A/N: Please note that any description is how me and my sisters really look. :D Thank you, now continue with the story.
Eagle, Flower, and Thunder
Chapter 2: Charlotte
I.
Tara was dreaming. It was an odd dream. She was watching herself yell at Paige. It went in a kind of slow motion, without sound. The thunder outside was loud though, very loud. It was uncanny how loud and fast the thunder rolled and lighting flashed. Forgetting the fight she was watching, she turned toward the window, to watch the storm.
It went on, the clouds moving over one another in a strange, mesmerizing dance. Tara brought up her hand to the window, placing her palms on the cool window. As she watched the lighting she heard a voice. Light, small, and familiar.
"I just wish they would stop fighting... could any body help?"
Who? Tara pasted herself still yelling at her sister, down toward the little pink door at the end of the hall. She pushed it open, as lighting flashed, blinding her.
"They won't ever stop it seems... I just want us to be how it used to be. Help them."
Thunder echoed. She couldn't see who was talking. Lighting flashed again. Who was it?
Help them.
Tara 's eyes snapped open. She was awake.
She sat up slowly, finding herself underneath a large thick blanket. She found her arm wrapped up nicely, so it didn't hurt as badly as it did the night before. Her leg was also wrapped, although they had to tear her pants to get to the wound.
"Crud..." she muttered, at the site of her ripped pants.
She looked out over the camp at the sound of a little laugh, and then a deep one. What she found made her smile... a little. A young girl of seven sat Indian style in front of a large man, her small palms laying face down on his upturned ones.
Even though she was young, she was pretty. Her short loose curls hung around her shoulders, a deep rich brown in color. Her eyes mirrored her hair color, and were the exact shape of her two sisters. Her smile was catching, and some said it reminded them of Tara, but her passionate spirit for the things she loved was like Paige's. Yet, her sweet caring spirit for things that grew, and those she held dear was all her own.
"Now, when you try to slap the top of my hands, I'll move them. You got to be quick Master Boromir, and tag my hands!"
The gentleman, obviously Boromir, nodded, humoring the child. "And if I tag your hands?"
"It is my turn to tag your hands... but you won't catch me." The child laughed. "I'm quick!" She giggled, and then turned toward Tara. Suddenly her eyes grew wide, and she pulled herself off the ground and flew at her sister.
"Tara!" She yelled, laughing. "Paige! Tara is awake!" She called, giving her sister a very large hug. Tara hung on to her sister, and smiled.
"Charlotte! What happened last night?"
"Well, Master Aragorn fixed you up, and Master Gandalf wanted to know about the attack, and Are you sure your alright? Because I can always help you walk, and you need new pants because your old ones had to be ripped so that they could wrap your leg. Doesn't it hurt?" Charlotte sped on at a mile per minute not even letting a breath get past. Tara smiled, as Charlotte went on about each member of the group that had found them.
There was Aragorn and Legolas, the two that had found them last night. Tara knew them by appearance, and could easily spot them within the group. 'Master Gandalf' turned out to be an older gentleman who was dressed in grey, and carried what was seemingly a walking staff. He had a long beard, and piercing blue eyes that seemed to study Tara every time she looked at him.
There was also Boromir who Charlotte had been playing with a moment before. He was tall, with dark chestnut brown hair, and warm friendly hazel eyes. He wore a long sword, and his shield was never far from his reach. Last of the bigger folk was Gimil, if one could call him big. He was much shorter than any of the taller men, yet he was only a few inches taller than Charlotte. Yet he had a full beard, deep red/brown in color, with dark glittery eyes of black. He had a gruff voice, and a horse little laugh that were shared rarely.
Four others made the group nine. They were all smaller, with heads of curls. The first that Charlotte talked of was Pippin. He seemed to be the youngest of the four. He wore a happy smile most of the time, and seemed to be very curious. His curls were dark brown in color, and his eyes a bright happy green blue. The second of the group was Merry. He was like his friend, Pippin. Both full of life and a happiness the others seem to lack, or it was covered by a overwhelming feeling of dread. Merry's appearance however, was softer, with light brown hair, and bright blue eyes. The last two seemed inseparable. Frodo and Sam were their names, and they both seemed very serious and much unlike their two other comrades. Sam was plump, though not overly so. He was sweet and one could tell that from the beginning. He appeared very protective of Frodo. Sam's hair was a sandy blonde that matched with his hazel green eyes. However, Frodo had lighter skin than his three friends and eyes of ice blue, which seemed very unlike Merry's blue. They were almost upset, and sad, and very often. His curls were the darkest of the four, and by far the curliest.
Tara listened as Charlotte rattled off about each group member and with each member grew more and more tired. Suddenly her sister lay asleep on her, sighing happily. Tara suddenly dropped the smile she had worn for her youngest sister, to frown at Paige who came up and sat cross-legged in front of Tara .
"Where are we?" she asked sourly.
Tara frowned deeper. Suddenly she had a headache. "I dunno..." she whispered. "I don't know anything right now."
Paige drew her knees up under her chin and rested her head on them. She sighed unhappily, "You didn't exactly help things..."
"What do you mean by that?" Tara hissed unhappily.
"You left us, and I had to leave Charlotte to go save you..." Paige said hotly.
"Save...Me. You?" Tara laughed haughtily, "Right. I was fine by myself."
"Right." Paige rolled her eyes, "Which is why you got shot in the leg with an arrow, and broke your wrist."
"It's not broken..." Tara said upset, "It's sprained. Beside I have gotten shot with an arrow before."
"Being shot at the practice range doesn't count, because Mom and Daddy were there. And they aren't here now!" Paige said loudly.
"Will you hush, you complete idiot!" Tara said angrily, "You'll wake up Charlotte!"
Paige frowned at the ground in front of her, as Charlotte sighed in her sleep. Tara rolled her eyes. "Stop it, Baby..." she said. "It's not like we'll never see them again."
Paige picked up a twig and threw it in the fire. "You don't know that... You don't know anything." She said irritated. "I'll see you in a bit." She stood up without looking at Tara and left, moving to the other side of camp.
"Great." Tara said, annoyed.
II.
Paige kicked a tree, and then winced as pain shot through her toe. She hit the tree with the branch she was holding, and sat down in the moss fighting back tears. Her hair hung in her face, her angry brown eyes moist. She heard somebody come up behind her, and she sniffed.
"Go away..." she mumbled.
"Beggin' your pardon miss, but Master Gandalf asks you to come back to camp. No tellin' what's out here."
Paige turned and saw Sam, one of the four small folk. She looked away from his eyes and down to his feet to hide her tears. Suddenly she frowned,
"Where are your shoes?" she asked curious.
Sam smiled, "Ah, I don't need them. Hobbits don't ever wear them."
"Never- Hobbits?" she took a double look a Sam. "What's a hobbit?"
"Well, "Sam said confused. "I am... and Merry, Pippin and Mister Frodo. We're hobbits."
Paige eyes widened. "Your not... human?" she asked, or rather forced out.
Sam laughed, "No Maim... Half this group isn't human. Except Master Boromir and Aragorn."
Paige stood quickly, towering over Sam. "What do you mean... not human?"
Sam stopped for a moment thinking, "Well Master Legolas is an Elf, and Master Gimil is a dwarf. Gandalf is a wizard, and well we're hobbits."
Paige nodded, still dumbfounded. "Right." She slowly started back to camp. "I'm going back now." When she was sure Sam couldn't see her anymore, she ran back to camp.
Now she knew they were lost. Very lost.
III.
Tara laid Charlotte down in the sleeping area where she had lain a few moments ago. She gently laid the blanket on top, and smiled a little. She could sleep anywhere. However Tara wasn't going to get any sleep, though she probably needed it. The last few hours were just too strange. She had guessed it was about seven hours since they had... well gotten here.
That was a question that plagued Tara. Where exactly are they? She had thought they were in the wood surrounding their little ranch, the woods Paige called haunted. Tara had thought her middle sister was crazy, but now... Maybe it's not haunted but defiantly out of the ordinary.
Paige suddenly ran up, her face white. "Tara!" she whispered, "Their not human!"
Tara raised an eyebrow confused, "Who?"
"Them!" she said pointing at the group. "Sam told me!"
"He told you he wasn't human?" Tara asked skeptic. "Paige..."
"No! Really! Legolas is a ELF! A-and Gandalf is a wizard, and Gimil is a dwarf, and... and Sam is a Hobbit! His little friends are too!" Paige went on, scared and clearly upset, "I don't think were in Kansas anymore, Tara... Forget Kansas, we're not on earth anymore!"
Tara sighed, annoyed. "You ate the berries in the woods didn't you?"
"Come on!" Paige said, waving her arms in disbelief. "They aren't human!"
Tara narrowed her eyes, "Fine... I'm going to ask them. If you make me look like a fool, then I'll smack you!" she said heaving herself up, and hobbling over to where Gandalf and Aragorn sat.
"Um... Hey." She started, suddenly embarrassed. "Can I ask a few questions?"
Gandalf nodded, motioning Tara to sit as he smoked on a pipe. Tara flopped to the ground, and drew her leg around until it sat comfortably in front of her. She let out a deep breath and let the silence hang for a moment before beginning.
"I have a lot of questions, actually. The most important being... Where are we?"
Gandalf didn't answer right away, merely puffing his pipe and stared at Tara curiously. Aragorn looked to Gandalf as the older man sat there smoking. Tara also sat there uncomfortable under the piercing blue gaze.
"Where are you from?" He said at last much to Tara's aggravation.
"You didn't answer my question...And I asked first." She said stubbornly, crossing her arms.
Gandalf narrowed his eyes, and took another patient puff.
"You are in no mood to argue... Besides, this is for your own good."
Tara mumbled something, and sighed, "We're from Alma, Colorado, Alright?" She frowned at the two men. Her face suddenly softened at she saw the look of confusion and worry on their faces.
"What? I know Alma is small, but it's right outside Denver..." Her voice faded as Aragorn shook his head. Tara looked from Aragorn to Gandalf her eyes growing wide.
"You've heard of Denver, right?" Another no from Aragorn. "Colorado? America?"
When all three were answered with a no, Tara forced out her next question.
"So... where are we?"
"Middle Earth." Aragorn's words were soft, his look sympathetic, but it didn't help. Tara shook her head, "No No! No!" She said trying to stand. She fell back down. "This is some stupid joke... so sick idea of a pran- no!" She snatched herself away from Aragorn's hand. "We're not here! We can't be!"
"Then tell me young lady... Where are you?"
Gandalf said sharply before reached down and with a strength surprisingly strong for a older man, picked Tara up. Tara didn't have time to react before Gandalf was speaking.
"Bigger things are happening here... You can't understand." He said, not quiet angry, but not calm. Tara noted it was with a sense of urgency. "Yet, understand this, You will be joining us till we are sure you are safe. Also understand it is not in my power to send you back."
Tara was set by Paige, "You two will travel with us starting tomorrow. I recommend a good night's sleep..."
Tara watched at Gandalf hobbled over to the rock on which Legolas sat. She watched a moment before pulling the blanket over her head. Paige poked her hard.
"What's going on?!" she hissed.
"Go to sleep." Tara said angrily, "And don't ask questions."
Tara listened as Paige threw the blanket over her head, and sighed angrily. Tara lay there staring out at the edge of camp. Tears threatened to fall out, but she refused to cry here. So she fell asleep, slowly and lightly, sounds of the dying fire her only comforting sound.