The Beginning of Darkness [LotR] [COMPLETED]

A Shortcut

Frodo was hurriedly packing a small bag with food, some extra clothing and anything else he thought he would need for the journey. Sam had gone back to his home to pack his own bag, under strict instructions from Mariliel not to breathe a word of their quest to anyone. Not even the old Gaffer.

Mariliel. Thought Frodo. She was hiding something he was sure of it. It was her eyes, those green-blue eyes held a secret.

She insisted that they leave that night, to avoid answering awkward questions from nosy neighbours as to why an elf and two hobbits are travelling together.

Frodo wondered why she was coming to help destroy the Ring, he was sure that she would have better things to do than help him. But then again he had no idea how to get to Mordor and he would need all the help he could get.

There was a soft knock on the bedroom door and Mariliel popped her head in, “Sam has come back. Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be” he answered putting on his cloak and hoisting the pack on his back.

Slowly Frodo walked to the front door, he wondered if he would ever see Bag End again, see the Shire again. He shook his head, no time to be thinking like that he had an important job to do.

Sam and Mariliel were waiting for him outside, Sam had a pack with pots and pans hanging off it while Mariliel had her bow and quiver but no pack that he could see visible and she had pulled her hood over her head so he could barely see her face.

“Let’s go” she said

Mariliel led them through, keeping to the shadows. A few times Frodo thought that they would be found out by some hobbit stumbling around after too much ale, but fortunately they made it out without being seen.

They walked all night. Mariliel in the lead, then Frodo, then Sam. Even when the sun started to rise they didn’t stop.

The trio were walking across a field when suddenly the constant clanking of Sam’s pots stopped. Frodo stopped and looked behind him. Sam was just standing there looking lost in thought.

“If I take one more step this’ll be the furthest away from home I’ve ever been”

Frodo opened his mouth to say something when Mariliel called out to them,

”Come on hurry up! I want to get to Bree before nightfall” she waited until the hobbits had caught up before starting again.

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“Do we really have to go this way?” Frodo asked Mariliel

“Yes it’s the quickest way” she said exasperated

They had been arguing about whether to go through Farmer Maggots land or not.

Frodo was against because he had stolen some mushrooms from Farmer Maggot when he was a boy, and he said that if Farmer Maggot saw him on his land again he would set his dogs on him.

Mariliel insisted that it was the quickest way to get to Bree, and if they had to go around it would add at least another day on their journey.

And Sam, well he would go wherever Frodo goes.

“Fine you go around then, and I’ll go through” Mariliel whirled around and stalked between the rows of corn, soon she had disappeared.

“Mr Frodo I think it would be best if we followed” Sam mumbled

Frodo sighed, “Let’s hurry then, before we lose her”

They ran into the corn calling after her, “Mariliel! Mariliel!”

Not paying attention to where they were going they ran smack bang into two hobbits

“Frodo! Sam!”

“Merry! Pippin! What are you doing here?” asked Frodo suspiciously

“Uhh…”

Suddenly there was yelling in the distance and dogs barking, “When I catch you hobbits you’ll wish you hadn’t stolen from Farmer Maggot!”

Merry and Pippin paled, the barking of the dogs were coming closer. Suddenly Mariliel was beside them,

“Quickly follow me”

They didn’t need to be told twice, they managed to keep up with her despite their small stature. Bursting free from the corn field Mariliel stopped suddenly at the edge of a small hill. Frodo, Sam and Merry managed to slow down in time but Pippin did not and he sent them all tumbling down the hill.

“Mushrooms!” yelled out Merry happily digging around in the dirt

“Fools” muttered Mariliel under her breath, brushing the dirt from her clothes but froze when she saw Frodo gazing intently up the road

“Quickly! We must get off the road!” she called to the hobbits who were still picking mushrooms

Pippin stood up with a hand on hip a mushroom in the other, “Hey, who are you telling us what to do?”

Frodo finally pulled his gaze away from the road, “She’s right, get off the road!”

The tone of Frodo’s voice made them move off the road and huddle under a log, the five of them only just squeezing in.

Then the sound of a horse coming down the road could be heard, the clop of its hooves breaking the silence. Then they stopped just above their hiding spot. Looking through a gap in the wood Frodo saw a massive black horse, its rider was dressed in head to toe in black and Frodo was unable to see the riders face.

Frodo suddenly felt a strong desire to put the ring on. Slowly he pulled it from his pocket and was inching it towards his index finger when Mariliel slapped his hand away snapping him out of the trance.

As suddenly as the black rider appeared he was gone. Slowly they emerged from the log after Mariliel determined it was safe.

“Okay guys” Merry said, “What’s going on?”

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Wow another chapter, this has to be the fastest I've ever updated!

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