CHAPTER TWO

Prisoner and Victim

"Adam? Adam, can you hear me?"

The voice was slow and the words slurred together at first, but as he began to come around, Adam recognized his brother's voice. Slowly, he opened his eyes and found himself looking right into Dylan's worried face.

"Yes, Dylan…I can hear you."

Dylan sighed in relief and sat back. "I thought you were dead."

As his vision adjusted, Adam sat up and frowned. He and Dylan were sitting on the edge of a riverbank. He turned his head to examine his brother and noticed that Dylan was completely unharmed, except for the fact that he wasn't wearing anything except his underwear. Adam's eyebrows rose as he looked down at himself and noticed that he wasn't clothed either.

"What the hell?"

Dylan sighed again. "Before you say anything else, let me just say that I don't know where we are or why we aren't wearing any clothes. I've been awake for three hours, waiting for you guys to wake up, and I haven't come to any conclusions yet."

There was a frustrated look in Dylan's eyes, but he didn't seem as panicked. Adam sucked in a deep breath of air. "You haven't tried to look for the car?"

Dylan looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "No, Adam, I haven't looked for the damn car. If you haven't noticed, there's no road around here! Like I said before, I was waiting for you and Candace to wake up."

He moved aside slightly so that Adam could see passed him. Lying a few feet away, dragged up onto the shore and away from the water, was Candace. Like them, she wasn't fully clothed, but she looked unharmed otherwise.

Adam looked back at the river and racked at his brain. The last thing he remembered was trying to tell Elinore to leave the radio alone and then...His memory trailed off there, after the flash of bright light. He sighed in frustration and covered his face with his hands. None of this made any sense to him and it irritated him even more to see how calm Dylan was.

"The driver…"

Dylan frowned. "What?"

"The driver," Adam repeated. "The one in the other car who hit us. He must have dragged us off road and then left."

The idea made Dylan's eyes widen. He quickly shook his head. "No, there's no way."

"Think about it, Dylan!" Adam turned slightly so that he faced his brother. "He probably thought we were all dead and didn't want to get in trouble!"

Dylan shook his head and staggered to his feet. "There's no way that happened, Adam. There's no way he could've been unharmed and able to walk away."

"How are we not hurt then?"

"I don't know…" Dylan sighed.

Standing, Adam stared at the back of Dylan's head, his hands curled into fists. He was desperate to make up some excuse. The unknown was too terrifying. "What's your explanation then?"

"I don't know, Adam! I've been through tons of scenarios." Dylan rubbed the back of his neck. "Nothing makes sense. If you think it was the other driver, then what did he do with Elle and Ryan?"

This caught Adam off guard and he frowned. He had assumed that Ryan and Elinore were awake as well, but then why hadn't they been sitting with him too? He looked around again, this time searching for his friends. Elinore and Ryan were nowhere to be seen. A fierce wave of anxiety crashed over him.

"You couldn't find them?"

Dylan shook his head. "I tried to look for them, but I didn't want to leave you and Candace alone unconscious. I tried, Adam. I called out, but they're not around here. I don't know what happened to them…"

"This is not happening…"

"Adam, calm down. We need to keep an even mind so we can think of a plan."

Adam whirled around. "A plan? What do you suppose we do, Dylan? You want us to go walking off into the woods when we don't even know where we are?!"

"We have to do something besides just sitting here," Dylan shouted back. He pointed toward Candace and said, "If she doesn't wake up soon, then we need to find help. Plus, I don't know about you, but I don't want to be out here in the cold when the sun goes down."

Adam glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, the sun was sinking over the treetops in the distance, taking its warm rays with it. He turned back to Dylan, ready to dish out another retort, when he heard a groan.

They looked up at Candace to see her moving slightly. Without hesitating, both of them dashed up the beach and knelt down beside her.

"Candace, are you okay?" Dylan asked softly.

She blinked and stared up at them in confusion. "W-What?"

"Just take it easy," Dylan urged, pushing her back onto the ground when she tried to sit up. "Let yourself adjust."

Obediently, she settled onto her back and closed her eyes. Gently, she lifted a hand and settled it on her head. "Did I fall asleep again? Are we there?"

Adam and Dylan exchanged a glance. Did she not remember anything?

"You…You don't remember?"

Her eyes opened at that and this time, she forced herself to sit up. "Remember…" Candace trailed off when she noticed their bare skin, as well as hers. Eyes widening, she opened her mouth to scream.

Dylan clasped a hand over her mouth. "Wait, wait! Calm down, just relax—"

She shoved his hand away and scrambled to her feet, backing away from them. "What the hell is wrong with you? Close your eyes! Where are our clothes?"

They both stood and Dylan held out his hands, trying to keep them all calm. Adam stared at Candace, seeing the same fear and confusion he felt in her eyes. She looked like a deer ready to flee.

Adam licked his lips. "We don't know either, Candace. I just woke up too."

She studied him, contemplating whether to believe him or not. Finally, she looked around at their surroundings. "Where's Elle? And Ryan?"

Dylan shrugged. "We know as much as you, Candace. Or, at least most of what you know. You don't remember the crash?"

She frowned. "What crash?"

"The car accident, Candace…"

As soon as the words had left Dylan's mouth, something clicked in Candace's mind and her expression changed. Her eyes widened and filled with tears and she blinked furiously.

"Oh my…Oh my God…" She staggered slightly and then collapsed back onto the ground.

Adam knelt down in front of her. "Come on, Candace. Don't freak out, just relax and try to think." When she neither looked up at him nor said anything, he sighed.

"All right, this is what we're going to do." Dylan turned in a slow circle, his eyes scanning the opposite end of the shore. "We'll just follow the river. It's probably a main water source, so there's bound to be a town somewhere. Don't you think?"

"We're not going anywhere right now, Dylan," Adam protested. "We're losing daylight. We'll just put ourselves at risk."

Dylan turned back to face them, but instead he noticed something moving farther up among the trees. He closed his mouth and frowned and then his eyes widened. "There's someone up there! Hey! Over here!"

This brought Candace out of her trance and she looked over her shoulder.

Adam stood, relief surging through his veins. He had to have been right. Someone had called the police and now they were searching for the bodies. A smile spread across his face and he took off toward the figure, Dylan and Candace hot on his heels.

Cool shadows engulfed them as they left the exposed shoreline and crashed into the beginnings of the forest. Adam kept his eyes focused ahead, determined to find their savoir. When he spotted more movement, his heart soared with joy. The closer they got, the clearer the figures became. A warning sign flashed in Adam's head and he found himself slowing down.

A group of people stood before them, hidden by the trees. They were tall and fair, dressed in numerous shades of green and brown. That wasn't what caught Adam's attention. He was more concerned with the dozens of arrows pointed at them, ready to fire at any given moment.

He skidded to a halt and held out his arms, signaling Dylan and Candace to stop. He could hear them crashing through the undergrowth behind him. Eventually they slowed down and paused behind his arms. The group of people ahead emerged from their hiding places, but only one approached them.

A sword in his hand, the man regarded them as if they were dangerous creatures. His eyes were stormy gray and his hair raven black. Besides the sword and unusually long hair, his ears were the strangest feature. Instead of curving like other ears, they were pointed. He spoke and it sounded like a question, but the language was unfamiliar and exotic.

Adam looked back at Dylan who was staring at the man with a mixed expression of fear and curiosity. He turned back around and cleared his throat. "Sorry…I can't understand you."

"What business do you have in Rivendell?"

"Rivendell?" Dylan blurted out.

The man's eyes flickered to Dylan for a moment before they settled back on Adam. He seemed to just have noticed their clothing predicament. A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

"Your choice of travelling gear is quite interesting…"

"Our travelling gear?"

Adam glared at his brother. "Shh!" He turned back to look at the people in front of them and shifted slightly. "We were travelling to Traverse City, but we got into a car accident. All three of us just woke up here."

There was something strange about these people, something unsettling. They didn't look like they cared about Adam's words. Instead, they looked confused and each exchanged a glance with the other. Adam watched them whisper to one another and wondered why none of them were offering help or explanation. Weren't they from the search party? Then again, he couldn't think of a search party who carried bows and arrows or swords or had pointed ears.

The first pointy-eared man held up his hand and the others fell silent. "You will come with us to Rivendell. I am sure Lord Elrond would be interested to hear what you have to say."

"But, we can't go!" Adam protested. "We have to—"

Bows were raised and pointed at them once again. Dylan held up his hands and carefully stepped up in front of Adam. "All right…We'll go. Just don't shoot us, please."

As the others fell in around them, Adam stepped closer to his brother. "What are you doing? We don't know these people!"

"You were so keen on asking for their help," Dylan whispered back.

"That was before I saw the bows and arrows, Dylan!" Adam growled.

Candace, shivering and red in the face, nudged Adam's arm. "Would you two just shut up? There's nothing we can do right now."

They both fell silent and followed the armed men through the trees. Adam frowned into the darkness and tried to remember everything that had happened. He had never heard of Rivendell, unless it was some little town off the map? Even that didn't sound right to him. His hands clenched into fists, so hard that his nails cut through his palms. He looked down at the beads of blood and sighed. Someone had a lot of explaining to do and he hoped this Lord Elrond would have some answers.

"He hasn't woken yet?"

"I'm afraid not…Knocked him out cold, whatever it was."

Someone sighed and Ryan could hear the sound of boots shifting on the ground. "When he does, you best send for Lady Eowyn. She's been instructed to take him to the king once he's woken. They're curious to find out more about him."

"I think we all are."

Ryan listened to the soft footfalls as they slipped out of the room, until he could no longer hear them. Part of him wanted to open his eyes, but he wasn't alone yet. One of the other women had lingered behind. He could hear her rummaging around across the room. Instead, he forced himself to stay completely still.

He was lying in a rather large bed. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as the one he was used to back home, but the sheets were soft and warm enough. When he had first regained consciousness, everything had hurt. He could remember feeling similar pain when he'd broken his arm playing football in high school, but only this time was different. The pain had been everywhere, not just in the one arm. Fortunately, the more time he spent awake, the quicker the pain had subsided until it had gone completely.

The pain hadn't been the only thing he'd experienced. At first, all his memories had been fuzzy and nearly nonexistent. It had taken him a while to remember his life, including the crash. When he had remembered, the memories stabbed his mind like knives. It had been all he could do to remain still.

When the woman finally shuffled out of the room, Ryan waited a few more seconds. He wanted to make sure she wasn't coming back. The time passed slowly and Ryan only heard silence. Finally, he opened his eyes.

At first his vision was blurry, but after blinking a few times it cleared. Carefully, Ryan pushed himself into a sitting position and looked around the room. It was nothing like he had expected. The first thing Ryan noticed was that it was huge. With only one window, the room was dimly lit. The walls were green and there were at least three furred rugs lying beneath the bed. There was a desk on the opposite side of the room with a bundle of clothes sitting on top and a small nightstand sat beside his bed.

As his eyes trailed around the room, surveying each piece of furniture and each picture on the walls, he realized that the room was absolutely medieval. There were no lights hanging from the ceilings or fans. The desk had a bottle of ink and pieces of parchment, but no computer or desk light. And the rugs on the floor…They looked as real as if they'd come straight from the animal itself.

What the hell?

When he had first regained consciousness, he had realized that he wasn't in an ordinary hospital. The names the nurses had spoken were strange. Theoden King? Lady Eowyn and Lord Eomer? He had thought them to be the names of the doctors at first, but he couldn't make himself believe. Never in his entire life had he heard of someone named Theoden. But he certainly wasn't expecting to wake up in a medieval castle of all places.

As the confusion set in, Ryan through off the blankets and swung his feet over the side of the bed. He had already noticed that he wasn't wearing any clothes, which was strange, and that there were no scratches on his body. He could remember the crash and flying out of the Jeep. He could remember hitting the pavement and rolling off the side of the road, surely he should have a broken back or something?

His eyes drifted to the bundle of clothes lying on the desk. Pushing off the bed, he crossed the room and looked down upon them. It was like they had come straight out of a fantasy book – brown leggings and thick leather boots, an olive green, long-sleeved tunic, and a leather doublet with a strange symbol on the front. Ryan looked around the room, searching for anything else. Finally, when he could find nothing suitable to his taste, he decided to dress in the clothes available.

Once he had figured out how to wear the clothes, Ryan turned toward the door. He was surprised that no one had returned yet to check on him. As he peered into the hallway, he noticed that it was completely abandoned. He could hear no voices and he couldn't see any signs of people nearby. Quietly, he edged out into the passageway and headed off to the right, gazing at the torches hanging on the walls.

The corridor took him passed multiple other rooms until he reached a fork. Eyes darting back and forth, Ryan sighed. He started to regret leaving his room when he heard voices coming down the right corridor. His heart rate increased and for a moment he debated whether or not he should go back to his room.

They're gonna have to talk to you sooner or later…

Straightening his back, Ryan tried to fix his messy hair and sighed in frustration when it didn't do anything. Shadows formed on the floor in front of him and before he could run, two figures rounded the corner. They were both women and he could recognize the older woman's voice from earlier.

As they drew closer, Ryan realized that neither of them had spotted him. He took the opportunity to look them over. The first was the elderly woman who was shorter and rounder than the other. Her hair was a dull blonde color and appeared to be graying. The second was tall and elegant with fair skin and long, golden curls. She was pretty, Ryan thought.

It was the younger woman who spotted him first. Her bright eyes widened in surprise and she stopped walking. The older woman looked at her in confusion and then followed her gaze. A smirk spread across her face when her eyes settled on Ryan.

"It's about time, boy," she scolded. "If you think you could have played me any longer, I would have thrown that basin of water over your head."

Ryan frowned. "I-I'm sorry…Where am I exactly?"

"You are in Edoras," the younger woman replied. "In the Golden Hall of Meduseld." She seemed kinder than the first. "I am Eowyn, daughter of Eomund. What is your name?"

"I'm Ryan Grey...I'm sorry, my mind is still fuzzy from the accident. Where exactly is Edoras?"

The two women exchanged a glance and although the older woman stared at him in pity, Eowyn looked at him with curiosity.

"Edoras is the capitol of Rohan," she replied kindly.

"Rohan?"

The older woman's eyes narrowed. "Where are you from, boy?"

"Michigan?" They both looked even more confused. "America?"

Sighing and shaking her head, the old woman met his gaze. "He must have taken a heavy blow to the head, my lady…It seems only right if he's speaking such nonsense."

"Nonsense? You're the one who's talking nonsense!" Ryan glared at her. He was starting to freak out. "I've never heard of Edoras or Rohan? Are they countries in Europe or something?"

Eowyn cocked her head. "Europe? Where is Europe?"

"This isn't funny anymore!" Ryan shifted his weight from one foot to the other and ran a hand through his hair.

"We have no places by that name in Middle Earth, boy." She was staring at him as if she knew something he didn't.

Ryan looked from her face to Eowyn's, searching for a sign that they were joking with him. "Middle…what? There's no such thing as Middle Earth."

"Perhaps he should wait to meet with the king," Eowyn whispered.

"No, no. I want to meet with him."

After sharing another look, Eowyn sighed and beckoned him to follow her. The old woman continued to stare at him as he hurried to follow. He glanced over his shoulder, frowning when he saw she was still watching him. When he finally rounded the corner, the strange feeling disappeared and he was left feeling empty and uneasy.

They were silent as they walked through the halls. Although he was feeling overwhelmed, Ryan couldn't stop himself from looking at all the strange tapestries and artwork that covered the walls. They were fascinating to him, done with such detail and passion. It reminded him of the castles he'd seen in books or on the internet and although nothing was making any sense, he could feel how real everything was.

Finally, they stopped walking through the long corridors and came to an open room. It was long and tall, with pillars stretched up to the ceiling. Tables were scattered around the hall and there was a raised platform near the back with a throne sitting on the top. Weapon clad soldiers looked up at their arrival. Many dipped their heads and smiled at Eowyn, but they faded once they looked to Ryan.

He looked around quickly and then stopped behind Eowyn when she paused before the throne. An older man sat before her. He was wearing a fur lined robe and a golden crown. His hair was yellow and thinning and his skin was starting to show signs of wrinkles. When Eowyn bowed her head, Ryan quickly followed suit.

"Our guest has finally woken, my lord." She turned slightly so that the king could see Ryan. "He tells me his name is Ryan Grey…And that he is from America."

The king frowned. "America? I have never heard of such a place."

Ryan cautiously looked up. "I have never heard of Edoras…Or Rohan, sir…I mean, my lord." The formalities seemed strange to him, but he dare not forget to use them.

"What were you doing on my borders then?"

"I don't know…I can't remember getting here or anything. Please, sir…" He stopped and sighed, desperate to make them all understand. "My friends and I were travelling up north for a vacation. We got into a car accident—"

"Car accident?" The king mumbled.

Ryan stared at him, mouth open, and then licked his lips. "Yeah…Our car collided with a van…"

Everyone in the hall was listening now, but none of them seemed to understand what he was talking about. Ryan began to feel dizzy. Why wouldn't they stop playing games and tell him what was going on? He looked from one face to the next, his heart rate increasing again. He staggered suddenly, into a nearby table. Gripping the wood for support, he slid onto the bench.

"He needs to rest, my lord" Eowyn said.

"Very well. Hama, escort him back to his chambers and tell Lorra to bring him some food." The king ordered.

One of the guards standing nearby, a younger man with auburn hair, firmly gripped his arm and pulled him to his feet. As he was led from the hall, images of his friend's faces whizzed briefly in Ryan's mind. If this was really happening, then what had happened to them?

Thank you so much for the reviews! It really boosts my confidence as a writer. :)

This chapter took me a while to write...I wasn't sure what to do with the others. I didn't want you to have to read the whole this is a dream, this isn't real mantra again. Hopefully its to your liking! Also, I know its slow, but I promise it'll pick up soon.

As always... I do not own Lord of the Rings. Just my OC's.