Hey guys! Thank you for sticking with me even though I was being extremely slow to write. One complication after another! Anyways, I would like to say that I would be switching between both the book and movie because I can't think of an easier way to do this. If you guys don't like that, give me a heads up and I'll see what I can do!

~Ringbearer0100

It was Will's scream of pain that roused Halt from his light sleep. It was followed by Frodo's own cry of anguish.

"Ring Wraith poison!" spat Strider. "I should have known. I though it was merely an arrow of the orcs."

"You Lady Evenstar does make some interesting sacrifices, but if my apprentice dies, I will personally put an arrow through her, elf or not." A strange light stole into Strider's eyes.

"You will do no such thing," he warned fiercely. "I would rather die before I see her fall; especially, at the hands of a fellow ranger.

"Strider!" cried Frodo. "What must we do now? I feel they are close!" Strider dismissed Halt and attended Will's hand that was chilled as ice.

"Pack your bags. We must fly!" he said. "Will, we must move."

"I'm coming. It just hurt for a second there." Will grabbed his bow and quiver while Halt checked him over like a healer over a patient's body.

"Calm down Halt! I'm absolutely fine!" stated Will flatly.

"At least I'm not Horace," said Halt with a wry smile at the mention of the young burly warrior back in Araluen that was a friend to the both of them. Will chortled softly. He had to smother his laughter when Pippin tripped over Sam's pots, bowling over Halt and causing them to roll across the floor.

"Enough fooling around," said a quite frustrated Strider. "We must go. Sam, go fetch Mr. Butterbur."

††††††

"We shall reach Weathertop by tonight."

It was 10 o'clock by the time the three rangers and four hobbits set out of Bree for Rivendell on foot for the hobbits' ponies were frightened away when the Ring Wraiths came, and could only obtain one pony to carry their packs.

They made their way across country quickly. Halt and Will kept up easily while the hobbits had a much more difficult time, and tired much quicker. They climbed hills, crossed great forests, and tromped through a midge-infested swamp all the while avoiding the servants of Mordor. The time to Weathertop took longer than Strider's prediction, and they were forced to camp on the edge of Midge Swamp, as it became known as amongst the little band. By then, Will's hand was going lip and he began shivering.

"How far are we from Riverdale-?" demanded Halt after Will was settled down.

"Rivendell is still a good march away," said a matter-of-fact Strider.

"As in?"

"A few nights." Halt began glaring saxe knives at him.

"He isn't even fazed!" exclaimed Will in disbelief. Halt's expression was scary enough to cause nobles to cower. Frodo looked at him curiously.

"I am," he said in a hushed whisper. "I am afraid." Will didn't know how to reply.

"I don't want to be afraid."

"What are you afraid of?" asked Will gently, but to him, it seemed to be a rhetorical question.

"The shadow. The ring. Not seeing the Shire again. I fear for myself and mankind and elven-kind alike," said Frodo.

"I'm sorry Frodo," said Will, sitting up.

"You should rest," said Frodo. "Your poor hand must be hurting."

"It's alright. It's nothing but a scratch, see?"

It was a scratch indeed, but pus oozed out of it, and it was a sickly yellow color. It chilled Frodo just looking at it.

"Still," Frodo managed to say. "I think you should rest."

"And what about you?" asked Will. "You barely sleep."

"You don't understand. But yes, let us sleep," said Frodo at last.

††††††

They trekked on, but it wasn't beneath anyone's notice that a stony silence seemed to have developed between Strider and Halt overnight. Unable to bear it any long by midday, Will took Halt scouting.

"Halt, what's wrong?" he asked once they were out of earshot.

"Nothing. Why do you ask?" he growled.

"Because you're fidgety as a caged tiger and irritable as a grizzly bear," stated Will firmly. "Or when Horace doesn't get breakfast," he conceded. Halt cracked a smile.

"That bad, huh?" he said. "Okay. I just don't like the fact he's as good as us and-"

"He knows more than we do?" interrupted Will. Halt fixed him with one of (what Horace likes to call) his Halt Stares. Will raised an eyebrow at him innocently.

"And I don't trust him."

"Why not? You were quick enough to trust Erak and he was a Skandian," countered Will.

"I know."

"Look Halt, he's gotten us this far, and if wanted me dead, he could've left my hand and I'd be dying or dead by now. Besides, that One Ring would tempt him to kill those, er…hobbits, before us."

"I have to say, you're probably right," said Halt after a moment.

"Hey Halt?" said Will. "I know you care. Don't worry."

Oh nice to be young and trusting thought Halt.

"Oh Halt?" said Will in a strange voice. His former master was instantly alert.

"It's nice to finally meet some people you height isn't it," joked Will.

"Oh very funny!" snorted Halt. "I'm just teeming with laughter! They're just children!"

"We are not!" exclaimed a rather indignant Merry.

" We…are FULLY GROWN UP HOBBITS!" added Pippin. Will winked at Halt.

"Good luck," he whispered. His mentor gave Will a killer look.

"Just you wait," he muttered under his breath. Will just laughed and melted into the trees, leaving a very angry Halt in a very awkward position.

But by the time they reached Weathertop at nightfall, everyone was in good spirits. However, hoping Halt wouldn't decide to follow through with his threat, Will took care to stay as far away as possible, and contented to sit by Frodo.

They talked long into the night about the horrors of Mordor and the goodness of elves. They sang songs in elvish, and talked more of battles and the ages of Middle Earth.

Will listened with rapt attention. As he passed Sam the water skin, a strange thing happened. His hand went cold and limp. Then pain flared up his arm. With a yell, he fell to his knees. Whispers filled him head and a shadow stole over his thoughts.

"No!" he shouted. Will shot to his feet and ran to the edge of the forest. The whispers were filling the clearing, but no one appeared to hear.

"Will?" said Strider.

"I hear it too," said Frodo fearfully. And then they could all hear it.

The Ring! The Ring! The Ring!

They called to it in their ear-shattering screeches. Then they emerged. They had found them.