𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐇: 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ( lotr. )

Chapter Two - Weathertop

"BUT IN TRUTH, THE RINGWRAITHS WERE CRUEL..."

✧ ☫ ✧

The next morning, the poor innkeeper was plagued by his guests; all the mounts had been driven off from the stables or bolted away in fear. Even though Butterbur was busy, the six of them managed to get a hasty breakfast before looking for a pony they could purchase. They would need it to bear the provisions and gear that would slow them down.

At ten o' clock, Arina and Aragorn finally led the group out of Bree over the main street as many of the townspeople who had heard of the arrival of Strider the Ranger and an elf as well as four hobbits were crowding along the streets and crushed their hopes of slipping away. Arina kept her hood on the entire time they were on the main road, villagers shoving and pushing each other to get a glimpse of the strange travellers. At last, the small village was behind them and Aragorn led them into the wilds of Eriador. The ranger who knew these lands well in the front with Bill the pony, Frodo and Sam behind them, with Merry and Pippin following them and Arina at the rear, her bow in her right hand.

"Where are you taking us?" Frodo asked anxiously.

"Into the wild," Aragorn answered curtly and examined the moss on a tree.

They made their way through the grasses, peeking around large stones here and there. With her sharp ears, she caught every word of the conversation the hobbits were having in front of her as Merry walked up to Frodo and whispered.

"How do we know that Strider is a friend of Gandalf's?"

"I think a servant of the enemy would look fairer and feel fouler", Frodo replied, also in a whisper, though she knew Aragorn was able to listen to their conversation just as well as she was.

"He's foul enough", Merry muttered.

"We have no choice but to trust him."

"But where is he leading us?" Sam Gamgee, the slightly chubby hobbit with golden locks asked.

"To Rivendell, Master Gamgee. To the House of Elrond," Arina called out from behind them, slightly startling the hobbit.

"Did you hear that? Rivendell? We're going to see the elves!" Sam muttered excitedly as they left the forest they had been taking cover in.

Arina smiled. That hobbit liked elves a lot, it seemed to her. But soon, the elves would be leaving hither shores and go into the West that was withheld from her. She sighed, knowing that there were still centuries until she would behold thither fair shores of the Sundering Sea again. Slightly blurry images of the Bay of Eldamar on the eastern shore of Aman, and Taniquetil towering high above the ground near the stars came back into her mind.

For the rest of the day, she lost herself in elven dreams, all the while following the hobbits until they made camp.

꧁ ───────✧ ☫ ✧─────── ꧂

The next morning, they set out after a hasty breakfast and reached a snowy and hilly region only a few hours later. While Aragorn took a look ahead, she noticed that the four hobbits in front of her had stopped and were beginning to unpack food.

"Gentlemen. We do not stop till nightfall," Aragorn informed them.

"But what about breakfast?" Pippin asked.

"You've already had it..." Aragorn sounded confused.

"We've had one, yes. But what about second breakfast?" Pippin replied, somewhat cheekily, yet matter-of-factly.