Chapter Text
- “What is that...”
When you hardly open your eyes, you see trees waving with the wind above you. It's daytime. The sun is light but pleasant. You are lying in the grass and wait a few moments before sitting up. Where are you? You don't recognize this place.
You end up standing up. You have no idea how you ended up in the middle of this forest, but the most important thing is to know where you are. The village you see in the distance will certainly be able to help you.
After thirty minutes of walking, you arrive in a strange village. Everyone is dressed like in the Middle Ages. Are they making a movie? You don’t dare approach and you observe from a distance.
A long time passes and you don’t notice a camera or anyone in the movie business. Weird.
Looking more closely, you can see people are acting normally. Some of them discuss and others move from one place to another. You try to get closer to a group of people, without being seen, to hear their discussion. Their words sound implausible but at least you speak the same language, since you understand them. It's reassuring! You recognize names of people or places belonging to Tolkien's universe.
- “Don't tell me I’m in Middle-earth and I have to save the world? Either I drank too much or I'm dreaming …”
Believe it or not, you are alone in a medieval village and the sun is starting to set. It's too late to ask someone to host you. You wait until it gets dark to steal two or three fruits from a garden. Lucky for you, the air is comfortable enough to sleep under the stars.
As you settle down to sleep under a tree, you see your clothes from your world on you. It's not dressed like that you'll go unnoticed here.
You approach a garden and spot clothes drying. These are men's clothes but it will be perfect for traveling. Even if the thought of flying bothers you, you have no choice in your condition.
Out of sight under your tree, you change and keep only your shoes of your world. Dressed as a man, you take a piece of fabric to wrap your chest. You also tie your hair with a hairband from one of your pockets. You are fortunate to have a fairly young face and with a little mud, you could pretend to be a young man. Alright, it's time to sleep.
.
The next day, you start your journey with some fruit in your pockets. Suppose you are really in Middle-earth, you need to find out what time period you are. So the best would be to find the Shire and then Bag End.
After several days of walking in the forest or on small paths, you arrive in a region that seems more welcoming and prosperous. Do you really find the Shire by random walking?
Well, yes. It's not the smials you see in front of you that will tell you the opposite, or even the hobbits walking around nibbling fruits. Fields, farms and fruit trees as far as the eye can see. At least, you won't go hungry. You have no money, but you are starting to develop good techniques for stealing vegetables. The truth is, you hate doing it, but you have no choice.
Anyway, new objective: find Bag End. If it's pretty big, you shouldn't have a hard time finding it, right?
Except the Shire is bigger than you might think. One evening when your foot starts to hurt, you try to steal some tomato, but a hobbit farmer surprises you. You apologize flatly explaining yourself but he doesn’t listen to you. He even threatens you with his pitchfork. You’re not going to die because of an angry hobbit with a pitchfork, right? Right?!
You take some tomatoes and run as fast as possible. You end up stumbling and falling flat on your face on the ground. Even in Middle-earth, dust tastes bad.
You defend yourself by apologizing again and you see the hobbit make a face and lower his pitchfork. He insults you at you before leaving.
It's only when you stand up that you see a man behind you. In truth, he isn’t a man. He's a muscular, bald, scary looking dwarf. By instinct, you take a few steps back.
- “G-good evening. I took some tomatoes because I had nothing to eat. I-”
The dwarf's growl silences you. He tells you to follow him. You don't know if it's a good idea but you end up following him.
After a few minutes of walking, you can't believe your eyes. Bilbo, the young and fresh hobbit Bilbo Baggins, opens the door for you. He's not happy to see you walk into his home. You finally understand what time you are in. You have arrived at the start of the quest for Erebor with Dwalin.
You know what you have to do: join Thorin's company to save him and his nephews. Nothing more simple...
You sit down at the table. The other dwarves gradually arrive and you watch the scene with a smile. They are curious about you. Dwalin explains he found you hungry on the way. They leave you alone while you devour everything in front of you, even though you see Fíli and Kíli dying to come talk to you.
The truth is, you are waiting for Gandalf to arrive. When he walks in, you can't help but smile from ear to ear. Eventually he notices your presence and approaches you with a questioning eye, all the dwarves are watching you both.
- “A surprise guest?”
- "I found him on the way stealing tomatoes from the fields," Dwalin replies.
- “Ah um, yes …” you articulate in a voice you force to make it deep.
- “And this guest has a name ?” the magician asks.
A name? Oh, dressed like you are, you need a boy's name. You quickly search and find the first name coming to mind when you see a sword against a wall.
- “Arthur! My name is Arthur, at your service!”
You spoke a lot louder than you wanted. Fíli and Kíli burst out laughing. You ignore them and all the dwarves greet you, even if you see their uncertain gazes staring at you.
The evening’s events quickly come one after another. You've found it hard to look other than Thorin since he entered. It is more impressive than you think.
When Balin gives Bilbo the contract, Gandalf speaks so that you are also part of the company.
- "It's out of the question," Thorin said firmly.
- “Nothing happens by chance, Master Thorin. If Arthur has made it this far, there is a good reason.”
- “I don’t want your wealth,” you begin. “And I think Gandalf is right.”
- “I do not-”
- “I'll protect myself. I know what to expect and I won't bother you.”
Thorin looks at you, growling, and Gandalf raises a questioning eyebrow. The other dwarves remain silent and await Thorin's response.
- “You don't know what to expect. A weakling like you won't survive a day in the Wilderlands.”
- “I will survive. Don’t worry,” you smile. “If anything happens to me, it's absolutely not your responsibility. And I don't have any family that can blame you.”
Thorin is staring at you. You won't let go until he accepts. Gandalf reiterates his request once again and Thorin ends up accepting your integration into the company.
...
The journey continues. Since you had nothing to go on such a long and complex journey, Gandalf bought you something to survive on such as a blanket, a bag, etc. During the trolls’ attack, you wisely stay by the fire since you know they will come out uninjured. You even get a dagger in their cave! You don't know how to use it but you never know.
In Rivendell, you are as impressed by the place as by the elves. You keep a low profile? You don’t want them to find out that you are a woman or that you are from another world.
On the other hand, the goblins and then the pursuit of Azog really scared you! You really thought you were going to die! Even if you don't ask them, the company can't help but protect you. Maybe because you look as weak as Bilbo.
At Beorn, you can finally rest. You don't know how, but as soon as Beorn saw you, he looked like he guessed you were lying about your appearance. Lucky for you, he didn't say anything. You suspect Gandalf and even Bilbo understood this too, but they don't seem to have told the dwarves about it. So much the better!
Once in Mirkwood’s dungeons, you become serious. Until then you were a spectator of this adventure but now you have to intervene. There is no way Kíli would be injured by an orc arrow!
Before getting into a barrel for the escape, you grab a lid from a barrel and call Kíli to join you in your barrel. Some dwarves look at you strangely but they let you. You've had the whole trip to come up with plans to keep them all alive!
The escape’s scene by the river looked more fun to see than to experience. Now arrows are brushing past you, orcs chasing you to kill you, and the handsome elven Prince doing everything to lock you up in his dungeons, it's not fun!
As soon as Kíli rushes to open the passage, you step out of the barrel with him and protect him as best you can. When the passage opens and the dwarves begin to descend the river, you feel the famous orc arrow sticking into your makeshift shield. You hope you won't be called Arthur Barrelshell now!
- “Kíli! Jump and join your brother!” you yell pointing to Fíli who has been shouting her brother's name for a long time.
- “And you?!”
- “I follow you! You will catch up with me! Hurry, otherwise-”
By protecting the young prince, you forgot to protect yourself. You are cut off in your discussion by an arrow crashing into your arm. Kíli jumps and you join him without waiting. The adrenaline from the escape keeps you from thinking about the arrow. On the other hand, when the fight is finally over and you arrive in front of the lake, the arrow reminds you of your mistake.
Kíli helps you to get out of the barrel. Óin rushes towards you and takes the arrow away from you. You have never had such pain in your entire life!
The dwarf healer quickly applies an ointment and a bandage to you as Thorin is in a hurry. But Bard intervenes first and you all end up accompanying him to Laketown.
...
Bard kindly accommodates you at his place. Upon your arrival, Óin takes you to a corner to inspect your injury. Kíli also stays close to you, feeling guilty for what is happening to you.
You are very pale and you are losing a lot of strength. Kíli would have resisted for several days, but you're only human, you're not going to last long.
Óin asks you to take off your top to clean the wound. His words are like an electric shock on you. During the entire trip, you managed to keep the company at a distance when you went to wash up, under the pretext of being public and they believed you and respected your request. When Óin sees you squeeze your jacket, he understands and takes you to a room alone.
By removing your jacket and shirt, Óin then understands what you are. More than surprised, he takes a few steps back but you hold him back and beg him not to say anything to the other. He hesitates for a long time and ends up accepting.
Phew! Now isn't a good time for news like this!
Once your jacket is on the ground, you hear a noise reminding you that you had stolen a healing balm from the Rivendell’s elves, in case your plans did not work as intended. You thought the Mirkwood’s elves had taken it from you when you searched, but no!
How do we say? Ah yes. Thanks, Mahal!
Óin applies the balm to you which soothes you quickly. You aren’t being healed either, but you should survive.
When you come out of the room, Bofur and Kíli rush towards you to ask about your condition.
- “He's fine,” Óin begins, looking at you, making you understand that he's not happy to have to lie. “Arthur, kept from us he stole a balm at Rivendell.”
- “We will have to calm this stealing habit, Arthur!” Bofur jokes. “One day, it could turn against you.”
- “It was so tempting!” you smile. “Besides, we could very well have needed it if someone was seriously injured!”
- “Like you, for example!” Kíli exclaims. “You shouldn't have come with me!”
- “If I hadn't, you would have been hit by that arrow,” you say seriously. “I didn't want to put up with Fíli who would whine because his brother is injured!”
- “Hey!” the concerned intervenes, approaching your group. “And how did you know Kíli will be in danger? You seemed to prepare well with your barrel lid.”
- “You always have to be prepared to protect the princess in danger,” you joke when you see Kíli getting angry.
- “How did you know, indeed?” Thorin cut your jokes. “It's strange to be so well prepared.”
Thorin walks up to your group and all the dwarves are watching you. How do you get out of it? Bilbo? Gandalf, help me!
- “Oh it's because I see the future. Um,” you say, pretending to think with your eyes closed. “I see you will get upset in a few minutes!”
- "What an idiot!" Thorin shout, walking to Dwalin. “This human is a waste of time!”
At the start of the journey, you were scared to see Thorin getting angry but now you are enjoying yourself inside.
The stay in Laketown continues until the morning when the company leaves for Erebor. You accompany them to the boats knowing you are going to stay here. You can't let the people here die. They don't realize it, but you smile at the sight of Fíli and Kíli getting into the same boat.
You approach them and signal them to approach you.
- “You two,” you whisper. “If anything happens to me, promise me to always stay with your uncle ; even if he orders you to go in exploration.”
- "It’s quite precise," said Fíli, raising an eyebrow.
- “Promise me you idiots!”
- “Hey, you're the idiot! Why are you telling us all this ?” Kíli asks.
- “Because I'm not coming with you. I'm staying here for now. My injury hasn't healed yet and someone needs to take care of Bofur.”
In front of your insistent gaze, they end up promising what you asked them without conviction. When you step back to let them go, some will look bad on you. To reassure them, you yell at them in the distance that you will join them later until Bofur joins you, half awake.
.
After they leave, you will find Bard to explain to him what will happen: the dragon will wake up and he will be locked up while Smaug destroys the city. Doubtful at first, he ends up accepting what you tell him.
He waits at home with his children until orcs arrive in the house. Legolas and Tauriel intervene and recognize you and Bofur. You are sorry for her that Kíli isn’t here, but they will have a better chance of seeing each other again, and in better circumstances. Bard leaves his house with the Black Arrow and his son as soon as they feel tremors.
Everything happens very quickly, you run away to the lake shore with the children of Bard and Bofur, like all the inhabitants of the town. Bard obviously succeeds in killing Smaug, who is incredibly scary to see even from a distance.
Hoping as many lives as possible have been saved, you take the road to Erebor with Bofur. Direction Erebor. The hardest part remains: Thorin will have to come to his senses and none of Durin's heirs must die during the battle.