A Light from the Shadows

I had decided to wait for them here. I knew that the group were heading this way, and as I direct result I knew that he would be here soon as well. It wasn’t exactly like the inn at Bree was a bad place to wait; there was a fire crackling merrily in the grate, throwing sparks and ash out onto the hearth in front of it. It was also loud and full of people which meant that it was a perfect place to blend in. I leaned forward to pick up the tanker off the scrubbed wooden table in front of me and took a sip of my beer. The table was covered in the wax stains of old candles and other grubby substances. The innkeeper did his best to keep the place, but it had been standing for so long it had probably had a hundred innkeepers before this one.

The door opened and the foul weather from outside blew along with four small cloaked bodies dressed in dark greens and browns. They were barefoot which could only mean that they were hobbits. I watched them over the brim of my drink as they spoke with Barliman Butterbur, the innkeeper, presumably about procuring some rooms for the night. They disappeared moments later in the direction that Butterbur had indicated, assumedly to relieve themselves of their travel cloaks and other belongings that they might have.

I sat quietly, having put my drink back on the table, and reclined back against the threadbare settle I was on. The wall was hard behind my back with a window just to my right. I didn’t need to see out of it to know that it was lashing down with rain and howling a gale fit to tear the roof off. I hadn’t been expecting four. The scribbled note from Gandalf that had come flying north to Halbarad had said two. I wondered who the other two were. I slunk back further into the shadows as another entered the taproom from up the stairs. Not that it would do me much good, if he wanted to see me, he would. I couldn’t help but stare at him as he ordered a drink from the bar. He was tall, like I remembered, with snakes of brown hair curling out past his hood that he still had pulled up over his forehead. He hadn’t forgone his travelling cloak when he came downstairs and it was covered in weather stains, much like mine. I knew once he turned he would see me; those quick grey eyes missed nothing, despite the hood or the calm look.

Sure enough, once he had got and paid for his drink, he turned and made a beeline for the table I was sitting at. Clearly he had seen me on his way down the stairs. The locals made way for him as he moved across the flagstone floor, some throwing him dirty looks or whispering behind their hands.

‘Nara’ he said as he sat down on the bench near me, ‘What brings you here?’

‘The same reason as you I suspect, Strider’ I said quietly, putting a stress on the name I used, so he would understand why I was using it, ‘The wizard wrote to us a few months past saying to meet with him here. He said little about why other than that he gravely needed our help in a matter of utmost importance’

Strider said nothing, other than a small curling of his lip, ‘And Halbarad sent you?’

‘He did, apart from the fact that I asked’ I said, ‘He couldn’t be spared from the northern country, and most of our other kin are flung to the four corners in other tasks at the moment. I am quite sure I am capable of whatever needs to be done’

‘I am sure of it,’ said Strider, ‘I was just wondering why Halbarad did not come himself’

‘Trouble at the Forodwaith border’ I said with a slight shrug of my shoulder, ‘As ever. I was willing and more than able so I decided to come’

Strider merely nodded, before getting his pipe out of his pocket and crushing something into the bowl. He lit it and sat back against the wooden benching behind him. He was sat facing the taproom whilst I had my side to it. I could see out of the corner of my eye that we were still getting lots of odd looks from the inhabitants of the room. Seeing one ranger was odd enough, but seeing two and seeing them together was almost a once in a lifetime occurrence. We were a solitary folk as a general rule and the only reason that I could speak for Halbarad was that he was my brother, and as such saw each other slightly more often than we would normally have done.

The hobbits had re-entered the room and were currently seating themselves at a table near the back of the room. I could see Strider taking them in.

‘I wasn’t expecting four’ I said barely moving my lips but I know he’d heard me.

‘They joined the initially two on the road, I think something pushed them together’ he replied equally softly. Unless there was an elf in this room, or another ranger, then nobody would even know we were having a conversation. I could see the deep thought in Strider’s eyes.

‘Is it true then?’ I asked, ‘Are the nine abroad?’

Strider nodded imperceptibly, ‘I have not seen them yet, but I heard them only last night. How long have you been here?’

‘Only since yesterday e’en’ I said, ‘They were not near Bree then, because I did not feel them’

‘No,’ he agreed, ‘Otherwise you wouldn’t have asked me’

I didn’t say anything but looked over at the four small characters in the room, wondering how they evaded them. I was not scared of many things, but the nine still drove a shiver down my spine. Not in fear exactly, but in a mixture of revulsion and inescapable natural instinct.

‘They will be here before morning,’ said Strider, his voice not betraying a hint of emotion, ‘Where are your weapons?’

‘In a room upstairs,’ I said, ‘Although I doubt a fight is what you had in mind?’

‘Of course not, that would be a last resort.’ he said, ‘So you are not armed now?’

‘Of course I am,’ I said unable to hide a small smile, a ranger never went anywhere completely unarmed, ‘I just didn’t think it prudent to come down to the taproom armed to the teeth’

Strider nodded, clearly agreeing with me. He still had not taken his eyes off the group of four hobbits. Without turning to directly look at them I took in the group. There was the one who everyone’s energy seemed to implicitly be turned to, a little smaller than the other three with curly dark brown hair and the bluest eyes I had ever seen. The one sitting next to him seemed to be ready to spring at the slightest provocation. He was a little chubbier than his friends, but with an intensely kind face. He seemed concerned about something and there was a small crease of worry on his forehead. As I watched, one of the group got up and headed towards the bar, he was wearing a blue coat over his waistcoat, and seemed full of almost reckless energy.

The other people in the bar varied. There was a group of three dwarves in the corner grumbling away to themselves, but other than that it was populated by men, including several swarthy looking southerners. Several near the bar were taking intense interest in what was being said by the young hobbit in the blue coat. So apparently was the curly haired dark member of their party who leapt up with a cry on the younger man’s name.

Every nerve in my body hummed with energy as I watched the scene unfold in front of me. I could feel Strider’s body next to me was the same. I saw the curly haired man run towards his companion on the bar stool and tug at sleeve, but as he stepped backwards he tripped over the foot of one of the southerners, who leered as the hobbit fell backwards with a yell. As he fell I saw a flash of gold leave his palm and fly towards the ceiling. It seemed as if everyone’s eyes followed the little circle of gold as it reached the peak of it’s flight and begin to fall towards the outstretched hand of the fallen hobbit. It slipped onto his fingers of his outstretched left hand. And he vanished.

I instantly stood up as the bar burst out in uproar and I noticed that Strider had done the same. At one look from him I headed for the stairs, knowing that Strider would locate the vanished man and bring him up there. Before I could know the full extent to what was going on, I had to puzzle which room was Strider’s. I had some idea as to which one it would be. One on the front, so he could see what was going on in the street outside, also one with an outside wall, so he could make a quick exit if he needed to. I slipped inside the room I thought it might be and sure enough, thrown into the corner was a bundle tied up with several thongs of leather, a roughly hewn bow and a quiver of arrows. I noticed there was only three arrows left in the quiver; clearly he was running low and hadn’t been anywhere in civilisation recently.

There was a chair opposite the door and I sat in it, crossing one ankle across my knee, pushing my hood up so it almost came down to my eyes. I put my fingers to my chin and waited. I didn’t have to wait long as the door flew open as Strider pushed the curly haired hobbit into the room, now fully reappeared.

‘One should be more careful Mr. Underhill,’ he said, ‘That is no trinket you carry’

‘I carry nothing’ said the hobbit nervously, his hand involuntarily going to his pocket where the “nothing” was clearly stored.

Strider made a huff of disbelief before turning to snuff out the candle by the window.

‘Who are you?’ said the hobbit looking from Strider to me, sat as a statue watching him.

‘We are rangers’ he said and seeing the nonplussed look on the hobbits face he elaborated, ‘Of the wild. We can avoid being seen if we wish… but to disappear entirely? That is a rare gift’

The hobbit said nothing, casting a quick glance at me. The door burst open again and this time I was on my feet to meet the person who came through it, a short curved dagger in my hand. Instead of being met by those I feared the worst, in front of me stood three young hobbits, one with his fists bared, the others carrying various implements from the bar.

‘Let him go!’ yelled the one in front, ‘Or I’ll have you Longshanks!’

I couldn’t help but smirk as I sheathed my dagger in the hidden scabbard tied underneath my open jacket. Strider was mirroring my actions with his sword.

‘You have a stout heart, hobbit,’ I said and I saw the blond one check as he realised that underneath my newly drawn hood, I was a woman, ‘It will not save you.’

‘I know what’s out there’ said the blonde one stubbornly.

‘Do you?’ asked Strider coming towards him, ‘You may have seen them, but you do not know them’

‘Well, why don’t you tell us?’ asked the brown haired hobbit they had supposedly come to save.

‘Before anyone goes telling anyone anything, I want to know some names and some business!’ said the blond one, ‘What have you got to do with my master?’

‘Nothing,’ I said, ‘Other than the words of a old friend coming north asking for aid – Gandalf, I believe you know him?’

‘You know Gandalf?’ asked the brown haired hobbit, ‘Do you know where he is?’

‘Unfortunately I don’t’ I said to him, ‘He was supposed to meet us here’

‘This isn’t solving the problem of names’ said the blonde one huffily. I heard Strider chuckle at his boldness.

‘Alright,’ I said with a small smile, ‘I am Nara. And now I have told you mine, what is yours?’

‘Sam,’ he said shortly, ‘And this here’s Meriadoc and Peregrin’

‘Just Merry and Pippin will do’ said one of the hobbits who had been behind him, he was wearing a green coat, ‘I’m Merry, and this is Pippin’

I nodded in greeting, Pippin didn’t say anything. I got the impression that his indiscretions down in the taproom had scared him from opening his mouth too readily around big people. I turned to the brown haired hobbit, who was perching on the end of the big bed in the room.

‘I am Frodo’ he said simply, ‘And my friend here already told you my surname downstairs’

I heard Pippin murmur a little behind me.

‘It seems Mr. Baggins wanted to be rid of his name, as there are others that know it,’ said Strider, ‘You have not yet asked who I am’

‘Barliman told us,’ said Sam, ‘Everyone was looking at you so I asked’

‘Oh, and what did he say?’ asked Strider, with an amused flick of a smile at the edge of his lips.

‘Strider’ said Sam, flicking his gaze between the two of us. I couldn’t help but smirk, knowing that the men of Bree did not attach any good connotations to that name. If only they knew.

‘Well that name will do,’ said Strider, ‘You asked about –’

His speech was cut off by a faint shriek that made my blood run cold. They were nearby.

‘You better go and get your weapons,’ said Strider to me without moving, I nodded before he turned to the Hobbits, ‘What rooms were you in?’

Frodo said nothing but merely pointed out the window and little to the right. Hobbit rooms on the ground floor. I disappeared into the corridor as Strider began to speak to them. My room was along the corridor and to the left. I crept along it like a silent shadow and into the room. My recurved bow was behind the door. I picked it up and ran my fingers along the supple wood. I had used this weapon so often, and had practiced with a similar one for so many years before that, that when I held it the bow became a part of my body. I picked up the quiver of arrows that was next to it, noticeably fuller than Strider’s had been, took the small bundle that was on the bed, the cloak that was next to it and turned to leave. The room looked as if no one had ever been in there, despite the fact that I had already stayed there one night.

I stepped back down the corridor, my leather shoes making no noise on the wooden floor boards. I tapped twice on the door and re-entered. Nobody moved inside, clearly Strider knew it was me returning, a nazgul wouldn’t have knocked. In my absence Strider had clearly appraised the hobbits as to the situation. Merry and Pippin were sitting against the headboard with their faces pale. Sam was sat next to his master, his hands still clenched into fists. Clearly he wasn’t used to having an enemy he couldn’t fight. Or having an enemy at all for that matter.

I turned to the door, placed the chair I had been sitting on underneath the handle and turned back. Not that that would do much should anyone actually want to get in, but if it bought us half a second, it was half a second more in which to act. I sat nimbly on the floor opposite the door, whilst Strider had taken up a seat near the window.

‘Try and get some sleep,’ he said to the hobbits, ‘We will be on the move tomorrow and you should rest whilst you can’

‘Why should we trust you?’ Sam burst out.

‘Gandalf trusts me, and her,’ said Strider simply, ‘And that will have to be enough for you, for now’

‘Relax Sam’ said Frodo, ‘They are our best option at the moment’

I couldn’t help but smirk at his words and nodded in agreement before shrugging, ‘I haven’t killed you yet’

‘Comforting’ said Sam witheringly, looking at me, his eyes glancing up and down me. Clearly they weren’t used to women dressing like men in The Shire.

‘Try and sleep Sam’ said Frodo, ‘Like Strider said, we are not going to be here tomorrow, whoever we choose to leave with’

‘Well you too then master,’ said Sam, ‘I’ll stay awake whilst you get some rest’

Frodo nodded and shifted back up the bed until he was next to Merry. He didn’t lie down but sat back against the headboard and merely shut his eyes. Pippin had already drifted off and I could see Merry fighting sleep. Looking at Sam I could tell he was going to fight to keep his eyes open until he literally passed out. In the end he managed it nearly an hour, but the days events caught up with him, and he eventually drifted off, his head next to his masters shins.

I shifted slightly and lightly got up until I was standing next to Strider’s shoulder. I looked down into the dark street below. Everything was quiet, not even a street ran across the picture.

‘They’ll be here soon’ he said unnecessarily, not turning to look at me.

‘I know,’ I said, ‘I can feel the hoofbeats in the floorboards’

He nodded, ‘What do you know of why you’re here Nara?’

‘Little’ I said, ‘Other than Gandalf’s note, and the fact that the nine are abroad. I have made some guesses, but you can put me out of my misery.’

‘I do not know for sure’ he said, ‘But I guess that Frodo carries something very powerful and very dangerous’

‘A ring of power?’ I said, thinking of the flash of gold I had seen earlier tonight. Strider said nothing, but nodded slowly, his gaze never moving from the street.

‘So, without Gandalf, we are to make for Rivendell?’ I asked.

‘I think that is where Gandalf would have wanted us to end up,’ he said, ‘Elrond will be able to answer the unanswered questions. I believe we should go via weathertop first though, if the wizard is in this area he will make for there first’

‘Yes, probably’ I said thinking of the ruined stone watchtower, ‘We are going to leave before dawn tomorrow?’

‘At dawn,’ Strider correcting, ‘Whilst these creatures that are following them are not stopped by daylight, they have no love of it. To travel at night would be to give them the advantage’

‘I have never directly experienced them before’ I admitted, ‘I only know what my brother has told me’

‘Pray you never have to encounter them directly, if we are lucky our journey may go unnoticed’ he said gravely.

There was a loud crash from near at hand and the sound of galloping hooves. A chill fell over me once again and it seemed as if the stars had been snuffed from the night sky. I melted back into the darkness of the room and Strider seemed to be disappear into the window frame; his dark cloak making him camouflaged with the wood. The hobbits were sound asleep on the bed and all was still in the room, with only the very quiet, steady sound of Strider and I’s breathing as we watched. Watched and waited.