Chapter I – Swimming to Middle Earth
AN: I would like to reiterate that this chapter sort of dives right into the story. So if it seems like too abrupt of a start go back and read the prologue. Otherwise well... you'll just have to deal with it. Also, a brief physical description was included at the end of the prologue if you need a visual. Without further ado, enjoy!
The young woman walked for some time before reaching the little forest park. She hiked down a few seldom trodden paths, muddy from the recent, heavy rainfall, until she found the big tree whose limbs reached out across the river. She climbed and lay down along a thick branch that hung high above the little rapids. Looking down she could see that the river had flooded and grown wild since the storm's passing. She turned onto her back and stared through the branches at the gray sky.
Would that she could hide away in her tree forever and forget her various cares and obligations. The silence that followed her decision to leave her cell at home was well worth missing a few text messages. Now she could hear only the gentle rumble of water rushing over rock and the chatter of birds and squirrels; all welcome sounds. The clamor of the roadway nearby was largely muffled. A small breeze picked up and she lifted her hand to feel it whirl between her outstretched fingers. After the breeze passed she let her hand fall to dangle limply at her side. She didn't know how much time passed before she felt her eyelids grow heavy. It couldn't hurt to shut them for just a few moments, just a few, and then she would head back home…
She awoke with the shock of being engulfed in violent, frigid water. Before she knew it, the river's unusually swift current began dragging her downstream. She had swum the river many times growing up, but she had never witnessed the river thrash along its bed so angrily. She tried to right herself but the rapids tossed her about like a rag doll, slamming her into rocks and pulling her beneath the surface. There was something unnatural about the state of the river she had always known to be so mild. In most places the river was shallow enough to walk along the bottom without the water coming past her waist. Now she found herself floundering to keep her head above the surface.
Everything transformed to a blur of white foam and sea green water. Each breath came at a greater struggle than the last. Soon her gasping breaths came less and less while the river continued to beat her down. Panic and terror overtook her thoughts as she desperately tried to claw her way back to the surface. She had always been good at swimming, why couldn't she right herself now? Perhaps it was a hallucination brought on by lack of oxygen, but a great, booming voice suddenly filled her head. It spoke in dark tongues that she could not understand. The last she felt was a sharp spike of pain in her skull, then blackness…
Next she knew strong hands were pulling her out of the water and she met the ground with a hard thud. The solid earth felt queer beneath her body, but the stillness offered more comfort to her than a mother's voice to her child. She sputtered and coughed into the dirt, too exhausted to sit up just yet. "Are you alright?" asked an unfamiliar voice. She felt the warmth of a hand against her back.
"I think so," she responded in a ragged voice before she coughed up the rest of the water in her lungs. She doggedly pushed herself up and took a look at her rescuer. He was handsome enough but his clothing reminded her of the Renaissance fair. Or perhaps he dressed that way because he was some kind of park ranger? He gave her an appraising look, apparently just as surprised by her appearance. Despite his uneasy gaze, he unclasped his cloak and held it out for her to take.
"It would be best to use my cloak until yours has dried," he said. To match his Renaissance period clothing, he spoke with the appropriate accent. A wry half smile crept across her lips and she wondered if she had, indeed, stumbled upon such an event.
"Thanks," she said. She fumbled to peel off her soaked brown hoody. The saturated fabric looked almost black, and so did her hair that sat plastered about her cheeks and forehead. Once it came off, the man quickly draped his cloak around her shoulders and briskly rubbed his hands up and down her arms in an attempt to get her dry. "That's alright," she said, inching away from him, "I really appreciate that, and thank you for catching me but... I really need to get home, now." After handing his cloak back, she glanced around for a sign of the fair, but all around them were just trees and more trees. Save for the sounds of birds and the pattering of squirrels, silence filled the air. Even the faint hum of cars could not be heard.
"Do you live nearby?" he asked incredulously, and he too began to look around for signs of civilization. As far as he could tell the closest they were to anything had to be the Elf city, and he still had no idea where exactly that was. He looked closer for pointed ears, but she appeared to be a young human girl.
She furrowed her brows, unable to detect anything remotely familiar about their surroundings. "I don't know..." she said quietly, spinning around in her confusion, "How far did I float? What town are we in?"
"There are no towns nearby that I know of," he answered slowly.
Her hand immediately reached for her cell phone in her back pocket, but then she remembered leaving it at home and that, even if she had it, it would have been ruined in the water. She growled obscenities to herself.
"Fear not, if you are lost you may travel with me," he offered. She stared at him pensively. It was then he noticed a small, black ring sitting upon her lip – a piercing similar to those seen more commonly amongst Southron people. However, the girl bore no other similarities to the Men of the South – her skin was relatively fair and her eyes were a light shade of hazel. He could not say what color hair she had until it dried, but he felt confident she was neither Southron nor Easterling. Still, there was no reason to be overly trusting of this strange girl.
"That's alright," she said in a more even tone, reminding herself not to be rude to the man who saved her life, "I mean, I'm sorry I just don't know where I am or anything. Is there a Renaissance fair going on somewhere or... something?"
"Fair?" he scoffed, "I should think not." Her eyes narrowed. All things considered, now was not the time to make annoying jokes or attempt to "stay in character."
"Whatever..." she muttered. "Do you have a cell phone I could borrow at least?"
"Come again?" he said.
"A phone... if I called my dad I'm sure he would know where this was and he could come pick me up or something," she said impatiently.
"I am not sure what a 'phone' is," he said dismissively, "Have you been injured? Please, you should keep yourself warm." Again he tried to offer her his cloak.
She turned away, holding her hands over her face and growled, "Can you please just knock it off and tell me how to get back into town or whatever?"
"Would that I could," he replied with waning patience, "But it is as I said, I have not seen a single village for many miles."
"What are you even talking about?" she snapped, "How can that even... what..?" she trailed off helplessly.
"Perhaps you are not feeling well... Let me make a fire. Once you warm up and have something to eat you might feel... better," he tried.
"Make a fire?" she asked, turning around and looking at him suspiciously, "Is this a campground or something? Is that where we are? Because I'm pretty sure you can't just go around making fires in the woods..."
"I do not know what you mean," he replied despairingly. His patience was growing thin with the strange woman, but it was not in his heart to turn her away. After all, a noble man like himself would not abandon a helpless woman in the wilderness, especially one that was so obviously disoriented. Perhaps she was ill or hit her head, he reasoned. He had just plucked her from the river...
"Is there really nothing nearby?" she asked quietly, accepting the cloak from him at last. Even a gentle breeze made her skin prickle. How could they not be in any town? It was simply inconceivable to think that there was any unclaimed territory in the United States. Even places that were not technically towns (or cities, or villages, or something) were at least national parks or native reservations. But even so, she knew of no such place nearby...
"Unfortunately, yes. You must have drifted far," he said, "I have been traveling for weeks and have not seen any villages in at least thirty leagues, perhaps more."
"How many miles is that?" she asked, trying to see if she could remember. Her face relaxed as she considered the conversion.
"Many miles," he said dismissively, "That matters little."
"But wait; is this a park or something?" Eileen tried again.
The man clenched his jaw in aggravation and calmly stated, "No. The best explanation I have is that we are in the wilderness."
"How... I don't understand," Eileen said despondently. She looked down at the ground, frowning sadly as she asked, "Why won't you just tell me where we are? Are you going to murder me, or rape me or something?"
"Murder you?" he huffed angrily, "Why would I pull you from the river if I wanted you dead?"
Immediately guilt washed over her and she apologized, trying to explain, "It's just... we're in the middle of nowhere and you never know these days..." She wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "There are plenty of evil people out there who would hurt you just because they felt like it..."
Whatever anger he felt subsided and he sighed. Her statement was true; a young woman such as herself had every right to be wary of strangers. "I promise I will do you no harm... pardon my rudeness, I have not asked your name," he said softly.
"Eileen," she answered guardedly, "What's your name?"
"Boromir," he answered. Eileen extended her hand for a customary handshake, but instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips. Surprised and uncomfortable, she quickly pulled her hand back the moment he released it. "It is a pleasure to meet you," he said with a small, forced smile before adding, "Though perhaps not under the best circumstances..."
A hand shake would have been fine, she thought uneasily as she re-wrapped her arms around herself. Maybe he was foreign or something. His accent did sound genuine... but she still couldn't understand why he was dressed that way if there really wasn't a Renaissance fair going on. When she scanned the surrounding area there didn't appear to be anything for miles. What else could she do but trust him? Run off and get eaten by a bear?
"If you'll follow me, I made camp just a little ways into the woods," Boromir said.
"So you are camping?" she asked, breathing a sigh of relief. That would certainly explain a lot. Maybe he liked to rough it and wear old school gear. Hell, if it were more socially acceptable, she'd dress like that every day. He didn't reply but she followed nonetheless. They walked for a few minutes before she saw what he meant by "made camp." There stood a horse in small clearing; no tent, no grill, no path to the other campsites. By the looks of it he had just put out a fire.
"The cinders are still hot, I should be able to get a fire going quickly," he explained, walking away to find kindling. Eileen swallowed and peered up at the sky. When she left home it was early afternoon, but the sun was low in the Eastern sky, as if it were morning now. Had a day passed already? Had she slept the entire day and night before falling? The girl found the situation quite unnerving. She shivered and pulled the cloak tighter around herself before taking inventory of his "camp."
As he mentioned, a small pile of cinders smoked faintly in the middle of the little meadow. Off to the side stood his horse, restlessly shifting his weight from one leg to another. The poor beast waited impatiently, heavily laden with bags and a tightly rolled blanket. All of it felt like a scene from a fantasy novel - a man on an epic journey through the forests on horseback! Eileen approached the horse cautiously, curious to inspect the contents of the man's bags. The horse snorted and flicked his tail. Keeping a distance, she walked to the other side of the beast to find a round shield hanging from it's side. Her eyes widened. Boromir reappeared and she hurriedly stepped back.
"So um..." she said uncertainly, "What... well, what are you doing out in the middle of nowhere like this?"
"I have business nearby," he answered vaguely.
"Okay then," Eileen said skeptically, "But... why are you all by yourself, traveling through the woods and stuff on a horse? Wouldn't it be easier to take a car or something? And why are you dressed like that?"
"A cart?" he asked, shaking his head with disapproval, "There's no need for such excess. It would only slow my pace and draw attention. And I'm dressed for travel, of course, what a ridiculous question..." he muttered.
She wondered if he said "car" or "cart" and how on Earth a car could possibly slow someone down. Maybe he was some kind of hippy..? After all, he was traveling by horseback and making food by fire. She reminded herself once again that he saved her life and to pry so much would be rude. Soon the fire came to life and its warmth was enticing. By this point she didn't care about getting dirty and plopped herself on the ground next to the small pyre. The effect was immediate, and soon she was soothed into a mild sense of security. "Thank you," she said, scooting in closer to the flames. He nodded and handed her a heel of bread along with a small portion of dried meat.
All at once she was struck with a hunger she had not realized before taking her first bite of bread. It took only a few mouthfuls before the bread was gone and quickly she began gnawing on the meat. It was tough but nice and salty. The man watched with both amusement and mild distaste.
"I'm sorry," she said meekly with a small laugh, "I didn't realize how hungry I was."
He smiled sadly and told her, "If we are to make it to our destination that is all I can spare for now."
"So we're really that far from everything?" Eileen asked, her forehead creasing with concern.
"I still have a decent supply of food and I will find some if need be, but yes, we are very far from any place I know," he said grimly.
"I'm sorry for all this trouble," she said. She bit her lip.
"Don't be, it will be nice to have some company," he reassured with a genuine, though weary, smile. He thought for moment before asking, "How was it that you fell into the Loudwater?"
"Loudwater?" Eileen questioned, "I fell in the Du Page River."
"I know for certain this river is not called the 'Du Page,'" he replied with some annoyance.
"Seriously? No, the Du Page turns into the Des Plaines and there is no way I floated that far," Eileen insisted.
"The Loudwater is a very long river, and the Greyflood flows into it, and many little rivers into it," Boromir maintained, "I would not be surprised if your 'Du Page' also met the Loudwater."
"Tsh, what?" Eileen grunted, "When it gets right down to it, it ends up in the Mississippi, and that goes straight down into the ocean."
"I have never heard of this 'Mississippi," Boromir said with equal agitation.
"How can you be in the United States and not know about the Mississippi?" Eileen challenged haughtily.
"United States? I have heard of no such place and I will not tolerate this foolishness!" Boromir snapped.
Eileen stared at him wide-eyed like he was completely nuts. He was giving her an equally shocked look, suggesting that it was she who was nuts. "You're speaking English, how do you not know about the United States? Is this some kind of stupid joke?" Eileen snapped back.
"We are speaking in the Common Tongue of Middle Earth," Boromir corrected, trying to calm his own temper, "And we are, from what I can guess, far North of both Gondor and Rohan. There is no such place as the 'United States,' and the river you were floating in is the Loudwater." If she was messing with him he would not have it. Not during this long, exhausting journey that seemed to have no end, feeling utterly isolated and lost. He was uncertain of so many things lately, but he did know that she was speaking nonsense.
"That's not funny," Eileen said unhappily with a deep set frown, "It's really not."
"Do I look amused to you?" he asked harshly, "I'm not." He stared at her, jaw tight, waiting for her stubborn, imprudent rebuttal. She seemed at a loss for words and her frown grew deeper while her eyes glazed over. "You're being sincere?" he asked more coolly.
She nodded, afraid to speak lest her voice reveal how close she was to tears. She took a breath and carefully said, "And you, too?"
"Perhaps... you are ill," he suggested with some concern in his voice. "A fever may change many thoughts," he reasoned. He strode to her place by the fire and squatted down to feel her face and forehead. If there was a subtle fever he never would have sensed it, but her skin blazed under his touch though she was shivering. He grimaced and sighed, standing once more to retrieve his water skin. "I plan to follow the river for some time so we will have plenty of water. Drink," he ordered.
Without question she drank and watched as he searched his supplies. It was true; there was nothing about the area that was familiar to her home state of Illinois. When she looked into to the East, was that the silhouette of a mountain she saw through the trees? There were absolutely no mountains in Illinois, none near the Mississippi that she could recall. Valley's and Starved Rock, sure, but those were not like the mountain range she now saw. Where he Hell was she? Her thoughts were interrupted when Boromir brought out a rough blanket and handed it to her.
"Are you warm?" he asked once she wrapped herself up. She nodded and took another sip of water.
"I suppose we shall wait until you have rested and dried some," he decided. Eileen nodded and sat silently, watching the flames dance, taking sips from the water skin until she was overcome by sleep.
~~~~~~~~Dream Sequence~~~~~~~~
Eileen stood upon a desolate, ruined land where he only source of light came from of a fire hot and terrible. Her face glowed orange in the dim light that drew ever nearer. She flinched against the growing heat but could not take a single step away. The flames grew larger, and at the center of the fireball she saw a void blacker than any night sky and more sinister than her darkest fears. She heard a deep, inhuman voice speaking in tongues she could not understand. Then it hissed in the common tongue, "Come to me... come to me or perish." The great fireball drew closer until it enclosed her and burned the flesh from her bones...
~~~~~~~~End Dream Sequence~~~~~~~
"I am sorry to wake you, but we must move on," a vaguely familiar voice said. She dimly perceived that she was, indeed, not aflame, but lying on the ground, tightly wrapped in the scratchy blanket. Though she was not on fire, she felt so hot she may as well have been... Boromir nudged her again and repeated, "Come, we must go." Awareness returned and she sucked in a breath as if she had been holding it for some time. She sat up and he could see her forehead shining with sweat. Completely out of breath, heart pounding she stared at Boromir for a few moments. "Are you alright?" he asked.
She held her head in her hand and shook her head, "It was just a dream, that's all... a weird dream." He leaned forward and touched her face.
"I had hoped your fever would break by sunset," he said with disappointment.
"Did you just say sunset?" she asked frantically. She looked around and realized the sun had already started to sink, "Did you let me sleep all day?"
"Yes, I presumed if you had ample time to rest you would feel well enough that we would not have to stop again," he explained.
"That makes sense," she mumbled, "But that means... oh man, people are going to worry when I don't come home. I hope Derek doesn't think I'm ditching him... I could go for that beer right about now..."
"Let us not dwell on such things, we must be moving on," Boromir said sternly as he stood. She frowned and slowly managed to stand. Already Boromir put out the fire and packed all but the blanket. "Come, I will help you ahorse," he said motioning to her. Swiftly he rolled and tied the blanket before securing it with the rest of his belongings. He helped her climb into the saddle and once she was firmly settled, Boromir climbed up behind her and took the reins.
"Forgive me for this familiarity," the man said stiffly.
"Huh? Oh... whatever," she murmured. He kicked the horse into a steady trot, and so began the girl's long journey through Middle Earth.
If you liked it, let me know! If you hated it... still let me know! For those of you sticking around, I'll be posting Chapter II shortly, so see you then!
-SSJKarigan
P.S. I do intend to follow the book cannon for the most part. There are a few scenes from the movies that I thought were fun, like that drinking game between Legolas and Gimli. I also decided to let Boromir keep his horse... I hope you'll forgive me for that detail.