A Troll and Sorceress in Middle Earth: 3

Claire blinked, looking up at the ceiling. It was wood, the flickering light of some lanterns competing with the evening light from a low window to one side of the bed.

Her head was pounding and she sat up in bed, noticing the pillows piled around her. She was wearing a gown…

“Hello?” The voice came from outside of the room. “Are you awake?”

“Um, yes!”

“May I come in?”

“Oh, yeah, sure!” And with that the short man Claire had seen came walking in. It was then that Claire remembered that everyone had been short—she was used to being the short one, but she was taller then—

The battle, Morganna pulling her back into the darkness, Jim’s hands on hers, and then—Jim!

“I had a friend,” she said. “Did you see anyone else?”

“No… you’re the only person to fall out of the sky,” the short man said. “I don’t know if you remember, but I’m Frodo Baggins and you’re in the Shire.”

Claire did remember. “I… I was fighting. Morganna, and then I was here.” She shook her head. “I need to get home—“ she stood up and the room suddenly swirled around her as she fell back down.

“You’d better rest, lady Claire,” Frodo said.

“Just, um, Claire,” Claire said.

“So, this Morganna, was she a sorceress?”

“Yes, worse…she was trying to bring the Eternal Night…”  Claire started talking. Maybe she shouldn’t, but it was easier to talk then consider something…

She doubted anyone on Earth wouldn’t at least know something about America, and everything here looked… Old. Not old bad, but old like it came from far in the past…

****

Frodo listened. The girl’s tale was…

Well,if she hadn’t fallen out of the sky, or worn that armor, he’d have wondered if she was having a joke on them, or had hit her head a little too hard.

But who would dress a child in armor? 

Her tale didn’t sound false. Of some of the things, like lights that needed no fire, seemed… Well, the elves had written of such things,  but the Big People, at least as far as Frodo knew, used lanterns and candles.

But that wasn’t it. A child spinning a tale would be happy and eager. The girl… Claire, she was tired, and much of her story was of fear, and longing. She’d fought to get her baby brother back and now she missed him…

Frodo handed her a handkerchief to let her wipe her eyes.

“So, are you a wizard?” he asked.

“Um… I don’t know, sort of? I could do more with the staff, but we had to break it to stop Morganna.” She held up her hand, and Frodo started as whisps of darkness flickered around it. Before the girl gasped. “I…” the darkness vanished. “Sorry, I didn’t know if I could do that without Morganna’s staff but…”

“You should rest,” Frodo said. “We’ll get you fed, and when Gandalf visits, he can help you find your home!”

“I… okay.” Claire nodded. “I can help—“

“You stay right here,” Frodo said. “I’ll have lunch for you in a moment.

As he walked  out to get the food, Frodo frowned. There’d been a tugging in his pocket when she’d called the darkness.

Why had the Ring gotten heavier?

Still, she was hungry. Frodo had made a basic lunch, fish, bread, cheese, with juice and light wine.

“Thank you,” Claire said. “I… Thank you.” Then she ate, and Frodo nodded. She was hungry. He waited until they were finished and then, Claire sitting on the side of the bed, started to talk.

“I think we need to find your family,” Frodo told her. “I don’t know where this ‘America’ is, but perhaps it is in another name? Bilbo collected maps, and he has some of all the world.”

“That…” She looked nervous. “That would be great. But I’ll…”  She blinked. “I don’t have any clothes except for my armor.”

“Mistress Daisy had some clothing for you,” Frodo gestured. “It is… well, she let it out so it should fit you.”

“I—thank you!” Claire said, as Frodo closed the door.

Frodo frowned. She doesn’t want to look at the maps, not right now. Why?

A few minutes passed, and Then Claire came out, the clothing barely fitting her. “It’s wonderful,” she said. “I’ll have to thank her!” Frodo nodded.

“Of course.  Now here’s the biggest map we have…” he unfolded it. “Bilbo actually copied parts of this when he was in the House of Elrond…” He looked up at Claire.

Her face was pale, breath coming fast.

“Claire?”

“These… this… I’ve never seen these lands before.” She said. “I’m not in America… I’m not on Earth.”