♕ CHAPTER FIVE ♕
ITS TIME TO LEAVE

THE HOBBIT OF HOBBITON is having a grand evening out of ale and song. Merry and Pippin are dancing with mugs in hand. They're at a table singing while supporting each other. Frodo retrieves more cups of ale from the bar and dances aorund the tavern. "Hey, ho to the bottle I go! To heal my heart and drown my wow. Rain may fall, and wind may blow. But there still be many miles to go! Sweet is the sound of the pouring rain and the stream that falls from hill to plain. Better than the rain or rippling brook-"

Pippin then ends the song with his mug raised "is a mug of beer inside this Took!" Many laughs and clinks their mugs together. Three grown hobbit men involve themselves in a most severe discussion. Sam sits quietly next to his father. A shadow sits in the corner drinking her mug. Her cloak of dragon scales is on her shoulders, but the hood is down, revealing her white hair. It's not elderly, but a trait she has for being a shifter. Her eyes scan the tavern, not wanting to take part in anything. But she has to be here to make sure that Frodo and Sam get home.

She then overheard the conversation between the adult hobbits "there's been some strange folk crossing the Shire. Dwarves and others of a less than savory nature," Daddy two-foot say, and Ted chimes in, "war is brewing. The mountains are fair teeming with gobbling." Their words make a knot tie in the young dragonesses stomach. But, on the other hand, Sam is unfazed by the elders' talk. He smokes his pipe and looks at Rosie behind the bar. The young hobbit gives him a huge smile.

"Far off tales and children's stories, that's all that is. You're beginning to sound like that old Bilbo Baggins. Cracked he was," the Gaffer says, and then Frodo comes up to them smiling. "Young Mr. Frodo, here he's cracking!" Ted exclaims, and Frodo laughs, setting down the mugs of ale. "And proud do it. Cheers, Gaffer," he says. Tatsuo stands and walks over to them, making the hobbits look at her. She smiles politely and sits down. "Care to join us, my lady?" Frodo asks and smiles.

Tatsuo chuckles, lifting her mug "no, thank you, young master. I need no brew," and she drinks something Frodo didn't see. He shrugged, and the hobbits continued to talk, "well, it's none of our concern what goes on beyond our borders." He looks at Frodo, saying, "keep your nose out of trouble, and no trouble cole to you" Tatsuo sighs as this ad Frodo raises his tankard, smiling.

Little does he know that indeed torunvlw will come to him first.

♕

Later on, they finally leave. Rosie birds the least patrons, "good night," Tatsuo looks at Sam, and her, smiling as their eyes meet for a moment as the 3 of them leave the inn. "Good night, lads," she says and nods at Tatsuo as she walks out after Frodo and Sam. "Goodnight," Sam says, and Tatsuo dips her head. They continue on their way. Whims they an intoxicated hobbit kneels before Rosie and raises his arms as if worshiping a goddess.

Tatsuo snorts as it seems weird for her, "good night, sweet maiden of the golden ale!" The hobbit exclaims, and Tatsuo steps up her sep and walks up beside Frodo as Sam mutters, "mind who you're sweet-talking" the dragon lady chuckles and lays a hand on his shoulder and Frodo's. "Don't worry, Sam. That young maiden knows an idiot when she sees one" she then lifts her arm off them both and winks at Frodo as they continue walking.

Sam has stopped and asks, "does she?" Tatsuo laughs and calls over her shoulder, "come on little lovebird!"

♕

They finally arrive at the bag end and bid goodbye to Sam, heading toward the front door. The two of them enter Bag end, and immediately Tatsuo lays a hand on his shoulder, tending, "there's something here," she says, but all is quiet; Frodo peers unrealistic into the dark living room. But he feels Tatsuo relax as she moves away, and a just hand lands on his shoulder instead. Frodo lets out a startled cry, pulls himself free, and spins aorund to face his assailant.

"Calm down, Frodo. It's only Gandalf," Tatsuo's voice says as Gandalf steps into a shaft of moonlight. He looks at Frodo intently, then at Tatsuo. Paranoia valises in his eyes. His clothes are dirty and ragged from much traveling. His hair and beard are much longer and unkempt.

"Is it secret? Is it safe?" He whispered. Tatsuo and Frodo look at each other bout a little rubber from Gandalf's sudden worry. Then, finally, Frodo nods and goes to the living room, pulling an envelope out of an old chest. Tatsuo and Gandalf are behind him. Gandalf tabes the envelope and is tossed into the fireplace without a word. "What are you doing?" Frodo calls, bewildered, and looks to Tatsuo for help.

Her face is grim as she understands what her friend is doing. Flames instantly consume the envelope by her power and reveal the ring as it sinks into the red hot embers. Gandalf resides in the fire as it cools down. But he uses a pair of tongs to be sure. He then lifts it out. "Hold out your hand forro. It's quite cool" a growl emerged from Tatsuo as the wizard dropped the ring into Frodo's hand. They look at her, then back at the ring, and Frodo reacts to its eight "what can you see?" Tatsuo aks coming toasts him.

"Can you see anything?" Frodo shakes his head, and the gold hand of the ring blazes suddenly up with fiery letters. A tiny inscription glows red as if burning from within. "Wait, there are Markis," he mutters, and Gandalf and Tatsuo freeze looking at each other. Tense. "It's some form of elvish. I can't read it," Frodo says, and Gandalf sighs.

"There are few who can... the language is that of Mordor which I will not utter here," Gandalf says, and Tatsuo looks at him wide-eyed "Mordor?" Frodo aks. "In the common tongue, it says: one ring to rule them all. One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all, and bind them in the darkness." Tatsuo growls, her eyes Golding. "We have to leave," she whispers, and Gandalf and Frodo look at her.

♛