CHAPTER ONE - TRICKED
Frodo sat up. He could feel the eye on him. He doubted that sleep would find him again this night, so he got dressed and walked to the window. Suddenly, as quickly as the feeling had come, it disappeared. Frodo let out the breath he'd been holding in, feeling a small amount of colour return to his face.
He could hear something.something just out of his hearing range. It sounded like a hobbit in pain. Panicking, Frodo stole a quick glance back at Sam's sleeping form.
"Put the rabbits in the stew. There, now." Sam muttered in his sleep. Frodo smirked and climbed out of the window quietly so not to wake Sam and dropped into a tree.
Once on the forest floor, he crept as silently as only hobbits can, always listening for the sound. What if Bilbo had wandered too far and couldn't get back? What if he needed his help? His instincts told him to go back, to go and find Strider, but at that instant, the sound intensified. Frodo turned left slightly and started to run.
He ran blindly through the trees, no longer caring how much noise he made. He felt his chain snag on some foliage, but he was certain the ring would not want to lose itself in some endless elvin forest. He ran on regardless and found himself suddenly on the edge of the Bruinen, and however strange it seemed to the small hobbit that he'd ran so far, he did not stop. He paused and looked back at the grand halls of Rivendell, thinking of the sleeping forms of Sam and the others. This would only take a minute, he told himself. There was no cause for alarm.
Taking a deep breath, he plunged into the ice cold river and on the other side of the valley, Lord Elrond stirred in his slumber.
The water swirled around his feet, seemingly alive. He remembered what happened last time he'd crossed this river. He let his thoughts drift back; he'd been stabbed by one of the Ringwraiths at Weathertop, but had been rescued by Strider. Nearer to the Rivendell valley, Frodo, Aragorn, his cousions Merry and Pippin and gardener and friend Samwise had been met by Glorfindel, a mighty Elf-Lord. Glorfindel had lent Frodo his horse to speed his escape from the Nazgul and Frodo had ended up in a daring confrontation with them on this spot.
He would not think on this now, he decided. Pressing on, he reached the far bank and paused, listening for the sound. As if in answer, he heard the sound, closer now, over to his right. Frodo turned towards it and started running.
He reached a small clearing, surrounded by dense foliage. In the centre, a fallen figure was led upon the ground, his form covered by a black cape.
"Bilbo?" Frodo whispered to the figure. He was beginning to feel unnerved by this whole experience. It suddenly seemed very dark in this clearing, the trees seemed to lean in towards him, making him claustrophobic and jump at every sound.
"Bilbo, is that you?" He repeated, really praying now that the figure would roll over to present his beloved Bilbo's face and smile at him, asking him what he was doing at here so late.
The figure turned over, but it was not Bilbo. Frodo's scream reverberated through out the entire Rivendell valley.
*** At the sound of the scream, Lord Elrond sat bolt upright in bed. Times were troubled indeed if trouble itself would dare to appear on the doorstep of Rivendell. He slipped into the corridor to find several other elves already prowling about, namely Glorfindel and Legolas.
"Have you checked the hobbits?"
"Not yet, Lord Elrond. What do you think that was?"
Elrond leaned forward slightly over the candle flame he'd brought from his room.
"I prefer not to think, but to know Glorfindel. And as for now, we must ensure that the hobbits are all accounted for, and the ring as well."
A shadow passed over Legolas's eyes as he heard the ring mentioned. He had not realised that it was here. Isildur's bane, here in Rivendell. Obviously that was the reason for tomorrow's council, but if the ring was lost, there would be no council. Legolas sprinted along to the hobbits rooms.
He creaked open the first door. There were two hobbits in there, sleeping silently side by side. He turned to leave, but knocked the candle against the wall slightly on his way out. A drop of wax hit the palm of his hand and he swore as only elves can. The smaller hobbit was instantly awake.
"What's going on? Where's Frodo and Sam? Merry, Merry!" He violently shook the other hobbit.
"Uhh?" Merry answered, still half asleep.
"I think Rivendell's being attacked."
"What Pippin?"
"There was an elf in here, Merry. An elf!"
"Yes, well this is the elves's home you know, Pip. Where is the elf now?"
"He's right over there.Well he was, Merry. Honestly."
The elf had gone.
*** Legolas breathed a sigh of relief. He opened the second door a crack. There was only one hobbit. Alarmed, he ran into the room and threw off the cover for the bed nearest the window. One of the hobbits was gone.
Running back into the corridor he yelled,
"Elrond, one of the hobbits is gone!!!"
Elrond turned, midway through opening Estel's door. He stared at Legolas.
"Which one?"
"The one that sleeps nearest the window."
Elrond's face fell just as Estel's door opened from within.
"Ada, what is it?"
"Frodo's missing." He responded.
Legolas could see the anguish in Aragorn's face. He'd heard the story of Aragorn bringing the hobbits to Rivendell from Bree, but he hadn't realised why. It was because one of the hobbits had had the ring. Because the one called Frodo had had the ring. Anguish recorded itself on his face also as he realised the true extent of the matter. Frodo was missing and so was the ring of power.
Frodo sat up. He could feel the eye on him. He doubted that sleep would find him again this night, so he got dressed and walked to the window. Suddenly, as quickly as the feeling had come, it disappeared. Frodo let out the breath he'd been holding in, feeling a small amount of colour return to his face.
He could hear something.something just out of his hearing range. It sounded like a hobbit in pain. Panicking, Frodo stole a quick glance back at Sam's sleeping form.
"Put the rabbits in the stew. There, now." Sam muttered in his sleep. Frodo smirked and climbed out of the window quietly so not to wake Sam and dropped into a tree.
Once on the forest floor, he crept as silently as only hobbits can, always listening for the sound. What if Bilbo had wandered too far and couldn't get back? What if he needed his help? His instincts told him to go back, to go and find Strider, but at that instant, the sound intensified. Frodo turned left slightly and started to run.
He ran blindly through the trees, no longer caring how much noise he made. He felt his chain snag on some foliage, but he was certain the ring would not want to lose itself in some endless elvin forest. He ran on regardless and found himself suddenly on the edge of the Bruinen, and however strange it seemed to the small hobbit that he'd ran so far, he did not stop. He paused and looked back at the grand halls of Rivendell, thinking of the sleeping forms of Sam and the others. This would only take a minute, he told himself. There was no cause for alarm.
Taking a deep breath, he plunged into the ice cold river and on the other side of the valley, Lord Elrond stirred in his slumber.
The water swirled around his feet, seemingly alive. He remembered what happened last time he'd crossed this river. He let his thoughts drift back; he'd been stabbed by one of the Ringwraiths at Weathertop, but had been rescued by Strider. Nearer to the Rivendell valley, Frodo, Aragorn, his cousions Merry and Pippin and gardener and friend Samwise had been met by Glorfindel, a mighty Elf-Lord. Glorfindel had lent Frodo his horse to speed his escape from the Nazgul and Frodo had ended up in a daring confrontation with them on this spot.
He would not think on this now, he decided. Pressing on, he reached the far bank and paused, listening for the sound. As if in answer, he heard the sound, closer now, over to his right. Frodo turned towards it and started running.
He reached a small clearing, surrounded by dense foliage. In the centre, a fallen figure was led upon the ground, his form covered by a black cape.
"Bilbo?" Frodo whispered to the figure. He was beginning to feel unnerved by this whole experience. It suddenly seemed very dark in this clearing, the trees seemed to lean in towards him, making him claustrophobic and jump at every sound.
"Bilbo, is that you?" He repeated, really praying now that the figure would roll over to present his beloved Bilbo's face and smile at him, asking him what he was doing at here so late.
The figure turned over, but it was not Bilbo. Frodo's scream reverberated through out the entire Rivendell valley.
*** At the sound of the scream, Lord Elrond sat bolt upright in bed. Times were troubled indeed if trouble itself would dare to appear on the doorstep of Rivendell. He slipped into the corridor to find several other elves already prowling about, namely Glorfindel and Legolas.
"Have you checked the hobbits?"
"Not yet, Lord Elrond. What do you think that was?"
Elrond leaned forward slightly over the candle flame he'd brought from his room.
"I prefer not to think, but to know Glorfindel. And as for now, we must ensure that the hobbits are all accounted for, and the ring as well."
A shadow passed over Legolas's eyes as he heard the ring mentioned. He had not realised that it was here. Isildur's bane, here in Rivendell. Obviously that was the reason for tomorrow's council, but if the ring was lost, there would be no council. Legolas sprinted along to the hobbits rooms.
He creaked open the first door. There were two hobbits in there, sleeping silently side by side. He turned to leave, but knocked the candle against the wall slightly on his way out. A drop of wax hit the palm of his hand and he swore as only elves can. The smaller hobbit was instantly awake.
"What's going on? Where's Frodo and Sam? Merry, Merry!" He violently shook the other hobbit.
"Uhh?" Merry answered, still half asleep.
"I think Rivendell's being attacked."
"What Pippin?"
"There was an elf in here, Merry. An elf!"
"Yes, well this is the elves's home you know, Pip. Where is the elf now?"
"He's right over there.Well he was, Merry. Honestly."
The elf had gone.
*** Legolas breathed a sigh of relief. He opened the second door a crack. There was only one hobbit. Alarmed, he ran into the room and threw off the cover for the bed nearest the window. One of the hobbits was gone.
Running back into the corridor he yelled,
"Elrond, one of the hobbits is gone!!!"
Elrond turned, midway through opening Estel's door. He stared at Legolas.
"Which one?"
"The one that sleeps nearest the window."
Elrond's face fell just as Estel's door opened from within.
"Ada, what is it?"
"Frodo's missing." He responded.
Legolas could see the anguish in Aragorn's face. He'd heard the story of Aragorn bringing the hobbits to Rivendell from Bree, but he hadn't realised why. It was because one of the hobbits had had the ring. Because the one called Frodo had had the ring. Anguish recorded itself on his face also as he realised the true extent of the matter. Frodo was missing and so was the ring of power.