It was an average day, or at least it had been an average day for me which was now well into the evening. I was an average person, no-one special and nobody ever noticed me but I was used to that. I had no family and no real close friends I never really felt like I belonged anywhere to be honest. It's a strange feeling, not belonging anywhere, I mean I had the people who ran the orphanage I grew up in, a lot of other kids that I grew up with, I had a boyfriend but he didn't really love me, he didn't understand, he… well lets not talk about that now. I lived with my boyfriend, Sam, in a small flat in London and I was currently on my way home from work.

I had spent my day working, as usual, seven days a week, 12 to 13 hours a day, but tonight for once at least I was grateful for the work. It meant I wasn't at home. It meant I wasn't with him. When I was younger I used to imagine I was somewhere else, in another world where I could escape everything that hurt me. I got given a set of the Lord of the Rings books when I was in a foster home for a bit once and I treasured them above all else. I had never seen the films, I had never been allowed but I had seen the posters and I pretended sometimes that I was there with them. In some of my more vivid fantasies I even imagined that Legolas would fall madly in love with me and take me away from all the hurt and pain I felt. But for now I would just be grateful that I wasn't at home with him somewhere where he couldn't beat me or worse. I knew it was coming and the thought made me shudder.

Sighing I drag my weary body out to my car and sit for a while trying to decide what to do, go home and face torture and abuse and almost certainly rape too or do I stay on the streets where I was all that time ago, cold and alone and hungry. Starting up the car I am still undecided when I am pulled from my reverie by the sound of car horns and glancing around I manage a strangled scream as I see headlights hurtling towards me. I am aware of everything as if experiencing it through slow motion, the crunch of metal, the pain flooding through me, the relief and then the nothingness.

Waking up my head is pounding and I am forced to shield my eyes against the bright sunlight, sunlight that shouldn't be there because it's night, I groan slightly as I roll to my side bracing myself against the cool grass. Hang on a minute… grass, why was I on grass? Struggling to my knees, I am breathing hard with the effort and am desperate for everything to stop spinning, I can see trees around me and I guess that I must be in some sort of clearing in a woods. I touch a hand to my head and wince slightly as I feel pain radiating out from my temple and pull my hand away to see the sticky wet blood that coated the side of it. staring around I realise that I am… I… I must be going bloody crazy, I pause for a second trying to put together the events of the last few minutes, I was in my car it was half past ten in the evening and raining so how the fuck did I land in the middle of a woods in bright daylight? I don't even live anywhere near a woods, in fact these trees don't look anything like the ones at home. At home? I'm talking like I'm in another world. As soon as the thought hits me I think I am going to be sick panic flowing so freely through me I can almost see it pumping through my veins. I can't be, it's not possible… but the more I think about it the more it seems to make sense. I am in a different world, this isn't England, I don't really know how I know it or why I am so eager to accept the completely unbelievable but it feels different, the trees here are more ancient and the whole place… I'm not sure, it terrifies me but at the same time I feel like I'm at home here. I manage to pull myself to a standing position and sway on my feet for a second as I stare around but before I can think anything else I hear heavy footsteps and spinning round fall to my hands and knees again at the dizziness in my head before I can focus on the three figures in front of me.

"Are you well My lady?" a deep voice asks and looking up I gasp as I see Aragorn, Gimili and Legolas from the Lord of the Rings and have to throw my hand over my mouth to stifle a scream, I stare at them for a second in shocked silence, this is insane. I must be going mad, I'll wake up in a minute and realise that I'm back in my horrible life, this isn't just another world, I'm in a bloody book! They look different to how they are depicted on the movie posters and the way they are described in the books and yet somehow the same. It's almost like they are better looking in real life more handsome, even more unattainable. Gimli is slightly taller than I had imagined and looks fierce and dangerous but he has kind eyes. Aragorn is startlingly rugged and handsome and Legolas is almost too beautiful to look at, his long blonde hair is much darker than the wig worn by the actor in the film and he is taller too and more muscular and yet still gives off an air of mystery and grace.

"My lady? It is not safe to wander alone in these times what are you doing here?" a different voice asks and I glance up again as I try to steady my breathing and stop the world from spinning and I come to the decision that whatever this is I will have to make the most of it because whether it lasts or not and despite everything I feel like for some reason I may belong here and there is a contentment in me that I have never felt but I can't let them know that I know anything, if I do I could ruin everything, change everything besides what did I have to lose nothing here could be worse than what I faced at home and so what if I was just in a coma somewhere, if I am then I can make what I want happen. Okay so I am aware that, that is unlikely as this is all far too real to be any kind of dream, a coma one or not but still.

"I… I…" I don't know what to say though and I look up at them moving my long hair out of my face so that I can see them more clearly,

"You are wounded," Leoglas says and I have to stifle another gasp at how beautiful he is up close when he leans down opposite me to examine my head,

"I'll be fine," I say quietly flinching away in fear and out of reflex despite their sceptical looks,

"How did you come to be here alone?" Aragorn asks and I decide that a little truth may have to be told here because I can't come up with a convincing lie.

"I don't know," I say in almost a whisper, "I was on my way home in London, and there was a crash and I woke up here,"

"London? I have not heard of this place," Aragorn says curiously,

"Where am I?" I ask shakily,

"On the path north from Rivendell," he answers and I suck in a breath that confirms it then and I stare at them again in both amazement and fear so this definitely wasn't home or anywhere near it and these weren't just over enthusiastic fans of the series I really was either dead, dying or truly in another world.

"Where are you travelling to my Lady?" Aragorn asks again and I look at him for a while trying to decide what to say, I have spent my life imagining what it would be like to be rescued by these people, saved by them and protected by them but now that I am in front of them I am terrified, I can suddenly see how deadly these people were both with weapons and without.

"I… I am traveling to, I don't know where. I don't think it even matters anymore," I sigh,

"You're home where is it?" Aragorn asks,

"It is somewhere far, far away from here," I say in a whisper gazing up at them as they stare back at me for a while.

"You are not of this world," Legolas says in sudden understanding and I shake my head staring at him in wonder, I mean I know the books said that elves were intuitive and in tune with the way others feel and have a greater understanding of things but how the bloody hell did he work that out.

"Stay here, we must decide what to do with you," Aragorn instructs,

"What do you mean?" I ask suddenly terrified that I had got it all wrong and that they will just kill me.

"Just stay where you are," he growls and I nod meekly as they stride away from me and begin muttering furiously to each other.

When they start talking though I am suddenly aware that I can hear most of what they are saying and yet they must have been well out of normal ear shot. Straining slightly I can hear them arguing about what to do with me now.

"It is not safe," someone mutters,

"She could be a spy sent to play on our morals," I think that is Legolas and I can't help but whimper inaudibly at their mistrust of me not that they have any reason to trust me but still I had always imagined that it would be like in the stories and I would turn up and they would all instantly trust and love me, I guess real life is not exactly like that.

"Look at her she is a helpless maiden," Aragorn argues,

"But…"

"But what Legolas?"

"If she is truly from another world how do we know that she is not brought here by Sauron?"

"We take her to Gandalf he will know what to do," Gimli growls

"But what if…"

"What?"

"She could be a witch,"

How so?"

"Look at her clothing I have never seen such in Middle Earth,"

"She is not of this world though her clothing could be common where she comes from," Legolas reasons and he seems to look shocked at himself for attempting to defend me.

"So she says," Gimli growls,

"We take her to Gandalf," Aragorn states now.

"It is too risky,"

"Then what do we do kill her?" Gimli replies and I can feel myself shaking with terror,

"We cannot harm her, she is a woman and she is hurt,"

"She could be the enemy,"

"The enemy is already won if we abandon all of our morals," Aragorn says,

"So we leave her,"

"We can't just leave her here," I hear someone say and I whimper audibly this time causing them to all turn and stare at me.

"Please," I say, "Please don't leave me here, I can fight, I can help I won't slow you down I promise," I say working myself up to a hysteria knowing as I am saying it that it is all lies but still babbling anyway.

They race back to me shock painted on their faces at that fact that I could hear them.

"Hush little one we won't leave you," says Legolas and I blush as he crouches in front of me again trying to comfort me and I glance up offering him a small smile as I take in this nick name or term of endearment unused to people speaking to me in such a way, and almost giggle at the confusion clear in his features at having been the one to offer me comfort and a nick name, before wincing at the glare the other two send our way.

"How did you hear, we were out of ear shot of normal human?" Aragorn says staring hard at me and I shrug my shoulders not enjoying the way he is staring at me.

"I don't know, I don't understand any of this, I can't explain it but please I won't be weak, I won't hold you back," I say in virtually a whisper.

"It is okay my lady we will not leave you," Aragorn sighs eventually and although I am still fearful of him, or more specifically the angry and hard look in his eye, I can't help but be grateful as it is decided that for now I will travel with them. They lead me back to their camp quietly Aragorn's arm firmly on mine to keep me steady as I waver and sway on my feet or to stop me from running away.