pulling the Ring off his finger. Suddenly he was grabbed and hauled to his feet.
"You draw too much attention to yourself, Mr. 'Underhill'." The man who had bowed to Tori in the hallway when they first arrived carried Frodo up the stairs and into one of the rooms.
The Ranger rolled his eyes as he closed the door and proceeded to douse the candles with his fingertips. "I can hide so that no one can see me but to disappear completely is truly an amazing feat."
"What do you want with me?" Frodo was scared. He didn't know where his friends were or even where he was.
"A little more caution from you. That is no mere trinket you carry." The Ranger glared at Frodo.
"I carry nothing." Frodo had managed to shove the Ring deeper into one of his pockets.
The Ranger smirked slightly as he approached Frodo. "Really? Gandalf said that you would be stubborn but this is foolish."
"G-G-Gandalf?" Frodo jumped as the door smashed in. He smiled when he saw Tori and her friend standing before Sam, Merry, and Pippin. The Ranger had drawn his sword as the door had been smashed.
"Let him go, Ranger." Tori's sword was held at her side but she knew that she could defend herself in an instant.
"My Lady." The Ranger sheathed his sword and bowed to Tori. "Gandalf did not exaggerate your beauty or your temper."
Tori scoffed slightly but slid her sword back in its sheath. "Since you know Gandalf, you also know why we are waiting for him here."
"Yes. He told me that if he were not here when you arrived that I was to take you on to Rivendell." The Ranger moved toward one of the windows. "I would suggest that you gather your things and the children and return to my room. We must find somewhere else to spend the night."
"The Black Riders." Tori had barely spoken but could see that the Ranger had heard her. She whirled around to face Koga, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. "Go to your rooms and gather everything you can find. Koga, I want you to go and get the kids and Kirara. Bring them back here. I'm going with the Hobbits to take care of something."
"Right." Koga raced up the stairs while the Hobbits hurried to their room with Tori on their heels.
Tori grabbed several pillows and shoved them under the covers as the Hobbits gathered their things. She knew that the Ranger would keep Frodo safe no matter what happened. She grabbed a rug from the floor and proceeded to cut it into four mats that could be passed for hair, if you were a blind man. Sam, Merry, and Pippin slung their packs over their shoulders and hurried back to the Ranger's room. Tori closed the door behind her and noticed that Koga was talking with the Ranger. Damn it all to hell. I still don't know his name. Rin and Shippo were standing next to the pile of packs that Koga had brought from their rooms.
The Ranger looked Tori over. He knew that her kimono wouldn't be the best thing to travel in so he knelt to rummage in his pack. He withdrew a pair of leggings, a belt, and a tunic that had been given to him by the elves. "I suggest that you change, my lady. Your…"
"Kimono." Tori nodded slightly as she took the clothes from the Ranger. "Thank you,… I'm sorry but I still don't know your name."
"They call me Strider." Strider watched Tori disappear behind the screen in the corner. He busied himself with the packs as Tori tossed her kimono over the edge of the screen. "Stuff that in my pack, Strider."
Strider picked up the silk kimono and folded it before stuffing it in Tori's pack. "We must hurry, my lady." Strider looked up from the packs as Tori stepped from around the screen.
Tori looked around the room. Strider and Koga both stood stock still with their mouths hanging open. Tori half turned to look in a mirror and saw herself. The tunic was a bit loose but Tori had fixed that with a belt that Strider had also given her. With the leggings covering her legs and the belt around her waist, Tori thought she looked a bit like herself when she used to dress up for dates or to piss off her boss. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Koga had grabbed a cloak and was trying to drape it over her.
"Knock it off, wolf boy." Tori tossed the cloak back to Koga. "I'm not covering up."
Koga shoved the cloak into the bag. "Sesshomaru's going to kill me."
Strider grabbed three of the packs while Sam, Frodo, Merry, and Pippin grabbed each of their packs. Koga swung two packs onto his back. Tori finished tying her sword to the belt and headed for the door. Rin and Shippo were right behind her. Kirara jumped up onto Tori's shoulder while Strider pulled open the door. They snuck out the door and down that back stairs. Butterbur never knew that they had left.
-----
Tori covered Rin and Shippo with her blanket. Frodo was seated beside Strider who was looking out the window of the hayloft. Strider had decided that they should stay in the barn the farthest from the Prancing Pony Inn. Tori decided to settle in the hay near the window to watch what was happening. She snuggled down into the hay while Strider watched her. Suddenly they heard the screams of the Black Riders. Tori leaned forward and watched as the Riders entered the Prancing Pony. Tori grinned as she looked over her shoulder at Strider and Frodo.
"Do you think they realized that those were decoys yet?" Tori turned back to the window, effectively giving all the man, demon, and Hobbits a view like no other. She was wiggling slightly which made Koga growl softly. "What, Koga?"
"Would you please cover yourself?" Koga tossed a blanket toward Tori just as a scream from the Black Riders echoed through the village.
Strider pulled Tori from the window. "They discovered the decoys."
Tori shrugged slightly. "If only I had been there with my sword…"
"What does that sword do?" Strider noticed Tori settling her sword beside her.
"This? Sesshomaru had it forged for me by Totosai. One of its attacks is Blades of Fire." Tori patted her sword.
"I have never heard of a sword that does something like that." Strider's hand strayed to the handle of his own sword.
Tori nodded slightly. "What can you tell us about the Black Riders?"
"They were once great kings of men. At least they were until Sauron the Deceiver gave them nine rings of power." Strider gazed out the window.
"They were the nine for the kings of men?" Frodo snuggled into the hay next to Tori.
Strider nodded. "Yes. Now they are the Nazgul, or Ring Wraiths."
"So basically there is no way to destroy them, is there?" Koga looked hopeful.
"I have yet to find a way to kill them." Strider settled back into the hay. "I suggest you all get some rest. We will be leaving at dawn."
"Of course." Tori absentmindedly pulled a blanket over Frodo before turning to make sure Sam, Merry, and Pippin were all covered as well. "Good night, Strider."
"Good night, my lady." Strider turned back to the window to watch for the Nazgul and the approaching dawn while the others slept.