The Ring of Power

Chapter 2

Bilbo, Bilbo!" Frodo came bursting through the door, his clothes disheveled along with his dark hair. He saw a shiny round object lying on the wooden floor. Realization hit him. Gone.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Gandalf did not look up from the chair he rested in by the fireplace. "He talked so long about leaving...I just never thought he'd do it." Gandalf glanced at the ring in the young Baggins' hand.

"He's gone to live with the elves. He's left you Bag End." The wizard held out an envelope for the ring and sealed it. "And all his possessions. The rings is yours now." Frodo took the envelope uneasily. "Keep it out of sight." Gandalf gathered his hat and staff.

"Where are you going?" Frodo asked. This wasn't fair nor normal. "You've only just arrived."

"There are some things I must see to." He heard Frodo mutter. "Questions, questions that need answering."

"I don't understand." Frodo groaned. Gandalf felt sorry for the boy. "Neither do I" he put a hand on the hobbits shoulder. "Keep it safe. Keep it secret."

And without another glance he left, leaving Frodo and the Ring.


It had been weeks since the party of Bilbo and his odd disappearance and things began to simmer down. The women went back to their normal duties, the children went back to playing safely, and the men went back to engorging themselves with ale and pipe weed. Peace was very important among the Shire and they finally had it back. Or so they thought.

Screeching noises like what a bird would make echoed through a small village just outside Hobbiton. A hooded figure riding an ebony horse thumped along the dirt road muttering Baggins, Shire.


Frodo entered his home to find papers and furniture strewn everywhere. Wind blew the objects on the ground. He slowly walked around the room looking for signs of struggled. Nothing seemed to be taken. That was good, though he knew something was not right.

A large withered hand touched his shoulder, jerking him around to face the trespasser. Gandalf stood there, his grey hair over his face that was beginning to grow red splotches of irritation. His robe was rumbled and his undershirt sweaty. "Is it secret? Is it safe?"

Frodo hurriedly strode to the chest in the corner. That is where he hid the ring. He had not touched it, nor looked at it since Gandalf's abrupt leaving. Gandalf seemed to jumped at every noise and motion. "Here," He said, but the old fireworks master snatched it out of his hands and opened the envelope. Something was not right. Something was not right with Gandalf. He threw in the fire. Defiantly not right.

"What are you doing?" Frodo exclaimed. Gandalf treated that ring so cautiously and carefully, but now he was burning it. The envelope burned to a charcoal color. The ashes were wisped away and the ring was dropped into Frodo's hand. He had expected it to be blazing hot, but it was as cool as a cold mug of ale, though he almost dropped it.

"What can you see?" was the first thing Gandalf had said since meeting him again. On the gold band a smooth and curved script appeared. Frodo recognized it, but still couldn't read it.

"It looks like some sort of Elvish." Frodo was getting agitated and frightened. "Gandalf what's going on?"

Gandalf gave a great heave of breath. "That is called Black Speech, that of Mordor of which I will not utter here. In the common tongue it says:

'One ring to rule them all...one ring to find them...one ring to bring them all...and in the darkness bind them.'"

Gandalf continued, "This is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the fire of Mount Doom. Taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself." This is part of the stories Bilbo always told him. Frodo remembered one of them. The Riddles in the Dark.

"Bilbo found it in Gollum's cave." Gandalf nodded grimly.

"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." This didn't make sense to Frodo. Sauron is supposed to be dead, Gandalf told him.

"But he was, destroyed. Sauron was destroyed."

"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 ant Barad-dur is rebuilt in the land of Morodr.

"Sauron needs only this Ring to cover all the lands in a second darkness. He is seeking it. 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 took the rings and walked down the steps, glancing around to find it a hiding place. "We put it away. We keep it Hidden. We never speak of it again. No one knows it's here, do they?" Gandalf didn't answer and it began to worry Frodo. He furrowed his eyebrows, "Do they, Gandalf?"

"There is one who knew Bilbo had the Ring." He stated as if Frodo should know. "I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum. It was in vain. 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: Baggins, Shire."

Frodo put the pieces together. Baggins-him and Shire-where he was at this present moment. "But that would lead them here!" he urgently tried to give it to the wise wizard. "Take, Take it Gandalf." Gandalf flinched as the Ring got closer to him.

"No, Frodo. You cannot give this to me!" Frodo still relentlessly tried to give it to Gandalf, but Gandalf snapped. "DON'T TEMPT ME, FRODO!" Frodo was taken aback. He now understood that Bilbo wasn't the only one tempted by the power. "I dare not take it. Not even to keep it safe. Understand Frodo, I would use the Ring from a desire to do good." Gandalf gulped, trying to stay in control. "But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine."

"But it cannot stay in the Shire!"

"No, no it can't." Frodo knew he had to do something. His home depended on it. "What must I do?"
"You must leave. And leave quickly." Gandalf said as the hobbit stuffed clothes and essentials at random into his pack.

"Where? Where do I go?" Gandalf rolled up long stockings. "Bree. Make for the village of Bree." Frodo will be going to Bree, but what would Gandalf do in his turn. "I will be waiting for you...at the inn of the Prancing Pony." If he will be waiting for Frodo, then why could they go together. "And the Ring will be safe there?"

"I do not know, Frodo. I don't have any answers. I must see the head of my order. He is both wise and powerful. Trust me, Frodo." He helped Frodo into his heavy jacket. "Travel by day, stay off the roads."

"I can cut cross country easily enough." Frodo pocketed the ring and stood there waiting for Gandalf to say something, anything. But Gandalf was so lost in t thought; he looked so much like Bilbo did on his first quest, it almost hurt.

"My dear Frodo. Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month. And yet after a hundred years, they can still surprises you."

Gandalf gave the young hobbit a fond smile. Out by the bushes near the window there was a rustling sound, but there wasn't any wind tonight. Gandalf drew his staff and cautiously went to investigate. At a safe distance he jammed the end into the bush earning a yelp. Growling, he threw the intruder onto the table inside. Samwise Gamgee, the gardener, yelped again seeing the angry face of a wizard.

"Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee! Have you been eavesdropping?" Gandalf yelled, worried that the gardener heard his conversation with Frodo. Sam held up his hands.

"No, no sir. I haven't been dropping no eaves. Honest. I was just cutting the grass under the window."

Gandalf huffed, "A little late to be trimming the verge, don't you think? What did you hear? Speak!"

Sam jumped. "Noth-nothing important. That is, I heard a great deal about a ring, a dark lord, and the end of the world, but- Please, Mr. Gandalf, sir, don't hurt me. Don't turn me into anything...unnatural."

"No," Gandalf paused with an evil grin. "Perhaps not. I've thought of a better use for you." He exchanged an amused look with Frodo.

Gandalf led the two hobbits through Hobbiton during the sunrise. The sky was painted with colors of blue, orange, and pink. Violet outlined the early clouds. The grass, freshly cut by Mr. Samwise Gamgee, was being walked upon by three unlikely people and a horse. "Come along Samwise, keep up!" Sam jogged up to the rest of the company, his pots and pans strapped to his pack clattered.

Gandalf led them through the meadows, and the fields, and the small river to a forest, a small one at that. Sunlight danced through the trees. The ground was covered by some kind of ivy that even Sam did not know of.

"Be careful, both of you. The enemy has many spies in his service." He turned to Frodo. "Is it safe?" Said hobbit touch the pocket over his heart that held the Ring. He nodded.

"Never put it on, for the agent s of the Dark Lord with be drawn to its power. Always remember Frodo, the Ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found." He arose and put a hand on each hobbit.

"This is where I leave you. Good luck, my dear hobbits." Gandalf jumped onto his horse and rode back in the Shire's direction.

Sam furrowed his brow. "I thought we'd get the horse."