Author's Note: A few people have been asking questions that I felt should be answered so I'm just going to take a moment to answer them and then get back to the story.
First, this is a slightly different universe from what is normally written in this fandom. I've taken the liberty of tweaking Aragorn's lineage just a little to make him into a half elf (though not a Peredhel, like Elrond and his children who have the choice of immortality. Aragorn does not have a choice, he is immortal).
Second, there will be a pairing, but I'm not sure when so I won't say anything more on that subject at the moment.
Third, the Evenstar will show up eventually, you'll have to see where the story takes us.
ElvenPwner: You asked about other sites that might have stories like mine. Have you tried ?
There's a story by Khylaren that I particularly enjoyed called "Lost and Found." The author is very good and I truly think you will enjoy this story as much as I did.
Also try There are some excellent stories there as well, though no marysues, tenth walkers or crossovers.
A thousand thank yous to everyone who has reviewed and a thousand more for you patience. I know it is frustrating waiting for updates and try to update as soon as I have a chapter worthy of my audience.
Thank you and back to the story:
Outside, the storm continued to rage. Lightning lit the room briefly before plunging it back into darkness once more. Through most of the night however, the hobbits slept, leaving the human and the elf alone with their thoughts.
Chapter 16
By midnight the storm had eased up considerably, lightning now only occasionally brightening the room before plunging it back into darkness. Fortunately, the hobbits slept through it, blessedly oblivious to the danger rapidly approaching Bree.
"You can feel them can't you?" Strider suddenly asked, breaking the silence that had reigned in the room since the halflings had fallen asleep.
Natasha nodded, letting out a shaky breath. The cold of the evil following them had been stabbing at her mind for the past half hour, becoming more and more intense as the Riders came closer and closer to their target, and her fear suddenly rose to match.
"Natasha?" Strider asked uncertainly, pointing to her hands when she opened questioning eyes.
Cursing under her breath, she willed the Power to drain back into her reserves. So absorbed in the claming act of controlled release, Natasha didn't notice Strider leave his chair to stand behind her, his hands rubbing the tension from her shoulders. Groaning at the delicious feeling, Natasha rolled her shoulders back to give him better access.
"You still have difficulty ." he said softly, not stopping ht emotions of his hands.
"It's not as easy as it may sound. It does get easier, but if I'm tired like I am right now and don't have time to rest before something else happens, I lose a little more of my control. It's much harder when I have to wait for the danger to find me. That's when the fear takes its toll because most of the time, I have nothing else to do than worry. But I'm working on that."
Strider nodded in understanding as he pulled her out of her chair and into a bone crushing hug.
"I know you will succeed." he said, with such confidence anyone would be hard pressed to doubt him.
Leaning into the hug, Natasha was just getting settled in the comfort of her friend's arms when ice cold pain shot through her mind and body. Doubling over, she clutched her head, whimpering as she sunk to her knees. Strider held her close, trying to soothe the shudders wracking her body, but Natasha didn't notice. All she could feel or concentrate on was the pain. There were more of them this time. More than just the two they had seen earlier. Suddenly, Natasha felt herself detach from the pain, and a feeling of being surrounded in warmth cradled her. A strange presence filled her awareness, revealing to her the secrets of this wonderful feeling. Blinking at the sudden lack of pain, Natasha probed the feeling, learning it, becoming it. A feeling of approval washed over her and then vanished as her senses reached out to the Riders.
She could see their pursuers but no longer felt the weight of the evil they embodied. Their presence felt darker than the beings in the surrounding buildings but not painful. The Riders swept into the building, a terrified Butterbur hiding beneath the bar as they passed down the hall to the hobbit-sized ground-level chambers. They stopped and stood solemnly over the beds, arranged earlier by Strider and Natasha to look as though they were occupied. Then swords crashed down onto the still forms underneath the blankets, stabbing and slashing that would have killed a wild boar with unnecessary excess.
Pulling back her distant vision, Natasha looked up into Strider's worried eyes. Smiling softly, she kissed his cheek and stood, dusting herself off. Screams of fury from downstairs drew the Ranger's attention and woke the three remaining hobbits, Frodo, at some time during her distance-viewing, having awoken and sitting on the edge of the bed, fear in his eyes.
"What are they?" he asked softly.
"They were once men." Strider explained, casting a worried glance at Natasha before continuing. "Great kings of men. Then Sauron the Deceiver gave them nine Rings of power and in their greed they took them and so became slaves to his will. They ever feel the presence of the One. They will never stop hunting you."
"All right, that's enough ghost stories for now, Strider." Natasha said as Frodo shuddered. "Go back to sleep, little ones. You'll need your rest come morning."
"But how can we sleep after that?" Pippin squeaked.
"Simple." Natasha said as she tucked all four hobbits back into the bed. "You just close your eyes…and…sleep."
This last was said with a slight bit of concentration and then the hobbits were cradled in the same calming warmth Natasha had experienced only moments before and were asleep in a couple heartbeats.
"A handy trick." Strider chuckled with approval.
"Yes, would have been handy back at the Station with the younger children." Natasha smiled, stroking some hair out of Frodo's face. "Interesting thing about this is, I just learned how to do it. And it wasn't something that Gandalf had taught me either."
Strider's eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he stared incredulously at Natasha, not knowing what to say to that.
"It was strange. It felt as though someone was helping me but then it disappeared before I could even think to try and identify it."
"Mmmm, that is strange." Strider's eyes had gone thoughtful. "Perhaps you should speak to my father when we reach Rivendell. He might be able to tell you what happened, until you can ask Gandalf about it."
Natasha thought this over, feeling a brief wave of sadness at the mention of her mentor. She couldn't imagine where he could be or what could have happened to force him to not meet them at the appointed time and place.
"Maybe he's in Rivendell waiting for us. Maybe something happened that forced him to move on without us." she suggested as Strider paced the room.
"Anything is possible when it comes to the Istari." he said distractedly. "But for now, I almost wish you hadn't put the little ones to sleep. We should leave while we can."
"It would make us even more of a target if we left without rest. The hobbits have been on the move for hours, their fear draining their energy even more than the walking would. It won't hurt to let them have a few hours sleep and a good breakfast."
Strider searched Natasha's eyes for a moment before sighing in defeat. Raising a rueful eyebrow at her, he smiled and settled back into his chair.
"Well, the Istari-apprentice has spoken. So what shall we do to bide the time until sunrise. We shall leave at sunrise I assume?"
Blowing him a raspberry, Natasha unrolled her bedroll in front of the fire.
"Now we rest as well. It'll do the hobbits no good if the Big Folk are too tired to defend them."
Grumbling half-heartedly, Strider followed suit and soon both were asleep, Natasha easily slipping into dreamland, dreading the onslaught of her nightly terrors. But instead of the Terror she thought awaited her, pleasant dreams of home and her twin refreshed her soul. The last thing she remembered before slipping into deeper slumber was her brother's words, reassuring her and giving her hope to drive her through the days to come.