Lotr oneshots

Halloween Special - Stories by the Fire

This oneshot is about the reader and the Fellowship sitting by a fire while gandalf tells a story. Have fun reading and Happy Halloween!

It was a cold, unusually dark night, and the stars were scattered all over the sky like diamonds. The Fellowship had set up camp in a small clearing surrounded by tall trees, the fire in the center crackling and sending sparks into the air. You sat with your blanket wrapped around you, trying to get warm after a long day of walking. Everyone was tired, but the mood wasn’t as tense as usual. Maybe it was the fire, or maybe it was just being with everyone after a long day.

You were sitting between Frodo and Legolas, close enough to feel the warmth from the fire, and you could hear Pippin and Merry quietly snickering about something on the other side of the circle. It was one of those moments where everything felt peaceful, even though you were all in the middle of a dangerous journey.

"Anyone feel like hearing a story?" Gandalf asked, breaking the silence. His voice was deep, and his eyes gleamed in the firelight. He was leaning on his staff like he always did, and he had that look—the one that said he was about to mess with everyone’s heads.

"Ugh, Gandalf, really?" Boromir sighed, rubbing his eyes like he was done with everything. "Haven’t we had enough drama for one day?"

Gandalf chuckled. "No, no, this is something... different. Not a tale of war, or orcs. This one’s for fun."

Pippin practically jumped in his seat. "Oh, come on, Boromir! We could all use a story right now!"

You smiled to yourself, kind of agreeing with Pippin. A spooky story by the fire sounded like exactly what you needed to take your mind off, well, everything.

"Very well," Gandalf said, leaning forward, his voice getting all mysterious and low. "This is a story of a traveler... who wandered into a very strange forest."

Everyone leaned in a little closer. Even Legolas looked interested, and you knew if Legolas was paying attention, it was probably going to be good.

"The traveler was alone, and the night was dark—much like this one," Gandalf began, his voice dropping to a spooky tone. "He found himself in a forest where the trees were so tall, they blocked out the moon. It was silent, except for the sound of his own footsteps... until he heard something else."

Merry and Pippin were already looking a little nervous. You hugged your blanket tighter, a little excited to see where this was going.

"He heard voices," Gandalf continued, "but not from any person he could see. The wind seemed to carry them, soft at first, just whispers. But soon they grew louder, more insistent. The trees themselves seemed to be speaking, their branches twisting and creaking like they were alive."

The fire hissed, and Merry jumped, his eyes wide. Pippin snickered, but you could tell he was just as creeped out.

"The traveler tried to leave," Gandalf said, his voice dropping even lower. "But no matter which way he turned, the voices followed him, growing louder and louder until he couldn’t tell where they were coming from. And then... just as he thought he had found his way out..."

Gandalf paused dramatically, and you swore the whole forest went silent for a second.

"He vanished."

The fire crackled, and you heard someone swallow hard—probably Pippin this time.

"Vanished?" you asked, grinning even though the story had actually started to give you goosebumps. "Just like that?"

Gandalf nodded, his expression deadly serious. "Yes, (Y/N), just like that. And some say, if you listen closely on a night like this, you can still hear the voices calling out, looking for their next traveler."

Another breeze of wind blew through the trees, making the fire flicker, and this time even Frodo looked a little nervous. You couldn’t help but laugh quietly, though. You loved how into it everyone was getting.

Merry shifted closer to Pippin, clearly pretending he wasn’t freaked out, but Pippin was still grinning—nervously, though. "Well, Gandalf," Pippin said, his voice a bit shaky, "that was quite the story. But I’m not afraid of some old trees!"

"Famous last words," Aragorn muttered, smirking as he poked the fire with a stick. "We’ll see how brave you are when you’re on watch tonight, Pippin."

Pippin’s face dropped. "Wait—what? I’m not on watch tonight, am I?"

Merry burst out laughing. "Looks like you are now!"

You couldn’t help but laugh along with them. Even Boromir, who was trying to act all serious, had a grin on his face.

Gimli crossed his arms, chuckling. "Bah, trees! What’s there to fear about trees? I’ve walked through many a forest and never been chased by one yet!"

Legolas raised an eyebrow. "Give it time."

Everyone laughed at that, even Gandalf. The spooky mood had lightened, and you felt the tension of the day slip away. It was just nice to sit by the fire and joke around, especially with everything going on.

As the laughter died down and the night grew quieter, you leaned back, feeling the warmth of the fire against your face. Gandalf’s story had been spooky, sure, but in a fun way, and you could tell everyone had needed a little distraction.

Still, as you settled into your blanket and the night stretched on, you swore you heard something in the distance. Maybe it was just the wind... or maybe it was something else.

You glanced at Legolas, but he just smiled at you like he knew something you didn’t.

Whatever it was, you weren’t about to wander off into the woods to find out.