LotR: Pippin's Point of View

III: The Black Rider

Hi guys. I just re-read the chapter (Farmer Maggot) and I realized the there were """ in front of some of Merry and Pippin's conversation! I had never noticed that!!!! I'm so sorry, and I will try to edit it later. And I will be sure none will be in this chapter.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++==========================

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

We scrambled over the other side of the road and crawled underneath a den of roots of a large tree next to us.

We quarreled over the bag of mushrooms a little.

"Be quiet!" Sam scolded us in a whisper. Merry slowly put the bag down as we heard the deep breathing of a horse.

Frodo looked up through a crack in some roots at the black horse, which upon held a black rider.

There was blood on the horse's black hooves.

Suddenly, the Rider kept down off his horse, his metal boots clanking on the dirt. He bent down over our den, his metal-clad fingers grasping some roots.

He remained over us, ghoul-like. Could he see us?

The Rider took a whiff through his nose.

Could he see at all?

As he sniffed, Sam and Merry saw a spider crawling on Merry's shoulder. A centipede wriggled out from the Black Rider's hand and I noticed worms writhing around at my bare feet. It seemed that the very presence of the Black Rider made the bugs . . . uncomfortable.

Frodo looked straight ahead, and closed his eyes, looking sick. He took something out of his pocket with his forefinger and thumb.

A ring.

The Rider jerked his head over to us, sniffing louder. The horse shifted.

Frodo was breathing deeply, and the ring was close to being slipped on to his other index finger.

Sam noticed and reached across from me, hitting Frodo in the chest. Frodo opened his eyes and clasped the ring in a fist.

The Black Rider sniffed again, looking the other way.

Was he smelling the...ring?

Merry tossed the bag of mushrooms over to the left, distracting the Rider.

He swept away, back onto his horse, and gallops in that direction, giving us enough time to get the heck out of there!

We ran down another hill covered with thin, small trees.

Merry and I slipped backwards and fell on our backs.

"What was that?" Merry gasped.

Frodo didn't say anything. He gulped for air and opened his fist. I saw the fading sunlight glint off of something gold.

It was the ring.

We ran more until the sun set, leaving us to stumble through the woods in the misty darkness.

A shrill shriek echoed from the trees.

We hid behind trees, running five feet, hiding, running, hiding.

Sam finally asked: "Anything?"

Frodo replied, "Nothing.

I, tired of running, trudged down the hill to Frodo. "What is going on?"

Instead of Frodo answering, Merry confronted him.

"That Black Rider was looking for something." Merry began, walking up to him. "Or someone. Frodo?"

Frodo looked at him, like he was about to tell us, when I saw the figure of a horse...and a rider.

"Get down!" I cried.

We ducked behind a bush. I noticed that Sam had many pots and pans that clanked. Then I noticed that I hadn't eaten since today's luncheon.

It was a Black Rider. He walked his horse up along the top of a hill slowly.

I could make out the hilt of a sword. He moved his head left and right, though I still wasn't convinced that he could physically see. Then he trotted down the opposite side of the hill.

"I have to leave the Shire." Frodo said. Merry looked at him. Frodo, in turn, looked at him. "Sam and I must get to Bree."

Merry nodded, thinking. "Right..." He thought for a moment. "Buckleberry Ferry. Follow me."

We leaped up raced across the leaves after Merry.

Suddenly, the Rider, on his horse, burst out of nowhere from behind two trees, shrieking loudly.

"Run!" I cried. We all took different directions around the Rider. He turned back and forth around on his steed.

"This way!" Merry shouted. "Follow me!"

"Frodo! Hurry! Run!" I yelled.

Merry, Sam, and I scaled a short wooden fence and headed for the dock, which harbored a single wooden raft.

"Get the rope, Sam!" Merry instructed. Sam and I untied the ropes that held the raft to the dock.

"Frodo!" Sam looked up. Frodo was far behind, still on the dirt path to the dock, the Rider and his horse hot on his heels.

"Run, Frodo! Go!" I urged.

"Hurry!" Sam yelled.

"Frodo, come on!" Merry cried.

"Come on, faster!" Sam waved his arms.

Frodo looked behind him at the Black Rider, who was gaining on him.

On the dock, Frodo flew over the wooden planks.

"Jump!" I shouted. Frodo obeyed, and leaped over the water to the raft, knocking Sam to the ground.

The Rider skidded to a stop, the horse snorting. The Rider shrieked in frustration, and turned back.

"How far to the nearest crossing?" Frodo gasped.

"The Brandywine Bridge. 20 miles." Merry answered.

The Rider screamed something like a broken conch shell into the already chilled night sky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~************************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello! Sorry that this was short, but I had to get something updated.

Please comment and vote!