An Old Amulet
Chapter One
"Excuse me, miss? May I ask what it is you are doing back there?"
The sudden sound startled me, being surrounded by nothing but the light chirps of songbirds and the sounds of squirrels playing in the trees. I almost thought I wouldn't run into anyone on that blasted road. Forced to remain naked and afraid until the end of my days. Which could have easily been that night if I was left in my current state. But my savior appeared before me, well, behind me, and he seemed to be a man by the low timber of his voice. I couldn't tell much more from my position since I didn't want to move and grant him a sight he wasn't expecting, nor one I was willing to give him. I had no choice but to stay put. Like I had been for what felt like hours.
I'd been trying to figure where I was as I sat there. Hoping to find something familiar about the vast green in front of me. Sadly, I'd lived in the middle of large cities for the majority of my life. The entirety, really. I hadn't seen anything close to the grandness of my surroundings aside from pictures on the internet or paintings I'd passed. Nothing in my memory compared. Which just meant I was more than hopelessly lost. I was doomed.
"Miss?" The stranger asked, edging closer to my spot. "Are you alright?"
"Sorry, sorry!" I apologized rather thoroughly, realizing I hadn't responded, waving my hands with a bit of a hysterical laugh. "If you wouldn't mind staying over there, that'd be really fantastic, I'm not in a good state at the moment."
He stopped moving, standing still but continuing on the conversation. "Are you injured? Lost? You're speaking in tongues, lass."
"I'm sorry, I'm out of sorts. I am lost, yes. As for injured, I don't think so." I lamented, giving my naked form another once over. I didn't ache anywhere but you couldn't be sure until you looked. "Sorry to ask this all of a sudden, but you wouldn't happen to have a pair of trousers on you, would you?"
"Why yes, I do. They're quite comfortable. Nice and warm, thank you for asking." He replied happily, clearly meaning the ones he was currently wearing. Which did not help me in the slightest.
I sighed, shaking my long brown hair back and forth, only just a bit more than slightly exasperated. "You wouldn't happen to have an extra pair of trousers? I seem to have misplaced mine. As well as the rest of my clothes."
He didn't respond right away, but shifted slightly, perhaps a bit uncomfortable. "Lass, you wouldn't happen to be-"
"Am I bare as the moment I came into this world? Why yes. Yes I am." I interrupted with a thoroughly dry tone. "And quite cold, now that I'm thinking about it. Do you have anything to spare? Trousers, a blanket, gloves, a handkerchief? Anything will do."
"Here, lass." He said, throwing a large piece of cloth over the bush and landing on me rather spectacularly. It wasn't just cloth, it was a nice thick cloak that went all the way down to my toes. And it looked absolutely wonderful. Warm, thick, perfect for fending off the cold air.
I laughed happily, glad to put my nakedness behind me. "Thank you, thank you sir." Putting the cloak on and tying it tightly around my neck, I made sure every bit of me was covered before I stood and faced the man. "I'm eternally grateful."
"I'm not going to let you keep it." He stated very matter-of-factly, his mighty white beard bobbing a bit as he talked. "But, you're permitted to it until we get to the Shire and find you something more appropriate to wear. That is where you're from, yes?"
I had no idea what a Shire was. Still, I didn't want to get abandoned, so I found myself saying, if not lying, "Yes, yes I am. I was out walking and got myself all turned around. I'm awful with directions. Always have been." Then I paused briefly. "What's your name, sir?"
He chuckled, the old man. "I, am Balin. At your service."
He bowed low with his words, and that's when I realized he wasn't all that much taller than me. And I was more than just a little short. Smallest girl in my year at school and smaller than anyone my age or older I'd known since. Apart from my gran. It was very refreshing, not tilting my head up to talk to the clouds just to have a pleasant conversation.
"Bronwyn." I returned, preferring my middle name to my first, bowing just as low and just as sincere as my savior did. "At your service."
Balin nodded, gesturing broadly down the path. "Shall we move along now? I'm to be expected for supper and it's almost night."
"Of course, of course." I nodded, smiling all the while. "Can't have you late for your meal, now can we?"
The old fellow returned my look, his eyes crinkling in delight. He motioned for me to go ahead of him, or just to simply start walking. I nodded, taking a few steps and looking back over my shoulder, still trying to make sense of the whole situation. For some time, I thought I was hallucinating. Post-studying delirium. Something of the sort. But as time went on I just knew, I knew this wasn't a dream. I could never conjure something like this up. I wasn't an imaginative sort, not in the slightest. That only meant I had stepped into something truly... strange.