Shobha yawned and stretched at the edge of the car park. It was already very warm, despite being 8am that morning, considering it was still May. She was on the edge of the wilderness as far as she was concerned. She chuckled, reminding herself that it was only Wales, this was a hike, and they were only gentle hills. Her fiancé had planned this hike with her for a while.

"Map: yup. Compass: here," she muttered. "I can do this even without Mike…"

After five years together, and five months before their planned intimate wedding, in a beautiful, old castle, he had left her. While he had given no explanation, she had soon after discovered his many indiscretions. She just didn't understand how she hadn't noticed that coming. Had she subconsciously turned a blind eye, or had she been that obtuse? Fortunately after a very emotional phone call to the weddings team, they had given her deposit back, excepting a small amount, which they allowed her to use as a credit voucher for their luxury hotel. And after meeting Mike, for what Shobha thought would be the last time on Monday that week, to return her engagement ring, she decided to use that stay this weekend. And on her own. It was closure.

The hotel itself was opulent, and very romantic. Luckily it also had a Spa, great room service and was a short drive away from a gentle hiking trail. The weather was forecast as perfect this weekend. It seemed a no-brainier. After tiring herself out on this hike, Shobha planned to get back for a long afternoon nap, followed by a swim and dinner. Then she could finally drive home tomorrow after breakfast. And hoped to never think of Mike again.

Shobha had been hiking for a what felt like hours. The grass was lush and overgrown. She took her backpack off and plopped it on the ground. Next she peeled off her cargo jacket and sat down. She checked her watch, it was still only 10.30am!

"Ugh" she scowled at her watch and took it off. The beautiful Tag timepiece was another reminder of him. She took it off and was about to throw it away, when she stopped. "No. Why should I suffer, I am going to trade you in for some money… I wonder how many other stupid things I have left from him?"

From the top of this hill, the valley below was a carpet of verdant green, with a small silvery stream running through it. To the far left there were sheep dotted about grazing lazily, like tiny little clouds.

She smiled. For the first time on her own, she didn't feel like crying anymore. She was twenty-nine, maybe she wouldn't die alone after all. This could be the start of her 'new life'. She opened her map again, it hadn't been difficult to navigate. One more hour and she would turn back.

Standing up, Shobha tied her jacket around her waist and pulled her backpack back on. Then backing away, she admired the view. It was peaceful up here.

Then suddenly she heard a loud growl, which made her spin around. In the distance she saw a large wolf like animal bounding over towards her. It was nothing like she had ever seen before.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

She wasn't sure where to run. There were some trees nearby, she began running fast. She hadn't worn serious hiking boots, so her all terrain boots slipped on the damp grass. She kept running. Not looking back. She would need to climb fast.

Just as she reached the tree line, the thing had almost gained on her. It was fast. She could hear its breathing and snarling. Weaving between trees, she heard it hit a tree, where the gap had been too small for it to fit between them.

The tree she knew she could climb fast was seconds away. And then she tripped, falling hard onto her hands. As she scrambled back up, the thing was there on her heels.

She quickly took her backpack off and held it in front of her. It would offer some protection.

But it growled and spun around. Behind it was another man, hacking at it with, what looked like a large axe and sword. It snarled and growled to no avail. With several efficient and deadly hacks and slices he had taken it down. It lay on the ground still gasping, and he walked over to it and with one heavy swing of his axe into its skull, put it out of its misery.

Shobha stood there breathing fast. This man looked crazed. He was wearing some strange outfit with mail and armour, and carried real weapons. More importantly, what the fuck was that thing?! It was far too large to be a wolf and yet it had a similar appearance.

"What are you doing on your own woman!" The man turned his attention to her. He walked over to her quickly after checking the animal was dead and pulled her to her feet. He observed her carefully. She was unlike any other woman he had ever set eyes on. She was dressed in unusually tight breeches, and wore a strange shiny coat with a hood. She was not dressed suitably at all, and would likely catch her death soon, and it didn't appear that she carried any weapons at all! There was certainly something about her though. He dismissed the thoughts from his head, she would only prove a distraction to the company. They didn't need that.

He was covered in blood and mud and had long black hair with streaks of silver, and braids either side of his face and a full beard.. He was broad and muscular and stared at her sternly with deep blue eyes.

"Are you hurt?" He began to pat her down and check her for injuries.

"I'm ok." She finally spoke nodding at him.

"What is 'Oh-Kay'?" He grabbed her wrist and began pulling her along. "Have you hurt something?"

"I am fine." She said as he dragged her along.

"We are not safe here.. that was a Warg scout. Which means more are to follow."

A Warg? Like the Wargs of the Misty Mountains?

"I don't think there is anyone else."

"No we must find the rest of my company…" he continued to pull her along.

"Stop! Stop!" She then tugged back finally coming to her senses. He could be some sort of delusional person. "We will get lost if you wonder off. I have to check my map –"

"Tharkun will help with that.."

"No stop!"

Then he must have noticed something as he too stopped.

"Where is everyone. Where is this place?" He spun around to face her, continuing to bark at her. "Answer me woman!"

"This is Wales." She looked at him scared. "Look I don't have much money on me, but you can take my watch and anything else.."

"You think I am going to rob you?!" He spat. He took a step closer and looked at her closely. "Well, they can not be far. I chased the Warg down when we were attacked… we will just have to return to where I came from."

"You can't just go wondering off are you crazy?!" She said. "The weather here is really changeable, if we get lost it will be terrible!"

"Don't argue with me woman –"

"Shobha." She interrupted and then regretted revealing her name to the mad man.

"It matters not, we have to join the rest. You are unarmed and there will be orcs swarming this area soon." He grabbed her wrist and Pulled her once more, breaking into a run.

After running for some time and being pulled in his vice like grip, he stopped. He was clearly unable to find the rest of his group.

"I don't understand." He said stopping to look around.

Shobha looked around and the landmarks were unfamiliar, and she was nervous about the man. He had weapons. Real ones.

"Is this your doing?"

"Excuse me? I got chased by that thing remember! Where is it that you were –"

"I am on an important journey…"

Shobha took her water bottle out and took a drink. He looked at it oddly, as though he had never seen one! So Shobha offered it to him, perhaps he was very dehydrated.

"No."

Wait a minute Wargs, journey, braids… was he dressed like a dwarf?

"Um… ok my name is Shobha… I have been on a walk when you found me. I have a map in my pocket, and we can find our way back." She took it out and started looking.

"Let me see." He commanded standing closer to her. He smelled rather terrible, of the blood from the animal. She handed it to him, and he looked closer at it.

"This is not Arda."

"Yes this is Wales." She rolled her eyes. "Look this is getting a bit tiring now. And if we don't find our way back it will be dark soon."

"Do not trick me. Do you know who I am?"

"No! And really I don't mind… I just want to get back to my hotel now…"

"I am Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór. And I command you to tell me in truth where we are."

"This is Wales. The map I showed is right. But I think we are lost and I am tired. So I am going to stop have a sandwich and then start walking again." She looked at him uncertain. If he was going to kill her, then so be it. She had a good enough life so far, perhaps growing old was overrated anyway. She plopped herself on the ground right there by a tree. And he surprisingly stopped swearing in some strange throaty language and found a nearby log to sit on.

Unzipping her bag she pulled out a packet and opened her sandwich. Again he looked at her with curiosity. Was he hungry?

"Here do you want one?" She offered and then stopped. "Hold on."

Rummaging in her backpack she found some wipes and gave him a few.

"Perhaps clean your hands of that blood and muck." She said.

"Thank you my lady." He took them and looking at them strangely he used them to clean his hands and face. "These are very thin gauzes."

"Well they're better than nothing. So clean up and I have a sandwich…Were you camping out here then?" She looked at him again as he finished and held out an empty bag for him to put the dirty wipes into. Then offered the sandwich again, and reluctantly he took one. "It's vege… so were you re-enacting the hobbit or something.?"

"My lady, what acting? Thank you." He bowed his head slightly thanking her. "Please once you are rested, let us try to find my company. I am certain they are near."

"Ok, we can walk for another hour while I get my bearings, but then we must find the car park. I don't want to be out here tonight."

They had been walking for almost two hours and now they were truly lost. She had checked her phone and found no signal, and the map landmarks were gone.

Eventually he had forced her to stop, which she did out of sheer fatigue. He had then gathered some wood and started a fire using flints! She had never seen anything like it before. He was either fully committed or crazy.

"Ok I am really scared now. And cold." She sat closer to the fire and warmed her hands. The warm day had given way to a chilly evening. "Do you think there are more of those things out there?"

"Where is your bedroll?" He looked at her sharply.

"I told you. I am staying in a hotel nearby… I just can't find it…"

"Then you will have mine." He said sincerely looking worried about her now. "I am too dirty to lay in it anyway."

"Um no I cant." She said. And he walked over to her and lay his bedroll out for her. It was rather elaborate. Made of some treated leather and padded well, and embroidered elaborately with a crest of an anvil and stars and a mountain. Then taking his heavy fur coat off he dropped it over her shoulders. It smelled of vetiver and some sort of tobacco.

"Would you like some more wipes to clean up. I don't have much water left. The rest is in the car, so here, this is to drink only… use the wipes to clean up." She handed over the wipes and her water bottle, and snuggled into his coat. Then fishing back into her bag she pulled out a couple of muesli bars and gave one to him. He really didn't appear to have ever seen a cereal bar.

"Unwrap it and eat… like this," she showed with hers and he copied. He seemed to enjoy it. He bowed his head thanking her again.

He remained silently staring into he fire. Occasionally looking over his shoulder. They were stuck for the night. No swim or nice dinner. Just the cold, a strange man who thought he was Thorin, heir of Durin and the wild.

After some time she must have drifted asleep.

When Shobha woke up, he was leaning asleep on a tree nearby sword in hand. He had tucked her into his bedroll somehow. It smelled of his vetiver smell and was warm and surprisingly comfortable.

Her stirring, appeared to wake him.

"Are you alright my lady?" He asked a bit more gently now. Dawn was just breaking.

"Yes thank you..." She nodded. This was the craziest thing she had ever, ever done.

Eventually they found a sign for a main road and finally the car park. And as they neared the car park she looked at him and realised he looked rather lost.

"Um… can I give you a lift somewhere?" She asked unsure. What if he robbed her and took her car. But surely he would have done that already if he wanted to.

"No I should continue to search for my company…" He began.

"Look Thorin," she spoke matter of factly. She was tired and irritated. "This is not Arda. I don't know how you ended up here in all honesty, but your company are not there. You can't keep walking out there, you will hurt yourself. Is there someone you know who can help you?"

"I…" he looked broken.

He didn't seem mad or delusional to her. Of course she wasn't a psychiatrist, and it had been a while since she did any in medical school. But she felt a bit sorry for him. There was something that struck a chord with her.

"Ok. You will have to come with me. There is enough time before check out, and then I will have to figure out what to do with you…" she thought quickly striding towards her car. She took the fob out and unlocked it.

"What is this beast?" He asked taken aback unsheathing his sword, making her jump back.

"It's a car… put your weapon away!" She yelled putting her hands up. "Jeez! You can't do that!"

He stood for a moment looking at the car. Then she showed him, walking over to it and opening the door.

"See it's not alive… just like a carriage… without horses." She tried to explain. He looked shocked but was taking everything in, as if the first time he ever saw a car. She was starting to worry that he really was from Middle Earth. "Um… hold on. I have some blankets in the back to line the seats for you… No! Don't sit just yet!"

She quickly lined the front seat and pulled it back. Shobha loved her BMW 425 cabriolet. She popped the boot open, threw her backpack in and pulled out a couple of bottles of water, handing one to him. She opened hers and drank and looked at him as he examined the bottle, then copied her and began to drink.

After sitting in the car, she turned to him.

"Buckle up please." But he looked at her confused.

"I shan't say a word, my Lady."

"No your seatbelt…" she sighed. He really appeared to have never been in a car. She undid her own belt and reached across him. He felt hot, and was clearly very muscular underneath, his blue eyes piercing her, watching every move. She finally pulled the belt into place and clicked it in.

"What is this?"

"In case the car crashed, this will save your life. See I have mine too." She explained. "And you just need to undo it when we stop like this."

She demonstrated how to buckle and unbuckled her belt. He sat quietly watching her still intently.

he had remained silent throughout the journey. Occasionally looking sidelong at her. She steered this strange horseless carriage well. His sister was a fairly good equestrian, but she could not steer a carriage or machine. And she travelled on her own without fear. It was unheard of. And she was attractive. Her skin was brown like dark honey, and her long raven hair plaited, although it had become messy from their travels. She must have been very young. But she was build small framed, like the offspring between an elf and a hobbit.

After reaching the hotel, and a bit more convincing to wrap his swords up in a blanket before sneaking him into her room, she then showered fast and stepped out in a robe, giving him the chance to shower while she rushed about packing her things.

Shobha switched on the TV, and began to get dressed pulling on her knickers and bra and throwing the robe on the bed. Just then Thorin stepped out of the bathroom. He was dressed in clean trousers and a tunic. He froze on the spot, his eyes roaming over her body for a moment, and then immediately turning his back. Mahal she was almost nude. He had not seen an unclothed woman for some time and she was perfectly made. Her breasts small but pert and proportionate, her waist tiny and her rear shapely.

"I apologise my Lady," he spoke keeping his back turned, while she quickly got dressed.

His body would become aroused if he kept thinking of the vision he saw, so he thought about how the company would be managing without his guidance. He had trained Fili well, and he would be able to take over under Balin and Tharkun's guidance. At least he hoped so. The thought troubled him deeply. He needed to get back as soon as possible.

"It's fine. I'm done." She said after quickly finishing. "Come one we have to get out before they hammer me for late checkout."

"I swear no one will lay a finger on you my lady, let alone a hammer." He said with certainty.

"No I mean they will charge me extra…"

"I have gold. I can pay."

"Um… please no." She hurried him now. "Just get packed quickly. We have to leave soon. And I have to sneak you out."

She had got him to wait in the car after dropping her bags off while she checked out. And then they set off. She had already explained what the radio was, and a mobile phone. The drive would be long, and they hadn't even stopped for breakfast. He genuinely seemed to be from some other community that had no technology. She couldn't abandon him in a hospital, he clearly wasn't mad. It made her wonder whether she was the mad one.

They would have to take it one day at a time. She would let him stay in her apartment for now and then figure things out. Perhaps she could give him her copies of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books to read, and it may help him. Perhaps this was the craziest thing she had ever done, taking this strange man home with her… But he appeared as lost as she felt.