Hello, and thanks for opening my story! This isn't my first story, but it IS the first story I've ever written that I COMPLETED before even posting the first chapter, lol. I heard that JK Rowling wrote the first three Harry Potter Books before finally publishing The Sorcerer's Stone. I'm no JK Rowling, as you will certainly discover, but I love writing. The main reason I wrote this out and completed it was because I was too afraid to post it. Worried about follows, favorites, and comments and worried about making corrections to it as I went along. But, I've realized that even though we all want to write something great and inspiring, sometimes the important thing is just to WRITE because it makes us happy! It's kinda been my therapy.

I know I won't please everyone with this story. Lord knows I'm going to get a million and one angry reviews for the ending (don't worry, no Durins-folk die). But it's the only ending that really sat right with me. Hopefully, that ominous forewarning doesn't turn you away, lol. I think overall the story is unique enough to not be the same old 15th Walker (or is it 16th? Do we count Gandalf when he's always popping in and out of the story like a jack-in-the-box?) story everyone writes about. But, only you can judge that for yourself.

Also, a special shout out to the author of "The Loudest Silence". You inspired me to post (and to finish!) my story.

"Excuse me, young man!? What on earth do you think you're doing?"

A light switches on and a little boy, no older than four years old, rushed to hide the colorful picture book he was holding under the covers, along with his Mickey-mouse flashlight.

His mother stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face.

"Bedtime was an hour ago. What are you reading this time?"

"Nothing Mom." He blinked innocently. When her glare didn't budge, he mumbled, "I wasn't reading, I was just looking at the pictures."

The mother tried, but couldn't quite keep the exasperated eye roll from appearing. "Lord of the Rings? Again? Aren't you sick of that story yet?" She sighed and crossed her arms, leaning against his doorframe.

The cherubim of a boy didn't know how to read very well yet, but he liked looking at the pictures. He gazed up at her, his blue eyes shining, and held the book close to his chest. "No, never! Can you tell me your version of the Hobbit story again? The one where Peyton goes to Middle Earth and falls in love with the Dwarf King?"

"I've told you that story a million times already." The mother shook her head no. Her little boy doesn't see it, but she was exhausted and weary after working a twelve-hour shift. She wanted nothing more than to put her tired feet up and drift off to sleep in front of the tv or mindlessly scroll through her phone. "Besides, it's a long story and you have kindergarten tomorrow."

"Please, Mom?" the little boy begged and clasped his hands together to beseech her desperately. "I will go sleep! I promise! You won't hear a peep out of me tonight and I won't ask again for another month."

She tried to level him with her best glare again, but it didn't work as his eyes turned even more pitiful and his gaze more puppy doggish. The tug on her heartstrings rendered her helpless. How could she say no to such a face as his? It's hard to deny him anything, especially when she constantly felt guilty about the lack of time she had for him due to her crazy work schedule.

She groaned and walked into the boy's room before theatrically throwing herself onto his Star Wars bedspread. He squealed in delight and jumped up and down while sitting, knowing that he won.

She suddenly sat up on her side, her arm propping her body up, and shot him a look. "But no interrupting this time, got it? You have school tomorrow and I'm picking up that extra shift."

"I promise! I promise!" He quickly crossed his heart with his little hand.

She rolled her eyes to herself, knowing it was unlikely. She briefly glanced around his room at the various trinkets while getting her thoughts in order. Superhero action figures on the shelves, the Toy Story night light, and a large dragon replica of Smaug on his dresser were the sights that greeted her. The mother felt a bittersweet tightening in her chest- her little boy was growing up so fast. It made her both proud and sad as she watched him grow into his own personality and independence. She sighed, and then began her story, changing the tone of her voice to intensify the feeling.

"I don't know why it was me. I probably never will. But when life offers you an adventure, is it really appropriate to ask 'Why me'? Rather than 'Why NOT me'?"

"Nope! Not very appropriate!"

"Hush, T.J. No interruptions."

"Sorry."

"I'm not very appropriate though. I mean, I've always TRIED to do things in the right way, be a good person...but I always seem to mess things up. The result is always subpar to how I imagined it going in my head. The Valar, or whoever you believe in, obviously have a great sense of humor because they sent someone like me. ME. To Middle Earth. Why? Well, I assume it's because of my soulmate who needed me at the time, but I'm getting ahead of myself. This is the story about how I, Peyton Silva, ended up in Middle Earth during the 3rd age. Or was it the 4th? I really don't know the difference between the ages except that Sauron was in the 1st age. Probably?"

"It was definitely the 3rd age."

"T.J…."

"Sorry! Keep going, please?"

"The story you're about to hear sounds quite crazy and I don't blame you for not believing me. Why should you? It isn't written in any book, or portrayed in any movie…but it's true. Every word of it."

"Oh yeah, this is going to be good! …Sorry."

"The story began like you might not expect! In a hole in the ground, I woke up! And the adventure began…."

~*A Light in Arda*~

Chapter 1

Once Upon A Time

A light breeze blows across my cheeks, alerting me to the fact that I am cold. My nose feels frozen and a pale light trickles through my eyelids, signaling to my internal clock to wake up. But it's the birds singing sharply and happily around me that make me open my eyes. The clear blue sky fills my vision and I blink for a couple of seconds. I feel chilled, laying against the hard ground and I shift my head a fraction to see brown dirt around me, with green tufts of grass beyond that, surrounding me. With that strange view- I wake up, fully and completely, with a gasp.

My head turns from side to side quickly, feeling confused. I sit up with a creak of my bones and look down to discover that I'm lying in some sort of ditch in a large open field of tall green grass. This definitely isn't Nevada. It isn't anywhere familiar either. I frown at the sight around me, feeling very disoriented and wary.

What a strange dream I am in…

For that is what it must be. I don't remember arriving here. There are trees on one side of the field, quite far away. And in the distance, behind those trees, there are small green mountains. More like tall hills, really.

I twist around and look to my other side. A small tree greets me standing close to my strange hole-like ditch. Sunlight filters through its branches in sparkling sun rays. From the sun's position in the sky, I can tell that it's just barely sunrise. Further, behind the tree, are even more trees. I appear to be in a very VERY large field with the occasional tree, only to be completely surrounded by more trees. In one direction, towards the west, there are those small mountains. And towards the sun in the east are the closest trees to me. Judging the distance quickly in my head, it's a good 3-4 minutes walking distance away.

It's not a very comfortable dream, I think as I shiver in the chilly air. The smell of the air reminds me of camping in early spring. I look around, wondering what this dream will bring. It seems like a peaceful dream, but there is nothing except fields and forests and mountains that remind me of the state of Washington. Is this a dream about Twilight?

I look at the tree line closest to me, expecting to see a pale sparkly vampire come to view so my dream can begin. When nothing appears after a long while, I lose interest.

I search my memory for what I was doing before arriving here and the last thing I remember was working in my University's lab room at the library. There was a very old book I had been admiring. And that's it. I don't remember.

While sitting there I stretch my fingers into the dark black soil and I am frightened when some of it get underneath my fingernails. That's too real. Some of the coldness of the ground seeps through my denim jeans, and I see black sparrows twittering and twirling in the air over the field, greeting the dawn. The light airy breeze that woke me up initially, raises goosebumps along my bare arms now that I'm sitting higher than my ditch was deep. My confusion turns into panic as my body takes in these little details that normally don't accompany dreams. Too real. Too real.

I must have been kidnapped. Matt and I must have left the lab to get pizza and I got knocked in the head. I look down at my body and don't see any injuries. Just the normal clothes I wore yesterday. My denim jeans, and my hot pink hoodie wrapped around my hips.

I stiffly get to my feet with a groan. Looking down at the dirty hole I had been laying in, I feel frightened.

There, laying in the ditch where I was, is a gold circular thing. A memory flashes in my mind of when I had turned a page and it fell like a golden teardrop from the ancient book…straight onto my lap.

With shaky fingers I lean down stiffly, my body achy, and I hesitate slightly before my fingers brush against the gold object. I hold my breath.

Nothing.

I pick it up and straighten my back slowly, marveling at the golden piece. It's a golden coin-like piece with a strange animal on it. The animal's feet remind me of a goat or a horse. And on the back is strange spikes. The face is more flat though, with a weird nose. I look on the other side and see a strange T Shape with what looks like a keyhole. I turn the gold coin in my hand, mystified.

I look up around me and I slowly turn myself around in a circle, getting different angles of the landscape. I'm hoping that I can find something that indicates a direction toward civilization so I can find out what's going on. If Matt's been kidnapped as well then hopefully he was dumped nearby.

If I wasn't so scared of all the possible reasons why I just woke up in a weird hole, I might be delighted with the beauty of the place. I love looking at paintings of fields, forests, and mountains. At this moment though, I am anything but impressed.

I stare at the small mountains in the far distance, trying to recognize them. No luck. I take in the trees, and my panic turns sharp as I notice that the foliage is not the normal kind found in any of the states surrounding Nevada. There's a small pond but it's farther away, more in the direction of the hills. The pond doesn't look promising, and I'm cold enough to NOT want to go near it. The air here is mistier than the dry biome of Nevada's desert.

A whimper wheezes out of me as I try to wade through all the panicked thoughts scrambling for dominance in my mind. My breaths begin to come out in short pants. Either I'm vividly dreaming (very likely) or I was kidnapped and dropped off in the middle of nowhere, unlikely but potentially. I don't drink, so it doesn't make sense why I wouldn't remember the events leading up to my kidnapping. My university hoodie and denim jeans, although dirty from the ditch, aren't frayed or torn from a fight or kidnapping. My wrists aren't red from being tied. Maybe chloroform? But why would they leave me in the middle of nowhere? A college prank perhaps? I don't have any enemies. The whole thing is just baffling.

"Hello?" I call out hoping, praying, that someone would hear me. I clear my voice and try again "HELLOOOO?!" I yell, my voice catching at the end. "Is anyone there? Matt!?"

Silence.

The only thing I hear in response is the wind blowing along the grassy field creating gentle waves. The birds start chirping again, having been startled into temporary silence by my yelling.

I shiver again and unwrap my hoodie from around my waist, grateful that I at least have that. It will be a while until the sun will warm up the air. I whimper again and grip my head to force myself to think rationally. First things first, I need to find someone who can help me. Then I can get more answers about how I got here. I look around me for car tracks or footprints, anything to give me a direction to walk. There is nothing.

"Ok, calm down Peyton," I say out loud to myself forcefully. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. "This is a dream. You're dreaming, Peyton. Just calm down. Calm down. Calm down." I open my eyes and it doesn't work. I'm still in the middle of nowhere.

The breeze picks up and blows in my face a little, but it doesn't convince me. I've had dreams where I felt the cold wind, and when I woke up it had been my fan blowing on me. Or I dreamed I was in a sweltering desert only to wake up and my big sister was laying half on me, like a human blanket.

I look up in the direction of the rising sun. Even though I am currently going to college in the city I grew up in a small town. Exploring the outdoors was normal. Or at least it used to be. I haven't gone hiking in years.

But I have a good sense of direction, usually. I once traveled cross-country in a little yellow Volkswagen 1972 Beetle (the only kind of bug I like) all by myself right after graduating high school. They didn't have Google Maps at the time, so I knew how to read a map. I only made a wrong turn twice.

I start walking toward the trees nearest me and I feel something bounce in my hoodie pocket. I reach my hand in and feel the smooth glass of my cell phone. I have my cellphone with me! Hallelujah! I quickly turn it on and see that it's at 72%. But there's no service. I keep messing with it for another five minutes, hoping for a miracle. Absolutely nothing. The battery power slowly goes down to 70% and I quickly put it into battery-saving mode. Even if I maintain the incredible battery my phone has, it'll be gone in only two days. Three max.

I don't have anything on me besides my cell phone. No cash. No cards. Nothing.

No, wait! I take that back. I have some strawberry tic-tacs in my pocket. I'm sure that'll come in handy. Not.

At least my kidnappers left me with tic-tacs to starve myself on.

With the sun rising in the east, I decide to just walk in the direction of the sun and I enter the forest. It's not a dark forest by any means, a nice emerald green, with light filtering through the canopy. But the ground is a bit thick with dark green ferns. I try not to hyperventilate as I think about how ferns on the ground mean that I'm a long way from Nevada and I press forward. My denim jeans get soaked up to my thighs with the morning dew on the leaves, and my sneakers and socks squish and slurp with the amount of water that slowly seeps into them after about 10 minutes of walking. Pretty soon, I'm irritated from the wet discomfort. I can't possibly be dreaming that annoying squishing sound.

Where the heck am I?!

After what feels like an hour, I see what looks like a road! I begin running, crashing through the foliage like a lunatic until I finally step out with relief onto a dirt-packed road. My breath whooshes out of me in a loud laugh of relief. I'm going to be ok! I'm so glad this isn't like one of those dreams where you're walking around in a forest aimlessly. I've had those before, but nothing like this.

I notice it's a narrow road that cuts right through the trees. More of a well-trodden trail, actually. I giddily look up and down my first sign of man-made anything. Eventually, though, my temporary happiness turns to worry and distress once more as I look up and down the long empty road.

Now which way do I go?

I look down at the road to see if the tracks can give me any indication of direction. No tire tracks. But there are thin ones lightly carved into the firm road. Bike tires? No, too smooth. I then noticed faint U-shapes delved in the ground between two of the lines and I'm shocked to recognize the shape as a horseshoe.

A….wagon?

This is not good. How did I get out so far that there aren't any cars or even bikes? Maybe I'm on private property and my kidnappers dropped me off in Amish country? I can't help the shaky sob that escapes me as I raise both my hands to my head again in despair, trying to calm myself. My blond hair is in the same messy bun I always keep it in. But I can feel a few leaves and twigs caught in it from low branches back in the forest.

I take my hair out of the hair tie and comb the debris out with my fingers while I think this through. Why did this happen? Why me? I don't have any enemies. I'm just an innocent little freshman in the nursing program, trying to get good grades so I can eventually become a nurse practitioner. Would my dorm mate do something like this to me? She and I don't get along very well, but we've agreed to be civil to one another. I did steal her chimichanga from the freezer that one time. But how did she find out about that? Surely she wouldn't try and get revenge just for that, right?

I take deep breaths and try to relax once more. Freaking out isn't going to help anyone. I mean me. It isn't going to help me. Screw anyone else, I just need to get home!

I take some more deep breaths and inwardly wish that my kidnappers could have at least left a note with instructions like 'Haha! Now you'll think twice before stealing my chimichanga!' or 'If you want to get out of the woods, you have to play my game…" like a horror movie.

At least I'd be able to think about my sins while I wander around aimlessly.

I look at the direction the horse prints are pointed and decide to walk that way. My steps are slower than I'd like since my calves and toes are numb from my wet pants and sneakers. I haven't walked this much in about 9 months. I usually just take the bus everywhere and thankfully I live on the bottom floor in the women's dorm apartment, so no stairs for me!

After traveling for another hour and a half, I hear something strange. It's faint, but my ears are able to pick up a low, deep vibration, Someone is singing. I look up and freeze, staring at the empty road in front of me, holding my breath. The singing gets louder and excitement hits me! Someone is coming! A dark shape finally appears down the road, obviously the source of the singing. A man riding a horse is coming towards me at a slow trot. I'm immediately so relieved I feel like I could cry. I briefly notice that he's wearing a hood, and a dark cloak is billowing out from around him as it catches the wind made from the horse's movements.

I'm ecstatic with relief and I can't keep the huge smile off my face, "Hey! HEY!" I bounce up and down, waving and shouting, "Oh my gosh, I'm SO glad to finally see someone! I've been lost for HOURS and I don't know where I am! Can you please help me?"

The man immediately stopped singing when he saw me and slowly pulls his horse to a stop when I started shouting and bouncing around like crazy. He remains a short distance down the road from me, watching me warily. I must have startled him, I think sheepishly. But I don't allow myself to care too much since I have a VERY good reason to be frantic right now and he'll just have to get over it since this is an emergency.

There's a dark beard on his face 00under the hood, but I can't see much besides that. From the way he's sitting on his horse, gripping his reins, he seems very hesitant to get closer to me.

"I'm sorry to startle you!" I try again, speaking loudly so he can hear me, "I woke up in a field and I have no idea how I got there! I've been wandering since sunrise, and I have no idea where I am, and I'm trying to find a way to a town or city and…" I take a big breath after saying all of that in a rush. I try speaking calmly, "Can you tell me where I am?"

"You are in the Far Downs of the Shire, milady. Between Michel Delving and the Blue Mountains." A baritone voice reaches my ears. He and his horse are still quite far and have come no closer. Maybe his horse is skittish and he doesn't want me frightening him? The horse in question is watching me with its ears perked up.

Two things strike me as very odd simultaneously. One is that, his refined accent seems to be British, but there are so many accents in England that I really can't say for sure. And second, I thought I heard him say 'the Shire'?

"Sorry, I didn't hear you really well! You're a bit far away." I call out to him laughing, still giddy from relief, "I thought I heard you say 'the Shire'!" I chuckle again. "Could you say that again?"

"Aye, milady. You are in the Shire."

I frown, confused. I keep hearing him say 'the Shire', but he must be saying something else. I haven't cleaned my ears out in weeks.

And then it hits me like a bolt of lightning and my once-good mood becomes sour immediately. Some of the college students had seen me reading the Hobbit at the college library so they decided to kidnap me, throw me into a ditch somewhere out of state, and then mess with me by pretending we're in the Shire. I can't believe this! I will not put up with this hazing!

"Look, I don't know who you are or why you think that it's ok to mess with me. What have I ever done to you? I know you think you're funny, but leaving a woman in the middle of nowhere just so you can play your stupid prank is against the law since I didn't agree to it. I just need to get home." I glare at him.

The man is silent, not saying anything, and just stares at me.

"Please!" I finally have had enough and hope that I can appeal to whatever humanity this man has within him, "I'm cold and wet, and I just need to get home. I promise I won't tell anyone what you and your buddies did. I just need to get home and get out of these wet clothes."

He remains silent for a moment but before I can start yelling at him again, he asks "And where is home…milady?" His milady sounds less certain than before.

"Home is my dorm, at the University of Nevada, good sir." I bite out sarcastically the last bit, in response to his 'milady' crap. I give an eye roll for good measure. Unbelievable.

His wariness turns into a full scowl. His right-hand rests at the hip, away from me, and he practically growls, "I have never heard of this place, and so I can only assume that you lie. Speak truthfully woman…are you alone? Or are your companions in the forest waiting to ambush me?" He glances around at the forest of trees we are in.

Uhhh….what?

I'm so angry and astonished that he wants to keep playing his stupid prank that no words come out. Why is he being so cruel? Yeah, right, pick on the little freshman! Where is karma when you need her? I'm such a kind and compassionate person, I don't deserve this! I'm trying to get into nursing school to help people for crying out loud! I just can't understand the mentality of people like him.

All these thoughts pass through my mind and my eyes start to water with angry tears and I shake my head, glaring at the ground, my lip trembling. I look back up at him.

"You're despicable. Fine. Be that way! Screw you! I'll find town on my own. You should be ashamed of yourself; kidnapping an innocent freshman, and trying to pathetically make her think she's in Middle Earth? I'm totally pressing charges for this. I'm going to lawyer up and sue you BIG time!"

I don't usually talk like that, but I'm so mad that I can't see straight because of my angry tears, and I start spitting out words like an angry cat.

"And just remember! If I get lost in this place and die tonight from hypothermia from these wet clothes- you're going to prison for a long time!" My tears escape my eyes and I glare at him, wiping them away. I then begin to stomp in the same direction that I was heading, the way he was coming from. This, unfortunately, brings me closer to where he and his horse stands. There is a sharp SHING! sound as a bright metal sword is unsheathed from the man's right side, causing me to stop immediately and gasp in shock as I stare at it in fright. The sword is obviously metal based on the way it flashes in the light. It can in NO WAY be mistaken for a prop if the dangerous pointy tip has anything to say about it.

He points the long deadly weapon toward me, his face completely serious and my throat goes dry. I raise my hands immediately in the air until they're by my ears. What if he's a psychopath who wants to murder a college student in some sort of sick fantasy game of his, so he decided to kidnap me after seeing me read the Hobbit? And now we're in Oregon or Washington (hence the Ferns)?

"I'll ask you again, woman." The cloaked man says, voice low and dangerous, his patience gone with my accusations, "Are you alone?" His horse prances for a moment then remains still.

I gulp. What do I say to that?! If I tell him I am alone he'll be able to kill me with no witnesses, but if I tell him that I have a bunch of friends that are in the trees he'll kill me because he thinks that we're going to attack him like he suggests? What do I say?!

My thoughts are frantic as I wonder what I should say, but all thought leaves my mind when his voice thunders out like a loud hammer through the forest, "SPEAK!"

"I'M ALONE!" I cry out reflexively, taking a step back with a frightened sob, my hands start to tremble but I keep them up, "I'm completely and utterly alone, and I'm s-sorry! I don't want to be here! P-please! Please, just let me go!"

I bite my lip and remind myself that begging will get me nowhere. Psychopaths enjoy hearing their victims beg if NCIS is correct, but I can't help it. He already knows that I'm alone since he brought me here. He and his frat boys, most likely. Strange that he's alone and they're not with him…

Surprisingly, at my frightened pleadingly, he does actually lower the sword a bit, and his face changes from dark anger to a hesitating concern. A few moments pass of us staring at each other with me trembling like a leaf. Eventually, he seems to make an internal decision. He heaves a sigh, seeming to almost deflate as he puts his sword away into it's sheath. The sound of metal sliding into place causes me to slowly lower my hands.

But then he abruptly begins to unmount his horse, swinging one of his legs up and over the saddle and I take a few steps back in fear until I suddenly realize that…he's actually quite short.

I didn't notice at first while he was on the horse, but he's a very short man. Still, he's a couple of inches taller than me but judging by his large boots he may actually be my same height if I'm being honest. Is that why he wants to murder people with his sword? Because he has been made fun of for being short all his life too? Why not kill a tall person then instead of a fellow short person?

He turns from his horse after dismounting but hesitates to walk closer to me when he sees my fear of him. My hands are instinctively raised towards him to protect myself from his advancing.

"I assure you, milady, whatever foul work you seem to think is at play here, I am not the cause of it." His deep voice is gentle and calm, a HUGE contrast to the thundering command from earlier. He then reaches up and uncovers the hood on his cloak, pulling it away from his head completely.

Hot damn.

His thick long hair is dark brown almost black like dark chocolate. Most of it is behind him, but what I can see goes down past his shoulders in natural waves, while his beard is short and well-groomed. Two braids adorn either side of his face, glinting with two metal beads covering the ends. It gives his whole appearance a peculiar otherworldly look. His nose is strong and straight like an arrow down his face.

But his eyes. His eyes are blue. Deeper than the blue sky that I had woken up to this morning. They are accentuated by thick eyebrows that are close to his eyes, giving him an intimidating impression of great strength and focus.

I blink. Well, look on the bright side Peyton! At least your killer is good-looking! At least an ugly person won't kill you. Haha, that's not funny. Stop.

"I'm not going to harm you." He says again. I relax a tad, but I don't completely trust him. It's obvious he doesn't trust me either as I notice his hand rests easily on his sword's hilt in a comfortable posture. "It's not often a human woman is found wandering the woods alone in the Shire of all places. I believed you to be part of a potential ambush. Forgive me for frightening you."

Ugh, why are we STILL playing this game?

"The Shire still, huh? Greeaaaat….Love the dedication to your fantasy and everything, but um, I'm in a bit of a hurry. So, if could you please point me in the closest direction of town, good sir, then I shall be on my way and shall trouble you no further. I don't need a weird man pointing his sword at me." I mock him in my best posh English accent while folding my arms and giving him an exasperated look.

He takes in my posture and change in accent and his eyes narrow, "I'm obviously a dwarf, not a man."

I look him up and down with a sneer, "Well I mean, sure, you're short, but not shorter than me. So, you must be a pretty tall dwarf. Or a mad human. Take your pick."

He folds his arms as well, affronted, and scoffs back at me in ridicule, "A woman in strange clothing, wandering the country without an escort…says that I am mad?" He then gives me a condescending smirk, "Waking up in a ditch is probably a frequent occurrence for you, milady." This time his milady IS sarcastic..

I gasp in indignation, although I'm not sure why and I reply hotly, "Yeah, well, I don't believe this whole cosplay getup for one second. Waking up in the middle of nowhere and wandering for hours, only for you, a delusional guy who thinks he's a dwarf to turn up? That's not a coincidence." I raise an eyebrow and faintly notice that he and I have the same defensive posture. I'm not buying his act one bit.

Now he huffs in exasperation, "I don't understand most of the riddles you speak but I assure you, I have never seen you before this encounter. Imagine my surprise to find a lone woman in the middle of the path to the Blue Mountains waving and shouting me over to her. You cannot blame me for being cautious."

I say nothing, but now that I can see him better, I take in all of him. His clothes are very well made for this fantasy of his. Not the kind you buy at Walmart for Halloween, but obviously custom-made by someone very skilled. Must be a dedicated cosplayer. There are some people who are decent seamstresses who could have made something like this at a hefty price.

Some sort of brown fur is peeking out from underneath his dark brown cloak from around his shoulders. His forearms are covered in dark brown armor of some kind, and a thick swatch of leather fabric covers his chest. A large silver belt buckle draws my eyes to his lower abdomen, with strange engravings on it, and connects it to a belt around his waist. The rest of his clothing is dark as well, deep brown, but of a strange texture. He reminds me of a huntsman almost from Snow White. A very handsome huntsman.

His boots are large, made of thick leather with metal over the toes while his cloak is a simple leather brown. Both appear worn out from travel.

I look back up at his face and I can see that he has taken the opportunity to study my attire as well, his forehead furrowed with confused lines and a concerned frown on his face.

"Where was it you said you hail from?" He looks me in the eye before glancing down at my hot pink hoodie, my denim jeans, and white sneakers once more. At least, they used to be white.

"Uh, I was born in California, raised in Arizona, and I now live in Nevada?" I ask, not sure what he meant since he knew I was from the University of Nevada, having kidnapped me after all, "Uh, and my…my family will be worried. They'll come looking for me if they don't hear from me."

I say this as confidently as I can since it might make him think twice about harming me if he knows that I have people who will notice my absence. And I do. My mom and dad, along with five older brothers and one older sister, will not rest once they find me missing. Or rather, WHEN they find me missing….which fearfully might be a while since I only check in every other Sunday.

He cocks his head, eyes narrowing further, "California and…Arizona? Where do these regions lie?"

"The United States." I deadpan, giving him an I-don't-have-the-patience-for-your-crap-right-now kind of look.

He shakes his head in annoyance, "It is clear that you are unwell. I am unfamiliar with the names of these places you speak, but the nearest town is back the way you came." He half-heartedly waves a hand in the direction I had just come from. He suddenly looks me in the eye, his wariness back, and asks dryly, "How can I be sure you did not just come from there?"

I narrow my eyes at him insinuating that I'm a liar. And did he say 'unwell'? Like, mentally unwell? Only people who pretend they have never heard of the United States are unwell. But there's a saying by Mark Twain that my father would always tell me. He said 'Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.'

This is one of those stupid people.

He and I could call each other unwell and delusional over and over again, but that will get us nowhere.

Instead, I focus on his most alarming statement, "What?! I just walked an hour and a half from that direction! How far away is this town?" I'm so pissed.

"About two hours." He states. He then cocks his head to the side, a mean smile on his face, "By pony."

"I don't believe you." I shake my head angrily. Stupid, delusional, cosplay dwarf jerk! "The tracks for a horse were headed in this direction." I indicate back the way he had just come, "I didn't see any coming back that way!"

"This road is not often traversed." He briefly glances around us warily, "Not many travel to the Blue Mountains except us dwarves." He looks back at me, "The tracks you saw must have been after the rains from yesterday. Most likely one of my kin returning from selling his wares in the Shire or Bree."

I'm not exactly sure what to say to that, so I keep quiet. Talking with this strange guy just gets weirder and weirder. What if he's NOT actually my kidnapper? What if I really did just meet some random guy who has nothing to do with my kidnapping, who also happened to be cosplaying through the forest and he's just doing a Dungeons and Dragons LOTR sort of thing? I honestly don't know what Dungeons and Dragons is, having never played it before. But from what I've picked up over the years of hearing about it is that it's some sort of card game that makes up stories. Some people are obsessed with it and get into it so much that they lose touch with reality. This must be one of those guys who wants to act it out in the real world. Ugh.

It strikes me as strange though….I mean, he's not who I'd picture being a fantasy stoner. He seems so stern and serious and very much sober. His eyes are intelligent and alert, not at all like a cosplayer with a glazed look on their face and dilated pupils who you KNOW is not all there and seems disconnected. This man seems very much in the present and is completely focused on me and what I'm saying and doing. It's a bit...unnerving.

Oh well. Crazy or not, he's the only one around.

"Can you please help me?" I try again, wringing my hands nervously. "I don't recognize where I am, and I need to get home."

He takes in my appearance once more, thinking hard. Hopefully, I look as cold as I feel. He sighs and finally nods, unfolding his arms and turning around. He struts to his horse, cape billowing behind him regally. He moves with purpose and precision. I wish I looked like that when I move. Does he practice in the mirror?

His gruff, frustrated voice shakes me out of my preoccupation about his stride, as he steps into his horse's saddle and mounts in one fluid motion, "Loathe as I am to be delayed in my journey, I cannot leave an unwell maiden wandering alone in the woods in good conscience, even if you are a human." He gives me a look as if humans are beneath him, "I will take you to Michel Delving as I'm passing through there. You must then find your own way home." His no-nonsense voice lets me know that he is offering me the barest civility of getting to civilization but that he won't take responsibility for me. He will drop me off and I'm on my own.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Perfect! That's totally fine with me!" I give him a smile and a nod. I don't want to be with him any longer than I have to.

He guides his horse closer to me until I am stretching my neck back to look up at him. I get the feeling he still doesn't trust me, which is fine because I trust this guy as far as I throw him. But this realization, that he seems just as afraid of me as I am of him, makes the thoughts I harbored about him being a psychopath slowly ebb away. This must really just be a poor mental guy who happened upon me in the woods. Still could be a prank, though. A prank took WAAY too far. But, if I'm not in any danger, it might be fun…? Would a bunch of guys dressed like orcs jump out of the forest on our way there, and we'll do a fake battle? Lol. In that case, I call dibs on the Legolas costume.

Still, just to be safe I ask, "How far is the way you've come? If I continued walking this way by myself, when would I reach the next town?"

"By pony, it is a day and a half journey. By foot…I would estimate 4 days." He gives me a look I don't recognize, "But I do not recommend it alone and…in your condition."

I bristle, but then I look down at myself and inwardly admit that my cold pants and moist shoes have seen better days. Denim isn't as thick as the pants this guy is wearing, and I am wearing a pink University of Nevada hoodie whereas he's wearing some sort of furry thing under his cloak.

Do I really want to walk for four days, huddling for warmth on the side of an empty road during the night in wet clothes? Sounds like suicide. But then again, so is going with this weirdo.

"How can I trust you?" I ask a final time, vaguely worried that I will anger him.

He doesn't get upset but actually seems to appreciate my wariness of strangers. He gives me a solemn nod of his head, "I give you my word of honor, daughter of man, that I will deliver you safely to the next town. Can you give me your word as well?"

I wrinkle my nose. Words of honor? Pssh.

I know they're always drilling it into our heads 'no second location' but, honestly, I don't really have a choice. He doesn't seem like he's my kidnapper, and if he IS behind my kidnapping then I can pretend to go along with this for now since I don't have any tests today at school, and my English paper's due tomorrow. As long as these crazies get me home before then…

I finally sigh and force a wry smile, "I give you my word that I really am alone and lost, no one will ambush you, that I know of, and I accept your help to the next town. I also give you my word that if it DOES so happen that you are behind my kidnapping then I will see you in court. Thank you." I'll sue him for everything he owns…including his sword and horse. I've always wanted a horse.

He narrows his eyes in confusion before giving me a curt nod in acceptance and then reaches down his hand, intent on helping me up to the back of his horse. His wrists and palm are covered in leather, attached to the armor on his forearms, but his fingers are uncovered and bare.

I gulp, a little nervous, but I slowly place my hand into his. It's extremely warm with a good number of calluses from hard labor. Not at all like someone who sits around playing fantasy computer games all day. But then his uncovered fingers grasp mine in a tight grip and I'm worried for a moment, but he doesn't pause as he easily hauls me up with one arm. I scramble to get my leg around the horse, and settle onto its back, my face flushing.

He's VERY strong. I thought he looked burly because of the layers of clothes he has on, but no…I could feel the strength in his hand and the power of his single arm as he lifted me up like I was nothing. I know I'm small, but this just made me feel even smaller. I've always wished I could be tall and strong like a ballerina. For a short guy…he's stronger than I thought could be possible. Definitely a gym rat.

I instantly become worried, as I realize that he could easily hurt me and I wouldn't be able to do a thing to stop him. He sits straight in his saddle, and I can feel the tension in his shoulders as if he doesn't feel comfortable with me sitting behind him.

I don't wrap my arms around him for fear of getting too cozy in this stranger's bubble and angering him. I mustn't forget that he has a very real sword at his side. I feel the sheath resting against my right leg. Instead, I gently place my hands on the back of his shoulder blades, lightly as possible so he doesn't feel it through his thick armor-like clothing.

We awkwardly try to get comfortable now that both of us are on his very small horse. I think he had said 'pony' earlier? My wet pants rest against the warm furry body of the pony, raising and lifting with each breath. His belongings are wrapped in a waterproof cloth and are pressed up against my back, which presses me up against him.

He says nothing, thankfully. He simply pulls his hood back up over his head and his long dark hair is hidden once more. He nudges the pony with his feet and, with a click from his tongue, we continue down the path.