Sequel: A Burden ›
A Mistake
Sacrifice
“Hey! Mushrooms!” Merry announced after the laughing died down, and the cousins and Sam fought their way to the food.
Raina just laughed at their boyish behavior, but stopped once she noticed Frodo looking into the distance.
“Frodo… What is it?” she asked, standing to look at him straight.
“I think we should get off the road.”
“What? Why?” Raina asked, walking forward to Frodo, although he seemed to be somewhere else.
“Oi! Get off the road!” Raina called to the engrossed Hobbits as she took Frodo’s hand to lead him with them.
The Hobbits glanced up when Frodo spun around. “Get off the road! Quick!”
The group hurried over to a small ditch on the side of the road. Raina could feel Frodo’s nervousness grow and she began to panic as well. What was coming? Could she speak, or was it too dangerous? Instead, she drew her legs up to her chest and tried once more to escape into the dirt of the ditch.
There was heavy galloping in the distance, which reached them too soon. Whatever was riding it was breathing heavily, although it did not sound human. I landed from the horse with a thud, and Raina closed her eyes, trying to pretend that it was just another game of hide and seek or pretend, and this person standing over her was just another Hobbit child that couldn’t do any harm to anyone.
Her eyes flew open as Raina felt a movement beside her. Frodo had his eyes closed as well, but seemed to be fighting with himself at the same time, trying to put the Ring on while trying to resist.
Raina snatched his hand away and curled the Ring in his fingers, trying not to draw too much attention to them.
Merry looked over with wide eyes, and in a rush, threw a sack of vegetables into the distance, causing the creature above them to move away from them and into that direction.
Raina made a break for it, only pausing to make sure that Frodo was with her, and ran until she could barely breathe.
“What was that?” Pippin asked has he, Merry, and Sam caught up.
Raina shrugged. “We must get to Bree. What is the fastest way?”
“Brandywine Bridge. This way.”
And again, they were running for what could have been hours. Raina kept pushing herself further, using the memory of her fear to fuel her energy to keep going.
But all too soon, the sound of hooves beating the earth under them started creeping up to them.
“They’re coming back!” the girl panted; trying to go just a little faster, just give them a little more time.
“How do… you know?” Pippin asked, trying to meet her new speed.
“I can hear-” Raina caught herself before she said too much. But at that moment, the first Rider came thundering into view. Raina cried out a little, dragging the nearest Hobbit to the raft. It was so close, they were all going to make it.
She jumped with three other figures to the raft. Only three.
“Frodo!” Raina screamed as the Hobbits started untying the raft. “We can’t go without him!”
Frodo came into view, only a few steps in front of the closest Rider. He wasn’t going to make it.
Raina threw herself off the raft and landed on the dock, straightening up.
“I have it!” she cried to the approaching Rider, surprising even herself. “It’s right here!”
The Rider drew back his outstretched arm from Frodo, who flew past her and jumped onto the raft, trying to pull her with him.
But the Rider had a grasp on her tattered dress now, and she was pulled in two different directions. With a small scream, she landed back on the earth next to the Rider’s horse. The four Hobbits would soon be too far away for her to be able to jump.
Thinking quickly, Raina fumbled for the small knife she had in her boot, and before the Rider notices she jabbed it into the black horse. He reared back, and the Rider had to let of Raina to hold onto the horse. With a gasping breath, Raina threw herself as far as she could into the water, and Merry and Pippin were there to catch her.
Raina just laughed at their boyish behavior, but stopped once she noticed Frodo looking into the distance.
“Frodo… What is it?” she asked, standing to look at him straight.
“I think we should get off the road.”
“What? Why?” Raina asked, walking forward to Frodo, although he seemed to be somewhere else.
“Oi! Get off the road!” Raina called to the engrossed Hobbits as she took Frodo’s hand to lead him with them.
The Hobbits glanced up when Frodo spun around. “Get off the road! Quick!”
The group hurried over to a small ditch on the side of the road. Raina could feel Frodo’s nervousness grow and she began to panic as well. What was coming? Could she speak, or was it too dangerous? Instead, she drew her legs up to her chest and tried once more to escape into the dirt of the ditch.
There was heavy galloping in the distance, which reached them too soon. Whatever was riding it was breathing heavily, although it did not sound human. I landed from the horse with a thud, and Raina closed her eyes, trying to pretend that it was just another game of hide and seek or pretend, and this person standing over her was just another Hobbit child that couldn’t do any harm to anyone.
Her eyes flew open as Raina felt a movement beside her. Frodo had his eyes closed as well, but seemed to be fighting with himself at the same time, trying to put the Ring on while trying to resist.
Raina snatched his hand away and curled the Ring in his fingers, trying not to draw too much attention to them.
Merry looked over with wide eyes, and in a rush, threw a sack of vegetables into the distance, causing the creature above them to move away from them and into that direction.
Raina made a break for it, only pausing to make sure that Frodo was with her, and ran until she could barely breathe.
“What was that?” Pippin asked has he, Merry, and Sam caught up.
Raina shrugged. “We must get to Bree. What is the fastest way?”
“Brandywine Bridge. This way.”
And again, they were running for what could have been hours. Raina kept pushing herself further, using the memory of her fear to fuel her energy to keep going.
But all too soon, the sound of hooves beating the earth under them started creeping up to them.
“They’re coming back!” the girl panted; trying to go just a little faster, just give them a little more time.
“How do… you know?” Pippin asked, trying to meet her new speed.
“I can hear-” Raina caught herself before she said too much. But at that moment, the first Rider came thundering into view. Raina cried out a little, dragging the nearest Hobbit to the raft. It was so close, they were all going to make it.
She jumped with three other figures to the raft. Only three.
“Frodo!” Raina screamed as the Hobbits started untying the raft. “We can’t go without him!”
Frodo came into view, only a few steps in front of the closest Rider. He wasn’t going to make it.
Raina threw herself off the raft and landed on the dock, straightening up.
“I have it!” she cried to the approaching Rider, surprising even herself. “It’s right here!”
The Rider drew back his outstretched arm from Frodo, who flew past her and jumped onto the raft, trying to pull her with him.
But the Rider had a grasp on her tattered dress now, and she was pulled in two different directions. With a small scream, she landed back on the earth next to the Rider’s horse. The four Hobbits would soon be too far away for her to be able to jump.
Thinking quickly, Raina fumbled for the small knife she had in her boot, and before the Rider notices she jabbed it into the black horse. He reared back, and the Rider had to let of Raina to hold onto the horse. With a gasping breath, Raina threw herself as far as she could into the water, and Merry and Pippin were there to catch her.