Lord of the Rings was created by the genius J.R.R. Tolkien.
Chapter 13: A Drum In Our Chest
Through the cool air the light of the sun shined down on us as we walked through the different areas of Shire. Not to long after we started walking my arms had gotten tired of carrying Sparkle so I wrapped a small blanket around her and had let her walk on her own. The view before us was similar to what I had seen on the way to Hobbiton so most of the time I would just watch whose ever small head was in front of me.
We passed many large trees, farm lands and a small waterfall. For the waterfall my eyes lingered on it to long and I tripped over a rock and stumbled right into mud. It wasn't a big deal but I prefer to keep rocks and mud from getting trapped underneath my sneakers. Traveling once again gave me the perspective of how much I love nature yet how unsuited I was for it. It was minutes later that we started walking through a grassy field while Sparkle hopped through it.
Although Sparkle usually shied away from people and new places in her time in Hobbiton she had became very fond of both the people and the Shire. And she has become a more playful dog, to bad we have to leave even if it is for a short amount of time. Hopefully a very short amount of time. There was no way I was going to experience the worst things about Middle Earth. Middle Earth may be as beautiful as New Zealand but it has perils that I can't even hope to fight off.
When the sun was not in our sights and the land was nearly dark we had decided to stop for a nights rest. We were surrounded by trees and logs but it felt safe to let down our guard. I had already made a place to sleep for when it became completely dark using my own coat and jacket for extra blankets, which Sparkle had already had taken the liberty to dig a little tunnel into making a small cozy coat cave for herself. Although my throbbing feet made sure that I was not in the best of moods I still felt the need to talk more with Sam. He has spoken to me before but he has never had a real conversation with me. I suppose Frodo saw the thoughtful look on my face as I observed Sam because when I looked up at him he gave me a silent smile and nodded over at Sam. I smiled up at Frodo while he relaxed on the limb of a tree and then I went over and sat by Sam as he cooked our meals.
"Hello Sam." I said as I rubbed my arms that were getting goosebumps from the cold air, I didn't take my jacket because it would be long before would under my blankets. Sam tilted his head my way before turning back to what he was doing.
"Hello Jessica ." He said and then I gave him a social smile.
"So how are you doing on this trip so far?" I asked him. He looked away from the tomatoes and up to me.
"Well if you must know I don't like walking these long distances. But at least we have good food." He said putting his eyes back on the tomatoes, before this journey I wouldn't ever have eaten tomatoes like I have been. Surprisingly they are better for more things then pasta and sandwhiches.
"Yes thank goodness for that." I said with a smile. "But is there something that you're going to miss more than anything?" Sam tilted his head before answering.
"Rosie." He whispered. Oh.
"Roses? Yeah I guess as a gardener you would miss those." I knew about the women he was talking about but he usually gets very uncomfortable when someone points out how he fancies Rosie. So I pretended to misunderstand him so he wouldn't feel embarrassed.
"Yes. Yes I do very much." Sam said as he nodded vigorously and went along with what he thought was a fortunate misunderstanding. Suddenly his head lifted up and it appeared as if he was looking for something behind the trees. I was going to ask him what was wrong but then I heard it.
A beautiful noise that my ears have never known before could be heard through the trees. When I turned my head towards the sound I saw a light that seemed to be coming closer as the sound that I could identify as voices was becoming louder as well. Frodo was looking a head from the top of a tree with a surprised expression on his face.
"Wood elves!" He said excitedly and then he jumped down from the tree. Frodo, Sam and I scrambled behind a ridge to watch them without being seen. But I knew that elves had mighty good hearing.
"What if they hear us?" I asked no one in particular.
"They won't hear us if we whisper." Sam whispered firmly to me. Okay I got it so maybe I have a tendency to be a little loud. I turned away from my friends and started to observed the elves.
Some of the elves were walking gracefully through the forest and others were on horse back and they seemed to have their own blue light shining out from them. As I listened to their haunting song I felt as though I were being pulled hazily into a dream.
~I looked at my surroundings and my mouth opened in surprise and in wonder because in place of the dead tree I had been hiding behind was a bed. This clearly wasn't the forest anymore...it wasn't even outside , this was someone's room. It had a wardrobe, and a nightstand right next to large bed. I pressed my hands into the bed and pushed myself up which gave my hands an excuse to feel how soft the sheets were. The layers of the sheets on the bed were green, brown and red and had a golden design on them while a silk under sheet sheet had beige coloring. The bed was massive and wooden like the wardrobe in the corner and everything was delicately designed and had a earthy feel to it. The room was large as well, beyond the bed there were three long rounded steps that reached from the doorway to the other wall. At the end of these steps were three couches with a beautiful rug in front of them as they faced toward a lit fireplace and on the other side facing the couches was a beautiful brown desk.
As I became more unsettled about this unfamiliar place I walked backwards until my back hit a wall but when I tried to lean back further into it to I felt nothing but wind blow softly right above my upper back. Curious of what I might see I turned around slowly to see a perfectly pointed arch window open in the creamy brown brick wall. The window welcomed cold air to greet me and made my body ripple with shivers so I wrapped my arms around myself. I saw from the window that I was very far off the ground, most likely four stories high and I was in a place that i'm sure I had never stepped foot in until today. I noticed that this building was rather large and it was surrounded by other beautiful looking buildings too. And beyond these structures I could see an eerie looking forest that not so far away and its canopy was beautiful and full of life even when the night changed and dulled its color making harder to full observe. Where am I? Where is Frodo and Sam?
I knew that neither one of these questions could be solved just standing in this room but I was afraid to leave. I looked down the window again and noticed some people,a man and a women, come out of gazebo so I ducked really low so that I wouldn't be seen from the window. as I peaked at them I noticed something about them once my eyes had adjusted. They were glowing...like the elves I had just seen. I now realized now that I was most likely in an elven kingdom, but which one? I crawled away from the window and stood up next to it. Maybe I should leave...I could probably sneak out somehow and find a way back to Frodo and Sam. What am I thinking I could never do that without a horse, a map and someone who actually knows how to read a map.
As I was letting out a frustrating sigh I heard the dark handle of the carved arch door turn and I was frozen where I stood. My body was still with suspense when the door opened gently and a light blond head that owned fierce light blue eyes came into my sight as well as the rest of him. He was tall and lean yet still very muscular and clothed in warriors wear. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest as his blue eyes observed me with suspicion as his eyebrows knitted together. He watched me as I stood there frozen near the window, not as much from fear but it was as if his eyes that were holding me in that single spot. He closed the door behind him even more gently then he had opened it and then he took long strides over to me making my heart beat even heavier in my chest. When he came to stand two feet away from me he had a contemplative expression on his face while he observed me more slowly as I shook, he looked at me from my feet to my face which I am more then certain looked terrified as his named kept ringing in my mind...Legolas, Legolas, Legolas... I knew him, but he didn't know me and because of that I had no idea what was going to happen to me.
He didn't say anything to me yet he just went over to the wardrobe and opened it and pulled a green blanket from it before shutting it back. He then walked back over to me and pulled the blanket comfortably around my shoulders before he took a step back. Of course my height stopping 5'5 and his about 6'1 I would have to look up to him. My light brown eyes came into contact with his light blue ones and I felt my heart swell and beat harder in my chest, the silence that erupted from us made me feel more jumpy. Just before I was about to break the silence with a thank you he beat me to it.
"Would you like to sit down?" He asked me before he nodded his head towards the couches. I knew that he was just being polite because curiosity and suspicion still burned within his eyes as he looked at me. I nodded my head softly at him before I walked down the stairs with him next to me and then I went over to center couch and sat on the right side of it. Legolas sat on the left side of the couch on the right, which was right next to me. This time we were not in silence for long.
"I remember your, Jessica." He said and I nodded slowly how did he know that. "But I want to know why you are here. And explain to me what happened the first time I saw you." He didn't say it harshly but it was clear that it was a demand. I could already see this is not heading in a direction that would work out for me. I pulled the blanket tighter around me and took a even breath before answering him.
"I don't know what to tell you, i'm as lost as you are. Nothing like this has ever happened to me befor-wait what do you mean first time?" I asked him confused.
"You don't remember..." He started then he squinted his eye as and lifted his head higher. "I was bathing in my own private bath then I somehow woke up in a river...with you." As he spoke my mind raced through my memories trying to find the one that he was describing until I did and my eyes opened wider.
"I remember...You're Legolas of the Greenwood." I said looking at his handsome face.
"Yes I am. But what else do you remember?"He said.
"I don't know..." I said with the images of what happened going through my mind. Oh god.
"Then how would you explain what happened at the river and you being in my room right now?" He asked accusingly. I stood up and backed away from him and he watched me from where he sat.
"You think I did that? We were both..." Nude. I couldn't even say the word out loud. I remember my face pressed against his chest as I cried my heart out to him. Why would I do that?
"Yes I suppose it does sound hard to believe that a women would be able to do that... And in the state we were both in was more than an inconvenience." He said said looking at me as if he could see who I was simply by looking into my eyes. "Do you at least remember how you came here?" He asked.
"I was in the forest with my friends we were resting for the night. But then we saw elves...And then everything became hazy then I was here..." I said.
"Can any of these friends of yours do anything that could make them be the ones behind this?" He asked. I shook my head at him.
"Absolutely not they are hobbits and one of them is a gardener." I said sitting down in the center of the couch. Then I turned my head and looked at Legolas and he this look of concentration on his face before he turned and looked towards me when my stomach rumbled loudly. I put my arms around my stomach slightly embarrassed.
"I left before we had dinner." I said. Legolas give me a nod then he got up off the couch.
"Wait here." He said before leaving the room. I turned my head away from the door and towards the fireplace as I thought about what we discussed. How could I forget about last time? Why do we keep meeting? After five minutes Legolas came back into the room with a tray balanced on one of his hands then he shut door and came over to the couch and sat by me. I looked at the food before I looked at him wordlessly asking was it for me before he gave me a nod and answered me vocally.
"Go ahead, we can talk while you eat." He said to me before I gratefully took the tray from his lap.
"Thank you very much." I said then I started eating the bread that was on the tray and he gave me a small bow with his head. I was starting to wonder whether that was an elf mannerism or maybe just his. I picked up a fork and started eating the strawberries on my plate. They were so pleasingly sweet a small smile had appeared on my lips.
"Are you sure that you do not know why this has happened to us?" He asked me again which made me turn my head to look at him.
"I don't see why this has happened. The first time I didn't even think it was real. I thought that I had just fell asleep while soaking..." I said while thinking about the experience, then something came to my mind. "Can I ask you something?" I said. Legolas looked away into the fire with only his eyes.
"Yes." He said.
"I'm not the type of person to confide in a someone that i'm not close to much less a stranger. That's why I find it confusing to why I had just give all that I was feeling to you in that moment. And I am wondering why did you comfort me in the river?" I asked him.
"It was strange. I didn't know why I was there but when I saw you cry I felt different. I felt that you needed me." He said and I could tell that he was anything but comfortable admitting that but that didn't stop me from getting butterflies in my tummy.
"So it wasn't just me that was different..." I said. We sat in a silence that was oddly comfortable and we both just watched the flames in the fireplace until I spoke once again.
"When do you think i'll go back, I mean it happened last time to you...and I need to help my friends." I said.
"We'll have to wait and see." He said and I looked away from the flames and at him. Our eyes connected once again tonight and I felt warmer inside. Why were we leaning closer together..? I could feel his gentle breath on my face sending my head into a spinning spiral. Why is he looking at me that way..? Our lips were just about to brush against each other when a knock came from the door. I jumped away from him and he pulled away from me quickly. Oh my goodness...
Legolas stood and started walking towards the door but before he opened it he gave me a look that asked me to be quiet. So I gave him an understanding nod and put my head on the cushions of the couch to hide. I couldn't really hear what he was saying to whoever was at the door but when he was in the room once again I heard him say thank you. When I heard the door shut I lifted my head off the cushions and saw that he was holding a sylvaner.
"Have you ever had elvish wine before?" He asked me.
"I've never had wine before." I said.
"Mm. I don't have the company of humans much but I can tell that you are old enough to drink wine." He said as he poured some of the wine into a cup on his nightstand. I wondered if he meant simply by looking at my body, not in a sexual way of course. It just was obvious that my chest was nowhere near small or medium in size. Why did my chest come to my mind? Well because I was a little self conscious about it because it seemed to be the only that boys noticed about me.
"I guarantee that this is the best elvish wine in the three elven kingdoms. Would you like to have some?" He asked asked me while he held the sylvaner's opening over the other cup. Was he trying to shake off what was about to happen before someone was at the door? Oh well...I nodded my head timidly to him and bit my lip as he started to pour me a cup of wine. I knew that when I would turn twenty one I wasn't going to drink vodka or beer because my friends and my sister would tell me how terrible the taste was, not to mention the example of the stumbling people who abuse it on a regular basis. But wine everyone says that its taste was made to be savored and enjoyed. And I guess I have seen it on so many romantic movies or classics that had the rich drinking it without treating it like it was another useless item in their lives made me want to see what it was like.
I felt like I had been sitting to long so I went over to him instead of him coming over to me again. He held out a cup of wine to me and I took it with a small smile on my face.
"Thank you." I said.
"You are welcome." He said before he took a drink of his wine and then I took a shy sip of mine. The garnet colored liquid went gently passed my lips and into my mouth, deliciously sliding onto my tongue giving me the sweetest most pleasing taste in my mouth.
"Oh mm." Was the embarrassing sounds that came out of my mouth and caused Legolas to look at me. "The taste is surprisingly amazing." I said.
"Good." He said. As I drink the sweet wine with him I started to feel the night take its toll on me.
"So, what am I going to do? What if I can't go back to where my friends are?" I asked him.
"We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but if you don't get back by then i'll try to help and get you back where ever you came from." He said.
"You will, thank you so much!" I said and he gave me a hint of a smile before he sat down on his bed which looked absolutely comfortable.
"You are tired." Legolas stated while getting up from his bed."You can sleep here." He said. I rocked my empty cup from side to side before he took it away from my hands and sat it on his nightstand.
"Why are you being so kind to me." I asked him and then he lifted an eyebrow at me."I mean you're obviously a strong warrior and if I just met you for one moment I would have never guessed that you were this kind." I said.
"If I were you meeting me for the first time in a moment I would think the same as well." He said. I looked at him as he stood in front of me.
"Why are you so kind to me?" I asked him again. As he looked down at me he took a step closer but for me it wasn't close enough. I needed him closer.
"I feel that you need me and somehow I need you to. I don't know what for yet." He said.
"Mmm."What was happening to us?
"It's strange how we are nearly complete strangers and we feel this way." I said.
"That is true we only know each other's names." He said and I gave him a sleepy smile.
"Yes but last time could hardly count as a proper meeting. We try again." I said and they I was rewarded with a peculiar expression. "My name is Jessica Jones." I said as I unconsciously held out my head in an official manner.
"And I am Legolas Greenleaf of the Greenwood." He said with a small bow of his head. I nodded and was still holding out my hand for him to shake it and he looked at it with a question in his eyes.
"Where i'm from we shake hands when we have an official meeting." I said and he gave a small smile and a nod before taking my hand and shaking it. I tried to give him another smile but it was interrupted by a yawn. Our hands stayed connected together as I covered my mouth with my other hand.
"You should sleep." Legolas said as he was about to let go of my hand but I held onto it.
"Don't go." I said. I needed him.
"You need me." He said and I nodded."I'll stay, but I have to change." He said before letting go of his hand and turning around to go to his wardrobe. I turned around to give him privacy while he quietly undressed out of his battle gear, the loudest thing in the room was my breathing.
After I heard the wardrobe door close I face him again and he gestured towards the bed. I nodded before getting under the soft sheets that rubbed against my skin gently and I sunk into the comfortable bed as if it was waiting for me a year. From my head to my feet I was ready to sleep but when Legolas got in the other side my hand had to seek his first...but it was his that found mine. I opened my eyes and saw his face, his soft looking lips, his square jaw line and nicely shaped eyebrows. But what made me bring myself go over to his side more was his blue crystal eyes. Unexpectedly his arm found its way around my natural waist and he brought me closer before he whispered into my ear.
"We barely know each other but this need is clearly turning into a want." He said and then I slid my hand up his arm.
"I completely understand that. I have never been like 'this' with anyone" I said looking into his eyes. And now as my eyelids started to drop I felt his chin on the side of my head as he held me closer then I drifted off to an amazing sleep. To bad it didn't feel that way in the morning.
~I woke up looking up at the sun's rays shining through the branches and leaves of the trees and the sound of birds chirping. My back was laying on the cold ground and I had my blankets thrown over me. I sat up and looked around myself quickly realizing that I was back in the forest when I saw my friends Frodo and Sam sleeping quietly underneath their blankets. The smell of the forest hitting my nostrils again and again was becoming a wake up call as I looked ahead finding more and more trees. I noticed that there was a very warm spot underneath my blanket and lifted it up and my eyes caught a small furry dog in them. Of course Sparkle would be here...
The more I stayed up the more I thought about what happened. I'm glad to be back here with them but I feel a lost from not being with Legolas anymore, I wish that we had more time. I started to stretch the same time Frodo stated to wake up and soon after that Sam and him were both up on their feet and getting ready for another day of walking.
"Morning Frodo, Morning Sam." I said as I started to pick up my things.
"Good morning Jessica." Frodo said.
"Mornin' Jessica." Sam said while he started to cook breakfast.
"So how did you two sleep?" I asked.
"As well as you can on a bumpy ground with giant roots going through it." Sam said in a grumpy tone which caused Frodo to smile.
"We're not used to a night without a feathery bed. But what you Jessica?" He asked. Did he noticed my disappearance last night? What am I thinking of course they did! I was gone for hours!
"Hm?" I pretended to play dumb and he gave me a wider smile.
"Were you used to the outside before you came to the Shire? Because as soon as we turned away from the elves you were in a heavy sleep." He said. Huh?
"Heavy sleep?" I asked.
"Yes, we had tried to wake you so that you could sleep in the spot laid out for you but you wouldn't stir." Sam said.
"Oh...well yesterday made me beyond tired. But i'm sure i'll get use to it." I said.
"And i'm sure that I won't get use to it, ever." Sam grunted and Frodo and I laughed at how grumpy he was being.
I was here the whole night? That can't be right. I thought to myself as I rubbed Sparkle between the ears.
After we all had our breakfast and we were done packing we set off for another day of walking.
It was when the sun was high up in the sky did we start walking through a corn field and I had to start carrying Sparkle so that she wouldn't get lost. Frodo, Sam and I walked a few feet away from each other and I was somewhere in between them. From the side of my eye I could see Frodo looking up at me as we walked on the path that went through the corn field, so I looked down at him before speaking.
"What is it Frodo?" I asked him curiously. Frodo looked a head of us after I caught him staring then he looked back up to me once again.
"I was wondering..." He started. As the seconds ticked by I became even more curious about the question that he was hesitating to ask.
"Go ahead Frodo, you've got my attention." I said.
"I was thinking about Bilbo. How he always told me that I should be careful when it comes to stepping out my front door. Because I might not know where my feet will lead me. I always hoped that it would be true. But, what about you?" He asked me. I thought about what he had said and looked at the grown in front of my feet as we walked together.
"I always loved to imagine different adventures I could take. But never have I wanted to venture out or to do anything dangerous." I said.
"Oh, well most people do-"
" Mr. Frodo!? Jessica?! Frodo?!" We heard Sam yell from somewhere down the dark brown dirt path and so we look ahead for him. Frodo and I with Sparkle in my arms ran froward to make sure that he was alright because he had yelled in a distressful tone.
"Sam!" Frodo called for him. As we both started to round the curved path Sam came jogging into our sights with a very worried look on his face. The he looked between Frodo and I with the same worried look on his face.
"I thought that I lost you." He breathed and Frodo gave he a confused look.
"What do you mean Sam?" He asked. Sam looked hopeless and if not a little embarrassed to be that way in front of me.
"Don't you lose him Samwise Gramgy. That's what Gandalf said to me. And I don't mean to lose you Mr. Frodo." He told Frodo. I took my eyes off of their soft moment for a second as if I could give them mire privacy. In that moment apart of me wondered would I ever be so lucky to have any friends like them. Sure I had acquaintances that I would talk to at school but a couple months later of talking and having lunch together it was back to being total strangers. So either they would distance themselves from me or the other way around. Why didn't I have any lasting relationships? I don't know, there's just this feeling of a disconnection that comes over time.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when in that moment two hobbits decided to run right into Frodo and Sam and they all fell down right in front of me along with the vegetables that they were carrying. Sparkle claimed my shoulder and leaned her head away from me to bark loudly at them for startling her. Thank goodness I was a couple of feet away from Frodo and Sam or else I would have been apart of that heap of hobbits.
I stood there with a mix of surprise and confusion on my face until I sat Sparkle on the path and went over to help them up. After they were all on their two feet I huffed when I recognized the two who ran into Frodo and Sam. Merry and Pippin of course, besides hearing about the trouble these two cause daily I myself have first hand experienced the mischief from these two. My attention didn't stay on them for long when I heard the sound of a loud barking dog and a man yelling obscenities.
"You've been into farmer Maggots crops!" Sam accused them.
"What the..?" I said when I looked up through some of the corn. I saw a sythe coming towards us through the corn field and I had a uncomfortable suspicion that it belonged to the angry person that was coming for us. "Uh, guys I think that we sh-" I begun to tell them that we should go however when I turned around they were already running away."Hey!" I yelled before I started to run into the corn field after them. As we were running through the corn field I was repeatedly getting hit in the face by corn because I had to use my hands to cover Sparkle while the others had one to two free hands. And although I could tell that the others were also getting hit I knew that none of them were suffering as much as me by how many times Pippin and Merry were opening their mouths. They were telling us how the farmer was clearly overreacting, but from what I heard he clearly was not.
I heard their voices getting further away from me so I started to run faster so that I wouldn't lose them. Then unexpectedly the corn field ended and I bursted out of it and into the backs of the hobbits who were at the edge of the ground causing them to fall over faster then they already were. There was a moment before I fell that I had a perfect view of the lovely gorge that we were about to fall off into and I unconsciously tightened my arms around Sparkle before falling. After about eight seconds of falling and yelling down gorge we finally hit the lower level of ground and boy did it hurt.
When I opened my eyes I saw that we had landed on a dirt road and huffed before I stood up to check Sparkle for injuries. It was a little difficult to separate her from my shoulder because she was hanging on for dear life but when I did I didn't need to look at my shoulder to know that there were red claw marks there. After I was done looking over Sparkle I knew that she was fine but really filthy from all of the dirt we went through on the way down. So I sat her on the ground and dusted her off the best I could before I did the same to myself.
Over on the other side of the road Pippin and Merry were fighting to get over to some mushrooms first then when they did get over to them they started to eat them.
"You're not going to wash it before you eat it?" I asked them and they looked up from where they laid on the ground up to me.
"Why? A little dirt never hurt anybody." Merry said and I looked at him with a squinted eye and an uncertain smile.
"Would you like half o' one?" Pippin asked me.
"Oh no thank you, you go ahead and enjoy yourself." I said and I am sure enough that they no problem with that by way they stuffed their mouths. I looked away from them to Sam and he shook his head at them. I felt Sparkle between my legs as I started to stretch but then I stopped when the soreness in my butt made itself known.
"Are you alright Jessica?" Frodo asked me. I kicked a broken carrot with my foot and looked at him.
"A little soar but i'll live. What about you?" I asked.
"I'm alright." He said, then he started to look at ahead of the road. I turned away from Frodo and looked down at my feet and at Sparkle which were both planted on the dirt road. My eyebrows pushed themselves together while a thought went through my head 'aren't we supposed to stay off of the road'? Then I turned my head and looked at the rest of the hobbits.
"Let's pack some mushrooms for later!" Merry said to Pippin who had pulled out a sack from his pocket ready to fill it. I looked away from them and at Frodo.
"Frodo shouldn't we stay off of the road?" I asked him but he stood still with his eyes concentrated on something possibly coming our way. I scowled once again before my eyes widened in realization of what was coming for us.
I heard a scream in the distance. It sounded high pitched and like a bunch of different recorded animal noises playing backwards at the same time. My heart stopped.
"Get off the road!" Frodo yelled as fear etched itself across his face. Soon everyone heard the sound of hooves beating harshly against the ground and started to run across the road to hide in the forest. I grabbed Sparkle before doing the same as them. We all jumped over an overhanging tree root but only the hobbits went to hind underneath them because obviously I couldn't fit.
They all looked at me with a worried expression and before Frodo got in with them he gave me an even more intense look. Never have I ever seen someone with this much worry in their eyes for me since my mother thought that I had jumped off the roof of our house and died. Which I didn't she just couldn't see the trampoline that I had landed safely on from the inside before she came running out of the house for me.
"Hide!" Frodo hissed at me before he went hesitantly went under the overhanging tree roots. I nodded to him before I looked around frantically for a place to hide. When I heard another high pitched scream I took four quick steps forward and held Sparkle tighter to me.
"Hurry!" I heard Sam whispered. Then I spotted a log that was laying on the ground up ahead that was just big enough for me to fit. I ran quickly over to it and put Sparkle into it before I ducked inside of it. Then I scooted away from it's opening enough and then I lifted Sparkle back into my arms before glances timidly around the log. It was dry and had beetles in, and as I looked at them I felt my skin crawl.
There was a sound of hissing in forest that caused Sparkle's ears stand up making to right angles. She clearly felt the danger of the situation as much as I did. She growled and then looked ready to bark but used my fingers to wrap them around her small snout before she could.
"Please be quite, please be quite." I whispered to her because I was afraid that she would give us away. She looked up at me from the side of her eyes and shivered violently, she was afraid just as much as I was. I took a soundless deep breath before releasing it silently. I needed more oxygen since my heart was beating like a drum inside of my chest. I had been taking swallowed half breaths so my breathing wouldn't be heard but I felt like I was suffocating.
Then I saw something wearing black past the opening of the log and breaths became shallow again. I laid my chin over Sparkle's head and onto my knees after I started to hear the sound of both hissing and sniffing. There was a eerie suspenseful silence that settled into the forest and pulsed through it. 'Please go away. Just go away.' I wished in my thoughts.
Not so far away I heard the sound of a rock being thrown and then saw the black figure pass my hiding place again this time with a quicker motion. It's leaving, I thought but then I heard something making foot steps through the leaves on the ground near the opening of log once again. Fear crammed itself into my body and I went tense. After Sparkle started to growl again I just look in the other direction because I was afraid of what was going to happen next.
The shuffling stopped just outside of the entrance then something grabbed my shoulder and everything in the air stopped for me.
"Jessica!" I heard Sam say and the could breath again. Thank goodness! After I climbed out of the log in a hurry I pulled Sparkle out and then I saw Merry throw a bag of vegetables in another direction to lead the black figure astray.
"We have to get out of here before it comes back!" Merry hissed and we all ran for our lives. After a short while of running as fast as we could away from the road we were left gasping loudly for air.
"Thank goodness we lost it." I huffed.
"What was 'it' exactly?" Merry asked me and I opened my mouth and then closed it after I realized that I was unable to answer.
"It doesn't matter right now. What we need to do is wait until it's gone." Frodo said and that's what we did.
We had been wondering around until nightfall while we waited for the riders that were patrolling the area to go away. Frodo was now checking from his hiding place behind a tree to see if the black riders were finally gone.
"They're gone!" Frodo said in a hushed voice.
"Yes, but why were they here? What was that black rider looking for?" Merry asked Frodo after he stumbled towards him.
"We have to leave the Shire. Sam, Jessica and I must go to Bree." He said after several curious seconds went by. I rubbed Sparkle on the head as I watched the motions pass over Merry's face until a look of the determination took him.
"Buckleberry ferry can get you there, follow me." He said.
We all started following him as he started running through the forest. We kept maneuvering our way around the trees and bushes in the dark until a dark horse jumped its way into our path.
"A black rider! Run!" Sam yelled as we tried to get away from it. Just when I was about to head forward towards where the others were running the rider grabbed my hair.
"Uh!" I said but then out of nowhere this bursting flame set it's hand on fire causing it to screech and let go of my hair. I fell forward and held Sparkle with one hand while rubbing my head with the other before I took off once again. I ran after the hobbits towards a fence and we all started jumping over it. I nearly stumbled because I only had one free hand.
Beyond the fence there was a small watch house, two lit lanterns and a raft tied to the dock. After we saw the raft we started to run faster because we were so close to getting away. Merry, Pippin, and Sam hopped onto the raft and Merry began to untie the rope connecting it to the dock.
I looked at all of them before turning to Sam individually.
"Sam where's Frodo!?" I asked him and he looked behind me at something else. It was Frodo being chased by a single rider.
"Frodo hurry!" I yelled as I watched Frodo run towards us as fast as he feet could take him.
"Come on Frodo!" Sam yelled.
"Jessica! You have to get on too!" Pippin said. I looked back at him and nodded before I handed Sparkle to Sam.
"I'll jump on when he makes it!" I said.
"He's almost to us, come on!" Merry said. And in just a nick of time Frodo's feet were hitting the dock so I took a breath and jumped on the raft the just after he did. Frodo fell on top Pippin and I landed between them in Sam. I pushed myself up with my arms then held them out to receive Sparkle, after I got her back I stared at the rider along with the others as it let out unsettling noises. The beat of my heart had a heavy rhythm to it as I realized that we were all so close to getting caught by that thing, especially Frodo.
After the black rider hissed in frustration he pulled the horse's reigns and it stood on its hind legs in the night air before they rode away. I turned away from the place it once before I turned and faced the rest of the hobbits. Like myself they were unsettled but still relieved to be on this raft and somewhat safe.
"How long will it be until we reach the nearest crossing?" Frodo asked Merry who was paddled the raft.
"In twenty miles we'll arrive at Brandywine bridge." He said. I looked away from him and towards the dark forest that touched the star filled night sky and laid my head on top of Sparkle's as we floated down the river.
Oh my goodness I am so happy to finally finish that chapter! It wasn't supposed to have taken that long to update but I think that helped build my creativity because I added Legolas to the chapter! Yay! I really enjoyed writing the suspense in this one. I was angry however when the site didn't save more than a thousand words I had added. Oh well...Anyway I really hope that you have enjoyed this chapter! Please I love reading reviews! So please, please,please review,review,review! You might dream of Legolas if you do! Or even wake up with him next to you! ;)