Aunt Taylor's Library

Chapter 20 (Tyheim)

(Tyheim's POV)

We dashed through the field, tripping over roots and things. Suddenly, the ground below my feet disappeared and we all tumbled down a small incline, landing in a heap at the bottom.

One of the new hobbit-things said, "That was close."

As Frodo stood up and looked around, the other new one wailed, "I think I've broken something!" He pulled out a broken carrot, and Marie patted his back sympathetically. I was surprised she didn't faint from touching him.

Sam glared at the two. "Trust a Brandybuck and a Took!"

"What? That was just a detour...a shortcut!"

"A shortcut to what?"

"Mushrooms!" one shouted, excitedly hopping across a road to a patch of mushrooms. Sam, Marie, and the other one, Merry, I think, ran over to join him. I followed quickly. Ellie and Frodo stood on the road, glancing around tensely.

"I think we should get off the road," Ellie said quietly.

A creepy, bloodcurdling wail drifted through the air, sending a chill down my back. It reminded of me of evilness and darkness and fear.

"Get off the road!" Frodo shouted.

Sam grabbed Merry and whatshisface and I grabbed Marie, and we dragged them across the road and down a bank, invisible from the road. Soon, I heard the clopping of hooves drawing nearer. Ellie tensed up next to me, practically white. It didn't take much to guess that this was the evil of the books approaching us now.

The hooves stopped right above us, and I froze. I held my breath, concentrating on not making a sound. I heard a low sniffling noise, almost like the thing riding the horse was sniffing us out.

Suddenly, there was a loud thump, and I heard footsteps approaching. My hand involuntarily moved to my pocket, where the little gold ring is found was. I pulled my hand away, though it seemed very hard. Almost like an invisible force was pushing my hand down. I fought back, though. I didn't want to wear a stupid ring!

Finally, the thing jumped back on its horse, and the sound of the hooves eventually died away. I finally felt able to breathe again. Everyone sighed in relief.

The rest of the day was spent running away from cloaked people that Marie called ringwraiths. Ellie kept muttering that they shouldn't be chasing us, we didn't have it. Whatever it was.

As night fell, we found ourselves running for our lives toward a small ferry. Frodo only barely made it on, and Marie almost fell into the river, but we finally lost the ringwraiths.

I sighed with relief. "Glad that's over."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "It's far from over. But it just doesn't make sense..." She started muttering again, so I ignored her and turned to Merry and Pippin, who were really funny when they weren't terrified.

I fell asleep (I fall asleep really quickly), and Marie decided it would be funny to wake me up when we reached the other side by rolling me into the river. It was only a foot deep, but still. I could have drowned! Ellie told me to stop whining and grow up, which I did not appreciate.

We set off along the road, and I heard Frodo say we were going to some village called "Bree." Weird name.

The trees were growing close together, and they sort of made a tunnel over us as we walked, blocking out most of the light from the moon. No one was speaking, and I could barely see, so I stared at the ground, trying not to trip.

It was several minutes before I realized I was entirely alone.

I started to panic. "Ellie! Marie!" I ran around in circles, trying to find them and getting myself more lost. Finally, I just sat down on a fallen tree.

They were probably dead. They'd died, and I'd never get home now. This was probably all a dream, anyway. I punched myself, but it hurt. Really lifelike dream.

Suddenly, two talk forms and refer from the most. I shouted, and, wielding a tree branch as a sword, jumped to my feet.

"Whoa, whoa, calm yourself!" Ellie said, holding her hands up.

"Why'd you wander off?" Marie asked, marks crossed.

I shrugged. "I didn't mean to."

"Well, now we're lost," Ellie said, sighing. "Good job, you shank."

We began wandering in the general direction of the road. Ellie had told Frodo to go on without us, that we'd only be a minute. It had been more than a minute.

I spent the time loudly protesting my innocence. It had been an accident. Unfortunately, it seems that lots of things are attracted to loud voices.

Suddenly, a huge crash sounded behind us, and we all screamed. We whirled around to see three huge...things...lumbering towards us.

"Hey, look, humans," said one, grinning nastily.

"Thought I heard one," agreed another.

It was hard to see the creatures in the dark, but I heard Marie mutter, "Orc."

The three orcs raised their swords and charged us. Ellie and I screamed and turned to run, but Marie ran towards them.

"Get back here, you idiot!" I shouted.

"Do you want to get killed?" Ellie yelled.

Marie ignored us. I saw a flash of silver as she pulled out her Swiss Army knife. She always carried that with her. She jumped off a stump and stabbed one of the orcs in the neck with it.

This caught the other two off guard. They stared at her in confusion as their companion fell to the ground, dead. Marie turned on them next, slashing them to pieces before they had time to fight back.

Ellie and stood dumbstruck as Marie quietly walked back over to us, trembling. 

"How did you do that?" Ellie whispered.

Marie shrugged, turning towards me. She suddenly let out a torrent of Dutch like never before.

"WE GAAN ALLEMAAL STERVEN EN HET IS ALLEMAAL TYHEIM'S SCHULD!"

"What?" I asked. Marie didn't pause.

"-STOMME BEK HAD GEHOUDEN ZOUDEN ZE ONS NOOIT HEBBEN GEVONDEN! HOE IS-"

"Marie, be quiet!" Ellie hissed.

"-WIJ IN MIDDEN AARDE ZIJN TANTE TAYLOR HEEFT ONS GEDROGEERD, HET KAN NIET ANDERS, HET ZOU-"

"Make her stop!" I pleaded. Ellie sighed in frustration.

"-NAAR HAAR WAREN GEWEEST. JULLIE HEBBEN GELUK DAT IK MIJN ZAKMES MEE HEB ANDERS ZOUDEN-"

"Marie..."

"-DOOD ZIJN KAN HIJ ECHT NOOIT ZIJN BEK HOUDEN IEDERE ORK IN MIDDEN AARDE WEET WAAR WE ZIJN ONDERTUSSEN EN WE HEBBEN NOG STEEDS DE RING NOG NIET GEVONDEN! WE GAAN HIER ALLEMAAL STERVEN EN HET IS TYHEIM'S SCHULD!"

She took a few huge breaths, glaring at me.

"What was that?" Ellie asked.

"It's all Tyheim's fault," Marie said calmly, apparently no longer angry after her tirade.

"Oh, all right, true-"

"Hey!"

"Anyway," Ellie said loudly, "we still need to find Bree. Come on." We plodded off, not talking. Marie had done enough talking for all of us.

~~~~

Where could that pesky ring be?

If you've already figured it out, congrats, I made it pretty obvious.

If not...

I feel sorry for you.

Vote and comment!

~Ellie