By the time we reach the other side of the river it has begun to drizzle, a cold wet rain that seeps into my bones and drains all my energy.

"We must get to Bree," Frodo keeps repeating, urging us forward. And so we go, traipsing through the woods, stumbling over roots, getting whipped by branches. I fall more times than I can count, until I can no longer see my skirt beneath all the mud on it. There is no conversation as we go forward, just the sound of ragged breathing, a muttered curse as one of us trips yet again.

The drizzle becomes a deluge, water rushing from the sky in torrents, making our trek even more miserable. My hair sticks to my face, my neck, sending little streams of water into my bodice.

And then, finally, we see the gates of Bree, a thick log wall that stretches up higher than I can believe, almost. I rush towards it, but Frodo holds out an arm to stop me. He looks to the left and right before waving us forward into the road. The hairs on my neck raise, and I find myself constantly looking over my shoulder, expecting the Riders to come racing down the road at any moment. Frodo knocks loudly on the gate, loud enough, I think, to alert any Rider in the whole wide world where we are.

A window opens in the door, then shuts, and my heart sinks. But then another one, right at eye-level opens, and the gate keeper stares Frodo down. "What do you want?" He asks gruffly.

"We're headed for the Prancing Pony," Frodo responds. The gatekeeper swings out a lantern, the light warm and inviting, but also an unnecessary spotlight.

"Hobbits! Five hobbits, and out of the Shire by your talk! What business can you have in Bree tonight?"

I tense, prepared to run away, assuming he must know what we are running from. "We wish to stay at the inn, and our business is our own," Frodo says defensively.

"Very well, sir, I meant no offense," the gatekeeper replies, opening the door for us. I almost cry in relief, bustling through the door as fast as I can manage. The streets of Bree are filled with tall people, dressed in dark clothing, shouting loudly, moving too quickly for my eyes to keep track. I  follow Frodo down the streets, dodging long legs and carts with every step. A wagon barrels down the road, headed straight for me. Pippin grabs my arm and pulls me out of the way just in time.

"Watch it, halflings!" The driver shouts back at me, but Frodo ignores his and keeps moving forward. Jeers trail behind us until we reach the door of the Prancing Pony, its sign swinging slowly in the rain. We step out of the gloomy street and into the inn, which is just as busy but much warmer and drier. Pippin pulls off the hood of his cloak and shakes his head, spraying water everywhere.

"Watch it, Pippin!" I scold him, wiping the water droplets from my face.

"What? It's not like you could get any wetter," he laughs and does it again for good measure, causing Sam to rap the back of his head.

"Frodo?" Merry asks our friend, who is looking around nervously. "What should we do?"

Frodo doesn't respond, instead walking up to the front desk. We all follow. "Excuse me?" He asks hesitantly. For a moment nothing happens. I look over at Merry, who shrugs. "Excuse me?" Frodo says again, a bit louder. This time, a round head pops over the counter and looks down at us.

"Well, good evening little masters-- and mistress! How can I help you? If you're looking for lodging, we've got--" As he's speaking a big person walks right in front of me, and I end up pressed against the wall next to Sam and Merry in order to let him out the door. He passes by just in time for me to hear Frodo respond to whatever the innkeeper had asked him.

"Underhill. My name's Underhill."

"Underhill?" Pippin mouths to Sam, who puts a finger to his lips. Merry is watching the exchange intently, so Pippin turns to me. "Why on earth?" I bite my lip and shrug.

"We're friends of Gandalf's," Frodo tells the innkeeper. "Gandalf the Gray. Can you tell him we've arrived?"

I look over at Pippin and Merry with wide eyes, remembering our last experience with the wizard.

"Gandalf? Gandalf?" The innkeeper pauses for a moment to remember. "Oh, yes! I know him! Elderly chap, big gray beard, pointy hat." Frodo nods excitedly. "Not seen him for six months," the innkeeper finishes. Frodo is silent for a moment, then turns back to us, looking frightened.

"What do we do now?" Sam asks as we all lean in.

"I-- I don't know," Frodo says nervously. "He was supposed to be here!"

"Listen," Merry interjects, "I know exactly what we need to do. We're cold, and hungry, and wet, and tired. We've spent the whole evening running from those Black Riders. I say we deserve some rest."

"I second that!" Pippin agrees. "Let's get one of those hobbit-sized rooms he mentioned and spend the night. We can rest up, have a mug or two of drink, and in the morning, Frodo and Sam can explain everything to us, and then we can figure out what to do about Gandalf." He looks back at the innkeeper, who is pretending not to watch us curiously. "Anyone got enough money?"

Sam sighs and reaches into his pocket, pulling out some money. "It's as good a plan as any, Mister Frodo. What else are we to do? We can't go back out there, at any rate."

"No, definitely not." I put in.

"Alright," Frodo agrees, taking the money from Sam and turning back to the innkeeper. "Can we get a room with um," he turns around to count, "five beds please?"

"Sorry, Master Underhill, but our biggest available room holds four. But you and your companions are welcome to it!" He reaches behind the desk and hands Frodo a small brass key before pointing down a well-lit hallway. "Second-to-last door on the left, and once you're settled come out for a glass!" Frodo nods in gratitude as the innkeeper turns to another patron, and then we head down the hallway.

I try to hide my rising blush as we walk into our room and look at the four beds. "Um, so, what do we want to do about this?" Merry asks, rubbing the back of his neck.

There's an awkward silence as I try to avoid everyone's gaze, try to figure out a solution. "I can sleep on the floor," I offer, but everyone quickly volunteers as well. "No, let me," I insist. "I'll be fine for one night." There's another round of protests, but I shake my head. "Really, it's alright! Lend me some blankets and pillows, and I'll sleep like a child. Now stop arguing, or we'll miss our chance to enjoy the rest of the night." To prove my point, I grab a pillow from the nearest bed and set it by the fireplace.

It takes us a while to all dry off, but when we do we head out into the rowdy dining room. Raucous laughter echoes off the walls, and shady figures down large glasses of ale. We find a table on the outskirts of the crowd and order plates and plates of food. I dig in as Merry and Pippin head straight for the bar. Sam watches them go nervously, ripping apart a chunk of bread.

"He'll be here, Sam. He has to come," Frodo reassures him, but it does little to ease his nerves. Pippin returns with a mug of ale and takes a long drink eating another bite of potatoes. Merry sits beside Pippin with a thud, eyes trained on one of the largest glasses I've ever seen.

"What's that?" Pippin asks in wonder.

"This, my friend, is a pint." Merry responds, lifting the glass with both hands.

"It comes in pints?" Pippin exclaims, looking at me excitedly as he shoots up from his chair. "I'm getting one."

"You've had a whole half already!" Sam calls after him, but Pippin is too engrossed in his task to hear him. I take a drink from my own mug as Merry does the same, taking care not to spill. Sam watches him go, irritated, then turns to Frodo. "That man in the corner there has done nothing but stare at you since we got here." I turn and follow his gaze to a hooded man in the corner, smoking a long pipe.

Just then the innkeeper walks past, and Frodo reaches out to stop him. "Excuse me, that man over there, who is he?" The innkeeper looks at the man, then back at us quickly.

"He's one of those Rangers, he is. Dangerous folk they are, roaming the wild." He shakes his head nervously. "What his real name is, I've never heard, but 'round here he's known as Strider." He quickly moves on, not looking back at us.

"Strider..." Frodo mumbles, his gaze drifting off into space.

"I'm gonna get another glass," I tell Sam, who doesn't seem to notice as he watches Frodo with concern. I stand up and head to the bar, joining Pippin and the big people surrounding him.

"Where are you little folk from?" A tall man asks, leaning on the counter.

"The Shire," Pippin responds after finishing his drink. The man slides him another drink, which Pippin accepts readily. I, in the other hand, watch the man nervously.

"The Shire, eh? You know any Baggins from around there?" The man asks, and before I can say anything Pippin answers.

"Baggins? Oh, sure I know a Baggins! He's right over there! Frodo Baggins!" He points to Frodo, and I grab his arm and pull it down as fast as I can. "He's my second cousin once removed, on my mother's side."

"What are you doing?" I ask Pippin, who hasn't seemed to realize his mistake, but it's too late. The man glares at Frodo, who has a panicked look on his face. He stands up and begins to walk through the noisy crowd. I grab Pippin and pull him away from the bar, dodging bodies and tables.

"What's this about?" Pippin asks, his ale sloshing onto the as we walk. Suddenly Frodo appears, and it's too late to stop. I crash into him and we both lose our balance. "Steady on!" Pippin says, keeping me from falling to the floor, but it's too late for Frodo. His feet slip out from under him and he falls backward, flinging something shiny in the air as he does so. He lands on his back, reaches upward, and-- disappears.

Merry, Pippin, Sam, and I stare at the space where Frodo used to be in a panic, then look up and find each other across the room. Gasps fill the room as everyone's attention is drawn to us. Frightened, I cling to Pippin's arm.

"What just happened?" He asks in shock. "What did I do?"

Hello friends! I hope you're well, and that quarantine isn't driving you too crazy. Thanks for being patient with me and my slow updates! Let me know what you think of this chapter!

<3 Spirit