VII. And so the hobbits are of
"The next chapter is called The Old Forest" Elladan's voice was uncertain, like everyone else was also he still stunned about the fact that Frodo was experiencing the sea longing, and what was more unsettling that he and the other elflings had now a clue how it will feel should they get it. Looking one more time over his siblings and friends started the young peredhel lord to read, hoping that this would distract his thoughts from the topic, not knowing that the others had similar thoughts.
Frodo woke suddenly. It was still dark in the room. Merry was standing there with a candle in one hand, and banging on the door with the other. 'All right! What is it?' said Frodo, still shaken and bewildered.
'What is it!' cried Merry. 'It is time to get up. It is half past four and very foggy. Come on! Sam is already getting breakfast ready. Even Pippin is up. I am just going to saddle the ponies, and fetch the one that is to be the baggage-carrier. Wake that sluggard Fatty! At least he must get up and see us off.'
"And thus shall the journey which will decide the future of Middle-Earth start…" Elrond said in a faint tone as he let his head slowly drop with the other elder elves in a silent prayer to the Valar, that they should protect the four Halflings on they quest.
If they fail then it will all be over…
Soon after six o'clock the five hobbits were ready to start. Fatty Bolger was still yawning. They stole quietly out of the house. Merry went in front leading a laden pony, and took his way along a path that went through a spinney behind the house, and then cut across several fields. 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: fowls chattering in a yard, someone closing a door of a distant house.
In their shed they found the ponies; sturdy little beasts of the kind loved by hobbits, not speedy, but good for a long day's work. They mounted, and soon they were riding off into the mist, which seemed to open reluctantly before them and close forbiddingly behind them. After riding for about an hour, slowly and without talking, they saw the Hedge looming suddenly ahead. It was tall and netted over with silver cobwebs.
Legolas bit his underlip, trying to remind himself that those webs were made by a normal, tiny, little spider which was not bigger hen and elfing's thumb. Seeing the young prince's distress scooted Haldir closer, hand placed on that of the other to give some comfort and to show that he was here as was Elladan who glanced up at them form the book. Legolas thanked them with a little smile.
'How are you going to get through this?' asked Fredegar.
'Follow me!' said Merry, 'and you will see.' He turned to the left along the Hedge, and soon they came to a point where it bent inwards, running along the lip of a hollow. A cutting had been made, at some distance from the Hedge, and went sloping gently down into the ground. It had walls of brick at the sides, which rose steadily, until suddenly they arched over and formed a tunnel that dived deep under the Hedge and came out in the hollow on the other side.
Here Fatty Bolger halted. 'Good-bye, Frodo!' he said. 'I wish you were not going into the Forest. I only hope you will not need rescuing before the day is out. But good luck to you – today and every day!'
'If there are no worse things ahead than the Old Forest, I shall be lucky,'
"I fear that this will be one of the easiest tasks on his journey." Celeborn said in a soft voice for the road to Mordor was always filled with many hidden dangers and much grief.
said Frodo. 'Tell Gandalf to hurry along the East Road: we shall soon be back on it and going as fast as we can.' 'Good-bye!' they cried, and rode down the slope and disappeared from Fredegar's sight into the tunnel.
It was dark and damp. At the far end it was closed by a gate of thick-set iron bars. Merry got down and unlocked the gate, and when they had all passed through he pushed it to again. It shut with a clang, and the lock clicked. The sound was ominous.
'There!' said Merry. 'You have left the Shire, and are now outside, and on the edge of the Old Forest.'
'Are the stories about it true?' asked Pippin.
'I don't know what stories you mean,' Merry answered. 'If you mean the old bogey-stories Fatty's nurses used to tell him, about goblins and wolves
Elladan's voice shook as he read this part.
"Believe me, wargs are much worse then wolves." Angränor growled as he remembered the foul beast which had given him his scar.
"I think, that warg, out of which you made that rug in your chamber, would certainly disagree about them being worse then wolves mellon nín." Thranduil said with a grin while Feanor sniggered at the warrior who could not decide if he should now either glare at his king or the advisor.
"To bad that Glorfindel hadn't made a rug out of the Balrog he killed." Elrohir said while the golden haired warrior shuddered, he would never dare entering his room with that thing looking up at him from the floor, don't even mind sleeping in that place. His poor scalp still hurt at the memory of that fight as did his pride when he needed to explain to Namo how he landed down there. Damn that Valar's curiosity and strange humour.
"He would have not crossed the borders with that thing in his possession, the only thing we need would have been you two getting your hands on it at scaring everyone in the household half to death." said Celebrian in a determined tone.
"We would never do such a thing naneth." the aforementioned duo said indignantly, but at the sceptic looks they were getting decided Elladan to just continue reading.
and things of that sort, I should say no. At any rate I don't believe them. But the Forest is queer. Everything in it is very much more alive, more aware of what is going on, so to speak, than things are in the Shire.
"Oh, you mean like the rest of Middle-Earth?" Elrohir asked while ignoring the looks his family was giving him, well except his daeradar who was looking at his son-in-law with a look saying "My lovely and sweet daughter never acted like this, so this comes from your side of the family." at which said lord winched.
And the trees do not like strangers.
"Most of the trees tainted by a larger amount of darkness even turn against us." Miriel said, again, a proof about how bad things had become in the Greenwood.
They watch you. They are usually content merely to watch you, as long as daylight lasts, and don't do much. Occasionally the most unfriendly ones may drop a branch, or stick a root out, or grasp at you with a long trailer. But at night things can be most alarming, or so I am told.
"My staff and I never go to sleep if the night comes and one of our patrols should have still not returned." Miriel said as she held back a shudder, if a patrol is not back by midnight there are only slim chances for them ever coming back if they hadn't found shelter on the less dangerous parts.
I have only once or twice been in here after dark, and then only near the hedge. I thought all the trees were whispering to each other, passing news and plots along in an unintelligible language;
"Only if you not happen to be a Wood Elf." Celeborn said while glancing at his friend, on that black day was it one of the trees telling Thranduil that danger was coming they way and after he told it to both his companions had his daeradar told Thranduil to ask the tree if they had spotted all three of them. When he had replied with 'no' had his daeradar sent them to hide then and don't come out till the trees say that the danger has gone. It were also the trees which had led one of Oropher's men to them.
"I would so like to talk with the trees." Rumil piped up suddenly.
"I can try teaching you, as you know you might not hear them as clearly as me, but you would be able to understand them." Legolas offered to the young blonde who nodded his head eagerly.
"He will be literally stuck to you from now on." Haldir whispered in amusement.
"I don't mind." the prince replied back grinning.
and the branches swayed and groped without any wind. They do say the trees do actually move, and can surround strangers and hem them in. In fact long ago they attacked the Hedge: they came and planted themselves right by it, and leaned over it. But the hobbits came and cut down hundreds of trees, and made a great bonfire in the Forest, and burned all the ground in a long strip east of the Hedge. After that the trees gave up the attack, but they became very unfriendly. There is still a wide bare space not far inside where the bonfire was made.'
"I would say that this is a really old forest bearing a remaining taint of darkness from the past which had awakened from its slumber." Thranduil said in a thoughtful tone, but to make sure he will ask Bilbo by his visit to take him there to check it on his own. Aye, he will be busy on that visit to the Sire for sure.
'Is it only the trees that are dangerous?' asked Pippin.
"Something tells me that his answer will not be positive." Orophin groaned as he readied himself for the next sentence.
'There are various queer things living deep in the Forest, and on the far side,' said Merry, 'or at least I have heard so; but I have never seen any of them. But something makes paths. Whenever one comes inside one finds open tracks; but they seem to shift and change from time to time in a queer fashion. Not far from this tunnel there is, or was for a long time, the beginning of quite a broad path leading to the Bonfire Glade, and then on more or less in our direction, east and a little north. That is the path I am going to try and find.'
The elves let out groans at this, at least if you were immortal had heart attacks not the power to kill you, because they will surely get some of those in the course of reading.
The hobbits now left the tunnel-gate and rode across the wide hollow. On the far side was a faint path leading up on to the floor of the Forest, a hundred yards and more beyond the Hedge; but it vanished as soon as it brought them under the trees. Looking back they could see the dark line of the Hedge through the stems of trees that were already thick about them. Looking ahead they could see only tree-trunks of innumerable sizes and shapes: straight or bent, twisted,
Everyone saw the Wood Elves flinch at the last two words which made those whom had in the past the chance to see the great forest, before the shadows started feasting on it, shudder at the thought of the destruction to such a beautiful place, the forest some of the oldest elves occasionally referred to as the Emerald Forest due to the rich green colour of the leaves in the spring and most parts of the summer.
leaning, squat or slender, smooth or gnarled and branched; and all the stems were green or grey with moss and slimy, shaggy growths.
Merry alone seemed fairly cheerful. 'You had better lead on and find that path,' Frodo said to him. 'Don't let us lose one another, or forget which way the Hedge lies!'
They picked a way among the trees, and their ponies plodded along, carefully avoiding the many writhing and interlacing roots. There was no undergrowth. The ground was rising steadily, and as they went forward it seemed that the trees became taller, darker, and thicker. There was no sound, except an occasional drip of moisture falling through the still leaves. For the moment there was no whispering or movement among the branches; but they all got an uncomfortable feeling that they were being watched with disapproval, deepening to dislike and even enmity. The feeling steadily grew, until they found themselves looking up quickly, or glancing back over their shoulders, as if they expected a sudden blow.
"Gives one almost the lovely feeling of home." Feanor grumbled sarcastically while his companions nodded grimly at it for they also noted many similarities to the situation they home was in.
At this stared suddenly all elflings fearfully at Legolas while Glorfindel immediately leaned over to a pale looking Elrond.
"I'm going to drag the Archery Masters to the training field with the soldiers and get them to start the training, now." he hissed into his lord's ear who nodded grimly.
"Tell them that it is a direct order from me, if they should try getting difficult, because noldorins prefer the usage of swords better then the bow." he whispered back.
"I will be back in a few." and with that he stood up and made a hasty exit.
"He had forgotten that he has an important meeting today, we should continue and I will fill him in after returning." Elrond supplied his explanation thought something told him that not many of the others had believed him, but gave him the chance of doubt.
"A bit late for a change of heart." Thranduil whispered to both Erestor and Celeborn.
"It is better late then never aran nín." answered Erestor.
"That is true mellon nín, I myself had already sent word home to harden the training so that we can send aid." Celeborn added in with a little smile to the huffing king, sometimes could his friend act as a stubborn elfling, he hated being seen as weak, which he certainly wasn't, if nothing else the fact that his people still lived was proof enough about his strength.
Meanwhile on the archery fields were a large group of elves staring confused at the Royal Seneschal as he was barking out orders at them to start they archery training and not stop with it till they feel as if they arms would fall of.
Some of them heard the rumour about they lord sitting with his family and they high ranking guests from Lothlórien and surprisingly from the Greenwood in the garden with three books and sometimes you could hear groans, yells or singing from where they were and not long ago had a messenger left for Lothlórien.
Just what in the name of the Valar were they leaders reading there?
At the same time back in the garden had Elladan resumed with his reading.
There was not as yet any sign of a path, and the trees seemed constantly to bar their way. Pippin suddenly felt that he could not bear it any longer, and without warning let out a shout. 'Oi! Oi!' he cried. 'I am not going to do anything. Just let me pass through, will you!'
"Great, he is just like Roh." Elladan stated, but continued before his twin could react.
The others halted startled; but the cry fell as if muffled by a heavy curtain. There was no echo or answer though the wood seemed to become more crowded and more watchful than before.
'I should not shout, if I were you,' said Merry. It does more harm than good.'
"And he is like you on some days Dan." commented Elrohir dryly, but was ignored.
"I will really need to have a look at this forest by my visit to Bilbo." Thranduil muttered to himself while shaking his head.
Frodo began to wonder if it were possible to find a way through, and if he had been right to make the others come into this abominable wood. Merry was looking from side to side, and seemed already uncertain which way to go. Pippin noticed it. 'It has not taken you long to lose us,' he said. But at that moment Merry gave a whistle of relief and pointed ahead.
'Well, well!' he said. 'These trees do shift. There is the Bonfire Glade in front of us, or I hope so, but the path to it seems to have moved away!'
The light grew clearer as they went forward. Suddenly they came out of the trees and found themselves in a wide circular space. There was sky above them, blue and clear to their surprise, for down under the Forest-roof they had not been able to see the rising morning and the lifting of the mist.
Elladan stopped with his reading and looked over at Legolas.
"Legolas meldir, tell me you are still able to see Anor raise in your forest, seas." he pleaded, fearing the answer, if it was the one he dreaded would they need to restrain him, for he would not let Legolas return to that place, around them the adults also sifted in they seats.
"Aye, we still can see him, but the light gets dimmer with each passing year." Legolas replied truthfully, his ada didn't approve of lies so he needed to be honest. The adults only paled at this, not wishing to know what would happen if the sunlight would be fully blocked out by the darkness.
The sun was not, however, high enough yet to shine down into the clearing, though its light was on the tree-tops. The leaves were all thicker and greener about the edges of the glade, enclosing it with an almost solid wall. No tree grew there, only rough grass and many tall plants: stalky and faded hemlocks and wood-parsley, fire-weed seeding into fluffy ashes, and rampant nettles and thistles. A dreary place: but it seemed a charming and cheerful garden after the close Forest.
The hobbits felt encouraged, and looked up hopefully at the broadening daylight in the sky. At the far side of the glade there was a break in the wall of trees, and a clear path beyond it. They could see it running on into the wood, wide in places and open above, though every now and again the trees drew in and overshadowed it with their dark boughs. Up this path they rode. They were still climbing gently, but they now went much quicker, and with better heart; for it seemed to them that the Forest had relented, and was going to let them pass unhindered after all.
"Now they only need to leave the forest fully." Arwen said from her spot beside Elrohir.
But after a while the air began to get hot and stuffy. The trees drew close again on either side, and they could no longer see far ahead. Now stronger than ever they felt again the ill will of the wood pressing on them. So silent was it that the fall of their ponies' hoofs, rustling on dead leaves and occasionally stumbling on hidden roots, seemed to thud in their ears. Frodo tried to sing a song to encourage them, but his voice sank to a murmur.
Reaching the next line Elladan started chuckling softly.
"Sorry Frodo, nice song, but the ending might not be the best of choices in your situation." he said before starting to sing, unlike his younger brother was he not against doing so in front of others.
O! Wanderers in the shadowed land
despair not! For though dark they stand,
all woods there be must end at last,
and see the open sun go past:
the setting sun, the rising sun,
the day's end, or the day begun.
For east or west all woods must fail ...
"Agreed, not the best ending for it in they current situation." Haldir stated matter of factly.
Fail - even as he said the word his voice faded into silence. The air seemed heavy and the making of words wearisome. Just behind them a large branch fell from an old overhanging tree with a crash into the path. The trees seemed to close in before them.
'They do not like all that about ending and failing,' said Merry. 'I should not sing any more at present. Wait till we do get to the edge, and then we'll turn and give them a rousing chorus!'
He spoke cheerfully, and if he felt any great anxiety, he did not show it. The others did not answer. They were depressed. A heavy weight was settling steadily on Frodo's heart, and he regretted now with every step forward that he had ever thought of challenging the menace of the trees. He was, indeed, just about to stop and propose going back - if that was still possible -, when things took a new turn. The path stopped climbing, and became for a while nearly level. The dark trees drew aside, and ahead they could see the path going almost straight forward. Before them, but some distance off, there stood a green hill-top, treeless, rising like a bald head out of the encircling wood. The path seemed to be making directly for it.
"Hopefully can they now finally leave those scary woods." Arwen said with Rumil nodding in eager agreement.
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 faded into the turf. The wood 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; though 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.'
All adults narrowed they eyes at this, they would certainly need to investigate this information.
The others looked in the direction that Merry pointed out, but they could see little but mists over the damp and deep-cut valley; and beyond it the southern half of the Forest faded from view.
The sun on the hill-lop 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 was veiled.
On the south-eastern side the ground fell very steeply, as if the slopes 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 borders, though they did not mean to go that way, if they could help it: the Barrow-downs had as sinister a reputation in hobbit-legend as the Forest itself.
"So Roh, what was is about you complaining about long, boring descriptions in your chapter?" Elladan asked his younger twin with a raised eyebrow who just shrugged.
At length they made up their minds to go on again. The path that had brought them to the hill reappeared on the northward side; but they had not followed it far before they became aware that it was bending steadily to the right. Soon it began to descend rapidly and they guessed that it must actually be heading towards the Withywindle valley: not at all the direction they wished lo take. After some discussion they decided to leave this misleading path and strike northward; for although they had not been able to see it from the hill-top, the Road must lie that way, and it could not be many miles off. Also northward, and to the left of the path, the land seemed lo be drier and more open, climbing up to slopes where the trees were thinner, and pines and firs replaced the oaks and ashes and other strange and nameless trees of the denser wood.
Elladan was just about to read the next sentence when suddenly a loud, familiar yell hit they ears.
"TRAUDIN! DO I LOOK LIKE THE PRACTICE MARK AND DRONGOLFIN, DO YOU CALL THAT A CLEAR SHOOT WITH A BOW! EVEN THE KITCHEN STAFF HAS BETTER AIM WITH A SPOON THEN YOU!"
"Your archers seem to have some difficulty Elrond." Celeborn stated with a raised eyebrow while the spoken to tried not to groan, they should have made that bow training an all time part of the training not only before one becomes a warrior.
"Noldorin prefer the sword over the bow and arrows of the sindarin, hervenn nín." Galadriel explained to Celeborn who only shook his head in mock sorrow.
"Still, that is no excuse to be lacking in that skill, I myself are a master with both as is Thranduil." he said indignantly as he still looked disapprovingly at his fidgeting son-in-law.
Sensing his ada's pleading gaze on him decided Elladan to spare his father from the need to try commenting to his daeradar.
At first their choice seemed to be good: they got along at a fair speed, though whenever they got a glimpse of the sun in an open glade they seemed unaccountably to have veered eastwards. But after a time the trees began to close in again, just where they had appeared from a distance to be thinner and less tangled. Then deep folds in the ground were discovered unexpectedly, like the ruts of great giant-wheels or wide moats and sunken roads long disused and choked with brambles. These lay usually right across their line of march, and could only be crossed by scrambling down and out again, which was troublesome and difficult with their ponies. Each time they climbed down they found the hollow filled with thick bushes and matted undergrowth, which somehow would not yield to the left, but only gave way when they turned to the right; and they had to go some distance along the bottom before they could find a way up the further bank. Each time they clambered out, the trees seemed deeper and darker; and always to the left and upwards it was most difficult to find a way, and they were forced to the right and downwards.
After an hour or two they had lost all clear sense of direction, though they knew well enough that they had long ceased to go northward at all. They were being headed off, and were simply following a course chosen for them – eastwards and southwards, into the heart of the Forest and not out of it.
There were several groans at these words, drowning out Glorfindel's distant complains about the lacking skill of they soldiers for which the Archery Masters probably attacked him in they annoyance about him telling them how to get they job done.
The afternoon was wearing away when they scrambled and stumbled into a fold that was wider and deeper than any they had yet met. It was so sleep and overhung that it proved impossible to climb out of it again, either forwards or backwards, without leaving their ponies and their baggage behind. All they could do was to follow the fold – downwards. The ground grew soft, and in places boggy; springs appeared in the banks, and soon they found themselves following a brook that trickled and babbled through a weedy bed. Then the ground began to fall rapidly, and the brook growing strong and noisy, flowed and leaped swiftly downhill. They were in a deep dim-lit gully over-arched by trees high above them.
After stumbling along for some way along the stream, they came quite suddenly out of the gloom. As if through a gate they saw the sunlight before them. Coming to the opening they found that they had made their way down through a cleft in a high sleep bank, almost a cliff. At its feet was a wide space of grass and reeds; and in the distance could be glimpsed another bank almost as steep. A golden afternoon of late sunshine lay warm and drowsy upon the hidden land between. In the midst of it there wound lazily a dark river of brown water, bordered with ancient willows, arched over with willows, blocked with fallen willows, and flecked with thousands of faded willow-leaves. The air was thick with them, fluttering yellow from the branches; for there was a warm and gentle breeze blowing softly in the valley, and the reeds were rustling, and the willow-boughs were creaking.
More noises drifted towards the garden at which Legolas suddenly stood up from his sitting spot between Elladan and Haldir.
"I will be back in a few minutes." Legolas said as he walked out of the garden making everyone first stare confused after him till he fully vanished from they view and then at the smirking king.
"Where is he going?" Elrond asked in confusion.
"Helping out your Seneschal before he gets turned into an arrow cushion by both your Archery Masters who have enough of him and they students who get to nervous because of him." replied the blonde king while smiling smugly at the black haired lord.
"Should we wait for him seeing that Legolas is the next one to read?" Celebrian asked before her husband could retort the king's earlier comment which implied that the princeling an elfling could best him soldiers with a bow.
"There is no need for that Celebrian, he will be back before he is up." Thranduil reassured her and then gestured for Elladan to start reading, which the elfling did, but rather reluctantly, dark eyes gazing occasionally at the garden entrance.
'Well, now I have at least some notion of where we are!' said Merry. 'We have come almost in the opposite direction to which we intended. This is the River Withywindle! I will go on and explore.'
"At least he knows where they are." Orophin stated, he had once walked to far inside the Golden Woods getting hopelessly lost and needed to wait till Lord Celeborn hadn't found him and brought him back home.
He passed out into the sunshine and disappeared into the long grasses. After a while he reappeared, and reported that there was fairly solid ground between the cliff-foot and the
river; in some places firm turf went down to the water's edge. 'What's more,' he said, 'there seems to be something like a footpath winding along on this side of the river. If we turn left and follow it, we shall be bound to come out on the east side of the Forest eventually.'
'I dare say!' said Pippin. 'That is, if the track goes on so far, and does not simply lead us into a bog and leave us there. Who made the track, do you suppose, and why? I am sure it was not for our benefit. I am getting very suspicious of this Forest and everything in it,
"You are not the only one." all elflings said in union, that forest sounded scary and it was worse reading about it because it seemed to similar to what had become out of they new friend's home. Neither of them could imagine Imladris or Lothlórien becoming such a dark place like the Greenwood had become.
and I begin to believe all the stories about it. And have you any idea how far eastward we should have to go?'
'No,' said Merry, 'I haven't. I don't know in the least how far down the Withywindle we are, or who could possibly come here often enough to make a path along it. But there is no other way out that I can see or think of.'
"This book will not become to my nerves." Elrond groaned and he knew that things will get only worse soon, Celebrian's warm hand on his gave him some little comfort, weren't it for the look Celeborn was sending him, really was it not a bad time to slip back into the protective father role?
There being nothing else for it, they filed out, and Merry led them to the path that he had discovered. Everywhere the reeds and grasses were lush and tall, in places far above their heads; but once found, the path was easy to follow, as it turned and twisted, picking out the sounder ground among the bogs and pools. Here and there it passed over other rills, running down gullies into the Withywindle out of the higher forest-lands, and at these points there were tree-trunks or bundles of brushwood laid carefully across.
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.
"They need to urge the ponies on, that is not a normal sleepiness, but magically inducted." Miriel exclaimed in a worried tone which made everyone stare at the book in alarm.
"Just what we needed a sleeping spell." Elrond groaned again.
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!'
"Nay, they need to hurry, I think that willow might be the source so if they leave it then they should be fine." Feanor said who had worked often with the water of they river infested with magic and he was also one of those always checking the magical runes on both the doors and weaponry.
"Not good, not good." Rumil and Arwen mumbled while clinging to they closest brothers.
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 boughs 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.
"Aiya, as feared the tree is really the source for the spell." Feanor brought out in a worried tone.
"This won't end well if they don't get away." Thranduil said, hands gripping at his robes.
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 overpowering him; then with an effort he struggled to his feel again.
"Good, he is trying to fight the spell." Feanor said.
"He has a strong will." remarked Angränor with an appreciative nod.
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 feel in the cool brown water; and there he too suddenly fell asleep with his back against the tree.
Sam sat down and scratched his head, and yawned like a cavern. He was worried. The afternoon was getting late, and he thought this sudden sleepiness uncanny. 'There's more behind this than sun and warm air,' he muttered to himself. 'I don't like this great big tree. I don't trust it. Hark at it singing about sleep now! This won't do at all!'
The worried tension was suddenly broken with the arrival of Legolas who had a smug smile on his lips, not unlike the one his ada had on mare minutes ago, while a flabbergasted Glorfindel was trailing behind him with slow steps, occasionally swaying a bit as if drunk. Reaching the group flopped the young prince down on his old sitting place while Glorfindel sat down beside Elrond, his blue eyes still on the younger blonde before they trailed up to the king.
"Yes Lord Glorfindel, is there something you wish to say?" Thranduil asked smirking, this seemed to snap the Balrog Slayer out of his reverie.
"JUST WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE VALAR HAVE YOU DONE WITH THIS ELFLING!" he screamed suddenly, making Elrond fall from his seat in shock at the outbust, but was ignored as the genereal went into a rant. "Just mare minutes ago were three Archery Masters and at least fifty archers in training bested by a mare elfling who shoot a perfect score three times after another! This is not normal! I thought Droindän, Cälestir and Läufen would any second break out crying and start worshipping him on they knees…"
"Well, Legolas had always a passionate interest in archery so he got allowance to train with the other archers and is currently the best in his advanced class." Thranduil said proudly while Legolas blushed at the admiring looks of his friends and that of Lord Celeborn, he just happened to like archery and be good with a bow, which was all that was to it.
"So you got the soldiers to train without complains." Miriel said while looking at her nephew.
"Aye, they were pretty determinded to beat my score when we left." Legolas replied nodding.
"Oropher would have been certainly proud about his grandson." Celeborn whispered to Thranduil who nodded, his father had always admired skill and hard work so he would have been pleased with Legolas.
After filling in Glorfindel and Legolas bout what they had missed could Elladan continue with the chapter, the tension returning.
He pulled himself to his feet, and staggered off to see what had become of the ponies. He found that two had wandered on a good way along the path; and he had just caught them and brought them back towards the others, when he heard two noises; one loud, and the other soft but very clear. One was the splash of something heavy falling into the water; the other was a noise like the snick of a lock when a door quietly closes fast.
Elladan paled at the next sentences 'They won't like hearing this.' he thought before taking a deep breath and continued, his tone shaking.
He rushed back to the bank. Frodo was in the water close to the edge, and a great tree-root seemed to be over him and holding him down, but he was not struggling.
Gasps of horror could be heard all around 'Aye, guessed right that no one will like this, it is scarry to be hearing about the darker side of magic.' he thought, both him and his siblings had always loved it when Mithrandir did one of his famous magic tricks or it was reassuring that they ada's ring protected they home from harm, but now. He feared the ring his father carried because it could turn evil and now was he also experiencing the darker side of the magic he had found amusing in the past. 'We needed to grow up sometime, and some needed to do that to early.' his mind said bitterly as he looked over at his new friend.
He rushed back to the bank. Frodo was in the water close to the edge, and a great tree-root seemed to be over him and holding him down, but he was not struggling. Sam gripped him by the jacket, and dragged him from under the root; and then with difficulty hauled him on to the bank. Almost at once he woke, and coughed and spluttered.
Everyone sighed in relief that Frodo had come about again, this was a good sign.
'Do you know, Sam,' he said at length, 'the beastly tree threw me in! I felt it. The big root just twisted round and tipped me in!'
'You were dreaming I expect, Mr. Frodo,' said Sam.
"You mean having a pretty realistic and deadly nightmare?" Glorfindel asked sarcastically, but then noticed the dark looks he was getting from both Lady Celebrian and Lady Galadriel, he really could not decide which glare was worse.
"Glorfindel, stop scaring the younger elflings with your comments, they aren't helping." Celebrian said in a firm tone as she gestured to a shaking Arwen and Rumil.
"Uh…sorry…"
'You shouldn't sit in such a place, if you feel sleepy.'
'What about the others?' Frodo asked. 'I wonder what sort of dreams they are having.'
They went round to the other side of the tree, and then Sam understood the click that he had heard. Pippin had vanished. The crack by which he had laid himself had closed together, so that not a chink could be seen. Merry was trapped: another crack had closed about his waist; his legs lay outside, but the rest of him was inside a dark opening, the edges of which gripped like a pair of pincers.
"I already fear about what they nightmares will be about…" Glorfindel whispered to Elrond who glared at him.
"You can't complain seeing how Celebrian, Galadriel, Celeborn, Thranduil and I will be the ones having scared elflings sleeping in our beds." the lord growled back, he was already dreading the evening.
"Someone is moody today." Glorfindel remarked while Celebrian hid a snicker at that comment while her husband glowered.
Frodo and Sam beat first upon the tree-trunk where Pippin had lain. They then struggled frantically to pull open the jaws of the crack that held poor Merry. It was quite useless.
'What a foul thing to happen!' cried Frodo wildly. 'Why did we ever come into this dreadful Forest? I wish we were all back at Crickhollow!' He kicked the tree with all his strength, heedless of his own feet. A hardly perceptible shiver ran through the stem and up into the branches; the leaves rustled and whispered, but with a sound now of faint and far-off laughter.
'I suppose we haven't got an axe among our luggage, Mr. Frodo?' asked Sam.
'I brought a little hatchet for chopping firewood,' said Frodo. 'That wouldn't be much use.'
"Not strong enough." come it from most of the adults which didn't help the nervousness of the elflings at all, making them pull closer together.
'Wait a minute!' cried Sam, struck by an idea suggested by firewood. 'We might do something with fire!'
"I would advise against it." Miriel said, they couldn't control the fire and it might not even help only lead to unnecessary injuries.
'We might,' said Frodo doubtfully. 'We might succeed in roasting Pippin alive inside.'
"Not the time for dark humour Frodo." Elrohir stated with a groan, he would certainly have Arwen's nail marks on his arm for a few days.
"At least is he thinking it thorough before jumping to ideas." Celebrian said with a light relieved tone mixing into her worry.
'We might try to hurt or frighten this tree to begin with,' said Sam fiercely. 'If it don't let them go, I'll have it down, if I have to gnaw it.' He ran to the ponies and before long came back with two tinder-boxes and a hatchet.
Quickly they gathered dry grass and leaves, and bits of bark; and made a pile of broken twigs and chopped sticks. These they heaped against the trunk on the far side of the tree from the prisoners. As soon as Sam had struck a spark into the tinder, it kindled the dry grass and a flurry of flame and smoke went up. The twigs crackled. Little fingers of fire licked against the dry scored rind of the ancient tree and scorched it. A tremor ran through the whole willow.
Both Thranduil and Legolas flinched at this, even thought all Wood Elves were close to nature where the two of them always even more devoted to it, they could feel it in they veins, in they whole being, they knew that the willow was dangerous, but it couldn't do anything against it and now it was hurting. Remembering his friends fierce love for nature Celeborn nudged Erestor gently, nodding when the advisor placed a calming hand on the king's arm, while Miriel did the same from his other side. The Lord also caught the gaze of his young charge and nodded to Haldir that he should do the same with Legolas. Father and son's deep love for the nature was even in elven standards unusual, it was that power from which they drew strength from in they time of need and it was this love which drew Thranduil to fight against the darkness invading his home, his fierce want to restore the forest to its former glory only if that is done will he finally feel obliged to leave Arda.
The leaves seemed to hiss above their heads with a sound of pain and anger. A loud scream came from Merry, and from far inside the tree they heard Pippin give a muffled yell.
'Put it out! Put it out!' cried Merry. 'He'll squeeze me in two, if you don't. He says so!'
"Not the best prospect." Orophin whispered with a shudder, but he would probably act the same if someone would burn him no matter the ground.
'Who? What?' shouted Frodo, rushing round to the other side of the tree.
'Put it out! Put it out!' begged Merry.
"Seas, listen to him." whimpered Arwen.
The branches of the willow began to sway violently. There was a sound as of a wind rising and spreading outwards to the branches of all the other trees round about, as though they had dropped a stone into the quiet slumber of the river-valley and set up ripples of anger that ran out over the whole Forest. Sam kicked at the little fire and stamped out the sparks. But Frodo, without any clear idea of why he did so, or what he hoped for, ran along the path crying help! help! help!
"Don't know if his intuition will get him anywhere there." Elrohir said while shaking his head, but Elladan ignored him while Glorfindel looked suddenly thoughtful, he suddenly remembered one of his talks with Mithrandir involving a forest and a certain person that he is now residing there not knowing that Galadriel had it already figured out.
It seemed to him that he could hardly hear the sound of his own shrill voice: it was blown away from him by the willow-wind and drowned in a clamour of leaves, as soon as the words left his mouth. He felt desperate: lost and witless.
Suddenly he slopped. There was an answer, or so he thought; but it seemed to come from behind him, away down the path further back in the Forest. He turned round and listened, and soon there could be no doubt: someone was singing a song; a deep glad voice was singing carelessly and happily, but it was singing nonsense:
Elladan suddenly stared gapping at the book in his hands, he had heard this name before in many stories, but was it possible for him to appear to the hobbits in they time of need?
"Elladan, it is really the person you are guessing, Mithrandir had assumptions that he might be living there, but his appearance is one thing, he only rarely involves him with the problems of others, he only does what he wants to do. Even if he will decide to help them, it will probably left by it because he is not concerned with out things." Galadriel said softly while most of the others stared at her confused, not understanding what she was talking about.
"So Tom Bombadil really is living there?" Glorfindel asked at which all eyes widened.
"Aye, but as you should know it, he is a powerful being from which no one knows how he come to be except Illuvatar himself, his presence doesn't effect all to much." Glorfindel agreed with the Lady of the Golden Wood.
"Two ages had passed with bloody wars between the races and he had never felt the need to take part in any on either side of the fighting parities." he finally said.
"And even now he won't take part because it doesn't concern nor interest him." Galadriel said before turning back to her grandson.
"You can continue Elladan before your adar wished to start arguing about this." she said and a blushing Elrond immediately shut his mouth.
Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo!
Ring a dong! hop along! fal lal the willow!
Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!
"Nonsense is the accurate description for it." Haldir stated blinking, he like any other elfling had heard stories about the elusive Tom Bombadil and how unique he was in regards of power, but if what they were told was true, and the Lady would never lye then they could only hope that Frodo could get him to help.
"You tell me, I'm the one needing to sing this and it is far from over." Elladan groaned as he flashed a glare at his twin hoping that the next chapter Elrohir would get would be full of songs or boring landscape descriptions.
Half hopeful and half afraid of some new danger, Frodo and Sam now both stood still. Suddenly out of a long string of nonsense-words (or so they seemed) the voice rose up loud and clear and burst into this song:
Hey! Come merry dot! derry dol! My darling!
Light goes the weather-wind and the feathered starling.
Down along under Hill, shining in the sunlight,
Waiting on the doorstep for the cold starlight,
There my pretty lady is. River-woman's daughter,
Slender as the willow-wand, clearer than the water.
Old Tom Bombadil water-lilies bringing
Comes hopping home again. Can you hear him singing?
Hey! Come merry dol! deny dol! and merry-o,
Goldberry, Goldberry, merry yellow berry-o!
Poor old Willow-man, you tuck your roots away!
Tom's in a hurry now. Evening will follow day.
Tom's going home again water-lilies bringing.
Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?
Elladan was sure that his face was burning red from embarrassment as he finished the song, he would never manage to live this down by the looks of Elrohir and Glorfindel who were biting they tongues to not bust out laughing and some of the others looked also only all to amused.
"Cheer up meldir, at least is it over." Haldir said while patting him on the back.
"I agree, no one knows what they will need to read out loud." Legolas added in seeing that he will be up next.
"Thanks, at least I can count on some of you." he said while glaring at his twin.
Frodo and Sam stood as if enchanted. The wind puffed out. The leaves hung silently again on stiff branches. There was another burst of song, and then suddenly, hopping and dancing along the path, there appeared above the reeds an old battered hat with a tall crown and a long blue feather stuck in the band. With another hop and a bound there came into view a man, or so it seemed.
As Elladan looked up noded both Glorfindel and his daernaneth that it was the persong they had been discussing before. And some people thought Mithrandir strange.
At any rate he was too large and heavy for a hobbit, if not quite tall enough for one of the Big People, though he made noise enough for one,
The elflings sniggered at this.
Slumping along with great yellow boots on his thick legs, and charging through grass and rushes like a cow going down to drink. He had a blue coat and a long brown beard; his eyes were blue and bright, and his face was red as a ripe apple, but creased into a hundred wrinkles of laughter. In his hands he carried on a large leaf as on a tray a small pile of white water-lilies.
The elflings laughed again at the image and even the adults had some smiles on they lips at the description presented to them.
'Help!' cried Frodo and Sam running towards him with their hands stretched out.
'Whoa! Whoa! steady there!' cried the old man, holding up one hand, and they stopped short, as if they had been struck stiff. 'Now, my little fellows, where be you a-going to, puffing like a bellows? What's the matter here then? Do you know who I am? I'm Tom Bombadil. Tell me what's your trouble! Tom's in a hurry now. Don't you crush my lilies!'
'My friends are caught in the willow-tree,' cried Frodo breathlessly.
'Master Merry's being squeezed in a crack!' cried Sam.
"You know, some of those stories about him should really be re-constructed if you ask me." Elladan said while shaking his head at Tom's weirdness.
"Huh…" come it from the adults.
'What?' shouted Tom Bombadil, leaping up in the air. 'Old Man Willow? Naught worse than that, eh? That can soon be mended. I know the tune for him. Old grey Willow-man! I'll freeze his marrow cold, if he don't behave himself. I'll sing his roots off. I'll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away. Old Man Willow!'
"In some cases can singing to them help in the case of those from silvan and sindarin descent." Celaborn said in a thoughtful tone.
Setting down his lilies carefully on the grass, he ran to the tree. There he saw Merry's feet still sticking out – the rest had already been drawn further inside. Tom put his mouth to the crack and began singing into it in a low voice. They could not catch the words, but evidently Merry was aroused. His legs began to kick. Tom sprang away, and breaking off a hanging branch smote the side of the willow with it. 'You let them out again, Old Man Willow!' he said. 'What be you athinking of? You should not be waking. Eat earth! Dig deep! Drink water! Go to sleep! Bombadil is talking!' He then seized Merry's feet and drew him out of the suddenly widening crack.
"He is really more different then in the stories." Rumil said while raising an eyebrow, the others nodding.
There was a tearing creak and the other crack split open, and out of it Pippin sprang, as if he had been kicked.
"Would not be surprised if one of the roots really did kick him out." Legolas mumbled under his breath as he remembered when one of the larger oak treed handed him down to his ada on one occasion when he had sneaked out of the palace when he was little.
Then with a loud snap both cracks closed fast again. A shudder ran through the tree from root to tip, and complete silence fell.
'Thank you!' said the hobbits, one after the other.
Everyone felt glad that the four hobbits were fine now and unhurt by the tree.
Tom Bombadil burst out laughing. 'Well, my little fellows!' said he, stooping so that he peered into their faces. 'You shall come home with me! The table is all laden with yellow cream, honeycomb, and white bread and butter. Goldberry is waiting. Time enough for questions around the supper table. You follow after me as quick as you are able!' With that he picked up his lilies, and then with a beckoning wave of his hand went hopping and dancing along the path eastward, still singing loudly and nonsensically.
Too surprised and too relieved to talk, the hobbits followed after him as fast as they could. But that was not fast enough. Tom soon disappeared in front of them, and the noise of his singing got fainter and further away. Suddenly his voice came floating back to them in a loud halloo!
Elladan needed to hold himslef back from hitting his head aginst the book, sure he liked singing, but…no other way around it so taking a deep breath, and swearing a prank revenge against his twin, he continued.
Hop along, my little friends, up the Withywindle!
Tom's going on ahead candles for to kindle.
Down west sinks the Sun: soon you will be groping.
When the night-shadows fall, then the door will open,
Out of the window-panes light will twinkle yellow.
Fear no alder black! Heed no hoary willow!
Fear neither root nor bough! Tom goes on before you.
Hey now! merry dot! We'll be waiting for you!
After that the hobbits heard no more. Almost at once the sun seemed to sink into the trees behind them. They thought of the slanting light of evening glittering on the Brandywine River, and the windows of Bucklebury beginning to gleam with hundreds of lights. Great shadows fell across them; trunks and branches of trees hung dark and threatening over the path. White mists began to rise and curl on the surface of the river and stray about the roots of the trees upon its borders. Out of the very ground at their feet a shadowy steam arose and mingled with the swiftly falling dusk.
It became difficult to follow the path, and they were very tired. Their legs seemed leaden. Strange furtive noises ran among the bushes and reeds on either side of them; and if they looked up to the pale sky, they caught sight of queer gnarled and knobbly faces that gloomed dark against the twilight, and leered down at them from the high bank and the edges of the wood. They began to feel that all this country was unreal, and that they were stumbling through an ominous dream that led to no awakening.
"Not helping guys." Orophin stated as he tried to guess how long his arm would hold out without his blood seeing that his little brother had a nice grip on it which made a strong barrier.
Just as they felt their feet slowing down to a standstill, they noticed that the ground was gently rising. The water began to murmur. In the darkness they caught the white glimmer of foam, where the river flowed over a short fall. Then suddenly the trees came to an end and the mists were left behind. They stepped out from the Forest, and found a wide sweep of grass welling up before them. The river, now small and swift, was leaping merrily down to meet them, glinting here and there in the light of the stars, which were already shining in the sky.
The grass under their feet was smooth and short, as if it had been mown or shaven. The eaves of the Forest behind were clipped, and trim as a hedge. The path was now plain before them, well-tended and bordered with stone. It wound up on to the top of a grassy knoll, now grey under the pale starry night; and there, still high above them on a further slope, they saw the twinkling lights of a house. Down again the path went, and then up again, up a long smooth hillside of turf, towards the light. Suddenly a wide yellow beam flowed out brightly from a door that was opened. There was Tom Bombadil's house before them, up, down, under hill. Behind it a steep shoulder of the land lay grey and bare, and beyond that the dark shapes of the Barrow-downs stalked away into the eastern night.
They all hurried forward, hobbits and ponies. Already half their weariness and all their fears had fallen from them.
Hey! Come merry dol! rolled out the song to greet them.
"I swear, I never want to listen to a Tom Bombadil story ever again." Elladan groaned at least was the chapter ready.
Hey! Come derry dol! Hop along, my hearties!
Hobbits! Ponies all! We are fond of parties.
Now let the fun begin! Let us sing together!
Then another clear voice, as young and as ancient as Spring, like the song of a glad water flowing down into the night from a bright morning in the hills, came falling like silver to meet them:
Now let the song begin! Let us sing together
Of sun, stars, moon and mist, rain and cloudy weather,
Light on the budding leaf, dew on the feather,
Wind on the open hill, bells on the heather,
Reeds by the shady pool, lilies on the water:
Old Tom Bombadil and the River-daughter!
And with that song the hobbits stood upon the threshold, and a golden light was all about them.
"This is done." Elladan said with a sigh of relief as he handed the book over to Legolas. "I wish you luck meldir." he said in sympathy before turning to Elrohir. "As for you, I plan revenge." he hissed, but his brother was paying him no heed as he hoped that the chapter had many songs so that Legolas would sing.
"The next chapter is "In the House of Tom Bombadil".
To be continued…