Chapter 1 Living and Dying

Author's Note: This is just a little rewrite and editing. I hope you like it.

Autumn Eberheart stared at her target with a determine look on her face and quickly closed her eyes. She held the knife in her hand ready to strike. She raised her arm and with the flick of her wrist she let it go. Autumn can picture the knife flying through the air and hitting it's mark.

"We have a winner!" a voice shouted.

She opened her eyes as everyone around her clapped and cheered at the young woman's remarkable skill. Autumn smiled as the man with the top hat handed her a pink teddy bear as her prize. She turned around and saw a pretty blonde around six-years-old looking at her shyly while holding the hand of an older woman, who was no doubt the girl's mother.

Autumn kneeled so she was at the same eye level as the child.

"Here you go sweetheart," Autumn said sweetly, as she handed her the bear.

The girl let out a happy squeal and hugged her new toy."

"Say thank you to the nice lady," the mother told her daughter.

"Thank you," the girl replied.

"Your welcome," she smiled.

Autumn watched as the mother and daughter run off to enjoy the rest of the fair. Then Autumn spotted her two best friends, an Asian girl with beautiful long jet black hair and a short browned girl, standing by the Knife Throwing Booth.

"Pay up suckers," Autumn taunted, holding out her hand.

They both groaned, as they each pulled out twenty dollars from their pockets.

"Don't blame me! You guys didn't think I could hit the bullseye with my eyes closed and I had to prove you wrong," she shrugged."

"I still think it was dumb luck," Raven, the Asian girl, replied.

"Plus, you practice knife throwing and archery back home," Maddie, the other girl, added.

It was true. Most girls her age were into stuff like fashion, make up and other material crap, but not her. She enjoyed being outdoors, learning different fighting styles, and other unusual stuff that caught her fancy. But despite these traits her friends accepted her and she loved them for it.

Maddie was the sweet one and a talented violinist. Raven was the brains always reading some book. And Autumn was adventurer longing to see far off places. I mean, she had a good life in Boston with her family and friends but it could be so boring at times. It was like being trapped in that movie Pleasantville, where everything was predictable, only there was no Toby Maguire. She would kill to go on a some kind of adventure.

"Come on, let's go get some cinnamon rolls. My treat," Autumn suggested.

"Um, that's our money you're using so technically we're the ones paying," Maddie reminded her.

"I know," she smirked.

"You know we're gonna get you back for this," Raven warned.

"True but who can think of payback on a beautiful day like this," Autumn said.

Maddie and Raven exchange looks knowing that their friend had a point. So they all went to one of the food carts and bought some cinnamon rolls. They were talking about what ride they should go on next when they were approached by a homeless woman asking for chance. The woman looked to be in her early 50s with long ratty chestnut hair. If she cleaned the dirt off her face and got rid of the filthy clothes she would've been considered quite attractive. Taking pity on the woman they each gave her a dollar.

"Thank you girls. So kind," she looked at Raven. Then over at Maddie, "so generous." And then finally Autumn, "and so beautiful."

The girls thanked her and headed for the bumper cars. Unknown to them the homeless woman was still looking at them. She seemed to have an odd interest in the trio, particularly Autumn. She watched as Autumn and her friends were having fun hitting each other with their bumper cars. She continued to follow them without being seen. After a couple of more rides and some popcorn they decided to call it a day. The homeless woman watched as the girls crossed the street to where their car was. She spotted the woman and daughter from the knife throwing booth exit the fair. She flicked her wrist a huge gust of wind hit the two and the girl's teddy bear flew out of her hands.

"Teddy!," the girl yelled running after her toy.

The bear lands in the middle of the road. As the girl goes to retrieve it she fails to see the truck coming toward her.

"Libby!" the girl's mother screamed.

Autumn and her friends turned to see the truck about to hit the little girl. Without thinking Autumn runs out and pushes the child out of the way. Although she saved the girl's life she was the unfortunate one as she found herself crashing into the windshield and bouncing off the hood, falling onto the pavement.

Raven and Maddie ran to see if their friend was okay. Soon a small crowd had gathered around Autumn, who wasn't moving. The homeless woman knew what did was wrong but it was the only way. It was time for the young Autumn to know who she really was. She waved her hand and soon she was gone in a flash of light.

Even though Autumn's body still remained on Earth her spirit was leaving this realm for another.

~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

It's been three days since they left the Shire to pick up the hobbit and Fili was tired with all this riding. He has to admit that Bilbo Baggins didn't look like much of a burglar but if Gandalf says he's a burglar than that was good enough for him. He was a wizard after all. Fili looked over his shoulder where the hobbit was riding in the back, who looked so uncomfortable and out of place. He couldn't help feel sorry for the Halfling. Being so far away from home for the first time. This is his first time leaving home as well. It pained him to leave his mother behind back home in the Iron Hills but he and Kili wanted to prove themselves to their uncle. Before leaving he promised his mother that he would be careful and look out for his brother.

Fili turned his attention toward the front where Thorin was leading the Company on a quest to reclaim Erebor. He still couldn't believe that he and Kili were actually traveling to the Lonely Mountain, their birthplace. They grew up on their uncle's stories of the great city and always dreamed of seeing it with his own eyes. All they had to do is kill a dragon. How hard could it be?

"Halt!, Thorin ordered the Company.

Everyone came to a stop wondering what was going on.

"Why have we stopped," Kili asked his brother.

"I don't know," he shrugged.

One by one they got off their ponies to see what was holding them up. What they saw took them by surprise. It was a human girl lying unconscious in the middle of the road. She wearing the strangest clothes he's ever seen. She wore trousers made out of some unknown material and the purple long sleeve shirt clung to her body like second skin.

"Is she dead," Kili asked what everyone was thinking.

Thorin instructed Dwalin to see if the girl had a pulse, since he was the closest to her. As Dwalin bent down the girl choose that moment to open her eyes. At the sight of Dwalin's face she screamed. Before he could say anything she punched him in the face.

"Durin's beard!," Dwalin cried out.

She quickly sprung to her feet just as Dwalin fell to his knees, grabbing his nose in pain. Fili had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. The girl got into a defensive stance in a attempt to be look brave but Fili could see the fear and confusion in her eyes.

"What the hell is going on? Where am I? Who are you people," she demanded.

Gandalf decided to be the one to do the talking. He slowly approached but she took a step back.

"Listen, if you guys are trying to rob me I don't have any money," she declared.

"We are not thieves my dear. We mean no harm," Gandalf assured her.

"I'm in the middle of the freaking woods with a group of strange men carrying weapons, so pardon me if I don't believe you," she snapped.

"I understand. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gandalf. Gandalf the Grey," he said.

When he said his name her eyes grew wide with surprise.

"The wizard," she asked.

"Oh! You've heard of me," the wizard smiled.

The girl slowly looked around her surroundings and at the Company, as if she realized something important.

"I'm not in Boston, am I," she asked cautiously.

"Where in Middle Earth is that," Ori asked innocently.

As soon as she heard the words Middle Earth she began to feel faint.

Before he knew what he was doing Fili ran to catch her before she hit the ground.

"It's all right. I got you," Fili assured her.

She grabbed on to his shoulders to steady herself but keep her head down.

"I think I'm gonna be sick. If I throw up on you I apologize in advance," she said.

"It's gonna be all right. I promise. Just look at me," he instructed her.

When she lifted her head and looked at him, he honestly felt everything cease to exist. He didn't see anything but her. She had the most beautiful hazel eyes he's ever seen. And although her dark blonde hair was a mess that he longed to run his fingers through it.

Finally Fili managed to snap out of his trance and speak.

"Um...just take a deep breath and focus on me, okay? Only me," he told her.

"Only you," she repeated.

She took a deep breath and managed to calm down.

"Better," he asked hopefully.

"Yes. Thank you," she smiled.

Fili couldn't help but smile back.

"Fili!"

Fili turned to see Thorin, who was not at all amused. He noticed that his hands on the girl's hips and quickly pulled away from her. He can feel his cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Bring the girl so we may question her," Thorin ordered.

Fili nodded to his uncle.

As the Company took their ponies and their belongings under some tree, where some of the dwarves have a little rest. Fili felt the girl beside him tense. He placed his hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"Don't worry. My uncle isn't so bad once you get to know," he assured her.

She smiled at his words. Once again he found himself smiling back. He found her smile contagious.

"Fili!"

"Coming!" Fili answered his uncle.

He lead the girl to the rest of the Company, where they were waiting for them.

Balin noticed how nervous the girl was so he decided to introduce everyone first in a effort to put her at ease.

"Hello, my dear. Balin at your service.

"Hello," she replied.

"You already met a few of us. Mr. Gandalf, my younger brother Dwalin."

"Yeah, I'm sorry for punching you in the face," she apologized to the bald dwarf.

Dwalin just grunted.

"And of course, you met young Fili here."

As soon as she turned her attention to him Fili once again felt the world around him disappear. She was just so beautiful.

What is the matter with him, he thought.

Not wanting to look like an idiot in front of her, he takes her hand and kisses the back of it.

"At your service, my lady."

He felt a sense of pride as she watched her cheeks turn red. Balin cleared his throat, reminding Fili that they were not alone. Fili quickly stood next Kili, who couldn't help but grin at his actions. He just knew his brother was gonna tease him later.

"As I was saying, let me introduce you to the rest of the group. There's Kili, Fili's brother. Oin, Gloin, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bilbo Baggins and our leader Thorin Oakenshield."

She gave a little wave to everyone but took a deep breath and spoke.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you all. My name is Autumn Eberheart and I'm not from around here," she began.