*Hello once again! So I decided to put up the third chapter of Aria Einar as a hidden surprise to all the lovely readers! I have gotten so many people that have come the read my story in such a short amount of time that I got very inspired! I must also thank Lady Minuialwen and ccgnme for their lovely reviews!(: This chapter goes out to them and please if you have any questions ask me in either in a PM and I'll answer as soon as I can or in a review and I'll answer your review in the next chapter, I would please recommend the latter though so that if someone else may have the same question then they can see the answer as well. On to the boring reminders: disclaimer is in the first chapter, info about what Aria looks like is on chapter 2, this is Aragorn/OC story, and any Elvish written will be in italics, it will be noted if otherwise. Please review I ask one more time and enjoy! –Hands every good reader a cookie-(:*
"Where shall I go?" Frodo asked, Frodo trusted Gandalf fully and would do whatever Gandalf asked of him.
"Make for the village of Bree." Gandalf said and I couldn't help but think that was an odd choice.
"Bree? What about you?" Frodo asked, not unsure, but not understanding.
"I will be waiting for you two at the Inn of the Prancing Pony." I remember that a couple of years ago, one of the times I was traveling with Gandalf, he took me to stay the Prancing Pony; I began to help Frodo pack his things.
"And the ring will be safe there?" Frodo asked, I guessed he was hoping he could go to Bree, give the ring to someone and be free of the monstrous thing.
"I don't know Frodo. I don't have any answers; I must see the head of my order. He is both wise and powerful. Trust me, Frodo, he'll know what to do." Gandalf said and all it took for him to say was 'trust me'. Frodo has finally finished packing and goes to grab one of the walking sticks Bilbo left. He stops in front of Gandalf and I am standing next to him. "You'll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you, for that name is not safe outside of the Shire." Frodo nodded slowly as Gandalf helped him into his coat, trying to take in all the information he had received in only just the past couple of hours.
"Travel only by day and stay off the road." Gandalf said again, sounding like a father letting his child off by himself for the first time.
"I can cut across country easily enough." Frodo replied and Gandalf looked Frodo before smiling softly.
"My dear Frodo," Gandalf says and places his hands on Frodo's shoulder's. "Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet, after a hundred years, they can still surprise you!" He said with a chuckle and I smiled softly at the two. Suddenly we all heard a bush from outside a window rustle, all of us turning to the sound.
"Get down!" Gandalf whispered to Frodo and he immediately dropped to the floor. I quickly pulled out my bow and an arrow, lining the arrow up and pulling the string back to my cheek in a speed faster than the normal man. Gandalf points his towards the window and begins to quietly walk over to it. Once he reached the window he raised his staff higher in the air and then slammed it down upon the intruder, who gave a cry of pain. Gandalf sticks his hand into the bush and pulls out a hobbit, letting him land harshly on the floor. I quickly put away my bow and arrow once I saw it was Sam.
"Confound it all! Samwise Gamgee, have you been eavesdropping?" Gandalf yelled at him as Sam looked at him in fear. I quickly walked over to them and stood by Gandalf.
"Oh, don't be too harsh on him Gandalf!" I told him, glancing at Sam who looked terrified.
"Hush!" Gandalf scolded me and I sighed loudly.
"I ain't been dropping no eaves sir! Honest! I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you follow me." Sam said and I rolled my eyes; that was the worst lie I had ever heard in all my days.
"It's a little late for trimming the hedges, don't you think?" Gandalf said, knowing already that Sam was eavesdropping.
"I heard raised voices." Sam admitted.
"What did you hear? Speak!" I wanted to yell at Gandalf again but I refrained myself. I felt bad for poor little Sam, Gandalf could be quite intimidating when he wanted to be.
"Nothing important!" Sam said almost immediately after, then he shifted his eyes a little and winced. "That is, I heard a good deal about a ring, and a dark lord, and something about the end of the world, but, please Mr. Gandalf!" Sam cried out and glanced at Frodo before looking at Gandalf once more. "Please Mr. Gandalf sir, don't hurt me! Don't turn me into anything…unnatural." Sam said hurriedly, wanting to run away.
"No?" Gandalf asked, he frown turning into an amused smirk and I lightly smiled. "Perhaps not, I've thought of a better use for you."
Gandalf and I were quiet as we both stood outside. Sam had his packing done and Frodo made sure he had everything he needed. I was standing next to Elwing, attaching most of the items and bags the hobbit's wanted to take onto her.
"Elwing is going to be stubborn this whole trip, I just know it!" I said as tied on some pans that Sam wanted to bring, it was obvious that the two little hobbits had never gone farther than maybe five feet from their home. "She will be angry that she has to carry all of these things, she is used to only having to carry me." It went quiet was again as I softly began to pet her which in response she nuzzled her nose into me.
"Do you think it wise to bring not only one, but two hobbits on a journey like this? Especially two little hobbits that only know and understand the life of the Shire?" I asked Gandalf and he continued smoking his pipe, looking into the night sky.
"No, I do not." He admitted slowly and then sighed. "But it is the only choice we have." Gandalf said softly, I nodded and patted him on the shoulder, gave him a light smile, then went to check on the hobbits.
It was around dawn and we were all ready to go. Gandalf let us all sleep for a little while before we had to head out so that we could at least recover a little bit of our strength. I sigh happily as we walk through a bright green forest, Elwing was trailing slowly behind me as I pulled on her reins, and I could see the white mist surrounding the Shire.
"Come along Samwise, keep up!" Gandalf called, I was walking behind him, he was leading his horse also.
"Be careful, all of you. The enemy has many spies in his service, many ways of hearing, birds and beasts alike." Gandalf warned and I didn't say anything, already knowing this. Gandalf slows down a bit letting me take the lead as he talks to Frodo, my guess was that he is asking Frodo about the ring since he was being so quiet, or at least something related to the ring. Suddenly Gandalf jumps on his horse and gallops away. I stop, surprised he didn't even say goodbye or even make any indication that he was leaving. I turned around and smiled at the two hobbits, placing my closed fists on my hips.
"Well, looks like it's just us boys!" I said cheerfully.
It was the next day and we had made it to some farmer's fields just outside of the Shire. I had felt empathy for the little hobbits since they didn't have very good sleep the night before when I had sound sleep, used to sleeping on the forest floor. We had been walking along a small dirt road that bordered a farmer's field, Farmer Maggot was his name, Frodo had told me earlier.
"Mr. Frodo?" I heard Sam suddenly cry and I looked up to see him run around a corner, I had quickly ran around the same corner as well to see what had happened. I soon stopped and chuckled a little bit when I saw Frodo standing there in perfect health but confused. It made me happy to see Sam have such concern for his friend.
"I thought I lost you." Sam admitted to his still confused friend.
"What are you talking about?" Frodo asked with an amused smile.
"It's just something Gandalf said…" Sam trailed off, mumbling.
"What did he say?" Frodo continued to have the amused smile on his face.
"He said, 'don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee,' and I don't mean to." Sam said firmly and I smiled at the young hobbit's courage. Frodo began to laugh merrily and Sam blushed, I had the feeling to knock Frodo on the head.
"Sam, we're still in the Shire, what could possibly happen?" As soon as the words left Frodo's mouth, he and Sam were knocked over by two small masses. I stood there in shock for a moment with wide eyes.
"Frodo! Sam!" I cried out and immediately began to help Sam up. A wide grin appeared on my face as soon as I saw that it was Merry and Pippin, two close friends of Sam and Frodo.
"Frodo! Merry, it's Frodo Baggins!" Pippin cried out happily, seeing who he had knocked over.
"Pippin, it's Aria!" Merry cried out and I felt all the air leave me as he gripped me around my waist. I laughed and patted Merry's head.
"What's the meaning of this?" Sam asked heatedly as he pointed to the ground. Merry and Pippin began picking up many vegetables off of the ground as I rose an eyebrow. Pippin handed me a bundle of carrots and I took them, a confused look on my face.
"Sam, hold this." Merry said absentmindedly and shoved a cabbage into Sam's chest before he bent down to pick up more vegetables.
"You've been into Farmer Maggot's crop!" Sam yelled, realization dawning onto his little face.
"Oh, this cannot be good." I mumbled as I saw Sam's face grow angrier. Then we began to hear shouting, it was Farmer Maggot.
"Who's that in my field?" I heard him screech as he began to get closer. "Get out of it! Get out of my field, you young varmints! I'll show you, get out of my corn!"
"Run!" I cried out and the hobbits immediately darted off, there speed slower from the vegetables. I looked around to find Elwing chewing on the tall stalks. "Elwing! By Valar! Quit it, we must run!" I cried out to her as I heard the farmer get closer. Elwing ignored me as she continued to eat. "Now!" I yelled and she didn't even budged. I huffed but then smiled once I realized that I had carrots.
"Elwing, I have carrots." I said in a sing song voice, her ears immediately perked up and she neighed. I immediately started to run and she trotted behind me, knowing I would give her carrots. I gasped as I saw all the small hobbits stopped, I screamed as I crashed into them and we all fell. I groaned as I landed hard on the ground. I slowly got up as I sat up and saw Elwing standing there, she was perfectly unharmed and munching on the carrots laying on the ground.
"Good for nothing horse." I mumbled and slowly stood up.
"Ow, I think I broken something." Merry groaned, I chuckled and helped him stand up as I realized he meant a vegetable, not a bone in his body. He stared at the large broken carrot in his hand but jumped in surprised when Elwing came over and took a giant chomp out of the carrot. "Didn't need that carrot anyways." Merry mumbled and I giggled.
"Trust a Brandybuck and a Took!" Sam cried out angrily as he stood, helping Frodo stand as well.
"What? That was just a detour, a shortcut." Merry lied and my smile grew wider when Sam huffed.
"A shortcut to what?" He asked skeptically.
"Mushrooms!" Pippin screamed and dove to the ground. It was then I noticed Frodo standing away from the group, on a wooden road. I walked over to him and noticed how tense he was.
"Frodo…what is it?" I asked quietly and he did not answer me. I heard the sound of horse hooves, they were quiet at first but were quickly getting louder. Elwing's head shot up and she began to neigh loudly.
"I think we should get off the road." Frodo said urgently and I nodded, staring at the direction the sounds were coming from. None of the other hobbits moved though. "Get off the road!" Frodo shouted it was then that the hobbits began to move. I quickly rushed after them.
"Go hide Elwing!" I yelled to Elwing in Elvish and she galloped away. I hear a loud wail come from the distance and it brought a cold, terrifying shiver down my spine. I direct all the hobbits under a mossy log and I quickly hide behind a large tree. It was horrifically silent as we waited for the menace to pass by.
The noises of the hooves were now right next to us and it was then that they came to a halt. I heard the noises of armor and I held my breath as I waited. I slowly peeked around the tree but immediately turned my head back around. I let out a slightly nervous breath as my hand went over my sword. It was a ringwraith, a tall one at that, his whole entire body black from his cloaks and armor. I prayed to Valar that the terrible thing would not find us and it was then that I noticed Frodo was moving. I noticed how sweaty and troubled he looked as Sam studied him with concern in his eyes. Then Merry hurriedly throws the mushrooms in his hands out into a random direction away from us. I hear the ringwraith make a noise before taking off in that direction with his horse. We all breathe a sigh of relief as the sound of the hooves gets farther and farther.