Sorry for the delay. I was updating my fanfics. :)

*.*.*

Minutes passed before Frodo's vision cleared.

He no longer saw the burning village, nor his friends becoming slaves and dying. He sighed, leaning back against the bench, glad the vision passed. Now, hopefully, nothing bad could happen again.

Right?

He looked at his friends, wondering what was wrong. "What?"

"Mr. Frodo," Sam sat down beside him, "are you all right? Your eyes were glazed over."

"Really? I was!" Frodo cried, hesitant and disturbed by what he heard.

"It's nothing alarming, is it?" Merry and Pippin asked in unison.

Frodo looked at his friends in confusion. What had happened to him during that vision? And why was the vision still in his thoughts, protruding there like a plague? He had to get up and do something. And he did, startling his friends as he approached the king and queen.

"Mr. Frodo, wait!" Sam called, chasing after him.

At last, Frodo approached King Elessar and Queen Arwen. He stopped his friends before they had the chance to follow him. He was fine! Surely, they must know that! He turned around, facing Elessar and Arwen in desperation.

"You don't look so good," Arwen said, concerned. "Are you all right?"

"I like to know what caused these… visions," Frodo said, addressing the issue. "We must find out who this man in shadows is. We must stop him! He's the only one who gave me those visions. I don't know why." He looked at his hand, spotting powder on the palm of his hand. He looked up in understanding, realizing what he must do. "It was powder. Some sort of powder. I have to find him!"

Elessar nodded, approaching the hobbit. "And so, you must!" He patted his shoulder, returning to his throne a moment later. "Head for Bree. With luck, we'll catch this person! Stop him, at all costs!"

"What?" Frodo asked in confusion. "What would happen in Bree? Why do I need to go there?"

"It's where the man in shadows vanished," Elessar said, passing to Frodo a note. "He left this before he disappeared."

Frodo stared at the king as if he had gone mad. He opened the note, reading the inked scribble inside:

If you want to see your friends again,
come to Bree, before it's too late.

Frodo folded up the note, more baffled than ever. "I don't understand. Why would he take my friends to Bree?"

"Where did Fatty go? And Folco?" Merry looked around in confusion. Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger and Folco Boffin had vanished. This made no sense! Frodo wondered what sort of monster would do this to them! Didn't anybody show courtesy? Great! Now there was this man in shadows lurking about, stealing his friends!

This couldn't get any worse, could it?

"The Bearer of Secrets is loose! The Bearer of Secrets is loose!" a hobbit woman trampled across the area, stumbling on crates and wicker baskets in her mad rage. Frodo watched in intrigue. He had to follow her.

"Mr. Frodo, you're not well. Mr. Frodo!" Sam called out, determined to catch up to him.

"No! I need to find out what she knows!" Frodo shouted, just as Sam grabbed him. He looked around fast, telling him, "Get off! I can do this!"

"No!" Merry called out, defending Sam. "Come on. We're going back to Bag End!"

"But what…?" Frodo cried in defeat. He refused to give up, but that's exactly what was going to happen. He sighed, watching the hobbit woman head across the village of Bywater. He pulled away from his friends, heading home without complaint.

What a sorry day this had been! Yes, it was.

.

Frodo slept for well into the night. He hadn't expected to get a good night's sleep, but that's what happened! It was so refreshing! At least, until he woke up and found Pearl Took, the brunette-haired hobbitess, in his room, watching over him.

"Whaaa!" Frodo jumped, sitting up in bed. He asked Pearl, loudly and very confused, "What are you doing here?"

"Pippin sent me to check up on you!" Pearl said, leaning over and feeling his forehead. "Ah, you're still a bit hot."

"Why did Pippin send for you?" Frodo groaned, feeling his forehead. He was sweating! Well, maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

"Are you kidding me? You were flustered yesterday! I had to do something!" Pearl said, annoyed.

"Thank you! I'm fine!" Frodo said, cheekily.

"Now, don't act that way!" Pearl said, flustered.

Frodo snapped his head at her. "You tell me what to do? Hmm? That's not how you treat people!" A tear nearly escaped his eyelid. What was he thinking? It was his cousin! "I'm sorry." He said, kindly. "I guess I've been through a lot in such a short time."

"I'll stay with you until you've recovered," Pearl said, also kind.

Frodo raised an eyebrow. Such dignity! Why didn't he see that before?

"What?" Pearl asked, smiling.

"Nothing, just thank you!" Frodo said with a warm smile, holding her hand.

"You're welcome." Pearl stood up, taking the silver tray away from the bedside table. "I'll bring you more water. Then we can discuss how to defeat that Bearer of Secrets."

"Oh, is that who it is?" Frodo said, teasingly.

"You don't believe me?" Pearl asked, curtly. "Well, it's true! Just be lucky he doesn't come after us all!"

"I intend to find him," Frodo said, serious.

"And do what?" Pearl asked, confused. "To go out there and risk your neck again, just to defeat him? You'll need allies, Frodo. This isn't a normal foe."

"Yes, thank you," Frodo repeated for the third time that day. He smiled, grateful that he was calming down.

"I'll get you some more tea," Pearl said, leaving the room at last.

Frodo sighed. Oh, what was he getting himself into?