Chapter 2

Let me know what you think. :) Who's your favorite character so far? I know that this chapter is a little slow. I'm just trying to get a few things settled before moving on. Also, the dates are kind of... REALLY messed up in this story. I realized too late that Bilbo should already be in Rivendell. :P SO. Just bear with me if you're as obsessed with accuracy as I am.

I don't own Lord of the Rings.

(James)

Bright light filtered through my eyelids, and bird songs flowed through the air. My first thought was that I was dead. The pointy-eared people were aliens. They disected me, and I was dead. The pain in my head was completely gone, and I couldn't feel the bruises that would have formed from the spider falling on me. Slowly, I opened my eyes and and allowed them to adjust.

Well, heaven sure was nicely decorated.

Almost marble-like walls rose up into high, arched ceilings. The room was large and spacious, and the furniture had been carved in such detail, I couldn't even begin to imagine how much they cost. Viney plants rose up on the walls, and light flooded through tall windows to my left.

What really woke me up was the sight of the angel sitting down at a table, reading a ridiculously large book. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Oh... Hello? You are... waking?" Her voice had a thick accent, and she spoke with some uncertainty.

She was beautiful. Her dark brown hair fell to the small of her back, and she had these amazing blue eyes that shined when she smiled. To my surprise, her ears were pointed, just like those of the men who saved me from the spider. I must have looked like a complete idiot; my mouth was hanging wide open, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find any words to say to her.

The woman closed her book and stood. "You've been asleep... A long time. The prince said I should... wait on you? Now you wake, and I find him." Again, her words came out rather slowly and confused, like she didn't know english. When she went to leave the room, I stood to follow. This woman was completely beautiful, and I wasn't ready to let her out of my sights. She stopped as I got out of the bed, and held a hand up. "No, no. Stay."

When she was sure I wouldn't follow, she glided out of the room. I could definately get used to it, here.

Within minutes, the door opened again, and the angel entered, followed by a familiar blonde man.

Now that I was fully concious and not furiously bleeding out of my skull, I could see clearly that this man was equally as angelic as this woman. It was the same man who saved me from that spider, the one who spoke that funky language. Both of their outfits were strangel, like they had just gotten back from a renaissance festival.

"You must forgive Maerwen for her difficulties in communication, she does not speak much common." The man spoke with a silky voice and a slight accent. "I am Prince Legolas, and you are in Mirkwood. Who are you, and what is your business in the woodland realm?"

Prince Legolas? Woodland realm?

"I don't know, to be quite honest. I thought I was dead, until that spider attacked me." And then I though I was dead again, and now I'm alive again. Crazy day.

"Yes, well, you are lucky that we found you when we did, or you you would be dead." This guy might be a prince, but his tone of voice wasn't nearly as annoying as you'd expect. He held himself in a graceful yet casual manner as he spoke. "What is your name?"

"James."

"James..." He seemed to test out the name. No doubt, with names like Maerwen and Legolas, these people didn't have many men named James running around. "Where are you from, James?"

Ah, now this is going to be fun, trying to convince this guy that I'm from a different world. "Not this world, that's for sure. In my world, we don't have giant spiders, or people with pointed ears. Speaking of, what's up with that, if it's not rude to ask?"

Maerwen opened her book once more, clearly unable to keep up with our conversation, while Legolas grinned slightly as he gently felt the point of his ear.

"We are elves, James. I take it you are of Numenorean decent? You do look like one of the Dunedain. Pray tell, are you from the north?"

Elves? Numenorean? This man needs to slow down.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I am not from this world, and I am absolutely positive about that."

Legolas seemed to study me for a moment, and I hoped that he'd believe me.

"Well, this is quite interesting. It's not every day you meet someone from another world." He turned and spoke to Maerwen in her own language. As he spoke, her beautiful blue eyes widened, and she looked to me with great curiosity. Legolas turned back to me with a smile. "Well, now that you're stuck here, you might as well remain here in Mirkwook. I must say, you are quite the runner. Can everyone run like you back in your world?"

This guy was far more trusting than I thought he'd be, and it took me by surprise. I didn't know how to go about things, to be quite honest.

"Uh... No, I was a trained runner. I ran with people all over the world." I might as well go along with whatever the prince wanted to talk about.

"Interesting... And how old are you?" Maerwen looked up at his question.

Still, this whole conversation wasn't going where I thought it would go, but hey, whatever. This guy was like a chill Collin. "I'm twenty..."

Maerwen's eyes shot open and she clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Legolas had a slight smirk on his face, but remained relatively calm.

My eyebrows furrowed together. "What's so funny?"

Maerwen looked like she could hardly contain herself. Wow, she's beautiful. "Just a baby!"

Ouch. "Baby?" I certainly wasn't a baby.

"Forgive us, James." Legolas had an amused tone in his voice, but he was far more composed than his beautiful friend. "Elves live forever. Maerwen here is nearly three thousand years old, and I'm just over thirty one centuries."

Great. I fall into a world of ancient angels. No wonder Maerwen was laughing, she had to have seen me checking her out. I'd be no more than a toddler to her. Yeah, have fun trying to ask her out, now, James.

"And I suppose that all elves are perfect, too?" I was hoping that the answer would be a definate no.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. Legolas shrugged. "Pretty much."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Clearly, I was alone. Legolas would have mentioned my friends by now.

"I want you to train to be a soldier. You look like you could handle a sword."

Sword? "No guns?"

"What is a gun?"

So this pretty much was the middle ages. I'm going to die.

(Sophie)

"What about zombies?" Collin questioned from his spot at the back of the wagon. He and I had been questioning Gandalf for two days straight. I was beginning to get grossed out at the lack of teeth-brushing and armpit-deodorizing we were getting.

"I'm afraid that I don't know what 'zombies' are." Gandalf spit out the word zombie like it was poison. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that word sounded gross.

"Oh, it's quite simple, actually." Collin began excitedly. "They're the living dead. Kind of like ghosts, only not ghosts at all, really. They like to walk around and eat people. Rather nasty creatures..."

Gandalf calm expression turned to one of complete disgust. "And your world has such creatures?"

"No, not yet, at least." Dear Collin and his imagination. "It's only a matter of time until the common cold mutates into the zombie virus."

I looked at the poor old man with a sympathetic smile. "Don't ask."

He nodded and shook his head. "I'll keep that in mind, next time."

I absolutely adored Collin. If anyone could make me happy in my darkest hour, it'd be him. His care-free attitude and loving nature made him my all-time favorite person. I wished that I could be more like him.

We'd grown quite fond of Gandalf in our small time with him, and I dare say that he has become relatively fond of us. He told us all about this world and the people who reside in it. Hobbits, elves, horselords, Gondorians, the Dunedain... The whole lot. Collin and I were especially excited about the hobbits; who wouldn't love happy little people who liked to eat?

Unfortunately, despite all of the happy things we'd learned about, we still had to learn about the unhappy evil that lurked here. Mordor, and the dark lord Sauron. Gandalf did not sweeten up the horrific stories about orc-raids, and the mutilated corpses that one might find in such an unfortunate place. We learned of the Nazgul, and how they were crazy, corrupted, and power hungry shades that were once mighty kings of old. I swear, it's like we'd fallen into a story book.

Our first stop was to be Rohan, the home of the horselords. The land reminded me so much of the western United States that I wouldn't have been surprised if a bunch of cowboys or Indians suddenly rode into view. Thankfully, though, it was not a war party of Indians or several cowboy bandits that slowly grew in the distance. It was Edoras, the capital of Rohan, that came into sight. As we rounded a large hill, we came into the wide open area that housed the mighty city.

Honestly, Edoras was beautiful. Rustic, but completely breathtaking. I began to squirm impatiently in my seat as the massive city grew closer, while Gandalf simply sat looking straight ahead, and Collin remained still, an unconcerned smile spread across his lips. For as long as we had been in Arda, the only person we had met was Gandalf, and I was beginning to grow impatient for civilization.

As we approached the gates, Gandalf threw a cloak on my lap.

"Wear this. It would not be good for you to be seen in such revealing clothes, for women in this world are quite different from those in yours."

I'll never understand why he though I was dressed inappropriately, because I've always been more on the modest side. My capris went down to my knees, and the only thing even mildly revealing about my shirt was the fact that it was a v-neck, and that was hardly anything. Still, it was better to trust Gandalf. I'd rather wear a silly cloak than look like a Middle-Earth whore.

The gatekeepers took one look at Gandalf and alllowed us entrance. The gates opened wide, and the brilliant city came into view. So far, Edoras was my favorite place in the entire world. The architecture reminded me of Collin's Celtic grandmother, Aggie, and her love for anything and everything celtic. People walked through the streets, smiling and waving at Gandalf. I began to wonder who exactly Gandalf was, and why everyone seemed to love and respect him so much.

Everyone was blonde, for the most part, and I began to feel slightly out of place. Even Collin had blonde hair. What caught my eye most was the men. Yes, I know. You throw a nineteen year old into a fantasy world, and it's bound to happen. These men were completely... Hot. Their hair was long, and in some cases dirty, but their bodies made up for any imperfection. Every male that I saw seemed to be a soldier, and their muscular build made them completely attractive in my eyes. Sure, there were some with less fair faces than others, but there's something about a man with a sword at his side that's attractive no matter what.

Gandalf stopped the wagon, pulling me out of my wonderland.

"It's high-time we got you two some clothes." The old man got out of the wagon and tied his pony to a pole. Wordlessly, Collin and I followed him into a clothing store. A happy-looking older woman gave us a warm smile as we entered.

"G'day, is there anything in particular that I may be able to help you with?" Her accent made me ridiculously happy.

"Yes, I would like two pairs of clothes each for my two friends." Gandalf handed her a small bag that I assumed held some sort of money. "On second thought, three pairs for the lady." He then turned to Collin and I as we looked curiously at what we believed to be the undergarment section. "I will send someone to retrieve you in about an hour."

It was then that Gandalf left us for the first time ever in Middle Earth. The old woman called for her asistant, and the two women approached us.

"I am Byrde, and this here is my daughter, Lyfides." The older woman spoke first, and the two women both gave us short curtseys.

Collin gave an exaggerated bow, as I attempted a pathetic curtsey of my own.

"I'm Sophie, and this is Collin."

"Pleasure." Byrde gave us a wide smile and gestured over to some cloth. "Gandalf left you with plenty of money. Go on and choose whatever you'd like."

Whatever I liked? Oh, that's a dangerous suggestion. Not because I have a tendency to go crazy, but because I can never make up my mind when given too many choices.

Collin had absolutely no trouble. He had chosen his cloth in no time, and had already gone into the other room to be measured by Byrde. I glared at the numerous choices that sat in front of me, having trouble finding three fabrics that I liked when I didn't even know what kind of dress I'd be getting.

"Uh... Lyfides?" I called for the young daughter of the shop owner, who looked to be about my age.

"Yes, Miss Sophie?"

"If you could pick three of these fabrics for me, which ones would you choose?"

The young woman eyed the selection carefully, before reaching for a pretty dark green wool, a dark blue fabric, and a pretty red fabric. "These would go well with your pale complexion, I think."

"Cool, I'll take 'em!"

Lyfides led me to a side room where she took my measurements and prepared the fabrics and such. Really, it's all just a bunch of boring nonsense, if you ask me. All in all, Lyfides is super-cool, and it took forever for my dresses to be done, far longer than the hour that Gandalf was giving us. When I re-entered the main room, Collin was nowhere to be seen. Byrde had specifically told me that he was done, so where did he go? Leave it to Collin to wander off in another world alone.

With a frustrated sigh, I left the shop, praying that I wouldn't have to go find Gandalf on my own in this huge city. I was wearing my new dark green dress, my other clothes folded neatly in the bag slung over my shoulder. A cheerful whistling met my ears as I walked into the fresh air, and I turned my head to see a happy old man. Old, but equally as buff as the younger men in this city.

"Are you by chance a Miss Sophie?" His voice was deep and smooth. I kind of wanted to hear him sing, but that's not the kind of thing you make someone do within the first few seconds of meeting them.

"Yes sir!" I gave him a kind smile. "Did Gandalf send you?"

The man nodded and stood to give me a bow. "I am to be your escort to Meduseld Hall. My name is Beorn."

"Sup, Beorn! Have any sons?" He was a handsome man. If he were forty years younger, I'd go for him.

Beorn laughed and held his arm out respectfully for me to take. "Aye, but I'm afraid that they're too old for you."

"Awhh." I feigned disappointment and took his arm. "So what's Meduseld?"

Beorn began leading me through the streets, smiling and waving to people as we passed by his old friends. "Ah, Gandalf told me you were from another world. Meduseld is the Golden Hall of the King of Rohan. It is where the royal family resides, and it is also where you will be staying, since you are with Gandalf."

Again, I don't know how Gandalf has all of these friends.

"Did you already take my friend Collin there?" I had been searching the streets as we made our way up the streets, but I still caught no sight of him. It wouldn't be hard to pick him out of the crowd, either. His faux-hawk is much different than the long hair of the Rohirrim.

"No, you are the only one I found. The shopkeeper informed me that he had already left by the time I got there." Ah. So he did leave me. "Is he your husband?"

My eyes shot open and I gave Beorn a look that suggested that he was a zombie. "Uh, no. I'm far too young for marriage." Seriously, I'm nineteen. I don't want to be married.

"Then you must meet my grandsons!" Beorn declared in a happy voice.

"Yes! Cute grandsons!"

.

The closer we got to Meduseld, the more beautiful it became. Its beautifully carved pillars and rustic colors gave it a strange homey feel. The sun beat down on the golden roof, making it shine and causing the halls to look even more majestic. With every step forward, I found something new and beautiful to look at, all the way up to the door. The guards smiled and let us in, giving their own greetings to Beorn. I could tell that he was very popular amongst the Rohirrim.

Inside was even more amazing. Bright, warm colored tapestries and pillars gave the room a royal feel. Raised on a platform was a throne, in which an aged man sat speaking to Gandalf.

"Ah, here she is." Gandalf held his hand out to me from where he sat, in almost a fatherly way. "Sophie, meet King Theoden."

Crap, King? We don't have those in America! What do I do? I looked back and forth between Beorn and Gandalf, hoping for some kind of hint, but they just looked at me expectantly. So, all that I could think to do was give him a simple curtsey and bow my head. Hey, the only high-up person I'd ever met was the owner of the local coffee shop.

Fortunately, the king laughed and stood to give me a respectful bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sophie. Gandalf tells me that you are from another world. But where is your companion? Collin, was it?"

"Oh, yes. Collin. I am afraid I've lost him."

Gandalf didn't look surprised at all. He let out a sigh and stood from his seat by the throne. "I knew that I should not have left that man alone. Come, I have a few ideas as to where he might be."

.

We searched the market, we searched the inn, and we checked the stables. There was only one other possible place for Collin to be.

Gandalf and I entered the bar, and the stench of ale surrounded us. Wouldn't you know it, there was a big group of men laughing their hearts out, a familiar faux-hawk in the center of it. We approached the table, and I stuck close to Gandalf. Bars creeped me out.

Collin was sitting at the head of the table, a mug of ale in hand, a bright smile on his face. To his sides were two of the most attractive men I'd ever seen. My friend looked up and caught sight of us, and began calling us overs.

"There she is! That's the Sophie I was telling you all about." Oh, great. There are far too many embarrassing stories for Collin to tell. "I told you she was beautiful, didn't I?"

Oh, gosh.

"Fancy seeing you here, Collin. It was quite nice of you to abandon me in a foreign city."

My friend simply shrugged and took a big swig of ale. "I'm sorry, Soph. But by the time you'd chosen your fabrics, I was already done! I thought I'd take a small walk, but then I got lost. I came across these two here and they offered to buy me a drink. It would've been rude to say no."

"My apologies, Miss Sophie, we did not know he was to be someplace else." The man on his right spoke in a nice deep voice. He looked to be in his thirties, maybe.

"Well, Collin, I must say, I am impressed." Gandalf spoke with an amused tone, a smile crossing over his features. "We've only been in Edoras for a few hours, and you've already befriended the two heirs to the throne."

My eyes opened wide as I gaped at the old man. "Say what?"

Gandalf nodded, the amusement evident in his face. "Yes, it is true. Allow me to formally introduce you. Sophie, this here is Prince Theodred, Theoden's only son and first heir." He gestured to the man on Collin's right, and the man gave me a polite nod and smile. "And this, is Theoden's nephew, Eomer. Second heir." The man to Collin's left was much closer to our own age. He flashed me a beautiful smile, and stood to give be a polite bow.

I stared in disbelief. Collin was always a people's person, but this was ridiculous. I was so proud!

"Are you really?" Collin's expression was far less shocked; it was more of a pleased smile. "Well good for you!" He raised his mug high into the air. "To good genetics!"

"To good genetics!" The men surrounding him sounded slightly confused about genetics, they only wanted a reason to be loud and drink. Collin seemed slightly tipsy, but one could never tell. He was always weird. He looked at me with a cheeky smile and raised his glass once more. "To Sophie!"

"To Sophie!" I blushed slightly as all of the men cheered for me.

"Please, Miss Sophie," Eomer stood from his seat and gestured to it. "Take my seat."

I shook my head slightly and tried to back away. "No, no. I'm fine." Seriously, I didn't want to kick a royal man out of his seat.

But Eomer persisted. "I insist."

With a grateful smile, I took the seat offered to me, and Eomer pushed it back into the table. "Thank you."

"That's my Soph! Capturing the hearts of men everywhere." Collin clapped me gently on the back and turned to Theodred. "Dear girl captured my heart long ago."

I rolled my eyes and turned away from my strange friend. "Oh, whatever, Collin." He always liked to joke about falling in love with me. "How much has he had to drink?"

"Hardly any, he's still on his first cup." Theodred shrugged and took a drink from his own mug.

I'd hate to see Collin drunk, with how he is sober. As the men continued to drink and laugh together, I began to let my mind run off to memories of Kristy and James. Where were they?