♕ CHAPTER SEVEN ♕
NEITHER LIVING NOR DEAD

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THE NEXT MORNING Hobbiton was shrouded in a white veil of mist. Tatsuo, Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam walk in it all, only shapes against the sky. Soon enough, they reach a forest, and Gandalf stop making the other 3 do the same "be careful, all of you. The Enemy has many spies in his service, many ways of hearing ... birds, beasts..." the grey wizard warns them and they all nod. He then turned to the only female here and smiled warmly at her.

"You know what you have to do if you meet a Nazgûl, right?" He asks, and she nods. "Yeah, don't worry, Mithrandir. It'll wish it never met me if we do," she says, smirking. Gandalf chunked, then turned to Frodo, saying, " Is it safe?" Frodo nods, patting his pocket. "    Never put it on, for the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power... Remember, Frodo; the Ring is trying to get back to its master ... it  wants to be found." Gandalf smiles, then mounts his horse, wheeling it, and gallops away.

Now that leaves the two hobbits and a shifter. Tatsuo sighs and lets herself feel the forest, feeling nothing other than nature. "Okay, we can go," she says and walks away, the two halflings following her.

➵

They have a break, and sam stands for the cooking. Tatsuo and Frodo relax right by. suddenly, the shifter perks up smiling. The two boys look at her, confused "boys, Wood-Elves!" she whispers, and teh trio goes closer to the elves seeing that it's a group of them. Someon horseback, some walking, some with banners. The group seemsto shine in its light, their white garments softly glowingagainst the purples and midnight blues of the woods. Theirhaunting song continues. "O Light to us that wander here Amid the world of woven trees! O Elbereth! Gilthoniel! Clear are thy eyes and bright thy breath!" their song ceases the worry Tatsuo, and she smiles. fordo and sam smile at her seeing her so peaceful. "They're going to the harbor beyond the White Towers. To the Grey Havens," she says softly and opens her eyes steering them to the magical beings. 

"They're leaving Middle-earth." Frodo ads and sam sigh saying, "I don't know why ... it makes me sad." he then looks at his friends, and they smile in sympathy. "me too, dear Sam," Tatsuo whispers, and they then walk back to their camp eating and then taking the night insight. while Castro and Frodo find paces on the bare ground, Samwise desperately tries to find acomfortable spot on the earth. "Everywhere I lie, there's a great dirty root sticking into my back," he complains, and tastsuo chuckles, sitting up. She then waves her hand, and a mattress of grass and flowers appears. Sam is pursued and awed. "thanks, ms. Tatsuo," the shifter smiles and nods, combing into the same tree that Frodo rested in a few hours before. "shall I sing Samwise and Frodo?" she asks, looking at the stars. "if you want," Frodo says. sam hums, and Tatsuo chuckles softly and starts her soft singing. "Do you see the lights in the Northern Sky, Glitt'ring green and blue? It's the breath from the dragon's lullaby, Keeping watch over you. See the dragon's lullaby Glitt'ring bright in the sky. Watch the colors dance and fly; know the dragon's close by." she stops as she hears the soft snores of her friends. "goodnight, little halflings," she says and fades into a peaceful slumber under the stary sky. 

➵

Morning came relatively fast, and the trio was walking once more. Tatsuo is walking peacefully because of Frodo when she suddenly gets a vision. She doubles over the ground. Mist descends over the peaceful Shire. A horse neighs and stamps. Its Black rider comes slowly to a halt and looks for his prey. But instead, she sees Gandalf galloping along the outskirts of the ancient forestof Fangorn.  Nestled in a basin at the foot of the distant misty mountains, the tall black tower of Orthanc is visible. the grey wizard gallops through the gate, into the fortress of Isengard... a great ring-wall of stone, a mile from rim to rim, enclosesbeautiful trees and garden, watered by streams that flow downfrom the mountains. "Smoke rises once more from the mountain of doom ... the Shadow takes shape in the darkness of Mordor; the hour grows late ... and Gandalf the Grey rides to Isengard seeking my counsel..." come the white wizard's voice. 

The strange tower of Orthanc ... hewn from a solid obsidian pillar, rises in the center of the Isengard circle. Gandalf arrives at the foot of the Orthanc stairs. Saruman, the white wizard, sweeps down theOrthanc stairs. "For that is why you have come, is it not, my old friend?" he says, smiling dimly at Gandalf, who bows his head in respect. "Saruman!" than the vision shift to the two of them going slowly between the beautiful trees ofIsengard. saruman's clean, white robe contrasts with Gandalf's dusty grey robes. "Are you sure of this?" the white asks, not looking at his friend. "Beyond any doubt." Gandalf answers, and Saruman's eyes glint in greed. "So the Ring of Power has been found?" he asks says, more a question than anything else. "All these long years, it was in the Shire, under my very nose," Gandalf says, shaking his head in disaponemtn. "Yet you did not have the wit to see it. Your love of the Halfling's leaf has slowed your mind," the white hisses accusingly. Gandalf stops and looks at the taller wizard with determination on his features. "We still have time enough to counter Sauron if we act quickly," he says.

Saruman scoffs and says, "Time? What time do you think we have?" the vision then shifts into the tower of Orthanc, where Gandalf and Saruman are in a small, cluttered room to theside of the hollow central chamber. "Sauron has regained much of his former strength. He cannot yet take physical form ... but his spirit has lost none of its potency. Concealed within his fortress, the lord of Mordor sees all. His gaze pierces cloud, shadow, earth,  and flesh. You know of what I speak, Gandalf ... a Great Eye, lidless, wreathed in flame." the white states looking at Gandalf, who has a grim look about him. "The Eye of Sauron." he mutters softly, and Saruman nods, continuing, "He is gathering all evil to him. He will soon have summoned an army great enough to launch an assault on Middle earth." this Gandalf grows suspicious and remembers Tatsuo's warning. He takes a deep breath and snaps out at the white but is careful not to anger him. 

"You know this? How?" Saruman smirks and looks away muttering "I have seen it." the two of them stride through Orthanc toward a stone plinthon which a sphere-like shape is draped with a cloth... "A Palantír is a dangerous tool, Saruman," Gandalf growls worriedly. Saruman shrugs and lifts the fabric to reveal the Palantír. "Why? Why should we fear to use it?" he says, and Gandalf rolls his eyes though it is unseen "They are not all accounted for, the lost Seeing-stones. We do not know who else may be watching." he hisses and throws the cloth back over the PALANTÍR. Suddenly he sees a flash of a fiery eye and retreats his hand. saurian walks away and sits himself down on his throne. "The hour is later than you think. Sauron's forces are already moving... the Nine have left Minas Morgul," he says, and the grey turns fearfully to look at the man he sees as a friend. 

"The Nine?" he utters, shocked. the white nods saying, "They crossed the River Isen on Midsummer's Eve, disguised as riders in black." Gandalf grows alarmed and snaps, "They have reached the Shire?" at this, Saruman shrugs. "They will find the Ring ... and kill the one who carries it. And... for the shifter. they will catch her" Gandalf widened his eyes and acks away and turned to run to the door ... horrified asthe doors suddenly slammed shut. "You did not seriously think a Hobbit could contend with the will of Sauron? None can." Saruman says nonchalantly. the grey turns to the white, a look of dawning horror. "Against the power of Mordor, there can be no victory. We must join him, Gandalf. We must join with Sauron. It would be wise, my friend." Saruman advises through madness, and Gandalf grows angry, seeing that he has lost his friend to the dark lord. 

"Tell me, friend, when Saruman the Wise abandoned reason for madness?" he spits deadly. Suddenly he's blasted across the room! Heslams against the wall ... pinned there by some unseen force. Gandalf wrenches himself off the wall with a sudden effort andswings his staff on Saruman, blasting him off his feet! The two wizards battle; powerful blasts were throwing them acrossthe room. Sarman screams, eyes blazing. Gandalf's staff is suddenlywrenched from his grasp ... it flies across the chamber intoSaruman's hand! Gandalf is flung to the floor. "I gave you the choice of aiding mewillingly, but you have elected the wayof pain!" the white snarls, and Gandalf is breathing hard on the floor, his eye looking into themadness of Saruman...commanding the two staffs, Saruman sends Gandalf into a sickeningspin. Gandalf tumbles towards the chamber's top as iffalling in reverse. 

tastuo's vision fades, and the young shifter gasp as she rasps out, "mithrandir!" and she collapses but before she can hit the ground, sam and Frodo steadies her. "what happened to her?" sam asks as they help her to sit down. "she got... another vision I guess. Gandalf told me that she gets them. Why I do not know." the black-haired hobbit answered and turned to teh only female in their trio. He looked at her, concerned, until her cobalt eyes suddenly flew open. She took a deep breath, and her breath then stated, "thanks, young halflings," she breathed, smiling at them as he hauled herself onto her feet. Sam and Frodo smiled at each other glad that she was alright. "shall we go further?" she asked, and Frodo nodded, leading them further. 

➵

Their way continues, and now the trio is in a country lane thatborders farmer maggot's farm. Sam is walking alone while Frodo and tastuoa are walking side by side. Suddenly the two of them hear sam call. they look at each other before Frodo jogs back and up to sam tastes, following behind like a shadow. "I thought I'd lost you." sam breathes, and Tatsuo smiles. "What are you talking about?" Frodo asks, and sam glances down, embarrassed. "It's just something Gandalf said..." the gardener trails off as Tatsuo walks up to stand beside the ring bearer. "What did he say?" she asked, smirking softly. "He said..."Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee." he then smiles at them both and says, "And I don't mean to." Tatsuo smiles wider and pats Frodo's shoulder. "come on, boys, let's go," she says, but before they can go A figure comes crashing out of a hedgerow sending Frodo flying. Frodo picks himself up, only to be knocked backdown again by Pippin.

tatsuo is luckeiløy into hit btu she widned her eyes suprseiedd. "Frodo! Merry, it's Frodo Baggins." Pippin calls to his friend, and Merry stands. "Hello, Frodo!" They all pick themselves up, and T tastuo helps Frodo. "What's the meaning of this!" sam calls, and the two troublemakers shrug. "Sam, hold this..." merry says and passes sam a giant cabbage. sam's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "You've been into Farmer Maggot's crop!" the shifter hips around as she heard a voice and saw a  large pitchfork racing towards themalong the hedgerow. "Who's that in my field! Get out of it! Get out of my field, you young varmints! I'll show you ... get out of my corn." the farmer yells, and status turns back to the hobbits looking like a scolding mother. The two younger hobbits look down before grabbing their things and dragging the trio with them. "I don't know why he is so upset; it's only a couple of carrots." merry says as they run. Tatsuo doesn't say anything like the two friends talk back and forth before thy suddenly tumble head over heel down abank onto a dark, wooded road.

Tatsuo groanes as she picks herself up and helps the halflings up to their feet. "Ow ... I think I've broken something." merry grounds and Tatsuo huff pulled a large broken carrot from his hands. "Oh." the hobbit says and looks down embraced. Tatsuo shakes her head and then turns to Frodo, seeing the wooded road. Scattered leaves rise into the air whirling down the road as if blown by an invisible wind... her eyes grow wide as she hears the sound of horse hooves, and Frodo says, "I think we should get off the road." tastuo feels her body shift slowly as if not sure if she should. Frodo looks at her, and she nods, tilting her head to a great tree root. 

A long-drawn wail comes down the wind, like the cry of some eviland lovely creature. "Get off the road!" tastuo barks and SAM grabs MERRY and PIPPIN as the HOBBITS, and her quickly scramble downthe bank, hiding under a mossy log. Tatsuo holds her breath as the sound of hooves and a sinister-looking ringwraiths steps into her view ... hooded and faceless, mounted on a substantialsnarling black horse with insane eyes. she twists herself as she feels the Ring calling out. The ringwraiths pause right beside their hiding place... he sits very still with his head bowed, listening. From insidethe hood comes a sniffing noise as if he is trying to catch anelusive scent: his head turning from side to side.

The ringwraith suddenly slides off his horse, leaningover the mossy log, peering suspiciously into the woods. Frodo drew as g the RING out of his pocket,with trembling hands ... his face fevered and sweating as if inthe grip of some terrible INTERNAL STRUGGLE. tastuo tightens her fist as teh sound of sniffing intensifies as the ringwraith darts hishead from side to side like a bird of prey. Shall ui go out and distract it? It would be best. Status thinks and nods to herself, letting herself shift into a big white horse. She sprints out of the root startling the ringwraiths and its steed. She rears, nickering violently, and trashes her hooves like stones of weapons. Frodo gets discredited by this and looks up, shocked as he feels the thump of the white horse's hooves as they hit the ground. "follow me, you stupid servant!" Tatsuo houses and wheels around and spurts of the Nazgul, flowing her like a wolf hunting. 

Soon the hobbits can go out of their hiding place. They look after how Tatsuo and the ring wraith took "she sacrificed herself," Pippin breathed wide-eyed. Frodo swallowed, but he had to focus on the mission ahead. Get the Ring to bree. "let's go," he said and looked at his remaining hobbits. They nod and turn away, luckily not meeting any ringwraiths. At least not before the ferry. They shove off with the poles ... the ferry slides outinto the river just as the ringwraiths arrive. Tatsuo comes suddenly in front of them and rears up, snarling. She then disappears into a giant eagle screeching and flying away from the Nazgul, shrieking with rage! The HOBBITS covertheir ears as status lands and shift into her human form. she is a tiered form running and turning to times. Sam runs over to her while Frodo asks Merry. "how far is the nearest crossing?" merry look at him. "The Brandywine bridge ... twenty miles." Their paddling share of the journey belongs. 

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