The Dragon

The offering below was inspired by Guy Fawkes Night!

A dragon! She did not want to see a dragon! Dragons had fearsome reputation. Mr Bilbo had seen one, her daddy had told her. Well, Mr Bilbo could deal with this one. Little Cherry Proudfoot hid her head in her mother’s skirt. Whatever they said – she had no intention of looking. “Come on, Cherry.” Don’t be a baby, her dad laughed. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

If there was nothing to be afraid of, then why was everyone screaming? That’s what she wanted to know!

Woosh…! Cherry buried her head deeper into her mothers lap as the great fiery beast whizzed over her head. A tear tricked down her cheek, “Has it gone?” she whispered when her mummy dropped a kiss on her hair and cuddled her close.

LBJ

The Road

Frodo shivered. The cold crept up from his feet and invaded the hidden places in his body. It stifled his chest. His teeth chattered and an icy pain shot through his head. He stared along the road. Whatever caused the abrupt change in temperature emanated from there. Branches shuddered, as if some unseen hand shook them violently, the movement finally releasing the Hobbit from his stupor.

“Get of the road,” he almost whispered the words.

“What’s that? What did you say Frodo?” Merry’s voice rose over the chattering of the other two.

“Get off the road!” Frodo shouted.

“What! And leave these mushrooms, no fear!”

“Get off the road, you fools!”  Frodo dived over the tree roots into the ditch, dragging Merry and Pippin with him. Sam followed, dropping mushrooms on the soft mossy floor.

LBJ

The Millipede

The birdsong sounded loud to his ears, for a moment he could hear nothing else; nothing other than the thump of his own heart. Then, what was that: the snuffle of a horse; the ring of its metal shoe scrapping on a stone? Pippin kept very still - controlling the shudder of revulsion as a millipede tumbled past his head and landed right beside him - it’s multitude of legs moving in unison. Ignoring the loathsome insect he looked to his right - Frodo! What was the matter with Frodo? He had turned pale, very pale. Why was he scrabbling in his pocket? Pippin watched, mesmerised, as Frodo brought out a gold ring. Inch by inch, ring and finger reached out for one another. Ouch! Pippin was pushed back, hard against a tree root, as Sam stretched over and grabbed his master’s hand.

LBJ

The Mail Shirt

It started in his chest – the trembling - as soon as Gandalf subdued him to silence. His urge to call out and run forward; to stab his sword into that foul messenger, so great, that impeding it set his whole body shuddering with anger and loathing.

 “Hold!” Prince Imrahil whispered fiercely, as he caught his arm. Steadying him after the wizard’s abrupt thwarting of his action. Encased in his own misery, eyes fixed on the mithril-mail, Pippin barely heard the words of mockery that uttered from so foul a mouth.

 But without warning Gandalf moved, from his raised hand came a blade of pure white light, “These we will take,” he cried, and snatched, coat, cloak and sword.

LBJ

100 words originally written for an OSA challenge

Last Hope

Sam wrapped his cloak closer around his master: trying to shield him from the searing heat.

Here at the end of all things; Frodo had given up. His body and spirit finally broken on this grim mountainside. A mountain that was blowing itself apart piece by awful piece.

Sam pondered to make sense of it. One question still unanswered: what was it that had drawn the Dark Lord’s eye?

The Hobbit turned to look towards the Black Gates, he blinked, rubbed the soot from his eyes. There was no mistake. Birds, huge birds, screaming down the North Wind towards them.

LBJ