AN: Welcome back to Middle-Earth.
I had taken a long vacation, but I am for sure back, that doesn't mean that I can promise rapid updates.
We're going to have to take this day-by-day.
You guys are my life, and I feel I let you down, but that is in the past, I can only say, I hope it never happens again.
My life-saver resource is the best site about the book's timeline and Tolkien's own notes about Middle-Earth. (I love the movies, but really Scriptwriters.) /timeline/#zoom=4&lat=-1333.5&lon=1441.5&layers=BTT
Chapter 2Sunlight seeped through my closed eyes. I could feel the jagged rocks beneath my back. My thin sweatshirt just barely kept me warm from the cool winds blowing over me. I opened my eyes and sat up. My whole body was sore and I felt shaky and not just a little bit hungry.
I rubbed my hands up and down my arms, wondering how I got to the side of a mountain, and how long I'd been there. As I was looking around the rocky landing on the side of the mountain, I heard voices echoing all around the mountains surrounding me. I stood quickly, listening.
I spun around slowly and walked to the edge of what turned out to be a small edge. The only way off the mountain was to climb across and around the boulders that were worn into separate bulbous shapes from the mountain.
Then I saw the gate. It was an immense doorway on the side of the mountain. It looked like something out of a fairy tale. That's fine, right? Nothing wrong with an strange door. Until it shouts again. And the whole mountain shakes as well, causing you to fall.
Now it might not have been too bad, had I not been standing at the edge of 50 feet drop. As I went down, and didn't feel anything beneath me, stopping my fall, I reached out with my hands grabbing for the rock face. In that same moment, I remembered something, I was already dead. They had killed me in the airport, I had felt it.
But now I'm here. Is this Heaven, or Hell, or Limbo? My hand caught a protruding rock, but only after it cut a deep gash in my forearm. I gripped it tightly, reaching for it with my other hand, catching hold just before the rest of my body stopped falling, almost losing my grip.
Whether or not I'm in hell, the fear of falling was real. I kept a tight hold on the stone above my head. The edge of the cliff was round but i thought that maybe I could get some hold, but I was slowly losing my handle, my fingers going numb and slipping. I was going to fall, break my legs, IF I survive falling, and then die of dehydration, or starvation or something up here.
Running footsteps sounded above me. Followed by sobbing, and the sound of heavy packs falling to the ground. "Hello! Help, please! Someone! I'M FALLING DAMMIT!"
A blond head approached the edge of the boulder, and I looked up into sharp blue eyes… which were on the preferred side of a drawn arrow. I swallowed as he studied me. "Please?" I asked. He relaxed his arm, and waved behind him. Dropping to one knee and reaching down, he reached past my own outstretched hand to past my elbow.
He then pulled me up like I weighed nothing before flipping me over and pinning me to the ground with my arm twisted back. There was a knife out my throat.
"Woah! Woah, hold up! What are you-"
"Who are you?", he asked quickly. I was quickly becoming irritated. All this for my name. "Who are you and why are you here? Who sent you?"
"My name is Reed Crocker! I-I don't know how I got here!" I hoped he would let me go, but he pulled my arm harder, if it weren't for the blinding pain, I would've thought it was holding back.
"WHO SENT YOU!", said another man through clenched teeth. "Nobody sent me! I don't even know where I am. Please let me go!"
I looked up from where my face was pressed into the ground, rocks digging in my face. Though sideways, I could see another blond man with a gruff beard. His face was twisted with anger and grief. Beside him stood a man with dark hair. He was handsome, like royalty, and he stood, not betraying his emotions.
"Release him, Legolas." The dark prince looked above me to the blond man holding me down. "WHAT?", the other blond shouted. "Aragorn? He was probably sent by Saruman to spy on us, or steal the- it's not worth the risk!"
Aragorn looked at him sharply. "There has been enough death today for all of us. If he is a spy, we will do what we must to protect the reason we are all here. The reason that Gandalf gave his life to ensure the success of."
He then turned back to the topic of discussion. "Adleitha dyn ranc, Legolas." Legolas nodded and released my arm rising like nothing had happened. I rolled over and sat up once more for the morning. I held my arm to my side as I too climbed to my feet.
I took a few steps back from the three intimidating men, when I saw to my right 5 children. I looked at them closely and saw that they were in fact 4 very short adults and one extremely short, hairy, little man. And they were all tear stained, though the hairy one was holding an axe like I admitted to raping his mother.
"I am Aragorn. This is Boromir of Gondor; Legolas of Mirkwood; Gimli, son of Gloín; and four hobbits of the Shire." Aragorn indicated each of the mentioned parties.
"Of where?" I asked completely confused. "Where am I?"
"What d'ya take us fer? How did ya' get here if ya' don't know where ya' are?" Gimli had a thick accent. His blatant hatred for me, despite us having just met.
"I just woke up here a little bit ago. Then the whole mountain shook and I fell off the edge. And now I'm-". He cut me off.
"An elf… gettin' lost, and fallin' offa cliff?" He began to laugh hysterically. I was dumbfounded. A what? Elves aren't real. What is with this guy? "Ah- ha ha ha. Ohh dear. Legolas… this'n does your kind real justice."
I looked to Legolas quickly. He was looking to the side and I could see a long, elegant, and more importantly, pointed ear peaking out of his blond locks. He was an elf! But that's not possible! I reached up quickly to the sides of my own head.
I felt my fingers bump my studded earrings. I trailed them up higher and higher looking for the curve that would tell me what was going on. But soon I felt a tip. I gripped it between my fingers, not believing it was real. A shudder ran through my body with the feeling that I sent from my ears.
I saw Legolas looking at me and blushed. There was a slight smirk on his face. I cupped my hands over my ears. Then I saw the blood dripping down my arm. I covered it with my hand, the pain helping to hide my embarrassment. "Can you please tell me where I am?" I asked of Aragorn.
"You are at the Eastern Gate of Moria, the old dwarven kingdom." Aragorn explained. My eyes wandered to Gimli. "It was once a great kingdom of trade and industry, for the dwarves were great craftsman and miners. But death and darkness have been here. A great battle was fought. And those that lived here died many years ago."
"Now it's a place fer goblins and creatures o' the dark", Gimli added bitterly.
"We, too, lost someone within the mines. A great friend and wise leader." Aragorn said sorrowfully.
"I am sorry for your loss." I replied. Aragorn looked back to me, "I am as well."
He then turned to Boromir, "Get them up, we must go." Boromir looked angry again, "Give them moment, Aragorn, for pity's sake."
"We do not have a moment. By nightfall, these hills will be crawling with orcs. We must move to reach Lothlorien, and we must go now." Aragorn began to gather his things , looking around quickly for something.
"But what about the elf?" Boromir questioned, "Surely he cannot go with us. He cannot be trusted."
Aragorn turned back to Boromir. "If any can judge his intentions, it is the Mistress of Lothlorien, Lady Galadriel. Lothlorien is our best bet to ensure that our journey continues, without Gandalf to guide us. Now Get Them Up!" Aragorn shouted.
He then walked a short distance to one of the "hobbit" fellows that had wandered from the group. Boromir made a strange, frustrated noise before turning to the other three hobbits who were watching the events taking place with confusion, fear, and anxiety. Each still teary-eyed.
Someone cleared their throat to my side, I turned and not seeing anyone, looked down. Gimli glared up at me, "Any trouble, Elf, and I'll put my axe in yer chest. 'Ear me?"
"Umm… yeah. And my name is Reed… Reed Crocker." I replied.
"Well... Reed… I suppose you'll want to bandage that before we set out." I then looked into Legolas' eyes as he strode closer to me, carrying a length of cloth.
"Yeah, thanks," I said awkwardly as he came even reached out for my arm again, much more gently this time. His hands were rough from years of the use of his bow and sword, but his touch was still soft.
He had me raise my hand to my head, then he wrapped the cloth around my forearm, wrapping it twice, before tying tightly, but not too tight.
He looked into my eyes again. "Good?" He asked. "Umm… uh-huh. Yeah, great." I babbled. My knees felt weak. "Good," he said again. And he turned and left.
AN
I don't think it needs to be said that I don't own the Lord of the Rings. One of the greatest authors ever, died a while ago. I am however, absolutely grateful to J.R.R. Tolkien for his contributions to Literature as well as Xing Li for his contributions to the internet. That contribution being the greatest FanFiction in existence.