Twenty Three - The One Ring

I sat at the bar across from Rosie, a young Hobbit woman with blonde curly hair, as she dried off mugs and a drunk Merry and Pippin sang on top of a table. “Don’t you ever get tired of them?” I asked. “Got used to it, I suppose,” she shrugged. 

I looked over at Sam, who was staring at Rosie then quickly turned when I caught him. I smiled and looked back at Rosie. “What?” She asked. “There’s a certain Hobbit who spends quite a bit of time looking at you,” I smirked. She blushed and looked away from me. “And his name happens to be Sam,” I teased. 

“You know, a lot of people don’t like you here,” She changed the subject. “Oh, really?” I laughed. “Yes, really. The same folks that don’t like Gandalf around,” She continued. 

“It’s only been, what? A few weeks?” I asked. “Closer to a month. What are you still doing here? Not that I don’t enjoy your company, but the world is bigger than the Shire, and you’re the big people, Ver,” She said and I laughed. 

“I’m waiting for Gandalf to return,” I answered. “Why?” She asked. “Don’t tell Frodo, but Bilbo asked us to watch over him,” I whispered. “Ah,” She nodded. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to help clean those?” I asked. “I could never ask a Tempest to do anything,” she shook her head. “You’re not asking, I’m offering. And don’t let my name get in the way of asking anything of me,” I said. “Well, in that case,” She laughed. 

~~~

Frodo and I walked back to Bag End and something felt off. When we got to the gate, I stopped him. “Something isn't right,” I whispered. “I left the window open, that’s all,” He said. “That’s not it,” I shook my head and stepped over the fence. “Stay right here,” I whispered and he nodded. 

I opened the door and walked into the poorly lit house. “Make yourself known,” I warned. “Verena,” Someone whispered. I made a ball of fire in my hand. “Who are you?” I asked. Gandalf stepped out of the darkness and I eased myself, letting the flames disperse to candles and the fireplace. 

“You scared me,” I huffed. I waved Frodo in and he quickly ran up to the house. “What is it?” He asked and looked at Gandalf. “Gandalf!” He shouted happily and Gandalf shushed him. “Where is it? Where is the ring?” He asked in a panic. 

Frodo dug the enveloped ring out of a trunk. Gandalf took it and threw it in the flames of the fireplace. “What are you doing?” Frodo asked. Gandalf didn’t answer and I watched the envelope burn away, the ring laying in the coals. 

Gandalf used a pair of tongs and picked it up, turning to Frodo. “Hold out your hand, Frodo. It’s quite cool,” Gandalf dropped the ring into Frodo’s hand, who was shocked by its temperature. 

“Can you see anything?” Gandalf asked him. “Nothing, there’s nothing,” He answered. Gandalf sighed and turned away. “Wait. There are markings. Some form of Elvish, I can’t read it,” Frodo said. “There are few who can. The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here,” Gandalf turned back to us. “Mordor?” Frodo questioned. “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness, bind them,”

“Gandalf, what did you find?”

~~~

“This is the One Ring,” Gandalf confirmed and I sat back in my seat in the kitchen. “Forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom. Taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself,” Gandalf went on. 

“Bilbo found it in Gollum’s cave,” Frodo said. “Yes,” Gandalf nodded. “For sixty years, the Ring was quiet in Bilbo’s keeping, prolonging his life,” I sighed. 

“Evil stirs in Mordor. The Ring has awoken. It’s heard its master’s call,” Gandalf said. “But he was destroyed. Sauron was destroyed,” Frodo said. Whispers came from the Ring and we all looked at it. 

I saw Alek’s body again and quickly looked away from it. 

“Sauron’s life force is bound to the Ring and the Ring survived, meaning he did too,” I said. 

“Sauron’s Orcs have multiplied, his fortress at Barad-Dur is rebuilt in Mordor. He needs only the Ring to cover all the lands in darkness. He’s seeking it. The Ring yearns above all else to return to its master. They are one, the Ring and the Dark lord. He must never find it,” Gandalf explained. 

Frodo picked up the Ring. “All right. We put it away, We keep it hidden. We never speak of it again. No one knows it’s here, do they?” Frodo asked, walking out of the kitchen. “Do they, Gandalf?” He asked again, turning back. 

“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 answered worriedly. “I don’t know how long they tortured him, but amidst the endless screams and inane babble, they discerned two words,” He continued. “Shire, Baggins. but that would lead them here!” Frodo said. “Take it, Gandalf! Take it!” Frodo held out the Ring to Gandalf, who backed away. 

“No, Frodo,” He whispered. “You must take it!” Frodo pressed “You can not offer me this ring!” Gandalf told him. “I’m giving it to you-” “Don’t tempt me, Frodo!” Frodo lowered his hand. “I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe,” He said. 

“Understand Frodo, 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 explained. “But it cannot stay in the Shire!” Frodo panicked. “No. No it can’t,” I said. “What must I do?” He asked.

“We must leave. Quickly,” I said. “Where?” He asked. “I’ll take you to-” “The inn of the Prancing Pony in Bree, I’ll wait for you there,” Gandalf said. “And the Ring will be safe there?” Frodo asked. “I don’t know, Frodo. I don’t have any answers,” Gandalf sighed. 

“And where are you going?” I asked as I reattached my swords’ sheathes to my quiver and put it on. “To see Saruman. He’ll know what to do,” He answered and I scoffed. “If he was wise-” “Trust me, Verena,” He stopped me. 

“Go see him, then. We’ll be fine getting out of here on our own,” I said, my voice low. 

There was a thud outside and I pulled my sword out. “Get back,” I whispered and Frodo got down under the desk. Gandalf walked closer to the window and looked down. He knocked the end of his sceptre on something and reached out to pull Sam inside and onto the desk. 

“Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee! Have you been eavesdropping?” Gandalf demanded and held his shirt as I closed the windows and Frodo got up. “I haven’t been dropping no eaves, sir. Honest. I was cutting the grass under the window,” Sam answered. “This late at night?” I asked. “I heard raised voices and-” “And what did you hear?” I cut him off. 

“No-noth-nothing important! That is, I heard a good deal about a ring, a dark lord and the end of the world but- Please Mr. Gandalf, sir, don’t hurt me. Don’t turn me into anything… unnatural,” He stuttered. 

“He won’t. I have a better plan for you,” I smirked and Frodo smiled at me.