~Max~

The first thing I remember was a being of light comes to me in my dreams. At first I thought it was an Angel but it didn't have any wings and I wasn't getting the warm and fuzzy feelings I learned to associate in with Angels.

"Hello?" My voice sounds a little old but I can't place at the moment why exactly that is. "Who are you? . . . Where am I?

The being puts his hand on my shoulder. His fingers feel so real, but I know it is a dream for that fog-like emptiness that always seems to surround my dream is all around us . . . yet my mind my instincts tell me differently.

"Max . . . Max," the voice says and I startle as the voice sounds familiar to me, but I can't for the life of me recall where I have heard it.

"What?"

"You must go back, I have an assignment for you," he says sternly.

"Okay," I said, confused and wondering if I'm having some drug induced dream, as this is dream is weird even for me. "What I'm I supposed to do?"

"You are to come assist the Ringbearer. I will pull you from your world and your time. You must save the timeline, make sure what happens is meant to happen. Do you understand?"

I nod, "Uh, yeah I think so . . ." confused why I would come up with this dream. "Where am I going?"

"Good," the being says. He grabs me by the shoulder and the world dissolves into light.

Oh thats just rude, he didn't tell me where I was going! . . .

The first clue I had that something was off was the wet.

I feel something on my face. Something wet dripping on it thats cold.

Actually you know what, I feel wet all over.

The second was that I was laying on a cold wet surface, definitely not my bed unless my constant tossing and turning in my sleep finally managed to make me accidentally roll out of bed onto the floor of my room, but the ground beneath me doesn't feel like carpet.

I groan and peel open my eyes to be greeted with a dull grey sky and torrential rain falling onto my face. Dark, dismal trees look above me, drooping miserably in the downpour.

I wipe my water filled eyes with the back of my hand, still not entirely awake yet and not grasping what exactly is going on right now, I slowly move my hand out, palm down across the ground feeling my hand glide over grass and mud.

Okay, now I'm awake.

I sit bolt up right, now seriously confused, and I'm meet with a vast forest.

Its unlike any forest I have seen as it seems truly felt untamed and untouched by man. I take a moment to take in the view smiling in awe at the sight, wishing I had someway to capture the stunning sight of the lush pine tree forest below with something other than my memory . . .

Wow, was not expecting this.

Nor was I expecting to see the state my feet were in.

I jump back in surprise when I see that I have large amounts of hair on my feet and there much bigger than I recall them being. I touch one cautiously to make sure its real and notice my arm. The golden tan I get from my Norse and Celtic heritage is perfect highlighting my flawless skin. My hair tumbles down my back in loose glossy curls. My body is slender and my face, arms, legs, and whole body doesn't have a single hair on it. It was smooth and looked like it glowed. Not like it had been newly shaven but like it never had to be shaven in the first place. Then to top it all off my ears are pointed.

What on Earth?

I roll slowly to my knees feeling rocks dig into the bare skin, my mind desperately trying to makes sense of what is going on. I pat myself down getting the dust off of me feeling I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Well, it least I'm clothed, in my pajamas no less, which means I wasn't out on one of my rare nights with my family drinking and I'm not waking up naked in some random place. Not that I've actually been that seriously drunk, excluding my 21, which I barely remember . . . and is probably for the best.

But where the hell am I?

I hold my head in my hands, racking my brain to summon up the last thing I remember that might explain to me how I ended up here, but all can recall is sitting on my bed late at night on my laptop writing, everything else afterwards is a blank. I feel like theres something big I should remember, something that happened to me that was huge, but the harder I push to remember the more the memories slip away.

Did I fall asleep and was kidnapped being transported here?

Until it suddenly hits me, my dream. Someone sent me here. But why and to what end?

Then another thought hits me. I have no idea where I am or where I'm going.

Great I haven't even started this trip yet and I'm already lost. Thats got to be a record.

I sigh and think about what I know.

I know I'm somewhere in middle Earth. (Being Hobbit kinda gives it away.) No one and no animals appears to be in my immediate area. Odds are no one knows where I am. If I want to get out, I need to get myself out. I know how to survive out in the wild for a long period of time. I need to find civilization and go from there.

Alright first things first I should find some fresh water before I do anything else. I recall what I remember about finding water, it moves down hill, moss and animal tracks is a good indication its near by. With this thought in mind I set off into the forest trying to take a route that takes me down hill.

I move silently through the trees as I don't know what dangers lay in wait around here, both from the dangers you normally find in the forest and the ones I don't know about as I'm now in a time period where things like Trolls and Dragons roam about.

I move through the forest at first in awe with my blood humming in excitement, but as the day draggled on, it quickly took a darker turn. I seemed to be walking forever, with no end in sight of the forest and after walking in the humid forest, I'm desperately thirsty along with hungry.

After a few more hours, my sharp eyes catch sight of an animal trail in the dirt. I judge it to be made from rabbits. Mind lightened by this fact I follow the tracks. Ten minutes later I hear the sound of running water. Picking up my pace I move through the forest at a jog and soon burst out of the trees to find a large river roaring and crashing over rocks.

Smiling in relief I move cautiously to the river edge keeping an eye out for any sign of danger and drink greedy from the river. The water taste cold, pure and refreshing like the water I have back home in the streams and rivers.

After I've drink my fill I get up to decide my next move.

I know the best way to find a town or person during this era (or really any but especially here) is to follow a river as most towns where built near a water source. The only question is do I go left or right?

I look to the sun and see its falling fast, giving me only an hour or two of daylight left. Coming to a decision I decide to find some shelter for the night than perhaps try my luck fishing for dinner with a pointy stick.

I travel up the river scanning both the water for fish and the shore line for some means of shelter. After a bit of searching I come to a tree with low hanging branches that create a canopy over a small area. Small enough for someone my size.

From there I try fishing.

After finding a long sharp stick I sharped further with a rock I get into the river jumping from rock to rock searching for fish. I find some in the deeper parts and try to stab them with my make shift spear. It takes several tries but to my pure delight I actually manage to spear one.

Grinning from ear to ear I head back to the area I decided to set up camp in a nice clearing. Setting my fish aside I dig a hole and gather wood to start a fire to roast my fish.

I start the fire as I was taught creating a tepee of sticks with moss and pine needles inside, using a stick that I twist sharply between my hands on another piece of wood, after several minutes I get lots of smoke and quickly add moss and blow gently on it tell I get it lit, once it catches and licks up the starter wood, I from there add more moss than wood as it grows bigger and hotter. Soon enough I have a nice little camp fire going.

While the fire grows hotter I turn my attention to my fish. I gut the fish with one of the sharp rocks I found and my fingers and teeth when needed. As I toss the entrails under plants for fertilizer, I'm reminded once again why I hate doing this, its gross and messy . . . at least the fish isn't still moving around with its head cut off like last time.

I cringe at the memory of the cat fish I was helping my mom gut that that jumped and twitched . . . after I cut its damn head off!

I haven't jumped and screamed that loudly in years, and I am so glad my dad wasn't filming it at the time. My mom and I would have never lived it down.

Once the fish are gutted I fashion a spit out of some sticks and start roasting the fish. Sitting back against a nearby rock I rest and wait for my food to cook, wishing I had seasonings with me to add to the fish, but I'm grateful all the same for some real food, as I'm not really in a mood to find out what pine tree bark taste like yet.

While the fish cooks I rest back against a log stretching out my long legs (well their long in portion to my short body) and cross my arms to simply enjoy the beauties of the forest around me I don't get to do very often living in a high desert, combined with my lifestyle, as often as I would like to. I can't tell you how many times I've thought about simply packing up all my gear and just heading off to live in the woods off the land as long as I can.

When I judge the fish to be done I take it off the fire and start devouring the fish that tastes so good to my hungry stomach I don't notice the lack of seasoning.

Once done eating I curly up in a bed of leaves and pine needles near the fire and settle down to sleep, I watch the stars above me for a moment, taken back by how many there are and how bright they are and try to see if I can find any of my favorite constellations like Orion or the big or little dipper but can't find them. I don't know if thats because I'm not in the right place to see them or Middle Earth doesn't have the same constellations as I do back home.

Letting out a long breath through my nose I roll onto my side and settle down to sleep.

I'm woken the next morning by the early morning sun poking through the trees. I get up moving fairly quickly as I no matter how much I love the woods I would like to get back to civilization.

The day went much the same as the one before, only I was more hungry than before. Truth be told I was surprised by how hungry I was, for I have gone without eating for long lengths of time, but this felt different.

My stomach ached, rumbled like thunder and cramped painfully. In other words I felt sick and like my stomach was trying to digest itself.

I mean I knew Hobbits eat a lot, but I always thought it was because they just liked eating, not because they physically needed to eat that much. This puts me in a dangerous situation, for I don't know how long a Hobbit can go without food before being completely debilitated by it.

Taking several deep breaths to force down the nausea bubbling up (I never understood how being starving makes me want to throw up, for what is left in there for me to puke?) and make myself continue to walk on.

To distract myself my hunger I explore the woods as I walk trying to figure out where in Middle Earth (for I can't possibly be anywhere else looking as I am) I could possibly be. Obviously a forest, but it can't be Mirkwood, Fangorn, Lorien or the old forest. I don't see mountains around and I haven't come across any open plains so I don't believe I'm near Gondor or Rohan. So I believe (and it may be wishful thinking) that I'm in or on the borders of the Shire.

I have no idea what I'm going to say to explain my strange appearance (clothes that is), and I hope I don't end up a beggar in the streets.

Just as I think that a sudden scream tears through the air jarring me form my thoughts. Without hesitation, I take off running, where I heard the scream form. The closer I get the louder the screams become. I burst out of the woods and pause at what I come across. Four little Hobbits cornered by what looks like a wolf.

Reacting on instinct I pick up a rock and lob it at the Warg. It yelps and turns to look at me with hate filled eyes and gives an ear shattering roar, that goes through me like a knife to the gut.

Shit, what was step 2? Probably should have had a step 2.

It charges at me full force and I have just enough time to put up my arm before it pounces on me.

I cry out as its teeth sink into my arm and it jerks me around like a rag doll. The cry turns to one of agony as I few the bones in my arm break when the Wargs jaw tightens further. I feel a burst of energy and rage from the pain and I reach up to dig the fingers of my free hand into the Wargs left eye, gorging and blinding it.

It cries in pain and release me sending me flying through the air. I hit the ground in a roll cradling my wounded arm to my chest. I roll to a stop pain lancing through my arms like . . . well like it was just mauled.

Yeah this was a stupid idea.

Note to self, don't piss off super sized wolves.

Behind me I hear the Warg recovering enough to growl at me I look back to see the Warg gearing up to come at me. I brace myself to move, and it charges me. I wait for it to approach and as it jumps at me I immediately drop to the ground and it sails over my head. As it crashes to the ground I quickly scan the area for a weapon, and spot a thick tree branch. I scramble for it and manage to get it up in time for the Warg to bite it instead me.

I scream in agony at the weight being exerted on my broken arm to hold up the wood. The Warg growls and snaps the branch. Acting on pure instinct I shove the broken end into the Wargs neck. It chokes and gurgles as pain shoots through its neck spraying me in its blood forcing it off me.

Yeah this is the last time I'm feeling charitable.

I get to my feet and I see red as I charge at the Warg forcing it back, not realizing there is a steep hill behind it. We both go tumbling down it. The world lurched sideways, spinning out of control, a kaleidoscope of tree branches and ground whirling past me. My vision was suddenly filled with a dark shape, there was a loud crack, an instant of sharp pain in my head and then . . . nothing.