Chapter 4

The Ranger of the Wilds

Three days passed, and still, the company hadn't seen Strider. While the Innkeeper, Mr. Butterbur, graciously let them stay, he still gave them some odd jobs. Twilight kept a record of some of his expenses, Rarity was in charge of planning a few renovations, Fluttershy fed the black cat that resided in the Inn, Applejack worked the counter when Mr. Butterbur was out, Rainbow Dash was in charge of making sure any suspicious characters behaved, and Pinkie was the sole waitress. Those three days were the busiest ever for the Prancing Pony, but soon, the moment arrived. A disheveled man in a hooded cloak entered the Pony. He said a few brief words to Mr. Butterbur, then took a seat at a table in the corner of the Inn. The surge returned, as Master Yoda approached him.

“Hmm. Greetings, my friend. Yoda, my name is. Told me of you, Gandalf did, Strider,” he said. The man's eyes sparkled in the light of his pipe ashes, and then, he spoke in a tone soft, yet regal.

“If Gandalf told you of me, then clearly something impressed him. I'd like to know,” Strider said. Master Yoda nodded, and proceeded to tell Strider everything. As he finished, Strider stood up and walked to the entrance of the Prancing Pony, peeking out and saw that indeed, the silhouette of the Death Star was visible in the sky.

“Seems you're correct, Yoda. The Death Star is in the sky, which means Palpatine is here. Hmm. I'll be able to get you all to Rivendell, but after that, I'm not sure. Lord Elrond could advise us,” he said. Master Yoda nodded, as he and Strider returned to the table.

“Told me, Gandalf did, of the one's you are waiting for. Hobbits,” Master Yoda said.

“Yes. One of them carries the weapon of the enemy. The One Ring,” he said, quietly so as not to alarm any of the other patrons.

“Hmm. Mention this weapon, Gandalf did. Like to know more about it, I would,” Master Yoda said. Strider nodded, putting out his pipe.

“It began long ago, with the forging of the great Rings. Three were given to the Elves; immortal, wisest, and fairest of all the beings of Middle-Earth. Seven were then given to the Dwarf Lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls, and Nine. Nine Rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else, desire power. It was in these Rings that contained the strength and will to govern each race. But, all of them were deceived. For another Ring was made. In the land of Mordor, in the heart of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged, in secret, a master Ring, a Ring to control all the others, and into this Ring, he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life. One Ring to Rule Them All. The free lands of Middle-Earth fell to the power of the Ring, almost instantly, but there were some who resisted. A Last Alliance of Men and Elves marched against Mordor's armies, and on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth. The battle was swaying to the Last Alliance. Victory was near, but the power of the Ring couldn't be undone. Sauron entered the battlefield, and in a fell swoop, decimated most of the army, including the king, Elendil. It was in that moment, when hope seemed to have fled, that Isildur, the son of the King, took up his father's sword, Narsil. With a swift strike, he severed the fingers from Sauron, the Ring still attached, and in a blinding flash of light and shockwave, Sauron and the Mordor army was destroyed. Sauron, the enemy of the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth, was defeated. The Ring then passed to Isildur, who had one chance to destroy that evil forever. But, the hearts of Men can be easily corrupted and the Ring of Power has a will of it's own.” Master Yoda noticed, as Strider recounted the Battle of the Last Alliance, he seemed almost entranced, like it was a memory that he was retelling and not a story passed down.

“But, how in the hands of Hobbits, did it come to?” he asked.

“Right, I apologize, I may have gotten sidetracked. Anyway, the Ring betrayed Isildur to his death, and eventually, the name of Sauron and the events of the Ring of Power were lost. History became legend, legend then became myth, and for two and a half thousand years, the Ring passed out of all knowledge, until it happened. When chance came, the Ring ensnared a new bearer. The Ring came to the creature Gollum, a horrid wretch of a being, who took it deep into the tunnels of the Misty Mountains, and it consumed him. The Ring gave him unnatural long life, for 500 years it poisoned his mind, and in the gloom of Gollum's cave, the Ring waited. Darkness started to creep back into the forests of the world, whispers of a nameless fear. The Ring's time had come. It abandoned Gollum, but something then happened the Ring did not intend. It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable, Bilbo Baggins of the Shire; who'd accompanied the Company of Thorin Oakenshield on their quest to reclaim the land of Erebor. After that quest was completed, Bilbo brought the Ring back to the Shire, where he kept it close at all times, which was what the Ring wanted. It began to affect him as it did Gollum, prolonging his life and delaying old age. It took the persuasion of Gandalf for Bilbo to finally let it go and put it into the hands of his nephew, Frodo Baggins. That is who we all await,” he said.

“Ahh. A false name, Underhill is,” Master Yoda said. Strider nodded.

“When that name comes through the Inn, bring the others up to your room. Let me deal with the Hobbits,” he said. Master Yoda nodded, closing his eyes. The darkness was becoming stronger, he could feel it, and with the new knowledge that he had about the Ring of Power, he could bet it had something to do with that, and Sauron. The one thing that could not happen was Palpatine gaining the Ring. If he did, it would surely spell doom for all. He didn't know if these Hobbits would be a help or a hinderance, but if they'd gone this long with the Ring, why make them stop now?

==========~o0o~==========

Saruman was not expecting the day to turn out like this. Gandalf was still trapped at the top of Orthanc, and he had begun work on creating Sauron's army. It was then that he saw the white clad soldiers marching to Orthanc from his balcony, and the black clad figure leading them. The imbalance seemed to emanate from him, and so, Saruman opened the doors to Orthanc for him. What he wasn't expecting was the power he wielded, as he soon discovered, being held in the air and his throat becoming constricted by an invisible force.

“Be warned, Saruman. My Master gives you a generous offer, and it would be best for you to take it. The power he wields, and could soon wield, is far greater than that of Sauron. I would suggest you choose the winning side,” Darth Vader said, his mechanical breathing resonating through Orthanc. Saruman looked at the remains of a few of his Orcs, skewered and dismembered by Vader's lightsaber. The White Wizard grit his teeth, then nodded.

“A wise choice, Saruman,” Vader said, releasing Saruman from the Force choke. The wizard was gasping for breath, leaning on his staff, as a Stormtrooper approached Vader, holding Saruman's notes on the Ring.

“Lord Vader, we found these in his study,” he said. Vader took the parchment, and thumbed through them, then handed them back to the trooper.

“Deliver them to the Emperor, and have one of the Orcs send this to Sauron,” he said, handing him a disc-like object. The trooper saluted, marching to the caverns of Isengard. Vader turned back to Saruman, towering over the old man.

“Now, Saruman, let us go visit the Emperor,” he said.

==========~o0o~==========

Rain began to fall on that particularly dark night in Bree, but the Pony was still bustling. Twilight and her friends were hard at work, with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka lending assistance. Master Yoda sat with Strider, still waiting for the Hobbits. They passed the time, telling tales of their homes; Master Yoda of Coruscant before it was corrupted by Palpatine, and Strider of the other parts of Middle-Earth. But, as they talked, their ears were still picking up every sound.

“Good evening, little masters, what can I do for you? If you're looking for accommodation we've got some nice, cosy, Hobbit-sized rooms available. Always happy to cater to the Little Folk, Mr..,” Mr. Butterbur said at the counter. The voice that answered in reply, was the one the party had been waiting for.

“Underhill. My name's Underhill,” he said. Master Yoda and Strider's head whipped to the voice, and the rest of the party's ears perked in interest.

“We're friends of Gandalf the Grey, can you tell him we've arrived?” the Hobbit said. Master Yoda didn't hear the rest of the conversation, as he and the rest of the party headed up to the room. Strider waited at the table, lighting his pipe, and staring at the Hobbits.

“Is that them, Master?” Obi-Wan asked, looking back as the Hobbits took a seat at one of the tables.

“Yes, Obi-Wan,” Master Yoda said. Twilight's eyes widened, as she got a good look at them. They didn't look like much, short and stocky, with curly hair on their heads and their bare feet. She wondered if that was a custom for Hobbits, if they didn't wear shoes. They all headed up to the room, and just waited.

==========~o0o~==========

For Saruman, stepping onto the Death Star was like being taken to a whole new world. The immaculate, silver space station was something Saruman had never seen before, and being a Maia Spirit, that was saying something. And yet, the instant he stepped foot onto the Death Star, Saruman could tell that this aura, this darkness, was something beyond even him and the other Maia.

“My Master eagerly awaits you, Saruman,” Darth Vader said, as Saruman was flanked by four Stormtroopers. The wizard said nothing, trying to channel his magic if he needed a quick escape, but he felt a block. Something was keeping him from drawing his magic. Vader led them to a private lift and they headed to the Emperor's quarters. The door's opened and Saruman was given his first look at Palpatine. Appearances were deceiving, Saruman knew this, and so the frail look of the old man was not fooling the Wizard, who could tell that there was a power in Palpatine, a dark power that the Wizard could tell was stronger than Sauron.

“Master, I have brought Saruman,” Vader said, as he and the Wizard entered. Palpatine turned and smiled evilly at Saruman, his yellow eyes shining.

“Welcome, Saruman. I've looked forward to meeting you. I am Emperor Palpatine,” he said, slowly approaching the Wizard. Saruman looked down at the old man, the grip on his staff tightening.

“There were easier way's of gaining my attention without slaughtering my servants,” he said. Palpatine chuckled.

“But would you have come? That's the question. I assure you, Saruman, I have good reason to bring you here. You think Sauron is the only powerful dark being in the world, he is not even the most powerful in the universe. There are beings far more powerful in other universes that Sauron pales in comparison. He and his trinkets are not what I am after, Saruman. What I am after is an alliance, with you,” he said. The wizard's eyebrows raised.

“What could I contribute to this alliance? You seem to have more power than I can comprehend,” Saruman said. Palpatine smirked, his cane tapping on the polished floor of the quarters.

“We are keeping prisoner two highly powerful magical beings, and while it would be easy to simply kill them, the magic they wield can be of great benefit to my plans, but the magic they wield is too pure, too...harmonious. You once walked in that light, Saruman, you can look inside them to find a darkness, something I can exploit,” he said. Saruman glared.

“Why would you assume that I can discover this darkness? If they are so powerful, it would be well hidden,” he said. Palpatine smiled, and reached into the darkness of his robe, pulling out a palantír.

“Where did you get that?!” Saruman asked astonished.

“The Force can reveal things to me that other's cannot see,” Palpatine said, handing the seeing stone to the Wizard.

“Where are these prisoners,” Saruaman asked, his eyes becoming brighter. Palpatine grinned evilly, his yellow teeth visible.

“Follow me,” he said, heading to the door.

==========~o0o~==========

It wasn't clear how much time had passed when Strider had dragged the party and the Hobbits out of the Prancing Pony and, as he put it, 'into the wild' in order to escape the Nazgûl. A barrage of questions were lobbed on the party by the Hobbits, Merry and Pippin mostly, but most had to be avoided, aside from names. The time was not right for vital details to be given. Eventually, when it seemed that the walking would never end, Strider stopped them all.

“This was the great watchtower of Amon Sul. We shall rest here tonight,” Strider said, as a large stone monument was revealed to the party.

“We're going to sleep THERE?!” Rarity asked, a look of horror on her face.

“I agree with Rarity. That place does not look safe at all,” Merry said, nodding. Strider glowered, saying nothing and heading for the monument. The party begrudgingly followed, walking up the slope to the small outcropping that would serve as a shelter. As they put down their packs, Strider approached with various weapons.

“These are for you. Keep them close. I'm going to have a look around,” he said, passing the swords and daggers to the party, not including the Jedi. “Stay here,” he continued, standing up and grabbing his bow and heading out of the shelter. The party took a look at the swords, with the Hobbits admiring the daggers.

“So, are any of ya'll a good cook?” Applejack asked, placing the sword down next to her. One of the Hobbits, Samwise, nodded and pulled out a bunch of cooking supplies. While the younger members of the party began to prepare dinner, with Ahsoka supervising, Obi-Wan and Master Yoda decided to venture a bit higher. They'd been sensing some type of disturbance, but they couldn't get a feel for it, and they'd been following Strider. Now, they had a moment of peace and could focus on the disturbance. They knew it was there, they just needed to find it.

“It feels close, Master,” Obi-Wan said. Master Yoda nodded, as he and Obi-Wan walked a bit higher, to the top of Weathertop. The two Jedi reached out with the Force, to feel the disturbance, and that's when it hit them. They turned to find a dark, hooded shape behind them, which was revealed to be Darth Maul. Obi-Wan and Master Yoda whipped out their lightsabers and got into attack position, as Darth Maul pulled out his double bladed lightsaber.

“Of all the things to find, you were the last one I would have thought of, Maul,” Obi-Wan said, glaring. Darth Maul's yellow eyes shined, a growl escaping his lips.

“Do not test me, Kenobi. I am under orders from my Master to not directly confront you Jedi, and as much as I would love nothing more than to finally rend you limb from limb, I will not disobey my Master,” he said, lowering his lightsaber a bit. Master Yoda glared.

“Your purpose, tell us, Maul,” the small Jedi Master said, his three fingered grip tightening on his lightsaber hilt.

“My Master has sent me for reconnaissance. I know you all have been running from the Nazgûl, but they are right on your trail. They will be here any moment. You cannot wait for Strider. You must leave now if you wish to remain safe,” he said. Just then, an otherworldly shriek sounded in the darkness.

“The Nazgûl. They're here,” Obi-Wan said, as nine black shapes seemed to appear out of nowhere. Darth Maul glared, tightening his grip on his lightsaber, and then, separated it into two, now duel wielding. The Nazgûl approached, swords drawn, but they were not after the saber users. The Hobbits had run into view, with the Elements of Harmony following close behind. Ahsoka was right behind them, her lightsaber's already at the ready, and standing in front of the Elements on one side, with the Hobbits on the other. Without a word, Obi-Wan and Master Yoda leapt into the group, and formed a circle around the Elements. But, the Nazgûl turned to the Hobbits, and encroached on them. Sam was in the front, and with a roar, attacked.

“Back, you devils!” he screamed, slashing at the Nazgûl, who simply swatted him aside. The party was struck still, as one of the Nazgûl pulled out a dagger, and stalked toward Frodo. The frightened Hobbit dropped his sword and fell backward, and then, seemingly disappeared as he slipped on the Ring. The party gasped, as it didn't seem to deter the Nazgûl, and stuck it's hand out, seemingly trying to get the Ring. Soon, the Nazgûl thrust the blade of the dagger into the invisible form of Frodo, who yelled in anguish. The Mane Six and the Jedi were horrified, as Frodo became visible after pulling the Ring off. Strider then leapt into view, wielding a torch and his sword and fending off the Nazgûl. It seemed to have no affect on them, the torch only mildly irritating them, when Darth Maul leapt in front of Strider, both his lightsaber's held up.

“Who are you?” Strider asked, his sword poised.

“It doesn't matter. You must take your allies and leave. Find healing for the Hobbit, but get away. I will take care of the Nazgûl,” Darth Maul said. Strider's eyes narrowed.

“I don't know who you are, but you won't survive the Nazgûl,” he said. Darth Maul chuckled darkly.

“You're right. You don't know who I am. NOW GO!” he said, twirling his lightsabers. Strider hesitated a bit, then ran over to Frodo to inspect his wound. The party and Darth Maul heard that he was stabbed by a 'Morgul blade', and that he would need Elvish medicine. Lifting the Hobbit onto his shoulders, Strider took off from Weathertop with the party, leaving Darth Maul with the Nazgûl. The Nine black cloaked figures encroached on the interloper, who held his lightsaber tight in his hand.

“Nine to one. Not good odds..for you,” Darth Maul said, grinning evilly. One of the Nazgûl struck at him, but the Sith merely kicked the Wraith and drove his lightsaber through it. The Nazgûl shrieked and the robes fell to the ground, empty. Another Nazgûl ran at Darth Maul, but he hit it in the chest and sliced it multiple times. Tatters of robe fell to the ground, next to the other one. The leader of the Nazgûl shrieked in defiance, but could see that this was a fight they could not win for now. Taking the Seven remaining Nazgûl, they escaped from Darth Maul. A low growl came from the Zabrack Sith's throat, as he deactivated his lightsaber. Pulling a holo-con from his belt, he contacted Emperor Palpatine.

“Master, the Elements are traveling with the Hobbits to Rivendell. Sauron's servants tried to intercept them, but they were easily dealt with,” he said. Palpatine chuckled darkly.

“You have done well, my apprentice. Return to the Death Star. I want you present for the next stage of the plan,” he said, turning off the holo. Without hesitation, Darth Maul grabbed his robes and returned them to his body, as he started on the journey to get back to his Sith Scimitar, and return to the Death Star.

Author's Note

Next chapter is the Council of Elrond, the meeting of a few new main characters, and then, to the Mines of Moria. We'll be done with Middle-Earth when they get to the Battle of Amon Hen. Stay tuned guys.