Ta- Daaa! I did it! I finally posted this next chapter. Sorry it took much longer than anticipated. I should also give the heads up that the next chapter might take just as long. I am trying to work some over time hours to get some extra pay. That and my personal life is a mess of discord right now. But hey, we find joy in the little things like writing, reviewing, meeting new people that share the same interests. (^_^) So YES! Here is the next one.

This morning I wake up to the nice sound of NO MORE SNORING! NO noise being made is what wakes me up. Normally it's the opposite, but I had finally grown used to the….lulling snores of my newest companions here, that when it stopped, it caught my attention enough to creak my eyes open at what's going on now. It's a whole lot of nothing. Just yawns, scratches, sniffles, grunts and more smelling the air. 'Are they expecting some hyacinths to be here?'

Well, they're not telling me to get up yet, so maaaybe I can roll over for another thirty minutes of sleep? It is longer than that, but sadly I stayed in that half awake half asleep twilight zone where you don't really enjoy either. So it didn't help all that much.

Then there's ever polite Dori across the way. "Miss Alicia? We'll be departing again soon."

Picking up my head to eye the three brothers, Dori greets me with a semi-sleepy smile. Ori is too engrossed in getting out some tangle in his laces, while Nori Re-adjusts his duster and tucks the long sleeves of his shirt inside the gloves I really want to try on for myself. He nods once when our eyes meet before flicking back to his work again.

Up I get to do the same. Finger combing through my hair, shaking out and dusting off my bedroll and folding back into a scarf/sash, and taking the offered oatmeal with gratuitous thanks, I start to finally wake up fully. "Sleep well?" I ask any of them.

I got snorts for a reply, and some un-intelligible grumbling.

"That's nice." I half joke. Who'd have thought there would be such a huge difference still between camping in a tent versus literally under the stars.

"He ought to be waiting for us at his companion's home by now I'd wager. We are supposed to be there by this eve." Dori answers as he stands up. I try to hide my smile at his face from the obvious popping his back must be making.

'Heh, old man problems.' Actually that's not all that funny because if my guessing is correct, it's about to get worse on this quest. And he's probably still in better shape than my skinny, hardly any muscle, out of shape when running, 'trying to watch my figure' excuse for not putting a little junk in my bony trunk.

The well worn dirt road is as comforting as having my GPS in a new town. The meadow gradually becomes more of a hill-scape, with the roads a little more winding. The river still glittering in the beautiful day, running alongside us as we press forth through The Shire.

Then there it is. The famous Brandywine bridge. Looking like any other properly maintained bridge. Watching the river as we walk over it, I can spot a few water bugs and minnows dashing about. I wonder if they catch any river trout or sun perch in there.

Ori is just as curious as me as we walked along the packed dirt roads of Hobbiton. Some of the folks giving us weird looks, trying to sell something or ignoring us. I know I stick out better than a sore thumb, being the tallest, the lankiest, and without the excuse of being a wizard. He should be pretty easy to spot out here in this very open and spread out town. Seeing the markets makes me want to go shopping like I am at a convention, but thankfully the urge is short lived as I follow the Ri brothers around. Ahead of me Nori and Dori were grumbling at each other again, while Ori hung in the back with me a little.

"Miss Alicia? Yester eve, you mentioned 'God'. May I ask who it is you worship?"

I smile kindly to him. "I don't mind at all. It is Father God, who gave his son Jesus Christ so that we'd all have salvation. In which we learn about in the good book, The holy bible. Hence, The Trinity."

"So he is the God of Trinity? Is he new to the Valar?" Ori looks up at me with his cute little confused, slightly cross-eyed face.

"Uh. No." I start slowly. How do I phrase this without sounding belittling?...I scratch my ear as I try to pick my words carefully. " Father God is the, the one and only Creator. The Valar are, at least the way they're told to me, are guardians."

"So, Father God is another name for Eru?" Ori tries again.

'Good question Ori. I don't know if that's what Tolkien was going for or not.'

With a small smile down to him, I say, "I don't think so. I don't know enough about all The Valar to really say."

The youngest Ri's lips purse in his thoughts, but thankfully he stops that sort of questioning for now.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't here long enough to memorize the color of every door or sign." Nori grumps up ahead, shielding his eyes from the sun as he peers around.

Dori lets out some exasperated sigh, one hand covering the half of his face as he faced the other way. "He says it's a green door with the mark on it."

"Great. Ya know what else is green? The grass. The trees. The shrubs. The hills. ALL of which can be marked with something." Nori quips.

"Are we lost again?" I ask in a half joking manner. I am answered with grumbles that sound much more animal then people. "I take that as a yes." Seriously, I don't think there were even syllables in whatever growling they were making. My brows furrowed a little at it. Then again, Tolkien's books or PJ's movies were not that detailed about dwarven sounds and subtle behaviors.

They kept walking with Ori and I trailing behind them. Eventually we even passed by the famous Green Dragon Inn. It looked like some rendering right out of a video game. A beautiful carving of a wooden dragon decorating the entrance and painted green, of course. None of the buildings at the renaissance festival compare to it. It was a rather peaceful place, seeing a table of men chatting idly around it, then on the opposite of the building one of the hobbit workers sweeping clean the patio. I wish I had some orchestral music to play along, or the hobbit theme song.

"Why don't we ask someone for directions?" I offer.

"We're not in that much trouble. We're fine." Nori replied. Nobody objected to his stubbornness. Typical dudes, not wanting to just ask for directions and just keep being lost longer. Or typical woman wanting to ask directions.

"I'm getting hungry." Ori murmered when we stopped to 'take a break'. Nori glanced once at him, shuffled through some bag slung at his side and pulled out something wrapped in wax paper.

"Here ya go Ori. Take this."

Ori accepted curiously as he opened it to reveal slightly mushed little pies that reminds me of what my family would call alu-pies. He smiled in approval after gingerly nibbling one.

Dori was not smiling though as he watched Nori. "And where did you get that? We never packed any of that. You stole it didn't you. When did you even get the chance to do that?" He shook his head. "Can't keep your hands to yourself for five minutes."

"Of course not. In fact, I did it for three hours." Nori said with mock pride. "Can't have my family starving now can I?"

"You can't use that excuse anymore either." The eldest droned. His right hand shot up palm facing Nori. "Shut up."

"Twas from the bakery, they're not going to miss it."

"Shut. Up."

I shared a mildly amused look with Ori. The quiet dwarf simply smiled shyly back, he holds out his hand to offer one of the little pies to me. Oh sweet little Ori. I'd steal you away myself.

I take one with a quiet thank you. Once it is done, I turn back to the older brothers. All bunched shoulderd and grumpy frowns. "Ahem. So we are looking for Gandalf's friend. That happens to have a green door. How many people are Gandalf's friend around here?"

"Mahal knows." Dori answers. "Most folks don't have much to do with meddling wizards."

"Well that should narrow it down some right? Someone might know which way a wizard went if we ask." I offer as I stand up. "I'll go ask someone while you rest your feet."

Off I go towards the nearest group of people. I don't know how the brothers feel about it, but at least they aren't stopping me.

I did manage to find a hobbit lady with an outrageous hat on her head like she took the whole flower bouquet and slapped it on her head. She was walking down the street perpendicular to me. I smiled at her with a wave. "Excuse me miss. I'm a little lost."

"Oh Yavanna!" One of her hands flew to her nose as her face creased in a rather comical scowl. I'd laugh if it wasn't directed at me. I've got to be ten feet from her, surely I don't stink that bad. "Horrid, filthy Man-child. What do you want from me?!"

"… I was just going to ask for directions." I say, my smile faltering a little.

"the green dragon Inn is that way!" she pointed.

"Yes I got that. But I am looking for a friend, and they're not there. His name is Gandalf. Tall man all in gray?" I describe, trying not to take offence to this woman for acting like I am a walking black plague.

"What makes you think I would know anything about that? I haven't seen anything of the sort." She snapped. Her eyes trailing up and down me judgmentally. "Off with you and your stench, and hooligan attire like some Wild Man."

"Jeeze can't a girl ask a question?" I grumble as I walk past her, glaring right back. "Mean old lady, which your table cloth dress and flower pot head." I grumble as I look around again.

"Why I never!" She shrieked as she must have heard my grumbling. Oh that's right, hobbits have great hearing. "Who are you to insult me so you vagabond ragamuffin?! You're worse than my wayward cousin. The two of you might get on splendid. Oh the nerve of you young ones today!"

"The nerve of you old folks these days!" I couldn't help but shoot back. "With all your stereotypes and grudges." I whirl back with my own glare. "Why don't you just say 'I don't know' next time instead of being so rude?" Her shoulders shook as if she just literally had her feathers ruffled. I took a little glee in the fact that she had to bend her head back a lot just to look up at me. "I'll thank you to leave me alone now."

If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn her eyes had just changed. They looked to be going from the typical round pupils to the slit eyes of a cat. In fact she even hissed at me like one! I stared dumbly at her for a beat until her hissing went louder and she swung her hands at me so fast it looked as if her slim finger nails were pointing into claws.

"Oh nonono! So much no!" I yelp as I pin on my heel and dash away so fast. I already knew Middle earth had foul people, it was always a pretty clear line between the good and bad. I had forgotten that Middle earth still has it's own Rudeness Everdeen here and there.

There has to be someone with a little more grace for someone just asking for directions. I did see another old lady hobbit walking on the path below me. She seemed a friendlier sort, I hope. So, I take the risk and go to her, this time standing further away. "Um, excuse me ma'am. Sorry to bother you. I was hoping to get some directions please?" I ask trying to slap together my best manners.

"Hm? Where are you trying to go?" The old lady smiled up at me.

"Thank you. I am looking for a friend. Gandalf. Tall man dressed in grey. I was wondering if you might have seen him come this way?" I ask.

The old lady hobbit taps her chin. "Gandalf? Last I saw him was some thirty or forty years ago. Maybe even more so? Sorry. I haven't seen him." She smiles apologetically.

Man, that's a bugger. I cast a glance over my shoulders, making sure the dwarves were well out of earshot for my next question. And they are. "Do you happen to know where a Mister Bilbo Baggins might be?"

"Ah! Now that I do. Keep going down that way. Follow the fence down to the first fork in the road and take the right road all the way down and there'll be a hobbit hole upon a hill with a green door." She said confidently.

"Oh thank you ma'am." I reply happily before biding farewell and carrying on.

I return to see the Ri brothers, lounging around the tree in such a laid-back, not-a-care-in-the-world attitude that I am rather happy to see. Get them while you can. Dori watches me approach, the corners of his mouth pulled into a small pout. "What did that first woman say to you?"

"Oh, uh. She was just being a mean old lady." I wave it off. "Someone must have spat in her coffee earlier today."

"Mean indeed." Dori huffed.

"Dori was just about to march down there and give the wench what she deserved if she kept changing like that." Nori smirked. "Would 'ave liked to 'ave seen that."

"Anyhow! Let's keep going." Dori changed subject as he hoisted himself to his feet.

I decided to take the lead then, hoping they wouldn't mind so that I could subtly guide them by the directions I was given. It surprises me just how spacious The Shire really is. Just walking across a large parking lot to get to work from the apartment is considered a long walk back home. Having to walk The Shire will put ANYONE in shape. It's probably what allows these people the affordability of seven meals a day. The hours sort of drag y at times, or hardly noticed at others until things start to 'glow' again under the evening sun. Daylight creature's calls are replaced with nocturnal creatures. Even some of the night bugs are different here.

"Come along Miss Alicia." Dori calls out while I was admiring a butterfly. It was a GREAT moth it was. It was large like a Luna moth, only had these orange specks and reddish lines. I have never seen anything like it so yes, I have no shame in being distracted by it for a little bit.

I catch up to them quickly though. "You found which way to go?" I ask.

"Some of our kin are near. We must be close." Dori replies as they walked a little faster.

"Really? How do you know? You see them?" I look ahead to see if I could see what they saw.

"No, not yet. Their smell is still fresh though." He said that to me, implied that his kin already stank. Aww, man. I was hoping I wouldn't have to smell the infamous B.O. till later.

I couldn't help but take a whiff in the air too, though for me it was clear as glass. My brows knit together as I side glance at them. Were they just so used to it that they knew how to be more, sensitive to the correlation?

"Can you tell how much further?" My curiosity gets the better of me.

"Roughly two hundred yards or less." Dori guessed as he sniffles. Nori is beside Ori, who is beside me. The middle brother's sharp eyes scanning around us as he walks silently with us. Ori looked around as marveled as me.

I follow along with them, wondering if it would be the full company or just the few like in the movie. I still wonder though; will Bilbo allow baths in his house if they really stink so bad? Oh, and bad breath is the absolute worst for me to deal with though. Please let no one have bad breath.

Around a tree line bend, I start to hear grumbling voices too. We walk around the trees, and sure enough! There they are! Only six people so it must be the movie version. That thought takes me back to previous thoughts I had during my night by the lake. I needed some clarification on my own situation. How much of this was real for instance? Am I caught up in some LARPING festival, or is this some cruel joke because I am in a coma somewhere? The most hopeful man to ask was standing just ahead of me now. Next to the dwarves he stuck out like an albino buffalo in the herd. I remember that my alias is a seer-in-training for most, but hopefully for him I can be completely honest.

He slowly turned our way, greeting the four of us with a wrinkled smile. "Ah. Welcome! That makes eight of us now. We'll wait a few more minutes and see if the others will join us. Otherwise I deem they're waiting on us."

Nori saunters up to his old drinking friend, clasping arms in greeting and then joking about the rough travel.

Their grisly old healer waves his hand in a short greeting at us with a bob of his head. His younger brother unfolding his arms as he lumbered up from his squat down position. "It's about time, last ducklings." He teases. His eyes fall on me lastly and his reddish teddy-bear face. His head is tilted back some and for a moment I remember my height difference might make the possible bad breath not a problem for me. "Who's this then?"

I smile down at him. "Hello. How are you?"

He bristles briskly. "I'm right fair my lady. Thanks for your concern. Gloin. Son of Groin. At your service." He bends half way. "Thing is, I was not told of a lady joining us." He frowns a little. Everyone is looking at me by this time.

"I am Alicia, a pleasure meeting you. I was searching for a Gandalf the Grey. Mister Dori said he'd be here and allowed to travel with his brothers to find him." I say politely.

The gray clad wizard taps his staff absentmindedly. "Oh? Well you have indeed found him. Pray tell why you are searching for me?"

With another smile his way, I answer. "Mind if I speak with you alone? It shouldn't take too long. As I see you have business to attend to."

Gandalf nodded and turned on his heel a little way away from the group where I followed suit. I easily ignored all the eyes following me, rather used to being stared at. "Hello. So here's my situation. I am from a town called Tod Mission. I'm an actress, or performer by profession having just finished a new feature film. From what I can tell, it's incredibly far from here. I got here so unexplainably sudden that I can't tell if I am in a long-term reenactment or these people are really dwarves and you're really a wizard. Where I'm from, all this is fairytales. But orcs are real, as I discovered when I first got here. Truth is I am very lost, and yet I know some knowledge about Middle earth because I read about it in a book once. Even….why the dwarves are here." I say in the lowest voice I think I can use and him still be able to hear me. His face says that he can hear me, with the widening of the eyes and the raised brows. I pause to allow that information to sink in and continue when he doesn't say anything yet. "They think I am a beginner Seer because they spotted this before I put it away." From my bag at my feet I tactfully show him my keychain. His face scrunches back into a thinking frown. "So that's how I got here. My dilemma is that I am not completely sure if everything around me now is truly real. Is this a new movie set or festival? And how do I get back home?" I conclude.

I just verbally threw up on Gandalf and he needs a moment to clean out his ears. So I stand there, patiently waiting for him to sort it all out in his head. Shortly, he resumes eye contact with me within beats. "I believe your story, farfetched as it is. You are not from here, that much is certain. I can also assure you Arda and all that you have seen is quite real. Rare as it is, I have heard before of people crossing hidden rifts to another. So rare it is however that my knowledge on it is scarce. I am sorry my dear, but I cannot send you back home." He says softly, his eyes shine with the genuine emotion of sympathy. I can't be mad at him for not being able to do it. Wizards are not all powerful… or all-knowing either.

My shoulders do drop. If he didn't have a slightest idea, it really narrowed down my rays of hope.

"Do not despair yet. I will aid you in however I may." The wizard adds on next. "Your claim as a seer though. We shall continue that." He glances at the dwarves mingling just behind us. "Do you wish to join our company, through it's entirety?"

I make a one shoulder shrug as I teeter on my feet. "I am still unsure about joining the 'ENTIRETY'. What if some random chance for me to go back home happens before then? But I don't know what else to do until then. Or where to go."

Gandalf nods sagely once. "Then I ask that you accompany me for the time being, so that I may help you as I say I would. I suppose you have some time still to make up your mind for certain."

"Oh. I almost forgot too. They think I am a seer because of this 'dream' I had…" Which I proceed to explain to him. "Does that complicate things?"

"Perhaps for you." Gandalf says cryptically. I should have known he'd hit me with his wizardly answers. "I do not yet know how Thorin may react to this. Let us carry on shall we?" He smiles.

I turn around with him to rejoin the others. The dwarves were watching us expectantly, probably waiting to get going already.

"A proper introduction is in order before we depart. Miss Alicia, allow me to introduce Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Oin and you've met his brother Gloin already." Gandalf sweeps his arm out to them.

Bifur said something in Khuzdul about me, which I can only assume since he's still looking at me.

"Aye. I think I like sweet rainwater too." Bofur agrees smiling his funny smile at me. Sounds like he was just humoring his cousin.

With a nod, the wizard took the lead with the rest of us trailing behind.

"I still don't think this is a good idea. These people are clearly far too gentle for what we need." Dori says.

"We'll know fer cerain when we see 'em." Bofur reassures. It does no good really, but he is the overly optimistic one in the group after all.

"There had better be ale there." Gloin grumbles.

"And perhaps a proper kitchen, stocked up so that we may have a real meal now." Bombur joins in just ahead of me.

"Stop your fretting. He'll have plenty of dishes for everyone. Lots of supper-" Gandalf had started, though he was cut off by a chorus of happy sounds and a speed up the hill to the infamous round, green door. I didn't follow that quickly. One, I wasn't THAT hungry. And two, I am not racing dwarves, it would be so unfair to them. Haha!

They scramble up the little walkway, making me snicker at the ever-dignified Dori bounding forth. Gandalf and I make it there to watch them shoving at each other to open the door.

"Look! It's the mark! This must be the place."

"The door nob won't work."

"Stop shoving so hard!"

Oin looks up and bats the door bell at the side twice like a playful kitten.

"Uh, why don't ya'll wait till the door open before trying to force it?" I ask, but I know I was either not heard or ignored.

Gandalf too just leaned on his staff, watching the activity with a knowing look. I decide to do the same. I am not sure if I want to be squished under that. I can't even hear his voice, though I know with bated breath that he's coming, the star of the show. Stomping up the door, yelling about poor taste in jokes until he unlocks the round door.

It swings open and down tumbles the dwarves through the opening in an even more comical pile than I have noticed in the movies. Down they tumble in a heap at our newest member of the team. Don't make fun of his furry feet or he'll steal the most important things from you…

"Gandalf." (No.)

"Bilbo Baggins!" The wizard replies. (YES!)

The pile blocking the entrance doesn't seem to be clearing and just standing there staring at them kinda makes me feel like a butt, so I try helping Bombur up first. The biggest guy is on top, ironic. My efforts though, are probably useless. I don't even know is I am making any difference or he's just humoring me.

In a lumbering, grumbling, bumbling mass, they picked themselves up from the floor. Each took a few seconds to introduce themselves in their formal fashion before shagging their travel bags, cloaks, etc. and making themselves right at home.

Gandalf, ever the gentleman, waits for me to pass first. I also must duck to enter and am at least able to stand straight in the main halls and rooms, and only tilting a little under an archway. It was funny watching Bilbo's fretting about on screen, not so much seeing it in front of me. I am wincing at the poor guy's near faint or blowing a gasket from the controlled yet happy chaos. The round door is shut behind me, watching it close starts to feel like that 'no turning back' moment for me. This is it and I am really here, and really doing this.

HYACINTHS- A BEAUTIFUL, ANNUAL TYPE OF CLUSTER OF FLOWERS, RANGING FROM PINK TO BLUE, WITH A VERY STRONG SWEET SMELLING AROMA. (I KNOW THIS BY EXPERIENCE. BOUGHT ONE FOR MY MOM AND THE SCENT IS INCREDIBLY POTENT.)

So That was Chapter 3. Sorry if it didn't seem like too much was happening just yet. But I'm not finished yet either. Your reviews are my preciousesss. XD.