Angel On Fire

Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Visitor

The company of Thorin Oakenshield were traveling on the Great East Road when a loud booming sound fills the air making all of them prepare for an attack and search for the noise's origin. "What in the name of Mahal was that?!" Dwalin cries out making the rest of the company look toward their leader, Thorin, for guidance.

"It cannot be..." Gandalf says as he suddenly pushes past them all toward the origin of the commotion.

"What can it not be?" Thorin asks as he follows his wizard. "Gandalf!"

The whole company is soon following the two of them. They rush forward until they come to a clearing where a solitary figure lay in the grass. As they near it they realize that it is a woman, but she was dressed strangely. Gandalf kneels beside her his hand reaching out to gently touch her forehead. He mumbles some words that fall deaf upon the curiosity of the rest of the company.

"What's a child of man doing out here all alone?" Balin asks his eyes moving to that of his king's.

"She's not supposed to be here." Gandalf starts, as he removes his hand from her forehead. "This world is not her home."

"This world... what does that mean?" Bilbo asks his eyes narrowing in confusion.

"It means exactly what you think it means," Gandalf starts as he looks around for something to use to carry her. "She's lost in a world she will not understand. To leave her here would be killing her. We must take her with us."

"Take her with us?!" Thorin exclaims anger in his eyes. "She will slow us down."

"For a moment, but I wager by the time this journey comes to its end, you will need her help."

"Help?" Thorin scoffs, "What help could a daughter of man be?"

"She is no ordinary daughter of man; of that I can assure you." Gandalf adds as he takes a deep breath reaching outwards toward her forehead again, he starts muttering in elvish. There is a bright light that emits from his hand and into her body suddenly her eyes shoot open as she gasps for air. Her (E/C) eyes dart around at all of them before she lets out a fearful cry and instantly starts to scoot away. "Calm down child, we will not harm you." Gandalf says holding his hands out to give her some space.

She looks around at all of them again before her brow furrows and she holds up her index finger at them making them all tilt their heads in confusion. "?@$# <!@^*&" she says in some weird language before she runs a hand through her (H/C) hair. She pauses for a moment before she speaks again. "Sorry, I just needed time for your words to sink in."

"You can speak our language?" Bilbo asks curiously, and she nods her head.

"I'm... special." She replies looking from the dwarves to Bilbo. "Any language I hear I can understand and speak."

"Well that's convenient." Bilbo replies making her smirk.

"Just a bit." She adds as she reaches up to rub her neck. "Where am I?"

"You are on the Great East Road in the land of Middle Earth." Gandalf says proudly making her brow furrow.

"I've never heard of such a place." She replies her hand moving from her throat to her head.

"How did you come to be in this place lass?" Balin asks and her eyes find his as she shakes her head.

"I don't know, one moment I was walking down the street, the next..." She pauses the color draining from her face. "It grabbed me."

"It?" Gandalf asks furrowing his brow. "What did it look like?"

"I don't know, I couldn't see it clearly." Her body starts to tremble at the memory causing Fili to walk up and kneeling beside her gently touch her shoulder in reassurance. Her eyes meet his for a moment as the color slowly starts to return to her cheeks she continues, "I tried to touch it, but my hand went right through it. Like it was nothing but black mist."

"That is peculiar." Gandalf concludes his mind running through the possibilities of what it could have been. "Well young one, these lands are a dangerous place to travel alone as of late. You are more than welcome to join us on our journey, at least until we reach civilization. What is your name?"

"(Name)," She replies pushing herself to stand up. She looks around at the rest of them now that they were at their full height and she cocks her head to the side for a moment before it clicks in her head and she smiles. "You guys are dwarves."

"Aye, lass, we are the dwarves of Erebor." Balin says giving her a short bow causing her to return an uncomfortable bow in return making the young dwarves chuckle. "You don't have to return the bow lass."

"Oh, thank god," she exclaims a look of relief filling her face.

"How come you are not scared about your predicament?" Thorin asks making her finally look at him clearly. "You are surprisingly calm for a lost soul."

"It's not the first time I've been in some strange place. I travel a lot for work. I'm sure this place is no different from the places I have been before."

"We shall see." He concludes making her narrow her eyes at him for a moment as it seems she is contemplating something then shakes her head, her mouth remaining closed. Thorin glances at her a moment longer before he yells out, "We're running behind on schedule, let us be off."

"Um, where are we going?" She asks making Thorin let out an annoyed sigh as he just keeps walking ahead.