One Day You'll Know

Chapter 10- Into the Wild

"What are they?" Noelle had asked Strider, who had been staring intently out the window of Noelle's room. They had thought it safest to move the hobbits there, rather than having them stay in the obvious place. While Strider had sat beside the window, Noelle stood facing the fireplace, her hands behind her back.

"They were once great kings of men, until Sauron gave them Nine Rings of Power,"Strider had said quietly. "They were blinded by greed, believing these rings would give them power. Now they are slaves to his will, and creatures of Darkness. They are the Nazgûl."

"Ringwraiths," Noelle had translated. She knew a little bit of Elvish, mainly some words and phrases. "So they're the undead?"

Strider had nodded. "Neither living nor dead."

Noelle had given a short, sarcastic laugh. "Now can you see why I act so tense all the time?" She had a lot of things on her mind and frankly, the stress was getting to her. The Black Riders, Merry and Pippin's troublemaking, Strider, and she was worried sick about Gandalf, which normally didn't happen. Noelle never really had a reason to worry about him. It was always the other way around.

Strider had tilted his head, and given her a thoughtful look."You need not be as tense as you are. If the situation is handled with wisdom and care, things will work through."

"You sound like Gandalf. Maybe you really are friends with him,"Noelle had said with a snort.

"I have been friends with Gandalf for many years. He has not failed to mention you on occasion."

"So you already know who I am?" Noelle had stopped short right there. That was a stupid question. He had known her name.

"Yes. Upon meeting you, you remind me of Gandalf as well."

"Well... I suppose I do have his impatience," Noelle had said with a sigh. "I guess I ought to apologize to Merry and Pippin for snapping at them." It wasn't so long ago Noelle and her cousin Bern had bickered like the children they were when in Thorin Oakenshield's Company. Thorin (and a few of the dwarves) had certainly gotten annoyed with them. Noelle would reckon even Gandalf sometimes did too.

Now, thinking back on this, Noelle found herself outside in the wildlands, seated on a log. It was near evening. Strider was off hunting. He had told Merry and Pippin to pick up sticks for firewood, and Noelle he had told to sharpen stakes for the game. Sam of course, was in charge of cooking.

As Noelle sharpened the end of a long stick with a small knife Strider had given her, she watched Frodo, who was laying on the ground facing the other direction, probably asleep. She had noticed that he seemed to be more and more fatigued lately. She felt bad, because she didn't know what to do. She didn't even know how to protect them from the Nazgûl. They had Strider now, but Noelle was still wary of him, and she had her doubts as to whether he could actually fight these Wraiths.

Where are Merry and Pippin? They've been gone for about an hour!Noelle knew she probably shouldn't have expected them notto fool around. She really needed to stop worrying so much.

She felt so alone, with no one else to turn to. Gandalf was missing in action. The Jedi were gone. And home was far behind her. She was alone.

Just then, Strider came back with three freshly-caught rabbits in his left hand. "Still no sign of the hobbits?" he asked, tossing the rabbits on the ground.

Noelle poked the dead carcasses with her somewhat pointed stick. "Nope. They've been gone for at least an hour now. Maybe we should go look for them- even though, they're probably just fooling around..."