"You'd better keep quiet and get out of here," said Gandalf. It had been two or three weeks, and Frodo did not seem ready to go.
"I know! But it's not easy to have both,"he protested. "If I had mysteriously disappeared like Birbo, the news would have spread throughout the Shire before long.”
" Of course you can't disappear mysteriously!" said Gandalf. "This won't do! I said hurry, not leave immediately. If you can't think of a way to leave the Shire quietly, it'll be worth it if we wait a little longer. However, he could not delay it for too long.”
"How about we leave in autumn? After my birthday?" asked Frodo. "I think I'll be able to make some plans by then.”
To be honest, at this point, he was a little unwilling to make any preparations. Bag End had suddenly become a warm home, and he wanted to enjoy his last summer in the Shire as much as possible. When autumn came, he knew that he would be more mentally prepared. Autumn was a good start to say goodbye to old things. He secretly decided to leave on his 50th birthday. That day was also Birbo's 128th birthday. To follow in Birbo's footsteps seemed to be the most appropriate day. Following Birbo was the most important thought in his mind, and it was thanks to this thought that he felt a little better. He tried not to think about the ring, or the destination it might take them to. However, he did not tell Gandalf what he was thinking. How much a wizard could guess was never known.
He looked at Frodo and smiled. "All right," he said. "I think this is possible, but we can't delay any longer. I'm getting more and more nervous. During this period of time, take care of yourself. Don't let anyone know where you're going! And told Sam not to say anything. If he dares to talk nonsense, I will really turn him into a toad.”
"It's hard to tell where I'm going," said Frodo. Because even I don't know where I'm going.”
"Don't worry too much!" said Gandalf. "I'm not saying that you can't leave your contact address at the post office here! But before you go far away, you must not let anyone know that you are leaving the Shire. In short, you must leave this place. No matter if you go south, north, west, or east, no one can know where you are going.”
"I was so focused on leaving Bag End and saying goodbye to everyone that I forgot to think about where I should go," said Frodo. "Where should I go? Which path should I follow? What is my purpose? Birbo had gone to find treasure and returned from an adventure; I'm going to throw away the treasure and may never come back.”
" You can't be sure about the future," said Gandalf. "I can't either. Your mission may be to find the Doomsday Rift, but this mission may also be handed over to someone else: I'm not sure yet. Anyway, you're not ready to go on a long journey.”
"Indeed not!" said Frodo. "But what should I do in the future?”
" Indirectly and in a roundabout way," the wizard replied. "If you are willing to accept my suggestion, then go to Rivendell. Although the road was not as safe as usual, this journey should not be too dangerous. In the foreseeable future, traveling would become more and more dangerous.”
"Rivendell!" Frodo exclaimed. "Excellent: I'm going east to Rivendell. I can take Sam to visit the elves. He will be very happy.”Although his voice was very low, he suddenly had a strong desire to see where Elrond lived. He breathed in the air of the valley where the noble races still lived.
※※※
One summer afternoon, a piece of shocking news arrived at the Evergreen Grove and Green Dragon Inn. The rumors of the giants and the beasts at the borders of the Shire were overshadowed by more important news: Mr. Frodo was selling Bag End, and had already sold it to the Bagginses of Sackville!
"The price is not bad," someone said. "The bargaining is very intense," another person said."Aunt Robella's methods are not for show.”(Aosuo died a few years ago. He didn't die young, but he didn't live long enough. Only 102 years old.)
Mr. Frodo's reason for selling the beautiful cave was even more controversial than the price. A few of their theories had been confirmed by Mr. Baggins himself, nodding and hinting: Frodo was not as rich as he used to be, and he was going to leave Hobbiton and find a quiet place in Stagelands where he could spend more time with his Brandybuck relatives. " As far away from the Sackville-Bagginses as possible," someone added. However, the legend of the mountain of treasures in Bag End Cave had long been deeply rooted in people's hearts. They found it hard to believe this sudden change. No matter how reasonable the reason was, they would naturally think that there was an unimaginable power behind it. Many people even thought that this was another evil plot of Gandalf. Even though he had been very low-key this time, everyone already knew that he was " hiding " in Bag End. However, even if there might be a magical conspiracy behind this, at least one thing was certain: Frodo Baggins is returning to Buckland.
"Yes, I'm moving out this fall," he said. "Meryl Brandybuck is looking for a warm little cave for me, or even a little house.”
In fact, Meryl had already bought a small house in the countryside valley outside Bucklebury. Frodo had declared to everyone but Sam that he was really going to move in. The plan to go east gave him this idea, because Buckland was close to the eastern border of the Shire, and it was quite reasonable for him to return to the place where he lived when he was young.
Gandaph stayed in the Shire for more than two months. One evening at the end of June, after the dust had settled on Frodo's plans, he suddenly announced that he must leave early the next morning. "I hope it's only for a while," he said. "But I have to go to the southern border to collect some information. I've wasted a lot of precious time here.”
He sounded relaxed, but Frodo thought he sounded a little melancholic. "Did something happen?" he asked.
"It's nothing much, but I've heard some disturbing news. I have to go and see for myself. If I think you ought to leave at once, I'll come back at once, or at least send you a message. During this period of time, you should continue to act according to the original plan. But please be careful, especially with this ring! I repeat: do not use it!”
The next morning, he left. "I'll be back any minute," he said. "At least I'll be back for the farewell party. I think you still need my company on this journey.”
In the days that followed, Frodo was at first rather worried about what Gandalf had heard; However, he slowly relaxed. The mild summer weather made him forget his worries. The Shire rarely experienced such a mild summer, and autumn was rarely so rich. Apples grew all over the branches, honey overflowed the honeycombs, and corn was tall and strong.
It was late autumn when Frodo began to worry about Gandalf again. After September, there was still no news from Gandaph. As Frodo's birthday and the date of moving drew nearer, there was still no news of Gandalf. Bag End began to get busy. Some of Frodo's friends had come to stay, to help him with the packing; Of course, Freddy Borg and Fargo Boffin didn't miss it. His close friends, Pippin Tucker and Meryl Brandybuck, would naturally not be absent. The gang had almost turned Bag End upside down.
On the twentieth of September, two tarpaulins rolled slowly toward Buckland, carrying all of Frodo's unsold furniture, and headed for his new home by the Brandywine Bridge. The next day, Frodo began to get really nervous, looking from time to time to see if Gandalf had appeared. On Thursday, Frodo's birthday, it was as bright and clear as the day of Bilbo's feast. Gandaph still did not appear. In the evening Frodo gave his farewell feast; This time, it was very frugal. Only he and the four helpers ate together. However, he was so annoyed that he could hardly eat. The thought that he would be separated from his friends soon made his heart heavy. He didn't know how to tell them.
The four young Hobbits were extremely excited. Even though Gandaph did not come, the banquet quickly became lively. The dining room was empty except for the tables and chairs. However, the food was not inferior, and the wine was not lacking either. Frodo's wine was not sold to the Sackville-Bagginses altogether.
"No matter how my other things will be destroyed by the Saba family, at least these good wines will be appreciated!”Frodo drained the wine. This was the last treasure of the old winery.
They sang and laughed, and talked about all the crazy things they had done together, and finally, as Frodo always did, they wished Bilbo a happy birthday, and then toasted Frodo. Then, they walked out of the house, breathed in the fresh air, and looked at the beautiful starry sky. Frodo's party was over, but Gandalf still hadn't appeared.
The next morning, they were busy loading the remaining luggage into another car. Meryl was in charge of this part, delivering the goods together with Chubby Boy (oh, that was Frederick Borg's nickname). "There's always someone to warm up the house for you before you move in," said Meryl. "Goodbye, see you the day after tomorrow. I hope you don't fall asleep on the way and delay the time to move!”
Brother Fa went home after lunch, leaving only Pippin behind. Frodo was very uneasy and nervous. Gandalf's promise to arrive had unexpectedly failed. He decided to wait until nightfall. After that, if Gandalf was in a hurry to find him, he would have to go to the house in the creek valley, or even get there before them. For Frodo was going to walk. His plan was to walk from Hobbiton to the Bucklebury Ferry and take one last look at the Shire.
" I should practice more." He looked at himself through the dusty mirror in the empty room. It had been a long time since he had gone hiking, and the image in the mirror seemed a little bloated.
After lunch, Sackville Baggins's family, including Robella and his blonde-haired son, Roseau, appeared. The sight of these two uninvited guests made Frodo rather unhappy. This was a little abrupt, and he didn't abide by the contract. The transfer of ownership of Bag End would only take effect at midnight. However, he couldn't blame Robella. After all, she had been looking forward to Bag End for seventy-seven years and was now a hundred years old. In any case, the purpose of her appearance was to make sure that the things she had spent money on were not taken away and to get the key to the house. It took Frodo a long time to satisfy her, for she had brought a great deal of things with her, and had broken into no man's land. Finally, after a long struggle, she left with her son and the spare key, and Frodo had to promise to leave the rest of the keys at Gamgee's house by the Pouch. She snorted, clearly expressing her suspicion that the Jenji family would come to steal at night. Frodo did not even offer her tea.
He, Pippin, and Sam were drinking tea in the kitchen, trying to put the unhappiness behind them. It was said that Sam was going to Buckland to 'take care of Mr. Frodo and his little garden.”The old man also agreed to this, but he was still a little resentful that Robella would become his neighbor in the future.
"This is our last meal in Bag End!”Frodo pushed his chair up. They left the washing of the dishes to Robella. Pippin and Sam arranged the three backpacks and piled them in the entryway. Pippin slipped into the garden for a final tour. Sam disappeared without a trace.
※※※
The sun had set. Bag End looked very lonely and empty. Frodo strolled in the familiar room, watching the sunset fade away and the shadows slowly envelop the room. The room began to darken. He walked out of his room, across the garden, and onto the knoll road, expecting to see Gandalf walking slowly toward him in the twilight.
The sky was very clear and the stars began to shine. "It's going to be a good night," he said loudly. "It's suitable for a new beginning. I want to take a walk. I can't stand doing nothing anymore. I have to go. Gandalf will follow.”He turned around and was about to leave when he suddenly stopped. He seemed to have heard something. The source of the sound came from the bottom of the pocket. One of the voices clearly belonged to the old man, while the other voices were very strange and even made people feel a little unhappy. He couldn't hear the question clearly, but the old man's answer was unexpectedly sharp. The old man seemed very angry.
"No, Mr. Baggins has left. He left this morning, my Sam with him; He took everything with him. That's right, he had already sold it and left. I guarantee it. Why? Why they want to move has nothing to do with you. Where to? There was nothing to keep a secret about. He moved to Bucklebury, which is quite far from here. That's right, it's really not close. I've never run that far before. There were too many weirdos in Buckland. I can't help it. I don't have time to leave a message for you. Good night!"
The footsteps gradually went down the mountain. For some reason, Frodo was relieved that they had not come up the mountain. "Tired of all the questions, I suppose," he thought. "These guys are really too curious!”He had wanted to ask the old man who the other party was, but on second thought, he turned around and walked back to Bag End.
Pippin was sitting on his backpack in the entrance. Sam was not there. Frodo walked through the dark door. "Sam!" he shouted. "Sam! It's time to set off!"
"Coming, Master!" The voice came from far away in the house, and Sam appeared soon after. Judging from the blush on his face, he was just saying goodbye to the beer barrel in the cellar.
"All packed up, Sam?" asked Frodo.
"Yes, Master. I've already checked it one last time.”
Frodo locked the round door and gave the key to Sam. "Run and put this key home, Sam!”he said. "Then take a shortcut and meet us at the gate outside the meadow. We can't swagger through the center of town tonight. Too many people are watching us.”Sam immediately ran away.
"Alright, we're finally going." Frodo exclaimed. They shouldered their packs, picked up their canes, and walked around the house to the west side of Bag End. "Farewell!" said Frodo, looking out of the dark window. He waved his hand, turned around (following Bilbo's old path), and followed Pippin along the garden path. They jumped over the lower part of the fence and slipped into the grassland, leaving silently like a breeze.
At the west side of the hill, they finally came to a small door at the entrance of a winding path. The two of them stopped and adjusted the straps of their backpacks. Sam ran over, panting heavily. His heavy backpack swayed from side to side, and there was a soft rag on his head that seemed to be a hat. He looked very much like a dwarf in this twilight.
"I thought you'd given me all the heavy stuff," said Frodo. "I really pity the snail who runs around carrying his home.”
"Milord, I can carry more things. It feels very light,"said Sam, trying to be brave.
"Sam, don't be reckless!" said Pippin. "It would be nice to let Frodo get some exercise. He only had the things we helped him pack. This fellow had been a little lazy recently. He should be much better after walking a few more steps.”
"Don't go too far with an old Hobbit like me!”said Frodo, laughing. "If I do as you say, I'll be as thin as a willow before I get to Buckland. Haha, I was just joking! Sam, I think you're carrying too much. Next time we repack, we'd better split it equally.”He picked up his cane again. "We all like to travel at night," he said."Let's make a bit of a trip before we sleep out.”
At first, they walked west along the trail, then left the trail and turned left, quietly walking up the grassland. They walked along the fences and bushes in a line, and the night slowly surrounded them. As they were all wearing black cloaks, they looked invisible in the night. With the talent of the Hobbits and their deliberate silence, even the Hobbits could not detect their movements. The animals on the grassland and in the forest were completely unaware of their presence.
Before long, they crossed the river west of Hobbiton on a wooden bridge. Surrounded by the red poplar trees, the river looked like a black ribbon. They walked a few more miles south, before finally hurrying off from the Brandywine Bridge onto the main road. They had already entered Tuck District. After walking southeast for a while, they arrived at Green Hill Village. As they began to climb up the slope, they looked back to see Hobbiton's hooves glinting in the valley. Very quickly, all of them disappeared into the darkness, and the waterside area also disappeared from sight. When the last farm was far behind, Frodo turned around and waved goodbye.
"I don't know if I'll have the chance to see this scene again.”he whispered.
They continued walking for another three hours before resting. The night sky was clear and cold, and the stars were shining brightly. Mist floated out of the valleys and streams, surrounding the mountains. The thin birches covered the sky and became their roofs. They ate a simple dinner (not very sumptuous for a Hobbit) and then moved on. They soon stepped onto a small path that followed the undulating mountain. In the darkness ahead was their target: The Hall of Great Wood, the Starks, and the Bucklebury Ferry. The path gradually moved away from the main road, bypassing the green hills and leading to an uninhabited place in the eastern part of the Shire.
After a while, they stepped onto a path surrounded by tall trees. The only sound here was the rustling of leaves. It was pitch black here. After they were far away from the crowd, they tried to chat or hum at first, and then continued walking in silence. Pippin began to leave the team. Finally, as they began to climb a steep slope, he stopped and yawned.
" I really want to sleep," he said." If I don't rest, I might roll down the mountain. Are you going to sleep standing up? It's almost midnight."
"I thought you liked hiking at night," said Frodo. "However, it doesn't matter. Meryl thought we would arrive the day after tomorrow. We still have nearly two days. We'll rest immediately after we find a suitable place.”
"It's always windy out here," said Sam. "If we can get to the other side of the hill, we should be able to find a sheltered and comfortable flat ground, my lord. If I remember correctly, there is some firewood in front.”Sam knew the geography of a twenty-mile radius around Hobbiton like the back of his hand, but that was the limit of his ability.
They found a pile of firewood after crossing the hill. The three of them left the road and walked to a flat land surrounded by darkness and a rich forest fragrance. They collected some pine needles and dead wood and quickly lit a campfire under a big tree. After sitting by the campfire for a while, everyone began to doze off. Then, everyone found a comfortable corner of the tree trunk and leaned down. Wrapped in blankets and clothes, they quickly fell asleep. They did not send anyone to keep watch, and even Frodo was not worried, for they were still in the heart of the Shire. When the flames gradually died out, a few creatures even ran over to sniff them. A fox ran across the shade of the trees and stopped to sniff at them.
"Hobbits!" It thought. "Wow! What would happen next? I've seen all sorts of things here, but I've never seen a hobbit sleeping under a tree. There were three more people! There must be a conspiracy behind this.”It was right, but it would not have the chance to know what would happen in the future.
The pale, sticky morning came again. Frodo woke up first, to find a hole in his clothes from the roots, and his neck stiff. "Walking, hiking! How did I end up like this?" He thought that this was the grumbling that came before every adventure. "I sold my beautiful feather bed to the Bagginses of Sackville! These tree roots were really good substitutes.”He stretched. "Everyone, wake up!" he shouted. "The sun shines on my ass!"
"What's there to shine on?" said Pippin, peeking an eye out of the blanket. "Sam! Make breakfast before 9:30! Is the bathwater ready?"
Sam jumped up sleepily. "No, my lord, it's not done yet, my lord!”he said.
Frodo snatched Pippin's blanket from him, forced him to wake up, and walked to the edge of the wood. The sun had risen from the east, shining on the thick fog in the forest. The trees in autumn were stained with gold and red, like sailboats sailing in the boundless ocean. Beneath their feet was a steep slope and path that led to a valley.
When he returned, Sam and Pippin were already in blazing flames. "Water!" Pippin shouted. "Where is the water?"
"I don't have water in my pocket," said Frodo.
" We thought you were looking for water," said Pippin, who was busy setting up food and cups. "You'd better go now."
"You too," said Frodo,"and remember to bring all the bottles of water.”There was a small stream at the foot of the mountain. The two of them filled a small waterfall under a limestone with water. The water there was so cold that the two of them could not help but wash their hands and faces.
After the group finished their breakfast and tidied up their backpacks, it was about ten o'clock. The weather had begun to heat up. They walked down the slope, crossed the stream, and crossed the slope of another hill. After such a period of torment, their cloaks, blankets, water, food, and other equipment had become a serious burden.
After the morning trip, they knew that it would not be an easy day. After a few miles, the road began to slope down. They had crossed the winding path before, and now they finally began to walk down. In front of them was a plain filled with trees, and at the end of the horizon was a brown forest. What they saw was the end of the forest, and beyond that was the River of Strong Spirits. The road made a big turn in front of them, like a bow.
"It's never going to end," said Pippin."I can't go on. It's just nice to have lunch now." He sat by the roadside and looked into the distance. That was the place where he had spent most of his life and the familiar river. Sam stood in front of him. He widened his eyes and stared blankly. The scene in the distance was something he had never seen before.
"Will the elves live in that forest?”he asked.
"I've never heard of it," said Pippin. Frodo was silent. He also looked towards the east as if he had never seen such a scene before. Suddenly, he opened his mouth, as if he was talking to himself,"
The road is long and long
Stretching out from the door.
The main road is not far,
I must keep up,
Running and running,
Running to the fork,
The four roads are open and wide, and the rivers flow endlessly.
What would happen then? How would I know
"That sounds like old Bilbo," said Pippin. "Or is this your imitation? This did not sound exciting at all.”
"I don't know," said Frodo. "It suddenly appeared in my mind as if I was the one who did it. But it's also possible that I've heard this ballad many years ago. It does remind me of the last days before Birbo left. He often said that there was only one road in the world, just like a big river: Each person's door was the source of the spring, and each fork was a tributary of the river.‘Frodo, be on your guard when you step out of the door,'he had said.‘Once you set foot on the road, if you don't pay attention to your footsteps, you don't know where you will be washed away. Do you know that this is the path to Gloomy Jungle? If you don't hold on, it might send you to the lonely mountain. It might even be a place further away and worse!'He would always tell me this from the front door of Bag End, especially when he came back from his hike.”
" Well, at least the main road won't reach me for an hour," said Pippin as he untied his backpack. The others immediately followed suit. They placed their backpacks by the roadside and stretched their feet on the road. After resting for a while, they had a sumptuous lunch and then continued to rest for a while.
The sun began to set in the west, and the afternoon sun lazily shone on the downhill road. So far, they had not met anyone on the road. This road was not suitable for vehicles, so it was sparsely populated. Usually, not many people would go to the end of the forest. They jogged for more than an hour in a relaxed mood, but Sam suddenly stopped and showed a vigilant expression. They had already reached the flat ground. The previously winding road had now become a flat and straight road. There were pleasant grasslands on both sides, and a few tall trees dotted the forest.
"I think I hear hooves behind us," said Sam.
Everyone turned their heads together, but the path was not straight enough for them to see too far. "I wonder if Gandalf has caught up," said Frodo. Even when he said that, he felt uneasy. He did not want the knight to discover his whereabouts.
" Maybe you don't care," he said apologetically." But I don't want to be discovered by anyone on the road. I'm tired of being gossiped about. If that's Gandalf,"he added," we can give him a surprise for being so late. Let's hide!"
The other two quickly ran to the bushes not far from the left side of the road and immediately lay down. Frodo hesitated for a moment, as if curiosity or some special force were holding him back. The sound of hooves was getting closer. At the last second, he hid in a pile of long grass under a big tree by the roadside. Then, he raised his head and peeked curiously at the tree root.
A black horse appeared from the other side of the road. It was not a hobbit's pony, but a tall horse that humans were used to riding. There was a tall man sitting on the horse's back. He was wrapped in a long cloak and hooded. He seemed to be lying on the horse's back. Sniffing sounds came from the shadows under the hood. The place that should be a human face looked left and right at the grass beside the road.
A sudden and unfounded fear seized Frodo, and he began to fear being discovered, and to think of the Ring. He did not dare to breathe loudly, but a strong desire kept calling him to take out the Ring. His hand had even started to move slowly. Gandalf's advice became insignificant. After all, Birbo had used the Ring before. " And I'm still in the Shire," he thought, his hand already holding the ring. At this moment, the knight straightened his body and shook the reins a few times. The black horse slowly moved forward at first and then began to gallop.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。