"We'd better get home, too," said Meryl. "I understand that you've encountered some strange things, but we can talk about it when we get inside.”
The group of people walked onto the carefully tidied up path of the ferry, which was covered with white stones. After a few hundred yards, they arrived at the shore, which was a spacious dock. A large flat-bottomed ferry was docked at the pier. The two white bollards on the dock reflected the light from the nearby lampposts. The mist behind them was now higher than the fence; However, the river before him was still dark, with only a few wisps of fog floating from the reeds on the shore. The fog on the other side did not seem to be that dense.
Meryl led the pony onto the ferry, and the others followed in order. Meryl then picked up a long pole and pushed the boat away from the dock. The River of Strong Spirits in front of him was wide and gentle. On the other side of the river was a steeper one. There was a winding path leading up from the pier on the other side, and there were also flickering oil lamps. Behind the dock was Stagerhill, and there were many windows in the misty shadows beside the hill, through which yellow and red lights shone. This was one of the many buildings in the strong wine hall, and also the ancient residence of the strong wine deer family.
A long time ago, the oldest stag family in the marshlands or even the Shire crossed the River of Spirits under the leadership of their elder brother Ge and Da Old Stag. The River of Spirits was originally the border of the eastern territory of the Hobbits. He built (and excavated) the Liquor Hall, changed his surname to Liquor Deer, settled down here, and became the leader of this isolated area. His family continued to expand and did not stop even after his death. In the end, they finally filled the entire bottom of the hill. This hill alone had three gates, many side gates, and more than a hundred windows. The Brandywine Deer family and countless relatives then began to dig down, and later built on the side, forming a settlement with Deer Hill as the center. This was the origin of Buckland. This was a narrow and densely populated area sandwiched between the river and the old forest. It could be regarded as a colony for the Charles to expand. Its largest village was Bucklebury, located on the slope behind the winehouse.
The people of the marshlands were friendly to the people of Buckland, and the authority of the chief of the Brandydeer family was recognized by the residents of the Starks and Luce. However, most of the Shire residents thought that the guys in Buckland were strange and could almost be considered half foreigners. However, in reality, they were not much different from the people in the other four districts. The only difference was that they liked boats, and some of them even knew how to swim.
At first, there was no barrier between their land and the visitors from the east; However, they soon built a fence. The high fence was used to block and protect himself. It was the protection of a building from several generations ago. Under constant maintenance and construction, it had now become tall and thick. It followed the Brandy Bridge all the way to the end of the fence (where the Willow River flowed out of the forest and merged with the Brandy River): It was about twenty miles long. However, this was not a flawless defense. In many places, the high fences were very close to the forest. Therefore, the residents of Buckland would lock their doors at night, not much different from the people of the Shire.
The ferry slowly sailed across the water. The riverbank of Buckland was getting closer and closer. Sam was the only one who had never crossed the river before. As the river flowed under his feet, he had a strange feeling. His past life was left in the fog, and there was only a dark adventure ahead. He scratched his head, half hoping that Mr. Frodo would stay in Bag End until he died.
Four Hobbits stepped off the ferry. Meryl was responsible for securing the boat, and Pippin led the pony ashore. At this moment, Sam (who was looking back as if he was about to say goodbye to Charles) suddenly whispered in a hoarse voice,"
"Mr. Frodo, look back! Did you see anything?"
On the other side of the river, under the dim light of the oil lamp, they could barely see a black figure standing on the dock. When they looked at each other, the person seemed to be moving left and right, as if searching for something. Then, he lay down or bent down, retreating into the darkness where the oil lamp could not shine.
"What kind of weird thing is that?”Mei Li asked in surprise.
"It's someone who's hot on his heels," said Frodo. "There's no hurry to ask questions now! Let's leave this place quickly!" They hurried over to the shore, and when they looked back again, the other side was shrouded in fog and they could not see anything.
"Thank God you didn't stop the other ships on the west coast!”said Frodo. "Can horses cross the river?"
"They can go twenty miles north and cross the Brandy Bridge, or they can swim over.”Meryl replied. "But I've never heard of a horse swimming across the River of Spirits. But what did this have to do with horses?”
"I'll tell you later. Let's talk inside first."
"Alright then! You and Pippin know the way. I'll ride to inform Little Fatty that you're coming. We'll prepare dinner and some things first.”
"We've already had dinner at old Farmer Magga's," said Frodo."However, it's fine to eat a few more meals.”
"As you wish! Give me that basket!" Meryl then rode his horse into the darkness.
※※※
The distance from the Brandywine River to Frodo's new home in Creekdale was not short. They went around Buckhill and the liquor store, and on the outskirts of Bucklebury they took the main road south of Buckland from the bridge. About half a mile north along the road, they came to a fork on the right. The party turned right into the fork and trudged for a few more miles through the deserted wilderness.
At last, they came to a small door in a heavy fence. It looked a little lonely surrounded by the grass outside and the short trees in the courtyard inside. Frodo chose this place because it was in an unknown corner, and there were no other houses nearby. You can come and go without anyone noticing. It was built by the Deer Family a long time ago to entertain guests. Sometimes, families who wanted to temporarily escape the noisy life of the liquor shop would move here temporarily. It was an old-fashioned country cottage, imitating as closely as possible the caves of Hobbits. The building itself was long and short, and there were no additional floors. It had a roof made of hay, round windows, and a large round door.
As they walked along the path to the gate, there was no light in the courtyard. The windows were closed, and even the shutters were pulled down. Frodo knocked at the door, and Little Fatty Borg answered; A friendly kiss followed. They hurried into the room, hoping that no one would notice them. What appeared before them was a wide hall with a few doors on both sides. In the middle was a corridor that ran through the entire house.
"What do you think?" Meryl walked over from the other side of the corridor. "We will try our best to make this place look like our hometown in the shortest time possible. Little Fatty and I just delivered the last cart of goods yesterday.”
Frodo looked around. This place indeed looked like his hometown. There were many of his own favorite things and Birbo's things (which stood out in their new environment) scattered around, and Meryl tried to arrange them in the same way as Bag End. It was a very comfortable, beautiful, and warm place. It gave Frodo the illusion that he was really going to settle down here and enjoy retirement. He felt ashamed that his old friend had to spend so much effort just for a smokescreen. He did not know how to tell his friends that he had to leave immediately. However, this matter could not be delayed any longer. It had to be settled before everyone went to bed.
"This is great!" he said with a forced expression of joy. "I barely feel like I've moved.”
The travel-worn trio hung up their cloaks and placed their backpacks neatly on the ground. Meryl led them along the corridor to a door. As soon as the door opened, flames and fragrant steam flowed out.
"The bathroom!" said Pippin. "Oh, my most admired Meryl!"
"In what order should we wash them?”asked Frodo. "Respect the elderly? Or the fastest? By any standard, Lord Peregrin, you will be the last.”
"Please believe in my ability!" said Meryl. "We can't just start quarreling about bathing as soon as we arrive at the valley. There were three bathtubs and a bucket filled with boiling water in the room. Of course I didn't forget the towel, soap, and floor mat. Hurry up and go in and enjoy yourself. Don't drag it out!”
Meryl and Little Fatty walked back to the kitchen on the other side of the corridor, fighting for supper. The sound of splashing water came from the bathroom. Pippin suddenly broke into Bilbo's favorite bath song.
Sing a song! After a hard day's work, I can finally take a bath!
Wash away the mud and stench!
She would be a fool if she didn't sing in the shower!
Oh, the hot water makes me laugh!
Ha! The raindrops fall so clearly,
Just like a stream flowing to the sea without retreating;
There is only one thing in the world better than raindrops and streams,
That was to wash it with hot water that was emitting steam and smoke.
Oh! If it's too hot, you can pour cold water on it.
When he was thirsty, he would gulp down a mouthful of water.
But if hot water is poured on my back,
It's best to hold the beer in your hand!
Oh! The fountain is beautiful,
They sprayed into the sky one by one;
But no matter how beautiful the fountain music is,
It can't compare to hot water pouring on my tired legs!
Then there was a loud crash in the bathroom, and Frodo gave a whoosh. It seemed that Pippin's bathwater had really sprayed into the sky like a fountain.
"How about a nice dinner with beer?"”he shouted. Frodo came out, drying his hair.
"It's all wet, I'll have to go to the kitchen to dry myself," he said.
"Why do you love to play like a child!”said Meryl, looking inside. The stone floor was almost soaked in the flood. "Pippin, there's nothing to eat before you dry the floor!”he said. "Hurry up, or we won't wait for you!”
They ate in the kitchen near the fire. "You three don't want to eat mushrooms anymore, right?”Fred asked without any hope.
"I want to eat! I want to eat!" Pippin shouted.
"They are all mine!" said Frodo. "It was given to me by the noble peasant queen, Mrs. Magga! Get your stinky hands off me, I'll split it!”
Hobbits had a passion for mushrooms, and even many big guys couldn't compare to their love for gold, silver, and jewelry. This was also the real reason why Frodo loved to explore the swamps when he was young and was beaten up by Magga. This time, the mushrooms were more than enough for everyone to eat, even in the eyes of the Hobbits. Other than mushrooms, there were many other side dishes. When everyone finished eating, even Little Fatty Borg, who had the biggest appetite, sighed in satisfaction. They moved the table away and set the chairs around the fire.
"We'll clean it up later," said Meryl. "Tell me everything. I guess you must have experienced many adventures! It's really unfair that I didn't participate. I want to hear everything from the beginning to the end, and most importantly, I want to know what's going on with Old Marga, why he's talking to me in that tone. He sounded like he was scared. I didn't know this old tough guy would be scared!”
"We're all scared," said Frodo, looking silently into the fire, until Pippin spoke a moment later. "If you were chased by the Dark Knight for two days in a row, you would be afraid.”
"What are they?"
" A man in black riding a black horse," Pippin replied. "If Frodo won't, I'll start from the beginning.”He went on to tell the story of their encounter with Meryl as they left Hobbiton. Sam sometimes nodded and sometimes added. Frodo remained silent.
" Your story sounds so fabricated," said Meryl." If I hadn't seen the black shadow on the dock and heard Maga's strange tone, I really wouldn't have believed it. What do you think, Frodo?"
"Our cousin Frodo has been tight-lipped," said Pippin. "It's time for him to tell the truth. So far, we only know that Farmer Maga speculated that it might be related to old Birbo's treasure.”
"That's just a guess," said Frodo quickly. "Maga doesn't know anything."
"Old Marga's a smart one," said Meryl. "He might not tell you what's going on in his head. I heard that he used to frequent the Old Forest area, and he had a lot of experience with all kinds of strange things. But at least, Frodo, you can tell us if you think he's right.”
"I think," said Frodo slowly,"that he's right. This was indeed related to Birbo's past adventures. The Dark Knights are really looking for something. To be more precise, their target is me or Birbo. If you really want to know, I can only admit that this is not a joke. No matter where I am, I will still face great danger.”He looked at the windows and walls, as if worried that they would suddenly collapse. The others looked at him silently, exchanging meaningful glances.
" He'll tell the truth soon," Pippin said to Meriyu. Meryl nodded.
"Alright then!" said Frodo, straightening up at last when he had made up his mind. "I can't hide it anymore. I have something to tell you, but I don't know how to say it.”
" I think I can help you," Meryl said quietly. "Let me tell you what I know first.”
"What do you mean?" Frodo looked at him nervously.
"Listen, dear Frodo: the reason you're fighting is that you don't know how to say goodbye. Yes, you want to leave the Shire. However, the crisis appeared earlier than you expected. You have made up your mind to set off immediately. And you were struggling. We all feel sorry for you.”
Frodo opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. His surprised expression made everyone laugh. "My dear Frodo!" said Pippin. "Do you really think you've fooled all of us? I'm afraid you're not cunning enough! Since April of this year, you have obviously been ready to bid farewell to this place, so you have begun to bid farewell to all your friends. We have often heard you say to yourself: 'I wonder if I'll have the chance to see this valley again in the future?'And many similar words. And you pretended your fortune was at its end, and sold your favorite Bag End to the Bagginses of Sackville! Besides, you often talk to Gandalf in secret.”
"Good heavens!" said Frodo. "I've always thought I was careful and secretive enough. I don't know how Gandalf will blame me. So, the entire Shire is talking about my departure?”
"Oh, no!" said Meryl. "You don't have to worry about that! Of course, this secret could not be hidden for too long. However, it is true that only the few of us schemers know about it. After all, we've known you for so long and have often played with you. Only then did we guess what you were thinking. I know Birbo too. To be honest, I've been paying attention to you ever since he left. I thought you'd follow in his footsteps sooner or later, I thought you'd leave sooner; The recent situation has us even more worried. We were afraid that you would disappear mysteriously like him and leave suddenly. We've been keeping a close watch on you since the spring, and we've made some special arrangements. It won't be so easy for you to escape this time!”
"But I must go," said Frodo. "My dear friends, I have no choice. I know that everyone will have a hard time, but it's useless for you to force me to stay. Since you've guessed so much, please help me and don't stop me!”
"You misunderstood!" said Pippin. "Since you have to leave, then we are no exception. Meryl and I have decided to go with you. Sam was a good man. He was willing to go through fire and water to save you. You will need the assistance of more than one companion on this dangerous journey.”
"My dearest and most thoughtful friend," said Frodo, deeply moved. "But I can't do that. I decided a long time ago. You only know how dangerous it is, but you don't understand how dangerous it is. This was not a mission to find treasure, nor was it an easy adventure. In order to avoid danger, I had to throw myself into an even greater crisis.”
" Of course we understand," Meryl said firmly. "That's why we decided to go with you. We know that the Lord of the Rings is not to be trifled with, but we will do everything we can to help you fight the Demon King.”
"The Lord of the Rings!" This time Frodo was really too surprised to speak.
"Yes, the Ring," said Meryl. "My dear friend, you underestimate the curiosity of your friends. I have known of the Ring for many years; In fact, I already knew before Birbo left. However, since he treated this as a secret, I kept this news in my heart. It was only when we started to think of this plan that it came in handy. Of course, I don't know Birbo as well as I know you. I was too young, and he was more careful than you; But this still couldn't stop my curiosity. If you want to know the story behind this, I'm willing to share it with you.”
"Continue!" said Frodo weakly.
"As I suppose you can guess, it was the Sackville-Bagginses who gave him away. About a year or so before the feast, I happened to be walking down the road one day and found Bilbo just ahead of me. Suddenly, a group of Sabans appeared and walked towards us. Birbo stopped, and then, dala! He disappeared. I was so shocked that I almost couldn't find a good place to hide. But I still had an idea. I climbed over the fence and hid in someone else's yard. I peeked through the gap in the fence, and after the Sabans left, Birbo reappeared in front of me. I saw him put something golden in his pocket.”
"After that, I paid more attention to his actions. In fact, I admit that I did secretly spy on him a few times. It couldn't be helped. This matter was really too tempting, and I was still underage at that time. I guess I'm the only person in the Shire besides Frodo who's seen the old man's secret notebook.”
"You've read his books!" shouted Frodo. "Oh my god! Was there no secret in this world?”
"I think so," said Meryl. "But I only took a quick glance. There are many things I don't understand. He kept this book safe at all times. I don't know where the book went after that, but I still want to read it a few more times. Do you have it, Frodo?"
"No, I don't. The book was not in Bag End. He must have taken it with him."
"Alright, where were we?”Mei Li continued. "I kept it to myself until it got serious this autumn. Thus, we began to plan this operation. Since we're going to make a big move, we have to be careful. You're not a loose tongue, and you can't get any information out of Gandalf. However, if you want to know who our famous detective is, I can introduce him to you.”
"Where is he?" Frodo looked around as though he thought the elusive creature would jump out of the cup.
"Let me introduce you to the famous detective Sam!”said Meryl. Sam stood up, his face red. "This is our source of information! He was really a reliable informant, but unfortunately, he was exposed in the end. After that, I think he thought he was on bail, so he didn't leak any more information.”
"It's Sam!" Frodo was so surprised that he did not know how to feel or what to say. He didn't know whether to be angry, amused, relieved, or feel like a fool.
"Yes, my lord!" said Sam. "Please forgive me, my lord! Mr. Frodo, but I mean you no harm, and I mean no harm to Mr. Gandalf.‘He was really very reasonable. When you said you wanted to go alone, he said no! Bring someone you can trust with you.'”
"But now I don't know who to trust," said Frodo.
Sam looked at him gloomily. "The key is what kind of friends you want.”Meryl interrupted. "You can trust us to put our lives on the line for you. We'll go through mountains of knives and boiling pots of oil together until the end. You can also trust us to keep our mouths shut and not leak anything like you. But you can't think that we'll let you face the crisis alone and leave without saying a word. Frodo, we are your friends. Anyway, here's the thing: We know most of what Gandalf told you. We also know a lot about the Ring. Although we are very afraid, we still want to go with you. Even if you don't agree, we will bite your ass and not let go.”
" In any case, my lord," Sam added," you should listen to the elf's advice. Gildor suggested that you can travel with a willing companion. You can't deny that, can you?”
"I don't deny it," said Frodo, looking at Sam, who was smiling. "I didn't deny it. However, whether or not you snore in the future, I will never believe that you have fallen asleep. Next time, I'll kick you hard to confirm it.”
"You treacherous weasels!”He turned around and faced the crowd. "May the heavens bless you!" He stood up with a smile and waved his hand. "I was defeated. I'm willing to listen to Gildor's advice. If it wasn't for the fact that the crisis I was facing was so dark, I would have danced with joy long ago. Even so, I couldn't help but feel happy from the bottom of my heart. I haven't been this happy in a long time. I had always been afraid of a scene like this tonight.”
"Excellent! It was decided. Let us cheer for Captain Frodo and the Adventurers!”They cheered loudly and danced around him. Meryl and Pippin began to sing. Judging from their proficiency, they seemed to have prepared for the occasion.
It was an imitation of the dwarven song that set Birbo on the road of adventure, and the tune was the same:
Farewell home and hall
Passing through the rain and wind,
Set sail before dawn,
Over forests and hills.
To Rivendell, where the elves still live,
The misty grassland is vast,
We ride our horses through the obstacles of the wilderness,
He rushed towards the unknown.
There are enemy tracks in front, pursuers behind,
Eating the wind and sleeping in the open, enduring the frost and ice,
If I can't overcome obstacles, I swear I won't stop,
The mission was completed when they reached the destination.
Quickly set sail! Quickly set sail!
Riding the horse before daybreak!
"Excellent!" said Frodo. "But then there's a lot to do before we go to bed. Besides, this is also the last night we'll be sleeping under the roof.
"Oh! That's just to rhyme!" said Pippin. "Are you really going to leave before dawn?”
" I'm not sure," Frodo replied. "I'm worried about the Dark Knights 'movements. I'm sure that it's not safe to stay in any place for too long, especially in a place where everyone knows where I'm going. Gildor also advised me not to wait a moment. But I do hope that Gandalf will arrive in time. Even Gildor looked worried when he heard that Gandalf had not appeared. There were two key points. How long would it take for the Dark Knight to reach Bucklebury? How fast can we set off? I think this might take a lot of time to prepare.”
"As for the answer to the second question," said Meryl,"we can leave in an hour. I've already prepared everything necessary. There were six ponies in the stables opposite, and all the supplies and equipment had been packed. We only need to prepare the spoilt food and prepare some extra clothes.”
"You've got an efficient plan," said Frodo. "But what about the Black Knight? Is it safe for us to wait for Gandalf for another day?”
" The key to safety lies in what you think the Black Knights will do after they find you," Meryl replied. "If they hadn't been stopped at the north gate, where the high fence meets the river, they might have been here by now. The guards wouldn't open the door at night to let them pass, but they might force their way in. I don't think they'd let them in even in the day, because they'd be suspicious of their appearances, and would be uneasy. At the very least, they would send a message to the owner of the bar. However, Buckland could not resist the enemy's attacks for long. Even if the Dark Knight were to come looking for Mr. Baggins, the guards would probably let them through tomorrow morning. After all, everyone knows that you've returned to the valley.”
Frodo sat thinking for a moment. "I've decided," he said at last. "I'll set off at dawn tomorrow. However, I wouldn't take the main road. That kind of brazen method was probably more dangerous than waiting here. If I leave through the north gate, then the entire Buckland will know of my whereabouts, and I won't be able to keep the pursuers in the dark for a few days. Not only that, even if the Dark Knights could not enter Stagelands, there would definitely be people watching the Brandy Bridge and the Eastern Road near the border. We don't know how many Black Knights there are, but we've encountered two, so there might be more. Our only option is to take the unexpected.”
"But this means that we have to leave from Old Lin!”Freddy said fearfully. "You can't be serious. That place is as dangerous as the Black Knights."
"Not necessarily," said Meryl. "This may sound desperate, but I think Frodo is right. That was the only way to temporarily shake off the pursuers. If we're lucky, we might even be ahead of them.”
" But, there's no such thing as luck in the Old Forest," Fred protested. "There's no luck in there. You will definitely get lost. People don't go there at all."
"No way!" said Meryl. "As long as the Strong Wine Deer family is in a good mood, they will go in and hang out. We have our own entrance. Frodo had been there once, long ago. I've gone in a few times myself, of course, usually during the day when the trees are sleepy and don't dare to move.”
"Alright, do whatever you want!”Fred said. "I'm most afraid of Elder Lin. The story of that place would appear in my nightmares every time. However, since I won't be going with you, my opinion doesn't really matter. However, I am glad that I can stay here and tell Gandalf what stupid things you have done so that he can quickly follow and clean up the mess.”
Although Little Fatty Borg was a good friend of Frodo, he did not want to leave the Shire or see the outside world. His family came from the eastern region of the Shire. To be more precise, it was the sheepskin ferry at the bridge. Moreover, he had never even stepped out of the Strong Wine Bridge. His original plan had been to stay behind and deal with the gossipy idlers, to make it seem as if Mr. Frodo was still living in the Gullies. He had even brought some of Frodo's old clothes to help him in his impersonation. They had no idea how dangerous this mission would be.
"Excellent!" said Frodo, when he understood the whole plan. "We had no other way to leave a message for Gandalf anyway. Of course, I wasn't sure if the Dark Knights could read, but I didn't dare to take the risk of writing down the information. It would be terrible if they found it. However, since Lil 'Fatty is willing to stay, Gandaph will have a way to know our whereabouts. This made me finally make up my mind that we would enter Old Forest tomorrow morning.”
"It's settled," said Pippin. "To be honest, I'd rather go out on a long journey than take on Little Fatty's duties and wait here for the Dark Knight to appear.”
" You'll know when you enter the forest," Fredega said. "Before the sky turns dark tomorrow, you will wish that you were still in this house.”
"There's no need to argue," said Meryl. "We still have to pack up and pack before we go to bed. I'll be in charge of waking you up before dawn.”
※※※
When he finally got into bed, Frodo could not sleep for a long time. His legs were sore. He was glad that he could ride a horse tomorrow morning instead of walking. Finally, he slowly fell asleep. In the dream, he seemed to be looking out of a window overlooking the sea of trees. There were sounds of creatures sniffing in the forest. He felt that the other party would sniff out his location sooner or later.
Then, he heard a strange sound in the distance. At first, he thought it was the sound of a strong wind blowing through the forest. Then, he realized that it was not the sound of leaves, but the sound of distant waves. He had never heard the voice of the sea in his life, but this did not bother him too much in his dreams. Suddenly, he realized that he was standing in an open space without any trees around him. He was standing on a black wasteland, and the air was filled with a strange salty smell. He raised his head and saw a tall white tower standing alone on the high ground. He suddenly had a strong desire to climb up the tower and see what the sea looked like. When he staggered to the high ground and was about to enter the tower; The sky was suddenly illuminated by a flash of light, followed by the rumbling of thunder.
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