A/N: Hey there everyone! I have returned! For those of you who don't know me, I'm SkywardWriter, and this story is actually a sequel to three stories I have written for the Hobbit, but it can stand alone if necessary. Without much further ado, on with the story!
Chapter 1: We're In...
I crouched in the dark corner, hoping that the dark cloak I had inherited from my mother helped me blend in better with the shadows as I waited for my cousin to arrive for the party. Father was only willing to allow me one guest for my birthday whilst Mother was away working, and I was beginning to wonder if the Amelia would be here before the sun sank any lower in the sky. Then, right as my legs were beginning to cramp horribly from the crouched position I was in, I saw my cousin, Amelia, being escorted in by the royal guard. I snapped my fingers, and a small cloud of smoke enveloped the trio, creating cover enough for me to snatch my cousin's hand and lead her on an escape from the guards who would no doubt be acting as babysitters on order of my father. " Artemis! I'm supposed to go straight to see your dad!" Amelia whined, trying to pull her hand from my grip.
" No can do," I stated, taking a sharp turn and leading my cousin down a dark hallway," I have plans for this evening that do not involve a huge party and ball gowns and snobby suitors!"
" What kind of plans?" my dear friend asked, obviously uncomfortable with my obvious disobedience.
" You know, horse-back riding, archery, visiting the city in disguise, the usual!" I laughed, pulling up the hood I had added to the cloak in order to wear when I wanted to go somewhere unnoticed.
" Oh sure, normal stuff!" Amelia scoffed," At least let me borrow one of your coats! Last time we went riding, I was freezing by the time we left the stables!"
We quickly and quietly made my way back to my room where Amelia then proceeded to dig through my closet for the one coat of mine that she absolutely adored. It was plain and dark-green on the outside, but on the inside it was soft and warm and had several hidden pockets, in which my mother had placed small cans of pepper spray in case of "boy trouble".
" Can we go now?" I asked impatiently, grabbing my bow and quiver as I stood by my bedroom door.
Amelia rolled her eyes and smiled. "Sure thing, Art, but I have one question. I thought princesses were all well-mannered and obedient. What's up with the rebellious act?" Amelia asked as I slid the bow over my shoulder and strapped my quiver to my back.
" Well, I simply behave like feminine version of my father when he was younger, even though my mother encourages me not to behave like a 'ruffian'," I said with a laugh," Oh, and, Amy, whilst we are in the city, don't bring up the whole princess thing. The citizens have a bad habit of alerting the guards who have a bad habit of alerting my father that I am out in the city when I should be practicing my magic and all that."
She nodded and rolled her ice-blue eyes in annoyance. " Got it. No calling you princess around the civilians or guards, anything else?" she sighed sarcastically.
I laughed and linked arms with her as I led her towards the stables. I opened my mouth to respond, but I yelped in shock as took a step into thin air when I should have been stepping on cold, marble tile. Amy and I crashed down hard onto cold, wet earth, but I was on my feet in a flash, observing my surroundings.
" Whoa," Amy groaned, struggling to her feet," What just happened?"
I gasped as I realized where we were, and I pulled my bow from my shoulder and nocked an arrow. " Amy, I think we are in Middle Earth," I stated uneasily," Look. It's the trio of trolls."
Amy followed my line of vision, and I heard her swallow hard. " But that would mean that the Nazgûl are real, too!" she whimpered right as an unearthly shriek pierced the air.
We jumped at the unexpected and mildly terrifying sound, and I turned to my cousin with a serious look on my face. " We need to get to Rivendell," I stated," But I have no clue as to how to get there."
I looked to the sky and saw a clear, full moon, and Amy gasped as she looked up. " Wasn't it sunset when we left?" she asked, looking to me in confusion.
I nodded slowly and frowned as I remembered listening to my mother tell me about her adventure here. " Time must be different here," I muttered, adjusting my hood to hide the emerald-encrusted, gold circlet on my head," It would explain the sudden change in time."
Then we heard something crashing through the woods behind us and saw the fiery glow of torches. I whipped towards the source of the sound and drew back the arrow, ready to kill anything that threatened Amy's or my own life. Then I saw the man carrying the small figure and the three short people running through the woods as though they were being chased.
Then one of the short people noticed me and cried out in alarm. " Strider! Over there!" he yelled, drawing the man's attention.
" Who are you?" I called out, aware of Amy hiding behind me in fear of the horrible shrieking creatures who were nowhere to be seen.
" I am Strider," the man called out," One of my companions is injured. Can you help us?"
" What do you need?"
" Athelas," Strider stated calmly.
" What?" Amelia asked, poking her head out from behind me.
" Kingsfoil. It's a weed with medicinal properties," the man explained," My companion is in dire need."
I lowered my bow and nodded. " I'll try my best to help in whatever way I can," I promised, returning my bow to its position on my shoulder and the arrow to the quiver.
" What's Athelas?" Amelia whispered, looking frightened.
" It's a scruffy little plant with white flowers. Looks a bit like moss," I said, crouching down and getting to work as I heard Strider's companion, whom I was guessing to be Frodo, cry out in pain.
Amy and I quickly found a large clump of the plant and rushed over to where two hobbits were crouched beside an injured one of their kin. " What happened to him?" I asked as I approached.
" We were attacked by cloaked figures, and Mr. Frodo here was stabbed by one of the brutes," the one on Frodo's right said.
" Right, and who are you?" Amy asked, holding the clump of Athelas gingerly as Strider approached with a woman.
" I'm Pippin, this is Merry," he said gesturing the hobbit on Frodo's left," And the other hobbit is Sam."
" Nice to meet you," I said, looking to Strider," Here's the Athelas, Strider."
He took the plant from Amy and I and quickly boiled some and applied it to Frodo's wound. " Who are you?" Amy asked the woman who had appeared from the woods with Strider.
" I am Arwen," she said simply, turning her attention to Strider and Frodo and speaking in elvish.
I watched as she and Strider conversed briefly in the strange language before turning to me. " You, my father said that if I found two young women in the woods to tell the one with the bow that her presence is requested in Rivendell," Arwen said before hoisting Frodo onto her horse and climbing into the saddle behind the injured hobbit," Five of the Nine have been hunting you, where the other four are, I do not know."
Strider grabbed her hand and said something before Arwen spurred her horse into action. " What are you thinking!" Sam yelled," She can't go alone! Those things are still out there!"
A chorus of unearthly shrieks filled the air, and I placed a hand on the hobbit's shoulder. " If you keep shouting, those things will come looking for us. That elf took your friend to Rivendell, and Rivendell is where Amy and I are headed. We need to move."
I looked to Strider from under my hood, and he nodded in approval. " When we are safe in Rivendell, I would like to know why two young women are traveling alone in the woods," he said, leading us in the direction Arwen and Frodo had disappeared in.
We made good time to Rivendell, and the sun was on the rise as we crossed the river Bruinen. Once within the walls of Rivendell, I lowered my hood as I looked around in awe at the beautiful, elven buildings. " So this is Rivendell," I breathed, looking around in awe," Mother's description does not hardly give it justice."
" No kidding," Amy murmured, eyes roaming over all of the buildings, statues, and people.
" Ladies," Amy and I turned to face Strider as he spoke," I would like to know your names and your business in the woods."
" I am Artemis, this is my cousin, Amelia. Our business is our own, Master Strider," I said coolly," I hope your companion recovers soon, and I thank you for allowing us to accompany you on the way here."
I turned and had barely gotten out of sight of Strider and the hobbits when I heard someone call out," Sky! Could that really be you, my old friend?" I turned and saw a very old hobbit, waddling towards me as fast as his little legs could allow.
" I apologize, sir, but my name is Artemis. I believe you have mistaken me for my mother," I said, kneeling to his height as he reached me," My mother is Skylar Waters, also known as Sky."
The old hobbit looked a bit shocked but smiled nonetheless. " Oh, I see. I am Bilbo Baggins, your mother must have told you about her little adventure with me, hasn't she?" he chuckled, examining my face as he spoke.
" Of course, she has told me all about her adventure with you and the rest of the company and my uncle," I said, forcing my lack of comfort with the old hobbit's proximity not to show on my face.
" Nick? That strange young man, I don't think Sky could have made it to journey's end without him. Say, how are they? I haven't seen them since the battle of the five armies before the gates of Erebor," Bilbo said, smiling sweetly at me.
" Well, my mother has married quite well, and I have a brother several years younger than I. My uncle is also married and has two children, a daughter and a son, one of which is here with me," I said, looking up to see that my cousin was nowhere in sight," And I have apparently lost her."
" Oh, one of the elves probably dragged her off to go see Lord Elrond, he wanted to speak with two young women from the forest," Bilbo said, pausing," You are the second, I would bet."
I frowned and tilted my head to one side. " What would make you say that?" I asked.
" Because here he comes right now," the old hobbit said, pointing behind me.
I stood up straight as I turned to see an elf walking towards me with Amy in his wake. " You must be Artemis," the elf said with a smile," I am Lord Elrond. I would like to speak with you and Amelia in private if you would not mind."
I nodded and muttered a quick farewell to Bilbo before following Elrond and walking alongside Amy. " What's up, princess?" my cousin whispered playfully, smiling," You look like you've seen a ghost."
" I might as well have. That was THE Bilbo Baggins, Amelia. The hobbit from Mother's stories!" I sighed, shaking my head.
" Wait," she looked over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the old hobbit before it was too late," You mean Aunt Sky was telling the truth about meeting Bilbo? Holy cannoli! That's awesome!"
I heard Elrond chuckle in front of us as we entered a small pavilion surrounded by gorgeous, blooming plants. " You both bear remarkable resemblances to your parents," Elrond said, turning to face us," I foresaw someone coming to Middle Earth, but I did not anticipate it to be the children of the two mysterious heroes of Thorin Oakenshield's company. Your mother," Elrond looked to me," left behind some things that may serve you well during your time here; So did your father," he looked to Amy. "It is time for the both of you to prepare for a long journey. I have called a council in several days, and I would like the both of you to be there, for this council will be discussing things, which may directly concern you."
I shared a quick glance with Amy before smirking devilishly. " We're in."
