Authors: Lucy and Lakaren

Summary: Gandalf has fallen, the Fellowship moves on. Beck and Rae encounter 9 males from Middle-earth.

Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em.

Warning: Adult Language. (* = Elvish Translation)

Please give us reviews! Good or bad, we care not.

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"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" As they fell, the girls screamed in unison. . .

A whirlwind of rain swirled about them as they descended, and several bolts of lightning struck the metal beams of the fence. This was a storm like neither girl had seen, let alone heard of. As they clung to the wooden planks, the fence crashed into the water, flipping about and throwing the girls in separate directions.

As she landed, the force of the water hitting her back knocked the breath out of Beck's lungs, and she went nearly blind with pain. Her limbs were in shock and she could not struggle.

Rae experienced much the same sting on her side, and her pack was weighing her down. She struggled in the water, but a vast undertow was beginning to swirl about her. The Irish teen fought with her pack to climb atop it, and though her skin burned with pain from hitting the water, she began to look about for her friend.

Beck's pack had pushed her under the water; she floated unconsciously nearly four feet below the surface of the water, coincidently, the swirling vortex that was encompassing Rae, was pulling the lifeless Native American towards its center as well.

The water began to rage and swirl. Lightning coursed through the sky like veins, the thunder serving as a pulse. Tree after tree fell into the accursed water as they were struck down with menacing bolts of electricity.

Finally giving up the struggle, Rae gave in to the current and began to be sucked downward as well. She began to panic as her lungs filled with water. When her mind finally fell into an unconscious state, the last thing she remembered was spinning so quickly in the current that she dared not waste the strength the fight it.

Lying on the bank of a shallow stream, Beck began to cough and sputter. Water passed through her trachea, and her lungs burned with pain. Her eyes focused, it was a clear day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The air was chill, and her clothes were still nearly soaked, but she could finally breathe air.

In Common Speech, the voice of a man that she could not see said, "She has life left in her yet, though she needs rest."

"As well for her companion," another, more fair voice added.

Beck blinked, and took in a deep breath as she sat up. She glanced around and her eyes met many curious face. "Oh. . . Hello. . ." she said with much confusion in her voice.

"Do you feel well, are you injured?"

"No. . ." she replied hesitantly, "I'm fine, I think. . . but," she glanced around and was relieved to see Rae nearby, "Where are we?"

"We found you and your companion at the waters edge," the man explained, who had spoken first. He appeared worn out, haggard. "You are on the Nimrodel,"

"Oh. . . What is the Nimrodel? How long have I been here?"

He looked at her with confusion that mirrored hers, then his expression changed to worry. Were these girls daft? Had they been lost? "It is a water way that flows into the Silverlode," he crouched down near her side, "And I cannot say how long you have lingered here, for we have just happened upon you."

Rae's eyelids fluttered open, and she looked about, a hand clasped in hers. Frightened, she pulled away and gasped as she saw the company that stood about before her. The hand that had been clasped with hers belonged to a blonde haired man that kneeled beside her. She had been listening briefly to the conversation going on between her friend and the man that she did not know, when suddenly she realized she was no longer in a dream-like state. Too shaken to ask any questions, she surveyed the band of males that looked down upon her and struggled to sit up. She propped herself on her elbow and looked to Beck with anxiety in her eyes.

The girls exchanged glances. The man that had been speaking with Beck turned to the others and ordered that they give the girls some room to breath and to look about.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn," he started, "I suppose that you had fallen into the water, or suffered some sort of accident, for, your lungs were filled with water and your breath was still." He looked then at Rae, "The both of you. Was there anyone else with you?"

They merely shook their heads no.

"What shall we call you?" He asked, beginning to stand.

"I'm. . . Rebecca," she then began to glance around frantically in search of her knapsack.

The man that knelt by Rae looked down upon her with piercing blue eyes, awaiting her name.

"Rae, I'm Rae." She said reluctantly, wondering just why all of these men were dressed so funny. Those little boys had hairy bare feet. Little. . . boys. . . hairy. . . feet. . . She stared at the small ones as they began to wander away, letting out a gasp of disbelief. Where were they? This was all too familiar.

"Rebecca, Rae," Aragorn started, "we haven't the time to linger. We've taken the liberty of gathering the things that were washed up ashore nearby. . ." He gestured at the pile of their belongings behind them away from the waters edge. "Where were you traveling to?"

"I'm not. . . quite sure." Beck replied, swallowing a bit nervously.

Aragorn nodded. They seemed harmless enough - and clueless as well. The company should find them safe keeping.

Legolas stood and sighed. "Amin n'rangwa edanea," he said, as he leant down to offer a hand to Rae. (*I do not understand these Humans.)

Aragorn nodded, and spoke as he helped Beck to her feet, "Uuma ma' ten' rashwe, ta tuluva a' lle." (*No one does, do not worry about it.)

Beck shivered as she stood, moving for the first time, and looked at Rae as the men about them spoke in an odd language.

"If you do not remember where you were going, and do not know where you will go now, will you not accompany us? It is not safe for the pair of you to be wandering alone in this manner." Aragorn suggested. His voice was calm, yet sturdy, and it did not falter.

Exchanging yet another confused glance, Beck nodded, "Where are you going?"

"Lothlorien," The attractive blonde chirped in, "We will reach the Goldenwood before nightfall." He paused then and breathed slowly, "I am Legolas of the Woodland realm, Elf of Mirkwood."

The pair nodded as if they were familiar with such places and names and looked then to the rest of the men about them.

"And wha. . . who, are they?" Beck asked, gesturing at the young lads that walked about.

Aragorn smiled, "They are Halflings of the Shire, Samwise, Frodo, Meriadoc and Peregrin," he spoke quietly so as not to offend the Hobbits by not introducing them properly. He turned to the man standing at his side, "This is Boromir, Captain of Gondor."

Boromir bowed slightly to the young ladies and made a gesture, bringing his hand slowly from his forehead to the center of his chest, and he looked to Aragorn to continue.

Aragorn started speaking once again and introduced the shorter, stout man at his other side. He also spoke of Lothlorien, where they were to go, but Beck didn't hear a word of it.

Boromir. . . her eyes searched him. His previous actions had captivated her, the graceful movement of his hand, and the way he had bowed seemed so peculiar.

Rae listened contentedly to the words of the rugged-looking man called Aragorn. She learned as much as she could. . . her eyes only once and again drifting to the 'elf' that had breathed life back into her body.

"We will assist you with your things," Aragorn went on to say, and at that Beck snapped out of her trance. "And you will accompany us, then, if you are agreeable."

"Alright," Beck stated, not having even glanced at Rae. Her eyes followed the figure of the Captain of Gondor, as he was so introduced, and he had stopped at the girls' belongings. He and the Hobbits began to distribute the weight of the new load that they would add to their own. The stout, short man with a grand red beard moved towards the group as well.

Aragorn looked to Rae and when she nodded her agreement he gestured for them to follow him to their things.

Beck did so willingly.

Rae lingered. She examined Legolas. He was rather attractive, with long, flowing blonde hair, and fierce blue eyes. Above all else, now, she noticed that his ears came to a point at the top. This feature was rather elegant, and set him apart from the other men of the company.

He looked upon her as he turned from the water and smiled, then moved towards her. As he approached he gestured for her to move ahead of him, and she flushed red, finding this action very gentlemanly.

Beck's eyes widened, as she recognized a book that had managed to escape the men's eyes. She ran to it, and snatched up the book, "This is my journal!" She smiled fondly, happy to have a little piece of familiarity in such a strange place. "I was worried to high-hell!" She muttered.

She began flipping through the pages, they were nearly sun-dried and the ink hadn't run. What a relief. Her eyes sought after Rae then, to show her that their efforts were not in vain. But, she halted when her eyes found her friend. She smiled widely, as she watched the Elf pull Rae's knapsack from the rocky beach and help to steady her as he placed it on her back.

She snickered to herself and moved to retrieve hers. As she set her eyes upon it, the fair-haired man, Boromir, bent to pick it up. Beck watched, concerned, "I can carry that by myself," she protested. "It isn't too heavy."

He'd removed a great shield from his back, and a small pack of his own. "I will bear this burden, you cannot have carried such a weight by yourself," he insisted, a slight smirk forming on his lips.

Beck's eyes widened, "I can and I did!" She nearly shouted, gaining the attention of the halflings. "I don't need you to do it for me, I'll be fine," she said, more calmly than before.

Relenting, Boromir motioned for her to turn. He slipped the large knapsack over her arms and unto her shoulders. Beck's posture didn't waver as the weight was placed upon her. She turned briefly and nodded to the tall man before she moved to speak with Aragorn.

"Can you tell me the date?" She asked as she stepped up behind the leader of the group.

"It is the twenty-ninth of the month of January, and the year is 3019."

"Jan- 3019?" Beck mumbled in an astonished tone of disbelief. She and Rae had fallen from that cliff on the sixth of June in 2003. . . how long were they lying on that beach?

"What country are we in?" She asked, subconsciously.

"We are in the land of Rhovanion, northwest of the woods of Lothlorien."

At the puzzled look Aragorn had gained from the girl, he went on, imagining that she was from the south, and ignorant of the lands of the north, "The Anduin flows south from here, down into the lands of Rohan and to Gondor."

Her expression didn't change, but she nodded a 'thank you' to Aragorn and returned to Rae side, then.

"Did you hear that?!" Beck shouted in a harsh whisper to her companion. "January. 3019." she bit her lower lip and began to pace. "What the HELL is going on?"

Rae's brow furrowed with worry and she repeated the names of the places that Aragorn mentioned in her mind.

Boromir and Aragorn watched on, noting the girls' odd mannerisms and strange vocabulary that they used.

What peculiar girls these were indeed. . . Perhaps they have suffered injuries to the head. But what of their clothing? He had seen no women dress in clothing such as theirs. And surely they would need a bit of comfort to block the cool winter air, their garments being damp as they were. He asked of the company for any spare cloak, and after two were provided, the Ten began their journey further down the Nimrodel on to Lorien.

As they walked, Beck finally whispered to Rae, "What was that one's name?" as she pointed to the bearded, stout man.

Rae frowned with disapproval, "Gimli."

"Right."

TO BE CONTINUED