Filius' POV

It's been roughly six months since my left with Uncle Bilbo. Things have been quiet. Sam still hasn't gotten with Rosie. Though I have got a crush on a young teacher from the south. Her name is Gwen Hayward and she has red hair & grey eyes. We've talk occasionally and are friends, but I want to be more. But I don't know how to bring it up. She spends a lot of time outside when she is not teaching the hobbit children.

Anyway Frodo convinced me to go with him and the other three to the tavern tonight. Instead of on patrol. Merry and Pippin are dancing on a table with a tankard each singing.

"Hey ho, to the bottle I go!
To heal my heart and drown my woe.
Rain may fall and wind may blow.
But there still be -
many miles to go" they sing together. I shake my head at them and a hobbit walks over to me.

"Protector, there has been some strange folk crossing the Shire. Dwarves, and others of a less than savory nature" he tells me.

"Thank you, I shall double my patrols" I tell him.

"War is brewing. The mountains are fair teeming with goblins" Gaffer states.

"I can handle goblins" I assure him.

"Far-off tales and children's stories, that's all that is. You're beginning to sound like that old Bilbo Baggins and his cousin Astrid. Cracked, they were" another hobbit states.

"Young Mister Frodo, here, he's cracking" Gaffer states.

"And proud of it! Cheers, Gaffer!" Frodo says merrily.

"Well, it's none of our concern what goes on beyond our borders. Keep your nose out of trouble, and no trouble will come to you" the second hobbit states.

"Even so, I shall still patrol. To protect our borders" I state. "But tonight, we drink" I say as I am handed a drink. The hobbits cheer and clink my mug with Frodo's. "Just one Frodo" I tell him and he nods his head. We down our drinks and prepare to leave with Sam. Rosie wishes us a goodnight and Sam wishes her one in return when an intoxicated hobbit appears bowing to Rosie.

"Goodnight, sweet maiden of the Golden Ale!" he says.

"Mind who you're sweet talking" Sam tells him.

"Don't worry, Sam. Rosie knows an idiot when she sees one" Frodo tells him.

"She does?" Sam asks.

"You're no idiot" I assure him. "Good night Sam" I say with Frodo. Sam wishes us a good night and we go our separate ways. As we pass Gwen's home I see her reading by her window and smile.

"You should just ask her out" Frodo tells me as we near our house.

"I can't do that" I tell him.

"You'll face a squad of orcs, but you're to scared to ask a girl out" he says chuckling.

"I'm not scared, she deserves someone who will be there for her. I have to protect the Shire, I don't have time for courting" I tell him. "Speaking of that, I'm going to go on patrol once I get my axe" I state. We reach our house and go in.

Inside, Bag End is unlit, but papers and curtains are flapping in the breeze, indicating open windows. "We shut the windows right?" Frodo asks me.

"Stay close to me" I tell him as we walk farther into the house. There seems to be no sign of life. When Frodo gasps behind me and I turn to see a disheveled Gandalf with his hand on Frodo's shoulder.

"Is it secret?! Is it safe?!" he demands. Frodo goes to where he hide the ring while I grab my axe. Which was my grandfather's. We sit in the living room. I sharpen my axe as Frodo hands Gandalf the envelope with the ring inside.

Gandalf snatches it and throws it on the fire. "What are you doing?" Frodo asks him. The envelope is rapidly consumed by the flames, revealing the Ring inside. Gandalf gets a pair of tongs and picks up the Ring as we watch.

"Hold out your hand Frodo, it's quite cool" Gandalf states.

"You sure?" I ask him as I put my axe down. He nods his head and Frodo holds out his hand. Gandalf drops the ring into it. Gandalf stands up and turns away from the fire. I get up and go stand by Frodo looking at the ring.

"What can you both see? Can either of you see anything?" Gandalf asks us.

"There's nothing" I tell him as I look up at him. Gandalf sighs in relief, and then his eyes narrow as Frodo corrects me.

"Wait. There are markings" Frodo tells us. I look back at the ring and frown in confusion at the glowing markings. The runes are reflected on Frodo's face as he tries to puzzle them out. I do the same, it looks like some sort of elvish. "Any ideas?" Frodo asks me.

"It's some form of Elvish. I can't read it" I tell him.

"Me neither" he grumbles and we look at Gandalf.

"There are few who can. The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here" he tells us. I grab my axe as Frodo says 'Mordor?' "In the common tongue it says, 'One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them'" Gandalf tells us.

"I'll make us some tea, Frodo put that thing down" I tell him. He puts it on the table and helps me make tea. We soon all sit down at the table with a cup of tea each. "Please tell us all you know of this ring" I tell Gandalf.

"This is the One Ring. Forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom. Taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself" Gandalf states.

"Bilbo found it. In Gollum's cave" Frodo states.

"He's had it for sixty years" I mutter.

"Yes. For sixty years the Ring lay quiet in Bilbo's keeping, prolonging his life, delaying old age. But no longer Frodo. Evil is stirring in Mordor. The Ring has awoken. It's heard its master's call" Gandalf explains.

"But he was destroyed! Sauron was destroyed" I state and Frodo nods his head in agreement.

"The spirit of Sauron endured. His life force is bound to the Ring, and the Ring survived. Sauron has returned. His Orcs have multiplied. His fortress at Barad-Dûr is rebuilt in the land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this Ring to cover all the lands of a second darkness" Gandalf tells us.

"That includes the Shire, I have to protect it" I state.

"All right, we put it away. We keep it hidden. We never speak of it again. No one knows it's here, do they? Do they Gandalf?" Frodo asks him.

"There is one other who knew that Bilbo had the Ring. I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum. But the enemy found him first" Gandalf tells us. He told us how the only two words the enemy got out of him was 'Shire' and 'Baggins'.

"Shire. Baggins. But that would lead them here!" Frodo exclaims.

"Gandalf we're not ready to face this enemy" I tell him as I grab my axe. "Take the ring" I tell him.

"Yes, take it" Frodo says holding it out to Gandalf.

"No Filius, Frodo" Gandalf tells us.

"You must take it" I tell him.

"You cannot offer me this Ring" he tells us.

"I'm giving it to you!" Frodo exclaims.

"Don't tempt me Frodo! I dare not take it. Not even to keep it safe. Understand both of you, I would use this Ring from a desire to do good. But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine" Gandalf tells us.

"Then what should we do? It can't stay here in the Shire" I tell him.

"No, it can't" he agrees.

"What must we do?" Frodo asks him. Gandalf tells us that we have to leave the Shire together. Telling us to head for Bree, saying he'd meet us there at the Prancing Pony Inn. I had gone there a few times and know the way.

"Will the ring and Frodo be safe there?" I ask him. "Will the Shire be safe?" I ask.

"I don't know Filius. The Shire should be safe as the enemy will come after you both in search of the ring. You must protect Frodo and the ring, for the sack of all of Middle Earth" he tells me.

"What about you?" Frodo asks as he returns with our packed travel bags.

"I must see the head of my order. He is both wise and powerful. Trust me Frodo, he'll know what to do" Gandalf states. "You'll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you, for that name is not safe outside the Shire" he tells Frodo.

"He can use the name Under-hill, Uncle Bilbo used it against Smaug sixty years ago" I state. Frodo nods his head.

"Travel only by day. And stay off the road" Gandalf tells us as I hand him his cloak.

"We can cut across country easily enough" we assure him.

"My dear friends. Hobbits really are amazing creatures! You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years. They can still surprise you" Gandalf tells us.

I hear a rustling. "Frodo, get down!" I order as I grab my axe. Frodo drops to the floor. Gandalf goes to the window, peers out cautiously then gives the bushes a whack with his staff. An "oofff!" is heard from the object of the whack. Gandalf drags the offender up by his hair and plops him onto the table.

"Confound it all Samwise Gamgee! Have you been eavesdropping?!" Gandalf demands and I relax. Lowering my axe.

"I haven't dropped no eaves sir, honest. I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you follow me" Sam tells him.

"A little late for trimming the verge, don't you think Sam?" I ask him as I lean on my axe.

"I heard raised voices" he states.

"What did you hear? Speak!" Gandalf orders.

"N-n-n-nothing important. That is I heard a good deal about a Ring and a Dark Lord and something about the end of the world but... Please, Mister Gandalf sir, don't hurt me. Don't turn me into anythin' — unnatural" Sam pleads.

"I have a better idea" I say as I share a smile with Gandalf. It was decided that Sam accompany Frodo and I to Bree. He went to pack, agreeing to meet us at first light. Frodo goes to bed and I write a letter to assure everyone we're alive. And not to touch anything in Bag-End. I don't want us to come home to see our things being auctioned off like mum and Uncle Bilbo did sixty years ago. After some debate with myself I write a letter to Gwen. Telling her how I feel encase I don't make it back.

A/N

Gif above of the ring  and picture on the external link of Frodo with Gandalf. Picture in the chapter of Gwen Hayward.