I own nothing, everything recognizable belongs to Pet Fly and the big man himself (Tolkein)

This plot bunny came to me at a fortuitous time - right in the middle of drama class, when I needed to look busy. Leave a review if you think it's good enough to be worth continuing

Sniff. Sniff. Unfamiliar scents wash over my nose as I slowly claw my way towards consciousness. They weren't bad smells – woody deciduous trees, deer musk, the lighter smells of lesser creatures – but something was missing. I couldn't quite tell what, though, so I switched over to hearing. I heard birds, flying from tree to tree and chirping, a smaller animal (perhaps a fox?) trotted easily between the brush, and squirrels chattered from the branches, scolding each other and any other critter that offended their sensibilities. Everything sounded normal, for a forest, but something wasn't right there either. I was listening for a specific sound, but I couldn't hear it. I was missing something, someone vital, and it made me uneasy. I tried to remember what I was searching for, but my head...I push the thought away, in the process turning down a dial I'd forgotten I had. Wait, dial? Dials? Something important about dials, someone telling him to "turn the dials down, man." The voice – whoever was saying that phrase was important. It was who he was looking for – yes, that sounded right. I was looking for the man – boy? - who told me to turn down the dials. Satisfied, I extended my senses again, feeling the air flow across my skin, smelling the forest smells, hearing – oh-oh. A new sound reached his ears, one he was familiar – footsteps on the carpeting of old leaves that rested on the forest floor. The footsteps quick, sure, and unmuffled – whoever was walking was familiar with the territory, and confident they could deal with anything unexpected they found. And whoever it was, wasn't who I was looking for – I knew it instinctively. I also knew that if the stranger found me lying here helpless, things would probably not end well. So I opened my eyes, and...

I, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, was nearing Bree when I came upon a most unusual sight: a man dressed in strange clothing, laying on the ground. I could see no wound, but he looked dead. I quickly knelt beside him and felt for a pulse. To my relief, I found one – though it was weak and thready. Or rather, it started weak and thready but grew stronger even as I kept my fingers in place. Slowly, the light came back into his eyes and he blinked. I removed my hand as he groaned. "Where...am I?" he asked as he brought up his hand to cover his eyes. "Near the town of Bree," I inform him, keeping my curiosity under wraps until I was sure he was coherent enough that I would get a straight answer.

It was a good thing I had, for it seemed he hadn't been expecting an answer to his query. In a flash, he was on his feet in a defensive crouch, hands curling into fists. "Who the hell are you? Where the hell is Bree? And where is he?" I raised my hands in a pacifying gesture "Easy! Had I meant to harm you, I could have done so while you lay helpless." He frowned, but slowly straightened out of the crouch. His hands remained curled into fists, however, and his eyes – his eyes! Like two chips of ice, I could almost feel them staring into the core of me, chilling what they saw there. I almost shivered, but he broke off the staredown first. I was oddly grateful. "Yeah, well, you still haven't answered my questions," he growled. I inclined my head "My apologies. I am called Strider, and Bree-town is in Bree-land," I paused as I saw his confusion "Eriador? Middle Earth?" I tried. He shook his head to both. "Doesn't ring a bell. But then, I think I'm missing...stuff." He grimaced in pain as he brought his hand to his head. I saw that my earlier estimation had been mistaken - he had a painful-looking lump on the back of his head. "My head...I don't remember...I'm looking for someone," he said firmly, desperately "I have to find him. He can make the mess in my head go away. Straighten it out. I have to find him," he repeated desperately. "Help me find him," he pleaded, stepping towards me. I was not made of stone, and I could not refuse him. I had other concerns, however, which pressed me on to Bree-town.

Well, perhaps he would find who he was looking for there. Bree-town was fairly large and well-situated, with many people passing through – though fewer in recent years, with the shadow in the East growing and the Riders roving the land. If he did not find who he was looking for in Bree-town...We would cross that bridge when we came to it, I decided. "Come with me to Bree-town then, and see if you can find "him" there," I offered gently. I saw indecision flash briefly in his eyes, before being replaced by steely resolve. He nodded, and I smiled before turning and starting off again towards Bree-town. Even with this interruption, we should make it in just as the sun was setting. I was glad – even so far west, the roads had become unsafe to travel at night. I glanced back, and noted with satisfaction that the stranger had no trouble keeping up with me. A thought occurred to me, and I paused. He looked at me with a question in his eyes. "You must have a name," I said "I cannot have you accompany me and call you nothing but 'stranger.'" He nodded and closed his eyes. He groaned and staggered even as he brought his hands to his forehead. I reached out in concern, and steadied him. "Are you well?" I asked in concern. He shook his head "It hurts...every time I try and remember something, it hurts...My... name...is...Jim." He huffed and groaned. "I'll be alright...in a minute." I held him steady while he slowly got himself back together. "Are you ready to continue?" I asked after he could finally stand on his own. He nodded, and together, we turned and continued on to Bree-town. After seeing the pain missing his person had caused, I could only pray to the Valar that he found whoever he was looking for in Bree.