Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Jessica.

What has gotten into me?! Two pages in one day! I feel faint. Read and review! Enjoy!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chapter 3: Bree

"You'll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you," Gandalf said. "For that name is not safe outside of the Shire," Gandalf said as he helped Frodo into his coat. "Travel only by day. And stay off the road."

Frodo thought for a moment before he looked at Jessica who nodded. "We can cut across country easily enough," he said.

Gandalf smiled sincerely at the two of them, mainly at the Hobbit. "My dear Frodo. Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet, after a hundred years, they can still surprise you," everyone heard a sound from outside. "Get down!"

Gandalf froze. He moved quietly towards the window. Jessica stood next to Frodo, quietly growling. Gandalf raised his staff above the window, held it there for a moment before he slammed it down. There was a yelp of pain. Gandalf hauled a small figure into the room and held them to the table. Jessica looked closer at the intruder. It was Sam!

"Confound it all! Samwise Gamgee, have you been eavesdropping?" Gandalf asked, now very angry.

"I ain't been dropping no eaves, sir!" he said. "Honest. I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you follow me," he said.

"It's a little late for trimming the hedges, don't you think?"

"I heard raised voices…" Sam began to say.

"What did you hear? Speak!" Gandalf demanded.

"Nothing important ... 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, sir, don't hurt me! Don't turn me into anything unnatural!"

"No?" Gandalf asked, now calm. Frodo smiled as he stood up, silencing Jessica as he did. "Perhaps not. I've thought of a better use for you," Gandalf said, sharing the smile on Frodo's lips.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jessica trotted next to Frodo through the mist shrouded Hobbiton. Gandalf was leading a horse while Frodo and Sam carried knapsacks. Gandalf turned around and looked behind him.

"Come along, Samwise… keep up," Gandalf said irritably. Gandalf led then all to the safety of the woods. "Be careful, all of you. The Enemy has many spies in his service, many ways of hearing… birds… beasts," Gandalf took Frodo to one side.

Jessica looked at Sam and smiled at him, in the wolfish manner, this was easy for her as she was a wolf. She licked Sam's hand. Sam smiled and scratched Jessicas head. Jessica nuzzled his hand, showing him support. Jessica watched as Gandalf climbed onto his horse and gallop off. Jessica looked at Frodo who nodded.

She stood still for a moment, waiting for Frodo to start walking. "Are we going or not?" she asked.

Sam jumped back. "What is she?" he asked.

"I am a human in the form of a wolf, Samwise," Jessica said, staring at Frodo. "So are we moving or not?" she asked Frodo.

Frodo nodded. "Yes, we've dallied here too long."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jessica sat by the warm fire that Sam had gotten going. She opened her eyes and looked at the Hobbit that was preparing dinner.

"Sam?" she asked, gently.

"Yes?" the Hobbit asked back.

"I would like to apologise for my surprising you when Gandalf left," she said.

Sam smiled. "No need to apologise, my lady." Jessica smiled.

"My name is Jessica, Sam," Jessica said, extending her left paw to the Hobbit.

The Hobbit took the paw and gently shook it. "Nice to meet you," he said.

Jessica straightened, her ears pricking up. "Frodo? Do you hear what I hear?" she asked the Hobbit that sat in the tree above them.

Frodo straightened as well. "Sam! Wood-Elves!" Frodo jumped down from the tree and ran to the roadside.

Sam looked at Jessica. "Go on, I'll wait here," Jessica insisted.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jessica lay in the roots of a tree, watching over Frodo and Sam. Frodo appeared asleep while Sam strived to find a comfortable spot on the ground.

"Everywhere I lie there's a dirty great root sticking into my back," he said.

Jessica smiled as Frodo neither moved nor opened his eyes. "Just shut your eyes," he said. "And imagine you're back in your own bed, with a soft mattress and a lovely feather pillow."

Sam looked sceptical but tried it anyway. He sighed. "It's not working Mr. Frodo," he said. "I'm never going to be able to sleep out here."

"Me either, Sam," Frodo said.

Frodo smiled while Sam sat up and searched for something to nibble on. Jessica sat up and shook herself before she walked over to the two of them and lay down between the two of them. Sam smiled, and as he lay down Jessica moved a little closer. The Hobbit smiled at her gesture.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jessica walked with Sam, both of them quietly talking. It was then that they noticed that Frodo was no where in sight.

"Mr. Frodo. Mr. Frodo!" Sam called out panicked. Frodo turned around and saw both Jessica and Sam running up to him. "We thought we'd lost you," Sam said, slightly worried yet relieved.

Frodo looked at Sam suspiciously. Sam glanced down embarrassed. Jessica wolf smiled at them. "I'll leave you two alone," she said, turning to her left and walked into the corn, sniffing the air.

"What are you talking about?" Frodo asked Sam, teasingly.

"It's just something Gandalf said," he mumbled.

"What did he say?" Frodo asked, curious.

"He said… 'Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee,'" Sam looked intently at Frodo. "And I don't mean to."

Frodo laughed. "Sam… we're still in the Shire… what could possibly happen?" Frodo asked.

Suddenly a figure came crashing out of the corn sending Frodo flying. Frodo picked himself up only to be knocked down again by another figure.

"Frodo! Merry, it's Frodo Baggins," the voice of Pippin told the other figure.

"Hello Frodo!" Merry said.

Another figure came out of the corn, it was Jessica and she was panting heavily. She looked down at the vegetable that were scattered at her feet.

"What's the meaning of this!" Sam asked as he followed Jessica's eyes.

"Sam, hold this," Merry said, handing Sam a large cabbage.

"You've been into Farmer Maggot's crop!"

Jessica turned around, looking the way she had come and started to quietly growl and her fur bristled. Everyone listened and they saw a pitchfork.

"Who's that in my field! Get out of it! Get out of my field, you young varmits! I'll show you ... get out of my corn!" came Farmer Maggot's voice, along with the barking of a dog.

Merry and Pippin picked up the vegetables and ran in the opposite direction with Frodo, Sam and Jessica close on their heels.

"I don't know why he is so upset, it's only a couple of carrots," Merry said.

"And some cabbages… and those three bags of potatoes that we lifted last week. And the mushrooms that week before!" Pippin added, even as they all ran.

"Yes, Pippin, my point is, he's clearly overreacting!"

Everyone heard the sound of the barking dog grow louder.

"Run!" Pippin said as the all crashed, minus Jessica, down the hill at the edge of Farmer Maggot's field.

Jessica ran beside them, laughing, she watched them as the landing on a dark wooded road. Jessica landed in front of Pippin's face, away from the large pile of horse droppings.

"That was close," Pippin said with a smile on his face.

Frodo picked himself up.

"Ow…… I think I've broken something," Merry groaned. He pulled a large carrot out from his back pocket; it was almost broken in the middle. "Oh."

"Trust a Brandybuck and a Took!" Sam said, turning on Merry and Pippin.

"What? That was just a detour… a shortcut," Merry said defensively.

Pippin saw something near a nearby tree. "Mushrooms!" he said excitedly.

Jessica hung her head and groaned. Mushrooms! Why do Hobbits have to be hooked on mushrooms? Jessica asked herself. She looked to Frodo, he was standing in the middle of the road, tense and watchful as Sam, Merry and Pippin ran to the mushrooms and pulled them into a bag.

Scattered leaves rose into the air whirling down the wooded road that they stood on. They seemed to move as if blown by an invisible wind.

Suddenly the sound of horse hooves hit the ears of both Jessica and Frodo. "I think we should get off the road," Frodo said, looking over his shoulder at the others.

Jessica nodded and nuzzled Frodo's hand. A long drawn wail came down on the wind, like the cry of some evil and eerie creature

"Get off the road!" Frodo said more urgently.

Sam grabbed Merry and Pippin as Jessica led them down a bank and under a mossy log. Jessica sat carefully next to Frodo with Sam next to her. Jessica sensed the Black Rider come close; she heard the sound of horse. She felt Frodo tense next to her.

She silently nuzzled his hand. Nothing happened. She watched as Frodo slowly drew the Ring from his pocket. Jessica ducked back a bit as she heard the Black Rider sniff, loudly. Jessica looked back to Frodo and saw his eyes were closed and that he was breathing silently in time to the sniffing of the Black Rider. Sam looked to Frodo.

"Frodo?" he asked his friend. Nothing happened. Sam watched his friends hands and saw the Ring was about to slip onto his hand. He reached around Jessica and snatched at Frodo's left hand, snapping him out of his reverie. Jessica heard Sam mutter quietly. "Ain't goin' to let that happen!"

Merry desperately hurled the bag of mushrooms across the road. The Black Rider moved with a speed that Jessica could only envy.

Merry looked at Frodo. "What was that?" he asked the other Hobbit.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jessica went ahead of the group, slipping and sliding through mud in the forest. Frodo was at her side.

"Anything?" he asked her.

Jessica looked at him, questioningly. Frodo nodded slightly.

"Not that I can see," she said.

Pippin who was a few trees behind them jumped, as did Merry.

"What is going on?" Pippin asked, shocked.

Merry moved passed Pippin, towards Frodo and Jessica. "That Black Rider was looking for something… or someone… Frodo? … Jessica?" he asked them both.

"Get down!" Sam hissed. Everyone hit the dirt, Jessica lay on her belly, waiting as she saw the Black Rider come over the top of the ridge, the moon behind him as he waited at the top, looking around.

"Frodo and Sam need to get to Bree. Frodo and I need to leave the Shire." Merry looked first at the talking wolf that was Jessica then at Frodo and realized that Frodo was in deep trouble. "Right," Merry said, resolutely. "Buckleberry Ferry… follow me!"

Everyone broke cover. As they did so another Black Rider broke cover and galloped towards them.

"There's another one!! Frodo, this way!" Merry shouted over the noise of the horse.

Everyone ran as the Black Rider shrieked, Jessica beside the Hobbits at a comfortable run. She jumped over a fence. She ran to the platform and waited for Frodo as the others ran onto the platform.

"Get the ropes, Sam!" Merry said.

Frodo was running. "Run, Frodo! Run!" everyone yelled as they all saw a Black Rider following the Hobbit.

Sam and Merry slowly began to push the ferry away. Frodo jumped and landed on the ferry and Merry and Sam pushed the ferry harder and they moved away from the shore. The Black Rider let out a shriek and everyone covered their ears as the pain hit them.

The Black Riders turned their horses around and rode north at a gallop along the river bank, disappearing into the mist.

"Where is the nearest crossing?" Frodo asked.

"The Brandywine bridge," Merry said as he began to push the ferry again. "Twenty miles."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jessica looked at the walled village ahead of them; Bree, it had its lights on in the night. She could hear people on the other side through the sounds of the rain. Frodo looked around the trees that they all hid behind.

"Come on!" Frodo said as he walked to the gate house and knocked on the door.

They waited a few seconds as a little peep hole opened at the height of an average man, closed and another that was at the height of the Hobbits opened.

"What do you want?" the gatekeeper asked.

"We are heading for the Prancing Pony," Frodo said.

The gatekeeper closed the peephole and opened the gate. "Hobbits and a dog! Four Hobbits, and what's more, out of the Shire by your talk," the gatekeeper exclaimed. "What business brings you to Bree?"

"We wish to stay at the inn… our business is our own," Frodo said.

The gatekeeper stepped aside as he said; "Alright, young sir. I meant no offence," everyone walked gratefully into Bree. "'Tis Old Harry's job to ask questions after nightfall. There's talk of strange folk abroad ... can't be too careful," he apologized as he closed the door behind them.

Everyone walked carefully around the town, avoiding people as the yelled at the group. They soon reached the Prancing Pony. Frodo opened the door and everyone walked in. As Sam closed the door Jessica shook herself a bit dry, Frodo walked up to the bar.

"Excuse me," Frodo said.

A few moments later a man appeared at the bar. "Good evening, little master. If you're seeking accommodation, we've got some nice, cozy Hobbit sized rooms available. Mr……" He left the end open.

"Underhill," Frodo said. "My name's Underhill."

"Underhill? Hmmmmmm."

"We're friends of Gandalf the Grey. Can you tell him we've arrived?"

The man frowned. "Gandalf? Gandalf? Oh… Oh yes! I remember, elderly chap… big grey beard… pointy hat?" the man shook his head. "Not seen him for six months."

Frodo looked shocked. "What do we do now?" Sam asked in his ear.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Wellllllll! What do you think? R&R!!

7