Grumbling half-heartedly, Strider followed suit and soon both were asleep, Natasha easily slipping into dreamland, though dreading the onslaught of her nightly terrors. But instead of the Terror she thought awaited her, pleasant dreams of home and her twin refreshed her soul. The last thing she remembered before slipping into deeper slumber was her brother's words, reassuring her and giving her hope to drive her through the days to come.

Chapter 17

The next morning, four sleepy-eyed hobbits sat around a table in the common room of the Prancing Pony, eating the delicious fare the innkeeper had prepared in between huge yawns. Natasha, unable to stomach anything before noon after years of nothing but coffee for breakfast, sat staring out the window, senses stretched outward in search of the Black Riders. But her range was still quite limited and she found a discomforting nothing. Sighing in defeat, Natasha turned back to the table, grabbing a piece of toast and nibbling on it as she surveyed her companions.

Pippin had nodded off, his chin on his chest, as his cousin Merry snagged bits off his plate. Sam ate slowly, worried eyes darting to Frodo every once in a while before concentrating on his meal with renewed gusto to hide the fact that he was watching. Natasha's attention had also been caught by Frodo's silence and lack of appetite. His eyes were cast down into his lap and slightly glazed, and a chill ran down Natasha's spine. Rising, she rounded the table and her fears were confirmed: Frodo's hand closed around the Ring as she touched his shoulder. Leaning down, she spoke in his ear so only he would hear.

"Put that thing away and don't take it out again unless Gandalf tells you otherwise."

Nodding slowly, as though awakening from a trance, Frodo slipped the Ring back into its pocket and smiled wanly up at her, just as Strider stalked into the room and dropped into a chair, staring angrily out the window. The innkeeper, Butterbur, came in next, just as angry and the cleaning those mugs were currently receiving was going to break at least one. Raising a questioning eyebrow at Strider, Natasha tilted her head to look out the window and saw a straggly-looking pony tethered out front, a smug, rat-faced man counting coins as he walked away.

"We needed a pack horse and this one was the only one available in the village. The others must have gotten scared off last night. We'll move much faster if we don't have to carry so much ourselves. Though by the look of him, he'll either die the moment we load him or is trained to run back to his master once loaded. But we have to take the chance." Strider explained, moodily packing the bowl of his pipe with pipe weed.

But try as he might, he couldn't get the weed to light and with a curse, he stuffed the filled pipe back into its pocket. Smiling slightly in triumph, Natasha moved outside to look at the poor beast Strider had acquired. Speaking softly to him, she ran her hands gently over his hide, easing the aches and sores she found she went. When she'd finished, the pony looked a bit better off than before and he must have felt it too for he whickered softly and nuzzled her arm in gratitude.

"You're very welcome." she chuckled, rubbing his forehead. "No creature should have to suffer as you have."

"You have come a long way since our last meeting, Natasha McGowan." Strider said from the door of the inn. "A few months ago, you were having difficulty simply controlling your gifts. And now look at you, healing almost as well as Lord Elrond himself."

"I'll have you know Strider." Natasha replied dryly. "I was a healer back in my world and though this method is different, the intent is still the same. Knowing that, I just worked from there. Seems I was doing a bit of it when I tended my patients anyway."

Nodding, Strider hefted the pack saddle onto the pony's back. The hobbits soon joined them, each carrying their packs and strider sifted through each, loading what he could into the pack saddle. Sam stood at the pony's head, stroking his forehead and crooning at him as he'd seen Natasha do.

"You know guys?" Natasha started, pausing to get the hobbits' attention, "It's going to get rather tedious to always refer to him as 'the pony,' so why don't you come up with a name for him?"

The smiles that greeted her efforts to lighten the mood on that cloudy morning proved she succeeded with flying colours. Even Strider who was now arguing with Butterbur to let him pay for their lodgings, had to smile at the infectious happiness inspired by a simple act in dark times. The hobbits bent their heads to the task as Strider finally gave up trying to persuade the stubborn innkeeper and led them out of Bree. Unable to resist teasing the annoyed ranger, Natasha fell into step beside him.

"I could have told you he wasn't going to let you pay."

"You see the future as well?" he replied testily. "And you felt no need to tell me?"

"Nope." she quipped, eyes twinkling merrily.

Strider stopped short, having seen this look before, but Natasha's innocent face held even under the force of his suspicious glare. The hobbits were silent, though Pippin had a bit of difficulty keeping a straight face, almost cracking as the moments dragged on. Eventually, Strider shrugged, letting his guard down as he started walking once more.

"I paid him early this morning before you woke up." Natasha continued authoritatively, head held high and eyes looking straight forward.

Strider stopped so suddenly he tripped over his own feet, falling to the ground where he stared up at her in disbelief.

"You--?! And you--?!" he spluttered indignantly.

Natasha walked a few steps more before turning back to the fallen ranger and placed her hands on her hips.

"Come on Strider. You're supposed to be guiding us, are you not?" Strider nodded warily, opening his mouth to say something but Natasha continued. "Well then, if my memory serves me, guides are supposed to be in front. I mean, what kind of mess would we be in if I got us lost because you were 'guiding' from the back of the group, hmmm?"

Grumbling under his breath as the hobbits broke out in laughter, Strider joined Natasha and they walked in silence for several moments.

"Well done, Natasha." Strider finally said. "Happy companions make better travellers."

"And have more energy for the journey." Natasha added smiling broadly. "And just to let you know, I left his payment in his room. He wouldn't let me pay either. He feels responsible for our sleep being disturbed last night. And don't expect me to always be the comedian. You're going to have to take your turn entertaining them. "

Laughing, Strider wrapped an arm around Natasha, giving her a huge squeeze before picking up his pace to scout ahead to make sure the way was clear.

Through the morning they hiked, leaving the road and heading into more rugged terrain. Strider vetoed second breakfast, much to Merry and Pippin's dismay, tossing them apples to eat as they walked. Frodo and Sam had all ready grown accustomed to the lack of meals due to travelling with Natasha but also understood the need. There just weren't enough provisions to eat as they had in the Shire. By nightfall, the hobbits were exhausted and stumbled to the ground around the fire Strider had prepared before leaving swiftly to hunt for something for dinner. He returned after a short time, a deer slung over his shoulder. Dinner was a quick affair, the hobbits too tired to draw it out any longer, and soon the snores of four hobbits were the only sounds besides the popping of the fire.

Natasha sat staring up at the night sky, picking out shapes among the stars. Strider joined her and pointed out the constellations, telling her the stories going with them. Soon their shoulders were touching, and they lapsed into silence, just enjoying each other's company and the beauty of the stars in the heavens.