"I heard a branch snap behind me. I turned quickly and saw what looked to be a smallish man emerge from the trees leading a pony behind him but he must've felt my stare because he whipped his head around to meet my stare head on with his own and I must've surprised him as he seemed to freeze like a deer caught in headlights. His pony crashed into his back making him stumble forward. This snapped me from my shocked state and I backed up not wanting to be in this man's reach. He had what looked to be a smithy's hammer hanging from his hip and a swords handle poked out over his left shoulder. He was dressed in what looked to be a Viking costume of sorts and I wondered if I stumbled onto some sort of movie set or Viking re-enactment. His hair was amazing I thought to myself, elaborate braids with beads hanging in them or holding the ends, it was a reddish brown colour and hung to just past his shoulders and his beard was just as impressive hanging own to the middle of his chest, braided just like his hair. It all reinforced my guess of having walked into a movie set by mistake.I opened my mouth and said "Hello?" The man who up till that point had been studying me much the same as I had him, looked up from where he'd been staring at my bag as if it had personally offended him and met my eyes with what my grandad would've called a bulls look and didn't answer. I met look for look and questioned "Sir?" The man grunted in response, well it's an upgrade from silence I thought.
"Sorry, do you speak English?"

"I speak Westron if that's what you mean, never heard of this N-lish." He grunted.

"Westron?...what on earth? Is this some sort of Lord of the Rings cosplay?

"Sorry yes that's what I mean, am…. You couldn't tell me where I am exactly could you?"

"He narrowed his eyes at me, "You're in the Old Forest, between Bree and The Shire."

"I backed away even more. "Alright that's not funny. Seriously where am I? I'm sure you can break character for a minute to help me." The man looked at me strangely and said, "Miss, I already told you where you are and I'm not repeating myself.'

"There's no such place as the Old Forest!" I exclaimed.

"There is Miss, as you're standing in it. Now if you wouldn't mind, I've questions of my own and as I've answered yours you can answer mine.""You didn't answer mine! You're having me on and I'm lost! So no I won't answer any questions you have." I was completely prepared to run from him when I heard a growl that shook my bones from behind me. I'm positive my eyes were bulging from their sockets as I turned around to look at what had made the noise. It was one of the most ugly, grotesque beings I'd ever seen (up til that point in my life). It was the size of a smallish bear but had to be a wolf as there was no other creature I could compare it too. It's muzzle was covered in thick scars and it's lips were curled up showing his sharp teeth that had to be the length of my hand at least. I started to back away when the man behind harshly whispered "Stop! You'll only make him attack faster." I did as I was told knowing he knew what this thing was. I whispered "What is that thing?!"

"A Warg." He said grimly. My eyes became even wider, if that was possible. Oh god, oh shit! I couldn't deny what was right in front of me. There was no creature like that back home. And I had watched The Hobbit enough times to know what a Warg looked like. But Peter Jackson didn't do them justice. They were terrifying.

"Shit! What do we do?!" I whispered sharply. Looking around for anything I could use as a weapon to fight off this beast. The Warg prowled closer and I held my breath. I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me."Can you fight?" He questioned. "In hand to hand." I answered quietly, though that wasn't entirely truthful, I could throw a punch that was about it but that wouldn't do me any good here. I tried not to move my lips as I spoke. I heard him let out a huff but I couldn't figure out whether it was in relief or panic though I could make a good guess.

The Warg seemed to realise we weren't the type of prey to run and was becoming impatient. We were running out of time."When I yell, you jump to the side. Do not hesitate!" My head twitched as I fought off the urge to whip my head around and look at him. But that was all it took to set the him off. The Warg who had been coiling up to jump snarled loudly as he leaped. The man behind me yelled and I leapt to my right, hitting the ground hard I used my momentum and rolled even further out of the way, rolling onto my stomach and getting to me knees I looked towards the fight and I didn't know what to do, the Warg could obviously overpower the small man on sheer size alone but he knew what he was doing. He ducked and swerved at just the right moments swinging his hammer as he went. He clipped the Warg's jaw in a particularly good swing and the Warg backed off with a small whine for just a moment before letting a furious snarl and attacked the man with renewed vigour.

He was overwhelmed I could see that clearly. As the Warg gave him no chance for a breath. I looked to my left and saw a large stone. I picked it up quickly as I got to my feet. I waited for just the right moment as the Warg backed up enough for me to have a clear shot and flung the stone at him. It hit him on the side of his head almost exactly where the man hit him with his hammer beforehand. The Warg let out a roar as it turned to look for what had hit it. His eyes focused on me but he didn't even have a chance to decide to jump as the stranger took his chance and brought his hammer down on the back of the Warg's head, at the base where it connected to his neck. It was a fatal hit and the Warg fell his eyes rolling to the back of its head. I took a deep breath, my heart hammering in my chest as I looked up from the dead Warg to the small man, who I was beginning to think was a dwarf if this was Middle Earth as all things seemed to point towards."Nice hit." Was all I said. The dwarf looked at me incredulously before he let out a booming laugh his head thrown back and I giggled with him knowing that it was due to shock and relief of surviving the deadly encounter.

As our laughter died down I sank to the ground not knowing what else to do. The dwarf looked at me with concern and suspicion. "I'm sorry," I said. He looked at me in slight surprise. As I looked at his face I could see him setting his stoic mask. The only indicator of his emotions being his eyes and eyebrows. His mouth being covered by his beard. "For not believing you before…I'm ah… not from around here." Here he gave a slight nod acknowledging the apology and also probably confirming whatever hypothesis' he'd come up with so far. "I'll answer your questions if you still want to ask them." His eyebrows raised. Then he said "I've more questions now than I did before. More than can be asked in one afternoon. You'd better come with me lass, you obviously don't know how to defend yourself around here and I'd rather not have your death on my conscience." My body locked up in shock, I was definitely not expecting that answer. He reached a hand toward me and I stared at it then up at his face. I tried to consider all my options. He was a stranger but he'd saved my life and he was right I had no idea how to defend myself here.

His face seemed to soften a bit as he clearly saw my struggle to trust him. "I won't hurt you lass. I know that doesn't have much meaning to you but you're going to have to decide now as we need to move on." He hadn't retracted his hand yet but I could see he was becoming impatient yet he was stubborn. I finally took his hand and he pulled me up. When I stood in front of him I realised my first impression of his height was wrong as he was roughly the same size if not an inch or two taller than me. Though in fairness I was on the small side myself but if he was a dwarf I'd feel some amount of stepped back a bit. "Aedon, at your service miss." He said with a slight bow, his head not looking down but up at my face keeping eye contact with me. He came back up and looked at me expectantly. I stared at him for a second before responding. "Ciara, at yours." I bowed mimicking him by keeping eye contact, not knowing that I earned a bit of respect by doing so. He nodded at me then turned back to his pony walking briskly then stood by its side waiting for me. I took a deep breath then walked to them, he indicated for me to get on the pony holding out his hand to help me up. I ignored the hand offered and swung myself up having been on horses before a pony was simple in huffed a bit in what sounded like amusement before taking the ponies reins and tugging them sharply. Pulling us off into the forest.


Well that was dramatic, sorry if my writing style is confusing. For anyone who doesn't know Aedon is pronounced like Aidan its just a weird way to spell it and Ciara is pronounced key-ra not key-ara or whatever.

Sorry if this authors note is just annoying people but sometimes I'd see a name and not know how to pronounce it and ya ok I'm just gonna shut up now. Read and review please. xx