An Unexpected Companion

Chapter 1

Don't Elves Bake Cookies?

A bitter chill sat on the wind, brushing over Tiki with a soft breeze. It kissed her cheek with a cool breath, causing her emerald eyes to flutter open as snowflakes dusted her prone form. A long groan slipped from her chapped lips as she sank further into the cold, hard ground. Slowly, her hands curled into fists as she flexed her fingers for what felt like the first time in ages. Equally slowly, her mind started to wake up as the world became less of a gray blur around her.

Gods, this is one of the roughest nights of sleep I've had in a long time. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself. Time to get up.

She took a deep breath as she prepared to get up off the ground, only to smell the pungent odor of tobacco wafting through the cold air. A faint, gruff cough rang through her sensitive, pointed ears, causing her brow to furrow in confusion. Panic sprung to life in her for some odd reason, even though she was never the sort of person to panic at a strange situation.

That panic made her roll over and bolt upright. When she did, she locked eyes with one of the most peculiar individuals she had ever seen.

He was a tall, elderly man, wearing billowing, faded, gray robes and a pointy, gray hat. Large, bushy eyebrows protruded from beneath the wide bill of his hat, hooding sparkling blue eyes. A thick, bushy beard that ran down to his waist was tucked into his belt. He lounged on a moss-covered log. A long, slender pipe sat wedged between his lips. He took a long puff, blew out a ring of smoke, then cleared his throat.

"My lady, don't you know there are better places to sleep than on the ground?"

Tiki blinked. "I've slept in worse places."

An amused sound came from the elderly man, "Well in that context I suppose the ground wouldn't be so bad. Although, I must ask, what are you doing out here?"

Tiki glanced around her. To say the land was desolate would have been an understatement. Aside from herself and the old man, there was nobody around. The landscape itself looked a touch gray and dull. Shrubs peppered the rocky ground in all directions. A few scraggly trees sprouted up through cracks in the dry earth. In the distance, massive peaks stretched high into a cloud-covered sky. A few more snowflakes drifted to the ground, melting on top of her green hair when they landed.

She nodded her head, a small hum coming from her as she returned her gaze to the old man.

"Is there any chance you could answer that question for me?"

The corner of the old man's mouth twitched into a nigh imperceptible grin. "Oh, well asking me to answer such a question is sure to bring up a flurry of other questions, yes? Do you perhaps wish to question how you managed to wind up in this place? Or perhaps you mean to question where you are in the first place? Or, even more likely, you are questioning why you are in this place- which would be quite the philosophical approach to take in this situation."

Tiki tilted her head to the side. "I suppose it's all of the above then?"

The old man blew out another puff of smoke before removing his pipe from his lips. "Well then, my lady, to answer your question: I have absolutely no idea."

Tiki's lips thinned as she remained seated. With a mildly frustrated huff, she rose to her feet and took a seat beside the elderly man on the moss-covered log. Once she sat down, she held out her right hand to the old man.

"Tiki."

The elderly man glanced at her, a friendly smile passing over his aged features.

"Gandalf the Gray," He took her hand and gave it a gentle shake.

After shaking Gandalf's hand, Tiki folded her hands in her lap. She took a quick whiff of the air, her sensitive nose detecting some unfamiliar scents but nothing that would otherwise alarm her. Her long ears then twitched as she pondered her situation a little more carefully.

Where was she? That last thing she remembered… the last thing she remembered…

I can't even remember where I fell asleep.

"If I may be so bold to ask, Lady Tiki," Gandalf started, gesturing with his pipe at her pointed ears."Are you perhaps, one of the elves?"

Tiki tilted her head, puzzled. "Elves?"

"Yes," Gandalf nodded.

"Aren't those little creatures that bake cookies in trees?"

Gandalf sputtered on some smoke, then a hearty laugh came from his lips. "I've never heard of such a thing, but I suppose stranger things exist in Middle Earth."

"Ah, so that's where I am," Tiki nodded her head. "Does not ring a bell."

That made Gandalf's brow furrow. "Curious. Are you saying you had no idea you were even in Middle Earth?"

Tiki shook her head. "Does the land of Ylisse mean anything to you, Gandalf the Gray?"

The puzzled expression on Gandalf's face was all the answer Tiki needed. A small frown creased her lips.

"Archanea?"

Nothing still.

"Valm or Valentia?"

"My lady, I have traveled far and wide, but I am not familiar with any of the places you just named," Gandalf finally replied. A worried expression formed on Tiki's face. "However," Gandalf continued. "Just because I have traveled far and wide does not mean I have traveled everywhere. It would be quite foolhardy to dismiss what you say as nonsense," He girded his robes, grabbed a gnarled staff that rested by his side, and rose to his feet with a grunt. After taking one more puff from his pipe then shoved it somewhere in his robes. "You may travel with me, Lady Tiki."

"Why should I do that?" Tiki asked, her curiosity growing. "I do find your company enjoyable so far, but I would like to know my destination as well as the purpose behind journeying with you."

Gandalf nodded as he started walking. "An apt question. I assure you, when we reach Rivendell you will receive answers."

"Rivendell?"

Gandalf looked back at her as he leaned on his gnarled staff. "Yes, Home of the elves and the House of Elrond. And, while their baking is quite delicious, I suggest you keep that fun tale of yours to yourself."

Tiki blinked as Gandalf turned again and continued walking. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the old man's back.

Elves are real, and they know how to bake.

Her stomach growled. She cast another glance at her surroundings, failing to see any available food or game for her to forage. She did not doubt her ability to eventually catch something, but she also would rather have a comfortable meal. Besides, the old man was kind to her, and she worried something might befall him as he traveled alone through such a dreary landscape.

Tiki hopped up from her seat, dusted some stray moss off of her red tunic, then marched after Gandalf, quickly catching up to the hobbling old man. A genial smile formed on his bearded face when she moved to his side. Then, he turned his attention ahead, towards a section of hills, bluffs, and rocky redoubts.

Tiki took a deep breath.

He never said traveling with him would be easy.

If the landscape appeared gray and desolate during the day, night time was another story. A large, half-moon dominated the night sky, drowning out some of the starlight with bright, pale moonlight. Crickets and critters chittered and chirped among the many shrubs dotting the bluffs and hills around Tiki and Gandalf. However, those animals paid the pair no mind as they sat around a small campfire, enjoying lovely bowls of warm soup.

As the fire crackled in front of her, Tiki noticed Gandalf giving her yet another peculiar glance. He scooped one more spoonful of broth to his lips, chewed, then set his bowl to the side. After using a handkerchief to dab at drops of soup clinging to his beard, he cleared his throat again.

"So, you are not one of the elven folk, Tiki."

Tiki shook her head as she ate her last bite of soup. "Indeed, I am not."

"And you have no idea where you are or how you came to be in the wilderness?"

Tiki nodded. "The last thing I recall, I fell asleep… I think?"

Gandalf gave her a quizzical look. "You think?"

"My memory is a little fuzzy."

Gandalf nodded his head in understanding. He reached into his robes and withdrew his long pipe. After shoving a bit of crushed up leaves into the bulbous end of the pipe, he used a small twig with an ember on it from the fire to light his pipe. He took two quick puffs and blew out the smoke.

"I too can have a fuzzy memory, as you put it, on occasion," Gandalf admitted with a twinkle in his eyes and a grin on his lips. "If you live for as long as I have, you'll find that some things can escape you without you ever realizing it."

Tiki snorted. "This will be a first, even for me. Usually, I can remember where, when, and why I fell asleep, but not this time for some reason."

Her fingers drummed against her bowl as she hummed, thinking hard. Despite her pondering, nothing came to mind. No recent memories beyond assisting the Shepherds with a task in Regna Ferox. After that, her mind was blank.

"Maybe one of those kids hit me hard upside the head," She muttered under her breath.

Gandalf blew a pair of smoke rings before blinking and looking at Tiki again.

"Where are my manners?" He patted his robes, reaching inside of them, and withdrew a second, smaller, older pipe. He held it aloft for Tiki to see.

Tiki tilted her head. "For me?"

"Well of course. I would not have retrieved it otherwise."

Tiki scooted around the fire in order to sit closer to Gandalf. Once near him, Gandalf held the pipe out to her. Tiki took it, brought the head of it closer to her nose, and sniffed.

"Smokey."

Gandalf chuckled. "Now then," He patted his robes again, brow furrowing as he searched for something. Eventually, he found a small pouch hidden near his right breast. "Unfortunately I am out of the Old Toby, so this will have to do."

"Old Toby?" Tiki asked as Gandalf put a pinch of the tobacco into her hand.

"Finest weed in the south farthing of the Shire, and my personal favorite," Gandalf replied. "I am hoping to gather some more later on my journey."

"So your destination is the Shire?" She asked Gandalf.

"Oh, eventually," Gandalf replied. "I have a couple of errands to attend to first in Rivendell and Bree."

"And they don't have Old Toby there?"

Gandalf shook his head. "The elves are a bit repulsed by the habit. And, while Bree has Old Toby, it's not as high quality as what you'll find in the Shire. The Hobbits know how to do many things well, and growing proper pipeweed is one of them."

"Hobbits?" Tiki's ears twitched, the cold air making them a tad numb. "Yet another creature I've never heard of."

"That doesn't surprise me," Gandalf admitted. He handed Tiki a stick with a small ember on it. "Many people beyond Bree are unaware of their existence, and the people of the Shire prefer it that way. They're quiet, peaceful, and cheerful folk. I get the feeling you might like them."

Tiki smiled as she used the stick to light her pipe. When she brought it to her mouth, she took two quick puffs, then snorted smoke out of her nose as it caught her off guard. Gandalf chortled again.

"Not as smooth as the Old Toby either," Gandalf commented.

Tiki chuckled with him at her expense. After taking another tentative puff, she settled into her seat, relaxing as the fire spat embers up into the night sky.

This entire situation grew stranger and stranger for Tiki by the moment. Not only did the landscape look completely unfamiliar to her, which is saying a lot because she had traveled many places in her years, but even the plant life was strange to her. Old Toby was not a weed she was familiar with. Unless it was a regional name for a plant, she doubted she would know it at all.

A quick glance up at the stars made her even more puzzled. During her long life in both Archanea and Valentia, she became accustomed to looking up at the stars. Despite seeing the same night sky for centuries, they were always fascinating to look at. Humanity's propensity for creating shapes out of the stars also fascinated her and she enjoyed searching for the constellations on a clear night. But as she brushed a lock of her long, green hair away from her eyes, she couldn't see a single constellation that was familiar to her. Every star twinkling above her was foreign.

Stranger and stranger. She mused.

A rustling on the wind made her ears twitch. At first, she thought nothing of it, until she noticed that the loud chatter of animals that had been around her and Gandalf's camp had died. Another chilled wind washed over them, causing the campfire to flicker as the flames swayed from side to the side.

The rustle hit her again, this time louder and heavier. The wind carried a faint scent that grew stronger with each passing second. Her nose wrinkled as a small she could only compare to rancid water and rotten flesh hit her. It was a smell that sent a small shiver running up her spine as it reminded her of the last dreaded enemy she and her friends back home faced.

Are there Risen here?

She stopped puffing on her pipe. Her emerald eyes scanned the shadows beyond the campfire, passing over every shadow in the rocky hills. She sniffed again, detecting that same, putrid stench riding on the air. When she sniffed and her ears twitched, Gandalf's bushy brow rose.

"Is something the matter, Tiki?"

Tiki did not reply. She continued scanning the shadows. Then, to her left, in the darkest of shadows cast by the largest hill, she heard metal sliding against metal.

"Gandalf," She whispered, "I believe we are about to be ambushed."

A war cry erupted. It sounded like a boar squealing as it charged at a perceived enemy. Only, instead of boar bursting forth from the darkness, a humanoid figure wearing blackened armor emerged. Its skin was bubbled and diseased- colored a sickly green in the firelight. Its weapon, a sickle-shaped sword, looked savage. Wide, jaundiced eyes glowed in the darkness with malice, hatred, and bloodlust.

Four more figures joined the first's charge. Before the first assailant could reach the campfire, Tiki was on her feet, and so was Gandalf.

She was about to tell the old man to get behind her when he produced a sword from a sheath hidden among his robes. The blade shimmered in the firelight as he held it confidently in his right hand while he gripped his staff in his left. As soon as the first wretched creature reached them, Gandalf swung both.

His staff cracked the creature in the skull, knocking it off balance before his sword cleaved into its neck. A gurgling croak came from the creature as its black blood splattered across the ground. Its death caused its comrades to screech to a halt at the edge of their camp.

"Wayward goblins ambushing an old man and a young lady," Gandalf clicked his tongue. "Hardly good manners, but I suppose I should not be surprised."

Goblins? Tiki thought, not with worry but with confusion and curiosity.

The four goblins glared hatefully at Gandalf with their bulbous, yellow eyes. Their slitted pupils narrowed at him and Tiki. Chitters and snarls tore from their throats as they tiptoed around the edge of the camp, brandishing. They were speaking some sort of language. A nasty sounding tongue that grated against her ears.

"You have one chance to turn around and leave us in peace," Gandalf warned the goblins. "Fail to take this opportunity at your own peril."

More growls and snarls, then finally an intelligible series of words.

"Nasty wizard," The lead Goblin hissed as he stood taller on his legs and pointed his sickle at Gandalf. "We will feast on your bones."

"Not today," Gandalf replied, his voice still measured and calm. Meanwhile, Tiki gave the old man a puzzled look.

The Goblin called him a wizard. Did that mean Gandalf was a mage of some sort? If so, where was his spellbook? Why wasn't he using his magic to dispatch these creatures? Why did he prefer a blade? True, some mages from her home liked to use both weapons- she could think of one man in particular that made her heart skip a beat- but wouldn't it be simpler to deal with the threat and move on?

The three other goblins croaked and groaned behind their leader. The leader barred sharp teeth and blackened gums at Gandalf and Tiki before lowering his sickle.

"If come back, we eat."

Tiki scowled, and the goblins turned away. Like a bunch of shadows, they disappeared into the darkness. Seconds later, the night returned to how it was, only Gandalf appeared far more alert than before.

The old man harrumphed, muttered something under his breath, then sheathed his sword. Once he sat down again, he picked up his pipe and took one long puff from it. Tiki also returned to her seat and grabbed the pipe he gave her. After several more moments of silence, she glanced at him.

"You're a mage?"

Gandalf's eyes sparkled. "A wizard, dear. There is a very distinct difference."

"Ah," Tiki nodded her head. "And those creatures don't like wizards?"

"Not particularly," Gandalf muttered. "It is a touch disconcerting to see goblins from the Misty Mountains this close to Rivendell. I'll have to speak with Lord Elrond about that. Rest assured, though, Tiki; no harm will come upon us this night. Get some rest. We have a long journey tomorrow."

Tiki wanted to ask more questions, but from the finality in Gandalf's tone, she had a feeling he would not answer them. While that irked her a little bit, she also trusted Gandalf's word when he said she would receive answers at Rivendell. So, with that in mind, she finished puffing on her pipe, returned it to Gandalf, laid down on the cold, snow-dusted ground, and drifted off to sleep.

Flashes shocked Tiki's mind, invaded her thoughts, and shook her to her very core. Darkness flooded her dreams, rendering her once peaceful slumber moot as nightmares took over.

They were vivid and terrifying. In her nightmares, she saw a city made of white stones. A large palace stood tall over the city, and it was engulfed in fire. Brilliant, hot flames towered high into the black sky. Smoke billowed like mighty pillars over the entire city. Screams pierced the poisoned air she breathed. It was enough to make her heart hammer in her chest.

Then the first roar reverberated over the city, shaking the cobblestone road beneath her feet. Unstable walls from broken buildings crumbled around her. Shrieks and cries of terror shot into her ears, making her wince. Her heart raced.

She took an involuntary step towards the burning palace, her nightmare controlling her movements. When she stepped forward, her foot sloshed into something wet. A sickening squelch hit her ears, then a rotten smell swarmed her nose. With a trembling gaze, she looked down.

Blood ran like rain water over the cobblestone road. Her boot covered foot had landed in a deep puddle of the crimson stuff. In the scarlet puddle, she saw her reflection, and fear lanced through her heart.

She was bloodied and bruised. Dried blood caked her green hair, plastering some of it to the side of her face and her neck. One of her eyes was swollen shut. A gash sat beneath that eye as well. Her tunic was torn in several places, revealing scorched bits of skin that was sickening to behold.

What happened? Her eyes trembled up, and she realized she had been suddenly transported to the foot of the burning palace. What's going on?

She recognized the palace now. It was the Exalt's Palace in Ylisstol. Why was it burning though? It was completely intact when she went to sleep last… right?

Another roar cracked the sky. A brilliant bolt of lighting branched through the smoke. More embers ascended into the sky. Through the lightning and fire, Tiki finally spotted a gargantuan shadow floating in the black clouds over the city.

Six, feathery wings spread wide over her, and six crimson eyes glowered on the city with pure malice. An evil hunger emanated from the beast, and it made Tiki fall to her knees.

Grima…

A third titanic roar ripped through the sky. Tiki fell to her face, blood pouring from the palace like a fountain. A bright light cascaded from the sky, making the earth tremble. Her vision darkened.

Something shook her shoulder.

"Lady Tiki, are you alright?"

Tiki awoke with a start, a snarl tearing from her mouth as she shot upright. She moved fast, wrenched Gandalf's hand from her shoulder, twisting his arm, then pounced. The old man let out a startled cry as she flipped him onto his back before getting on top of him, eyes wide and fists balled up, ready to strike.

That was when she finally woke up. Her emerald gaze softened upon seeing Gandalf look up at her, surprised and concerned. A heavy breath left Tiki's lungs and she sagged off of Gandalf. After taking a deep breath and swallowing hard, she got to her feet and held out a hand to the old man.

"I'm…" She pursed her lips. "That was my mistake, I-"

"Now, now, there is no need," Gandalf reassured as he took her hand. Tiki hauled him back to his feet. The tall human reached down, picked his hat up from the ground, and placed it on his head. "I should have known better than to startle you like that. However, you were sleeping quite fitfully and it had me concerned."

Tiki closed her eyes. She was having a terrible sleep. One of the worst ones she could recall. Still, that was no excuse for nearly beating an old man.

"Still, please accept my apology," Tiki continued, "It may have been a bad nightmare but I still should have restrained myself."

Gandalf gave her a good-natured grin. "Think nothing of it. And there is no need to worry about it happening again. The next time we slumber, it will be in a pair of rooms upon comfortable beds in the House of Elrond."

A relieved breath left Tiki's lips. Good, they would be arriving at their destination soon. That meant answers; which, after her nightmare, she was keen on getting. The more she thought about it, the more it worried her that she could not remember how, when, or why she fell asleep before waking up to Gandalf watching her.

The duo put out what remained of last night's campfire and then started out again, which was not complicated. Tiki had no personal items of her own, except for a small pouch on her hip, which contained her dragonstone. Gandalf, likewise, did not have much on his person, and it appeared that he kept whatever he felt necessary within his thick robes. So, it only took moments for them to set off again.

They marched in silence. During that silence, Tiki continued to ponder how she came to this place: Middle Earth. More than that, after having such a vivid nightmare, she was beginning to wonder how she would manage to return home… if there even was a way of getting home.

Hopefully, the baking elves can help me with that.

And chapter! Hello everyone! Welcome one and all to my absolutely batshit insane crossover idea! Yes, this is technically a Fire Emblem: Awakening x The Hobbit crossover. Yes, I am aware this is completely nuts and may or may not work at all, but to hell with it. It sounded fun, so I decided to give it a shot.

Now, I am going to preface this story by saying this: I am by no means, nor will ever claim to be, an expert on Tolkien's mythology, world, or writing. And, I am not going to even attempt to emulate him or his work. Doing so would only be a pale imitation that would be entirely fruitless. That does not mean I will not do my absolute best to honor his world and his work. I will do my absolute best to do the best research I can do in order to make this story work. That being said, my goal is to provide a fun adventure story to read, and I hope you all will join me on this wild ride.

With that said, this is gonna be nuts because even I don't know where this is going yet (lol). This is just going to be a side project for me. My main priority is still my Fire Emblem Awakening SI (Rigged from the Start). Still, this was a very fun chapter to write, and I'm sure future chapters will be just as fun, and I hope they'll be fun for you all to read.

So, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have an nice day!

PS (apologies for continuing such a long AN): Come join the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server! Discord code is: 9XG3U7a

Also, come check out the Fanfiction Treehouse Podcast, where myself and several other writers discuss writing, fanfiction, and regular fiction! You can find the podcast on Spotify and on Soundcloud! Hope to see you all there!