Anastasia and the plot are the only part of this which belongs to me. Everything else belongs to their respective owners; namely J.R.R. Tolkien.

Italics – Thoughts/Thinking

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Chapter 4: Floating Poems and Willow Trees

Frodo

They now hurried forward again, delighted with the thought of climbing out for a while above the roof of the Forest. The path dipped, and then again began to climb upwards, leading them at last to the foot of the steep hillside. There it left the trees and fade into turf. The woods stood all round the hill like thick hair that ended sharply in a circle round a shaven crown.

The hobbits led their ponies up, winding round and round until they reached the top. There they stood and gazed about them. The air was gleaming and sunlit, but hazy; and they could not see to any great distance. Near at hand the mist was now almost gone; through here and there it lay in hollows of the wood, and to the south of them, out of a deep fold cutting right across the Forest, the fog still rose like steam or wisps of white smoke.

'That,' said Merry, pointing with his hand, 'that is the line of the Withywindle. It comes down out of the Downs and flows south-west through the midst of the Forest to join the Brandywine below Haysend. We don't want to go that way! The Withywindle valley is said to be the queerest part of the whole wood – the centre from which all the queerness comes, as it were.'

The others looked in the direction that Merry pointed out, but they could see little but mist over the damp and deep-cut valley; and beyond it the southern half of the Forest faded from view.

The sun on the hill-top was now getting hot. It must have been about eleven o'clock; but the autumn haze still prevented them from seeing much in other directions. In the west they could not make out either the line of the Hedge or the valley of the Brandywine beyond it. Northward, where they looked most hopefully, they could see nothing that might be the line of the great East Road, for which they were making. They were on an island in a sea of trees, and the horizon veiled.

On the south-eastern side the ground fell very steeply, as if the sloped of the hill were continued far down under the trees, like island-shores that really are the sides of a mountain rising out of deep waters. They sat on the green edge and looked out over the woods below them, while they ate their mid-day meal. As the sun rose and passed noon they glimpsed far off in the east the grey-green lines of the Downs that lay beyond the Old Forest on that side. That cheered them greatly; for it was good to see a sight of anything beyond the wood's boarders, though they did not mean to go that way, if they could help it: the Barrow-downs had as sinister a reputation on hobbit-legend as the Forest itself.1

Anastasia's POV

The sun was only a couple hours away and I was a couple hours away from civilization. I was free! Free from the people thinking there is something wrong with me, free from the controlling fools who are in charge of too many people and too much money, and free from the Thomas's and their foster child Lindsay.

I stopped walking and closed my eyes tilting my face up towards the moon, which was currently bathing my body in a light wash of colour and illuminating the nocturnal world. Listening, I could hear to tree whispering to each other as the breeze gently moved through their leaves. I could hear the animals of the night talking to one another as they took care of their children, gathered food and evaded predators. And at the very edge of my hearing range I could hear a brook babbling as it flowed over the rocks and around the bends, jabbering its way into the distance.

"Three Rings of the Elven-kings under the sky . . ." I snapped my eyes open and looked wildly around as the creatures of the night quietened. I didn't hear anyone in the area and it's next to impossible to sneak up on me.

"Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone . . ."Faintly the trees whispered to one another passing the message along to all who would listen. I know trees like to pass on what they hear, I thought, so someone must be talking somewhere else in the forest.

"Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die . . ." Slowly I turned in a circle listening carefully, trying to establish which way the message was traveling through the trees. It's coming from the East.

"One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne . . ." Quickly I darted through the trees running in the opposite direction, as fast as I could. I don't need to find anyone and I don't need anyone to find me. As I passed I frightened the creatures into silence. They held their breath until I was gone.

"In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie . . ." I stopped running and slid across the grass. What the . . . The trees can't be passing the message from the west now. It's not possible. I was starting to get scared, my heart beating wildly and not from running.

"One Ring to rule them all . . ." Again I turned in a circle, listening carefully. "One rings to find them . . ." There was no one in the area talking. Where are the trees getting this?

"One Ring to bring them all in and in the darkness bind them . . ." I took off running not caring where I went as long as it was away from the voice the trees felt need to pass along. As I ran the trees grabbed at me. Moving and desperately trying to catch me as I abandoned reason and gave into my instincts. The trees snagged my clothing ripping and tearing trying to keep hold of me; occasionally leaving scratches on my skin, which healed almost instantly; only a line of blood indicating I was injured.

"In the Land of Mordor where Shadows lie . . ." The trees whispered as a large willow tree finally caught me and held on as I thrashed about trying to free myself. Soon the long thin branches of the willow wrapped around my limbs and waist, limiting my movement and encouraging panic to set in farther. In a last desperate act of the tree it wrapped a branch around my neck, tightening as I managed to free part of my body. Soon my world began to darken and the edges moved in closer. The sounds of the forest and trees faded into the background as though I was being pulled underwater. No! My mind called out, but it was too late as I slipped into the darkness.

Frodo

The hobbits began to feel very hot. There were armies of flies of all kinds buzzing round their ears, and the afternoon sun was burning on their backs. At last they came suddenly into a thin shade; great grey branches reached across the path. Each step forward became more reluctant than the last. Sleepiness seemed to be creeping out of the ground and up their legs, and falling softly out of the air upon their heads and eyes.

Frodo felt his chin go down and his head nod. Just in front of him Pippin fell forward on to his knees. Frodo halted. 'It's no good,' he heard Merry saying. 'Can't go another step without rest. Must have nap. It's cool under the willows. Less flies!'

Frodo did not like the sound of this. 'Come on!' he cried. 'We can't have a nap yet. We must get clear of the Forest first.' But the others were too far gone to care. Beside them Sam stood yawning and blinking stupidly.

Suddenly Frodo himself felt sleep overwhelming him. His head swam. There now seemed hardly a sound in the air. The flies had stopped buzzing. Only a gentle noise on the edge of hearing, a soft fluttering as of a song half whispered, seemed to stir in the bough above. He lifted his heavy eyes and saw leaning over him a huge willow-tree, old and hoary. Enormous it looked, its sprawling branches going up like reaching arms with many long-fingered hands, its knotted and twisted trunk gaping in wide fissures that creaked faintly as the boughs moved. The leaves fluttering against the bright sky dazzled him, and he toppled over, lying where he fell upon the grass.

Merry and Pippin dragged themselves forward and lay down with their backs to the willow-trunk. Behind them the great cracks gaped wide to receive them as the tree swayed and creaked. They looked up at the grey and yellow leaves, moving softly against the light, and singing. They shut their eyes, and then it seemed that they could almost hear words, cool words, saying something about water and sleep. They gave themselves up to the spell and fell fast asleep at the foot of the great grey willow.

Frodo lay for a while fighting with the sleep that was over-powering him; then with an effort he struggled to his feet again. He felt a compelling desire for cool water. 'Wait for me, Sam,' He stammered. 'Must bathe feet a minute.'

Half in a dream he wandered forward to the riverward side of the tree, where great winding roots grew out into the stream, like gnarled dragonets straining down to drink. He straddled one of these, and paddled his hot feet in the cool brown water; and there he too suddenly fell asleep with his back against the tree.1

Anastasia's POV

The leaves of trees were glistening, and every twig was dripping; the grass was grey with cold dew. Everything was still, and far-away noises seemed near and clear.1

I had opened my eyes and was still in the grasp of the willow tree. I think I'm lost, I thought as I took a deep breath. The air is more oxygen rich than the forest I was in. As well the trees are older and have a different feel to them . . .

Anastasia's POV

As the darkness began to recede I could feel the hard ground beneath me. Sharp rocks and sticks dug into my cheek and I could hear the soft music of the river and trees around me.

"Come on!" someone cried penetrating my muddled thoughts. A young male perhaps. "We can't have a nap yet. We must get clear of the Forest first." Who are you talking to? I questioned. After lying there for a moment longer I could hear the breathing of nine creatures nearby and the whispering of the trees.

Listening to the trees talk about water and sleep was putting me to sleep once again. As my eyes began to close I could hear a thump followed by shuffling. After a moment of fighting myself, my curiosity won and I opened my eyes and looked towards the thump. Lying on the ground was this short man. He was only a couple feet tall, maybe three and had the hairiest, dirtiest feet I had ever seen. Looking a little farther towards the tree I could see two more of the short men reclining against the trunk. It's the willow tree which strangled me; I though before darkness began to claim me once again as I had satisfied my curiosity.

1 Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. London: Allen & Unwin, 1954. Print.

These direct quotes came from the chapter called The Old Forest.

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