Notes: Just a word on my story. I have been making some changes of late, expanding it in some chapters, adding new content, and simply trying to improve it over all. If you have read it, you might notice some of the changes, some are just subtle word changes, but I think it has improved some of it for the better.

I'm through chapter 15 with some of my changes. I will be doing the rest soon and may continue to tweak it as I go.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the updates.

O - O - O - O - O - O

I know you're out there somewhere

Somewhere, somewhere

I know you're out there somewhere

Somewhere you can hear my voice

I know I'll find you somehow

Somehow, somehow

I know I'll find you somehow

And somehow I'll return again to you

Lyrics by The Moody Blues

O - O - O - O

Chapter 1 – The Mist Is Lifting Slowly

Bright morning sunlight poured through the circular window of the massive jumbo jet as it began its final approach to Dublin International Airport. Jasmine Porter gazed down at the patchwork of green and brown fields that rolled by under the plane. She sat up straighter in her seat trying to calm her rapid heartbeat. A long held desire was finally coming true and she was finding it hard to contain her excitement.

Since first viewing pictures of Ireland and Scotland, she had dreamed of visiting both. Something drew her to them...especially Ireland. The beautiful green countryside, rolling hills and ancient castles excited her in ways she found hard to describe. Now as her plane made its steady decent into the city of Dublin, she was thrilled that the first part of her journey was finally nearing completion.

As the jet glided in to make contact with the runway, she had to steady her nerves. Leaning back in the seat, she could feel every jolt, bounce and jerk as the wheels rolled down the asphalt. As the plane slowly taxied to a halt the Captain came over the intercom –"Welcome to Dublin International Airport and the city of Dublin. We hope you enjoy your stay on the Emerald Isle."

Jasmine still couldn't believe she was finally here. There were so many places she wanted to visit, but first she needed to exit the jumbo jet and get through customs. While she waited to leave the jet, she began brushing her long blonde her. After such a long flight, it needed it. Her bright blue eyes glanced around the cabin taking in the preparations everyone was making to depart. This was her first flight anywhere and everything was a fascination to her.

As her fellow travelers stood and grabbed for their belongings in the overhead compartments, she sat and waited rather than push her way out of the cabin. She had been anticipating her visit for so long that a few more minutes now wouldn't matter.

When most of the passengers had exited the craft, she stood and opened the compartment above her head to retrieve her backpack and her fringed jacket. At just a bit over 5' in height it took her standing on her tip toes to reach everything. Putting on her jacket, she slung the pack over one shoulder; then grabbed her hobo bag and walked through the doorway and down the ramp.

It took her some time to get through customs, but once she had, she retrieved the only two bags she checked – a small tent and sleeping bag from the baggage claims area. After attaching both items to her backpack, she placed the pack over both shoulders and stepped through the automated doors.

So this was Ireland.

It was a beautiful early fall day, with a mixture of clouds and sun casting shadows around her. She had been told she could catch a bus near Terminal 1 to Dublin city center. She had booked an inexpensive hotel room for the night. The next day she was taking a bus to just outside Raphoe town in County Donegal, Ireland. The first place she wanted to see was an ancient Neolithic site called Beltany Stone Circle. It was sometimes referred to as a fairy circle or fairy ring. The place was old, dating from the Bronze Age and it was one of the few places that didn't cost money to visit.

Repositioning her pack, she hurried in the direction of the bus pickup. As she ambled along, Jasmine realized she was getting some odd looks…and she knew why. While being born in 90s, she never felt like she belonged to that time period. She loved the music and dress of the late 60s and 70s. She was currently wearing a long tie dyed dress, topped off with fringed boots, a heavy leather suede fringed jacket and hippy beads. She imagined she gave off a distinctive displaced hippy vibe, but didn't care. It wasn't all she was, just one part of her. As much as she loved that time period, she also felt she belonged in another age long past. This is why she wanted to visit Ireland and Scotland, to steep herself in the castle ruins and ancient places that permeated both countries.

She did however enjoy some of the technology of her time because it allowed her to bring her favorite music with her. She carried a small MP3 player with all her favorite songs, two powerful solar power banks to charge the player and her cell phone which she used as her camera. For safety, she also wore a flat cross body pack under her clothes that could carry those items plus her money, and passport. It was also water proof which made it invaluable.

Having grown up in an orphanage and never adopted, Jasmine had been on her own since the age of 18. Having nowhere to go after aging out of the system, she lived in shelters, and rental rooms, moving from place to place finding jobs where she could. She also took some community college courses to try and better her situation. This helped her get better jobs for more money. Over time by scrimping and saving, she had finally put together enough money to make her trip abroad possible.

She arrived at the bus pickup just ahead of its next departure. As the double decker bus rolled up, she made sure she had the right amount of currency to pay the driver for her ticket. After stowing her backpack, she plopped into a window seat so she could watch the changing scenery. Pulling her MP3 player from where it was stored, she turned it on and put in her earphones. Scrolling through the music, she chose a favorite song. Putting her head back against the seat she changed her mind about staring out the window. Closing her eyes, she let the music transport her as the bus rolled into Dublin.

O – O – O – O – O

The next morning as she boarded the bus to take her to Raphoe town in County Donegal, Ireland, Jasmine still wore her tie dye dress, fringed jacket and boots. One of the things she had to sacrifice for her trip since she carried no luggage to speak of was clothing. She had brought two pair of jeans, a couple of shirts, one flannel shirt, underwear, socks and a few other items. After this bus ride her plan was to backpack across Ireland to view all the places she wished to see.

She had a long ride ahead of her, so she turned on the music, popped in her earphones and settled back, watching the beauty of the Irish countryside roll by.

O - O - O - O - O

It was almost dark when Jasmine reached the Beltany Stone Circle. She stepped off the road and started across the field toward its location. Within a few minutes she found herself standing next to the circle. However, it was now fully dark and she was alone in the area.

Since the stones couldn't be viewed, she began to erect her tent next to one of the largest rocks. It was a beautifully clear moonless night and being outside away from any light pollution she tilted her face skyward. A million stars littered the night sky making her drawn in her breath at the sight. The night took on an almost magical feel.

Giving a yawn, Jasmine crawled into her tent and zipped it up for the night. She wanted to get up early to view the ring just as the sun rose. Pulling out her cellphone, she set the alarm and placed it next to her. Sighing deeply, it didn't take long before she drifted off to sleep.

O – O – O – O – O

The alarm on her phone started beeping around 6:00 am as Jasmine reached over to slap it off. Sitting up, she stretched and yawned before unzipping her sleeping bag. Digging into her hobo bag she grabbed some wipes to clean off her face. She un-braided her long blonde hair and began brushing it. Slipping into her cross body bag and then her dress, she pulled on her boots before rolling up her sleeping bag.

Opening the tent flap, she crawled out and stood up. A thick, eerie mist covered the area, but she could see the sun's light just peaking over the horizon. Wanting to get her day started, she quickly took down her tent attaching it and the sleeping bag onto her backpack. Slinging the pack over her shoulders and her hobo bag across her body she got her first good look at some of the rocks near her.

The largest one beside her tent had strange circular cup marks covering it. She began to walk around the stone to see it from every angle. Stepping closer, she crossed into the interior of the circle and let her hand slide across its surface. As she did so, Jasmine swore she could feel a slight vibration emanating from it. Confused and unsure if she was truly feeling anything, she placed her other hand on the rock. The vibration increased. Intrigued, she moved even closer to it. For some unknown reason, she suddenly felt compelled to put her forehead against it. The effect was immediate. A tingling sensation shot through her body making it pulse and throb.

Alarmed, she pulled her head away from the stone realizing the area around her had suddenly become colder, the mist thicker. With as much effort as she could muster, she jerked her hands off the rock. In doing so, she lost her balance and stumbled backwards landing hard on her backside. Momentarily stunned, she shook her head trying to clear it. It didn't help and only made her feel nauseous. Closing her eyes to fight the sensation, a strong wave of vertigo began to wash over her.

As the world around her tilted off its axis, her eyes rolled back in her head and darkness closed over her until she finally passed out…

O – O – O – O – O

A disgusting stench found its way into Jasmine nostrils causing her to gag violently. Quickly sitting up, she tried to keep from vomiting. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim interior, but the sight left her utterly confused. No longer was she lying outside in a field of grass. She appeared to be inside a dark cavern of some sort.

Staggering to her feet, she shuffled toward the only light she could see in front of her. Feeling terrified as to how she ended up in a cave - she held her arms in front of her body trying to keep from touching anything. The closer she got to the source of the light, the more repugnant the smells became.

It didn't take her long to realize why the odors wafting around her where so overpowering - bodies, or at least pieces of bodies hung from the rock walls. She couldn't stop a terrified squeak from rising up in her throat.

"Where the hell am I?" she whispered. "Is this a serial killer's lair?"

Other objects, strange and beautiful began to come into view. Piles of coins, golden goblets and jewelry lay scattered around her. Chests, large and small filled with similar things lay nested against both walls. Her head began to swim, trying desperately to understand what she was seeing.

Jasmine began talking to herself as if that would somehow help her accept the situation, "None of this makes a lick of sense. I don't understand any of it. I was in a field…now I'm not. I passed out in that field…now I'm here. How is any of this possible?"

Continuing to search the area around her, she spied a large basket full of what looked to be weapons…swords to be exact…old ones. Though covered in webs and dust, she pushed them around in the container before deciding to pull one out. It was much too heavy for her, so she tried another. This one was more manageable and she had no trouble extracting it. It was exquisite! She had been to a museum once that featured old weaponry, but this one was unlike anything she had ever seen. It had beautiful markings and scroll work down the blade itself. Even the scabbard containing the sword was decorated.

As she stood admiring the craftsmanship, a sound caught her attention; the voices of several people approaching the entrance. Retreating back into the darkness taking the sword with her, she found a spot to crouch down and watch.

A group of men entered the cave coughing and complaining about the smell. Jasmine could relate to that. The first one in was oddly dressed…actually to Jasmine's eyes…they all were. He was tall with a long grey beard and hair. He wore a grey robe that reached the ground and on his head he wore a similarly colored hat. It reminded her of a witch's hat. In one of his hands he carried a tall decorative staff. Those that followed were of a much shorter stature, wearing a mixture of woven clothes and protective battle gear. All of them carried weapons of various types.

Thankfully her hiding spot allowed her to hear their conversation quite well. As they entered, one of them complained, "Oh…what is that stench?"

The tall grey man replied, "It's a Troll Hoard. Be careful what you touch."

As they walked further in, the coughing and gagging continued. Only one of them carried a torch and he cast it about trying to see around him. Another of the men approached a pile of loose coins, dragging his foot back and forth through them.

"Seems a shame to just leave it lying around…anyone could take it."

"Agreed!" replied another. "Nori…"

A third man answered, "Yeah?"

"Get a shovel."

Jasmine watched as the tall man dressed in grey poked at some of the objects, inspecting them. Another of the shorter men went immediately to the basket she had just been looking through. This one had a regal bearing about him…almost like royalty. His dress was different from the others too, more refined.

He started to remove one of the swords before setting his sights on another, pulling it from the basket. Setting down the torch he carried, he extracted a second weapon, seeming to compare the two.

"These swords were not made by any Trolls." He handed the first blade to the tall grey man who took it.

He glanced at it before saying, "Nor where they made by any smith among Men." Blowing lightly on the blade as he removed it from the scabbard, he added, "These were forged in Gondolin by the High Elves of the First Age."

A disgusted look crossed the face of "Mr. Royal" – now so dubbed by Jasmine - as he started to return it to the basket.

"You could not wish for a finer blade!"

Changing his mind at the older man's retort, he slid the blade part way out of its scabbard, inspecting both sides of the beautiful weapon. Deciding he would keep it, he turned towards the cave entrance.

Another of the shorter men, a fierce looking fellow, had been standing in the same spot near the opening as if he were some kind of sentry. Every so often, he would shift his eyes towards the other three with a measure of disdain. They had managed to dig a small hole and had lowered a small chest in to it.

"Set it down."

"That's good."

"All right, come on. Quick."

As the threesome piled dirt over it, one looked up, "We're making a long-term deposit."

While he hadn't said anything, the fierce fellow's face showed how much the whole operation disgusted him.

"Mr. Royal" began walking toward the entrance. "Let's get out of this foul place. Come on let's go! Bofur! Gloin! Nori!"

The others quickly completed their task and followed him out, except for the tall grey man. He started poking around on the cave floor as if searching for something.

Jasmine leaned forward straining to see what he was doing.

Bending down, he lifted an item from the debris. Righting himself, he held a small sword in his hand. After cleaning it off, he also started to leave.

Realizing he would soon be gone, Jasmine made a split second decision and leapt to her feet. Approaching him, she said in a frightened voice, "Please…I don't know where I am. Can you help me?"

With those words it all became too much for her as she collapsed into a heap onto the cave floor.

Shocked by her sudden appearance, Gandalf came over to see if the young woman was still breathing. Once he confirmed she was, he passed his hand over her face. Her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Are you feeling better, my lady?"

"Yes…no…I don't know. I'm just so confused. Where am I? Please…can you tell me?" she begged.

Helping her to stand, he asked, "I will try. What is your name if I may ask?"

Looking into his eyes, she answered, "My name is Jasmine…Jasmine Porter."

Bowing slightly, he said, "I am Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey. I'm a Wizard."

Scrunching up her face in disbelief, she responded, "A Wizard? There is no such thing as Wizards."

"Well believe me when I say…I am one. How did you end up here?"

Putting a hand to her face, she rubbed at one of her eyes, "Honestly, I don't know. One minute I was visiting an ancient stone circle…the next I was in this cave."

"Well, I certainly will not leave you here. Come with me. I need to take you to the others and get you someplace safe. But first let's get you out of this nasty Troll cave."

"Others?" she asked.

"Please, let's leave here and I will try to help."

As she followed the Wizard out, he called to another person, even shorter than the original group.

"Bilbo…here this is about your size." He handed the sword in his hands over to him.

The one Gandalf called Bilbo seemed disturbed by the weapon saying, "I can't take this."

"The blade is of Elvish make which means it will glow blue when Orcs or Goblins are nearby."

Still not happy about taking it, he replied, "I have never used a sword in my life."

"And I hope you never have to, but if you do remember this; True courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."

Bilbo seemed to consider Gandalf's words just as Jasmine stepped forward to stand beside him.

Slightly shocked by her appearance, Bilbo asked, "Who is this?"

Before the Wizard could reply, they were surrounded by "the others" he had spoken about. Everyone asking the same question.

"Who is this?"

"Where did she come from?"

"Where did you find her?"

The one Jasmine had dubbed "Mr. Royal" approached, his arms folded over his chest. Scowling, he gave her the once over before asking, "Where did she come from?"

Gandalf turned toward him, "She was hiding in the cave…afraid to approach until everyone was gone but me. She says she is lost."

Turning to Jasmine, Gandalf said, "My lady, this is Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of our group, this fine fellow is Bilbo Baggins, and the others are the rest of our Company, - Dwalin, Balin, 'Oin, Gloin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bofur, Bombur and lastly Bifur."

Jasmine acknowledged each of them in turn, until he introduced her to Bifur. She froze in place. His appearance stunned her completely. How was he even alive? Collecting herself, she apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. Hello!"

He smiled, but unlike the others spoke in a strange language she didn't understand.

The one called Bofur stepped forward, "You'll have to excuse my cousin - he doesn't speak the common tongue, just Dwarvish. He doesn't mean to be rude."

"Dwarvish…not familiar with that language, but okay." she said, "Nothing to apologize for." She smiled back at Bifur.

Suddenly Thorin yelled, "Something's coming!"

Turning to Jasmine, Gandalf said, "Stay close to me my lady." then yelled to the others, "Stay together! Hurry now! Arm yourselves!"

As he moved away from her, Jasmine ran after him trying to keep up.

"What the hell is happening now?" She wondered.

Running behind everyone else, she was the last to arrive in a small green clearing.

When she got there she could tell they were all staring in the same direction. Her heart was pounded a mile a minute as she waiting for whatever.

Bifur gazed in her direction for just a moment. He thought she had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen...and her golden hair... Shaking himself he knew he needed to concentrate on the trouble that was coming.

Something was indeed speeding in their direction, crashing through the trees - heading right for them. Everyone held their weapons at the ready. Jasmine just held her breath.

Suddenly, an odd wooden sleigh guided by several large rabbits broke through the underbrush and skidded to a stop. The strangely dressed man at its helm was screaming at the top of his lungs, "THIEVES! FIRE! MURDER!"

"Radagast! Radagast the Brown!"

Gandalf put his sword away and walked over to the man, "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you Gandalf. Somethings wrong…something's terribly wrong."

Giving him a skeptical stare, he replied, "Yes?"

Radagast tried several times to say what he had come to say, but seemed confused. "Oh…I had a thought and now I've lost it. It was right there on the tip of my tongue. He struggled to say his piece before adding, "Oh…it's not a thought at all…it's a silly old stick insect."

Gandalf pulled a bug off Radagast's tongue and dropped it into his hand. Taking his friend by the arm, they moved away from the group to speak privately.

Jasmine's eyes were as large as saucer's as she watched the scene play out before her. She was still desperately trying to get a grip on everything that was happening. She nervously fiddled with the straps on her backpack, not realizing she had been talking to herself. "If this is a dream, please let me wake up soon. This isn't funny anymore. I'm beginning to feel like Alice stepping through the looking glass."

A gentle tap on her shoulder made her turn to gaze into the kind eyes of the one called Balin. "Are you all right lass? You were talking to yourself."

Taking a deep breath, she replied, "Honestly…I'm not sure anymore. Everything is so confusing right now."

Balin gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry lass. We will make sure you get somewhere safe." He started to turn away, but changed his mind, "If you don't mind me asking, I have a question. Who is Alice and why would she go into a looking glass?"

Jasmine started to laugh, but realized he was serious. "Um…I'm not sure you would understand. Maybe if I get the chance, I'll explain it to you another time."

Nodding, Balin seemed to except her explanation.

As the others milled about, waiting for Gandalf to rejoin them, Jasmine had a sudden thought. Maybe it was her female intuition kicking in or maybe it was just the entire strangeness of the situation, but something was about to go down and she felt she needed to prepare to move…and to move quickly. Hiking up one side of her dress, she tucked part of the skirt into her belt. As she was busy adjusting her dress for easier movement, she noticed both Fili and Kili were staring at her legs. Tilting her head, she smiled at them, "Think it will be easier for me to run like this?"

Embarrassed that they had been caught, they blushed profusely before answering.

"Sorry!"

"Didn't mean to stare."

"Yes, you should be able to."

Jasmine lowered her eyes and went back to securing her skirt. She couldn't stop a smile from tugging at the corners of her mouth. 'Boys will be boys, no matter where you end up, I guess.'

As the group waited for Gandalf, a sudden wolf –like howl pierced the air.

Bilbo looked up, concern flooding his face. "Was that a wolf? Are…are there wolves out there?

Bofur crossed in front of him, clutching the large mallet he carried. He also seemed concerned, "Wolves! No, that is not a wolf."

Just above them on the hill, a large, snarling wolf-like animal appeared, larger than anything Jasmine had ever seen. A collective gasp went up as they all swung toward the creature. It leapt down past Bilbo and Bofur before being dispatched by Thorin. Before anyone could move, a second one appeared on the opposite hill above Thorin.

"Kili…Shoot your bow!"

As the creature bounded down the hillside, Kili shot the beast, and Dwalin finished it off

Jasmine's heart thundered in her chest, terrified by what was happening. 'Good God! What have I gotten myself into?'

Thorin jerked his sword out of the first creature, "Warg Scouts. Which means an Orc pack is not far behind."

Gandalf and Radagast suddenly appeared next to Bilbo just as he asked, "Orc pack?"

Gandalf seemed upset. "Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?"

Thorin too was upset. "No one."

Replying stronger, Gandalf said, "Who did you tell?"

"No one, I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?"

Gandalf was now glancing in every direction. "You are being hunted."

"We have to get out of here." Dwalin stated.

Ori and Bifur appeared on the ridge above the group, "We can't! We have no ponies. They bolted."

Radagast stepped forward. "I'll draw them off."

Turning to his friend, Gandalf said, "These are Gundabad Wargs…they'll outrun you"

Radagast was adamant in his reply. "These are Rhosgobel rabbits. I'd like to see them try."

And with that…the chase was on.

As Radagast drove his sleigh in one direction, the group broke from their tree cover running the opposite way. Hiding behind every outcropping, hill, and ditch they could find. They swerved, backtracked, and sidestepped across the rock littered landscape trying desperately to avoid the Orcs pursuing them.

Radagast drove in and out of the trees, around craggy overhangs as he tried to lead the Pack away from Gandalf and the Company. Jasmine charged along behind her new companions, but couldn't help feel that this was just one massive game of hide and seek, except if they were discovered, it would not end well for any of them.

Following the Dwarves over a small rise, Jasmine tripped over something in the dirt sending her crashing to the ground. Both knees were slammed into a cluster of rocks. The pain was instant and excruciating. Slapping both hands over her mouth, she held her breath trying not to scream. She struggled to even get back on her feet. The fall opened up gashes in both legs and she was frightened by the amount of blood she was seeing.

Out of nowhere, Bifur appeared beside her. Grabbing her hands, he said, "Oljon mot brondr - Jeg monmur arzavaz tho." as he pulled her from the ground. Putting one arm around her waist for support he helped her to run. Her legs screamed in agony as she struggled to just keep them moving.

Radagast led the Orcs on a merry chase, but somehow his track and that of the Company continued to intersect making them constantly change directions.

Frustrated, they found a large pile of boulders to pause beside and catch their collective breath. Jasmine was grateful for the stop as she was able to lean against them. The muscles in her legs were throbbing, her heart pounding so hard she feared it might explode. The sharp, stabbing pains in both knees made her want to just pass out.

Tearing some fabric from his tunic, Bifur knelt beside her and began wrapping the cloth around her knees trying to stop the bleeding. She couldn't keep from hissing in pain at even his gentle touch. The Dwarf glanced up trying to let her know he wasn't trying to hurt her. Taking in a deep breath, she held it as he finished putting the bindings on both legs. Standing up next to her, they locked eyes - she nodded giving him a silent thank you.

The sound of snarling and growling caught everyone's attention, causing them to stare upward. An Orc and his Warg mount had climbed onto the boulders above, scanning the area. Thorin silently indicated to Kili to shoot the creature. Withdrawing one of his arrows, he stepped away from the rock, turned and fired two arrows in quick succession, bringing the beast and rider to the ground. The Orc quickly rose, charging at the group, but Thorin, Dwalin and Bifur quickly put it down, ending its life. Jasmine couldn't stop her whole body from shaking. She had never been so terrified in all her life.

While they had eradicated this Orc, so much noise had been made taking it down, their pursuers now knew their position and were headed right for them.

The group froze hearing the sound of the approaching Wargs. Gandalf motioned which way to go before yelling, "Move! Run!"

Putting an arm around Jasmine's waist again, Bifur continued to support her as she ran. He knew she must be in tremendous pain just from what he saw of her knee damage. He wasn't sure how she continued to move forward even with his help.

Howls, growls and dog like barking split the air around them. The sound seemed to be coming from every direction. Scrambling over a hill Orcs appeared on the horizon in front of them.

"There they are!"

The group turned to flee in a different direction, but more Wargs stood waiting at the top of another slope.

Gandalf pointed, shouting, "This way! Quickly!"

The group raced in one more direction, only to be cutoff by their pursuers.

Arriving from a different direction, Kili yelled, "There's more coming!"

Thorin bellowed, "Kili – Shoot them!"

Fili yelled, "We're surrounded!"

The Dwarves formed an outward facing circle with Bilbo and Jasmine tucked inside, but not Gandalf. The wizard had mysteriously vanished.

"Where's Gandalf?"

Dwalin growled, "He's abandoned us!"

Thorin unsheathed his sword. "Hold your ground!"

Jasmine turned to Bilbo, "Is this how it all ends?"

He didn't answer as he too held his sword at the ready, terrified he would have to use it.

At that moment, Gandalf reappeared, "This way, you fools!"

Thorin turned and roared, "Come on, move!" Jumping onto the rocks, he pointed to the entrance. "Quickly! All of you!"

The first one down the hole was Bofur. He tumbled to the floor, closely followed by Bilbo. Thorin pushed his group to hurry. "Go! Go! Go!"

Gloin came next, then Bombur. As Jasmine stepped up to the hole to take her turn, two arms snaked around her waist, launching her forward. When she reached the cavern floor, she realized that it was Bifur, sliding the two of them to the ground. Grateful for his assistance, she stood and thanked him. He was making a habit of saving her.

Finally, Fili, Kili and Thorin tumbled inside. As the group stared upward expecting the Orcs to track them, the distant blare of a horn was heard. It was followed by the clash and clatter of fighting. Out of nowhere an Orc body crashed through the opening to land at their feet. Gandalf pointed his sword at the creature, but it did not move. Leaning down, Thorin removed a small arrow from its neck, only to toss it away in disgust.

"Elves!" he spat.

Dwalin had moved away from the others, searching further up a narrow tunnel.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no?

Answering for the group, Bofur replied, "Follow it, of course," as he hastened in that direction.

For his part, Thorin rolled his eyes, but moved the same way.

Gandalf replied in a matter of fact tone, "I think that would be wise."

Confused, Bilbo stared at the Wizard, but he too followed everyone.

Jasmine trailed after him, feeling the same confusion. The last one to leave the area was Gandalf.

As she limped behind Bilbo, she couldn't help staring at the narrow rock walls. An odd tingling came over her. She noticed that Bilbo seemed bewildered by something too. Whatever it was finally made him turn to the Wizard. "Gandalf…where are we?"

"You can feel it?" he responded quietly.

"Yes. It feels like…well like magic."

"That's exactly what it is. A very powerful magic."

The Wizard's answer didn't seem to ease his confusion, but Bilbo kept walking.

'Magic,' Jasmine thought, 'What were they in for now.' Sighing softly, she limped along, hoping they could rest soon.

Someone in front said, "There's light ahead."

There was indeed and it grew stronger until the group emerged into an incredible sun-filled vista. Jasmine had never seen anything like it. The scene below was like something out of a fairy tale. Astonishing buildings, multiple waterfalls, beautiful terraced gardens, all nestled against a river and large mountains. Stepping up to the edge of the rocky plateau, she felt her mouth fall open in utter astonishment.

As he exited the path, Gandalf said, "The Valley of Imladris. In the common tongue, it's known by another name."

Bilbo seemed entranced as he replied, "Rivendell."

Gandalf continued, "Here lies the Last Homely House East of the Sea."

Thorin approached Gandalf, not happy with where they were. "This was your plan all along. To seek refuge with our enemy."

Gandalf stared back at him. "You have no enemies here Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself."

Thorin shot back, "You think the Elves will give our quest their blessing? They will try to stop us."

"Of course they will. But we have questions that need to be answered."

Finally reaching Thorin with his words he continued, "If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact. And respect. And no small degree of charm. Which is why you will leave the talking to me."

Jasmine wondered what lay ahead. Up till now, she had mostly been frightened out of her head. She wasn't sure if she could handle much more. She knew her legs couldn't. Hopefully the people below had someone that could fix her injuries. She didn't want the gashes in her legs to become infected and kill her. Lord knows there seemed to plenty of other things that were willing to do that.

With Gandalf in the lead, the Company slowly made their way into the valley below.

O - O - O - O - O - O

Khuzdul - Oljon mot brondr - Jeg monmur arzavaz tho.

English - Take my hands - I will help you.