The next morning Bilbo woke and had a good breakfast before he even began to think about what his next move might be. After breakfast Bilbo began to realize that he might need to look up some history on these lands and maybe even obtain some maps if he wanted his journey to have any success. Bilbo made his way to the Library of Tharbad, which was one of the oldest in all of Middle Earth. The library was one of the only remaining buildings after the great flood, and held documents that told stories of how great the city of Tharbad once was.
In the library Bilbo looked up the ancient history of how the ring of power was formed by Sauron around sixteen hundred years into the second age. Bilbo also read of the power that the ring poses and how it can give immense power to anyone knowing how to wield it. Other effects of the ring included an extended life as well as becoming invisible when wearing it. The text also went on to say how the ring of power has been lost for a very long time.
“Sure sounds like my ring” said Bilbo aloud, “the dark lord will certainly want to reclaim his ring, I must scout father ahead to see if the dark lord is looking for the ring. Frodo’s life may be at great danger if he is and I cannot sit by and do nothing.”
The next thing Bilbo looked at in the library was a detailed map that he used to plan the next portion of his journey. His next stop would be the Gap of Rohan and possibly Isenguard. In Isenguard lived a wizard more powerful than Gandalf, Saruman was his name and if any other person or wizard could help in all of Middle Earth it was him.
Bilbo stopped at the market on his way out of Tharbad to stock up for the long journey ahead, then made his way out of town heading in a south east direction. This route would eventually take Bilbo to the Gap of Rohan by slowly slanting its way out of Tharbad and towards the Misty Mountains.
Within a few days the fait outline of the Misty Mountains could begin to be seen on the horizon. The mountains were humongous, towering out of the ground like a giant wall which split the continent in half. Bilbo still remembers the first time he saw the Misty Mountains on the journey with Thorin and company all those years ago. Bilbo then hiked up a small tree covered hill just off the path and found a small rocky enclave at the top. From the top of the hill Bilbo could see road he was just on and could see for miles on the great plains that laid before him all the way up to the foot hills of the Misty Mountains as well as the road which twisted its way through the plains on its way to the Gap of Rohan.
“This seems as good as a place as ever to lay my head for the night,” said Bilbo, “I even have a great view to enjoy as I make some supper for myself.”
Bilbo fixed himself a decent supper of potato soup over the fire, which was one of the better meals that he had made himself since he left Tharbad. After Bilbo had eaten he packed himself a bowl of pipe weed and began to sit back and relax when out of know where he heard the sound of horses hooves along the road below. Bilbo quickly leapt up and stomped out his fire as he did not know if the person quickly approaching on the road was friend or foe and he didn’t want to take any chances in these times. No sooner than after Bilbo stomped out the last hot coal from his fire the horseman came bolting around the corner on his steed. At this time Bilbo managed to creep to the end of his enclave to see if he could get a good look at what was passing below.
As Bilbo looked down onto the main road he was able to make out what seemed to him to be a rider on a black horse dressed in all black robes bolting at full speed to the north in the direction Bilbo just he came from. The horse and its rider did not stop or hesitate and flew past Bilbo, before he knew it the pitter patter of the horses hooves disappeared almost as quickly as they had come. While there was no markings on the rider of any sort Bilbo knew that the mysterious rider was up to no good.
“Probably a servant of the dark lord sent to hunt for the ring of power,’ Bilbo whispered to himself, “better stay off the road, I’m sure that will not be the last I see of those.”
The next morning Bilbo made his way back down to the road and continued his march. Though this time he did not use the road but rather hiked through the woods parallel to it and kept alert for the sound of any approaching hooves.
By the second day since Bilbo had last seen the horse man he had finally reached the Gap of Rohan. The Gap was massive, probably close to fifty miles apart with rocky plains encompassing most of the land in between the two halves of the Misty Mountains. Bilbo quickly made his way across the northern edge of the plains looking for the pathway which would the lead him to Isenguard. Though Bilbo not being very familiar with this land had gone too far and journeyed the entire way through the gap and ended up on the other side of the mountains.
“It’s getting dark and I need to find a place to sleep, my lack of knowledge of this land has cost me a day,” Bilbo said aloud in frustration. At the end of the gap was the old fabled forest of Fangorn which now rose darkly out of the ground before Bilbo. “I suppose this should be the safest place to camp for the night,” Bilbo said as he began to make his way into the forest.”
Bilbo had heard of the legends of Fangorn, but these did not scare him as he had made it in and out of Mirkwood twice with little more than a scratch. He honestly doubted that these woods could be any more menacing than those of Mirkwood despite what the Elven legends say. Bilbo found a nice stream to set up camp by and replenish his water supply.
Bilbo slept well through the knight until he was awoken suddenly by creaking of what appeared to sound like a tree coming alive. He heard something speak in a low deep voice but could not make out which direction it was coming from
“Hmmmmmmm Ahhhhhhhh doesn’t appear to be like any Orc I’ve see” said the creature
“Who said that yelled,” Bilbo in confusion.
At that moment a tree moved and Bilbo realized what had been in front of him the whole time, one of the trees was indeed alive and was hovering over him, looking at him with intent curiosity. Bilbo stared back with same curiosity not knowing what to say or do ne
