"What are we supposed to do, Gandalf!" It had taken Noelle quite a long time to digest this new information. "For starters, I'm not sure why you didn't tell me all this sooner, and you said you wanted my help! I'm telling you right now: I can NOT touch that Ring."
"No, you cannot," Gandalf agreed quietly. "The Ring corrupts. Should someone as powerful as me, or even you wield it... you would become a terrible power to be feared."
"That's not a good thing," Noelle concluded.
"No it's not."
Noelle looked at the ground. "Well, what do you need me to do?"
"I need you to accompany Frodo. Protect him and the Ring with your life."
For a moment, Noelle hesitated to answer him. Protect them with my life? What exactly are we up against? But she just nodded. "I will. Just outta curiosity, are youplanning on coming with us?"
"No, not yet. I must go to the head of my Order, Saruman, for counsel on what to do with the Ring. Then I will catch up with you. The Ring cannot stay in the Shire, Noelle. They are coming here."
Noelle took a deep breath. "I'll do everything I can."
She decided to help Frodo pack clothes and food. Literally the only belongings she owned were her own clothes and her sword. She decided to change back into her Mandalorian clothes with pants. Literally everything Bilbo had had made for her were dresses, and she wasn't wearing those. If she was going on another adventure, she wanted to be somewhat comfortable.
When she came back into the living room wearing her old clothes, Gandalf was helping Frodo pack.
"Where do we go?" Frodo was asking Gandalf.
"Get out of the Shire. Make for the village of Bree."
"Where's that?" Noelle asked. "I don't remember ever seeing Bree on maps."
"It's right outside the Old Forest, off the East-West road," Gandalf answered. "I'll be waiting for you at the Inn of the Prancing Pony."
"And the Ring'll be safe there?" Frodo asked.
"I don't know, Frodo. I don't have any answers," Gandalf replied quietly. "I must see the head of my Order. He is both wise and powerful- trust me, Frodo. He'll know what to do. You'll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you. That name is not safe outside the Shire. Travel only by day, and stay off the road."
Noelle nodded. "Shouldn't be a problem. We can cut across country," she suggested.
"Good," said Gandalf. "Besides, Frodo. You'll have Noelle with you. She'll keep you safe." Gandalf winked at her.
Noelle felt her stomach turn for a second, because Gandalf also gave her another look that said: Don't fail me.
Suddenly they heard a rustle from outside the window near Bilbo's study.
"Get down," Gandalf said to Frodo.
Noelle put her hand on her sword by her hip. Gandalf pointed his staff at the window and slowly inched over to it. Noelle could see something moving in the bushes. Maybe it was just a cat? Then Gandalf shoved the tip of his staff into the bush, which was followed by a loud cry of pain.
Frodo stood up as Gandalf reached into the bushes, pulled out a hobbit, and slammed him onto Bilbo's desk.
"CONFOUND IT, OLD SAMWISE GAMGEE!!! Have you been eavesdropping!?" he screamed at the terrified hobbit.
"Gandalf! Calm down!" Noelle went over to Gandalf's side.
"I haven't been dropping no eaves, Sir. Honest!" Sam explained hurriedly. "I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you follow me."
Gandalf was still focused on Sam rather than Noelle. "A little late for trimming the verge, don't you think? What did you hear!? Speak!"
"N-Nothin' important!" Sam stammered. "That is, I heard a good deal about a ring, and a Dark Lord, and something about the end of the world, but please Mr. Gandalf, sir, don't hurt me. Don't turn me into anything... unnatural."
"Don't worry, Sam. He''l have to deal with me before he hurts you," Noelle said with a smirk, glancing at an amused Gandalf.
"No? Perhaps not. I've thought of a better use for you," Gandalf said with a smile. "Frodo, tell Sam to begin packing."
"I can help," Noelle offered. "I'm not really busy."
Noelle followed Sam back to his hobbit-hole, which was, in fact, the first time she had been in another one besides Bag-end. It was cozy and comfortable like Bag-end, but the Bagginses clearly had more money than the Gamgee's. Nobody else was home. As Noelle stood in the livingroom taking in her surroundings, she saw Sam staring at her.
"What's wrong?" she asked awkwardly as Sam's face turned red.
"Begging your pardon, Miss Noelle, but are you wearing that to travel?" he asked.
"Yeah..."
"It's slightly..." Sam paused. "Revealing is the word I would use."
Now it was Noelle's turn to be embarrassed. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.
Sam must have seen the confusion on her face. "It's improper here for folks to expose shoulders," he explained. "Don't you have one of the dresses Mr. Bilbo made for you?"
"Yes, but I'm not really comfortable in them," Noelle said quietly, not looking at Sam. She felt so stupid. She should have knownMiddle-earth had different standards than other worlds. She had just forgotten. "I have a cloak to put over it," she said, remembering that she had left Ahsoka's grey cloak draped over the tiny couch in Bag-end.
Sam nodded. "Aye. That's a good idea," he agreed.
__________________________
Gandalf had the three of them up early at the crack of dawn. He was clearly in a hurry as he dragged his horse by the reins and shouted at them. "Come along Samwise! Keep up!"
Although Noelle was literally walking with her eyes closed from lack of sleep, she kind of felt bad for Sam, whose bag was really heavy. He had taken along like a dozen pots, pans, and other cooking materials. She had raised her eyebrows at him while they were packing last night, wonderingwhythey were going to need all this. From her point of view, cooking materials were a waste of space. When traveling in the Clone Wars, they hadn't had time for cooking anyway. But Noelle hadn't questioned Sam.
Whatever, she had thought to herself, shaking her head.
At a certain point, Noelle realized they were again standing in a clearing in the woods- it looked similar to the place she and Gandalf had been in when she arrived. Gandalf finally stopped his speed-walking and turned around to face them.
"Be careful. The Enemy has many spies in his service. Birds, Beasts..." He knelt down to eye level with Frodo. "Is it safe?"
Frodo touched the pouch in his shirt where the Ring was hidden.
"Never put it on, for the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power. Remember Frodo, the Ring is trying to get back to its Master. It wantsto be found."
Gandalf stood up and turned to Noelle. "Are you alright?"
Noelle nodded. "I think I can do this." Honestly she was scared about what would happen if shecouldn'tdo this. All of her time with the Jedi couldn't have been for nothing.
"Good, because I'm relying on you to get the Ring to Bree, Noelle. I trust you. You have enough experience to handle this." He climbed onto his horse. "I will see the three of you there- try and make it in one piece." Then he was off.
Noelle noticed the worry in Frodo's eyes. "Don't worry. He'll come back," she assured him. "He always does."
The woods that Gandalf had left them in went uphill. When they reached the top, they could faintly see the hobbit-holes of Hobbiton far off.
Frodo sighed. "I wonder if I shall ever see Hobbiton again," he said quietly.
Noelle didn't have an answer for him, because she had wondered the same thing when she had left home. Would she ever see this place again? Right now, Noelle didn't really feel like dwelling on the past. She didn't see an end in sight for her and hoped something would come along. Someone would have an answer for her. She had meant to ask Gandalf, but with the whole affair with the Ring, she hadn't exactly had time.
It definitely felt strange and also relieving to be back in Middle-earth, because Middle-earth was familiar. It wasn't home though. Noelle was still trying to figure out where the best place to be was.
Maybe somewhere I actually fit in would be the best,she thought, as she trudged behind Frodo and Sam.
Suddenly, she heard a whispering coming from Frodo's pocket.
Oh boy.
Noelle stopped for a moment, and pretended to fix her boots so Frodo and Sam could get ahead. The Ring was calling to her. It was trying to use her for Its own gain. She knew it, and was trying her hardest to ignore it. She didn't really know what powers it had besides invisibility (which actually sounded kind of cool to her), but it wasn't like she needed that power. She had the Force.
Well, the Ring was definitely connected to the Force, as all things were. The Dark Side flowed from it, and Noelle was sure that someone like Darth Maul or Count Dooku would have taken an interest in it.
The forest went on for quite a long time, and around six or seven o' clock, Frodo decided they could stop for camp. Sam took out some of the food he had packed, which was some chicken strips and sausage.
"You any kind of a cook, Miss Noelle?" he asked her.
"Actually, I'm not," she answered. "I don't mind learning though."
Sam explained how to season and dress the meats, how to cut them, how long to cook them and so forth. Noelle kind of got the basics, but Sam seemed to be in a hurry.
Must be hungry,Noelle figured. She gave up trying to watch him. Sam had pulled out his pipe while he was cooking and Frodo had too. He was laying quietly in a short tree above them, resting his eyes.
"Noelle! Sam!" he whispered suddenly, sitting up.
"What's wrong?" Noelle asked, not sure why he was whispering.
"Do you hear that?"
"It sounds like singing," Sam said.
Noelle didhear it. Ethereal voices chanted in Elvish. It reminded Noelle of the sound her kyber crystal had made when she found it on Ilum. She felt a pang of sadness at the memory, kind of like the Elves' song.
"Hurry if you want to see them!" Frodo scurried down the tree and Sam and Noelle hurried after him. Crouching down, they raced through the shrubbery. Frodo stopped and knelt down behind a fallen log. In the distance, they could see the parade of glowing white Elves journeying through the forest, chanting a hymn. Noelle had only seen Elves like that once in her life- in Rivendell. The Elves of Mirkwood were nothing like this. Well, except maybe Legolas. Noelle wondered what hewas up to after all these years.
"Where are they goin'?" Sam asked.
"They're going to the White Towers beyond the harbors, to the Grey Havens," Frodo answered.
"They're leaving Middle-earth?" Noelle asked.
"Never to return," Frodo confirmed.
"I don't know why... but it makes me sad," Sam said.