Hope ↠ LOTR

Prologue

The rain relentlessly thundered against the rooftops in the town of Bree, only one person making their way through the streets of the town in the storm. The grey clad figure burst into The Prancing Pony, only stopping to scan his surroundings before they fell on one of the two people he was searching for in the crowded inn that was filled to the brim with merriment. He wasted no time in advancing on the person, his hand falling on a shoulder that was covered in a dark green cloak.

"Where is your sister?" He asked with a subtle panic in his tone.

The man wasn't able to answer him as a woman interrupted their exchange, one mug in each of her hands.

"Gandalf, I did not expect to see you here," Athena remarked, the smile at seeing her old friend disappearing when seeing the grave look that he held, "what's wrong?"

"We cannot speak here," he muttered before turning and making his way to the innkeeper, Barliman Butterbur.

They spoke together quietly for a few moments, Athena and Aragorn sharing a confused and cautious look with one another as they both wondered about what news Gandalf had rushed to tell them. After a moment the Grey Wizard returned before leading them through the drunken crowd and towards the parlour, Athena setting the two mugs that she was carrying on a passing table as she figured the news would not be something that they would feel the need to drink to.

They were led into the closed off room and away from the cheering of the Hobbits and Men alike that continued their partying in the next room, the door shutting and blocking off the clinking of mugs and booming laughter.

The siblings turned to Gandalf and waited for him to inform them on why he had decided to pay them a visit. He pulled out his pipe and lit it, blowing on it a few times before he was able to inhale the fumes of pipe weed, letting the smoke leave his lips but not creating any fantastical works of art like he usually would. They watched with tense eyes as he took a seat before looking up at Athena directly. Now that they were out of the way of prying eyes he asked the question he had been meaning to since entering the inn.

"Do you recall the ring that Bilbo found?"

"Yes, why?" She responded with her confusion growing at his question.

"Were there any observations that you did not tell me?"

"What? Of course not. What's going on?"

"There is nothing else that you remember regarding the ring?"

"No, there was nothing el—wait." She paused for a moment, thinking back to the time that Bilbo used the ring in order to escape Smaug. "There was one odd moment. When we were trying to reach the Arkenstone he used the ring so he wouldn't be seen by Smaug but he took it off only a few minutes later. He said a word and Bilbo looked shocked, as if the ring itself had reacted to it. What was it?"

"The word, Athena?" Gandalf pressed.

"I'm thinking!" She responded, pacing the room while she tried to recount the specific word that was used in the moment but it was hard to think back and remember the single word that was used during the rest of the commotion. "Precious! That's the word. He said precious," she finally answered him, clicking her fingers when she had remembered what the dragon hissed.

"And you did not think to tell me this sooner?!" The Grey Wizard asked incredulously.

"No! In case you had forgotten my mind wasn't exactly in the best place to be remembering something so small!" She defended herself.

"Small?! This changes everything Athena. You should have told me immediately!"

She opened her mouth to retaliate but it was not her voice that was next heard, instead it was the voice of a Hobbit who came hobbling into the parlour with trays of food in his hands. He placed the trays on the table before looking up at the trio and sensing the tense atmosphere.

"Thank you Nob, that will be all," Aragorn decided to thank him, seeing as Gandalf and Athena were staring at each other challengingly and paying no mind to the servant.

The door creaked closed when Nob left them to their own devices again, the cheering that had momentarily filled the air being blocked out by the closed doorway once more.

"There is no point in arguing, it will not change anything," he continued once they were alone again, "what is so important about this information?"

"There is a creature named Gollum, I must speak with him but I cannot track him myself which is why I need your help," he responded, his eyes flitting between the siblings that stood in front of him.

"We find this... Gollum creature, and then what?" She asked, even more confused than she was before.

"Then you will take him to King Thranduil in Mirkwood where he will be imprisoned and questioned."

"Gandalf, you know I'm never usually one to question you but are you sure that the Mirkwood dungeons have the best security?"

"It is the best that we can have at the moment I'm afraid," he responded before standing up, pausing to once again inhale from the pipe that was the only thing keeping him sane at the moment, "we cannot waste anymore time talking about this. I will explain on the road."

"At the very least just tell me what this has to do with Bilbo and if he is in any danger," she pleaded with the wizard as he bounded towards the door, stopping him in his tracks.

"I do not believe he is in any danger—yet. It is the ring that he carries, I have begun to fear that it is the One Ring, but I will not know for certain until I have spoken to Gollum."

And with that said he left the parlour and made way for the stables in Bree, Athena and Aragorn left alone with dread filling their hearts at the confession of Gandalf before they followed after the wizard.