Hey guys! I'm in Germany for a summer job at the moment, and it's hot as hell over here. I've finally gotten past that brief spell of homesickness that always grips me whenever I travel alone for an extended period of time. I must be some kind of masochist 'cause I always find ways to willingly throw myself into impossible situations. Then I spend at least three days cursing myself in a Bilbo Baggins type scenario ('why oh why did I leave my hobbit hole?').

In this particular case, I realized on my first day that I was going to be waiting tables in a German restaurant for six weeks, AND I DON'T SPEAK GERMAN. Somehow, that tiny little detail didn't seem so important to me when I agreed to take the job. I am an idiot.

Enjoy the chapter!

Through Hell and High Water

I made it as far as the narrow bridge at the entrance of the city – although in all honesty I'm surprised my attempted escape wasn't thwarted sooner. Perhaps if I hadn't been so panicked I might have realized that leaving The Hidden Valley the same way I'd arrived ranged at the height of idiocy. The path was far too open and I would be spotted before I had the chance to disappear into the narrow cave, and even if I did manage to slip away unnoticed, I would be faced with another problem, for I knew nothing of the land beyond Rivendell. Bilbo had said the company was headed for the Misty Mountains - a huge stretch of peaks and mounds extending from north to south. With no map, compass, or food and water to help me on my way I would not get far before collapsing from exhaustion or dehydration. My only safeguard was the hobbit's assurance that the dwarfs would wait for Gandalf before moving on, but I had no idea for how long or even where then planned to stop.

It did not occur to me that seeking out the company's protection might not be the brightest of plans. I could no longer trust the Gray Wizard to have my best interests at heart, nor was there any guarantee that Thorin would take me back into their fold – In fact, if he knew the full extent of my story, he was most likely to gift-wrap me and hand me over to the Stranger himself.

Had I been rested and sated I might have thought up a hundred different valid reasons to abandon this ridiculous plan, but in that moment all that counted in my dog-tired mind was that I escape the elven city – and even the humiliating thought of groveling at the dwarf king's feet paled in comparison to the new threat pursuing me.

I reached the stone bridge in a winded mess. Without the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I doubt I would have reached it at all. Everything had passed in a hazy blur since my flight from the open-air porch, and I only dimly remembered pelting my way through the exquisite city, paying no mind to the indignant elves I shoved aside.

In spite of my haste, I skidded to a halt before the bridge, taken by an unexpected surge of vertigo. Far below me the river flowed swift and powerful, smacking against the sides of the chasm, frothing, twisting, gushing –

I reeled backwards and griped the tall statue erect on the side of the bridge. In my mind's eye, I envisioned my body caught in the current, dragged under the surface and suffocated in the deep cold waters. I shook my head sharply, smacking my cheek. Now was not the time to surrender to irrational fear. Heights had never been problematic for me before, and I'd be damned if I was going to let myself develop a phobia now of all times.

Squaring my shoulders, I took a deep breath and ventured onto the narrow stone passage. I kept my gaze riveted on the far side of the gorge, where the mountain path twisted in and out of sight along the valley before disappearing altogether. Find your way back to the cave, Cass. Then you can rest, I promised.

Below my feet, the water rushed with powerful certainty.

I was almost halfway across when a authoritative voice cracked through the air with the force of a whip.

"Stop!"

The shouted command caught me off guard. Unwillingly, my legs ceased to move and I jarred to a sudden halt. What the –? I blinked down at my still limbs, surprise fluttering in my gut. Why had I stopped? Twisting my head, I glanced over my shoulder at the man standing behind me.

For a second I could only stare stupidly, too confused to make sense of what I was seeing, then my eyes widened as recognition hit.

The Stranger extended his hand. "Come child," he said in a honeyed tone, rich and sweet. If I thought his Voice had been compelling when he was speaking to Gandalf, it was nothing compared to how it sounded now that the Stranger was directing it at me. It vibrated across the air, drowning out the sound of the river below, filling my head with its mesmerizing cadence. I was dimly aware of my body twisting away from the mountain path in response, obeying the order without a second thought.

The Stranger's mouth twisted into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Come child," he purred again, his Voice as soft as velvet. "I wish you no harm."

I took a sluggish step towards the wizard, away from the narrow cave – and my freedom.

No!

My mind slammed on the brakes, jerking my body to a stop. No no no no no! I screamed the word like a mantra, pleading my body not to betray me. If I crossed the short distance between the Stranger and myself, I would never again find the will to escape. Already I could feel my resolve faltering, quailing before the wizard's power. I steeled my mind, my muscles tensed, grinding my legs to the ground. NO!

A small crease had appeared in the Stranger's brow and in an instant his warm mask had slipped away, revealing the cold, dispassionate features beneath. He opened his mouth to speak and I was flooded with wild terror. My resolve was paper thin – if he spoke now, I wouldn't be able to resist.

In a last desperate attempt of escape I dragged my right leg backwards. It was impossibly challenging and the effort wrenched a cry from my lips, but still I forced my muscles to obey me, pulling away…

My foot connected with open air. There was a funny lurching feeling in the pit of my stomach as I realized I had stepped too far, and I threw myself forwards to counter the fall, landing heavily on my midsection. I gasped as the air was knocked from my lungs, legs dangling dangerously over the deep chasm. I could feel myself slowly slipping on the edge of the bridge. A strong gust caught in my traveling cloak. It billowed in the wind, adding to my instability.

I wrenched my gaze upwards and saw that the Stranger had not moved. The sheer lack of emotion in his eyes sent a chill up my spine. He calmly observed as I flailed around for something to cling to, finding only smooth stone. I saw something flash across the wizard's face – an emotion so brief I almost missed it.

Satisfaction.

I just had time to see Saruman the White turn away before I slipped across the last few inches of solid stone… and then I was falling.

I hit the water forcibly, sinking like a stone beneath the surface. Cold seeped into my innards like a freezing fog, leaking into the very marrow of my bones, numbing my brain. Ice needles delved into my flesh and spread painfully throughout my body, arctic fire licking at my limbs. For a second, time seemed to suspend itself and I floated in eerie silence, watching the sunlight shimmer against the surface like mirrors, glinting of the small pearl-white bubbles.

Then, with an almighty rushing sound the current caught me in its clutches and I was swept along, as powerless as a leaf in the wind. The water became the world. It was everywhere and everything – it blurred my sight to a dull and murky enclosure, it brushed against my skin, filling my ears with its roar. I rolled and tumbled, lashing out, not knowing up from down.

My head broke the surface and I gasped in clean air, kicking at the water to stay above the waves. My legs caught in my wet cloak, the fabric unbelievably heavy. All around me I could see nothing but the angry, frothing river.

A rock loomed into view. It slammed painfully into my side. The air whooshed out of me and I ricocheted, arms closing instinctively around my burning ribs. A second rock caught me in the stomach. I cried out, water leaking into my mouth. The world disappeared once more, replaced by the oppressing rush of the river as I was dragged under a second time.

The current was stronger now; I could sense that much from my futile attempts to gain the surface.

Panic took its toll, terror welling up inside me. My body reacted instinctively and I felt a tightening in my throat as my windpipe contracted, preventing any water from drowning my lungs. I started thrashing wildly, not knowing which way to go, which way was death and which was survival. I was caught in the current's whim, utterly at its mercy. It flipped and turned me and it was so loud, and I needed to breath because my lungs were burning, but I couldn't – my throat was so tight – and when I opened my mouth water flowed in and it tasted funny and the sides of my vision were turning black and my chest was burning, burning, burning…

My lungs gave in to the pressure and a stream of bubbles burst from my mouth. For a second, the pain receded and I felt relieved. Then cold water poured down my nose and throat. I tried to move my arms, but all I could muster was a weak twitching. Exhaustion weighed me down, slowing my heart to a faint beat, sucking the fight out of me. I could no longer hear the grumble of the river.

It was surprisingly peaceful, despite the dull aching in my chest. My eyes closed to slits and I drifted, limbs spread out in a relaxing manner, hands brushing against the weedy disarray of the bottom…

The bottom.

A spark of something – maybe hope – flickered inside me. With my last ounces of strength I drew my legs under me, ignoring the rippling soreness in my muscles as they screamed in protest – and pushed.

I soared upwards, water pressing against my eyes, brushing my arms and legs, cool fingers running through my hair. The deed sucked the last of my strength away and I felt myself go limp. Please let it be enough…

My head broke the surface.

I convulsed, spasming, hacking up water. The first gulp of air was the sweetest thing I'd ever tasted. All too soon I was seized by another coughing fit, my lungs violently rejecting the small amount of liquid they'd taken in. I bobbed at the surface for a few seconds before threatening to sink again, and I thrust out my legs in response, panic tightening my gut. My feet connected with the bottom of the river.

I sucked in air, filling my lungs to bursting point, relishing in the feeling. How had I ever taken the simple action for granted?

Something burned in my throat and suddenly I was throwing up more than just water. Bile filled my mouth, the sharp acidic taste washing over my tongue. I retched, all the while forcing my legs to move, pushing against the muddy bottom, aware that if I stopped, even for a second, I would never will myself into motion again.

I blinked around at my surroundings and saw that the current had dragged my still body into a niche in the river. The water surrounding me was flooded with various branches and debris that had suffered the same fate as I had. A few feet away, the water continued to flow, snaking out of sight. I shuddered.

The bank was not very far and the current was almost non-existent, but I had reached a point of exhaustion that rendered my every move to sluggishness. Only the promise of dry land kept me going. The mud beneath my feet was thick and oozy, adding to my misery. My sodden cloak dragged in the water behind me, slowing me down. I unfastened it absently, gladly letting the weight slip from my shoulders.

When my feet finally emerged from the river I collapsed onto my knees, too tired to even take another step. My near drowning experience had taken so much out of me, it felt as if I'd run two miles. I rolled to my side and concentrated on taking deep breaths, relishing in the simplicity of the act. My chest slowly rose and fell, rose and fell. I could hear birds in the distance, and for a second, I was amazed at how the world had not simply blinked out of existence when I had gone under. The water had taken up everything – sight, sound, taste, hearing – how odd it was to think that above the surface, life had gone on unperturbed.

It was with this troubling thought that my mind finally gave in to exhaustion and I closed my eyes, drifting away into unconsciousness with blissful ease.

Finally, she gets to sleep!

So yeah, you know the drill; Please review this chapter! They make me feel warm and fuzzy ^^ Do any of you guys have a Pottermore account? If so, what houses are you in? Can you guess mine?

I've never had any experience with the whole drowning thing, so I spent many many hours doing research on the subject. I hope it sounded realistic enough.