Hello you amazing and beautiful (or handsome) Readers! I don't want to speak too soon, but it seems I have a little more time on my hands for awesome stories for awesome readers and reviewers. Bare with me, the company is coming soon. This time, the OC goes them instead of the more popular OC waits for them or meets them in their travels...because I am a breaker of traditions sometimes 0_o Right! Here we are.

Chapter-13 Plan B

Alicia breathed in as she felt suddenly warmer than usual that morning. She heard odd sniffnig noises and felt shuffling along her bed that wasn't her own doing. Slowly her eyes creskedn open to a black eyed furry face qiggling it's nose in front of her. It wasn't until seeing it's sharp teeth did she finally register there was this huge animal on her bed. A squrriel with a head as big as her own head stared intently down at her.
He went bug eyed, yelped and pulled the covers over her head. That seemed to be the best plan of action. The creature pawed and chattere above her as if trying to find her.
"Getoffgetoffgetoff!" Alicia kicked and bucked, wrestling to get the invader off her bed.
The squirrel's chattering went fromit's rodent noises to a familiar, barly controlled gail of laughter.
Slowly Alicia peeked out from under her blanket to see Zinnia sitting at the edge of her bed laughing to the point of her cheeks turning a pinkish color.
"Seriously?!" Alicia huffed, dropping her head back on the pillow.
"Oh don't be frightened! The big bad squrriel is gone now!" Zinnia said in mock drama between her giggles.
Alicia snorted in amusement, really unable to be mad at her. Instead she lightly shoved the hobbit lass, preteneding to push her off the bed. " Get off." She said in mock grump.
Still Zinnia was giggling. " Oh I couldn't help myself. You looked much too comfortable!"
"Beds have that effect on people." Alicia mumbled sleepily.
"Look I made us some tea That should wake you up." Zinnia said smiling proudly at the little table at the center of the room where a serving tray was. "So? How was your visit then?"
"Hm? You mean with Bilbo? It was very nice. He didn't do anything at all that even hinted toi Madness." Alicia started as she finally rolled up out of bed. " I think peole say that more out of envy than him being dangerous."
Zinnia blew on her cup before taking a testing sip. "Mm, perhaps so, perhaps not. You must understand we hobbits are quiet, simple living folk and as creatures of habit, we don't accept change very well. It also why we hire the rangers to help keep us all safe and oblivious to the world. For the most part, the world stays oblivious to us."
"What about when the world changes?" Alicia asked next after thanking her for the raspberry tea.
"We've never had to worry about that before. This way has always been the best and happiest way of living for us all. And, should we ever have to make any changes, the heads of the houses and our Thain will do their dutiy in seeing the best course of action." Zinnia explained.
"Don't you have a say in it?"
"If we did have any complaints of course we are encouraged to take it to the Thain." Zinnia answered.
The human loved the aroma of the tea, and drinking it of course. A smile played on her lips. " The Shire is such a nice place and you know it kinda reminds me of home on the country side."
Zinnia smiled encouragingly to her as they ate their breakfast before the day got started.

Alicia had just barely put the dirty dishes in the wash basin in the back room when the door swung open and in came the crowd of people. Ranger and hobbit alike just all decided to come eat at once it seemed and suddelny the whole staffs' hands and feet were flying everywhere. There was one table with a particularly grumpy man that Alicia already had an unfreindly experience with. He sat down at the table with a pinched face as if he had been waiting an hour and not just arrived.
Please some one else take that table, please someone else take that table. She chanted in her head. Maybe this time the islander could stay in the back and help cook instead of dealing with them.
Alicia purposefully waited behind, casting side glances and hoping someone else would. Thank the heaveans above, other workers went to wait on the tables. She laughed triumphantly in her head as she made herself busier in the kitchen.
While she chopped up carrots, Zinnia came bursting in. " We'll need more of that soup made once you're finished with that batch, and if you don't mind doing me a favor while I run these drinks out? Could you start on the dough for some more loaves of bread? Thank you so much."
Zinnia zipped arounbd the counters, grabbing up stacks of cups her short arms could carry before bustling to where they all kept the various beverages.
Alicia bobbed her head, pumped up to get some work done, so long as she didn't have to deal with screaming voices in her ears, she'd be glad to do nearly anything else.
At the end of that party's dining, they had nearly run completely out of apple juice and sausage links. So the keeper had to send another worker out to buy some more to hold them over until next shipment came in.
Alicia cleaned up her mess and was sent on her lunch hour. Up she went to her room to organize a few things. Zinnia passed her on her way, changing out a few sheets in a guest room. " You getting ready to go somewhere?" The hobbitess aske as she saw Alicia's table of provisions.
"Yes. I am planning on leaving for the blue mountains. It's closer to the sea and possibly better opportunity for me." Alicia confessed.
Zinnia frowned in worry. " Oh dear. The blue mountains? Thats where the long beards live. The dwarves."
Alicia barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. "Yes. Any rumors you want to share about them?"
" Well, it's just dwarves are secretive, and not a very welcoming or friendly lot. Not unless they want something from you. And don't give me that exasperated half-hearted smile I'm quite serious. They go by the same classes we do you know."
"Yes yes, alpha beta and omega. I get it. I don't plan on disrupting any of that or talking to anyone I don't need to."
Zinnia chose to fold up the newly dried linens in Alicia's room. "They may go by the same class but some of them go by less friendlier and more dangerous rules. Why on earth would you wish to go there then?"
"Becasue, ALthough this place is safe, Nothing here is going to help me get back home. To me, lovely as The SHire is, It's not my home."
"Hmph. And a bunch of smelly hairy battle crazed dwarves are?" Zinnia said over her shoulder.
Alicia couldn't help but chuckle. " No, but they're right there by the sea."
Alicia retold a summary of her plans to Zinnia who listened, but had an arguement for every point.
"Zinnia." ALicia interupted. " I'm going." she said resolutely.
The hobbit lass huffed but finally let it go. She resigned to just presenting a humorless smile. " I suppose if you feel you must, then you must."
"Thank you for understanding." Alicia said, knowing full well Zinnia did anything but.
Alicia wanted to raise as much money as she could though, Having slowly learned the style of currency. On her home island, shells and traded goods were the currency instead of coins. Her next pay day would be in at the end of the month which was still three weeks away. That would also give her time to prepare for the trip. Zinnia was such a kind, honest and helpful friend just like Brenada was.
Sometimes, Alicia would wake up to find the giant squrriel in her bead, sleeping peacefully or bunting her head on Alicia or playfully tickling her face with that unbelievably bushy tail of hers,to wake the human for the morning. There was a rather sweet 'goodnight nuzzle' that happened whenever Alicia was woken up by the sound of her door opening or her bed moving.
During a lunch break Alicia brought up the questoins that came to her mind since this had been happening.
"Why have you chosen to come stay with me, at night I mean?" Alicia asked her hobbit friend. SHe had hoped it didn't sound too chary.
Zinnia's smiling face took on a rogueish look. " I always thought you smelled good. You smell even better when you're sleeping. I like to watch your eyelashes flutter like butterflies and I want to catch them all to myself."
Alicia stared. " What?"
"Oh you have the cutest smile when you sleep. Do you know that sometimes you laugh in your sleep?" Zinnia said as she leane closer.
"Stop it." Alicia had a lopsided smile at her friend's antics.
"I just desire to be close to you." Zinnia whispered.
"You stop that right now." Alicia mock sneered still unable to stop snickering. " And you tell me the truth."
Zinnia leaned back in her seat. "Pity. Usually humans are easily disturbed. It's rather entertaining at times. Unless I confess to you that not everythign I said was just for jests?" SHe paused to gauge Alicia's reaction. Naught but quirked eyebrows was recieved. " You do, on occasion laugh in your sleep. Quiet little giggles. You are much too light of a sleeper. You do not smell that different other than morning breath, and I do like spending time with you. I can't place it myself, maybe you're just a good hearted person, but it's definitely something about you I feel as though I can trust you. In our animal forms, our instincts are stronger of course, so is our defense when we are hurting or in danger. It's a little easier to get a sense of a person's intents you see, but we're not mind readers mind! So if you've heard that rumor you can dash it out right now. Nonsense it is." Zinnia prattled on.
Alicia had learned real quick that whenever she could never ask Zinnia a question unless she had tme to sit there and listen to a lecture becuase if how thorough Zinnia tended to be. The compliment however, was kind and humbling. " Well, thank you. You help me out so much and I'm glad I got to befriend you too. You're an amazing friend too."
Zinnia made a peculiar purring sound, almost dancing ing her seat joyfully. "I try."
The islander chortled
Yes, Alicia truly counted herself blessed to always have someone to truly rely on. There for a moment she realized this may not be the case all the time. One day she'll be completely on her own and Sabrya will be there to rub it in her face. That made her reluctant to leave. What if she did get there and life was so rough that she was working twice as hard for even smaller pay than here? What if she could not find a way back home at all?
Alicia shook her head from those fearful thoughts. If she let those govern her mind for too long she'd hesitate till its too late. So for the next two weeks, Alicia had made a list of all things she'd need to pack. Little by little she gathered proper provisions and thanks to Zinnia's kindness again, she only had to buy half the things herself as Zinnia had helped her gather her things. The hobbit lady even packed a few extra things in her fret over the islander and within no time Alicia's pack was full of lumps.
At the end of the month, Alicia was ready to go. The day of her chosen departure arrived, and she bade farewell to the few friends she had made.
Zinnia wrapped her litle arms around Alicia, nuzzling and making that curious purring sound that had Alicia quirking a brow bemusedly as she hugged back.
Zinnia giggled at her facial expression. "Purring is a good thing, so is nuzzling. And now you also have my scent for a while."
"So do I smell like zinnia flowers now?" Alicia smirked.
Zinnia playfully slapped her arm. "Yes! Hooligan! I could throw mud at you if you prefer." That was what mischevious hobbit children were called. Alicia laughed again and when she was done Zinnia took on a more serious tone. "Now you take the upmost care! If you want to come back, let me reprase that... You had better come back if you don't find what you're looking for out there."
" I promise." Alicia said sincerely, enveloping her friend in one last hug before leaving for who knows how long again.
She hurried down the dirt packed streets of Hobbiton. Alicia wanted to say goodbye to her last friend, Bilbo, before she ahd left. He had his own adventure to go on too afterall. He was always a wonderful host and served the most flavorfull teas she had ever tasted before. Not to mention, the most unusual combination of ingrediants for pastries she's never tasted before too. Up to his front gate she made it, where the islander was greetd by a hunched over Hamfast.
"Hello!" SHe greeted to him.
Hamfast hummed and looked over. His wrinkled face folding upwards with his smile. " Well hullo there Missy." He greeted dusting his hands on his pants as he stood up.
"Nice to see you again. Is Bilbo available?" Alicia asked as she stood at the gate.
Hamfast's smile receeded a little as he scratched his ear. " Sorry Missy. Bilbo left nearly three weeks ago. Left me in charge of his home and garden while he's away. Don't want folks auctioning off all his wares again."
Alicia's smile had dissipated completely to be replaced by a sad frown. "Really?" She couldn't help but ask. She as really hoping to get to see him one last time.
Hamfast simply shrugged and smiled apologetically. "It's true. Sorry about that." The gardener replied at seeing her crestfallen face.
"Oh..." Alicia replied. " What a shame." She sighed as she glanced over at the assortment still gathered around in pots. "Well, thank you." Alicia turne to leave back the way she had come.
Alicia pouted a little at notthinking ahead to wish Bilbo off before he was gone, but no use crying over spilled milk. She redjusted her pack and returned to the crossroad where she'd take a right instead of a left to go to the blue mountains.
Downwards she continued, with a spring in her step and a song on her lips she hummed as she took in the last of the sights of the Shire. Then on the outskirts is when she stopped. This was it. SHe was leaving the safety of the quiet hobbit town and stepping into the wild, and without a horse even. Why didn't she buy a horse? Oh wait... becuase they can be expensive and Alicia is a tightwad.
Alicia pulled out the map she had bought. On it were tiny tick marks she had made a while ago to mark certain distances and areas she had been already. According to the little meter at the bottom, it takes four hundred fifty eight (give or take a few) miles to reach from Hobbiton to Rivendell, and judging by the map it was equal distance between hobbiton to the blue mountains.
Averagelly a person (human) can walk seventy two miles a day. with the math done that estimated to a week before reaching the mountains...
Did she do the math right? Alicia frowned and recalculated based off the time it took for her and Rowhawk. Well, they were on horse back and it only took two nights.
So maybe she wasn't as off as she felt. " One week. I can do that easy peasy." SHe grinned to herself, bolstering up her confidence and finally started walking again.
Onward she went. Believe it or not, traveling by oneself is perfectly a perfectly acceptable excuse to talk to oneself. It didn't matter that anybody thinks, since no one was around to begin with.
The first two nights, she got little sleep, probablymore like cat naps if anything. A strange noise or some scary imagination the unjown would influence her mind to conjure up made it hard to stay comfortable enough to sleep. But afterthe thrid day of not getting enough sleep she was grumpy with it and decided enough was enough. She made herself try to go to bed earlier and mentally berated herself every time she woke to an unusual sound.
Despite the peace that the trip offered, she was under no illusions of all the dangers people had stressed to her time and time again of what could be just around the corner. Thinking about those things also annoyed her, still the islander refused to let herself be lulled into a deusional sense of security by the serenity of the world around her. To make travel easier, she dressed in what people around her would consider 'men's garb', but no matter. Dresses were for casual and formal parties, not labor and travel in her mind.
It was different, being alone in a place you're familiar with versus a place you've never been. By far it could easily be much scarier. Thge way so many people had spoken about how tricky it was to travel, as if she should expect a bear to just randomly jump out and maul her right now. The thought did make her look around habitually. Even though that could happen, logically speaking, if she played it safe, like staying off the main roads, keeping an eye on her surroundings, make noise for the wildlife if she thought she might be at risk of animal attacks, and stay out of visiual contact, then her chanes of making it safely increase. Alicia was under no illusions though. As much as she did love learning new servival techniques at home, she was not a proffesional at it.
It was both exciting and frightening. Alicia decided that even if the world wasn't all it cracked up to be, still she would appreciate her own adventures around it.

And they're off again. Like butterflies man, can't stay in one place for very long XD XD XD, but I'm one to talk. Like you would stay in one place for too long while you have the chance to explore Middle Earth? I know you're probably asking 'where is the company? what's happening to them?' They're coming! I promise it is just two or three more chapters from here. Thank you for your patience. So comments? reviews? Ideas? :)