Well looky here! It is she-who-has-not-updated-in-so-long! I have returned! Heh heh. Yes, this story is much more AU, and so I know I must be more explanatory for the reader to understand what's going on. (^_^) But I'm having fun with this story... _

A cat's head popped up above the tall plant, a huge head that looked like it could swallow her hand whole, practically the size of a lion with the face of an angry Main Coon cat. She stared at it for a second, not real sure how to act. The cat meowed angrily at her, back arched and ready to swipe at her. Alicia yelped and back pedaled quickly. " Woops." she muttered as she moved to continue on her way. The cat though, was not finished with her as it pounced out and nearly knocked her to the ground. Alicia gasped and dodged, arms covering her head as she ran down the path. The cat hissed and charged.
"Beat it! Get outta here!" Alicia waved her hands in a shooing manner behind her as she tried to stay ahead. For a while she was until she weaved around the few trees in some silly effort to get away from it. "Leavemeleavemeleavemeleaveme!"
The woman did not have the same agility as a giant cat though and the animal had no problems keeping up with her. Alicia took another turn too sharply and did not see the root protruding from the ground. Her foot caught on it and sent her tumbling to the ground in a very ungraceful heap.
Behind her the cat hissed, ears back and tried to swipe once at her foot though she pull edit away in time to be missed. " Get away from me you overgrown grumpy hairball!" the girl snarled back. Her plan 'middle earth style' skirts made it hard for her to scoot back or get up without getting too tangled. Suddenly there was another roar and leaping between her and the angry cat was the tiger from before. The tiger centered itself between her and the cat. They looked like they were having some hissing competition. Alicia looked away to get her skirts untangled and back on her feet.
"Hmph, filthy clumsy big folk." Some grumpy female voice greeted her as she dusted herself off. Turning around revealed another hobbit, a lady with a tight faced disapproving frown. She had the most ridiculous looking hat of flowers Alicia had ever seen perched atop her head, white gloved hands planted firmly on her hips, judgmental eyes narrowed up at her. " Look at her! she looks nothing like the rangers. She could be working with the orcs!"
" Oh come off it dear cousin. If that was the case why on earth did she go to the trouble of freeing those still in cages?" A foreign male's voice argued back.
Alicia whipped around, now seeing two of the shortest people she'd ever seen standing where she could have sworn were a tiger and a big house cat. The human woman could not help but stare. It seemed though that the short people were quite used to being stared at. Neither batted an eyelash.
"Hmph." The irritated female turned up her nose. " Did you not hear the appalling lack of manners she had! Comparing me to that of a normal house cat! The nerve!" Her head shook irritably, like that of an angry hen. "Perhaps that what she wants us to think. Humans are more cunning than orcs after all. Even smells like a filthy orc!" The hobbit lady's harsh eyes flicked back to Alicia full of suspicion.
"Weh... What?" Alicia stuttered, chancing around for the giant angry cat and tiger still.
"That is because she has orc blood stained on her clothes Lobellia. Much like the rest of us mind."
The male rolled his eyes. "Let us just bring her to the rangers and let them deal with it. You wouldn't want to ruin your lovely pink dress now would you?"
The shorter lady turned up her nose again. " Mad Old Baggins. Ever since you left you've hardly been recognizable! Fine! But if she wreaks doom upon us it's on your crazy head!" The lady twirled on her heels storming off back the way they had come.
The male watched her go before shaking his head and turning to face a slack jawed, bug-eyed woman. He offered a kind smile after clearing his throat and straightening his waistcoat. "Sorry about that. If it's any consolation sweet rainwater is quite nice. Those orcs have us all scatterbrained and riled. But my cousin has never actually been very pleasant company to have about anyhow. I'm Bilbo Baggins. A pleasure to meet you Miss..."
It took the woman another second to realize the man was waiting on her for an answer. " A-Alicia Gardner. Nice to meet you too." She forced a smile.
Bilbo had another smile on his face, eyes blinking at some realization. " Oh right. Shall we return to the others?"
"Yes." Alicia answered, toy soldier marching to her horse again to bring it along.
No doubt her face was quite priceless right now. A not-so-well blended mix of shock and unnerved expression. These little folks, hobbits, could transform into animals the size of small horses?! Real shapeshifting creatures walking and talking about. If Alicia felt insignificant before, now she really felt like a waste of space despite having some helping hand against the orc creatures.
The little man walked with her silently as they returned to the others. He no doubt could tell she was very tense and thought to give her some time to collect her thoughts.
Again she chanced another side glance at the person beside her. He was half her size, much more curlier hair than hers, large hairy feet and dressed in a fashion she hadn't seen very often before. His ears were also large thicker and pointed and he had soft kind hearted brown eyes and smooth features of his face.
So this was a hobbit. A real hobbit. So far he didn't seem quite like the rumors she had heard. Unless those rumors were actually about Lobellia and they just didn't know her name at the time.
"What happened?" Alicia worked up the courage to ask.
Bilbo frowned a little more. " There was a small gathering in hobbiton, a little party and the orcs were stalking around the outskirts. They had attacked the rangers in a large number that not all could stop before they had some folks caged up. Those of us who went to investigate suffered the same fate until the rangers were able to get reinforcements. Terrible business."
Rohawk strode up. " Thank the valar you are well. Both of you." he greeted Bilbo with a head bow and looked back at her frowning. " Are you uninjured?"
"I am." she replied.
"Good. Do not think I do not know what you did milady. I bade you to stay where it was safe." Rohawk said sternly.
"Good thing she hadn't." Bilbo spoke up before her. " Or some of us would still be caged up and some of your people would be dead by now."
Rohawk glanced at him, acknowledging his words before looking back at her. "This time we were lucky yes, but next time, should you disobey an order again, what if it did result in yet more deaths?"
Alicia gave him an unimpressed look. " Then hopefully the person who gives the order will give out smarter orders."
Rohawk's jaw tensed as he looked at her angrily. "I am trained in this. You are not, You are not even from these lands. You think you know of these matters better than I?" He nearly hissed.
Bilbo cleared his throat loudly again. " Excuse me. We needn't fight amongst each other right now. Not after we won the fight. Why don't we all take a break and rest shall we?"
Alicia didn't stop her hard stare that she was locked in with the ranger. " Like I said, give better orders, to someone who's yours to order around."
" You are under my charge." Rohawk clipped back. " If you did get hurt it would be my responsibility."
Alicia still did not let up on her stare down. "Alright hotshot. You're so manly." She said sarcastically. " Just like you, I did what was right, to make sure we won."
Rohawk looked on the verge of lashing out again before another voice interrupted the argument.
"Rohawk. It is good to see you here and unharmed during the fray." The leader of the rangers came up. His face was weathered with age. "Who is this young lady?"
"This is Alicia. an escaped slave from the orcs slavers. I am escorting her to Hobbiton." Rohawk gritted out.
Bilbo smiled up at the leader. " Gordian. I must thank you again for your aid."
Gordian smiled down at him. " Tis my duty Master Baggins. A pleasure to meet you Lady Alicia. Well done Rohawk for looking after her."
"Yes, he was good company." Alicia smiled to the both of them. Rohawk quirked one eyebrow and gave a jerky nod. " Thank you for helping me and escorting me." Alicia replied genuinely.
"Of course." Rohawk replied calmly.
"What's this about orc slavers i hear?" Gordian questioned.
Rohawk explained all what happened and his missions to bring his letter to the Thane. Gordian's face was creased with many more wrinkles from his deep frown after the news. "So now they are taking ships to gather more innocents into their captive." He shook his head. " We must send word to every city and every ranger camp across Arda." He turned back to Alicia. " It does my heart well to see that you and those among you were liberated. I must tend to my men. You are welcome to stay with us if you've no other place to stay."
"Sure. Yes thank you." Alicia answered before turning to Bilbo. " It was very nice to meet you Mister Bilbo."
The hobbit smiled up at her. " The pleasure is mine Miss Alicia. Perhaps we could share in a pot of tea while you're here."
"That sounds wonderful thank you." She smiled to him before Bilbo excused himself to tend to the other hobbits.
Alicia had excused herself too to go see what she might be able to help with. That help mostly ferrying medical supplies from one person to the other.
"We've done all we can here." Gordian announced. " Let us retire for the day."
The hobbits hobbled away to their own homes while the rangers went to the Green Dragon Inn.
As they walked she noticed that unlike the hobbits, the rangers seldom spoke and moved swiftly while still being alert of their whereabouts. Their destination was a large log building painted green matching the theme of it's name. Inside it was run by mostly hobbits with furniture that accommodated for human height too. At one side was a very large fireplace that was being lit for the night. A few patrons were there and mostly workers doing their duties. It was then Alicia realized. " I don't have money."
Gordian waved it off. " Worry not. You are our guest during your stay with us."
"Thank you." she said again to him. While she normally didn't like people to have to pay for her too much, she knew she had to relent this time. The hobbit at the front bar greeted them under his straw hat. Alicia as given her own room and a nice dinner before bed. Again she made sure to always voice her gratitude in anything that was given to her, especially at the mention of a bath.
Her bath consisted of a large metal bucket, just big enough that she could almost stretch her legs out completely, with water that was heated up in the fire place and she'd fill the tub with it. Even bathing was done slightly differently. On her island everyone had running water to their homes and filtration systems using the elements of the island, and heating water would be available all day in large vats for clean water storing. At night, without the sun the water would cool down to where one would have to heat it up with a fire. Still, the bath was refreshing, the silence was comforting and it all allowed her to relax fully. Alicia glanced at the bar soap. It was a lovely lavender smell and she wondered if people often took toiletries from this Inn like guests at Inns on her island did.
The woman was one of those people sometimes who looted the free complimentary bar soaps and little shampoos provided by the runners of the inn. She would certainly be taking all the free stuff she could get at this point.
One thing she did not like about this new land (besides the orcs of course) was their sleep ware. The girl was given sleeping 'gowns' at the ranger town to keep. She didn't like them then and still didn't like them now. Sleeveless shirts and short pants were her preferred sleeping attire. That or an oversized shirt and pants.
The bed looked like heaven on earth to her, but still she hesitated for a second. How often was this bed cleaned and it's sheets changed out? Would it be rude to ask for clean linens?
Tip toeing up to the bed she stared at it as she got on her knees to check for a layer of dust either on the bed or the nightstand. she saw none. Both objects passed the finger test too. The fresh smell that wafted from the bed was the ultimate deal sealer for her. These already were fresh linens and Alicia jumped right onto the bed, sighing in contentment at not having to think about the world for a while.

It's Bilbo! And he's a tiger! I know, not the first animal people would pair with Bilbo. I chose a tiger because tigers were one of my favorite animals. They are sneaky, cute (to me), loving, playful and funny too as well as independent and creatures of solitude. So I thought it might be a better fit than a rabbit.

And Lobellia is just an angry main coon cat who don't like Big Folk. lol

So thanks for reading! Ya'll have an awesome week!