Disclaimer: Just to let you all know. I neither own the characters nor the copy right on them. I'm just obsessed about them and think about them way too much, not that I wouldn't love to own them, as they are so much fun.

A/N:  I know the whole person from our world finds him/herself in Middle Earth has been done numerous times ad nauseum, but I am writing this for a someone as a friendly joke, and thought I would share it with all of you out there as well.  Please enjoy and reviews are kindly and gladly accepted. 

So, if you found my story the least bit enjoyable, please drop a review by and let me know…reviews are great motivators to keep writing.

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Chapter 3  Roles, Rest and Realisations

Swordplay was one of the most difficult things Karla had ever learned.  Never the overly athletic type, Karla tended to steer clear of the more physical aspects of physical activity.  She could not, in her entire life, ever remember feeling that exhausted.  The hair on the top of her head even hurt at the thought of moving.  "Why did I open my big mouth," Karla mumbled to herself.  But, by the laughter that ensued after that comment she had to assume that everyone heard it anyway.  Mostly, she was later to remember, it had had to be due to the fact that elves have very good hearing to accompany their excellent eyesight.

"Well, I'm sure using a bow is a lot easier to learn," Karla commented to the laughing crowd.  At lest she knew the basics of using a bow, having used it before in her physical education class.  But by the round of laughter that comment caused Karla had to assume that the fellowship didn't believe her.

Only Merry seemed to sympathize with Karla's exhausted and abused feeling body.  And that, most likely, was due to the fact that he was in much the same condition as she was.

Waking up early, Aragorn had decided that merry and Pippin ought to have their first lesson before breaking their fast, while Sam made breakfast and the rest of the fellowship broke camp.  "What insane thought ever lead me to believe that swordplay would be easy," Karla soon found herself mumbling.  But to be fair, Aragorn and Boromir did make it look easy.  In fact, they made it look extremely easy.

Flopping down for a quick break before the fellowship started off again for the day, Karla couldn't help but despair at their situation.  For the first time in her life she felt completely useless.

"Patience, little one," Boromir said, responding to the unvoiced question that could easily be read on her face.  "No one had ever learned how to wield a sword in one day.  Both you and Merry are doing exceptionally well.  And, I only gave you a few bruises."  Ruffling Karla's hair, Boromir stood up and walked over to help the rest of the group finish packing, giving Karla and Merry a few minutes to rest and recover.

"Few hundred, more like it!" Karla grumbled out loud, flinging that comment at Boromir's retreating back.  The sound of Boromir's laughter was the only response she got.

All packed and ready to leave, everyone looked to Gandalf for direction and a sign that they were to leave.  And, standing beside Frodo, Gandalf quietly commented how, at last, the weather would be milder, if perhaps more dangerous.

"But the mountains are ahead of us," said Karla.  "We must have turned eastward in the night."

"No," said Gandalf.  "Beyond those peaks the range bends south-west.  There are many maps in Elrond's house, but I suppose you never thought to look at them?"

"Yes, I did, sometimes," said Karla, "but don't remember them.  Frodo has a better memory for that sort of thing."  As the words poured out from her moth Karla could only sit back and be amazed by the things that she was saying.  Was Frodo really that much better at maps and such tings than Pippin?  She sure hoped so, or the rest of the fellowship might be tempted to lock her up in a rubber room.  But the more she thought about it, the more she came to the realisation that Frodo being gifted at reading maps made sense.  Wasn't Bilbo's house filled with maps?  It had seemed that way in the movie, with Bilbo's study literally filled with maps.  But the certainty with which she had spoken those words was a little uncanny, if not slightly unnerving.

After a quick break where Karla and Merry rested and the rest of the fellowship finished packing, everyone was on their feet and marching again.  It was to be another gruelling day of marching, moving ever onward to a future that only Karla had any real inkling of understanding.  And that, Karla had to admit to herself, was true only if her being there hadn't changed anything.

But the walking, all that walking, was becoming both bone wearying and mind numbing.  Trying to preserve as much energy as possible, everyone had taken to walking in silence.  And, by the end of the day, everyone was usually content with sitting down to a meal and relishing the notion of not moving, especially moving under their own power.

But that in particular, as it came time to go to sleep, Karla was suddenly over come by a vague feeling of dread.  Although she could not say exactly what, it was as though some sixth sense was trying to warn her of something.  But Karla, not one to be taken in by all that ESP stuff, managed to convince herself that it was just the anxiety of the situation that was bothering her, and not some outside knowledge that she alone was privy to.

Lying in her bedroll, Karla was finally able to relax, lulled to sleep by the thought of a roaring fire and a nicely cooked hot meal (since Sam had been promoted to camp cook, as her previous attempts to use a campfire had failed miserably).  And it was in that place in between wakefulness and sleep that Karla found herself passing most of the night, not completely asleep, but not really awake.

It felt like she had only been asleep for a few minutes, but looking at the darkness of the sky must have been much longer, when a strange tension in the air woke her up.  Without opening her eyes, she could hear Sam and Aragorn dive for cover and then a flock of birds ("what did they call them in the movie?" Karla couldn't help but think) flew over their heads.  As silence once again reined, a natural silence for a change, both quiet, yet soothing, Karla started to fall asleep again, thinking that she must have dreamt the whole thing

Just on the edge of sleep, Karla is suddenly awoken by a terrifying thought:  the fellowship isn't suppose to meet the Crebain at night (or was it really very early in the morning?) when everyone was asleep, but in the middle of the day while Merry and Pippin are fencing with Boromir!

It was then, at that exact moment that she knew.  It was then that she realised that her lack of knowledge, both of the story and the characters, as well as the plot and outcome, could highly change the face of Middle Earth.

Waking up the next morning, Karla was dismayed to hear that they would no longer have a fire.  There was just something about sitting down to a hot meal after a hard day's work (even if that day's work only consisted of walking extraordinary distances).  But at least, heading south, they were heading to warmer conditions, or so Gandalf had said.  If they couldn't have a fire, at least heading south, the temperature was going to be warmer.

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I just wanted to thank everyone who has read my story and enjoyed it.  I especially wanted to thank those who were kind enough to drop me a review to tell me of their enjoyment (what can I say, reviews are the life-blood in the veins of a fanfic writer)

LalaithoftheBruinen—Thanks for the review.  I'm glad that you like the story so far, and as for the others realising that Pippin isn't who they think he is?  Well, since they're not expecting him to be other than he is, I'm sure they'd be willing to over look a lot (wouldn't you?)

Serpent of Light—I'm glad you like what is going on.  Hopefully this doesn't disappoint either.

A/N:  For those who noticed, yes, some of the sentences are taken directly from FOTR