Sorry for the delay. I was updating my fanfics. :)
*.*.*
The forest grew longer. It was awake, its animals ready to hunt. Bingo pushed forward, hoping the cave was near. The last thing he expected was to find Dúnedain Rangers camping out at this hour.
Bingo stopped and counted the Rangers. There were thirty, huddled together and armed. Were they friendly? Would they know he was a friend, too? Maybe it was better to leave them alone.
"You!" One of the Rangers, a brown-haired man wearing green leather clothes, spotted him. "Stop!" The Ranger sheathed his weapon. "You're not from around here. What's one of your kind doing out here, away from the Shire?"
"My name is Bingo and I'm from Rivendell," Bingo answered.
"Rivendell?" The Ranger cried out in joy. "I've never heard of a hobbit living in Rivendell. You must have good company."
"Yes. So, it seems." Bingo said.
"Come on." The Ranger led the hobbit over to their camp. "Tell us about your adventures."
"There's not much to tell. Who are you?" Bingo asked the Ranger in turn.
"Galion." The Ranger answered, allowing the hobbit to sit in front of the campfire. "We were just about to eat."
How could Bingo refuse? This Ranger seemed nice… why did Bingo think then about the cave and Frodo? His brother would wonder what he was doing out here. And yet, Bingo's gaze turned towards the cave again, right as the Rangers passed to him some cooked coney on a stick.
"Now, tell us how you came to Rivendell," Galion said, smiling.
Bingo paused. He eventually told the Rangers bits and pieces of his time in the Valley of Imladris, especially on his time as a doppelganger. He vaguely told the Rangers how he transformed from doppelganger to living flesh. He couldn't bear telling how Frodo had been stabbed. It was too hard to bear.
"And now, my twin is heading to the Blue Mountains." Bingo finished his story, "I teleported here to Eregion. I don't know if I can do it again, not when I am close to the cave."
"Why do you want to go there?" Galion asked, curious.
"My brother and I share this connection. It's stronger than twin telepathy. It's something more." Bingo shook his head. "I'm not sure what else to say, other than it's special. I don't think a doppelganger is meant to be in the flesh. I died once when I was an infant. I don't intend to let that happen again."
"We cannot shy away from death," Galion told him, calmly. "Sooner or later, we must accept that people die and move on."
"Some of us aren't ready to die," Bingo admitted.
"I don't know what to tell you." The Ranger shrugged. He added, "You don't know what lies in that cave."
"And yet, that is where I must go," Bingo said, keen on reaching his destination.
"Well," Galion said, "if you must go to this cave you speak of, we cannot stop you, but we can escort you there if that is your wish."
"Or you could try teleportation." Another Ranger suggested. "You've done it once. Why not try again?"
"No. It's too close." Bingo said. "Besides, I couldn't just teleport right inside the cave. Who knows what's down there?"
"Well, why not try again?" The second Ranger repeated. He added, "We'll help you if we can."
"No. I think I need to do this alone." Bingo said, softly.
"Then we wish you luck." The second Ranger nodded.
"Thank you," Bingo said, returning to his food, which he enjoyed immensely.
.
He woke up two hours later, surprised to see the Rangers move out. Bingo sat up and scratched the tip of his nose. There was no point staying here another second.
"Hey!" The second Ranger called out to him. "You going to use that teleportation spell?"
Bingo chuckled. "That's funny!" He stood up, staring at the cave. "Okay. Distance doesn't matter." He closed his eyes, thought of the place he wanted to go, and opened them, finding he was in front of the cave's entrance. It was so big. What was in there?
He looked back at the forest, watching the Rangers fall away into the near distance. They were nothing more than specks to him. Bingo returned his gaze to the cave, keen on exploring it. "Well, there's no point in turning back." Bingo huffed, entering the cave without a second's notice.
*.*.*
Thanks for reading. :)