Raised by Hobbits

Chapter Twenty Nine~Strider

Ash is roughly pushed against the wall. The brooding stranger she was told to be Strider looms over her. "Your friends draws far too much attention to himself...Ms. Underhill." says Strider Ash kicks him in the shin and in that moment grabs her sword taking one arm and pushing him against the wall, the other holding her sword at his throat, he pulls down her hood revealing her fiery eyes.

"Damn. What do you want?" she ask "A little more caution from you...that is no trinket you all carry." says Strider.

"We carry nothing."

"Indeed? I can usually avoid being seen if I wish, but to disappear entirely...that is a rare gift." he clearly knew what the ring dose and knew the ring in general. "Who are you?" demands Ash "Are you frightened?" ask Strider.

"Of what a man in a hood I've seen scary things then that."

"Then clearly you haven't seen everything. I know          what hunts you."

Ash jumps at the sound of a noise in the corridor. Strider deftly draws his sword. The door bursts open and Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin appear on the doorway. Sam and Frodo are squaring off with there fists, Merry brandishes a candlestick, and Pippin a chair. "Let her go or I'll have you, Long shanks!" shouts Frodo.

Strider sheath his sword as well as Ash, a slight smile playing on his lips.n"You have a stout heart, little Hobbit, but that alone won't save you...You can          no longer wait for the Wizard, Ash. They're coming." says Strider
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Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin have been sleeping on Strider's bed. Ash sits in the windowsill next to Strider,peering out nervously as furious creatures screeches echo across the courtyard from the Hobbits room. "Where are they?" ask Ash "They were once men." Strider glances quickly at Ash, then looks away... "Great Kings of men. Then Sauron the          deceiver gave to them Nine Rings of Power. Blinded by their greed they took them without question, one by one falling into darkness and now they are slaves to his will."

Strider looks from the window as the creatures gallop down the Bree Streets. Strider turns back to her, his face lit faintly by the glowing embers of the fire. "They are the Nazgul, Ringwraiths, neither          living or dead. At all times they feel the presence of the ring...drawn to the power of the one..they will never stop hunting you."

"What do you know?" ask Ash "About what?" ask Strider.

"Me."

"......I know you can do things, I know your not human."

"Form of human nothing you need to worry about."

Strider smiles "What were they like?" he ask "What like?" ask Ash.

"The mountain?"

Ash pause having a couple flash backs "Full of beauty with hidden madness." she says.
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Strider, Ash, Merry, Pippin, and Frodo march through a gloomy, overgrown forest. Sam follows at the rear leading "Bill", a scrawny pony, who is laden with supplies. "Where are you taking us?" ask Frodo "Into the wild." says Strider Frodo watches uneasily as Strider moves off into the cover of the trees...                    "How do, we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf?" ask Merry "We have no choice but to trust him." says Ash.

"But where is he leading us?" ask Sam jumping in, Strider stops, casts a glance back at Sam. "To Rivendell, Master Gamgee...to the house of Elrond." Ash stops "Rivendell." she says to herself a smile on her face. Sam looks excited. "Did you hear that, Bill? Rivendell! We're going to see the Elves!"

Strider leads the Hobbits through the gloom of the forest and across the wind swept moors. The hobbits suddenly stop and unstrap their knapsacks.                     "Gentlemen, we do not stop until nightfall." says Strider "Ya why did you guys stop?" ask Ash. "What about breakfast?" ask Pippin "We've already had it." says Strider.