"Do you need any help?" the giant asked with no humor in her voice, maybe slight concern.

"We can manage, thank you very much!" was her answer from Sam, probably the most stubborn one in the bunch.

Poor things, all stuck in the deep mud of the marsh, barely making any progress, Aragorn was fairing much better, but the hobbits kept falling with every step they took.

"This place is horrible and it smells worse." Pippin whined as he tried to swat the legion of flies and mosquitoes.

"What do they eat when they can't get hobbit?" Merry said as he crushed something on his neck, Pippin a second later faceplanted in the muck. Next thing he knew he was being hoisted out by one strong arm.

"Come on, Pippin." said the giant warrior "And try not to get any of that on me." she chuckled.

"Oooh very funny, looks like we have a comedian in our midst!" Pippin said sarcastically as he was being carried under the warrior's arm "You can put me down, you know, I'm not a child!"

"I never noticed." joked Merry from the front, grinning with Sam.

"I heard that!" replied Pip and then they all started laughing, even Aragorn smiled.

Luckily for Sophia, her armor protected her from the mud and from the smell, its stickiness didn't slow her down one bit, she walked as she was on dry land, they all surmised that she had to be very strong. She walked among the hobbits now, yanking here, pulling there whenever one got stuck and was having difficulties getting out. The hobbits didn't say it, but they appreciated the help.

"We will camp here tonight." said Aragorn from the front "Sam, tie Bill to that dried out tree over there, this place is somewhat drier." he scanned the area with his blue eyes "Start a fire, I shall return shortly." then he looked to the giant warrior "Keep watch, friend."

She nodded once "Sir."

Aragorn's brows furrowed "Sir? I am no sir."

"Oh, right, sorry. Old habit."

Strider turned and walked off into the gathering mist, probably gone to look for food.

The hobbits went to work, gathering dry wood for the fire, what little they could find. Frodo sat down in the grass, looking after Aragorn's vanishing form, Pippin and Sam removed the packs from Bill and placed them on a bit higher ground, Pip was quick to rummage around for any leftovers, his "Mmmm..." of victory quickly drew the attention of Merry who lumped down beside him to examine his friend's findings. Sam started working on the fire, getting out his trusty flint and tinder, gathering dry grass and smaller twigs, carefully blowing on the rising smoke, a small spark and then a small and weak fire, which he coaxed into a nice campfire with the skill of a master.

Sophia watched them all carefully, observing behavior, body language, facial expressions, things she was taught to look out for. They were all tiered and exhausted, with their hoods up they all gathered around the small fire, talking amongst themselves. The night was quiet and the stars were out, the mist lifted not long after sunset. Sophia closed her eyes and focused on her hearing. Nothing, not even wildlife. This was a strange place.

"Why did you call him sir?" came a voice, Merry's.

"Long story."

"We're not in a hurry." answered Frodo "We're just four curious hobbits."

"Very curious." interjected Pippin.

Sophia then decided that a little information couldn't hurt. "But how would I even tell them?" she thought to herself "How could I even make them understand? Think Soph, think."

Just then Aragorn appeared with a dead deer over his shoulder, bow and arrow in his other hand. He sat next to Frodo and pulled a knife and started skinning the animal.

"You don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to." reasoned Frodo "But you are in our company when you have no reason to be here, none that we know of at least. You can't keep the book of your life closed."

This caught Strider's attention, was she about to reveal something about herself? He stopped for a second but then continued working, his attention however was completely on his new friend.

She sighed and sat next down to Merry, across from Aragorn.

She thought deeply "You're gonna have to be smart about this, you probably won't get very far with expressions like slipspace and electromagnetism. That's it! I'm a genius. Okay, let's see if that semester of English literature pays off." she placed her weapon down to her left, well out of the reach of the hobbits who eyed it with an equal amount caution and curiosity.

"I, don't even know where to begin to be truthful." she chuckled slightly "This will not be easy, explaining. There are things about me, my people that you will not understand." by now the hobbits were gazing deeply at her, she had their full and undivided attention "You are correct, Strider." at that he looked up "I am not from the Red Mountains, or beyond them." they were hanging on every word "I come from up there." and she slowly raised her head to the starry sky above. The expressions of shock and utter surprise that followed, the open mouths of Sam and Pippin. Aragorn however took it a bit better, but just a bit.

"You come from the Void. The realm of Iluvatar, the One." Aragorn whispered with reverence in his voice.

Her silence meant one thing, she had no idea who he meant. "The Great Maker of all that is."

"Oh, you mean God? Goddess? No, nothing like that." they continued staring "For my people, for as long as my people have been, deities have been a permanent attachment. Some faiths of my people, believe in one deity, others in more than one. Many, many different faiths. However most of us don't bother with those ideas anymore." she said "Knowledge and our own strengths are what guide us now."

"Then how can you come from the Void if you have no connection to the One?" asked Aragorn.

"Because my people have learned how to sail amongst the stars." THAT revelation almost cost Aragorn a finger as he almost sheared it off and caused Pippin to choke on the last of the water.

"That is impossible. No such knowledge exists in this world." Aragorn countered.

"Correct, however I am not of this world. The knowledge of my people is great and we still have very much to learn and discover. It is in my people's nature to always reach for the next star, an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and exploration."

"Who are your people? You must be elves to possess such knowledge." said the silent and brooding hobbit, Frodo.

"We are not elves." she said with amusement.

"So then why are you here? How did you even come here?" Merry asked as he helped Sam place some meat on a stick and hang it over the fire.

"An accident apparently. My arrival here was not my choice, nor desire." then she fell silent, afraid to reveal more.

"You're a soldier, that much is clear to me, however a soldier of what army, what kingdom? You are indeed powerful, powerful as the Noldor or Vanyar, maybe even more so. But secrets come with the heavy burden of keeping them, the more you carry, the more they weigh you down. Trust us now as you asked us to trust you." reasoned Aragorn.

"Okay. In time, I promise." that answer didn't make her new friends too happy, but they accepted it regardless.

"What does... 'okay' mean?" asked Pippin with a puzzled expression.

"Oh, it means many things, yes, all right, very well and such."

"Ah!" exclaimed the young hobbit.

"However." they all looked up at her "You can rest assured..." she raised her hands to her head and pulled her hood back slowly, revealing a beautifully crafted helmet of green steel and blue glass, reflective like a mirror, they were surprised to see their dirty reflections. She grabbed the sides of her helmet and with a small hiss that startled the hobbits and the Ranger, slowly pulled it off her head "...I'm human like him." revealing the beautiful round face of a young woman in her mid twenties, no jewelry not even pierced ears, chocolate dark brown hair falling down to her shoulders, and if the light wasn't playing any tricks, her hair's tips was as blue as her eyes which shined with a mysterious inner light, focused and deep like that of a wise elf. Her cheeks and nose covered in freckles, her skin a very light olive, full red lips with a small smile tugging its left corner. The strange, black armor protecting her neck stopping only under her jawline going around and under her ears and covering the nape of her neck.

The hobbits and Aragorn were stunned into silence once more. She just smiled and absentmindedly folded her hair behind her ears, a tick she had since she was very little, a gesture which almost made her look even younger. She picked up a small stick and started picking at the fire, looking at them expectantly.

"You were saying something about scarred and ugly?" Pippin whispered loudly to Merry who was red from ear to ear "Why is a pretty, young lady like yourself a soldier? Your people allow ladies to be soldiers?" he asked inquisitively.

She laughed "Trust me, Pippin, I'm no lady. And yes, the women of my people have been fighting alongside men for centuries now. Most thought that it was a bad idea in the beginning, because women naturally aren't as strong or resilient as men are, which is true, however the knowledge my people gained over the centuries changed that, where any person, man or woman could be made very strong and very resilient. The armor I wear alone is worth more than any army you might encounter, Pippin."

"Well that certainly isn't disturbing in the least, wait, made stronger how?" Frodo asked.

"Same as with every other great accomplishment of my people, with knowledge. Science. Great scientists, scholars. My people are constantly trying to better themselves and the worlds they inhabit."

"Worlds?!" came the quartet of high hobbit voices, Aragorn even flinched a bit.

"How else do you think I arrived on your world?"

The five of them turned ghostly white for a moment.

"How-how many worlds do your people live on?" asked Frodo.

She hesitated for a moment "Once, several... hundred."

"By all the stars..." whispered Strider "An empire..." he swallowed hard "The likes of which eternity has never seen."

"Amazing. That's, that's incredible." said Merry.

"Unbelievable I'd say." corrected Sam.

"What happened?" the ever concerned and responsible Frodo asked.

The answers and statements came all at once.

"What always happens. War." her expression became somber, and the sadness in her eyes spoke volumes

With that answer the hobbits fell strangely silent, they didn't know what to say that would seem proper or know, how to console her.

"Come, gentlemen, the meat is ready. Eat." Strider tried to divert their attention.

"And are there more like you?" asked Sam with a loud yawn. She really didn't want to say, Aragorn placed a large piece of meat on Sam's plate and that seemed to distract him.

Sophia nodded in gratitude and he nodded back. He understood, more so than he was letting on. All in time, she thought. Revealing too much... who knows how that might affect them. This was shock and awe enough for one night. She grabbed her helmet and placed it back on her head, a slight hiss as it sealed in place.

After the hobbits ate and drifted off to sleep, she quietly removed her helmet again and helped herself to some meat. Aragorn sat in silence and observed her.

"They will wish to know your name. To know a friend's face but not their name, that's something that won't sit well with a hobbit for too long." he smiled.

"Don't worry. I just think this was excitement enough for one day for them. Their appetite however is amazing."

"On that we agree." Strider chuckled as he stood and walked to a log to sit by himself. Pulling out a long pipe.

Sophia lowered herself down and placed her back against a large stone, trying to get some rest. Her gaze wandered to the hobbits, then Bill who was happily munching on some dry grass and then Aragorn's dark back, smoke slowly rose from his front. He was already deep in thought. They all were.

She wanted to sleep but couldn't, not now, place too open, too vulnerable. Sleep will have to wait for a safer place. Her weapon, as always, in her hands, safety on.