The rain was falling outside as a fire was lit to light the darkened night. The warm glow of the fire cast long shadows upon the walls of Bag End as Hanna sat down in Frodo's chair holding a folded piece of paper in her hand. It was Frodo’s letter. The one he had written for her while he was in Bree. Her hands trembled and tears fell down her face as she opened the letter reading it once again. While she read the front door opened and closed softly as a figure came inside wearing a brown cloak soaking wet with rain. Hanna, hearing the door open, looked up and dropped the letter to the floor as she ran towards the door her face wet with tears.
"My son!" Hanna yelled as she fell into his outstretched arms. "My dear Holfast, I am so glad to see you!"
He pulled her in close kissing her brow as she buried her head in his chest crying tears of joy.
"Why did you not call for me sooner, mother?" Holfast replied softly. "I was only but a two days ride from home."
"I did not want to worry you." Hanna said looking up at her son. "Many years have went by since your father last traveled so far. Twenty-three years in fact. He has not gone away since you were born. But I have had this ill feeling that something has happened. Many of my nights have been filled with visions of your father not returning."
Holfast sighed deeply and took down his hood shaking the water from his cloak. He took it off and walked into the den hanging it on the back of a chair in front of the fire. He then noticed a piece of paper lying on the floor and he picked it up.
"That is the letter he sent." Hanna replied coming over to Holfast. "It came to me five weeks ago."
"May I?" Holfast asked looking at his mother. She nodded and he began reading the words aloud.
My Dear Hanna,
I am here now in Bree resting within my room with Samuel sleeping soundly in the bed next to mine. I have been kept from sleep with horrid dreams after learning that the south road is not the fairest one to be traveling at this time. Many foul happenings have been noted along the road but I shall do all I can to make the journey without any harm to myself or Sam. I have figured that our journey will be a five week ride. I shall send word to you once we have arrived in Gondor. You are in my thoughts my dear and remember that you are always with me.
Frodo
When Holfast finished he folded the letter and handed it back to his mother. She took it in her hand and sighed deeply as her son sat down in a chair.
"You say five weeks have passed since the letter came to you." Holfast replied looking to the fire.
"That they have." Hanna replied as she sat down next to Holfast.
"When did he leave?" Holfast asked looking to his mother.
"The twentieth of April I believe." Hanna said with a sigh. "The letter came to me five days later. I wanted to tell you that he had gone but I knew you would want to run after him to go along on the journey. If my heart did not trouble me I would have not told you of your father leaving until you came back home from your aunt Elanor’s."
Holfast was silent for a moment and then he began muttering something to himself.
"It is now the first of June and add another five weeks…" Holfast whispered. "We should hear word from him by the end of this month." Holfast said loudly. "If he is in Gondor now it may take a rider five weeks to reach the Shire with word he is there. All we can do is wait and pray that father and Sam make it safe to Gondor."
Hanna reached over to Holfast and took his hand in hers. She was still trembling and Holfast took his mothers hand holding it tightly. He looked over to her and smiled drying away the tears that were still falling down her face.
"Do not worry yourself." Holfast whispered. "He is safe and will return. You shall see. Before you know it he will be walking through that door with Samuel at his side."
"That is what I am hoping." Hanna said softly as she looked into the fire while it cast a warm glow upon her face. "Your father and Samuel safe at home where they belong."
*******
The sun was just starting to come over the horizon as Frodo slowly opened his eyes. His head swam with pain as he put his hand to his eyes to block away the sun. Just then he heard a familiar voice call out his name. Frodo wondered if he was dreaming or if he had passed on but when he took his hand away from his eyes, the brightness of the sun fell away revealing Samuel sitting on a chair next to his bed. Frodo sat up quickly looking all around trying to grasp a sense of where he was or how much time had passed since he was struck on the head. He looked over to Sam and he smiled as he sat up from his chair.
"We are safe now." Sam replied as he came to Frodo’s side. "We are in Edoras. The capitol city of the Horsemen of Rohan."
"Edoras?" Frodo mumbled as a man came into the room.
"Yes, Edoras." The man replied as he went up to Sam. "You have been here for two weeks now Frodo. You and Sam were found by our riders about a week ago.
"A week ago?" Frodo muttered. "I have no memory after being struck on the head. What happened out there?"
"Well…" Sam began. "After you were struck on the head that rider was about to come after me when I heard something. I am not sure what it was but it scared him off it did. You were out cold so I started carrying you back to the south road. I don’t know how much time passed but I remember seeing some riders on horseback along the road and I started calling out to them. It was then that I felt faint and the last thing I remember was Baradur here lifting me up onto his horse." Sam said looking up to the man standing at his side.
"Sam’s will to carry you all the way he did was a wonder to us all." Baradur replied putting his hand on Sam’s shoulder. "When we found the two of you he was weak for he had lost much blood. The arrow was still in his shoulder but the wound was tended when he was brought here. It has now begun to heal as has your own."
"My own?" Frodo asked looking to Sam.
"You had quite a cut to your forehead Frodo." Baradur replied. "The wound was cleaned and bandaged but I am afraid that it will leave quite a large scar my friend."
Frodo reached up to his forehead and above his left eye he felt a bandage tightly wrapped around his head. He took his hand away and sighed deeply as he looked over to the open window. The sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear and blue. He then looked to Sam who was now sitting back in his chair.
"What of that rider?" Frodo replied. "Was he found?"
"Not yet. We had been searching for him months before you came across him." Baradur sighed. "He is Caldamar. He suffers from a madness of the brain after his father was killed many years ago. He has been wandering this country seeking to kill all who cross his path. He will be found and put to death for all those he has slain."
Frodo sighed and looked down to his hands as they lay trembling in his lap.
"What of the rest of our journey?" Frodo replied looking up to Baradur. "Will it be safe?"
"When it is at your will I shall ride with you so no fear will be in you along the way." Baradur replied.
"We are traveling to Minas Tirith." Frodo muttered. "To see the aging friends of my father. Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took."
"I know them well." Baradur replied. "Their names are often spoken of throughout Gondor. It would be an honor if you allow me to accompany you on your journey there."
"That you may." Frodo replied. He looked back out the window and sighed deeply.
"Six weeks have now passed." Frodo replied softly. "I must send word to Hanna to tell her I am well. If I wait until we reach Minas Tirith too much time will have passed by and she may worry."
"I shall send a rider at once." Baradur replied. "What is the message you wish to send?"
"Tell her I shall be home soon and that she is in my thoughts." Frodo whispered. He then glanced over at Sam and smiled as a tear fell down his cheek.
"Anything more?" Baradur asked quietly.
"And tell her thank you, for Sam held to his promise." Frodo replied.
"So shall it be." Baradur replied as he bowed low bidding farewell to Frodo and Sam. He then left the room passing the message on to his fastest rider as he soon set out under the ever rising sun.
