The Light in the Darkness
Chapter 11: Strider
I AM BACK! DID YOU MISS ME? I MISSED YOU!
Let's return to the great love story of our two favorites, Frodo and Neera.
This is actually the longest chapter for the Light in the Darkness so far! I hadn't intended to make it this long, but we can't always predict everything, can we?
Disclaimer: I sadly do not own The Lord of the Rings franchise, or the song that I found and inserted into the story. That song was written by Irene Zhong. (SIDE NOTE: Seriously, guys. They're very talented and very kind. You should definitely go check out their website. I highly recommend it. SEE LINK HERE. track/mir-dalen-somniar. It should be the first thing that comes up in google when you look it up.)
I only own the story, Lin and Neera who tells the story.
After the twenty miles on the river, we finally reached the Brandywine Bridge. It was long and was cold, but at least there were no Wraiths chasing us. I knew the water would give us the head start and I was thankful that we could breathe if not only for a moment. As I said before, no one spoke during these twenty miles. While my four companions were clearly exhausted from the day's events, they managed to remain quiet out of an attempt to hide from me that they were terrified at what had just occurred.
We undid the ropes of the raft and let it drift back from where we came. We had no longer any need for it and hopefully it would throw the Wraiths off course if they sensed its presence remaining in the water. I looked down at the water that had almost taken Frodo from me. I kicked it in anger and then began walking away from it and the others trailing behind me.
Despite him protesting that he was alright, I carried him in my arms as we walked towards Bree. It was selfish of me to want to continue holding onto him, but I couldn't help it. I needed to feel him against me. The feeling of having almost lost him was still exceptionally oppressive on my heart. I needed some form of recognition that he was still by my side. He stopped protesting for a while and allowed me to just hold him in my arms as we walked closer and closer to our destination.
Afterward, he finally won and I put him down. But despite that, once I had placed him on the ground, he grasped my hand in his without a word and continued walking forward. I couldn't deny him the unspoken request. I understood. I knew he had almost died and that he needed someone to grab onto as much as I did. Even though the other three Hobbits each had their eyes on us, they knew that saying anything was pointless. But I could tell they were watching our actions very closely.
I can't imagine why, though.
Once it began raining, that was truly a horrible thing for us. Especially Frodo and I that had barely dried off from our ordeal in the water. It began raining very heavily. I had hoped that when we got to Bree, they would at least let us sit in front of a fireplace or let us have a room inside to dry our clothes. While I was used to the rainfall in Mirkwood, it still concerned me for the sake of my four companions. They could potentially get very sick. I was more concerned about Frodo getting sick than anything. We could not let anything as small as that slow us down. We had just gotten ahead of the Wraiths finding us. I wanted to avoid them for at least a little while longer. I asked all four of them to put hoods on to protect themselves from the rain and also to make ourselves less visible as we walked through the woods that would hopefully lead us to Bree.
As we walked through the rain, I kept leading us through the woods as we had done earlier to avoid the Wraiths. We ultimately came across a little town. It gradually came more and more into view the closer we walked. No one was around, but that didn't mean we could afford to be too careful. I observed both ways and concentrated to see if I could feel the Wraiths' presence. I didn't. As such, I urged my companions to follow me toward the door.
I knocked on the door loudly. I was not in a patient mood tonight. I had almost watched someone I care deeply about almost die and I had to see my grandfather and my sister now.
Through the window of the rickety door, a man in a hood and a lantern appeared.
"Whattaya want?" he demanded.
"We're heading for the Prancing Pony," Frodo said calmly.
The old man then opened the door, raising his lantern up to take a better look at us.
"An Elf and some Hobbits! Four Hobbits!" he exclaimed in surprise. I couldn't blame him. An Elf and four Hobbits traveling together are a sight that one does not get to witness every day. It was sure to draw attention to ourselves. "And what's more out of the Shire by your talk! What business brings you to Bree?"
"We wish to stay at the Inn. Our business is our own," he said, calmly again, but I could tell his exhaustion from his words. I squeezed his hand as he announced those words.
"All right, young sir, I meant no offense. It's my job to ask questions afternightfall. There's talk of strange folk abroad...can't be too careful."
I highly doubt that if he opened the window for the Wraiths that there would be much conversation. They would probably kill him.
These people seemed dangerous and sinister. Definitely not the type of evil from whom we were currently on the run, but nevertheless, I didn't care for the way they were looking at us as we walked through the town. Even though we were an extremely odd group that stood out, I had nevertheless hoped that no one would pay us any mind. I had been foolish to hope that. We didn't look like the type that would fit in easily in this town. It looked like a town that had purposefully been built for the lowlifes of Middle Earth. As we walked around, the various people looked at us with a look of pure scorn. We clearly didn't belong here, and they knew it just as well as we did.
I would never have brought Frodo and the others to a place like this unless it was absolutely necessary. In this case, it sadly was. Grandfather gave me very specific instructions, and I couldn't disobey him.
I wanted to see him and my sister so badly, that I ignored the feeling of disgust in my stomach and moved forward, holding Frodo's hand tightly in my own in determination.
I did not want to stay here longer than we needed to.
Then we saw it: the sign that said in faded white letters, The Prancing Pony. The exact place that Grandfather told us to find. I discovered the entrance and entered it as quickly as I could. I was tired of being in the rain and also I wanted to get everyone as quickly inside as we possibly could. We needed to dry off as quickly as we could. As soon as I opened the door, the other four quickly followed me.
All five of us made it inside and as if we had arranged it prior, we all pulled our hoods off at the same time.
I squeezed the water out of my hair through the numerous twists. I sighed. It would take forever to get my hair to dry. It was my own fault for having it grow out so long. It was also my father's fault for passing along his luscious hair to my sister and I. But now was not the time to worry about that.
We headed closer to the end of the bar, hoping to catch the bartender's attention. I assumed he was the one who owned the Prancing Pony and as such, knew all of its customers. Let's find Grandfather and Lin and get out of this place as fast as we can.
"Excuse me?" Frodo asked to the person's back behind the bar.
He turned around. He was a more elderly looking gentleman with dull chestnut hair. His hair and facial hair looked quite sweaty and messy and very uncared for. But to my surprise, he was indeed very kind to us.
"Good evening, little masters." And then he looked up at me. "And Madam, as well! If you're seeking accommodation, we've got some nice, cozy Hobbit sized rooms available. Although I'm unsure what we will do about you, ma'am. The normal sized beds won't fit into that room I mentioned."
"That's quite all right, sir," I said, trying to maintain a pleasant conversation. It was the first man since we arrived here who didn't look at me like I was a piece of meat ready to be eaten. "All I care about is the comfort of my friends. If you have the room made for the four of them, that would be enough. I will sleep on the ground near the fire."
"So you will be seeking accommodations then. I presume, Mr...uh?"
I looked at Frodo out of the corner of my eyes, hoping he wouldn't use his real name. The Wraiths were sent out after us with the name Baggins planted in their minds. If we scarcely uttered that word here, we would no longer be secure. We had already captured enough attention to ourselves being a party of four hobbits and a female elf. The last thing we needed was people identifying our proper names.
"Underhill," Frodo said upon looking at my worried eyes. "My name is Underhill."
"Underhill? Hmmm."
I could tell Frodo's lie didn't fool the innkeeper one bit. Frodo was sadly too genuine for his own good and lying is not a common trait among people like Frodo. As such, I knew I had to step in and get the innkeeper's mind off of that. We had come here for a purpose: to meet with Grandfather and my sister.
"We're friends of Gandalf the Grey," I said. "He informed me to lead my friends and me to the Prancing Pony. He said he would be here. He should be traveling with a young woman that looks exactly like me. He is here, isn't he?"
But the innkeeper seemed even more confused at my comments. This, in turn, bewildered me. This man had to at least have seen my grandfather in his passing. This man was the owner of the Prancing Pony. There shouldn't have been any customer that he didn't know and I know beyond all certainty that my grandfather was a regular at this establishment. He told me several times of his adventures to this filthy town and as he told us to come here, which implied my grandfather had visited here. But the old man had to think hard about that.
"Gandalf?" he asked, very puzzled. "Gandalf!"
I clenched my fists in frustration. I comprehended this man may be old, but he was not an idiotic man by any means. He just had to have seen my grandfather.
Then his eyes lit up in recognition.
"Oh yes! I remember! Elderly chap! Big grey beard...pointy hat?" he said, a heavy amount of fondness within his voice as he spoke of my grandfather.
I smiled and nodded, confirming his thoughts. So he did know of Grandfather. If so, perhaps he could lead him to us.
"Not seen him for six months," he said.
My smile disappeared immediately. What did he just say?
My heart dropped. Six months without seeing my grandfather? That couldn't be possible. Grandfather said he was going to be here. He promised he would be here. While not a master of arriving on time, Grandfather always came when he said he would. This behavior was unlike my grandfather.
This confirmed my fears.
Grandfather and Lin never indeed set foot in Bree since we parted, had they? No, clearly not. This man hadn't seen them.
Frodo and I turned away from the bar and back to our three companions, who didn't seem to understand Grandfather's actions at all either. We huddled close together as Sam spoke.
"What do we do now?" Sam whispered worriedly.
Indeed, Sam. What were we supposed to do now?
This place was so uncouth and uncivilized. I might as well be sitting in a room with a bunch of rabid dogs. It was clear everyone in this establishment had no sense of shame or any amount of manners. I didn't trust anyone in this godforsaken place. Each man looking at me as if they were about to jump me and looking at my four companions as if they were something they could kill.
But none of that mattered. We were trapped. Grandfather and Lin said they were going to be here.
"My Grandfather and sister should be here. They may be late, but they always arrive. What could have happened to them?" I said, holding onto my cup of tea in my hands more as an anchor that was barely keeping my composure. This was not supposed to happen at all. They were supposed to be here. They said they would be waiting for us. Grandfather may have never arrived on time, but whenever he said was going to go, he ended up there sooner or later. My twin sister, on the other hand, would never be caught missing an appointment for anything at all. Lin was the master of implementing the rules. It's why I was so sheltered from the world back at home. Lin would never be caught being late for any such appointment or breaking a promise.
Unless...
My mind was filled with worry. What could have happened to them both?
Where were they? Were they alright? Did someone hurt them?
What was I supposed to do now?
What were we supposed to do now?
As long as Frodo had the ring, he would continue being a target for the Wraiths. I also have no doubt that the Wraiths would show absolutely no mercy to the others either. Even though I could handle fighting them to distract them, because I had four people to protect, it would be more than difficult.
We all sat at the table trying to just move as little as possible to not draw much attention to ourselves. All of us not moving around a lot. We had all ordered drinks from the bar, because what else could we do? We had since dried off in the time waiting for Grandfather and Lin. A comfort that I could not appreciate because I was worried sick about both of them.
A fact that was shared by everyone in this party.
"He'll be here, Sam. He'll come."
Oh, Frodo.
How is it that you can see the good in a situation as hopeless as this?
As if on cue, Merry returned to the table, a large mug in his hands. I could tell upon looking at this that this was just a hurricane waiting to happen.
"What's that?" Pippin said in amazement.
Oh no. Not again. When will these two ever learn?
"This, my friend, is a pint," Merry said, eyeing the large jar as if he were a wolf that had detected his prey in the distance.
Pippin sat there amazed at this revelation.
"It comes in pints?" he asked in excitement. Next looked at us with a look of determination in his eyes. One that I recognized as the gaze he would consistently have whenever he was about to get himself into a load of trouble. "I'm getting one."
And with that, he rose from the table and was on his way. I resisted the urge to scream.
"You've had a whole half already!" Sam cried after him in annoyance.
I shared Sam's exact feelings. This caused me to look towards the window in an attempt to control my intense frustration at the idiocy of these two hobbits. Sooner or later I was going to have a stern talking to both of them. They cannot keep behaving this way while we are in a situation like this. It's going to get us in a load of trouble.
I looked up at the men at the bar who looked at us. Once they made eye contact with me, I stared at them with a look of anger in my eyes, as if daring them to come over to our table. Upon seeing that glint of anger in my eyes, they quickly turned away and returned to their conversation. These men of this tavern amused me. Acting as if I didn't know that they had been staring at my party and me since we walked in here. Well, I could take all of them at once and once I was in battle, I was a completely different person. They knew they shouldn't cross me.
As I looked around the bar to see if anyone else wanted to pick a fight, I spotted a man in the corner. He sitting quietly near the fireplace at a table, smoking a very long and curved pipe. While he certainly fits the profile of the people in this establishment, stood out from the rest because he sat away from everyone else. I could tell that while his hood covered his eyes that he was looking at us.
This intense gaze of this man bothered me greatly. Even though we had had more people stare at us since we walked through the gates, this man's gaze made me very on edge. Why was he staring at Frodo like that? And why does he look so dangerous? And more importantly, who the devil was he?
"That fellow has done nothing but stare at you since we've arrived," Sam said suspiciously to Frodo.
I nodded and made eye contact with Sam. "I agree. His gaze troubles me, as well."
I could tell from his look that he was someone that blended easily in with any crowd. It was almost as if he would disappear within a moment's notice. There was a sort of peculiar sadness and loneliness that appeared in this man's profile. As if he had lost his purpose in life. As if he was running away from something. Something very important.
"Excuse me," Frodo said, catching the Innkeeper's attention. "That man in the corner, who is he?"
"He's one of them Rangers; they're dangerous folk they are, wandering the wilds. What his right name is, I never heard, but around here he's known as Strider."
Ah. That's why he appeared so detached. He clearly abandoned everything a long time ago and came out here to get away from whatever it was he left behind. It appears to be a name that he took after it was given to him. I could tell his real name was something he kept to himself and himself alone. The word Strider meant someone who walks long and extended steps. It seemed fitting to someone like him. Upon hearing his status of a Ranger, he seemed to be someone that both fit in well with this crowd of people, and at the same time, did not.
Who was he really? And what could have happened to him to cause him to come here?
"Strider," Frodo said quietly. I looked back at the man in the corner, trying to imagine what kind of man he must be for us to grab his attention like this.
I continued staring at him as intensely as he stared at me. I was hoping my gaze would scare him off as it had done with the other men that had looked over at us since we sat down at this table. I began realizing upon our staring contest that that strategy was not going to work on this one. A man to look unafraid of the gaze of an Elven Princess? Why is that? More importantly, why didn't he look afraid at all when I looked at him? I immediately knew that this man was no ordinary man.
I had been so invested in Strider that I completely forgot about keeping an eye on Pippin and the others. I was brought back to reality by him shouting as loud as he could the following words:
"BAGGINS? Sure I know a Baggins! He's over there! Frodo Baggins!"
And with that foolish Took uttering those words that I had hoped and prayed would never be said while we were here, my heart sank to the lowest pit of my stomach.
I looked in fear at Sam and Frodo the more Pippin dug himself into a hole that would bury all of us. We all were thinking the exact same thing. Pippin and his big mouth were going to get us into a lot of trouble. We had already caused a scene by coming here and now, we were going to cause an even bigger scene by Frodo's identity being revealed to these dangerous people, including Strider.
"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..."
"Pippin!" Frodo cried, grabbing his sleeve in an attempt to get the pint out of his hand to get him to cease his infernal talking.
"Steady on, Frodo!" he said.
But Pippin, not fully comprehending what either he or Frodo were doing, shoved Frodo away from him.
Pippin, you fool! I raced after Frodo in an attempt to stop Pippin from running his mouth. We had already attracted too much attention to ourselves and now Pippin was preparing us to get into a fight or potentially killed. I needed to stop him before he continued talking. I had known from my time with Pippin is that there is no version of him that was more irresponsible or less silent than when he had been drinking. As he was not one to hold his liquor well, sooner or later he would be blathering about the One Ring in front of all these criminals and animals.
I watched in horror as the Ring slipped from Frodo's fingers as he fell to the ground. It began rising up high into the air and catching the attention of everyone in the room. Why had it been out in the first place? Had he been playing around with it in public? What was he thinking? I tried to run as fast as I could to try to catch it before it landed on Frodo's finger. I dreaded thinking what the Ring might do to me if Frodo ever put it on. But more importantly, if Frodo entered the other world, it would let the Wraiths know we were here.
But I wasn't quick enough as several drunk men blocked my path and I could do absolutely nothing to stop what had already been set in motion. I watched in horror as the Ring slipped very easily onto Frodo's finger.
Then, in front of everyone watching us, Frodo disappeared, just as his uncle did at his birthday party only a few months ago.
There were gasps and noises of amazement and shock at what had just occurred. But I wasn't able to focus on any of that because of the pain I was now experiencing inside my mind.
I knew I wouldn't be able to fight back against it as I had done with our first encounter with the Wraith. That had been different because while Frodo was close to putting it on, I had been able to stop him. But this time I know that wasn't going to be the case.
A burning with my head began to create an intense pain that seared my skull. It felt as though my body was going to burn up into flames. I had expected that Frodo putting on the Ring would hurt me as it did whenever it was around me. However, I could never have imagined the intensity of the pain. It hurt even more than it did before. It felt like my mind and my insides would be destroyed in front of all these people. People that I had hoped would not see this or what had happened with Frodo. The burning went throughout my entire body and had no intention of stopping. I could feel the Ring throbbing with excitement at what it was causing.
I could hear his voice inside my head. I could feel the searing of his words. His words were like poison. These words were clearly meant for both Frodo and me. They added additional pain onto what I was already experiencing.
Sauron's minions knew of my existence and as such, they would do absolutely anything they could to cause me physical and emotional pain. Something he wanted so desperately of my family as revenge for destroying him 3000 years ago.
You cannot hide...I...SEE YOU...
I screamed in utter terror. I felt so much fear that I felt tears running down my face. I felt so much pain and terror that I quickly forgot the fact that I was making a terrible scene along with Frodo's disappearing act. Sauron's Ring couldn't have planned it better. It knew my weakness and used that to its full advantage. Now while Frodo was in the other world, the Wraiths would know where to find us. Better yet for the Ring, this encounter would leave me extremely vulnerable.
I knew I would have to come face to face with him, but even knowing that didn't prepare me for whatever was going on. Was this what Frodo was seeing in the other world of the Ring? Could he actually see Sauron where I couldn't? Even though I couldn't see him, I could still feel the weight and fire of his evil gaze. I feel him as if he was looking directly at me.
There is no life here in the void...only cold...only death...
And then as soon as it began, the pain faded away and the voice of Sauron vanished into thin air.
Clearly, Frodo had taken off the Ring.
"Lady Neera!" Sam said, rushing over to my side and grasping my shoulders. "Are you alright? What happened to you?"
But I couldn't even process the searing pain that had gone through me. It was replaced with something else. A dark and ominous presence. One that I had faced off against before we made it here. I could feel the presence of the Wraiths. Whatever way they were going before they had clearly abandoned. They were coming here and this time, they rode with determination.
They were clearly not going to let us get away this time.
The distance we had created had no meaning anymore. They were going to come here and find us.
I knew whose fault this whole thing was.
And this time, I wasn't going to let him get away with it.
I felt a fiery and intense rage boil up inside of me at what had just happened. A rage that I was unfamiliar with. Of course, I had been furious several times in my life. But when it came to Frodo, there was always this level of fury that awoke inside of me and that was untamable. I couldn't stop it even if I wanted to. I didn't want to stop it either. It needed to be released from my body towards the one that put him and all of us in danger.
And he knows exactly who he is.
I angrily drew my gaze towards the one responsible and by the look in his eyes, he was terrified.
And he had every right to be.
I angrily took the pint of his hands and tossed it into the fire, then grabbed Pippin by the shirt and slapped him across the back of his head. To hell with not making a scene. We had already made two, so what's the point of keeping it in this time? Pippin had managed to make things even worse than they already were and had put us all in danger, including himself? How could he be so foolish and thoughtless? This was not the time to be playing games or drinking or acting as he always does. This level of irresponsibility was going to eventually hurt Frodo deeply, and he needed to know that once and for all.
He was going to get it.
"What on earth were you thinking, Pippin?!" I said, just barely resisting the urge to hit him again. "Has it not fully sunk in that we're trying to protect Frodo not get him killed?! Do you not realize what you've done by running your mouth?! Oh, I suppose not. Clearly, that pint means more to you than actually thinking of protecting your kin!"
Pippin looked to the ground, absolutely ashamed.
"Lady Neera, please," Samwise begged me. "He didn't mean to. He wasn't thinking properly."
"Exactly," I said sternly, not breaking my gaze. "He wasn't thinking and now look what has happened. He's put all of us in greater danger. Now Frodo is..."
Then I realized Frodo was missing. I looked around in a panic, trying to find him. Then my eyes wandered over to where Strider had been sitting by the fireplace and realized he had disappeared, as well. My hand around my knife clenched, and I dropped Pippin to the floor. No wonder Strider had been watching us all night. He had been waiting for when my focus was elsewhere to grab Frodo and take the Ring for himself. It now made sense as to why he had been so transfixed on Frodo. I don't how he managed to figure it out, but he knew we had had the Ring in our possession this entire time. He had been waiting for an opportunity like this.
That foolish man. Did he not understand who I was and what I was capable of?
I am the daughter of the greatest warrior in Mirkwood.
And that man had taught me very well.
I would not let Strider or anyone else hurt my friend. I would skin him alive before I let that happen. He had nothing but stares at us. I instructed the three of them to gather what weapons they could find and follow me upstairs to rescue Frodo. I eventually heard Frodo's voice and a voice that was unfamiliar. So that's what Strider sounds like. Thankfully, it didn't appear that we were too late. But nevertheless, we had to act quickly before he did.
I kicked the door open with such force that it knocked the door off of its hinges. I then made eye contact with Strider and saw him as a man, not just an illusion behind a hood. Now I saw the man as he truly was. One that clearly could disappear and avoid being seen if he wished. One that clearly was hiding much more than we had already assumed.
"LET HIM GO!" Sam yelled, bearing his fists to the man holding a sword at the door. "OR I'LL HAVE YOU LONGSHANKS!"
He sighed, realizing we were of no danger to him.
"You have a stout heart, little Hobbit," he said matter of factly. "But that will not save you."
He put his sword away, but I was faster than him. I held one of my knives to his throat. As skilled as a warrior as he clearly was, he would have been unable to stop me. I looked at him in rage and terror that was completely unfamiliar to me. If he had hurt Frodo. If he had done anything to him...
"Neera!" Frodo said in surprise.
"If you have hurt him at all, I'll pluck your eyes out," I said, my voice low and calm.
"Neera," Frodo begged in horror. "Please stop. He didn't do anything to hurt me. Please put the knife down."
I hesitated, but I did what Frodo had begged me to do. But I didn't put my knife away on purpose. I still didn't trust him.
"This is not the time for such violence, Princess," he said calmly, stunning me. "You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo."
He then moved forward, focusing his attention on Frodo yet again.
"They're coming."
"Who are you?" I demanded. "And how do you know of my grandfather?"
He smirked.
"Ah, so you're Gandalf's granddaughter, are you?"
I flinched. I had no idea how he knew all of these things, but there was no sense in denying my identity.
"One of his two granddaughters, yes. My name is Neera."
"He has spoken often of both of you, but I was under the impression that you were the more docile out of the two."
"Where is my Grandfather? What have you done with him?" I demanded."He was supposed to meet us here with my twin sister and has not arrived. What have you done with him?"
"I cannot answer any of these questions," he said. "And even if I could, there is no such time to waste staying here. Those that hunt you will seek the presence of the ring and come here. It is no longer safe to stay in this inn. Come. This way."
I still didn't trust him, but I had no other choice.
If it would mean protecting Frodo, then I would do absolutely anything.
Although I had no reason to trust this man, I found myself not having much choice. The entire point of the journey to Bree was to meet up with Grandfather and Lin. After that, the remainder of the quest would fall to Grandfather's hands. If this man truly did know Grandfather, he certainly wasn't making a very strong case for me to believe him. With so many people currently against us, it was difficult for me to identify who it was that I could trust and who it was I had to kill to protect Frodo. But again, I didn't have many options at my disposal at the moment. Grandfather and Lin were nowhere to be found and so, I was on my own. While I had thought of running to the next town to escape the Wraiths, there wasn't enough time to do that. It had taken us so much time already to get to Bree given how unsuited the four Hobbits were when it came to travel and navigating. Because Frodo put on the ring in the bar, they were alerted to our presence here. As such, Strider was correct. There was no time to leave and there was no longer any sense in waiting for Grandfather and Lin to appear. They were going to come soon and we had to be ready to hide.
Which is how we ended up going to the inn across the street where Strider was staying in order to create a ruse to fool the Wraiths. Thankfully, no one managed to see us leaving. Per Strider's instructions, I convinced the owner of the Prancing Pony that we would be staying for the night. I then went upstairs and helped Strider fill all four beds with enough stuffing, pillows, and feathers to create four makeshift small bodies. Strider and I covered each of the beds with the blankets so that the Wraiths wouldn't know the difference. The Wraiths, while dangerous and evil, did not think things through very well. They only knew they were hunting for four Hobbits and an Elf, one who was the descendant of the woman who had helped destroy their master. As such, they would not look for any further specifics than that. I was confident that our trick would work.
I didn't trust this man, but as I would anything to protect Frodo, I would do as he said.
However, if he gave me one reason to think he would hurt Frodo, I would cut his throat.
We began settling down in Strider's room. I still kept my knives close to my body in case Strider decided to betray us. Frodo kept saying over and over to not worry about him, but I refused. I had almost failed to protect him once and I'm not going to let that happen again.
The four Hobbits were allowed to use Strider's bed in order to sleep. For a normal sized person, it was a perfect bed for one, but for four beings the size of almost children, it would be perfect. As such, it would be able to allow all four hobbits to fit onto the bed to sleep. Sam, Merry, and Pippin made themselves very comfortable at the head of the bed. Frodo moved towards the foot of the bed. I tucked them all in under the blankets.
"Lady Neera," Sam said, trying to find his voice in all of this, but faltered in what he was going to say.
Not surprisingly, they were all very startled still. I understood. They had never been in any situation like this in their lives.
"Don't worry," I said to all of them, sitting on the bed. "I won't be that far away. Strider and I will watch for the Wraiths. I'll watch over you, too. It's been a long day. You all need to sleep. We will be traveling again in the morning and I need all of you at your best. No more delays."
I looked directly at Pippin and Merry.
"And no more stopping for food. OR STEALING FOOD. OR DRINKING. Do you understand?"
Pippin and Merry both avoided my eye contact. But I wasn't about to let it go.
"Do you understand?" I asked again sternly.
They both made eye contact with me and nodded before turning the other way. I patted them both on the head and gave them a small smile. This was my way of apologizing for my behavior towards Pippin. Even though I had been in the right and him in the wrong, I shouldn't have acted the way I did. He seemed to comprehend this and returned my smile.
"Good. Now, please rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and you need rest. Good night."
I pulled the blanket over the three at the end of the bed, tucking them all in. I waited by the bed until they fell asleep. The three of them, not surprisingly fell asleep rather easily. I could tell that the events of the day had caught up with them. That was quite a relief for me because we needed as little noise as possible as the Wraiths came into town.
I was about to join Strider at the window to watch for the Wraiths when something grabbed my arm and stopped me. It was the hand of my friend, eyes looking up at me with fear in his eyes. The sight of him broke my heart.
"Don't leave me here alone," he begged, tugging on the sleeve of my tunic. "How can I sleep knowing they're out there?"
"Please go to sleep, Frodo," I said, pushing him to lie down, pulling the blanket over him again and brushing a few stray curls out of his face. I then took his hand in mine. "I'm not going far and I will be here when you wake up, I promise."
Frodo squeezed my hand in fear, looking up at me from his position on the bed. I sighed.
"Please sleep, Frodo. For me."
He softened at that and let go of my sleeve. But that fear in his eyes remained. I sighed again and then knelt by the bed, not letting go of his hand. I remember when I was younger, so many years ago and I would get scared at night. In these moments, my father would always sing to me. I remembered the lullaby he used to sing. It would always make me fall asleep because of the soothing melody.
"Please sleep, Frodo," I begged once again.
I couldn't offer him much at this moment, but I could help him sleep. I began to sing to him.
Elgara vallas, da'len
Melava somniar
Mala taren aravas
Ara ma'desen melar
He and I kept eye contact the entire time I sang this song. His body and eyes growing heavier as I sang.
Iras ma ghilas, da'len
Ara ma ne'dan ashir
Dirthara lothlenan'as
Bal emma mala dir
As I expected, his eyes began to close, no matter how hard he tried to keep them open. There was always a unique power within these lyrics. I have never been able to figure out what it is, but it always puts people to sleep.
Tel'enfenim, da'len
Irassal ma ghilas
Ma garas mir renan
Ara ma'athlan vhenas
Ara ma'athlan vhenas
The song came to an end. I smiled down at him, brushing some more curls out of his face. He relaxed at the slight feeling of my touch. The muscles began to loosen and his heavy breathing indicated that he was falling asleep.
How could anything this beautiful exist in this world?
After a while of watching over Frodo, I could feel his slight and gentle breathing which implied that he had indeed fallen asleep.
I mindlessly continued to stare at him, not letting go of his hand which had now loosened its grip due to Frodo being asleep and continuing to brush the locks of hair. I don't know how much time had passed, but I had lost track of it long ago.
"A love between an immortal being and a halfling will do you no good, my lady."
I snapped out of my trance to face him, but he wasn't even looking at me as he spoke.
"What are you talking about, Strider?" I asked, sneering on the last word. This man expected me to trust someone like him when he makes such baseless assumptions like this?
"That love you feel for that Hobbit is very dangerous, Neera," Strider said, his gaze still drawn towards the window. "And it will lead you towards a downward spiral."
I immediately stood up, very confused. I almost began laughing. We had only just met this man and were trusting him despite not knowing the first thing about him. Now he makes statements like this? Ridiculous. Regardless of whether or not my Grandfather told him to look after us, I would have protected him. This was just not a game to me. He was my friend and I cared very deeply about him. That's why I risk my life for him.
"We have a very strong bond, Strider. But I'm afraid you're quite mistaken, Strider," I said firmly. "I don't feel that way towards him."
"Even if you haven't realized it or admitted to yourself, Neera," he began. "It doesn't mean that it doesn't exist."
"Of course, I am close to Frodo. We have lived together for a few months and became the best of friends since Grandfather has been away..."
"You held a knife to my throat and threatened severe harm upon me if you had found that I had harmed him."
Well, yes...That was true, but that was different. Sam and the others were willing to do the same to him. It's not as though we know him at all. For all we knew, this man could have hurt Frodo.
"Yes, because I had thought you had done something to him. Out here I can't be too careful..."
"If you are willing to do that much to protect someone you've only known for a short while, then perhaps..."
But then our conversation abruptly stopped when I heard the sharp sound of a sword, multiple swords, being used in unison. My hand grasped tightly on my right knife.
They were here.
I joined Strider at the window, seeing our intended quarters for the night through its window as the shadows of the Wraiths stabbed the beds over and over again. It created such a hideous and loud sound that even though we were in a different room, we could still see their handiwork. It sent a chill down my spine. I still didn't trust him, but if we hadn't run into Strider, we would once again be at the mercy of the Wraiths. Because the ring sent a message to the Wraiths while Frodo was in the other world, they naturally would assume that the ring was in that area. Hopefully, when they find the empty beds with nothing but ruined pillows and scattered feathers, they would ride off to the farthest area and give us some time to run as far as we could.
"It seems as though they've fallen for our trick," I commented, looking further at the window to the trap once the sounds of the stabbing had ceased.
Strider nodded in response, his gaze as focused out the window as mine was.
Then there was that familiar hideous shrieking. I could tell that they finally realized that they had been tricked. I must say that this Strider, although I don't trust him, was very resourceful and rather tactful. I winced at the sound. It was the most hideous and terrifying sound in the entire world. The sound of souls that had long been lost to the darkness.
I looked over at my four companions who had woken up immediately at the sound of what the Wraiths had just been doing. I was very thankful that we had listened to Strider and that we had successfully protected them all. If we hadn't encountered him, I might have failed Frodo yet again. I continued to look out the window, watching the shadows of the Wraiths in the room, obviously very frustrated that they had been tricked.
"What are they?" Frodo asked quietly.
Strider turned from the view of the window to face Frodo.
"There were once men."
Remembering that fact over and over was truly terrifying. They were the living embodiment of what happens when you make a deal with Sauron. No one who ever came into contact with him ever found any sort of happiness. I'm living proof of that.
"Great kings of men. Then 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."
The Wraiths shrieked again as Strider told their story.
"And now they are slaves to his will."
He looked Frodo directly in the eyes before turning back to the window to see them leaving the Prancing Pony.
"They are the Nazgûl, Ringwraiths, neither living or dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring...drawn to the power of the one..."
I felt their presence begin to fade again, but I knew that this setback would not derail them. As long as Sauron and the Ring existed, they would never leave us alone.
"They will never stop hunting you," he said.
A fact that I knew very well. The Wraiths would chase us until the ends of the earth if they had to. They would not give up until they brought the ring back to its master. As long as they chased us, Frodo would be in danger of being hurt or even killed. As I looked back at him and the other three, I realized that we were playing a very dangerous game, indeed.
Honestly, when I asked Grandfather to accompany him on the journey to the Shire, I had never imagined that I would end up here, running for my life, as well as everyone else's.
But as I looked at Frodo, I realized that despite the fear and dread I felt, I would never take back the time we have spent together.
The fact that that was stronger than my terror was the most terrifying thing of all.
Even though I kept telling myself that Strider was wrong, there was a small part of me that was locked deep inside of me starting to acknowledge that maybe he was correct.
That's it! I hope you enjoyed it! I'm not very sure about this chapter, but I had a lot of fun writing it for you. I'm also incredibly pleased to welcome Aragorn into our story. He is a character that can easily relate to Neera's situation as he too is in love with someone that he isn't supposed to love or be with due to their difference in race among other things.
I'm very excited to continue to write the relationship that will develop between the two of them.
Please review and favorite! I love feedback and knowing that I have supporters, which in turn give me the motivation to write more chapters!
Poor Neera. Something always happens when someone confronts her about her feelings. She will have to face it in the following chapters where she won't be able to deny it anymore.
Just in case anyone was curious, here is the translation for the song. Since songs are so apparent in both the books of Tolkien and the movies, I wanted my own song in here, as well. I found it on the internet somewhere. It's really a beautiful song that I feel captures Neera and Frodo's relationship beautifully. Because both of them are each other's home. Life can never be the same for either of them if they're not together.
Sun sets, little one
Time to dream.
Your mind journeys,
But I will hold you here.
Where will you go, little one,
Lost to me in sleep?
Seek truth in a forgotten land,
Deep within your heart.
Never fear, little one,
Wherever you shall go.
Follow my voice-
I will call you home.
I will call you home.
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Thank you all for your support!
Thank you so much for your support!
Until next time!
Kagomehater4ever