AN// Thank you my two reviewers. I'm sorry Galadrielwannabe. I hated where
my other story was going, so yeah, this is my replacement one. I hope you
don't mind too much.
Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, or am making money doing this, though I wish I was.
Chapter 2. Falling on my Own.
Fear clenched at Ayden's stomach. She felt the feeling of falling, but in the dark silence she couldn't be sure. The silence pounded into her head and made the waves of sickness all the more unbearable. Again, there wasn't any breath. No heart beat echoed in her chest. Just the constant waves in her stomach. She suddenly became aware that her throat was sore and raw. It felt like she had been screaming, yet she hadn't heard anything, so couldn't be sure. Shutting her teary eyes, Ayden brought her knees up to her chest in a pitiful attempt to hide from the feel of falling.
~*~
Madison woke with a start. It felt like she had been walking down stairs and expected an extra step when there wasn't one. Rain spattered down and bounced off her glasses as she lay flat on her back. Blinking back the odd drop, she carefully moved every limb checking to be sure they were all in working order. Slowly, she lifted herself up and looked around her for the first time. Ayden was lying beside her. Her face was white as a sheet and she trembled every so often with tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes.
"Ayden." Madison leaned over and shook Ayden's shoulder trying to wake her up. "Ayden." She called a little louder, "Ayden!"
With a scream, Ayden shot up. Panting, with her eyes as wide as saucers, she leaped up and feverishly looked around. Madison also leaped to her feet and grabbed Ayden in a tight bear hug. At first, Ayden fought back, but slowly cooled down when Madison's hold didn't loosen.
The rain started falling a little heavier now. Night was approaching and with it was a cold, wet, darkness that soon left the girls all alone at the edge of a muddy, dirt road.
Madison slowly let Ayden slip out of her grasp. "Are you alright?" she asked as Ayden collapsed on the ground.
Ayden cleared her throat a couple times before replying, "I'm. Yeah. I'm alright now." She picked herself up and gave Madison a small smile. "Where the hell are we anyways?" Both girls turned around in slow circles trying to peer through the soggy darkness.
Madison grabbed Ayden's hand and pulled her up onto the road. In silence, she tried to cover her eyes from rain with one of her hands. "A ha! I though I saw a light. See over there?" She pointed to a spec of light that flickered in the middle of nowhere. They looked at each other for a moment before they started off towards it. As they got closer to it, they saw that it was some kind of walled fortress that had a lantern hanging off a hook beside a narrow door. Ayden raised her hand looked at Madison. Both girls were now completely soaked and were beyond shivering. It had taken almost two hours to walk from where they were around to where the lantern was hung. Madison gave Ayden a nod and Ayden gently rapped on the door. They both listened carefully, but all they could hear was the creak of the metal lantern on its hook. Ayden swallowed hard and knocked again. This time with more power. A door creaked from the other side and a slit at eye level to the girls shot open startling them. "Two lasses eh?" An elderly voice wheezed. The shifty eyes shot from side to side looking at the road behind them. "What are two lasses like you wandering around in this weather for?"
Ayden gave Madison a quick look before turning back to the man. "I'm sorry sir, but we're lost and this-"
The door swung open and the old man held up a lantern. Madison looked at him for a moment before shaking her head. He seemed somehow familiar. "Get in here both of you. There are strange things afoot in this land now-a- days. Can't be too careful."
Madison's eyes grew wide as she recognized the man finally. "We'd best go up to the prancing pony and see if we can't find a spare room for the night." Madison grabbed Ayden's forearm and clung to it desperately trying to pull her away. Ayden looked at her in alarm when Madison had spoken of the Prancing Pony.
"I'll take ya up there. At this time of night I wouldn't be able to relax without knowing if you both got there safely. Lots of creeps around that wouldn't mind keeping you two for a bit of a rodger," The gate keeper bolted the gate door shut and held his own tiny lantern out as he stepped up the hill in front of the girls. They looked at each other and shuddered at the thought of being jumped like that.
The old man was surprisingly sure footed on the slick ground. Both Ayden and Madison at one point or another slipped in the mud. Both girls huddled together trying to ignore the looks that they got from the men half hidden in the shadows. A door opened suddenly and they saw above it the swinging sign of the Prancing Pony Inn. They slipped into the door and thanked the man for his services. He merely gave a crooked toothed grin and a wave and he plodded back into the darkness leaving them in the smoky, smelly, dingy room that looked like a pub. Ayden looked at Madison and grabbed her hand tightly. Madison looked over the counter and looked for a bell to ring for service or something.
A huge bald headed man finally popped out from behind the counter. He was polishing a grimy mug, which seemed to just get dirtier every time he rubbed it. "Welcome little ladies. And what can ol' Butterbur do for you two tonight?"
"Well sir, we got kind of lost on our way to. umm. to the Shire!" Ayden had to think quickly for a moment. "You see, we got caught out in the rain, and we don't have any money on us, but we would be willing to work for a room for the night and maybe a small meal?" She asked hopefully.
"O' course you can! All I have left are some small Hobbit Rooms in the back, but I don't think you two will mind. You'll still fit on the beds. Just dry off for a moment in your room and I'll send Nob up with some food for both of you. After that, just come down and I'll find you something both to do," Butterbur whistled, and a curly haired, large footed, short statured, fellow came bounding out of a kitchen and ran over to the desk. "Nob, can you take these girls up to room seven?"
"Yup. Sure can sir," Nob smiled at them.
"Oh. I almost forgot. Before you head off, you need to sign the guest book. Just your names will do. Just what are you doing heading towards the Shire?" Butterbur watched as Ayden quickly scratched her name down on the yellow papered book.
"Uh, just doing some stuff for our friends in the Dale," Madison scratched her name as well, but paused noting the names of P. Took, M. Brandybuck, Sam Gamgee, and a Mr. Underhill.
"Alright. You're all set. Come back down once you're good and dry," Butterbur closed the book and stowed it under the counter again.
"N baggage eh? Well that just makes my job all the easier," Nob smiled. Ayden and Madison smiled and followed him up a set of narrow stairs or two and around a corner. The girls ducked under the door and stepped into the room. A table was already set out with A loaf of bread and a slab of cheese. A kettle steamed on a hot-mat and another hobbit was sitting by the fire poking it into life.
"Thanks Bob. Saved me a trip back up here," Nob's wide grin grew wider as he and Bob made sure the room was in working order. "See you both soon," They called as they walked through the round door and back downstairs.
"Okay. Why the hell are we in Bree!?" Ayden flumped down on one of the squishy beds and pulled the heavy sweatshirt that still smelled like Mr. Clean off and draped it across one of the chairs. They both still had on their pyjamas, but Madison had on a zip up jogger top and Ayden had her U of A sweatshirt because the cleaners had started making her skin itch. Madison shook out her short hair and stood by the fire trying to stay close to the heat and still cut a slice of the cheese.
"I dunno. You're the fan fiction expert. How do most show up here?" Madison threw a chunk of the loaf of bread to Ayden along with a hunk of cheese.
"Well, I'm confused, because most of those stories, the girls end up just outside Rivendell where the elves take them in and all is swell as they fall in love with one of the major characters," Ayden smiled at Madison as she talked through a hunk of bread.
Madison poured the tea and both sat in silence sipping on it. "Do you think 'Mr. Underhill' and company are down there?" Madison asked breaking the heavy silence.
Ayden put her empty mug down on the table and grabbed another hunk of cheese, "I don't know. There's only one way to find out I guess." Both girls grabbed their still slightly damp shirts and pulled them on to cover their bare arms and headed through the round door and down the stairs into the smoke filled pub.
AN// I really meant for them to meet the Hobbits and Strider in this chapter, but it didn't quite come out that way. Oh well. They can't miss them next chapter. I really didn't think the gate keeper got enough credit for his work. Thanks for reading this far. Please Review as always.
Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, or am making money doing this, though I wish I was.
Chapter 2. Falling on my Own.
Fear clenched at Ayden's stomach. She felt the feeling of falling, but in the dark silence she couldn't be sure. The silence pounded into her head and made the waves of sickness all the more unbearable. Again, there wasn't any breath. No heart beat echoed in her chest. Just the constant waves in her stomach. She suddenly became aware that her throat was sore and raw. It felt like she had been screaming, yet she hadn't heard anything, so couldn't be sure. Shutting her teary eyes, Ayden brought her knees up to her chest in a pitiful attempt to hide from the feel of falling.
~*~
Madison woke with a start. It felt like she had been walking down stairs and expected an extra step when there wasn't one. Rain spattered down and bounced off her glasses as she lay flat on her back. Blinking back the odd drop, she carefully moved every limb checking to be sure they were all in working order. Slowly, she lifted herself up and looked around her for the first time. Ayden was lying beside her. Her face was white as a sheet and she trembled every so often with tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes.
"Ayden." Madison leaned over and shook Ayden's shoulder trying to wake her up. "Ayden." She called a little louder, "Ayden!"
With a scream, Ayden shot up. Panting, with her eyes as wide as saucers, she leaped up and feverishly looked around. Madison also leaped to her feet and grabbed Ayden in a tight bear hug. At first, Ayden fought back, but slowly cooled down when Madison's hold didn't loosen.
The rain started falling a little heavier now. Night was approaching and with it was a cold, wet, darkness that soon left the girls all alone at the edge of a muddy, dirt road.
Madison slowly let Ayden slip out of her grasp. "Are you alright?" she asked as Ayden collapsed on the ground.
Ayden cleared her throat a couple times before replying, "I'm. Yeah. I'm alright now." She picked herself up and gave Madison a small smile. "Where the hell are we anyways?" Both girls turned around in slow circles trying to peer through the soggy darkness.
Madison grabbed Ayden's hand and pulled her up onto the road. In silence, she tried to cover her eyes from rain with one of her hands. "A ha! I though I saw a light. See over there?" She pointed to a spec of light that flickered in the middle of nowhere. They looked at each other for a moment before they started off towards it. As they got closer to it, they saw that it was some kind of walled fortress that had a lantern hanging off a hook beside a narrow door. Ayden raised her hand looked at Madison. Both girls were now completely soaked and were beyond shivering. It had taken almost two hours to walk from where they were around to where the lantern was hung. Madison gave Ayden a nod and Ayden gently rapped on the door. They both listened carefully, but all they could hear was the creak of the metal lantern on its hook. Ayden swallowed hard and knocked again. This time with more power. A door creaked from the other side and a slit at eye level to the girls shot open startling them. "Two lasses eh?" An elderly voice wheezed. The shifty eyes shot from side to side looking at the road behind them. "What are two lasses like you wandering around in this weather for?"
Ayden gave Madison a quick look before turning back to the man. "I'm sorry sir, but we're lost and this-"
The door swung open and the old man held up a lantern. Madison looked at him for a moment before shaking her head. He seemed somehow familiar. "Get in here both of you. There are strange things afoot in this land now-a- days. Can't be too careful."
Madison's eyes grew wide as she recognized the man finally. "We'd best go up to the prancing pony and see if we can't find a spare room for the night." Madison grabbed Ayden's forearm and clung to it desperately trying to pull her away. Ayden looked at her in alarm when Madison had spoken of the Prancing Pony.
"I'll take ya up there. At this time of night I wouldn't be able to relax without knowing if you both got there safely. Lots of creeps around that wouldn't mind keeping you two for a bit of a rodger," The gate keeper bolted the gate door shut and held his own tiny lantern out as he stepped up the hill in front of the girls. They looked at each other and shuddered at the thought of being jumped like that.
The old man was surprisingly sure footed on the slick ground. Both Ayden and Madison at one point or another slipped in the mud. Both girls huddled together trying to ignore the looks that they got from the men half hidden in the shadows. A door opened suddenly and they saw above it the swinging sign of the Prancing Pony Inn. They slipped into the door and thanked the man for his services. He merely gave a crooked toothed grin and a wave and he plodded back into the darkness leaving them in the smoky, smelly, dingy room that looked like a pub. Ayden looked at Madison and grabbed her hand tightly. Madison looked over the counter and looked for a bell to ring for service or something.
A huge bald headed man finally popped out from behind the counter. He was polishing a grimy mug, which seemed to just get dirtier every time he rubbed it. "Welcome little ladies. And what can ol' Butterbur do for you two tonight?"
"Well sir, we got kind of lost on our way to. umm. to the Shire!" Ayden had to think quickly for a moment. "You see, we got caught out in the rain, and we don't have any money on us, but we would be willing to work for a room for the night and maybe a small meal?" She asked hopefully.
"O' course you can! All I have left are some small Hobbit Rooms in the back, but I don't think you two will mind. You'll still fit on the beds. Just dry off for a moment in your room and I'll send Nob up with some food for both of you. After that, just come down and I'll find you something both to do," Butterbur whistled, and a curly haired, large footed, short statured, fellow came bounding out of a kitchen and ran over to the desk. "Nob, can you take these girls up to room seven?"
"Yup. Sure can sir," Nob smiled at them.
"Oh. I almost forgot. Before you head off, you need to sign the guest book. Just your names will do. Just what are you doing heading towards the Shire?" Butterbur watched as Ayden quickly scratched her name down on the yellow papered book.
"Uh, just doing some stuff for our friends in the Dale," Madison scratched her name as well, but paused noting the names of P. Took, M. Brandybuck, Sam Gamgee, and a Mr. Underhill.
"Alright. You're all set. Come back down once you're good and dry," Butterbur closed the book and stowed it under the counter again.
"N baggage eh? Well that just makes my job all the easier," Nob smiled. Ayden and Madison smiled and followed him up a set of narrow stairs or two and around a corner. The girls ducked under the door and stepped into the room. A table was already set out with A loaf of bread and a slab of cheese. A kettle steamed on a hot-mat and another hobbit was sitting by the fire poking it into life.
"Thanks Bob. Saved me a trip back up here," Nob's wide grin grew wider as he and Bob made sure the room was in working order. "See you both soon," They called as they walked through the round door and back downstairs.
"Okay. Why the hell are we in Bree!?" Ayden flumped down on one of the squishy beds and pulled the heavy sweatshirt that still smelled like Mr. Clean off and draped it across one of the chairs. They both still had on their pyjamas, but Madison had on a zip up jogger top and Ayden had her U of A sweatshirt because the cleaners had started making her skin itch. Madison shook out her short hair and stood by the fire trying to stay close to the heat and still cut a slice of the cheese.
"I dunno. You're the fan fiction expert. How do most show up here?" Madison threw a chunk of the loaf of bread to Ayden along with a hunk of cheese.
"Well, I'm confused, because most of those stories, the girls end up just outside Rivendell where the elves take them in and all is swell as they fall in love with one of the major characters," Ayden smiled at Madison as she talked through a hunk of bread.
Madison poured the tea and both sat in silence sipping on it. "Do you think 'Mr. Underhill' and company are down there?" Madison asked breaking the heavy silence.
Ayden put her empty mug down on the table and grabbed another hunk of cheese, "I don't know. There's only one way to find out I guess." Both girls grabbed their still slightly damp shirts and pulled them on to cover their bare arms and headed through the round door and down the stairs into the smoke filled pub.
AN// I really meant for them to meet the Hobbits and Strider in this chapter, but it didn't quite come out that way. Oh well. They can't miss them next chapter. I really didn't think the gate keeper got enough credit for his work. Thanks for reading this far. Please Review as always.