MORNING came faster than they thought it would. After a simple breakfast in the Inn, they gathered their belongings and went into the wild. They stayed off the road as Gandalf had advised and trudged through raw forest terrains filled with trees, bushes, and greenery. They walked confidently in the safety of the light of day. The serenity of nature calmed their souls. The gentle breeze whispered and whistled a slow song. The chatter of many creatures sung in nature. They walked through dirt and soil and rocks with Strider leading the way in front of them.
The Hobbits walked in the center and Lou walked at the back of the group to make sure no one gets left behind. Felina on the other hand walked in front with Strider still not trusting him. She read his mind every hour or so trying to find any malicious plan or hidden agenda but so far, he proved to be true. They trekked through thick blankets of trees and if it wouldn't have been for Strider, they would've surely been lost in a world they weren't familiar with yet.
Later, the Hobbits plopped to the ground. They made themselves comfortable sitting on the ground and were messing with their packs. Sam was about to start a fire to cook food while the other prepared the ingredients and utensils. Lou stopped in her tracks and so did Felina and Strider when they realized the ones behind them were no longer moving. Strider gave a stern disapproving glance.
"Gentlemen" he spoke gaining the attention of the Hobbits and making them abruptly stop what they were doing to look up at him with confused eyes. "We do not stop til nightfall"
"But what about breakfast?" Pippin asked the tone of his voice rising with his shock and confusion.
"But you've already had it" Strider said with just as much confusion, not being familiar with Hobbit customs and the number of meals they had to take each day, being a folk with a love for food. Pippin looked like he was inwardly rolling his eyes at what he could only see as the man's ignorance.
"We've had one yes. But what about second breakfast?" He said a bit irritated he couldn't have his meal.
Aragorn shot him one confused and queer look before shaking his head grunting and moving on along the forest path. The Hobbits mumble in disappointment and hesitantly pack up their things to get ready to move once more. It was clear they weren't that pleased with the disappointed looks on their faces. Lou gave the Hobbits a pat on their backs to comfort them. To Hobbits, skipping a meal is a great loss to be mourned for.
"I'm sorry fellows but I doubt he knows about second breakfast" Felina told them before waving a hand and urging them to come along.
"But what about elevensies? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them doesn't he?" Pippin asked exasperated and desperate.
"Wouldn't count on it Pip" Merry said patting his friend's shoulder. Pippin stood there frozen and gobsmacked. How could that man not know all the important meals in a day? Is what he thought in shock and confusion.
Lou saw the Hobbit frozen and pat his back to break him out of his trance. The Hobbit's head shot up to look at her as she gave him a comforting smile. "Sorry Pip but we humans only take less than half of the meals your people take daily. We only have breakfast, lunch, and dinner" she explained to him.
"But how does that even-"
He was cut off by red ripe apples thrown in their direction undoubtedly by Strider. Merry caught one in his hands and Lou caught one and passed it to Pippin. He looks to Lou and nods in thanks.
"That should do for now Master Took"
They continued along their way with not much conversation. They were silent all throughout and except for the Hobbits speaking to each other every now and then or asking questions like 'Are we there yet?' There were no words uttered. Soon they came across an old abandoned tower. It stood tall and looked stable enough despite of the few bricks falling apart and it looked ancient. The top of it was open space with no roof but seeing as the skies were clear and the twinkling stars could be seen with no sign of grey rain clouds, it shouldn't be a problem.
Aragorn had gone off to who knows where and Felina had also gone off making sure the area was clear and secure and set up a perimeter. Lou and the Hobbits were left on the Tower and they all plopped down after a long and tiring day of walking. They were weak and tired considering the Hobbits got less meals than they were accustomed to and Lou's feet hurt not really used to that much long distance walking. She was used to advance transportation back at her world.
Lou found a corner to rest herself in and settled down making her self comfortable and using her small pack as a pillow. She laid down on her side and said to them "I'm just going to take a small nap. Wake me up if anything happens" The Hobbits nodded in response and she went off to the dream world to have her rest. It was hard at first as the ground wasn't really that comfortable but soon her tire got the best of her and she succumbed to sleep.
Lou woke up to the sound of screaming and screeching hurting her ears. Frodo was in front of her shaking her awake with frantic and fearful eyes. "Miss Lou! Miss Lou! Wake up!" He shouted shaking her like crazy. Lou, noticing the urgency and panic in his voice was immediately wide awake and grabbed her sword standing up.
"What happened Frodo?" She asked.
"They're here. They've found us" he said trembling like a little leaf. She looked to the others seeing in the same fearful condition. Her adrenaline spiked up and she immediately instructed them.
"Draw your swords and get behind me! Now!"
The Hobbits didn't hesitate and did as she told them to. Just then the Ring Wraiths show up all clad in black coats and ancient queer looking helmets. The scent of evil reeked on them and they had their swords drawn. Beneath their cloaks they could see no face. It was only dark and hollow. It only made them creepier. There were too many surrounding them in a semicircle. Lou knew she couldn't fight them off herself. But that didn't stop her.
She charged at one directly in front of her clashing her sword with it. It then swings its sword at her attempting to give a laceration to her stomach but Lou quickly dodges it and attempts to land a strike which it also blocked. She tried punching and kicking at it but it seemed to queerly not have a physical form. She continues to strike it with her sword but her strikes continued to be blocked with every clash and clang of their swords. Then the Black Rider shoves her back with much force and they continue to trap her and the Hobbits who showed courage and defended themselves but most especially Frodo.
Lou knew she couldn't really do anything with her sword, or physically fight. She had to use her abilities. She shoved the Hobbits further behind her telling them to take cover. Without hesitance they followed her instruction. She faced the Wraiths down with a glare.
"Give us the ring and no harm will come to you" one hissed out trying to coax her. It stretched out its hollow hand covered in silver armor that gleamed no more.
Lou spat at him. "As if" she hissed back. She threw her sword down and outstretched her arms to the Wraiths direction, stood tall, proud and unafraid. The Hobbits behind her looked on in horror and stood up to try and help her.
"Miss Lou don't!" Frodo said standing up and attempting to get to her side and help her.
"Frodo get back!" She sternly ordered gently shoving him back to the rest of the Hobbits who also stood trembling. The Wraiths were now closing in on them. They were surrounded with no way out. Lou waited until they inched closer. And closer. As close as possible. When they were in the close proximity she wished she snapped her fingers.
The dead of the night was suddenly disturbed and her snap echoed all through out the darkness. Her whole body suddenly glowed like Merry and Pippin had seen when she was absorbing the explosion. But this time she wasn't absorbing it. She was releasing it full power on the Wraiths. Her eyes eerily glowed and they could see the explosive energy travel and surge through her body as she unleashed it to the tip of her finger tips directed at the Wraiths. Once the energy was expelled from her, she stopped glowing and her eyes went back to normal.
The wraiths circle formation around them was broken as they were blasted off in all directions. Some even took an unfortunate fall off the Tower and with a loud screech, tumbled to the ground below. But an annoying few remained, completely unfazed yet shoved backwards a good distance away from them. As if on perfect timing, Felina came and with her telekinetic power, shoved a couple more wraiths down to their doom.
Felina and Lou battled them side by side protecting the Hobbits. Yet, they missed one Wraith lurking in the shadows who suddenly came up and cornered Frodo. Frodo let out a shout of surprise as it just suddenly jumped on him out of nowhere. His yell alerted Felina and Lou and just as they were about to come to his rescue, he did what his first instinct told him to. He slipped the ring on and vanished from their sight.
"Don't Frodo! Take the ring off! It's not going to he-" Felina was cut off in the middle of her sentence when a Wraith shoved her and Lou to the ground. It was powerful enough that Lou was knocked over and hit her head on a hard rock. The Stark groaned as the pain sharp as a knife can be felt with every wild thump in a scattered beat that she could feel on her head. She touched her right temple and looked to her fingers. They were stained with blood.
Felina quickly stood back up on her feet and she raised the Wraith up high in the sky with her powers and disassembled it like a machine. With much force she raised both her hands up and brought one down clenched in a fist with a grunt. That resulted in the Wraiths helmet to be stripped off and it let out a long painful screech. With a tired grimace on her face, she slightly bent her knees and violently swung both her arms down with a short and abrupt battle cry. The Wraith descended to the ground fast as a bullet and perished.
She then looked to the Wraith that was cornering Frodo earlier and saw it stabbing on something invisible. She heard a cry of agony but she couldn't see him. With a loud grunt she flicked her wrist and made the Wraith throw it's sword down. She outstretched her arm and pulled as if tugging on an invisible rope and moved the Wraith away from Frodo and nearer to her. By then, Frodo had removed the ring and was panting and crying in pain. Felina shoved the Wraith aside and rushed to Frodo.
"Felina. I-It hurts" he stuttered between breaths with his face twisting in pain. Felina gently shushed him and reassured him it was going to be okay. She examined his wound. It looked dark and deep and there was a discoloration on the skin around it. Felina picked up the weapon responsible for it. Her face twisted up in a grave grimace.
"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade" she whispered to herself as the weapon vanished into ashes.
Meanwhile, Strider came. When he saw the Wraith that stood up and was ready to attack again, he did not hesitate to light it up to flames with his torch. The Wraith went screeching and flailing its arms wildly. It ran off to the edge of the Tower and fell down like the rest. He rushed to Frodo and so did the Hobbits.
"Mr Frodo!" They exclaimed seeing he was hurt.
Frodo took Sam's hand and held it tightly as he was in pain. "Oh Sam" he whimpered.
"Strider he's been stabbed by a Morgul blade. We need to rush to Rivendelle now. He doesn't have enough time before he turns into one a Wraith like the rest" Felina said.
"Is he going to die?" Pippin asked his voice laced with worry. Felina put a reassuring hand on the worried Hobbit's shoulder.
"Not if we are fast enough Pippin. Frodo is a strong Hobbit. He will make it" she comforted him. She then frowned noticing her best friend wasn't around. "Where's Lou?"
At that, she and Strider began to look around frantically. They found her groaning and holding her head in one corner. Strider and Felina immediately went to her. They knelt down beside her. "Are you alright?" Felina asked concerned and putting a hand on her shoulder.
Lou continued to groan in pain. "It's fine. Frodo is more injured than I am. I just hit my head on a rock. Pales in comparison to his injury. We can't waste time we need to get to Rivendelle now" she said sternly.
"But Lou you are bleeding. We will tend to your wound quickly then rush to Rivendelle" Strider replied.
Lou glared at him and stood up abruptly ignoring the pain that resonated through her skull and the heavy thumping like there were a bunch of elephants dancing around in h brain. As soon as she thought of that description it did not make her feel any better. She started feeling dizzy but she ignored all that and pushed the pain aside.
Gritting her teeth and clenching her jaw she said "I will take care of it while we're walking. I survived much worse than this. I'll be alright. Now let's get going"
Without another word she stomped off to fix up their things in haste getting ready to leave. Strider gave Felina a worried glance hoping she would convince her friend otherwise. Felina looked to Strider with her arms crossed and sighed.
"As this journey progresses Strider, you will soon have to get used to her stubbornness that can be as bad or worse than a dwarfs. If she says she can handle it she can handle it. I don't doubt her. And yes she's been through much much worse. Now we have other pressing matters so I suggest we get a move on" Felina said all the while quickly grabbing her and Frodo's things.
She used her telekinesis and levitated Frodo gently down the steps of the Tower and Strider followed after them. Felina set Frodo on the one horse they took as a carrier. Frodo's groans of agony never ceased.
"It hurts. It hurts" he endlessly cried. Their heart wrenched to see the Hobbit in pain and they knew they had to do something quick.
Lou went to Frodo and whispered words of encouragement. "I know it hurts Frodo but you have to be brave and strong. We need you to hold on to the light as much as you can. The sooner we get you to Rivendelle the better"
With troubled hearts they continued on their way with haste.