[A/N: I know this is breaking every single rule of the Canon, but out of complete boredom I can't help but write this stupid story. It's only under Lord of the Rings b/c that's where it starts. In actuality it's a bit of everything.]
It was a sunny day at Bag End and Frodo and Sam were sitting on the front step in front of Bag End. "Nothing exciting ever happens around here," Frodo sighed and propped his chin on his palm. Sam could only nod. "How about we play hide-and-seek?" Frodo straightened and grinned.
"No fun," Sam said and glanced at him. "You cheat Mister Frodo with that darn ring of yours."
Frodo looked down at the heavy gold ring and smiled sheepishly. "I won't this time. I promise."
Sam looked uncertain. He didn't really want to play hide-and-seek with Frodo; it just wasn't ever any fun with him. "We don't have enough people!" he blurted out and glanced at Frodo. Sure enough that put a damper on Frodo's gaiety and he slumped back to the ground.
But out of the middle of nowhere a large rip sounded and the sky just seemed to burst open. Out of the rather large gap a big green dragon flapped in and landed very close to Sam. He shrieked, leaped into Frodo's lap and gripped his neck. "Sam, geroff! You're choking me!" Frodo rolled his eyes and managed to pry Sam's hands from around his neck.
A metal helmet appeared over the back of the dragon, the feather plume waving slightly in the breeze. With a clink and clunk the rider hopped down, narrowly missing the wing that moved faintly. They stood, decked in leather and the helmet covered the whole face but the eyes that were brown.
Frodo pushed Sam off his lap, standing up to his full height of three feet, four inches and tried to look taller when he noticed how far he had to crane his head to stare at the stranger. "Who are you and why did your dragon landed in my begonias?" he demanded. His hands dug into his little hips and he glared at the foreigner.
"I am Alhana Starbreeze, and this is Ice Breeze," the woman replied stiffly. She glared at them and pulled off her helmet. Long brown hair tumbled down past her shoulders and pointed ears showed that she was an elf. She looked around. "Where am I?"
"Not off Mister Frodo's begonias," Sam stood up beside Frodo, taking his stance.
Alhana rolled her eyes and obliged to the short creatures, still wary of what these odd things might do to her if provoked. She sent a look to the dragon and it moved, sitting now on the daffodils. Sam yelped but changed his mind when Alhana glanced at him ferociously. Daffodils will always grow back. "Now where am I?" she repeated, tucking helmet under arm and staring.
They stared back and a staring contest began. Little did Alhana know that hobbits were a lot like cats. They don't blink often. But the contest was on, so they stared and stared and stared and stared and stared and they stared and stared and stared some more. The contest ended with a rude interruption of two horses galloping through Sam's carefully tended garden. Clods of dirt and colorful flowers were flung out from behind the horses' hooves. They slid to a halt, cagey of the dragon that sunned himself in the afternoon sunlight.
The three turned to the new strangers glancing them over. The horses were well bred; the proud arch of the neck sleek and muscular. They had on no bridles, only saddles that seemed more like blankets than saddles. No stirrups were there, and the legs of the riders clung to the sides expertly. They slid off and too looked around. They were dressed in loose pants and shirts in desert colors and skin tanned by the sun. The only other colors on the couple were the bright sashes around their waists. Swords hung off the sashes and Frodo and Sam felt intimidate.
The two small hobbits looked back and forth between Alhana and the new arrivals. The strangers stared back curiously before turning to each other and speaking softly in a language no one understood. Finally, they swung back around to look at the hobbits and the elf once again. "Who are you?" Frodo finally spoke up, using the common tongue.
These people didn't hesitate to reply. "I am Corlath, King of the Hillfolk. And this is Lady Harimad-sol."
Frodo looked thoughtfully between them and Alhana. His stomach rumbled hungrily and he could tell by the position of the sun that it was far past tea time. "Well," he said contemplatively. "It is past tea time. Would you care to join us?" Frodo wasn't about to leave these characters wandering around the Shire nor did he want to leave Sam all alone with them.
The trio looked surprised but agreed. Frodo smiled like a good host should and led them in doors. He heard "oofs" and "ows" echo throughout the house as the larger beings came in and he peeped his head out of the kitchen, concern written on his face.
"Are you ok??" he asked and they turned towards him, rubbing bruised heads and abused elbows. "Come and sit down. You won't hurt yourself as much." He tried to hide a grin as Corlath banged his head on a hanging copper pot and swear. They agreed readily and sat down in the kitchen.