Finally! Here it is! The second chapter! Sorry it took so long to get it out, but I had massive writer's block. I know how I want all this to go, but it's just a matter of getting it from my head and onto paper. Damn, this thing was a beast to write. Hope you like it and hope it was worth the long wait.

Chapter Two

Okay, Andrea, there's no need to be nervous. He's a perfectly normal guy . . . who happens to be wearing a hooded cloak . . . and just happened to walk up and pay for your room with a bunch of weird coins even though you've never seen him before in your life. Yeah, nothing to be nervous about.

I don't even know why I'm so nervous. I mean alright I know why I should be

—stranger danger and all that—but despite how dark and imposing he looks, I can't help but think he won't hurt me. Call it woman's intuition or a gut feeling; I know I'm right. And besides, if he had wanted to hurt me, wouldn't he have done so instead of paying for my room?

Comforted by that thought, I walked the rest of the way to his spot by the fireplace where he was smoking a pipe. I couldn't tell if he saw me cause his cowl was obscuring his face, so I cleared my throat a bit. He sharply turned his head in my direction. Well, if he didn't see me before, he certainly does now.

Come on, Andi, you had something to say to him, so say it!

"Umm hi."

Not what I meant.

"Uhh. . . I just wanted to say thank you. For helping me back there. Not many people would have, and you didn't have to. So thank you." He didn't say anything, just continued to smoke his pipe. I started to walk away, feeling very awkward.

"Why are you here?"

The voice startled me, but after a second I turned back."What?"

"I said why are you here?" he said looking expectantly at me from over his pipe.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You're a young woman travelling alone with no money and you are clearly not from around here," he stated.

"And how do you know that I'm not?"

"Your accent is like none I've ever heard before. What is your name?"

"Andrea."

He cocked his head to the side. "Andrea? That's an unusual name."

"Unusual? In what way?" I asked slightly offended. "Where I come from, it's actually a very common name."

"And where are you from?" he asked, cocking his head to the side slightly. "You dress like someone from around here, but, as I stated earlier, your accent is unfamiliar to me."

"Well to be honest, I'm not even sure where I am or how I got here and…wait a minute! Why am I even telling you this?! I don't even know your name!" I exclaimed heatedly.

"Strider."

"Strider? Really?" And he was making fun of my name?

"You may call me Strider." He elaborated, giving me a look that said I should just go with it.

"Alright…Strider? What are you doing here?"

"I heard talk that the wizard Gandalf was in the area." He said, quietly as if he didn't want to be overheard.

Okay? Was that supposed to be some sort of code? Wizards don't exist, and what kind of name is Gandalf anyway?

"Who's Gandalf?" I questioned.

He looked surprised, as if I should already know who Gandalf was. I just kept a neutral expression on my face, still waiting for an answer.

Strider continued to stare at me for at least another minute before deciding to finally speak. "Gandalf is a wizard of great power and wisdom. He also happens to be an old and very close friend of mine"

I choked back an unladylike snort, settling for a disbelieving look. "And…why are you meeting him here? Hope he'll grant you three wishes?"

Strider's face hardened into an unreadable mask. "He can't grant wishes any more than I can wear a dress."

The mental image that came after his sentence caused a small giggle to erupt from my lips. "Well, why are you waiting for him here in this dingy inn of all places?" I waved a hand at the room. "Seems a bit crowded if you ask me."

"I'm not meeting him here. Gandalf doesn't even know that I'm waiting for him. I'm here because The Prancing Pony is the best place to pick up on information and rumors." He seemed to be contemplating telling me more, but thought better of it and went back to smoking his pipe.

But I wasn't about to let it go that easily.

"What information? Rumors about what?" I probed.

"Rumors of Sauron's forces and their quickly increasing numbers," He answered grimly. Why do I get the feeling that Sauron wasn't good news? And why did he sound like an evil spice?

"Who's Sauron?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Strider shot me another look that screamed "You've got to be kidding me!" He rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose for a second. "You really aren't from around here. Either that or you've lost your memory."

Now I was starting to get ticked off with this guy's attitude. "Well, excuse me for asking a simple question," I snapped.

He sighed. "It may be a simple question, but it doesn't have a simple answer. You—" he trailed off, staring at something behind me.

I turned completely around in my seat and saw four midgets walking in. Three of them had reddish blonde hair, while the other's was a deep brown, nearly black. He was currently talking to the innkeeper about something; prices for rooms would be my guess. Judging from the looks on their faces, it didn't seem like the innkeeper gave them good news.

"Hmm, that's interesting," I heard from Strider's direction. I looked and he was watching the newcomers with an intense look on his face.

"What?"

He pointed with his pipe in their direction. "The Hobbits. It's unusual for them to travel outside of the Shire"

Ok, none of what he just said made any sense to me. "Ok, I know you're getting tired of me asking questions, but what are Hobbits and what is the Shire?"

"Hobbits are one of the races of Middle Earth and the Shire is their home. I have never been there myself, but Gandalf has told me it is quite peaceful."

"Wait a minute. Races? You mean humans aren't the only intelligent life forms here?" I questioned.

He gave me a long tired look."If you mean the race of Men, then, yes." he said as if he were talking to a very stupid person.

"But you said 'races' as in more than one. What others are out there?"

"Well, there are Hobbits, as you know, that are small, peaceful folk as well as the Elves that are immortal. And the Dwarves that live in the deep mountains that are known for their skills in weapon crafting and their love of a good feast," his face clouded over suddenly. "Then there are the more vicious races like the Orcs. Bloodthirsty and cruel beasts that feast on the flesh of Men and Elves alike. Occasionally Dwarves as well, but I imagine dirt and ashes don't taste very good." Strider said with a wry chuckle.

I don't know what frightened me more. The Orcs he described or the way he laughed at their diet. I sat back in my seat, trying to process this. I mean, just this morning, I woke up hating my life and wanting nothing more than to get away from my...mother, and now, I'm in this strange place with not just humans, but Elves, Dwarves, Orcs! For the first time since I woke up here, I started to think that maybe I was in over my head here. Either that or I was on drugs.

A sudden crash breaks me out of my thoughts, and I whip my head around in time to see the dark haired midget...uh, Hobbit crash to the ground, spilling ale and food all over the floor. I noticed a small flash of gold glinting in the air, falling towards the Hobbit's outstretched hand. Just as I thought he was going to catch it, he vanished!

What the Crap?!

My eyes must have doubled in size as I stared at the floor where he used to be. Did that really just happen? "Did you see tha-" I began to ask Strider, but when I turned around, he wasn't in his seat anymore. I started looking around, trying to find him. Hey, don't judge me! He's the only person around here that I even remotely know. I finally spotted him dragging the dark haired Hobbit up the stairs.

What the hell is going on?

I shot out of my seat and up the stairs after them. I may not know him well, but he's the best chance I've got at ever making heads or tails of this place. Once at the top of the stairs, I saw him vanish into one of the rooms, closing the door behind him. No way in hell was I letting him get away that easily.

I bolted into the room in time to hear Strider speaking to the dark haired Hobbit. "I can avoid being seen if I wish, but to disappear entirely, that is a rare gift." As he spoke, Strider pulled back his hood, revealing his face for the first time.

Damn. He was pretty good looking. Not my type, maybe a bit too scruffy, but still...

"Who are you?" the Hobbit questioned.

"Are you frightened?" Strider asked coolly.

"Yes," he answered.

"Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you." He suddenly swung his sword towards the door just as it burst open, revealing the other three Hobbits. One brandished a candelabra with lit candles, one hoisted a chair over his head, and the third just had his fists at the ready.

"Let him go or I'll have you, Longshanks!" The weaponless one shouted. What the hell? I had a feeling I'd be saying that a lot.

Strider seemed to think they weren't much of a threat, because he sheathed his sword. "You have a stout heart, little Hobbit, but that will not save you. You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo," he said to the dark haired one."They are coming."

WHO?