When the Worlds Cross
Co-written by Heather and Jane
Disclaimer: Middle-Earth and its peoples belong to the great J.R.R. Tolkien. Mia, Rowan, and Randy belong to us. Any and all similarities to real life events/people are pure coincidence *wonders who reads disclaimers*
Summary: The trio of teenagers has a Nazgul encounter, decide to head to the nearest familiar place, and run into some familiar characters. Randy gets meaner and everyone gets confused at some point.
Authors' Notes: co-written between Jane and Heather, two Lord of the Rings fans that are trying to keep true to the story. First part more movieverse than bookverse, but will soon go to bookverse. Credit to Heather's father and our friend Wesley as story consultants.
Note to Winterfox – yes, we know we're following a used formula but this was written for fun. It'll get different as the story progresses.
Enjoy!
Chapter OneThings Gets Interesting
~*~*~*~
"Mornin', sunshine," Rowan said as Randy opened his eyes. It was about time that he'd woken up—Mia hadn't even hit him that hard, anyway. "Now that Mia has 'told' you how stupid you are, let's move on. The fact of the matter is…we are in Middle-Earth."
"From the look of things," Mia said, way too fast and excited, "we are right across the river from where Bree is. I think." She looked at the book in her hands again and began flipping through it frantically.
Rowan gave her a look. "Okay, Mia…now that we're near someplace that we know about, what should we do?"
"Why don't we ask them?" Randy muttered from the ground.
"What are you rambling about now?" Rowan asked, exasperated.
Randy was lying flat on his back, looking to his left. "Just them."
Puzzled, both Rowan and Mia followed his gaze. What they saw surprised them all, for right there—not a hundred yards away—were hobbit (Sam, Merry, and Pippin, if Mia's guess was right) all running for their lives.
Rowan, Mia, and Randy all knew what was coming—and also knew better than to stand around as if they were goal posts or something. Quickly, Rowan and Mia joined Randy on the ground, crawling behind some foliage for good measure, and then saw a hobbit who just HAD to be Frodo come running with a Ringwraith right behind him.
Ringwraiths. One of the most nightmarish creatures ever known, and here one was almost right in front of them.
Amazingly, Frodo made a mad jump for the raft his friends had just released and made it. Mia made funny noise but very quietly. Rowan guessed that her friend was either getting over a panic attack or was finding flaws with something that was happening. Or possibly both.
The four hobbits made it to safety, but that left Rowan, Mia, and Randy in a forest, in Middle-Earth, looking over at a Ringwraith. A very angry Ringwraith, it should be noted.
Rowan smacked Randy. "Ask them…what kind of smart-ass comment was that?" she whispered very harshly.
"Ummm….ummm…I'm not sure. Maybe I still haven't regained my senses from that blow to the head." He gave Mia a very mean look. "Thanks a lot, Mi-ia."
Mia looked defensive. "Hey…don't blame me for it…"
"Shut up, Randy. You too, Mia," Rowan added for good measure. "Don't you realize that there's a Ringwraith right there?"
They realized it, so all three sat in silence, watching the lingering wraith with intense fear. Ten minutes later (which may as well have been ten hours later) the Ringwraith finally left.
"Now what?" Randy asked.
Mia rubbed her forehead. "Pray that it's a dream and that we get back to school in time for lunch?" They looked at her. "Not a dream, huh?" She sighed and shrugged.
"Well," said Rowan after a moment of contemplation, "seeing as we know when and where we are, I think we should head to the Prancing Pony. Just to watch things." Randy started to open his mouth. "No, don't you say a word! We'd be safer—sort of—around people, anyway."
Since that made sense, Randy nodded in agreement. They got up slowly, keeping an eye out for the Ringwraiths (though Mia insisted on calling them the 'Nazgul'.) Slowly, they made their way across the river and to the inn of the Prancing Pony.
~*~*~*~
Once in the Prancing Pony, Randy immediately went back to his old habits and started looking for barmaids (Rowan kicked him) while Mia convinced Butterbur the Innkeeper that they were there to meet a specific person "that HAS to remain nameless for now." (A slightly more complicated story than what they'd given the door-watcher.) Thankfully, Butterbur accepted their 'reason' and gave them permission to stay.
With that done, they were free to wander about the inn. That would have been great, except they were looking just a little out of place in their school clothes. "Nothing like feeling inconspicuous," said Rowan wryly.
Randy looked up. "Huh?"
"Shut up," said the girls, rolling their eyes at each other. Both of them knew he was looking for girls to flirt with—which might have been tolerable had he not been involved in a relationship back in their world.
Looking vaguely offended, Randy started looking around again and said, "Can I get a beer?"
Rowan's jaw dropped. "No!" she said.
"Aw, come on," Randy whined. "I'm thirsty."
"I said no."
"I don't have to listen to you two girls," snapped Randy, looking irritated.
"Of all the—" Mia started, and gave up on that train of thought. Nothing he hasn't already heard, anyway, she thought wryly, tugging on her backpack straps absently. "Rowan, knock him out."
"How?"
"Ummm…" Mia turned and saw an empty ale cup sitting on a table where four were seated. A brilliant idea slammed in her head, jolting anything like common sense or observations out of place for a few moments. She moved towards the table and asked, "Excuse me. Hey, um, you, sir, are you using that?"
"No," the previous user of the cup said, puzzled.
"May we borrow it for a moment?"
The puzzled look on his face increased, but he said, "Certainly."
"Thanks, Mr. Underhill." Mia picked the cup up, and then handed it to Rowan. "Go with the cup, my friend."
"Very funny." Rowan whacked Randy with the cup—he went down with a thud—and handed it back to Mia. "Mission accomplished."
That was quick. Mia blinked and set it down. "Um, thanks again, Mr. Underhill."
Then it occurred to her that she'd seriously screwed up, as per to the fact she didn't know 'Mr. Underhill' yet. Who was now staring at the teenagers as if they'd turned into the Nazgul. "How do you know my name?"
Oops.
"We overheard you talking to Mr. Butterbur when we came in," Mia said, feeling grateful she hadn't said 'Baggins' instead. Oh, why don't I ever know when to shut up? she thought, making a note to not say anything else about Lord of the Rings until she was back at school, and kicked Rowan. "Um, I'm Mia, this is my friend Rowan, and the unconscious person there is an idiot who calls himself Randy."
"Hi!" Rowan said, grinning.
"Ow. Must…find…nicer…people." The recently awoken Randy crawled off, virtually unnoticed, as the hobbits introduced themselves. Of course, the teenagers had already know that the four hobbits were none other than Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took, and Frodo 'Underhill' Baggins—though after Mia's screw-up, they weren't saying a thing.
After a moment, Mia picked up on the fact that Randy was gone, but ignored that in favor of thanking the hobbits, who were now letting the girls sit with them. Besides, she and Rowan both knew that Randy would probably be able to handle himself—probably, that was. And then the girls made a teeny mistake of asking them to describe the Shire. Mia decided not to ask an elf to describe Lothlorien.
Sometime into retellings of recent Shire activities, Rowan glanced to her left and saw someone in the corner watching the hobbits' table. It's Strider! Rowan thought and elbowed Mia, who was thoroughly engrossed in a story involving a prank of Pippin's.
"Ow! What?"
"It's Strider!" Rowan hissed, still elbowing Mia.
"Yeah, so? Ow. I recall him being taken!" Mia whispered.
Rowan whispered, "So? I seem to recall you liking the short guys!" The girls looked at each other and started giggling uncontrollably.
The hobbits looked at them with some alarm. "Are you all right?" Sam asked.
"Yes," Mia gasped, clutching at the table.
"What's so funny, then?" Merry asked, smiling brightly.
Rowan snorted, considered the answer, and laughed again. "Well, um, nothing."
"Then is something…wrong?"
"No, no, we're—" And Rowan dissolved into giggles again, Mia following her example. Stopping the giggle fest was made near impossible when Frodo asked the innkeeper whom the stranger in the corner was. Of course, by then, anything seemed funny—once Rowan and Mia got laughing, they were hard pressed to stop.
Though Pippin's comment of "They come in pints?" and then running of to get a pint didn't help matters at all, really.
"That's enough," said Mia at last, straightening. And then glaring at Rowan, who was still laughing. "It's not funny anymore!"
"I'm thinking of what's coming next."
"Enh?" Mia said blankly, and then heard the name 'Baggins'—which prompted Frodo to go running over to the bar to stop Pippin. "Oh, right, free show."
"Beg your pardon?" asked Sam and Mia grimaced.
"Or not!" Rowan hissed, watching Frodo fall over and then disappear—much to the shock of all. Mia started to say something, but Rowan shook her head. So there was a teensy bit of inaccuracy in the plotline—Rowan was just grateful that Randy wasn't making a bigger mess of things.
In the moment of confusion, Rowan took a second to review over what had happened to them and what was supposed to be happening. All right, so she and her friends had fallen into Middle-Earth, at the start of the War of the Ring—just in time for the journey to Rivendell and beginning of the Fellowship, if one wanted to be picky. That sounded like a fantasy of a die-hard Tolkienite (present, Rowan thought wryly) and definitely wasn't an every day occurrence. The only problem that Rowan could see with all of this was that they could possibly be messing up the 'sacred storyline' (as Mia often went on tangents about). It was one thing to watch Frodo suddenly disappear instead of doing a little song and dance. It would probably be another if one of the Earth teenagers got a Middle Earth occupant killed.
Hopefully, that wouldn't happen.
Though with Randy's attitude about this, it might. Rowan was beginning to suspect he thought it was some kind of game.
"Hey! There's Frodo!" said Merry, pointing.
Mia turned as Rowan swatted Merry's hand (less attention, the better) and said, "And there GOES Frodo—with the Ranger…Strider." This outraged Sam, and he ran after Frodo, with Merry and Pippin following him.
Rowan and Mia glanced at each other, wondering what to do, then scrambled after the hobbits.
~*~*~*~
"…so, we're lost," Randy said to some drunkard at the counter. He didn't even notice that he was being largely ignored, by the drunks and sober people alike. "And Mia thinks she's so…"
A hand grabbed his collar and yanked him away from the bar. "Ack!" Randy said through a closing windpipe. No one even noticed his going.
How surprising.
~*~*~*~
The girls and Randy followed the hobbits back to the hobbits room, where Strider and Frodo were. It took a moment for the initial confusion to be settled, and another one for the candles to be put down. While the hobbits went to make sure Frodo was all right, the teenagers sat down in against the wall…and it was then that Strider looked over to the girls and Randy.
"Just who are you three and why are you here?" he snapped, startling Mia (who had been listening to the hobbits.)
"Well," Randy spoke up, "We are from—"
"Randy, please shut up!" Mia snapped.
"No, you."
"Rather not."
"Rowan?!" Randy turned to the other girl, entreating her help.
"Stay out of this, please," said Rowan, giving him the evil eye and turned back to Strider.
Behind her, Randy started to say something until Mia clamped her hand over his mouth, while pointing to the candles. Her point was clear enough; say something and you get hurt badly by a flaming object. Needless to say, Randy stayed quiet even though he looked as if he really did not want to.
"Look, myself and my companions Mia and Randy are from…a land far across the oceans," said Rowan, inspired. "We know of the dangers that face your lands. We have come to lend what help we can."
"Could you be any stuffier?" Randy muttered. Mia elbowed him. "Ow."
"That was very nicely put. What is it you can do? You are garbed in strange clothes and have no weapons that I can see," said Strider.
"Well…" Rowan said under her breath.
"We small visions and knowledge of things to come," Mia broke in, looking rather nervous. "They're not always clear but they are useful at times."
Frodo looked at her. "Is that—" She gave him a look, one that clearly said, 'yes, I know your real name is Baggins'. He nodded. "I see."
Mia looked upset. "Look, I'm sorry about the lie, but…"
"Is that how you know of the danger we are about to face?" Strider asked quickly, before that could escalate.
"Yes, it is," answered Rowan.
Mia nodded in agreement.
"You guys, why are you telling him this?" whined Randy. "I mean, you're always telling, and I don't think—"
"I think you should show the ladies a bit more respect," Strider told Randy, and then he looked back at Mia and Rowan. "Why does this boy travel with you? What use is he? So far this evening, I have only seen him be a nuisance and have seen you hit him as well."
"He…" Rowan wondered how to put 'he's an annoying jackass who somehow manages to stay on Mia's tolerable side and fell into here with us' in a polite manner.
"I'm here because I want to be!" Randy interjected snappishly.
"Was I talking to you, boy?" Strider turned to the girls. "I'm sorry but I must do this to your companion if we are to get anywhere."
Strider then proceeded to knock Randy out.
"And I am sorry to say," Mia commented, grinning, "that I'm rather grateful you did." Merry and Pippin looked at her. "What? He was making me mad."
"Okay," said Rowan. "Now that he's taken care of…we can prove what we said."
"How?" Sam asked.
"It's not like it's a lot of flashy stuff or—" Mia caught Rowan's look and smiled sheepishly. "I'll be quiet now, okay?"
"Thank you," said Rowan, and looked at Strider again. Also Frodo, since he was the one with the Ring of Power in this business. "The reason we came to the Prancing Pony this evening was to warn these good hobbits that there are wraiths coming to this room tonight and you can not stay here."
"Well…do you have somewhere for us to go?" asked Pippin.
Mia glanced at Randy. "He was supposed to take care of that."
"Was he?" asked Frodo.
"Yes. Guessing that he did not take care of that," said Mia, making a face.
"From what I have observed, he most certainly has not. You may all stay with me," said Strider as he stood, "But if the ladies are right, we must leave now."
The four hobbits gathered their things and went to Strider's room, followed by the teenagers. Once they were there and safe, the hobbits began to question Strider about who he was.
"Look," snapped Mia, finally losing her patience. "Strider is a friend of Gandalf's and he is here to help you. Believe me."
Sam looked at her. "Why did you not say that you knew of what was going on before?"
"Why did Mr. Baggins not say his true name?" Mia countered. Rowan whistled. "Shush. We saw the Ringwraiths. We know Sauron's reach is spreading. It seemed cautious, at best."
"Let them be, Sam," said Frodo when Sam started to say something else. "Their reasoning is sound."
Strider nodded absently. "Indeed. Hush, all of you," he said warningly.
At that moment, they heard a terrible noise coming from the room that the hobbits should have been in. The noises sounded like screams better left in nightmares. Mia suddenly looked around and said, "Uh, where's Randy?"
"Do we really care?" Rowan asked.
Mia gave her an offended look. "Rowan!"
"I'm sorry…but I thought he woke up," said Rowan. She looked at Strider, who shook his head, and then looked back at Mia apprehensively. "He must still be in the room." The screams kept going on. "With them."
"Oh, my," said Mia and leaned against the bedpost, her eyes wide. "He's a jerk but…yikes."
"Peace," said Strider, holding a hand. "Perhaps he left the room before the wraiths arrived or they ignored him completely." The girls and the hobbits just looked at the Ranger. "All right, the latter is the most unlikely, but do not give up hope for your friend. We will see tomorrow what fate befell him."
No one had a response for that, and at last, the screams came to a stop. They all sat in silence, listening to the echoes, and slowly fell asleep.
Early the next morning, they got up, and while the hobbits gathered up their things (again) the girls rushed to the inn room where Randy was supposed to be in. There was no sign of him.
"This isn't good," said Mia, looking around and kicking at the mess of shredded mattress and pillows on the floor. She noticed something. "Hey, Rowan? His backpack's gone."
Rowan shrugged. "Maybe he left."
"Maybe."
But when the girls inquired about his whereabouts, Butterbur informed them that he had not seen Randy leave the inn at all. Recalling that the innkeeper's memory was not stellar, Mia asked a few of the patrons and received the same answer. "He disappeared into thin air!" Pippin joked.
"Very funny, Pippin," Mia said dryly. "Wonder what happened to him, though."
Rowan sighed. "Oh, why are you wondering? You're not his keeper."
"This isn't high school, Rowan," said Mia in a low voice. "Randy going off by himself here means big trouble in the worst sense, not in the 'borrow your wallet without telling' sense."
Strider approached them before Rowan could reply. "We must be off now," he informed them. "No doubt your friend is on the road. Did he know of where we are to be headed?"
"Probably," said Rowan. "Rivendell, right?"
"Yes."
As the seven of them left the Prancing Pony, Mia shot a look back at the inn. What had happened to Randy? And how had he simply disappeared from everyone's sight?
Hopefully, we'll find out, thought Mia and, realizing that she was lagging behind, hurried to catch up with the others.
To Be Continued – in Chapter Two, where some questions are answers and unfortunately, more come up. Let us know what you think by leaving a little commentary of any sort. Ta!