The four hobbits, the Raynors, Kerrigan, and Artanis left Bree with the Strider while taking a horse with them. "Where are you taking us?" Frodo asked.
"Into the Wild," Strider replied. The Raynors, Kerrigan, and Artanis were suspicious of the ranger.
"How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf?" Merry asked.
"I think a servant of the enemy would look fairer … and feel fouler," Frodo replied.
"He's foul enough."
"A servant of the enemy would stick his sword on our backs when we're off guard. Best we keep an eye on him," Artanis stated the fact out of suspicion.
"We have no choice but to trust him," said Frodo.
"Where are you leading us?" Kerrigan asked the Strider.
"To Rivendell, to the house of Elrond."
"Did you hear that? Rivendell. We're going to see the Elves," said Sam.
"That is the place we'll be getting answers," said Jim as he remembered the elven sanctuary.
"Who's Elrond?" Kerrigan asked.
"A great elf lord, a member of the White Council," Jim replied. He recalled Lord Elrond read the map for Thorin and company during the Quest for Erebor. Jim would hear what the elf lord would say regarding the ring that was found.
"What is the White Council?" Artanis asked.
"Its members were Gandalf, Elrond, Saruman, and Galadriel the Lady of Lorien," Jim gave out what he remembered.
"If Saruman is against us, the White Council will be no more right?" the Queen of Blades asked.
"That will be true," Jim sighed.
The group traveled miles from the town through the wilderness but had an unexpected stop. "Gentlemen, we do not stop till nightfall," said the Strider.
"What about breakfast?" Pippin asked.
"You've already had it."
"We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast?"
"Talk about gluttonous hobbits," Kerrigan thought.
"Don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip," Merry said to his friend.
"What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?"
"I wouldn't count on it," said Merry as the Strider went ahead and tossed some apples to the hobbits. "Pippin!"
When the group began going through a marsh, there were insects buzzing around them. "What do they eat when they can't get Hobbit?" Pippin asked.
"Just concentrate on moving forward, Pippin," Jim spoke in an irritated tone.
At nightfall, the Strider brought back a stag for dinner at a stopping point. The Raynors, Kerrigan, and Artanis had to watch out for the hobbits even when the Strider was taking the night's watch.
"What kind of song is that?" Kerrigan whispered as the ranger was singing in a language that they did not understand.
"It's elvish," Johnny replied as he recognized the language due to the fact that he grew up in Lorien.
"Who is she?" Frodo asked as he woke up. "This woman you sing of."
"'Tis the lady of Luthien. The Elf-maiden who gave her love to Beren, a mortal," the Strider replied.
"What happened to her?"
"She died," the Strider then turned to Frodo. "Get some sleep, Frodo." He turned to the Raynors, Kerrigan, and Artanis, "You four should sleep too."
"I'll make this clear to you, we don't trust you. If you try to put a blade on our backs, we'll kill you," Artanis gave a warning.
"What do you think I am? Spy of the Enemy? Does a spy of the enemy take you all to Rivendell?" the ranger asked.
"We shall see if you are a true friend of Gandalf," said Jim.
Kerrigan figured out that the Strider had no intention of backstabbing through telepathy and the matter was passed.
The next day, the group of nine continued traveling miles and came across a ruined tower. "This was the great watchtower of Amon Sul," the Strider gave out information. "We shall rest here tonight." They climbed the tower and the ranger unwrapped a bundle of short swords, "These are for you. Keep them close. I'm going to have a look around. Stay here." The Strider left the group to have a look around while the hobbits took the short swords.
"I don't think those would damage those wraiths," Artanis spoke while judging the short swords.
"We'll have to watch out for them," said Jim. He, Johnny, Kerrigan, and Artanis took positions cover all intervals.
At nightfall; the Raynors, Kerrigan, and Artanis heard blood-curtailing screeches. "They're here," they thought.
"Back, you devils!" it was Sam followed by clashing of steel.
When the Raynors, Kerrigan, and Artanis arrived; there were five Ringwraiths. Sam, Merry, and Pippin were on the floor while Frodo was stabbed by one of the wraiths.
Jim opened fire with his revolver on the wraith that stabbed Frodo; however the bullets did not inflict any damage on it. "Damn it! Those wraiths are not affected by anything I hit them with," he said.
Kerrigan used Crushing Grip on the five Nazgul lifting them into the air stunning them while inflicting damage with her psionic power causing the five to whirl their arms and feet. Her energy blast was able to damage a wraith and she had to dodge the wraith's attacks. Johnny clashed blades with a Ringwraith and his sword could damage it. Artanis used Lightning Dash on the four Nazgul stunning them while dealing great amount of damage to them. The Protoss slashed a Nazgul with his Twilight Blades cutting its sword in two while inflicting high amount of damage to it. The Strider joined in the fight clashing blades with a wraith and caught it on fire with a torch. The Raynors, Kerrigan, and Artanis drove four Ringwraiths out while Sam, Merry, and Pippin were attending Frodo who uttered cries of pain. The ranger spotted the last wraith heading to the hobbits and hurled the torch to set it ablaze driving it out.
"Strider!" Sam shouted. "Help him, Strider."
"He's been stabbed a Morgul Blade," the Strider examined a wraith's sword and its blade disintegrated. "This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs Elvish medicine."
Jim remembered a Morgul Blade that a wizard Radagast the Brown had found from the old fortress of Dol Guldur and Gandalf presented it to the White Council. "How did the wraith got that blade?" was the question Jim could not find the answer to.
"I'll carry him," said Jim as he carried the injured hobbit on the shoulder.
"Hurry!" the ranger ordered while continuing leading the way.
"We're six days from Rivendell! He'll never make it!" Sam shouted.
"Hang on, Frodo," said Jim.
"Gandalf!" Frodo shouted.
At one stopping point, the dazed Frodo looked around. "Look, Frodo. It's Mr. Bilbo's trolls," said Sam as there were three statues of trolls.
"It's a good thing that these trolls won't come to life again," said Jim looking at the three stone trolls.
"What are you talking about?" Artanis asked.
"These trolls were once living, until Gandalf exposed them to sunlight turning them into stone," Jim recalled.
"Mr. Frodo? He's going cold," Sam was aware that Frodo's health condition was worsening.
"Is he going to die?" Pippin asked.
"He's passing into the Shadow World. He'll soon become a Wraith like them," the Strider replied.
"This is worse than Kili's case," Jim thought remembering that a handsome dwarf, Kili, was poisoned from an arrow. "It is possible the Morgul Blade had the same toxic substance as the arrow that poisoned Kili."
They heard sounds nearby and Merry said, "They're close."
"Sam, do you know the Athelas plant?" Strider asked.
"Athelas?"
"Kingsfoil."
"Kingsfoil, aye, it's a weed."
"It may help to slow the poisoning. Hurry!"
Jim remembered combining the Kingsfoil and the chant in elvish could remove the poison. He dared not to say a word this time at the time the Strider and Sam searched for the weed.
"We got company," said Artanis as he activated his Twilight Blades and Jim readied his revolver when they heard movement approaching them.
Instead of a Ringwraith, a black-haired beautiful lady on horseback had arrived and some of her facial features were similar to Elrond. She dismounted and approached the injured hobbit that was in a dreamlike state. "Frodo," she called and then spoke in a language they did not understand.
"Who is she?" Merry asked.
"Can she be the daughter of Elrond?" Jim wondered.
"Frodo," said the lady.
"She's an Elf," said Sam.
"He's fading," the elf lady unsealed the wound that the Strider applied the Kingsfoil to. "He's not going to last. We must get him to my father. I've been looking for you for two days."
"Where are you taking him?" Merry asked as the ranger lifted Frodo up.
"She's taking him ahead," Jim thought.
"There are five Wraiths behind you. Where the other four are, I do not know," said the elf lady. She and the Strider began talking in elvish while putting Frodo onto the white horse.
"What are they saying?" Pippin asked in a baffled tone.
The lady said in elvish and then, "I do not fear them" in common tongue.
After the Strider said something in elvish, the elf lady saw Jim. "Jim Raynor?" she said in common tongue.
"Are you the daughter of Elrond?"
"Yes, my name is Arwen. My father told me a lot about you," the elf lady introduced herself in common tongue while she mounted onto the horse.
"It's nice to meet you, but I don't think this is the place for chatting. There's no time to lose and proceed with extreme caution."
"Arwen, ride hard. Don't look back," said the Strider as she rode off with Frodo.
"What are you doing?! Those Wraiths are still out there!" Sam shouted with concern.
"I hope this worth the risk," Jim muttered.
The nine Nazgul turned their attention to Arwen who had Frodo and chased her to the river. She crossed the river and casted the spell calling horse-shaped rushing water on the nine Ringwraiths when they attempted to cross the river to catch up her. The flood drowned the wraiths' horse steeds and Arwen hurried to take him to Rivendell.