Not All Legends Are True

One night, Frodo, Sam, and I were returning from a few drinks from the local pub. We laughed and had a good time as we walked. When Frodo and I reached Bag End we said our good bye to Sam and went inside. I had only planed on staying to grab one of Bilbo’s books that I had been looking for and Frodo had just recently found.
It was dark as we entered the little hobbit whole. But it wasn’t a normal dark. There was something lurking within the house. I pushed Frodo behind me and stepped inside. I crept into the house and started down the hallway behind me I heard Frodo get grabbed. I quickly turned and pulled out my dagger.
I was just about to throw it when I heard a familiar voice, “Don’t you dare through that dagger at me, Ireth Elensar.” I sighed realizing it was Gandalf. “Is it secret? Is it safe?” He asked Frodo.
Frodo lit a few candles and opened a trunk in the living room. He dug through the trunk and pulled out the envelope. Gandalf took it from him and threw it into the fire.
“What are you doing?” Asked Frodo but Gandalf didn’t answer.
We watched as the envelope burned away and all was left was the ring. Gandalf then pulled out the ring by the tongs and held it out to Frodo. “Hold out your hand, Frodo. It’s quite cool.”
Frodo held out his hand and Gandalf dropped the ring into his hand. He flinched but it seemed to be from shock that the ring was not hot.
“What can you see?” Gandalf stood up. “Can you see anything?”
Frodo spun the ring in his fingers, “Nothing. There’s nothing.” Gandalf sighed with relief. “Wait.” Frodo spoke. “There are markings. It’s some form of Elvish. I can’t read it.”
Gandalf sighed. “There are few who can. The language is that of Mordor, “which I will not utter here.”
“Mordor!” I gasped.
“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 spoke as he walked into the kitchen. Frodo set the ring on the table and began to make tea. I sat down next to Gandalf, staring at the ring. “This is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom. Taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself.”
“Bilbo found it. In Gollum’s cave,” murmured Frodo.
“Yes. For sixty 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.”
“But he was destroyed.” I whispered.
Frodo nodded, “Sauron was destroyed.”
“No. 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 at Barad-dur is rebuilt in the land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this Ring to cover all the lands in a second darkness. He is seeking it. Seeking it. Al 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. He must never find it.”
Frodo grabbed the ring, “All right. We put it away,” he said walking into the living room. “We keep it hidden. We never speak of it again. No one knows it’s here, do they?”
Gandalf was quiet. I looked at him. “Do they, Gandalf?”
“There is one other who knew that Bilbo had the Ring. I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum. But 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: Shire, Baggins.”
“Shire. Baggins. But that would lead them here! Take it, Gandalf! Take it!” Begged Frodo.
“No, Frodo.”
“You must take it!”
“You cannot offer me this ring!”
“I’m giving it to you!”
“Don’t tempt me, Frodo! I dare not take it. Not even to keep it safe. Understand, Frodo, I would use this Ring from a desire to do good. But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.”
“But it cannot stay in the Shire!” I cried.
“No,” Gandalf shook his head. “No, it can’t.”
“What must I do?” Asked Frodo.
“You must leave. And leave quickly,” Gandalf said as they began to pack a bag for Frodo.
“Hey! Wait a minute. I’m going to!” I said looking at the two of them.
“Ireth, I don’t think…” Began Gandalf.
I shook my head. “I’m going too.”
Gandalf sighed and then nodded his head, “I guess it would be useful for you to accompany Frodo as a protector.”
I smiled and ran to one of the rooms of the hobbit’s home. In there I found a few of my clothes that I had kept here in case of an emergency or if I was too drunk to walk home. I put them in my own bag, grabbed my sword and bow and arrows and returned to Frodo’s room.
“Where do we go?” I asked as the continued to pack.
“Get out of the Shire. Make for the Village of Bree.”
“Bree,” Frodo whispered. “What about you?” He asked walking out of the room and into the kitchen.
“I’ll be waiting for you two, at the Inn of the Prancing Pony.”
“And the Ring will be safe there?” I asked pulling my black, wool cloak on over my black velvet and purple silk dress.
“I don’t know. I don’t have any answers. I must see the head of my order. He is both wise and powerful. Trust me. He’ll know what to do. You’ll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you, Frodo. That name is not safe outside of the Shire. Travel only by day. And stay off the road.”
While Gandalf spoke Frodo loaded his bag with food and got on his coat and grabbed his walking stick. “We can cut across country easily enough.” He said.
Gandalf chuckled. “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 surprise you.”
Then something moved below the open window. I quickly drew my bow as Gandalf commanded Frodo to get down. Gandalf and I neared towards the window together. Then Gandalf stuck his staff out the window and bonked someone on the head. He then grabbed them by the collar of their shirt and pulled them inside. I smiled when I realized it was Sam and I lowered my bow.
“Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee! Have you been eavesdropping?” Shouted Gandalf.
Sam shook his head. “I haven’t been dropping no eaves, Sir. Honest. I was just cutting the grass under the window there if you follow me.”
“A little late for trimming the verge, don’t you think?”
“I heard raised voices.”
“What did you hear? Speak!”
Sam was scared out of his wits, “Nothing important. That is, I heard a good deal about a ring, a dark lord and something about then end of the world but… Please, Mr. Gandalf, sir, don’t hurt me. Don’t turn me into anything…unnatural.”
“No? Perhaps not. I’ve thought of a better use for you.” He smiled.
I smiled and looked over to Frodo who was smiling too.
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It was early morning, the sun had just begun to rise and Frodo, Gandalf, Sam, and I were walking out into one of the forest of the Shire.
“Come along, Samwise. Keep up.” Gandalf turned to us. “Be careful, all three of you. The enemy has many spies in his service: birds, beasts.” Gandalf looked at Frodo. “Is it safe?” Frodo nodded. “Never put it on for the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power. Always remember, Frodo, the Ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found.”
Gandalf then climbed up onto his horse and rode away. I sighed and waited for the two Hobbits to lead the way. I walked closely behind them, listening and scanning the horizon as we walked.
No one spoke but as the end of the day neared Sam stopped.
“This is it,” he said sadly.
“This is what?” I asked.
“If I take one more step it’ll be the farthest away from home I’ve ever been.”
Frodo placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder, “Come on, Sam. Remember what Bilbo used to say: ‘It’s a dangerous business, Frodo. Going out your door. You step onto the road and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.’”
I smiled following the boys as we continued our journey towards Bree.
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Near the end of the next day we traveled through Farmer Maggots corn field and I lost both Sam and Frodo in the rows of corn. I stopped and listened to the footsteps around me. Then I could hear Sam.
“Mr. Frodo? Miss Ireth?” he called. “Frodo? Frodo! Ireth!” I quickly followed his voice and found both him and Frodo. I sighed with relief. “I thought I’d lost you two,” said Sam.
“What are you talking about?” asked Frodo.
“It’s just something Gandalf said.”
I frowned, “What did he say?”
“‘Don’t you lose them, Samwise Gamgee.’ And I don’t mean to.”
I smiled, “Well…you can’t lose me at least. Just call and I can hear you. Both of you. If you get out of sight, call.”
They nodded. And then Frodo smiled, “We’re still in the Shire. What could possibly happen?”
Just then someone burst through a patch of corn and knocked over Sam and then another person, both Hobbits so I wasn’t too worried, burst through and knocked Frodo over. I laughed when I noticed the two cousins, Merry and Pippin’s, similar hair.
“Frodo,” smiled Pippin. “Merry, it’s Frodo Baggins.”
“Hello, Frodo.” Merry smiled helping Sam up.
Sam then grabbed Pippin then pulled him off of Frodo, “Get off him. Come on, Frodo,” Sam said to Frodo as he helped him up.
I laughed, “No need to man handle them, Sam. It’s not like they did any harm.”
“What’s the meaning of this?” ask Pippin as he picked up some of the food off the ground.
“You’ve been into Farmer Maggots crop!” shouted Sam as Merry loaded him with carrots.
Then in the distance you could hear a dogs bark and Farmer Maggot yelling, “You get back here! Get out of my field!”
Pippin took off first, and Merry grabbed Frodo and pulled him along. Sam looked down at the carrots, dropped them and started running after them. I giggled and quickly dashed after the troublesome Hobbits.
“I don’t know why he’s so upset it’s only a couple of carrots,” said Merry.
“And some cabbages,” Pippin piped in. “And those three bags of potatoes that we lifted last week. And then the mushrooms the week before.”
“Yes, Pippin. My point is he’s clearly overreacting. Run!”
We reached the edge of the field that led down into a ditch. Pippin stopped before the cliff and Frodo and Merry stopped just behind them but Sam ran right into the three of them and they were then sent tumbling down the hill. I laughed and quickly but carefully fallowed the boys down the hill.
“Well that was close,” said Pippin as he looked up at a pile of dung.
“Ohh. I think I’ve broken somethin’,” groaned Merry as he pulled out a carrot from underneath him that was broken in half.
“Trust a Brandybuck and a Took!” growled Sam.
“What? That was just a detour. A shortcut,” Merry said brushing himself off.
“A shortcut to what?”
“Mushrooms!” Shouted Pippin.
Sam pushed both Merry and Pippin over to get to the mushrooms. I shook my head at the foolish Hobbits and watched Frodo closely as he stepped out onto the road.
“I think we should get off the road,” said Frodo. But none of the others answered. Then something screeched down the road a ways.
“Get off the road!” I shouted to the boys. Frodo ran off quickly, followed by Sam. I grabbed boy Pippin and Merry by their collars and pulled him with me.
We hid under an overhanging root of a tree that was sticking out of the earth. I listened as the hooves of a horse grew closer. “Be quiet,” I hissed. Then the hooves stopped and a hooded figure leaned over the edge of the root, sniffing.
I watched as Merry realized something was wrong and threw the bag of Mushrooms over the tree, away from us. The hooded figure left and we ran for it.
“What was that!” asked Merry once we’d stopped.
But no one answered. Darkness fell upon us quicker than I had liked. “We need to keep moving.”
“But Gandalf said to only travel by day,” said Sam.
“We need to keep going. Bree is near, I know it. We can’t stop now. They are too close for my liking,” I said as I began into the forest. The four little Hobbits chased after me.
“What are ‘they’?” asked Frodo.
“I don’t know but I don’t like the energy they give. We have to keep moving. I’ll carry you if I must but we cannot stay here. It is not safe.”
We ran from tree to tree, keeping watch for any of the hooded riders in the forest.
“What is going on?” Pippin asked, I could hear the exhaustion in his voice. I picked him up and placed him on my back.
“That Black Rider was looking for something. Or someone,” said Merry. “Frodo?”
In the distance I could see a rider standing on top of a hill. “Get down,” I hissed and we all dropped down.
As the rider left Frodo spoke, “I have to leave the Shire. Sam, Ireth, and I must get to Bree.”
“Right,” whispered Merry. “Bucklebury Ferry. Follow me.”
Merry took off and the five of us followed after him, me caring Pippin. We didn’t get very far when a rider came out of the woods and face to face with us. I quickly dropped Pippin and pulled out my bow. I notched an arrow and shot. “Run!” I screamed as the Rider was momentarily dazed. But Frodo got caught. “I’ve got him, just run,” I yelled at the three. “Get the Ferry ready!”
Frodo got around the rider as I shot another arrow that hit the horse’s hind leg. The horse reared up and I dashed after Frodo.
“Frodo!” Yelled Sam. “Ireth!”
“Don’t look back, Frodo!” I yelled at him. “Just keep running or you’ll never make the jump. I can. Run!”
“Run, Frodo!” yelled Pippin.
“Go!” Yelled Frodo.
“Hurry!” Pippin yelled back.
“Frodo! Ireth! Come on!” Yelled Sam.
“Run, Ireth,” yelled Pippin.
“Run!” Merry yelled.
“Jump!” yelled Pippin.
Frodo leaped and landed on Sam. I quickly jumped and landed steadily on the ferry I turned and went to shoot at the rider but he had stopped before the end of the dock. I held my bow up and watched as the rider turned and fled down the bank with two others with him.
“How far to the nearest crossing?” Asked Frodo.
“The Brandywine Bridge. Twenty miles,” replied Merry.
I lowered my bow. “We can make it to Bree before they cross if we’re fast.” I reached out and took the pole from Merry and started to push us down the river and hopefully to safety.