It was dark, and clouds were everywhere. Doctor Selvig calculated that it would rain, but his theory was proven to be correct. Sprinkles of rain was pouring very heavy around the Conspirators that made it safe to the city of Bree. Selvig had been right about the weather, but it was bad luck he did not earn a chance to work as a weather reporter. The Conspirators huddled together as they couldn't go separate directions since they know they're being tracked by these strange shadowy figures who they call "Black Riders". So far, they only counted one of them, but no one in the group was unaware that there were more than one.
"Stay close together," Agent Fortunov told the group around him. "Let's not wonder off."
"You think there's a hundred of these things lurking around?" Darcia guessed the exact number of shady things.
"How should I know?" Doctor Foster responded and keeping herself dry as she walked.
"Its hard to tell whether there's a hundred or even a thousand," Pat guessed her amount.
"Well let's hope your right or wrong," Darcia said.
"How far are we?" Burnett asked.
"We're getting close," Frodo answered. "As soon as we enter the gate, the better."
"I'm sorry, there's a gate?" Rifleman sounded surprised and confused. "Why the hell would there be a gate?"
"Maybe its to keep outlanders from entering," Pat answered. "My answer, official business."
"Well we got business with our little wizard friend," Rifleman scoffed. "One at least."
"So what's next when we enter the city?" Darcia asked.
"Once we meet up with him, will schedule our plan to reach the Hidden Valley that Gandalf talked about," Mockingbird suggested her plan. "Simple is that."
"Let's hope we're not late," Bangs sighed. "Cause I hate been late."
It was dark, and white stars were shining, when conspirators came at last to the Greenway-crossing and drew near the city. Hiding behind the trees to keep watch if any of the shadowy figures were wondering near by, they cross the road and make their way to the Western Gate of the city, only to find it completely shut. Unlike the northern, southern, and eastern gates, the western gate was very small, and could be easy for enemies to break in if the gate isn't strong enough to hold. Bobbi was the first to knock on the door three times in hopes that someone will answer. A few seconds later, a small window at the top opens and face of an elderly man emerges to meet her gaze.
"What do you want?" The gatekeeper asked gruffly towards her.
"We're heading for the Prancing Pony," Mockingbird responded immediately. "To seek shelter."
"Which part of Eriador do you come from?" The gatekeeper asked her.
"Rhu… Rhudaur," Mockingbird answered and began her explanation. "We are making for the inn here. We were journeying east and we can't go further tonight due to this weather."
The gatekeeper shuts the window and seconds later he opens the gate holding a lantern up. Barbara Morse grew suspicious over that man and saw as if he was wanting to attack the group. Soo-jin was suspicious too and slowly reached for one of her swords. Pat was ready to fight as she drew out a knife. Agents Jerry Fortunov and Barbara Morse were too ready to do anything to defend themselves from the gatekeeper. They both held their hands over to their loaded guns since they notice that the man was carrying a knife beside his pocket. The man stared at the group, hoping to catch their faces with the lantern in front. That was when he turned to stare darkly for a moment at the four young hobbits.
"Hobbits! Four hobbits!" The gatekeeper responded in surprise. "We don't often see Shire-folk riding on the Road at night. So what's more out of the Shire by your talk! What business brings you to Bree?"
"There with us," Mockingbird said. "I hope there isn't a problem about hobbits?"
"Well we do have as many hobbits that live within our city here, so no, there isn't a problem," The gatekeeper said. "You'll pardon my wondering what business takes you away east of Bree?"
"Our business is our own, and this does not seem a good place to discuss them," Agent Fortunov said, not liking the look of the man or the tone of his voice.
"Your business is your own, no doubt," The gatekeeper said, giving him a threatening face. "But it's my job to ask questions after nightfall."
"These hobbits are from Buckland, and we took them along with us to go on our fancy travel to the south of Gondor," Doctor Selvig explained about them. "I am Mr. Selvig. So, is that probably enough for you? I heard that the Bree-folk used to be fair-spoken to travelers."
"All right, all right," The gatekeeper nodded and stood aside to let them pass. "I meant no offense. But you'll find maybe that more folk than old Harry at the gate will be asking you questions. There's queer folk about. Can't be too careful." He finished as he closes the gate. "Go do your business. Welcome to Bree."
The group could see in the lantern-light that the man was still eyeing them curiously as they entered. More likely, they wondered why the man was so suspicious, and whether any one had been asking for news of a party of hobbits.
"There's something suspicious about that lantern guy," Darcia whispered next to Ian.
"Looked pretty foul to me," Burnett whispered back.
"Not even too close," Darcia whispered again. "But I could tell that he was ready to start something."
"Do you think that man could be a spy?" Samwise asked quietly to the group. "He's up to something. I can feel it. He could be working for the enemy… or for someone else?"
"Could it have been Gandalf?" Meriadoc asked.
"Little Marry might be right," Rifleman agreed to this. "He might have arrived, while we were delayed. But I could tell the look and the voice of the gatekeeper made me uneasy."
"Same here," Bangs said and turns around to see the Gatekeeper walking back into his office. "I just don't trust him."
"Well, I don't wish to make his acquaintance," Burnett fearfully said.
"Neither do I, at least he did let us in, which was good so far," Doctor Foster sighed, feeling relived that they were able to enter the city without being harmed at all. She turns to see a black-haired human man eating a big fancy carrot while it was raining harder than before.
"Ugh, this is nice," Darcia groaned, hating to get wet from the hard rain.
"Let's be on our guard," Agent Fortunov warned. "Just because we're in a city, doesn't mean we're here to make friends."
"Well, none of us are planning to make friends, including that creepy gate man," Rifleman said.
"I would go for the term 'spooky'," Pat scoffed with a smile.
"Easy for you to say luv," Rifleman sighed in annoyance as the rain continued to pour on him.
"So which way is the inn?" Doctor Foster asked. "All I see is a lot of houses, shops, and everything is dark."
"None of us have been to the inn before," Meriadoc said. "I'm pretty sure we can ask someone where it is."
"Best we look for it ourselves," Mockingbird suggested. "I don't trust anyone here."
The group trudge through the rain up the muddy lane and reach a gentle slope, passing many detached houses, and drew up outside the inn. The houses looked large and strange to them. Samwise Gamgee stared up at the inn with its three stories and many windows, and felt his heart sink. He had imagined himself meeting giants taller than trees, and other creatures even more terrifying, some time or other in the course of his journey; but at the moment he was finding his first sight of Men and their tall houses quite enough, indeed too much for the dark end of a tiring day. He pictured black horses standing all saddled in the shadows of the inn-yard, and Black Riders peering out of dark upper windows.
However, the group found themselves knowing that Bree was filled with different types of races that lived in the city for years. Some were not as friendly to look at, especially Orcs that were walking a bout during the stormy night. The group stayed together and kept themselves from being separated once they reached the Prancing Pony. That was when Barbara Morse was the first one to spot a sign. It was the sign of the Prancing Pony, and they push open the Inn door.
"C'mon let's get in," Mockingbird beckoned the others.
"Its about time we found it," Rifleman sighed in relief.
"God, my shoes are wet," Darcia scoffed in disgust.
"We surely aren't going to stay here for the night, are we?" Samwise asked. "If there are hobbit-folk in these parts, why don't we look for some that would be willing to take us in? It would be more homelike."
"What's wrong with the inn?" Doctor Foster asked what his problem was. "Gandalf recommended it. I expect it's homelike enough inside."
"Looks pretty civilized," Burnett described the inn's appearance. "Maybe there's nothing to worry about."
"Don't get your hopes up," Rifleman warned. "You think you know, but I do."
"Whats that suppose to mean?" Burnett asked, confused of what Lance Hunter was talking about.
Even from the outside the inn looked a pleasant house to familiar eyes. It had a front on the Road, and two wings running back on land partly cut out of the lower slopes of the hill, so that at the rear the second-floor windows were level with the ground. There was a wide arch leading to a courtyard between the two wings, and on the left under the arch there was a large doorway reached by a few broad steps. The door was open and light streamed out of it. Above the arch there was a lamp, and beneath it swung a large signboard: a fat white pony reared up on its hind legs. Over the door was painted in white letters: THE PRANCING PONY by BARLIMAN BUTTERBUR. Many of the lower windows showed lights behind thick curtains.
"This is it," Doctor Foster said, noticing the letters.
As they hesitated outside in the gloom, someone began singing a merry song inside, and many cheerful voices joined loudly in the chorus. They listened to this encouraging sound for a moment and then moved inside. It was bad luck that the song already ended and there was a burst of laughter and clapping. The group walks up to the bar where a man tall beardy man was busy examining a list of names. This was the caretaker of the inn.
Bobbi was the first to approach the man and cleared her throat softly to speak to him. "Excuse me."
The caretaker stops and turns her eyes directly at the young tall woman. "Oh, good evening. What may you be wanting?"
"Beds for the thirteen of us," Mockingbird counted her exact number.
"Well, you came to the right place and the right time," The caretaker said. "If you're looking for accommodation, we've got some nice, cosy rooms available for tonight. Always proud to cater to the big and little folk. The name is Barliman. Barliman Butterbur at your service. Before you all go in and make yourselves at home, might I ask your names?"
"Barbara Morse, but I'm also known as thye Mockingbird," Mockingbird said her name and then to the others. "This is Lancelot Hunter the Rifleman, Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, Pat Smith, Soo-jin Smith, Jerry Fortunov, Darcia Lewis, Joey Burnett, Peregrin Took, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Samwise Gamgee, and the last one is Frodo… Underhill."
"Underhill, yes," Barliman nodded his head. "Alright, well I'll see what I can do for you all. We don't often get a party out of the Shire nowadays, and I should be sorry not to make you welcome. But there is such a crowd already in the house tonight as there hasn't been for long enough. It never rains, but it pours, we say in Bree."
"Talk about that," Rifleman groaned weirdly.
"At least we made it fair and square," Pat grinned in delight.
Doctor Jane Foster decided to speak to the caretaker and said. "Also, we're looking for someone."
"And who would that person be?" Barliman asked.
"Gandalf," Doctor Foster answered. "We're friends of Gandalf the Grey. Can you tell him we've arrived?"
"Gandalf?" Barliman sounded quizzically, not even remembering that name in the list. "Hmm, Gandalf?" But then, he began to remember and finally knew what she was asking. "Oh yes! I remember! Elderly chap! Big grey beard, pointy hat."
"Is he here?" Pat desperately asked. "Cause we traveled a long way to get here and I think we may have arrived late."
"It took us a few bloody days to get here," Rifleman added in disgust.
"I'm… sorry, madam," Barliman gulped. "I haven't seen him for six months since his last visit here."
"What?" Darcia sounded a bit surprised and worried now.
"Well that's bad news," Burnett murmured.
"Oh, bloody hell," Rifleman muttered to himself, dissatisfied.
"Sir, I think there's been a mistake, Gandalf said that he would meet us here, early or late, I'm sure he must've come by," Doctor Selvig stated.
"Well, I don't know what to say about this, but due to a lot of mysterious outlandish folk that've been coming here, I fear something could've happened to him, but I shouldn't worry, Gandalf is a very brave wizard, he knows what to do," Barliman remarked and then turns to a young hobbit. "Hi! Nob!"
"Coming, sir! Coming!" Nob responded loudly for his boss to hear him. The young was cheery-looking as he bobbed out of a door, and seeing the travelers, stopped short and stared at them with great interest.
"Well, now, I hope you'll be comfortable," Barliman said to the group. "You'll be wanting supper, I don't doubt. As soon as may be. This way now." He led them a short way down a passage, and opened a door. "Here is a nice little parlor. I hope it will suit. Excuse me now. I'm that busy. No time for talking. I must be trotting. It's hard work for two legs, but I don't get thinner. I'll look in again later. If you want anything, ring the hand-bell, and Nob will come. If he don't come, ring and shout!"
"Scouts honor, sir," Rifleman complied.
"Thank you for your help," Mockingbird appreciated.
"My deepest honor and apology," Barliman said.
Off he went at last, and left the group feeling rather breathless and seamed that Gandalf had not arrived yet. Worried faces came along, but some believed that Gandalf might be arriving late as always. He seemed capable of an endless stream of talk, however busy he might be. Once they entered the big common-room of the inn. The gathering was large and mixed, as Frodo discovered, when his eyes got used to the light. They found themselves in front of a crowd of people that were all around. There was a lot of drunken raucous laughter inside as the group were taking a moment to relax in front of a bright fire burning on the hearth, and in front of it were some low and comfortable chairs. There was a round table, already spread with a white cloth, and on it was a large hand bell.
At this, a chorus of voices broke out. A group of Dwarves from the Blue Mountains were mostly talking of distant events and telling flews of a kind that was becoming only too familiar. There was trouble away in the South, and it seemed that the Men who had come up the Greenway were on the move, looking for lands where they could find some peace. The Bree-Folk were sympathetic, but plainly not very ready to take a large number of strangers into their little land. There were also hobbits inside, in fact, friendly and inquisitive, and Frodo soon found that some explanation of what he was doing would have to be given. He gave out that he was interested in history and geography.
Nob the servant came by and passed a tray of good deep mugs of beer. In a twinkling, the table was laid. There was hot soup, warm meats, a blackberry tart, new loaves, slabs of butter, and half a ripe cheese: good plain food, as good as the Shire could show, and homelike enough to dispel the last of Sam's misgivings. So refreshed and encouraged did they feel at the end of their supper that the group decided to join the company.
"I shall sit here quietly by the fire for a bit, and perhaps go out later for a sniff of the air," Meriadoc said.
"No Merry, you stay with us," Mockingbird encouraged him to stay with the group.
"She's right," Agent Fortunov agreed. "I just don't like these faces around our table."
Barbara Morse and Jerry Fortunov knew it wasn't safe for Merry to leave the inn by himself since they've been noticing that there were a lot of suspicious and unfriendly characters, who were staring at the hobbits. Lancelot Hunter took his notice on a group of nasty-looking individuals that were staring at him and the group. He knew for a fact that they were wanting to cause trouble to him and the Conspirators. Soo-jin was ready for a fight and gripped her knuckles.
"This place doesn't look that civilized," Pat whispered to her sister.
"Do tell," Bangs whispered back. "Let's hope Gandalf finds us."
"Maybe Gandalf was here," Pat quietly stated. "He could've left a clue for us to find."
"Well, there doesn't seem to be a clue right now," Bangs whispered. "What we need to do is stay and wait."
"Everything okay?" Doctor Jane asked Samwise.
"Its Gandalf," Samwise said. "I'm worried."
"Sam, he'll be here," Frodo promised his friend. "He'll come."
"He might be late," Doctor Foster assumed if that's the point to all this waiting. "As I said twice before, we're going to wait patiently for him to arrive."
"And what if he doesn't?" Rifleman asked that. "Hmm, we're out of options. Either we think this out or we go back."
"Or we can try and persuade someone to show us a map of where we are and how far the Hidden Valley is," Mockingbird suggested of a plan. "It has to be someone that we can trust, but I doubt we may not be lucky in finding someone around this inn."
"If something might've come up, maybe what Pat had said, he could've left a clue for us, like a letter," Darcia stated.
"Perhaps one of us should talk with the innkeeper and ask if any letters were written for the last several months since his last visit here," Doctor Selvig said.
"If that's possible, we should try, cause I don't think we're safe in this place," Burnett nervously looks around, knowing that the inn was filled with suspicious-looking individuals that he did not bother to trust or even talk to.
That was when Meriadoc Brandybuck winds his way through the crowd where he was a carrying a large mug of ale and sits down comfortably to join the group. He takes a moment and gets ready to take a sip.
"What kind of drink is that?" Rifleman asked.
"This my friend, is a pint," Meriadoc answered cheerfully as he lifts it up and sips the ale.
Pippin's eyes went wide in excitement. "Its comes in pints?!"
"Hmmmhmmm," Meriadoc responded.
Pippin stands up from his chair. "I'm getting one!"
"But you had a whole half already!" Rifleman exclaimed and let out a scoff. "I must say, this fellow here shares a lot of common with me."
"You drink too much?" Pat scoffed.
"Of course luv," Rifleman said. "I always like to drink, even when I like to retain my cover."
"Hmm, for me, not so much," Pat giggled.
Suddenly, Samwise Gamgee began to focus his eyes towards a strange-looking weather-beaten man, sitting in the shadows near the wall, was also listening intently to the group. He had a tall tankard in front of him, and was smoking a long-stemmed pipe curiously carved. His legs were stretched out before him, showing high boots of supple leather that fitted him well, but had seen much wear and were now caked with mud. A travel-stained cloak of heavy dark-green cloth was drawn close about him, and in spite of the heat of the room he wore a hood that overshadowed his face, but the gleam of his eyes could be seen as he watched the conspirators.
However, the strange weather-beaten man wasn't alone at all. Samwise noticed that there was another man, who too was hooded and kept his face hidden as well. He was sitting across from the weather-beaten man. He didn't watch the conspirators at all. Instead, he just sat there quietly, drinking a mug filled with warm water. He wore a hood that was all green like a bush.
Samwise turns to Bobbi and talks to her quietly. "I'm the only one who trusts you, but those two fellows over there have done nothing but stare at us since we arrived."
"I know," Mockingbird whispered back to him. "Just don't stare back." She moves her eyes over to Barliman who was walking by and moved her hand to stop him. "Excuse me, those two men over there by the corner. Can you tell them that if they don't stop staring at us, there's going to be trouble."
"Them?" Barliman answered in a whisper, cocking an eye without turning his head. "I would not cause trouble to those rangers, wandering folk, but we usually call them Rangers. The one over there disappears for a month, or a year, and then he pops up again. He was in and out pretty often last spring, but I haven't seen him about lately. What his right name is, I've never heard, but round here, he's known as Strider. Goes about at a great pace on his long shanks, though he doesn't tell nobody what cause he has to hurry. But there's no accounting for East and West, as we say in Bree, meaning the Rangers and the Shire-folk, begging your pardon. Funny you should ask him yourself."
"Strider?" Mockingbird responded. "Hmm, odd looking guy."
After Barliman walked off to continue his duties with the other customers in the inn, no one in the group weren't sure what to think of this Strider. Bobbi, however, suspected that this man could be a spy and was ready to keep the four hobbits safe from his grasp if it were to happen.
"So his name is 'Strider', odd name," Burnett remarked on the man's name. "Even though, he looks foul to me from under his hood."
"I can't tell if he's foul or not, but honestly I don't like the looks any of these guys," Darcia said, looking around. "We should go."
"No, we stay and wait," Doctor Foster said. "If we leave, we have no idea what will happen when Gandalf arrives."
"Try not to worry luv, cause if he tries anything, I'll be the one to give an important message for the night," Rifleman said, wanting to give a beating to this Strider.
"Well, whoever that Strider guy is, I don't wish to make his acquaintance, unless if one of us does," Pat glared at the hooded ranger.
"Look, let's just leave that Strider alone, but if he's dangerous, okay," Doctor Foster said.
Despite the trouble the group faced with the Black Riders, it didn't seem a wise idea to confront Strider and the other ranger. Soo-jin tightly held on to her sword. She was openly ready to fight if that ranger was planning to kidnap one of the hobbits that the enemy was searching for.
Barbara Morse placed her calming hand on her friend's shoulder and whispers. "Not yet."
"I'm still ready if it happens," Bangs whispered back sharply.
While nobody was looking, Frodo started to play with the Ring, which is something that he wasn't suppose to do. This was Gandalf's warning. If he played with it and put it on by accident, the enemy would the ring's location. Frodo couldn't stop resisting, and felt like he was sick or falling into a trance as he closes his eyes mesmerized when the Ring began to speak to him telepathically.
"Baggins... Baggins... Baggins," The Ring continued to raise his voice for the young hobbit to hear. "Baggins! Baggins!"
"Baggins!" A sudden voice exclaimed out loud for the group to hear.
This caused Frodo to awake from his dream state and Lance Hunter spilling out ale from his mouth when he heard that word aloud. The group turned to see Pippin taking to a group of individuals at the bar.
"Sure I know a Baggins!" Pippin responded very loud in a very deep hast and pointed directly at the group where Frodo was sitting. "He's over there with some of my friends." Then he turns back to continue talking about him. "He's my second cousin once removed on his mother's side and my third cousin twice removed on his father's side, if you follow me…"
"Ah you bloody idiot," Rifleman murmured in alarm.
"What the hell he's doing?!" Doctor Foster exclaimed. "He's not suppose to say that word!"
Now, the whole group realized they were exposed. They now know about a Baggins inside the city of Bree, in which these suspicious individuals would try to do anything to get Baggins due to Pippin screwing it up.
"Oh we've been comprised," Burnett responded in a panic.
"Somebody shut him up," Pat panicked.
"Get Pippin, we're leaving!" Mockingbird ordered, but she was too late to realize that Frodo got up and pushed his way urgently through the crowd to get to Pippin. She then noticed and called. "Frodo, get back here!"
It was too late for Frodo to come back to her, but he managed to reach over Pippin and tried to shut him up from speaking more about him.
Frodo catches Pippin's arm and exclaimed worriedly. "Pippin!"
"Steady on!" Pippin snapped.
However, just as Pippin accidentally shoved him, Frodo lost his balance when he trips on a man's foot and falls to the ground backwards. Frodo was alright, but that was when the One Ring flew into the air, and the Conspirators, including Strider, saw it all. Frodo lifts his hand up to catch it, but the ring instead slipped onto his finger. Once the Ring was tightly on Frodo's finger, the young hobbit vanished, nowhere to be found. The whole crowd witnessed what they saw and gasped in shock, confusion, alarm, and panic. This was a huge shockwave to everyone in the inn. None of them couldn't believe what they saw, a young hobbit from the Shire disappears by slipping a magical ring. Joey Burnett, Jerry Fortunov, Jane Foster, Lancelot Hunter, Darcia Lewis, Barbara Morse, Erik Selvig, Pat Smith, and Soo-jin Smith quickly look around to see if Frodo was still there, but he was nowhere to be found.
Frodo wasn't gone, he was still there, but he noticed that everything he saw was different. It came for him to realize that he was in a shadowy dimension, and everything around him was blurry. However, he realized that he was still in the tavern and saw that his companions were trying to find him. That was when he heard a number of strange voices going through his ears, but he didn't know what it was or where it was coming from.
"You cannot hide," A deep, dark menacing voice began to speak to him. "I see you!"
Frodo didn't bother to turn around since he came to realize that voice was talking to him from behind. He looked back and holds his hands in front of his face when he saw a massive flaming lidless eye. It was Sauron. Frodo couldn't believe that the Dark Lord found him, but then he remembered what Gandalf had said to him before he left; never put it on or the Dark Lord will find him. He crawled back in fear and tried to see if anyone could help him, but it was no use.
"There is no life in the void," Sauron continued to taunt him in order to make him scared. "Only… death."
Frodo looked down at the ring and feared that the Dark Lord was about to grab it. He would fail if that happened, and so, he had to take the ring off quickly. Once he successfully pulls it out, he realized everything was back to normal, but it was enough for him to be surrounded by group of individuals, who turned out to be thugs that Pippin was speaking to. Despite a sigh of relief, he realized he was in trouble when the leader of the thugs was the first to approach him. The leader's name was Bill Ferny. He wasn't too friendly, and Frodo could tell that he was very foul, and ready to try and take him or the Ring from him.
"Its not your lucky day boy," Ferny grinned, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Keep your hands off the boy, he belongs to us!" An angry woman responded loudly to him.
Ferny stops and looks up to come face-to-face with Soo-jin Smith "Bangs" and Barbara Morse, both having their her legs wide open and their fists locked tightly. "You're a brave looking bird. I can see that. I'll pay you half my salary for this young hobbit."
"We don't want your money, keep it yourself," Mockingbird refused the man's offer and gave him a very deadly glare.
"Suit yourself," Ferny scoffed in laugher.
Soo-jin Smith knew that he wasn't planning to listen. The only thing he was focused on was taking Frodo away from the group and make a handsome reward. Immediately, she takes out one of her twin swords and points it directly at Ferny.
"Touch him and your hand will not touch anything again," Bangs warned him.
"Looks like we got ourselves some troublemakers in this inn," Ferny smirked in approval. "Take the halfling."
Just then, one of the thugs grabbed Frodo, only for Barbara Morse to grab the man's arm and gave him a very swift punch into the man's face, kicking him on the ground in front of the crowd. An orc thug behind the leader drew a sword and began to strike at her, but Barbara was fast enough to use her leg to kick the sword out of the orc's hand and swung her leg into his face, knocking him out. Soo-jin joins the fight and takes on a few armed thugs. With her sword at her side, she uses her martial arts skills to take them out one-by-one. Agent Fortunov joined the fray by giving a huge punch directly at a thug that almost attacked Pat. Pat nods at Agent Fortunov and grabs a bottle to smash it on an orc thug, knocking him out.
Barbara Morse and Soo-jin Smith did whatever they could to protect Frodo. While Soo-jin was busy, Barbara turns to face two more thugs that coming towards her. She smirks just as she takes out her two batons from behind her back and then uses the batons against them with her taking them on as everyone in the bar watches in surprise and stayed out of the way. After a few moments, with a lot of cool moves from Barbara, she's able to take out both thugs with her batons. This wasn't over, as more of Ferny's thugs began to take advantage on her and the other Conspirators. This led to a fight between the Conspirators and Ferny's group of thugs. Lancelot Hunter joined the brawl and grabbed a bottle of wine from another table and smashed it very hard on a Sakaaran Thug from behind.
"Stop! No fighting!" Barliman yelled, trying to stop the fight.
"Uh, should we help?" Darcia asked, taking cover under a table with Joey Burnett, Jane Foster, and Erik Selvig.
"Oh, don't worry, they got this," Doctor Selvig assured.
"You think?" Doctor Foster scoffed.
"Whoever these agents are, they're pretty badass," Burnett remarked.
"Wait, where's Sam, Pippin, and Merry?" Doctor Foster asked.
"They're under a table like we are," Doctor Selvig said.
"Then where's Frodo?" Darcia asked.
Just as Frodo was hiding during the brawl, a hand suddenly reaches down to his shoulder and grabs him. He was then pulled to a lone corner next to a series of stairs that led to the second level of the building. Frodo looked up and saw that it was Strider and his green-hooded companion.
"You draw far too much attention to yourself Mr. Underhill," Strider whispered sharply to confused and scared hobbit.
"C'mon this way," The Green-Hooded Ranger led the two up the stairs.
Frodo felt like a fool. Not knowing what else to do, he was pulled out of the main room and taken upstairs. Finding a good spot to hide, Strider and his companion move Frodo first inside the room and lock the door.
"What do you want?" Frodo demanded an answer from the ranger, who was kidnapping him.
"You gotta be careful what you do around here, cause right now, you just made the most stupid mistake in your life," The Green-Hooded Ranger warned, refusing to answer the hobbit's question. "Putting your friends and yourself at risk?"
"Try to be cautious to yourself," Strider told the frightened hobbit on what he was meaning. "That trinket you carry will be your doom. Worse than anything your friends could have said! You have put your foot in it! Or should I say your finger?"
"I don't know what you mean," Frodo lied, trying to sound innocent. "I carry nothing."
"Oh yes, you do," Strider said, not sounding convinced as he walks around the the room, snuffing the candles in order to make the room much darker. "We can avoid being seen if we wish. But to disappear entirely…" He turns to face the hobbit as he removed his hood to reveal his whole face. "…that is a rare gift. A cursed gift that no one like you or me should ever succumb to."
"Who are you?" Frodo asked, trying to pretend that he doesn't know him, but on one scale from one-to-ten, he knew that the ranger wasn't fooled by his lies.
Strider turned to face Frodo and saw fear in his eyes and began to ask quietly. "You frightened?"
Frodo paused for a moment to answered truthfully. "Yes."
"Not nearly frightened enough," Strider quietly responded and could tell how much the young hobbit was afraid on what was to happen. "I know what hunts you."
Just as Strider walks a few paces towards him, the door to the room is suddenly bursts open very rapidly, causing Strider and his companion to take out their swords in a hast. Frodo was relieved that it was Barbara Morse, Lancelot Hunter, Pat Smith, Jerry Fortunov, and Soo-jin Smith, who were all drawing their guns in front and aimed directly at Strider and his companion.
"Drop you weapons!" Rifleman angrily yelled at the two.
"Drop then down!" Agent Fortunov shouted.
"Weapons down or we shoot!" Mockingbird shouted seriously.
"We will put you two down!" Pat angrily warned them. "Do it!"
"I swear we will do it," Agent Fortunov told them truthfully.
Strider was ready to strike since he never saw guns before in his life, but before that could happen, his companion dropped his sword and shielded him from moving in to attack.
"Hey, you don't want to do that," The Green-Hooded Ranger warned. "You may not know them, but I do."
"That voice," Mockingbird responded in confusion, knowing that she recognized someone that she may have met before.
"Know them, who the bloody hell do you think you are?!" Rifleman demanded a swift answer.
The Green Hooded Ranger took his moment to remove his hood in seconds and turns around to face the three agents. Barbara Morse and Lancelot Hunter were completely shocked and surprised to see that Strider's companion was none other than Lincoln Slade, an Inhuman who was a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Before joining S.H.I.E.L.D., Lincoln Slade, who was known as "Linc" grew up within Cincinnati as a member of the Slade Family. He was the cousin of James Slade, who become Hellfire and one of Hive's brainwashed servants.
During his life, Lincoln attended medical school, but he had to leave, which led to a downfall in his life and living roughly, even attempting suicide by jumping off a bridge until his friend John Donnelly was able to talk him down. Like many other untransformed Inhumans, Lincoln Slade always had a feeling where nothing felt quite right and just empty. Trying to fill the void, he drank vodka, but he could not control his temper. His girlfriend at the time thought she could help him to become a better person, a subject which they fought about a lot. One night, Lincoln and his girlfriend were arguing about a certain subject. During the argument, he drank more and more vodka, causing him to become angrier with every glass he had throughout the night. To get away from the situation, he ran into his car, but before he was able to drive away, his girlfriend got in the car with him to try and talk him down. Since he was unfit to drive a car at the time, Lincoln crashed into a telephone pole, nearly killing him and his girlfriend. At that moment, Gordon Thorpe, who had been watching Slade ever since they discovered him, showed up in time, and saved them both. In hopes to help him, Gordon took Lincoln to a place called Afterlife and introduced him to his mentor Master Jennifer Kim, daughter of Jiaying.
When Gordon brought a new Inhuman named Skye into Afterlife, Lincoln was selected to be her transitioner. He gave Skye a tour of Afterlife while explaining the history and culture of the Inhumans, noting that staying in Afterlife kept them safe from Humans who may wish to do them harm, to which Skye noted that they may instead be being kept as prisoners. Originally siding with Jennifer Kim during the War against the Inhumans, he began to doubt her intentions for humanity upon seeing her murder innocent agents, and after learning the truth from Skye, he chose to help S.H.I.E.L.D. defeat Daisy's mother. In the aftermath of the war, he attempted to start a new peaceful life, but was forced to go into hiding when he was pursued by a murderous Inhuman named Lash and the ATCU, which led him to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and become a member of the Secret Warriors. When the ancient Inhuman, Hive, returned to Earth, his loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D. was brought to a test, as Daisy Johnson, who had become his lover, was brainwashed by the dark Inhuman. He eventually saved Johnson from Hive with the help of his former enemy, Lash, but as the war with Hive reached to an end, he sacrificed his life to save Johnson and billions from being turned into Alpha Primitives, allowing himself and the dark Inhuman to both be destroyed in a nuclear explosion in space, finding peace within themselves.
"Lincoln?" Mockingbird gasped in surprise.
"I don't believe it," Rifleman responded in shock. "Your... your..."
"Bobbi, you know this guy?" Agent Fortunov asked.
"Yes I do," Mockingbird nodded out her answer.
"How are you here?" Rifleman asked, confused as to what is going on. "Last time Bobbi and I remember, you were dead."
"Look, we can explain everything," Linc assured him. "But we have to leave now."
For the last ten minutes, Frodo Baggins, Peregrin Took, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Jane Foster, Darcia Lewis, Joey Burnett, Erik Selvig, Barbara Morse, Jerry Fortunov, Lancelot Hunter, Soo-jin Smith, and Pat Smith were inside the parlor and spent there time listening to Strider and Lincoln Slade. There, Strider calmly sat in a chair by the door. Darcia was worried of Strider and held her taser in front if he might try to attack. However, since Lincoln Slade was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a loyal companion to Strider, that meant he was on their side, or was he?
"So your telling us you met this Strider?" Mockingbird asked.
"It was several months ago," Linc explained. "At first I didn't trust him, but when I started to know him, I earned his trust and I know you should too."
"Serious?" Agent Fortunov scoffed.
"But you and your friend just kidnapped our friend," Doctor Foster reminded on what happened and began to ask. "Did you hire those goons to distract us?"
"Why would you think we do that, my lady?" Strider responded calmly. "I assure you all that my companion and I would never do such a thing."
"Sounds like you were," Samwise glared at him, clenching his fists very tight.
"Big Sam is right," Rifleman agreed. "How do we know we should trust you?"
"If we wanted to take the ring from him, we would've done that already," Linc said.
"Wait, how did you know about the ring?" Mockingbird demanded a specific answer.
"Gandalf told us everything about the One Ring's whereabouts six months ago," Linc explained her answer. "We did not plan to go to the Shire, but we were given further instructions to wait for him with his friend Mr. Underhill."
"And now, due to his performance tonight, it won't matter what he's called, but the Black Riders will know who he is by tonight," Strider informed this as well. "They will find him."
"So I assume you were protecting him?" Doctor Selvig asked.
"Yes," Strider answered quietly.
"Well, I guess that explains it," Agent Fortunov said, but gave Strider a glare.
"What if you're just a guy who wants to make a living?" Pat believed that he could just be lying.
"You think Rangers of the North are mercenaries?" Strider asked her that. "I think not. We rangers fight to protect every land that is in danger. My ancestors and I always swear our oaths if anyone is in trouble, we would come to their aid."
"Really?" Doctor Foster scoffed, thinking he was making it up.
"Is that what you think?" Mockingbird scoffed. "Aiding someone that you were planning to kidnap?"
"Okay, we understand that you believe what we did was off the books, but Strider is a good man," Linc defended his friend and mentor. "But right now, we do not have a lot of time. The Black Riders are on their way right now and if you want to protect your little friend from being found, we can help."
"You serious?" Darcia asked. "Those black-hooded figures with no faces are coming right here?"
"If anyone puts the ring on, it draws the Dark Lord and his servants' attention," Linc added.
"These Black Rider serve only the Dark Lord himself," Strider said.
"Good enough to know, but I still don't think we should trust him since he did take our little friend from us," Bangs disagreed, and gave him a glare. "He was under our protection, and honestly I don't care whether this Lincoln Slade guy is a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., I just don't trust him..." She focused on Strider. "...and you."
"More likely, I think they hired those goons to distract us while they would get their leverage," Doctor Selvig stated.
"That's one of my facts to agree," Agent Fortunov said.
"Yeah I'm with her on this one, so my idea is, we could just leave him here to be tied up on this chair, so we can be on our way," Rifleman suggested and turned back to face Strider. "Well, its look like its your lucky night, we won't kill you."
"You guys really don't understand what your dealing with?!" Linc exclaimed.
"Wait," Frodo spoke and began to ask Lincoln. "You said that Gandalf asked you two to wait here?"
"We are friends to your pointy hat friend, yes," Linc answered his question.
"He's known me since I was small child," Strider explained. "As a matter-of-fact, he asked us to watch out for you once you and your companions arrived."
"Gandalf? Have you seen him? Where is he?" Pippin asked.
"I do not know," Strider said and began to explain. "Lincoln and I came west with him in the spring. We Rangers of the North often keep watch on the borders of the Shire for years, when he was busy elsewhere. He seldom left it unguarded. We last met on the first of May, at Sam Ford down the Brandywine. He told us that his business with you had gone well, and that you would be starting for Bree in the last week of September. As I knew he was at your side, I went away on a journey of my own. And that has proved ill. For plainly some news reached him, and we were not at hand to help."
"What happened to him?" Mockingbird demanded a specific answer.
"I promise you, we would never betray a close friend," Strider swore that he wasn't lying. "But we can help you and your companions out of Bree by dawn."
"We can take you somewhere that is 100% safe from danger," Linc said. "Its where the enemy cannot find us."
"Tiny violins playing, no deal," Rifleman declined the offer.
"Yeah, what he says, we don't trust him," Darcia agreed, continue to point her taser gun at the ranger. "He might try to sell us out."
"Then where will you plan to go?" Strider asked. "The wild country? The Black Riders are watching the road night and day. If you plan on going into the wild, they will come on you in some dark place, where there's no help. We rangers of the north know the wild country. We live and survive while we wander the wild. I know you don't trust me, but I give you my word that we will take you to the place where Gandalf was planning to take you. You can protect him if you wish and neither I nor Lincoln will not lay one hand on him while I lead you into the wild. So… will you have us as your untrusted companions?"
"With your leave, Mr. Frodo, I'd say no," Samwise disagreed.
"How do we know they're friends of Gandalf?" Burnett asked. "More likely, they seem to be playacting spies, working for them."
"Only those who are foul," Strider responded.
"Well, he's not too foul if you ask me," Darcia described him.
"Are you positive that everything you two are telling us is true?" Doctor Selvig asked.
"He's a not a good liar, but I know he would do the right thing," Linc nodded.
"Well, I guess we have no option but to accept this proposal," Doctor Selvig said.
Bobbi stares at Strider and still doesn't trust him, but then she sighed. "Then its settled, you can take us."
"Wow Bob, are you bloody joking, there is no way we should take that risk," Rifleman rejected the idea.
"I know we don't trust him either, but we'll watch him while he leads the way," Doctor Selvig suggested.
"I don't like this either, but since Pippin screwed things up, word will spread around that a 'Baggins' is in this city, ready to be found and worst, taken," Doctor Foster said, giving Pippin an unhappy look on her face.
"Well," Strider said. "With your permission, its settled. I shall be your guide, but we have a rough road tomorrow. Even if we are allowed to leave Bree unhindered, we can hardly hope now to leave it unnoticed. But we shall try to get lost as soon as possible. I know one or two ways out of the Bree-land other than the main road. If once we shake off the pursuit, we shall make for Weathertop."
"Weathertop? What's that?" Agent Fortunov asked.
"It is a hill, just to the north of the Road, about half way from here," Strider explained about it. "It commands a wide view all round, and there we shall have a chance to look about us. Gandalf will make for that point, if he follows us. After Weathertop, our journey will become more difficult, and we shall have to choose between various dangers."
"Do you think the Black Riders have anything to do with Gandalf's absence, I mean?" Pat asked.
"I do not know of anything else that could have hindered him, except the Enemy himself," Strider answered her question. "But do not give up hope. Gandalf is greater than you know. As a rule, you can only see his jokes and toys. But this business of ours will be his greatest task."
"Well if the Black Riders are coming, where should we hide?" Doctor Foster asked.
"Leave it to us," Linc answered with a grin. "We know what to do."
In the early night, the gatekeeper is sitting in the gatehouse smoking his pipe. That was when he heard the sound of a snort from a horse. Believing that more travelers were coming, he gets up to investigate, but just as he opens the top window of the gate, he gasps in shock when he realized too late. Before he was about to sound the alarm, the gate tumbles down on him and is crushed to death by four of the Black Riders. While every inhabitant was inside, they ride into Bree and stop at the Prancing Pony. After dismounting, the riders walk into the Inn with their swords drawn to their sides. They were unaware that Barliman was hiding behind the bar. He was deeply frightened of their appearance and remained where he was once the Riders were finished with their business in hunting the bearer who carried the One Ring.
Meanwhile, the Shire Conspirators, except for Barbara Morse, Lancelot Hunter, Soo-jin Smith, Jerry Fortunov, and Pat Smith, were sleeping peacefully in their beds. Darcia held her taser gun locked in her hand while sleeping. Samwise Gamgee kept on tossing restlessly in his sleep, but that was when he awakes with a start, hearing the sound of stabbing on the other side of the inn. This caused everyone in the room to awake when they heard the sound from the other side.
"What was that?" Burnett gasped in fright.
Darcia loudly gasped holds her taser gun in the air, ready to use it. "Where is it?"
"On the other side," Strider answered quietly.
"Sounds like they took the bait," Bangs stated.
"Let's hope they did," Agent Fortunov responded hopefully.
On the other side, the four Black Riders continue to stab the beds while their horses continue to paw the air outside. The group, along with Strider, watch the flickering lights through the window. Once the Riders were finished with the stabbing, they pull back the covers and see the feathers of the pillows that have been put there in place. They screech and turn the beds upside down and scream all over. Strider was sitting quietly in his chair: his eyes gleaming over the window to see that the Riders had fallen for his bait.
"I told you... Black Riders," Linc answered to the group.
"Yeah, thanks for that," Doctor Foster sighed.
"Ah god, my head," Darcia groaned quietly, can't standing the terrible noise. "Can't stand the noise."
"What the hell are those things?" Rifleman wondered very quietly.
"They don't seem like normal men to us," Pat said.
"Those things were men before," Strider began his explanation about them. "Human Men. Great Kings of Men. Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question. One by one falling into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will. They are the Nazgûl. Ringwraiths. Neither living nor dead."
"You mean to prefer that they're undead?" Agent Fortunov asked, looking a bit unnerved.
"Yes," Strider answered.
"Okay, I'm starting to freak out with all this undead crap in all, but I do not want believe about those things being dead," Darcia whispered sharply and didn't bother to look in the window. "This is just like in the movie 'Night of the Living Dead'. Like those things, they're coming to get us."
"You watch too many horror films," Doctor Foster sighed in ignorance.
"What, it was just a similar reference to that," Darcia scoffed.
"So these Black Riders… the Nazgûl... they just keep finding us?" Doctor Selvig asked.
"At all times they feel the presence of the Ring," Strider continued. "Drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting."
"Well," Mockingbird sighed wearily. "This is comforting."
"If these things are hunting us, no matter where we go, how in the world are we going to get away from them?" Pat asked.
"We may have outsmarted them, but I have bad feeling they'll try to outsmart us," Doctor Foster worriedly stated.
"Well Gandalf did say, stay off the road, so if we cross through the countryside without any road, I'm sure will be far from them," Doctor Selvig stated.
Strider immediately went to fetch Mr. Butterbur, who managed to make it across to the building without being seen. Poor Mr. Butterbur looked deeply terrified on what he was hearing. He had hardly closed his eyes all night, but he had never heard a sound like that in his life.
"Never has such a thing happened in my time," Barliman said, raising his hands in horror. "Guests unable to sleep in their beds, and good bolsters ruined and all. What are we coming to?"
"Dark times," Strider said. "But for the present you may be left in peace, when you have got rid of us. We will leave at once. Never mind about breakfast: a drink and a bite standing will have to do. We shall be packed in a few minutes."