♕ CHAPTER FOUR ♕
THE RING IS YOURS NOW

THE RING IS GLINTING on the floor, and Gandalf, along with Tatsuo, circlesaround it, a puzzled look on the wizard's face while Tatsuo scowls at it. Gandalf slowly reachesfor the ring, but Tatsuo lays a hand on his arm, stopping him above the golden object. A creepy hum rises in their ears. Later they are both sitting in front of the fire. Gandalf has his pipe in his mouth and stares into the flames. "do you think it is this?" Gandalf asks, suddenly breaking the silent air, and Tatsuo looks at him. "it's possible." she says, and suddenly she hears Frodo even before he comes in. "Bilbo! Bilbo!" he rushes into the bag end, stopping and picking up the ring athis feet. Tatsuo looks at him meeting his eyes. Gandalf is staring into the fire as if lockedin thought. "He's gone, hasn't he?" Frodo says quietly, looking into the shifter's eyes as she looks back.'

Her expression is calm, but her eyes tell her emotions better. She feels sorry for Frodo. And why wouldn't she? His uncle left without giving him a proper goodbye or why he was going. he steps into the living room, his eyes fleeing to Gandalf's huddled form. "He talked for so long about leaving ...I didn't think he'd do it." the young hobbit continues, and Tatsuo sighs and looks into the flames. "Gandalf?" she then asks, and the grey wizard turns, his eyes locking onto the ring in Frodo's fingers. "Bilbo's ring," he says. He then sorts hurriedly through Bilbo's papers. "He's gone to stay with the Elves. He's left you Bag End..." he says, smiling and holding out the envelope. Frodo drops the ring into it. "...along with all his possessions." Tatsuo fishes and stands up, placing a hand on Frodo, who looks at her. Gandalf seals the envelope with wax. He hands it to Frodo, who takes it.

"The ring is yours now. Put it somewhere out of sight." Gandalf says and rises hurriedly and starts to gather his things. Tatsuo moves away from the black-haired hobbit as he follows the grey wizard around. "Where are you going?" "There are things I must see to," Gandalf says. "What things?" Frodo aks and Tatsuo sighs from her shadowy corner. "Questions. Questions that need answering, Frodo," she says, and the young hobbit glances at her. "But you've only just arrived! I don't understand..." Frodo turns his gaze away from Tatsuo, who now comes into the light standing behind him, like Gandalf, who is already at the door, turns to Frodo.

"Neither do we. Stay with Frodo, Tatsuo. Keep it secret, Keep it safe." Gandalf says and hurries out the door leaving Frodo and Tatsuo standing alone in Bag end.

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Tatsuo sits in Green dragon, listing to hobbits fest and stuffing themselves. She suddenly sees The jagged ruins of Barad-Dur. The dark tower. The vast dark building of Barad- due is beingrebuilt! Thousands of orcs crawl over the surface, hauling stoneand iron up the towering heights. suddenly a familiar voice fills her head, and she groans, attracting Frodo, whos sitting beside her. "Shire! Baggins!!" the singer says. The vision then switches to Minas Morgul as nine black riders burst out of the ghostly tower. They charge toward her. But she knows this is a vision. They can't do anything to her. The image shows Hobbiton and alone hobbit on the road, checking for strange folk. Then she sees a lone horseman gallop to the crest of a hill on thewest road. The main highway is south of Minas tirht. He lookstoward the saw-toothed mountains of Mordor.

The vision switches to Mount Doom. a huge billowing cloud of black filth grows and spreads across the red-streaked sky, casting ashadowy pall over the nightmarish landscape, seeping outacross the blood-red sky. Gandalf comes into her vision. His face is face grave. He spurs his horse on. he then makes his way down into the lower depths ofthe Citadel. Gondor Tatsuo thinks. Pages flip as Gandalf searches ancient scrolls andbooks placed high on a wooden table. Finally, his eyes settle on one oldparchment. He murmurs hurriedly to himself, reading. "The year 3434 of the Second Age ...here follows the account of Isildur,High King of Gondor, and the finding ofthe Ring of Power. The year 3434 of the Second Age ...here follows the account of Isildur,High King of Gondor, and the finding ofthe Ring of Power." a vision of Isildur crosses Tatsuo's mind. His eyes are fixed on the ring.

"It has come to me ... the Ring of Power! It shall be an heirloom of my kingdom... all those who follow in my bloodlineshall be bound to its fate, for I willrisk no hurt to the ring ... it isprecious to me, though I buy it withgreat pain.." So Gandalf reads, and Tatsuo hears it in her mind as if she had read it. an image of elvish lettering marks on the faded old document in the wizard's hand comes into the dragon's mind. "The marking on the band begin to fade... the writing which at first was asclear as the red flame has all butdisappeared ... a secret now that onlyfire can tell..." then the image of the shire comes, and tatuso clutches her head as the vision starts to infect her concentration. Frodo looks at her, worried, while sam does too. The picture shows Farmer Maggot chopping wood in his garden. Then teh sound of snorting horse nostrils fills her mind and ears as the shadow of a Black rider looms over a hobbit house.

He's close, Tatsuo's thoughts and wine once more. Her head in her hands. "Tatsuo?" Frodo asks, now growing more and more worried for his friend. "are you alright?" she doesn't hear him as she's too deep in her vision. Terrified, farmer maggot cowers in his doorway ... Fangs, hisdog, whimpers, and backs away. "Shire? Baggins?" the black rider hiss in question. "There's no Bagginses around here! They're all up in Hobbiton." farmer maggot says, terrified. The black rider gallons away at speed. The vision despairs, and Tatsuo is left breathless. She almost falls, but Frodo catches her. "Woah oaky, here we go," he exclaims and helo her onto her stool again.

"are you okay?" sam asks, and Tatsuo shakes her head as the dizzyness of the vision clears. "yes, I'm fine. I only had something.... a vision. We must get to Bag End. Now" she says and stands, but Frodo holds her down. "Oh no. you can not walk properly. We wait until you've had something to drink and rested a few minutes," he says, and Tatsuo hisses at him, making him move his hand away. she sighs and sits down, holding her head. "I'm sorry, Frodo. I didn't mean to. I'm just... worried for what will come," she trails off, and sam offers her a mug of something to drink, and she takes it, smiling at him.

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