[ElenCala Isil]

When Melody had left, Ivy decided to wander about again. She looked around at the beautiful snow everywhere. Everyone seems to hate the snow, but it’s just so beautiful. Oh, if only the crops weren’t freezing over! she thought in vain. Wrapping her cloak about her, she proceeded to head back over to the river. She felt drawn to it, for a reason she could not guess. At times, she would stand at its bank, watching the sheet of ice that was once a river for as long as she could withstand the cold. Ivy pondered about the meeting. We’ll get to go. Melody will have her way, it’s just the way things work.

As she came closer to the river, she saw a few figures standing close to the banks where would be her usual standing place. They seemed a bit taller than hobbits, wider, and had long beards. Ivy immediately recognized the figures to be dwarves. She wondered what brought dwarves to their beloved Shire, and moreover, why they were taking up her usual spot. In any event, Ivy continued walking over to the bank, now hoping that she might hear any news from the dwarves. She was curious to hear anything she could about how life outside the Shire would fare in such a fateful winter.

When at last she reached the Brandywine, she acknowledged the dwarves with a nod, and stood looking out at the river. She stood listening to the dwarves consult amongst themselves intently. At last, one of the dwarves walked up to Ivy. He had a long dark beard, and wore a heavy green cloak to keep out the wind’s icy bite.

“Are you Ivy Burrows?” the dwarf asked her. Ivy turned and was taken aback by this. She spoke slowly.

“Yes, and who might you be?” she asked cautiously.

“Who I am is not of importance to you,” the dwarf said in a hurried tone, “I have heard word that you and a band of other Halflings plan to head out towards Rivendell.”

At this Ivy was even more taken aback. News spread quickly in the Shire, but she had no idea it spread so quickly as to reach the ears of the dwarves.

“You heard right.” She replied, trying to act as if she wasn’t too concerned with the dwarves.

“Then you are in danger.” The dwarf proceeded to tell her what sort of danger that crossed the paths to Rivendell. Ivy immediately dropped her nonchalant act, and seemed to cling to every word the dwarf told her.

“A group of Orcs and warg riders stand between here and Rivendell.”

For a great while, Ivy spoke to the dwarves, who had taken Ivy aside as not to be seen by any other passing hobbits. The cold seemed to seep into Ivy’s flesh and down to her bones, and worsened with all the dangers that she learned about. The dwarves bade Ivy to keep the others from setting out until the Orcs and Wargs were removed from their path, but Ivy knew that could not be done.

“But we can’t wait any longer. The crops are all frozen over, and we’re running short on supplies as it is. We must set out and retrieve supplies, before the young ones begin to starve! What can we do?” Ivy ranted and wished that the dwarves would perhaps give her another means of collecting supplies safely. The dwarves told Ivy that if the Shire was in such need of supplies, to head for Bree.

“Be wary though, the Orcs may move closer to the Shire. Set out as soon as you can, and return quickly!” he told Ivy.

The dwarves were soon off, and Ivy still hadn’t the slightest idea who the dwarves were. She was left staring at the Brandywine, thoughts flooding her mind, and she wondered what could be done. Surely if I tell Tom and the others about this, they’ll never let us come along. But I can’t just let them set out to Rivendell without them knowing about the Warg riders…

The cold seemed to have no affect on her anymore; she was too deep in thought. She soon resolved with herself to tell Melody, and call an emergency meeting. As she got ready to head back to Melody’s house, the cold suddenly sunk in. She felt numb all over and her face stung in the winter breeze. She walked back as quickly as she could, and knocked feebly on Melody’s door.

When Melody answered, Ivy fell inside, and down on her knees right in the doorway. Melody rushed to get her blankets and a bit of tea, and relieve her of the cold. Ivy could feel little, but she could smell the fresh aroma of the tea, and she gladly sipped at the warm liquid. When at last she regained feeling, Ivy noticed that both Cedric and Tom were there. Tom had passed Ivy on the way to his hobbit hole, and turned round when he heard her collapse. She shifted uneasily, Well, they’ll find out anyway, I might as well tell them right off as well. She proceeded in telling all three of them about her discussion with the dwarves, describing every word said. It was indeed a long tale, and the faces of Melody and the others seemed to turn worried with every passing moment.

“We should call another meeting, Tom. It wouldn’t be right to take the others along without them knowing.” Ivy finished at last.

She breathed a sigh of relief. It was out of her hands now, and she sank into her seat with the blankets piled atop herself, and hoped that Tom would not decide that the ladies could not venture out with them.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 3:19 PM January 18, 2004: Message edited by: ElenCala Isil ]