Chapter 11: Frodo disappears! The arrival of the mysterious ranger, Strider

At the Prancing Pony Inn, the hobbits, Kaoru and Yahiko sat at a table. Sam was still concerned for Gandalf. "Sam," said Frodo, "he'll be here. He'll come."

Yahiko looks at Kaoru. She should've told Gandalf about Saruman before they left. Now… she feels that his delayed arrival is somehow… her fault. Merry came running back to their table with a cup of beer.

"What's that?" asked Pippin.

"This," answered Merry, smiling mischievously, "my friend, is a pint."

"It comes in pints?" asked Pippin.

Merry muttered in agreement.

Pippin walked from the table. "I'm getting one!" he said.

"You've had a whole half already," stated Sam.

Kaoru rolled up her eyes, 'ohhh…boys. They always want to get drunk these days,' thought Kaoru. Sam then looked away at a distance and spotted two figures cloaked with hoods over their heads, eyeing them very suspiciously…

"Those two fellows over there done nothing but stare at us since we arrived," said Sam. Kaoru and Yahiko also looked at the figures that Sam spotted.

Frodo then stopped the innkeeper, who was coming towards them, "excuse me, those men in the corner. Who are they?"

"Well," answered the Innkeeper, "one of them, I don't recognize. The stranger must be an old friend of his or something. But the other one though… he's one of them rangers."

This caught everyone's attention as the innkeeper continued, "dangerous folk, they are, wandering the wild. What his right name is, I've never heard, but around here… he's known as Strider."

The Innkeeper immediately left them afterwards, leaving Frodo silently repeating to himself, "…Strider."

Frodo carried the ring in his hands, playing with it. Frodo began to undergo a trance. He closed his eyes, with everyone looking at him with both curiosity and suspicion…

Kaoru was looking at Frodo as well when he went into a trance…

She looked at the ring, which Frodo was caressing so fondly. She finds herself… enticed to look at the ring…

Frodo was being influenced by the ring's power once more. And apparently… so was Kaoru.

Baggins! the ring muttered…

The ring kept muttering Frodo's name until…

"Baggins!"

Someone else was speaking Frodo's name, which enabled Frodo and Kaoru to come out of their trances. Pippin was the one speaking and was also drunk as well.

"Sure I know a Baggins. He's over there, Frodo Baggins," Pippin said as he turned around and pointed to Frodo. Frodo instantly gasped at this.

"Grr," growled Yahiko, "what's does he think he's playing at?"

Pippin went on, "he's my second cousin, once removed from his mother's side. And…"

Frodo ran up to the drunk Pippin and tried to stop him babbling. "Pippin," he yelled out, grabbing Pippin's arm.

"Steady on!" said Pippin. Suddenly…

Frodo tripped sending the ring in his hand flying up in the air. Everyone gasped, including the two figures that were staring at Frodo. The ring then started falling to the ground. Frodo tries to catch the ring, but the ring slipped on Frodo's finger…

…And he vanished!

The entire crowd gasped in fright to what they saw. It had more of an adverse effect on Frodo's companions.

'I don't believe it…' thought Kaoru.

'Frodo disappeared?' thought Yahiko.

Instantly, the black riders sensed the ring's power being used and rushed on immediately.

Before his own eyes, Frodo was in some kind of shadow realm. It frightened him greatly. But the most frightening part was the appearance of a large, fiery eye. It approached Frodo, as it spoke…

Frodo backed away from the eye as much as possible but it still came even closer to Frodo…

"…There is," the eye went on, frighteningly, "…no life… in the void. Only… death." Then Frodo quickly took the ring off his finger and the shadow realm disappeared.

He was completely back at the inn. Frodo took a deep breath, not before being snatched by someone. It was the two hooded figures who were staring at him earlier.

"You," said one of the strangers, "draw far too much attention to yourself, 'Mr. Underhill'." With that remark, they dragged Frodo upstairs and into his room.

Once they got there, Frodo was thrown onto the floor. The other stranger decided to remove his hood, revealing a brown, spiky haired man wearing a red bandanna on his head.

"He's right, shortie," he said, "this isn't the place for disappearing acts, you know."

Frodo stood up and asked, "what do you want?"

"A little more caution from you," said the other stranger known as Strider, "that is no trinket you carry."

"I carry nothing," objected Frodo.

"Indeed," said Strider. He then walked over to the window and snuffed out the candles one by one using his finger.

"I can avoid being seen if I wish, but to disappear entirely… that is a rare gift," said Strider as he removed his hood as well.

"Who are you?" asked Frodo.

"Are you frightened?"

"Yes," answered Frodo.

"Not nearly frightened enough," countered Strider, "I know what hunts you."

Frodo was shocked to hear this and suddenly… the door opened. Strider drew his sword as the other stranger only cracked his fists. It was Sam, Kaoru, Yahiko, and the rest of Frodo's companions at the door.

Sam demanded, "let him go! Or I'll have you longshanks."

The spiky-haired stranger then spoke, "Missie, Yahiko?"

"Sanosuke?" said Kaoru with a quizzed look on her face.

"Huh? You're with this guy, Sanosuke?" asked Yahiko.

"You know the woman and child?" asked Strider.

"Yeah," said Sanosuke.

"Wonderful," said Strider a little annoyed as he re-sheathed his sword back into the scabbard. Then he turned to face Sam, "and you have a stout heart, little hobbit. But that will not save you."

Strider then said to Frodo, "you can no longer wait for the wizard Frodo… they're coming."

Back at the front gate, the gatekeeper heard a noise. He went to investigate and he was knocked down along with the gate, killing him instantly. It was the black riders breaking into Bree. They went straight towards the Prancing Pony Inn. As they entered, the innkeeper hid from them as he closed his eyes, hoping they won't find him and kill him.

The riders entered the hobbits' room. They saw two additional sleeping bags on the floor. The beds were full, including the sleeping bags…

The riders slowly proceeded towards the beds ominously…

…And stood over the beds with their swords. Then…

…SLICE!

They stabbed the beds simultaneously, in a continuous motion. But there was no blood…

…There were only bunches of feathers. The sinister riders tore the beds apart, along with the sleeping bags on the floor. The sinister riders screeched in agony.

While this was going on, the hobbits, Kaoru and Yahiko woke up in another room, with Strider and Sanosuke standing watch at the window. Frodo and Kaoru sat on the edge of the bed next to each other while Yahiko lay in the bed next to the Hobbits.

"Good thinking, eh Strider," congratulated Sanosuke.

"Yeah Sanosuke," interjected Yahiko, "we'd all be dead now if it wasn't for Strider."

Frodo spoke with fear in his voice, "…what are they?"

The riders screeched again. Everyone listened as Strider explained…

"They were once men," he said, "… great kings of men. Then Sauron, the deceiver, gave to them nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question. One by one, falling to darkness. Now they are slaves to his will… "

Strider then looked out the window to see the riders leaving the Inn…

He went on, "…they are the Nazgul… Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the ring… drawn by the power of the one. They will never stop hunting you."

The fact was made clear as the riders took positions outside Bree, bent on finding Frodo's companions and kill them.

The next morning, the group left Bree. They had in their company a pony named Bill. Strider took the lead, alongside Bill. "Where are you taking us?" asked Frodo.

"Into the wild," answered Strider.

As they continued their long trek, Merry had doubts about Strider, "how do we know that this Strider is a friend of Gandalf?"

"I don't know, Merry," said Kaoru, "but Yahiko and I definitely know and trust Sanosuke."

"Miss Kaoru is right," said Frodo, "we have no choice but to trust him."

"But where is he leading us?" asked Sam.

"To Rivendell, Master Gamgee," answered Strider, "to the house of Elrond."

"Did you hear that? Rivendell, we're going to see the Elves," said Sam. Rivendell was the meeting place for Kenshin and his companions provided by Radagast, but ended up scattered by Suzume's temperament.

Later on, Kaoru asked Sanosuke, "how did you meet up with Strider, Sanosuke?"

"Well," responded Sanosuke, "I found myself in a forest somewhere…"

Sanosuke recalled what happened to him while he explained…

"…And I couldn't find any of you guys anywhere…"

"Man," said Sanosuke, "that's the last time I let an old man take me through some portal! This forest seems endless. I can't seem to find my way out. I wish I brought some food with me."

"Then," interjected a voice that came from the woods, "let me provide you with food, stranger."

"He wanted to share some food with me," said Sanosuke, recalling his meeting with Strider.

The stranger provided Sanosuke with a large wafer of a type of bread. Sanosuke ate a piece of the bread… and somehow… felt full up already.

"Mmm," Sanosuke hummed with satisfaction, "I feel full up already. What is this stuff?"

The stranger answered, "its called Lembas Bread, food of the Elves. One bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man."

"Are you an Elf?"

"No," the stranger answered solemnly, "…I was raised by Elves. I am a ranger, fellow traveler. You may call me Strider."

"Strider?" queried Sanosuke, "that's not much of a name."

"Its all I have," Strider sadly said, "I must take my leave of you, I have important business ahead."

"What is this business?"

"I must go to the village of Bree. The wizard, Gandalf the Grey, has asked me to look over a hobbit that has a powerful object."

Sanosuke seemed interested in Strider's quest, especially when he just heard the name, Gandalf mentioned by Radagast.

"Excuse me sir," said Sanosuke, "would this powerful object happen to be a ring?"

Strider was taken aback by what Sanosuke asked. "Do you know," he asked, "…about the One Ring?"

"Yeah, buddy. You see… I am not actually from this world… but from another. Another wizard that calls himself Radagast sent me and six of my other friends here because of this ring. I can't seem to find any of my friends anywhere."

"Then," resolved Strider, "I think it is best that you come with me. What's your name?"

"I'm Sanosuke Sagara. It's nice to finally meet someone in this place."

And so… Sanosuke and Strider went on to Bree to meet up with Frodo…

"That's how I met up with you guys," concluded Sanosuke, "its nice to see you again, Kaoru."

"And I'm thankful that I got to see you again, Sanosuke," agreed Kaoru. "But… what about Kenshin? Will we ever meet up with him again as well as the others?"

"…Who knows missie… who knows?"

The travelers continued their journey even further as the hobbits were getting out their cooking utensils. Strider objected to this, "gentlemen, we do not stop until nightfall."

"What about breakfast?" asked Pippin.

"You already had it."

"We've had one yes," said Pippin, "what about second breakfast?"

But Strider kept moving. He clearly doesn't want to stop till it got dark.

"Second breakfast?" wondered Yahiko in shock. Sanosuke and Kaoru were shocked as well.

"Geez, you hobbits are really hungry, aren't you," said Sanosuke.

"Well Sanosuke," said Frodo, "that's hobbit life for you."

"Yes, Mr. Sanosuke," said Sam, "we've been like this throughout our lives."

"Yeah," opined Sanosuke, "you're short, and you're all barefooted!"

The Hobbits started to pick up their cooking utensils as Merry and Pippin had a conversation about Strider.

"I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip."

"What about elevenses…? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? Surely he knows about them, doesn't he?"

"I wouldn't count on that," said Merry.

Then an apple came out of nowhere and Merry caught it. He patted Pippin on the back and gave him the apple. Another apple then dropped onto Pippin, which caught him by surprise.

"Pippin," Merry called out.

Meanwhile, in Isengard, Saruman held out his hand over the palantir, which showed Sauron's fiery eye on it. Saruman communicated to Sauron with his thoughts, '…the power of Isengard is at your command… Sauron, lord of the earth…'

Sauron muttered black speech to Saruman and then spoke clearly in his eerie, frightening voice…

Sometime later, Saruman sat in another room, with his arms crossed on his chest, looking as if he were haunted. Orcs came into the room…

"What orders," said an Orc, "from Mordor, my lord? What does the eye command?"

"We have work to do," Saruman said, grimly.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or Lord of the Rings. RK is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Lord of the Rings is the property of Professor J. R. R. Tolkien

Please r/r.