CHAPTER 134: BOMBADIL

Heading west from Bree, Sylas had not yet set up the Floo Network, so they couldn’t apparate via fireplaces.

However, they didn’t need to walk either.

Sylas and Gandalf each had a flying broomstick. Sylas took Bilbo, and Gandalf took Legolas, and they flew directly towards the Old Forest.

Midway, the four flew over Barrow-downs.

After the previous sweep and purification, the evil forces in the Barrow-downs were greatly reduced.

Although it was still eerie, the Barrow-wights were in a deep slumber. As long as no one awakened them, there would be no need to worry about their threat for the next few decades.

Although Sylas really wanted to completely clear out all the Barrow-wights, as long as the Witch-king of Angmar was not dead, the wights would be inexhaustible.

And as long as Sauron had not completely lost his power, the Witch-king of Angmar could not be killed at all.

The Witch-king of Angmar was a Nazgûl formed when men were corrupted by the One Ring. His ability to exist in a ghostly form for a long time relied on the power of the One Ring and Sauron’s dark magic.

In the Battle of Dol Guldur, Sylas had killed a Nazgûl, but he was resurrected by Sauron.

During the War of the Ring, the Witch-king was slain by the combined efforts of Éowyn, princess of Rohan, and the Hobbit Merry. Merry’s enchanted blade from the Barrow-downs broke the Witch-king’s sorcery, and Éowyn struck the killing blow. Though his physical form was destroyed, his spirit remained bound to Sauron. Only when the One Ring was unmade at Mount Doom did Sauron’s power collapse, and the Nazgûl, including the Witch-king, were utterly unmade, never to return.

So everything returned to the One Ring.

And their purpose on this trip was to deal with the One Ring.

The four rode their flying broomsticks over the Old Forest and finally arrived above Tom Bombadil’s house.

Tom below had already seen them and was happily waving at them.

As soon as they landed on the hillside, Tom came bouncing toward them, waving his hands excitedly. "Oh, my friends, welcome to Tom Bombadil’s house!"

Sylas greeted him warmly. "Hi, Tom, long time no see!"

"Ah, Sylas, my friend, the mountain wind blowing from the east brought me news of your victory. I am really looking forward to you telling me about the sights of your journey!" Tom said cheerfully, giving Sylas a bear hug and laughing heartily.

"If you’re interested, I can tell you anytime," Sylas said happily.

Sylas had always been grateful to Tom. His first wand core came from Tom and Goldberry, and he had also been taught musical magic that he could meditate on and cultivate, which was a huge help.

He had always wanted to repay Tom somehow, but Tom lacked nothing.

"Tom, this is a gift I prepared for you. I hope you like it." Sylas took out an openwork ring inlaid with a blue gem and handed it to him.

Tom took the ring, and his eyes immediately lit up. He put it on his right index finger.

Then, he touched the ring with his hand, and a magnificent golden-brown staff appeared in Tom’s hand.

The staff head was inlaid with a large ruby, and the staff body was carved with grapevine patterns. The overall design was natural and fluid, exuding an Elven style.

The length of the staff was perfectly suited to Tom’s height.

"This is for me?" Tom played with the staff, clearly very fond of it.

Sylas smiled and nodded. "This is a staff I asked the Elves to make, crafted from the core of a mallorn tree that grows in Lórien. Try tapping the ground with it."

Tom heard this and curiously tapped the ground with the staff.

Flowers and plants instantly grew from the spot where the staff touched.

Tom’s eyes widened in delight.

Like someone who had found a new toy, he began tapping the staff everywhere, laughing happily as flowers bloomed in his wake.

Sylas’s smile deepened as he watched Tom’s delight.

This staff was his very first attempt at true alchemy.

Ever since acquiring The Book of Abraham, Sylas had never neglected his studies of the alchemical arts it contained. While staying in Lothlórien, he had come into possession of a spare length of mallorn tree heartwood, left over from the making of another staff, and paired it with a ruby he had personally chosen from the treasure hoard he had claimed in the Lonely Mountain. With these, he commissioned an Elven craftsman to forge the staff’s body.

Then, using his own alchemical skill, Sylas bound a "Flower Blooming" charm into the staff. With a simple tap upon the earth or any surface, blossoms would spring forth as if coaxed by spring itself. It was a thing of beauty, though it had no martial use whatsoever. Still, it was clear Tom adored it.

Alongside the staff, the ring was also part of Sylas’s gift. Into the openwork band, he had woven an Undetectable Extension Charm. The pocket of space it created was modest, no larger than a small room, but useful nonetheless.

Gandalf and the others looked on in surprise. They had known Sylas often visited the Elven craftsmen during his time in Lórien, but they had not imagined he had created such a whimsical and magical piece.

Tom played with the staff for a time, then, brimming with excitement, ushered them all toward his home.

"Good gracious!" Bilbo and Legolas both breathed, eyes widening as they stepped inside. The entire house was awash with flowers in full bloom, as if they had wandered into the sunlit garden of a fairy queen. Even Gandalf’s brows rose in mild astonishment.

"Tom, I haven’t visited in a long while," the wizard remarked, his voice tinged with amusement. "I see you’ve taken a new approach to your décor?"

"This is all Sylas’s doing," came a gentle, melodic voice. Goldberry emerged from amidst a cluster of water basins brimming with water lilies, her beauty every bit as radiant as a river in moonlight. She wore a silver gown adorned with tiny crystal droplets like morning dew, a golden belt cinched gracefully about her waist.

Her eyes sparkled warmly as she greeted them. "Welcome. We’ve had no guests since Sylas last visited."

Like a child eager to show off a prized toy, Tom handed the staff to her, pride shining in his face. "Goldberry, look, this is my new gift! A splendid staff, and it can make flowers bloom!"

Goldberry’s gaze softened with affection, lingering on Tom before turning to Sylas. "Thank you for giving this to him. He hasn’t been this joyful in a very long time."

"I’m glad he likes it," Sylas replied sincerely.

Then, with a smile, he produced another ring, this one set with a gleaming green gem, and offered it to her. "Lady Goldberry, this is for you. I hope it pleases you."

The design matched Tom’s ring, and for a moment, Goldberry’s eyes widened in surprise before they warmed with a smile like sunlit water. "Oh, thank you. I do love it," she said, slipping it onto her finger.

Seeing her receive a ring much like his own, Tom leaned in, curiosity brimming in his voice. "Goldberry, quick, see what’s hidden inside yours!"

Goldberry gently brushed her fingers over the openwork of the ring. In an instant, a golden crown of flowers appeared in her hand.

"This is a flower crown woven from blossoms of the mallorn tree in Lothlórien," Sylas explained with a smile. "It was made by Elven hands, and it will never wither."

Goldberry gazed at the crown with clear delight, placing it carefully upon her head. Her eyes curved like the crescent moon as she smiled.

"Thank you, Sylas. This is the finest gift I have ever received."

"As long as you like it, that’s all that matters," he replied warmly.

Behind them, Gandalf leaned toward Legolas and Bilbo, his voice low and amused.

"Honestly, if Sylas had been even half this attentive in Lothlórien or Rivendell, he might have made some progress with Arwen by now."

Legolas and Bilbo exchanged knowing looks and nodded in agreement.

Fortunately for Gandalf, Sylas hadn’t heard. If he had, he might have accused the wizard of impertinence toward his elders. Not that romance was anywhere near his mind these days, his focus was on honing his craft and strength.

And even if he had been interested, who in their right mind would try to woo Arwen under the watchful eyes of her guardians? In Lothlórien, Celeborn and Galadriel cherished her like a jewel beyond price. In Rivendell, there was her father Elrond, and her twin brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, each of them more than capable of cutting down any would-be suitor who overstepped.

In Tom’s cozy living room, he and Goldberry hosted Sylas, Gandalf, Bilbo, and Legolas. The table was laden with a feast that rivalled any Elven banquet.

Between mouthfuls, Gandalf finally came to the matter at hand. "Tom, we’ve come here because there is an object, an object of great danger. None of us can remain unaffected by it. We would ask you to keep it safe for us until a way is found to destroy it."

"What is it?" Tom asked with bright curiosity.

"It’s... it’s..." Gandalf’s voice trailed off. He glanced at Sylas. "Perhaps you should explain."

Sylas didn’t refuse. The Fidelius Charm bound him as the Secret-Keeper, and he was already surprised Gandalf had been able to say so much.

"It’s the One Ring," he said plainly. "We want you to keep it for us."

As soon as Sylas spoke, Tom and Goldberry became part of the secret. An invisible bond of magic wrapped around them, though Sylas doubted that such enchantments could truly bind Tom Bombadil.

Bilbo, looking reluctant, retrieved a small treasure box from his pouch and placed it on the table.

With a flick of his wand, Sylas tapped the box. The lid swung open to reveal the gleaming gold ring inside.

"Let’s have a look at this precious ring!" Tom said, leaning forward with unabashed interest. Without hesitation, he reached in and picked it up.

Bilbo and Legolas both stiffened, startled. Gandalf’s fingers tightened around his pipe. He believed Tom could withstand the Ring’s pull, but still, the sight made him uneasy.

Sylas, however, remained perfectly calm, his confidence in Tom unshaken.

In Tom’s large, weathered hand, the Ring seemed to grow, as if reshaping itself to suit him. He peered at it closely, then chuckled deep in his chest, and to everyone’s shock, he slid it onto his little finger.

Bilbo gasped. The expected vanishing never came. Tom sat there as solid as ever, as though he had put on nothing more than a simple trinket.

Then, with a boyish laugh, Tom tossed the Ring into the air, making it vanish in a flicker of light, only to pluck it back again as if it were part of some conjuring trick.

Bilbo shifted uneasily, half-wondering if the Ring had been swapped somehow.

When Tom set it back in the box, his mischief wasn’t finished. He picked it up once more and, under Gandalf’s wary gaze and Sylas’s faint frown, passed it to Bilbo.

The moment Bilbo slipped it on, he vanished completely.

The others blinked in surprise, scanning his empty chair as if he might still be sitting there, unseen.

Only Tom remained unruffled. His sharp eyes tracked the invisible hobbit with ease.

"Ho now, Bilbo! Tom Bombadil’s eyes aren’t so dim that they can’t find you. Take off that golden trinket, your hands are fairer without it."

Bilbo hesitated, testing if Tom could truly see him. Wherever Bilbo stepped, Tom’s gaze followed.

Finally, the hobbit removed the Ring, and with a shimmer, he reappeared.