Pippin and I hurry over to the table where Merry and Sam are. "Pippin, you moron!" Sam hisses, looking around frantically. "I should've known so much ale would go to your head!"

"I'm sorry!" Pippin responds heatedly. "If you and Frodo would've shared a little bit more about what this adventure about maybe I would've been more careful!"

"Oh, as if being chased through the forest by an absolutely terrifying Black Rider wasn't enough warning for you? Maybe next time we should leave you behind for him!"

"You--" Pippin practically leaps at Sam, and both Merry and I have to hold him back.

"Wait, wait, look! It's Frodo!" I say to the others. "He's being taken upstairs by that Strider fellow!"

"We've got to save him," Merry adds urgently. "Pippin, Sam, calm down. We've got to fix this!" He lets go of Pippin and grabs a candelabra off a table. "Come on!"

Sam charges ahead, barreling up the stairs with Merry close behind. Pippin grabs a knife off the table, hands it to me, and then grabs an empty stool. We run up the stairs and down a dark hallway, and stare at all the closed doors lining the hall.

"Which one is he in?" Pippin asks frantically.

"Listen at the doors," Sam whispers urgently, "and we should be able to hear him." We stop at one, two, three, four doors without hearing anything.

"There's only one more door," Merry whispers.

"Then it has to be it," Sam responds gravely. "Lets go." I take a deep breath and charge at the door alongside Pippin. Sam throws it open and steps into the room, fists raised. He stares up at the Ranger without fear, but the drawn sword in Strider's grasp takes my breath away. Merry tightens his grip on the candelabra and Pippin raises his stool a little higher.

"Let him go!" Sam shouts defiantly, fists raised. "Or I'll have you, Long-shanks!" The Ranger regards us for a moment before stepping back and sheathing his sword, a grim smile on his face that quickly disappears.

"You have a stout heart, hobbit, I'll give you that." Sam glares at Strider warily. "But still it will not save you." He turns to Frodo urgently. "You cannot wait for the wizard anymore, Frodo. They're coming."

"How do we know we can trust you?" Sam asks, still not lowering his fists.

"Because you have to," Strider responds. "Besides, I am a friend of Gandalf's. Now, we must act quickly. You must do exactly as I say, or you will all be dead by morning." He looks over at us and smirks a little. "You may lower your paltry weapons, little hobbits. I mean no harm, truly. You are as safe as your situation allows if you stay with me." Pippin and Merry set down their makeshift weapons with embarrassment, but I tighten my grasp on the knife.

"It's alright, Jessa," Pippin whispers, but I don't take my eyes off of Strider.

"Alright, keep your table knife," the Ranger decides, "but please, I'd rather not have to deal with any injuries tonight, so be careful. But rather than standing half in the hall, come in and shut the door, why don't you." I step into the room but don't shut the door in case we need a rapid escape. Strider sighs, then walks over to me. I stiffen and raise my knife with both hands.

"Don't come any closer!" I warn him, trying to hide the trembling in my hands and voice.

"Calm down, Miss Hobbit," Strider says soothingly. "If I wanted to harm you or your friends you would all be dead by now. I appreciate your caution, but if you want to survive the night then you are going to have to trust me." When I don't respond he kneels down to my height. "You're safe, I promise." He puts a hand on top of the knife and slowly pushes it down to my side. "May I shut the door now?" Not taking my eyes off of him, I slowly move to the side and allow him to close the wooden door.

"Who are you, again?" Merry asks nervously.

"I'm known as Strider," the Ranger responds, "and as I've said earlier, I'm your only chance at surviving the night, much less the rest of your journey. Now, before we continue with introductions, I'm going to need the key to your room."

"What do you want that for?" Pippin pipes up. "We're already here, aren't we?" Strider pinches the bridge of his nose and looks towards the ceiling.

"I need to make it look like you are all asleep in your beds, so that they won't look for you elsewhere." He gestures to a pile of blankets and pillows next to the fireplace. "I won't be gone long, but you can make yourselves comfortable. It's going to be a very long night." He holds out his hand and Frodo gives him the key. "Don't let anyone else in other than me," Strider commands before shutting the door behind himself.

There's a moment of silence after he leaves, then Sam bursts out: "Do you really think we can trust him, Mister Frodo? He seems rather... unsavory to me."

"If he wanted to hurt us, I think he would have done so by now. And he said he is a friend of Gandalf's. We should listen to him." Sam opens his mouth to say more, but Frodo turns toward the fireplace. "We're staying with him," he says with finality. Sam doesn't respond, but sulkily sits down on the hearth.

"I hope he has enough sense in him to bring my pack with him," he mutters to himself.

"He had enough sense to find blankets for all of us," Merry tells him, spreading one out on the floor. "And if Frodo says we can trust him, I will."

"Besides," Pippin adds, "I'm beat." He grabs his own blanket and pillow and lays down next to Merry.

"All those drinks finally catch up to you?" Sam quips.

"Look, about that," Pippin props himself up by his elbows. "I know I messed up, and I feel awful. I wasn't thinking, and I had too much to drink, and, and, well, I'm sorry. I should've been more careful."

"Most reasonable thing you've ever said," Sam growls, but Frodo puts a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright, Pippin. We'll be alright." He smiles at his friend, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Sam, why don't you get some sleep. Like Strider said, it's likely to be a long night." Sam reluctantly reaches for a blanket, then offers it to me.

"Here you are, Miss Jessa. You should rest, too." He nods at the knife still clenched in my hand. "I'll trade you."

"I don't know," I whisper. "I'm frightened."

"It's alright, Jessa," Merry says softly. "We all are. Just try to sleep and hopefully it'll be better in the morning."

I take a deep breath and hand the knife to Sam, accepting the blanket in return. I grab a pillow from the pile and lay down next to Pippin, awkwardly making sure there's a decent amount of space between us. I lay down, and he rolls over to face me. "Guess we're all sleeping on the floor tonight." I try to smile, but somehow tears begin to roll down my cheeks instead. "Hey, it's alright. We're alright." He reaches out his hand, and I grab onto it tightly. "We'll be okay, Jessaka. We will be just fine."

*******

I wake to the sound of screaming. I fling my eyes open and bolt upright, my heart pounding in my chest. The horrible screeching sound echoes around the room. I look around the room for my companions, and see they are all awake too. I notice I'm still holding Pippin's hand, and my heart somehow speeds up a little bit. I let go as quickly as I can, thankful for the muted light that hides my red cheeks. Strider sits at the window, watching the street below us, seemingly unfazed by the horrible noise. 

"What are they?" Frodo asks softly as another bout of screeching fills the air. 

"They were once men," Strider says solemnly, meeting Frodo's gaze. "Great kings of men before Sauron the Deceiver gave them each a ring of power. Blinded by their greed, the nine kings accepted them without question, and one by one fell into darkness." He looks out the window again. "Now they are slaves to his word." He pauses, and I hold my breath, waiting for him to continue his story. "They are the Nazgul, the Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the One Ring, and they are drawn to its power. They will never stop hunting you." His words send a shiver down my spine. 

"How are we to escape them?" Merry asks breathlessly. 

"We leave just before dawn, and head for Rivendell. I will be your guide through the wild. But you still have a few hours before then. You'll need your strength, so I suggest you all return to your slumber. I shall wake you when it is time." 

Reluctantly, I lay back down, but sleep does not find me. Every time I close my eyes the deathly screams of the Nazgul echo in my ears. It is a long and restless wait before Strider finally wakes us. "It's time," he says, handing Sam his pack and nodding to the pile of cloaks on the floor. "We must leave without a sound. Follow me." As soon as we are ready, he leads us down the hall, and out of the inn. The streets of Bree are empty and still, a strange contrast to yesterday night. Puddles line the road, which Strider dodges with ease, his long legs aiding him greatly. 

For me it is a much larger task, and I am almost on the brink of running as I follow the Ranger out of town. The gate we entered in yesterday is knocked down, and I shudder to think of how strong the Nazgul must be in order to accomplish such a feat. As soon as we leave Bree, Strider departs from the road and leads us through the underbrush, into the hill country. 

We hike for most of the morning in a tense silence, until finally Frodo asks "Where are you taking us?"

"Into the wild," is Strider's curt response, and he begins moving again at a speed so brisk that the other hobbits and I are forced to jog in order to keep up. We move deeper into the woods and Strider slows his pace, carefully picking a path between the trees. 

"How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf's?" Merry asks Frodo suspiciously, and Pippin nods in agreement. 

"I think a servant of the enemy would look fairer and feel fouler," Frodo replies.

"He's foul enough," Merry mutters, but remains silent past then. 

"We've no choice but to trust him," Frodo adds.

"But where is he leading us, Mister Frodo?" Sam asks from behind, leading Strider's horse. 

"To Rivendell, Master Gamgee," the Ranger calls back, obviously having been listening to the conversation. "To the house of Elrond."

"Did you hear that? Rivendell? We're going to see the elves!" Sam exclaims, but I turn to Frodo worriedly. 

"How did he know Sam's name?" I whisper. 

"Oh, yes," Frodo smiles lightly. "I introduced you all to him while you were asleep. I felt our guide should as well know our names, seeing as he already knew so much."

"Fear not, Miss Jessaka, I am no spy," Strider says. Heat rises to my face.

"It's Jessa, please, Strider," I tell him nervously, as a kind of peace offering. The Ranger looks back and nods at me before continuing on. 

We walk for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles. The landscape around us gradually changes from forest to rocky hills. For the most part our journey is silent until Strider points out an old ruin atop a large hill. 

"This was the great watchtower of Amon Sul," he tells us solemnly. "We shall rest here tonight."

YAY ANOTHER CHAPTER!!! also as I've been writing this I've definitely noticed that I can take a four minute clip from the movie and turn it into a whole chapter XDXD which might mean that I'll eventually need a sequel! (I say as I haven't yet finished the first ten chapters of this book lol) Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think, I always appreciate feedback. Stay safe! Spirit