Giving Chase {Lord of the Rings Crossover: Book One}

Chapter Five

The door to Bag End opens and quietly closes as if pulled by an invisible hand. Bilbo materializes as he pulls a plain gold ring off his finger, with a laugh he tosses the ring into the air before returning it to the safety of his pocket.

"I suppose you think that was terribly clever?" Gandalf queries looming by the fireplace as Bilbo emerges from the passage carrying a walking stick. "Come on, Gandalf. Did you see their faces?" "You scared them half to death, I'm surprised no-one had a heart attack" Calypso countered from her spot curled up in Bilbo's old arm chair. "Calypso's right and besides you should know better. There are many magic rings in the world, Bilbo Baggins. None of them should be used lightly."

"It was just a bit of fun. Oh, you're probably right as usual, You will keep an eye on Frodo, won't you?" "Yes two eyes as a matter of fact" "I'm leaving everything to him." "What about this ring of yours? Is that staying too?" Bilbo gives Gandalf a look before nodding towards the mantelpiece. "Yes, yes, it's in an envelope over there on the mantelpiece." Gandalf frowns at the empty mantelpiece, Bilbo feels inside his waistcoat with a look of guilty surprise.

"No, wait. It's here in my pocket. Isn't that, isn't' that odd now? Yet, after all, why not? Why shouldn't I keep it?" "I think you should leave the Ring behind, Bilbo. Is that so hard?" "Well no, and yes. Now it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine. I found it. It came to me!" Gandalf looks down at Bilbo with rising concern as his mood begins to sour, Calypso's hackles beginning to rise.

"There's no need to get angry." "Well, if I'm angry, it's your fault! It's mine. My own, my precious." "Precious? It's been called that before, but not by you."

"So? What business is it of yours what I do with my own things?" Bilbo's voice, shape and manner suddenly changed as he clenched his ring closely to his chest. "I think you've had that ring quite long enough." "You want it for yourself!"

Gandalf rises to his full height, his eyes flash, his shadow growing larger by the second as it fills the room, Calypso curls tighter into herself, a dark pressure pushing on her chest.

"Bilbo Baggins do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks!" Bilbo's mood begins to change again as he cowers from the wizard. Gandalf's expression softens upon seeing the frightened hobbit before him. "I am not trying to rob you. I am trying to help you." Sobbing, Bilbo runs to Gandalf and hugs him. "All your long years we've been friends, trust me as you once did. Let it go"

"You're right, Gandalf, the ring must go to Frodo." Calypso stood and padded towards the door as Bilbo lifts his knapsack and heads for the front door himself. "It's late, the road is long. Yes, it is time." "Bilbo pup?" the feline questioned "Hmmm?"

"The ring is still in your pocket." Bilbo hesitates before reaching into his pocket, "Oh, yes." He says with surprise pulling the ring out, staring at it in his palm for a moment. With all his will power he allows the ring to slowly slide off his palm, dropping to the wooden floor below with heavy thud. Upon impact a shiver shoots up the pads of her paws turning her stomach to butterflies.

Bilbo staggers out of Bag End bracing himself in the chill night air, in the few moments since losing the ring the elder hobbit looked paler, trembling in the night as if the loss of the small trinket had weakened him in a way. Gandalf and Calypso step out behind him side by side in the doorway. "I've thought up an ending for my book .'And he lived happily ever after to the end of his days'."

"I'm sure you will, my dear friend." "Goodbye Calypso" "I can accompany you if you like pup?" With a smile Bilbo waved off the idea, shaking his head, "No old friend, I need to do this. On my own, one last time." "Goodbye then old friend"

"Goodbye Gandalf" "Goodbye Bilbo."

Bilbo walks away from Bag End, disappearing into the night.

--

As the pair re-entered Bag End Calypso's eyes made contact with the ring glinting away on the floor from the glow of the fire, something about the trinket made a growl rumble inside her chest as her paws steers her about the object giving it a wide berth. Gandalf circles around it, a puzzled look on his face. Gandalf slowly reaches for the ring. His fingers barely touch the surface before he recoils, returning to his spot by the fire sitting in front of it with his pipe, starting a flickering flames.

(Edited:21/09/2022)