"Who goes there?" called out the grizzly old gatekeeper at the entrance to the city of Bree.
"We are traveling and wish to seek accommodation" replied Frodo, the cold making him shudder involuntarily.
"All right" said the gatekeeper, "Had to ask is all, there's a rumors of strange folk around"
He opened the gate and ushered the group inside. Ivy and the hobbits immediately made their way through the winding streets towards the welcoming warm glow of the Prancing Pony. They entered and waited at the bar enjoying the gentle warmth that was emanating from an open fire roaring at the opposite end of the inn.
"Err..." said the barman, "Can I help you?" It had been a long time since he had seen such a large group of Hobbits visit his establishment, let alone on such an evening as this, with evil traveling the night. Ivy stepped forward.
"We're friends of Gandalf the Grey. Can you tell him we've arrived?" she said.
"Gandalf?" asked the barman, "Grey haired chap with a pointy hat?"
The hobbits nodded.
"I've not seen him for six weeks"
Panic began to rise in Frodo. Where was Gandalf? What was going on? What should they do? Questions raced through his mind, questions a hobbit should never have to think about. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him as his stress levels continued to rise. Ivy turned to face the Hobbits, sensing his growing discomfort and distress.
"Perhaps he is late. We shall wait for him here a night" she said, trying to soothe the Hobbits, but her intuition and the reassurance from the small animals hidden in the dark warm places within the establishment around her told her that all was not well. She reached out for the near by plants and found nothing, there was no living plants within the walls of Bree, this caused her much discomfort, but also offered a silence she had never experienced before and she felt lonely.
They chose a table towards the back of the inn, in an attempt not to draw too much attention to themselves. Merry and Pippin immediately went up to the bar and got themselves a drink. Ivy, Sam and Frodo, however, were too lost in their thoughts about Gandalf to bother with ale.
"Baggins? Yeah I know a Baggins. Frodo Baggins" Pippin said, pointing to Frodo.
"Pippin, no!" cried Frodo as he stood up frantically. Frodo stood up and started to move towards Pippin and the men in the bar were suddenly very interested in him, much more interested than they should be, but slipped and landed on the cold stone floor, the ring flew out of his hand. He reached his hand up to catch it but it slipped on his finger instead. He vanished, causing uproar in the small tavern.
Frodo finally managed to get the ring off his finger and he breathed a sigh of relief. A hand suddenly came from nowhere and grabbed Frodo, lifting him off the ground. Ivy was watching them and tried to run after them but was blocked by a group of large men. This strange man entered a small room and let go of Frodo, dropping him to the ground.
"That is no trinket you carry" he said, extinguishing candles as he walked around the room, leaving only the firelight.
"I carry nothing" muttered Frodo.
"Indeed"
Suddenly, Sam, Pippin, Merry and Ivy burst in the room, Ivy lead the charge with all the animals she could coax out of their warm hiding places, fifty or so mice, rats and spiders scurrying around her feet in a wild frenzy.
"Let him go or I'll have you Long shanks," Sam yelled as he wielded a chair threateningly.
Aragorn looked at the creatures on the ground and took a step back. Suddenly, from outside in the distance, but far to close for comfort, a Black rider let out a high scream that made the hair on the back of Ivy's neck stand up.
"We cannot spend the night here; I offer you my help such as it is. Gandalf has been delayed I will lead you to Rivendell, where you will be relieved of your burden Frodo, but we can not linger here for long,"
Ivy reached out in her mind and thanked her friends for their brave assistance and sent them scurrying back to their homes. Aragorn lead them ino another room and blocked the door. Ivy leant against the window as the hobbits snuggled together in the larger bed. Aragorn sat looking out over Bree.
"Long have I desired to meet you Ivy of the earth, the stories of your gifts have traveled far and wide,"
Ivy felt herself going red. She turned and looked at him and then over at the young hobbits.
"It is what it is, what it has always been, I think it not special because it has always been their, since long before my friends were a thought in their grandparents minds,"
Aragorn smiled, she was well spoken this maiden of the earth. Gandalf would be proud, for her way was as mysterious and her word as riddled as that of her father.
The hobbits soon drifted into an uneasy sleep. Tossing and turning unsettled in their overcrowded bed. There was a bitter chill in the room and Aragorn had forbidden a fire. Ivy felt herself shiver violently although she had been trying to stop her self from doing so. Aragorn continued to look out the window, watching and waiting. Ivy watched the hobbits in silence, hoping that their sleep was a peaceful one.
Closer now, there was another Nazgul scream, that seemed to come from the very next room, the hobbit sized accommodation that Barliman had offered. This woke the hobbits and they gazed anxiously around. Now even more nervous and frightened than before.
There was a scuffling noise and the sound of hooves galloping away from Bree.
"We must leave," said Aragorn, "They will be hunting you even more closely now that you have deceived them"
The hobbits looked at one another, the fear showing on their round chubby faces.
"Ivy," said Aragorn, not noticing the hobbits, "We should leave now. We must reach Rivendell. Can you get the hobbits up and ready?"
Ivy nodded stiffly walking towards the hobbits and gently rousing them.
"Come" she said, "It is time"
Ivy and the Hobbits followed Strider through the shrubbery, wrapping their cloaks around them for warmth. It had begun to rain and they were all shivering violently. Suddenly, Strider stopped at the foot of a large hill.
"This is the watchtower of Amun Sul. We will rest here tonight"
They climbed the hill to a large platform. Ivy felt herself begin to relax just a little. The grass under foot was welcoming and so were the trees that grew slightly to the left. She smiled gently as she walked, letting them into her mind and thanking them for their warm welcome.
"What could you possibly be smiling about, Ivy?" Merry asked in a slightly aggravated tone.
Ivy snapped out of her trance like state, now was not the time for complex questions she would rather avoid.
"That is nothing for you to worry yourself about, master Meriadoc,"
Strider shook his head.
"I take comfort in being in the wilderness, with living things. Perhaps Ivy is the same. A man can breathe out here," he commented.
Merry was not really listening anymore as he had turned his attentions to Pippin who was complaining about his empty stomach.
"These are for you," said Strider, pulling out blades from under his cloak for them all. Four small ones for the hobbits and a long slender one for Ivy that was slightly curved with beautiful silver patterns on the scabbard and handle, Ivy peered closer at the patterns and saw that they were leaves and other living, growing things.
"I'm going to look around" He turned and walked down the hill, his sword drawn. Ivy looked up to question Strider about her blade but he was already gone.
Frodo lay down hoping to get some much-needed rest, despite his grumbling stomach. He groaned and wriggled trying to find a comfortable spot on the hard stones. They had been traveling all day and did not seem any closer to Rivendell as they had early this morning when they had left Bree. Ivy lay down next to Frodo and they huddled close together, keeping each other warm. Frodo soon drifted off to sleep, dreaming uneasy dreams.
A few hours later they awoke the sound of quarrelling hobbits. Ivy blinked her eyes and sat up. She looked over to Sam, Merry and Pippin who were fighting over who would get the last rasher of bacon. She jumped up and ran across to them, stamping on the fire frantically.
"You got ash on my tomato," complained Merry.
The plants were whispering incessant warnings to her.
"You can be seen for miles…. put it out…PUT IT OUT!" was their warning.
Ivy flopped to the ground and sighed, feeling exhausted from her rude awakening. Frodo made his way over to the group and took a plate of food from Sam.
"I saved you some, Mister Frodo,"
Frodo smiled gratefully and a rather red faced Pippin made his way around the remains of the fire and handed Ivy a plate.
"I saved this for you, Miss Ivy,"
Ivy leant forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. Pippin went a deeper shade of red.
Merry laughed out loud. "If you turn anymore red Pip, you will be as much a beacon for the black riders as the fire,"
Despite herself Ivy smiled. She was about to take another bite of her tomato when a warning ran through her mind.
"It is too late… They are coming!"
Ivy dropped her plate and it smashed on the rock ground.
A Nazgul shriek was heard in the distance.
They all grabbed their weapons and scrambled up the stairs to the top most level of the watchtower. They huddled together in a group and waited. Fear coursing through their veins. Ivy called on the living things around her for aid, but no answer came. Desperate she tried again, using most of her remaining energy, but still no reply was made. The living things were too frightened, she felt faint from the effort and Ivy struggled to concentrate on her pleas for help.
The Nazgul came, cloaked in black and wielding their poisonous Morgul blades. They advanced in on them, surrounding them. Sam, in a brave yet futile attempt to defend his master Frodo, lunged forward but was quickly and easily thrown aside, the Nazgul sensing that he was not the bearer of the ring. Ivy hung back, still desperately calling out in her mind for help. One of the Nazgul, sensing her gift, lunged for her, and Ivy, taken unawares, was thrown aside her head hitting the cold hard floor.
Frodo felt the urge to put the ring on, he could not resist, it was calling to him and slowly drew it out of his pocket. The Nazgul nearest to him sensed the ring and the others immediately stopped fighting Merry and Pippin and headed straight for Frodo. Frodo, panicking, no longer resisted the call of the ring instead slipped the ring on his finger and disappeared from sight.
The world appeared blurred once more, as it had in the inn at Bree. Around him stood nine men cloaked in white, tinged in a pale blue. They were advancing on him, and he felt his hand being pulled towards them as they called for the ring. He realized what was happening and pulled his hand back. The Nazgul that was reaching for the ring became enraged and pierced Frodo with his sword.
Frodo immediately pulled the ring off and screamed out in pain. The Nazgul continued to approach their trapped victim. Strider appeared brandishing his sword and a torch. He swung the torch at the Nazgul, setting it alight. It shrieked and ran from the watchtower in a flurry of flame. Strider struggled again, despite the odds being heavily weighed against him he defeated his immortal foes and sent them shrieking into the dark night.
Strider ran to help Frodo, who was already beginning to turn a sickly shade of green. Ivy recovered her self and crawled towards Frodo and cradling his head in her lap.
"He was stabbed by a Morgul blade," He said, as the sword crumbled into dust in his hand.
"This wound is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine"