Chapter 5 - Leaving

Pippin ran into the clearing, spreading his arms as if he were trying to fly, and smiling his first real smile in days. The beam of sunlight danced on the scattering of autumn leaves that covered the floor and made millions of dust particles glitter, causing Pippin to look as though he were in a strange, dreamlike world. The sight was quite beautiful to behold, and the hobbits watching knew that it would be one they would remember should harder times strike them upon their journey.

Between them, Frodo and Sam supported Merry as they trod carefully to where Pippin stood. The clearing was on a slight incline, and they were able to see the world spread out ahead of them. Much to the hobbit's surprise, the trees did not continue forever. In fact, they thinned out remarkably in what looked like less than a league away from them, and then ceased to be apart from as green dots on the horizon less than a league further than that.

The imminent end of their journey in the half dark brought cheer to all of the hobbit's hearts, and the sight of Bree in the distance thoughts of ale to their stomach. It had been a harder journey than necessary, but the winding and ever changing paths of the forest, not to mention malicious and horrifying tree spirits, saw to that. Now however, they had the joy of a journey in sunlight, to a village where they could rest and be refreshed. Not even the sighting of a Black Rider could now dampen their spirits. Not that they could imagine one appearing in the broad daylight of bright sunlight.

"Well...." said Frodo, "We survived the horror of the Old Forest - that's one you can tell the folks of Buckland, Merry."

Merry smiled weakly and focused on the village far ahead of him.

"We should reach Bree by nightfall."

Frodo, being the oldest and therefore most responsible of the hobbits, knocked at the great wooden gate as hard as he could. The rain was chilling them inside and out, and the hobbits only hoped that it had not kept the gatekeeper from his duties. There was no sound but the splashing and beating of the storm for a few minutes, but eventually the grating sound of a doorway could be heard. A weathered face poked out of the top window panel of the door and then disappeared, and Frodo started as it then reappeared a few inches from his own cloaked head.

"Who goes there?" the coarse voice asked.

They had arrived.