Author's Notes: I don't own anyone from Lord of the Rings. If I did Frodo wouldn't have gone on to the Grey Havens. Legolas would be teaching me how to use a bow and arrow. Aragorn and Arwen would have been married long before the Ring was found. I don't own any of the Inu-Yasha characters. If I did, Sesshomaru would be joining Legolas in teaching me how to use a sword. Enjoy.

Recently I got copies of the show and saw that the spelling of Sesshomaru is indeed spelled wrong. Forgive me but I was going by what I saw in the magnas. I did correct the spelling in all the chapters.

Chapter 3

Journey to Bree

Tori watched as Sam and Gandalf spoke softly to each other while she loaded their packs onto Kirara. She ignored the looks coming from Frodo as she petted Kirara's head. She turned to grab the last two packs when Frodo stopped her.

"Are you sure Kirara will do this for us?" Frodo looked up at Kirara in her full form.

"If I had Ah-Un here it would be easier. He can carry a lot more. Unfortunately the little toad had to take him to get back to the castle." Tori hefted one of the packs into the harness Gandalf had helped her make. "Besides, Kirara is always carrying us around on her back and this stuff weighs less than three of us, doesn't it, Kirara?" Kirara meowed slightly as Tori secured the last pack to the harness. "She's going to walk beside us so that if she gets tired we can take the packs and she'll transform into her smaller form and one of us can carry her."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Sam had returned from talking with Gandalf. "We won't have to worry about any of our things going missing, Mr. Frodo."

"Fine." Frodo moved away from Tori and Sam.

"Thanks, Samwise." Tori patted Sam's shoulder as Rin and Shippo each gave Gandalf a hug goodbye. She moved toward the wizard and hugged him tight. "Keep yourself safe, Gandalf." Tori kissed his withered cheek.

"That I will, my dear lady." Gandalf gave her a smile before looking at Frodo. "Is it secret? Is it safe?" Frodo patted one of his pockets lightly. "Good. Remember to keep off the roads. I'll meet you in Bree." He started to move toward his horse.

Tori hurried over to the wizard while Frodo and Sam took Shippo and Rin's hands and started across the fields. "Gandalf."

"Yes, Lady Tori?" Gandalf leaned on his staff as he stared at this woman before him.

Tori fingered a necklace before taking it off and putting it around Gandalf's neck. "This will help protect you."

"I cannot take this, my lady." Gandalf reached up to take the necklace off but Tori laid her hand over his.

"I want you to take it. I've just got a feeling that the guy you're gonna see isn't the friendliest of characters." Tori shrugged slightly as if she were trying to rid herself of a bad dream. "Sesshomaru gave this to me." She noticed that Gandalf was going to say something. "He told me that it would protect whomever I gave it to. I want to make sure that you make it to Bree." Tori kissed his cheek one last time before hurrying after the Hobbits and children with Kirara right behind her.

Gandalf laid a hand over the charm before lifting so that he could look it over. A small jade dragon was protecting a black pearl. He nodded slightly before mounting his horse and galloping to the South toward Isengard.

-----

Tori hefted the pack on her shoulder slightly as she watched Rin and Shippo chase each other in the fields. She noticed that Sam had stopped in his tracks. She looked over at his sad face. "What is it, Samwise?"

"This is the furthest I've ever been from home." Sam looked up at Tori.

Tori laughed making the birds leave their branches. "I know what you mean." She started to walk after Frodo and the children.

"Hey wait! What do you mean?" Sam hurried after her.

"Well. About a month ago, I was captured and taken to another world. Until that time I'd never traveled anywhere or done anything special but now I'm a hero on Naboo and I'm the mate to a powerful demon lord." Tori smiled as she laid a hand one Sam's shoulder. "Come on. We'd better catch up to the others so we can make camp."

"Okay." Sam hurried after Tori's retreating form. They saw Frodo and the children taking turns carrying Kirara.

Tori hurried over to them and smiled. "We'd better make camp before it gets dark."

"Okay, Lady Tori." Frodo noticed several trees that looked like they had been hollowed out for a campsite. "How about over there?"

"Looks good." Tori scrambled up the slight hill and dropped her pack beside the trees. "I'm going to look for firewood. Shippo and Samwise, I want the two of you to go and get some water from the creek over there. Take Kirara with you."

Shippo and Sam scrambled onto Kirara's back and took off toward the creek that Tori had told them about. Tori disappeared into the forest and began to gather the fallen limbs and twigs that she could find. Fordo and Rin rummaged through the packs looking for something to make for supper. Tori dropped her load of wood beside Frodo and Rin only a few minutes after she had left. She grabbed her pack and disappeared behind one of the trees before returning and setting her pack on the ground while Rin unrolled their sleeping bags. She had returned wearing a kimono that spoke of her station in Japan. Together, she and Frodo started the fire and began cooking some of the food as Sam, Kirara, and Shippo returned to the campsite. In minutes, Tori had the water boiling over the campfire so that she could put in the last few packages of Ramen noodles that were residing in the bottom of her pack. She was just about to drop the noodles into the water when Frodo sat up from his spot on a tree branch.

"Listen." Frodo turned slightly so that he was facing the east. "Wood-Elves."

Tori caught Frodo as he jumped from the tree branch. "What are Wood-Elves?"

"You'll see." Frodo ran into the forest with the others right behind him.

They reached a small rise and Frodo made them crawl to the top of the hill. Tori ignored this and stood regally at the top of the hill. She watched the long line of elves passing the hidden Hobbits and children. I'm glad I decided to wear my royal kimono. She noticed several of the male elves coming toward her. Her right hand rested on the hilt of her sword as she bowed to them.

"Please, my lady. Our lady wishes to speak with you." One of the elves extended a hand to her and Tori placed hers on top of it and allowed him to lead her to one of the she-elves sitting upon a horse.

The she-elf looked down at Tori as she curtsied quickly. "Why do you spy on us?"

"I'm not spying. I've never seen Wood-Elves before and a friend of mine said that you were passing through." Tori bowed her head out of respect.

"How is it that you have never seen Wood-Elves? Are you not from the North?"

"No, I'm not. I come from a distant land that can't be found on any map of Middle Earth."

"I see." The she-elf rummaged through a pouch at her waist. "Please take this for safe passage through these woods." She handed a silver crown to Tori. "It will show all creatures that you and your friends have our permission to be here."

"Thank you, my lady." Tori bowed again as the line of Wood-Elves began to move again. "I pray that you have a safe passage to wherever you are going."

The she-elf nodded before nudging her horse ahead. Tori watched the Wood-Elves go before she moved back to the children and the Hobbits. Frodo and Sam both seemed a little sad that they hadn't gotten to speak with the Elves but Tori merely shrugged as she placed the crown on her head. Rin and Shippo hurried back to campsite and the warm fire. Tori picked up the packets of Ramen noodles and finished making their meal.

"I can't believe the Elves talked to you." Frodo poked his food slightly.

"Well, I guess they thought I was from the North, whatever that meant." Tori sipped her tea as Rin and Shippo finished eating. "Frodo, where were the Elves going?"

"To the Grey Havens. They're leaving Middle Earth." Frodo frowned slightly as he continued to pick at his food.

"Why?" Tori was confused. Why would such beautiful and powerful beings leave Middle Earth?

Frodo shrugged as he placed his full plate on the ground. "I don't know."

"It makes me sad." Sam placed the empty plates into a tub of water and started to wash them.

Tori noticed that Frodo wasn't eating so she picked up his plate and handed it to him. "You'd better eat, Frodo. I'm hoping to be more than halfway to Bree tomorrow evening. And you need to keep up your strength."

"Of course, my lady." Frodo looked up at the crown nestled in Tori's hair. "That crown is very beautiful."

Tori plucked the silver crown from her hair. "That it is. Whoever made it was a craftsman of the finest degree."

"I've only ever seen that fine craft from the Dwarves at the Lonely Mountain." Frodo took bite of his sausage.

"Lonely Mountain. Isn't that where Bilbo went on his adventure?" Tori looked up from wiping Rin's face with a damp cloth.

"Did he tell you about it?" Frodo watched Tori tucking Rin and Shippo into one of the sleeping bags.

"Some of it. Mostly about the dragon." Tori sank onto one of the logs around the fire. "It reminds me of the stories that I've been gathering lately."

"Tell us one." Sam looked up from the dishes he was drying.

"Okay." Tori tapped her chin for a moment. "I told you about our last adventure but I didn't tell you how it ended."

"You got as far as the Battle of Boona…" Sam stacked the plates in his pack.

"Naboo. Well, our friends James and Sirius decided that they needed to help Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon." Tori's eyes glazed over with tears as she thought of the great man that they had lost that day. "They fought against one man but even then we still lost someone."

"Who? Surely James or Sirius." Frodo handed Sam his now empty plate.

"Neither of them. They're very good fighters." Tori looked over at the sleeping children. "It was Qui-Gon. I warned them before the battle that we were going to loose somebody but they didn't want to listen." Tori shook her head slightly. "I believe it's time to go to sleep. We've got an early start in the morning."

"Right." Frodo crawled into the pallet of blankets that Sam had laid out for him while Tori moved behind the trees to change into her nightclothes.

Sam had just crawled into his bed when Tori emerged from behind the tree in her nightclothes. She tucked her kimono into her pack before climbing into her sleeping bag. "Goodnight, Frodo, Samwise."

"Goodnight, Lady Tori." Sam snuggled under his blankets trying to get comfortable.

"Goodnight, Lady Tori." Frodo's voice sounded as if he were already halfway asleep.

Sam tossed and turned. "There's no hope for it, Mr. Frodo. Everywhere I lay there's a great dirty root poking me."

"Just pretend that you're at home in your bed with a warm cover and fluffy pillows." Frodo drifted off to sleep as Sam continued to toss and turn.

-----

Tori and Sam were walking at the back of the group with Kirara, who was again wearing all the packs. They were walking through the fields of Farmer Maggot's farm while Rin and Shippo were ahead with Frodo. Tori stopped when she realized that Frodo and the children weren't where she could see them. "Frodo? Rin? Shippo?"

Sam seemed to pick up on Tori's distress. "Mr. Frodo? Where are you?"

Tori and Sam looked at each other and hurried through the corn field until Frodo and the children stepped back onto the path. Tori held a hand to her heart and took several deep breaths while Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong?" Frodo looked from Tori to Sam.

"We thought we lost you and the children, Mr. Frodo." Sam's eyes skimmed over Frodo, making sure that he was okay.

"What could happen to me? We're in the Shire." Frodo fell over as two Hobbits ran into him.

Tori hauled the two offenders off of Frodo when she noticed who they were. She shook her head as she flung them to the side. "Merry and Pippin. I should have known that it was you two. Kami knows that you're the worst troublemakers."

Sam picked up several heads of cabbages from the ground and glared at Merry and Pippin. "You've been in Farmer…"

"Maggot's crops again. Honestly, you'd think we hadn't done it before." Merry took the cabbages from Sam while Pippin picked up some carrots from the ground.

"Hey! Come back here!" Farmer Maggot's voice was slowly growing louder.

Tori grabbed Rin and Shippo by the collars of their shirts and tossed them onto Kirara's back. "Get them out of here, Kirara." She then grabbed Frodo's had and followed after Merry and Pippin while Sam looked down at the vegetables in his hands. "Come on, Samwise! We've got to get out of here."

Merry and Pippin led them through the woods surrounding Farmer Maggot's farm. Merry stopped suddenly when he came upon a cliff. Pippin slammed into his back while Tori and Frodo skidded to a stop a moment later. Sam was looking behind himself when he slammed into Frodo and Tori and sent the whole group over the cliff. Tori screamed as she tried to grab a root or anything to stop herself from landing on the hard ground rushing toward her. She needn't have worried. Kirara flew under Tori and Frodo and caught them while Sam, Merry, and Pippin landed in a pile on the road below. Kirara landed and Tori lifted Frodo from her back while Rin and Shippo scrambled to the ground.

"I think I broke something." Merry started to shove Pippin off of him when he pulled out one of the carrots which had snapped in half.

"What did you stop for?" Sam shoved at Merry and Pippin.

"It was a shortcut." Pippin tried not to cower under Sam's glare.

"A shortcut to what?" Sam started to brush himself off.

"Mushrooms." Pippin hurried over to the foot of one of the trees with Merry and Sam right behind him.

Tori ignored them as she checked Frodo over for any injuries. "I ought to kill them for this."

Frodo just nodded his head as he looked down the road. A chill passed over him and Tori making her look up. Frodo looked scared as he turned back to Tori. "I think we should get off the road."

"You're right." Tori looked at Kirara who had decided to take the children and fly back up to the cliff. "Keep them safe, Kirara." She looked over at the fighting Hobbits. "Guys, I think we need to get off the road."

A scream sounded from around the bend in the road. Tori grabbed Sam and Merry as Frodo grabbed Pippin and hurried off the road. Tori watched the Hobbits hide under a root by the road. She made her way down the hill and hid behind a tree as a rider in black on a black horse came down the road. She held her breath as the rider dismounted and seemed to sniff the air. I wonder if that's a demon. Tori noticed that the rider was gripping the root the Hobbits were hiding under. She knelt down and grabbed a rock and tossed it at the rider. The rock hit him on his chest. The rider looked up and saw Tori there smiling softly. Tori was smirking to herself as the rider came toward her. She pulled out her sword and held it before her.

Tori smiled as the rider slowly got closer to her. "I'd stop right there, pal. That is unless you want to get hurt." The rider took a step closer. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Blades of Fire!!" Several blades of fire flew from the downswing of her sword and hit the rider. It screamed before running back to its horse and riding back the way it had come. Tori sheathed her sword and hurried to the Hobbits. "Let's move people. Kirara, head toward the river. We'll meet you there."

Merry and Pippin led Sam, Tori, and Frodo through the woods. They stopped often as they heard the black rider scream and others answered him. Tori kept her sword sheathed but her hand never left the hilt. She knew that the rider had friends but she didn't know where they were at. Night had fallen when the group stopped for a quick snack.

"That rider was looking for something or someone." Merry looked at Frodo who was holding the pocket that held the ring.

"Frodo, Sam, and I need to get to Bree." Tori knew that it would be difficult to tell Merry and Pippin the real reason until they were safe from the riders.

"We have to cross the Brandywine River." Sam was still panting even though they had stopped over half an hour earlier.

"Buckleberry Ferry." Merry grabbed Tori's hand and hauled her through the forest with Pippin, Sam and Frodo following them.

The black rider was following them but they managed to avoid it. Well, all of them except Frodo. He was running in circles trying to get past the rider's horse. Tori pulled out her sword and aimed it at the rider. "Hello, dumb ass. Remember me? Or do you remember this? Blades of Fire!"

Frodo managed to get around the horse as the riser screamed in fear of the fire coming toward him. He and Tori ran toward the ferry that Sam, Merry, and Pippin were just pushing away from shore. Tori could see Kirara and the children standing on the other side of the river as she and Frodo jumped onto the ferry. Tori relaxed as she watched the riders ride along the bank of the river and out of sight.

"How far to the nearest bridge?" Sam was also watching the riders.

"Brandywine Bridge. Twenty miles." Merry went back to guiding the ferry across the river.

-----

Rain poured down as Tori stood hidden by the trees surrounding the village of Bree. She, the children, Kirara, and the Hobbits had traveled day and night to reach the safe haven of the village. They didn't know where the black riders were but she wasn't anxious to find out. She looked down at the soaked Hobbits and children. Kirara was curled up inside her kimono and was as soaked as the rest of them. Tori nodded slightly. "The coast is clear. Let's go."

They hurried through the rain to the closed gate of Bree. Frodo knocked on it and a small square level with Tori's face opened to reveal a withered old man. "My lady."

"My friends and I wish to stay at the Prancing Pony." Tori watched the man close the small door. She heard the locks being removed from the main door.

"Sorry about that, my lady. It's me job to ask questions after dark. Talk of strange folks out and about lately." The old man ushered them into the courtyard beyond the door.

They drifted down the street and avoided the few people who dared to be out in the rain. A sign of a pony shifted in the wind. Tori looked down at the travel weary Hobbits and children and smiled. "The Inn of the Prancing Pony. Come on. Let's go get warm." She opened the door and disappeared into the warm, and dry, Inn.