Our Undying Love

03

The Ring now was sat in the middle of the table in Bilbo's (Now Frodo's) kitchen. Gandalf sat on one of the chairs, smoking his pipe. Veryan was stood right beside him, keeping his distance from the Ring. And Frodo was serving tea for the both of them.

"This is the One Ring forged by the Dark Lord Sauron, in the fires of Mount Doom. Taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself" Gandalf explained to the two younger male's.

Frodo slowly put the kettle back onto the table, frowning down at the Ring. "Bilbo found it. In Gollum's cave"

Gandalf nodded at the quite disturbed Hobbit. "For 60 years the Ring lay quiet in Bilbo's keeping, prolonging his life, delaying old age. But no longer, Frodo. Evil is stirring in Mordor. The Ring has awoken. It's heard its master's call"

Frodo, with an edge to his voice, spoke to Gandalf. "But he was destroyed. Sauron was destroyed"

As Frodo finished, the Ring seemingly whispered. In such a language that none of them could speak. Veryan gulped and crossed his arms, his eyes never leaving the Ring, he didn't trust anything involving it.

Gandalf looked up from the Ring at right into Frodo's frightened eyes "No, Frodo. The spirit of Sauron endured. His life force is bound to the Ring, and the Ring survived. Sauron has returned. His Orcs have multiplied. His fortress as Barad-dur is rebuilt in the land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this Ring to cover all the lands in a second darkness. He is seeking it. All his thought is bent on it. For the Ring yearns above all else to return to the hand of its master. They are one, the Ring and the Dark Lord. Frodo, he must never find it"

Frodo suddenly jumped up and grabbed the Ring, startling Veryan. The young Wizard blinked his eyes a couple of times, finally regaining his senses as he turned to look at Frodo looking around the house. "We put it away. We keep it hidden. We never speak of it again. No one knows it's here, do they?"

When the Grey Wizard didn't answer he turned around to look at him, a troubled expression on his face. "Do they Gandalf?"

Veryan sighed and nodded. "Well, there was one who knew Bilbo had the ring. But..." the Heterochromia male then turned to his mentor, giving Gandalf the okay to take over. "I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum. But the enemy found him first. I don't know how long they tortured him. But amidst the endless screams and inane babble, they discerned two words: Shire, and Baggins"

Frodo's eyes fell open just as Veryan froze up. The young Wizard turned to look at Gandalf for confirmation as Frodo all but spoke to himself. "Shire. Baggins...But that would lead them here!"

When that occurred to him he shoved the Ring the two Wizard's way, moving it twords them. "Take it, one of you!"

Veryan and Gandalf quickly backed away. Veryan held a hand in front of Gandalf as he old Wizard spoke. "No, Frodo"

"You must take it!" Frodo pushed again, moving in closer.

Veryan slightly glared down at his best friend. His eyes glew a bright purple as he shoved one hand in front of the Hobbit, making him freeze up in place. "You cannot offer us the Ring! Don't tempt us"

When Veryan saw just how frightened Frodo was from all of this he sighed and lowered his hand, yet, he did not fully extinguish his magic. He sincerely looked down at Frodo. "I-We, we don't dare take it. Not even to keep it safe"

Gandalf gently laid his hand on Veryan's shoulders and stepped forward, now standing in front of Frodo. "Understand, Frodo, we would use this Ring from a desire to do good. But through me, or even Veryan, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine"

"But it cannot stay in the Shire!" he argued again, looking more scared by the minute.

Gandalf shook his head "No, no it can't.