New test run for a story!

Okay, a little background information before we get started. This is after Prince Caspian and during the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. So at the same time that Peter and Susan are in Narnia, Lucy and Ed are in Narnia again. And, I decided to use the movie version of Prince Caspian for the Pevensie's to refer back to. I loved the Susan/Caspian pairing and I thought I would be able to incorpate that into this story (As inspiration, Caspian will not be in this story at all, though he is mentioned in it.) Um...I think that is basically all you need to know for now...I hope you like it. I feel like there is not enough LOTR/Narnia crossovers even though these worlds mesh so well together.

PS. Sorry if there are mistakes in the Lord of The Rings facts. I won't even pretend that I am an expert at that series because I am not.

Welcome to The Chronicles of Life and Death.

It all started with a prophecy.

In the time of Sauron's first rise to power Lady Galandriel had a vision of the future. A vision of two powerful siblings from the race of men that would come to save all of Middle Earth from the ring of power and it's master. These two siblings would carry their own special magic inside of them that most of Middle Earth had forgotten long ago. One would be magnificent and brave while the other would be gentle but carry the heart of a warrior inside of her. Both would have purpose in this world and become the Great Defenders that Middle Earth needed.

It all started with a prophecy.

Lady Galandriel told her vision to Isildur, King of Gondor and the man who defeated Sauron. The king did not believe in her vision. Isildur believed that Sauron was dead and gone, never to return to power. These two siblings would never come because they would never be needed.

Seasons changed and years passed and Lady Galandriel's prophecy was long forgotten to the race of men. That is until one man stepped from the shadows and woke the memories of his kind from their slumber.

It all started with a prophecy,

And this is what became of it...

Susan Pevensie was standing on the viewing deck of the Sea Queen. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as the warm ocean wind blew across her face. For a second, it felt as if she were actually back in Narnia....but that would be completely impossible.

The girl's eyes shot open to see the sun rise on the horizon. The oranges and pinks from the sky mixed into the gentle blues of the water to make a scene so beautiful that it looked like she were staring at a painting.

No matter how lovely the horizon was, however, it would still not be anything like the views she had seen in lands unknown to most. It had been almost six months since her and her siblings left Narnia. For Susan and Peter, it was their last time in the beautiful country; their country.

Aslan told them that they would not be returning to Narnia. He said that they had learned all they needed to in this world and it was time for them to live in theirs.

No matter how much Susan tried to understand this, she could not help but feel resentment toward the Noble Lion. Aslan once said "once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king and queen of Narnia" but it felt as if that title had been ripped away from her. Susan felt like she was being punished for something, what it was she didn't know, but it was painfully obvious that she had done something wrong.

Susan sighed. She could barely think about Narnia anymore. Lately, it seemed easier to pretend that it was all just a game that her and her siblings would play while living with Professor Kirke. Lately, Lucy was constantly talking of Tumnus and wondering how Prince Caspian was doing.

The name Caspian alone was enough to drive Susan insane. The two of them never even had a chance to be together because she had to leave. Sure, they had had something connect between them in Narnia but it couldn't have lasted, Susan knew that. Despite knowing this, she was constantly plagued with the question of "What if?".

What If she had stayed with Caspian? What if her and the rest of her family hadn't stumbled back through the wardrobe during their first stay in Narnia?

With Lucy around, the "what if" questions grew and grew until Susan could not take it anymore. Susan loved her sister, but she couldn't handle the talk of Narnia anymore.

She knew Peter felt the same way. The boy had become angry and withdrawn from his two younger siblings since their return to England. Both of them wanted to escape the memories and stories of their old lives.

So that is how Peter ended up back at Professor Kirke's for the summer holiday while Susan decided to take a trip to American with her parents.

That's how she ended up on that boat, on that deck, staring out at that sun. The girl put her forearms against the rail and leaned against it. Her eyes closed again and she relaxed. All was quiet around her.

It was then that Susan felt a rumbling under her feet. Her eyes shot open and began to scan her surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place, yet the rumbling worsened. What was happening?

Susan grasped tightly to the rail as the ground beneath her feet began to shake with such intensity that she felt as if an earthquake was taking place within the water.

Seconds later, a sudden jolt pushed against her back. She spun around to see who or what was attacking but nothing came at her on the lonely deck.

Susan was terrified. She didn't know what was happening or what to do about it. Should she call for help?

Another jolt hit her, threatening to push her off the deck. She held on tighter until her knuckles turned a pale shade of white. With one last push at her back, Susan's hands were wretched from the railing and she sailed over the edge of the large ship and started plummeting down through the air.

Down and down she fell like Alice in the rabbit hole. As she looked down at the water that would be the death of her, she began to scream out in horror.

A second before she was to hit the roaring waters of the Atlantic, the scenery around her began to change. The blues of the water became green grass and the pale pink sky turned to a clear blue. With an abrupt, startling thud, Susan made contact to grass instead of water.

"Ugh." She said to herself upon her stomach making impact with the hard ground. The breath was knocked from her lungs and she gasped for air until she felt normal again.

The girl slowly sat up and took in the area around her. She, obviously, was not in the freezing depths of the Atlantic Ocean but in a forest heavily wooded with large red oaks. If she hadn't known it was impossible she would have thought she was back in Narnia.

With a shaky sigh, Susan stood up and began to brush the grass off of herself. It was then that the girl realized that she was not in the skirt and jumper she had been in on the passenger liner but now clothed in a dress the color of the midnight sky. The scoop neckline was semi-low and the sleeves were tight around her wrists but for the most part it was comfortable. She smoothed out the fabric of the dress and stopped around her stomach when she felt a leather strap.

She furrowed her eyebrows and reached to touch her back. Susan smiled to herself when her hand made contact with her bow. She pulled it, along with a red tipped arrow, out of her quiver and studied them. The bow was beautifully crafted out of willow with an intricate design all around it. This was the bow that Father Christmas had given to her on their first trip to Narnia and it was the best present she had ever received.

How she had missed that bow. With it in her grasp Susan felt empowered and untouchable. It was hard for anyone to get near her with this bow in hand and that feeling gave comfort to Susan now...

Because she was alone.

Susan looked up from the bow and at her surroundings once more. Where was she? The girl would not dare wish to hope that she was back in Narnia, not after what Aslan had said. But Aslan was the only one who had the power to take her from her world and put her in a new one.

Even if he did want her back in Narnia, where were the rest of her siblings? Peter, Edmund, and Lucy surely would have been here with her, wouldn't they? Susan had no clue.

What she did know, however, was that she could not stay in those woods for much longer. The sky above her was growing dark and night would soon be upon her. She had to try and find shelter or else she would be sleeping under the protection of a tree which she didn't particularly want to do. She didn't know where she was, there could be murders of thieves in these woods.

Making up her mind, she picked a random direction and began to walk.

The forest was breathtaking. The grass under Susan's feet was simply the perfect shade of green and the trees surrounding her on all sides were old and still healthy.

Leaves crunched under her feet as she continued to walk, still no sight of life around her. No animals, humans, or any other creature stirred in the silent forest. It was just Susan.

The girl walked for what seemed like hours and was about to give up hope of finding civilization when the trees began to slowly thin out. Becoming hopeful, Susan began to run. Soon enough, she saw glowing flames illuminate the night sky and she knew she had made it to the destination that she did not know she was looking for.

Minutes later, she came to the outer wall of the quiet little town. It looked like a rundown little place but,to be polite, Susan thought of it as "quaint". The girl walked around the barrier slowly, trying to find the entrance into the town. Susan rounded a corner and there she saw the way in.

She walked over and felt confused when she saw the large, wooden door wide open. That was strange. What was the purpose of having a large fence surrounding the town when it is so easy to get into it? Something seemed wrong to her. Susan pursed her lips as she studied the situation.

The town radiated the feeling of eeriness that made chills run down Susan's back but what other choice did she have but to enter?

There were no other options besides braving the forest for the night and going into the town seemed less risky than her other choice. Drawing her bow and notching an arrow into it, Susan slowly advanced into the town she had now identified as Bree thanks to the sign on the gate door.

She was cautious and alert as she went further and further into Bree. The streets were empty of people or any life for that matter. With the streets so lonely, Susan grew more uneasy. Something was wrong here but it was too late to turn back now.

Susan walked down the cobbled side allies until she came upon what she assumed to be the main street. Like every other road she had been on, this one was deserted. But unlike the other streets, this one had several inns, any of which would prove a decent enough place for Susan to get some rest.

She decided to try the one closest to her called the Prancing Pony. The name of the inn was ridiculous but Susan didn't think she should be too particular on which one she chose. After all, a bed was a bed anywhere you went.

She walked over to the building and took noticed that the door was already open. She peered in and saw that the pub was empty and all the lights were off. Her forehead wrinkled. Had she stumbled into a ghost town? She was about to take step in when a hand came up from behind and cupped over her mouth, another snaked around her waist. She started to work up a good scream when a male voice whispered into her ear. "Keep silent," It said.

She, surprisingly, did as requested but still continued to struggle against the man. His grip on her tightened slightly as he picked her up from the ground and started to drag her from the inn. The man continued to drag her until he came to the building across the street. He tugged the door open with one hand while keeping his other firmly in front of Susan's mouth. He pulled her in and shut the door as quietly as he could behind them. Once inside, he leaned against the door and held Susan against him; her back to his chest. He waited a second more, as if listening for something, before speaking. "Listen to me. I am not going to harm you," He said calmly.

Susan somehow doubted that seeing as he just attacked her and dragged her into this inn against her will. Her instincts began to kick in and she decided to do what came naturally to a girl. With one swift motion, she kicked her foot back and it made contact with the man's groin.

He left go of her in his pain. The man's hands fell from her and she jolted from his grasp. Susan quickly held up her bow, that she now realized she was still carrying, and pointed it at her capturer's face.

The man stood straight once again as the pain faded to look at Susan. He put his hands up in surrender as he looked at the arrow directed at his face.

"Who are you?" She demanded to know.

The man raised his eyebrows at the intensity and bravery this small young woman carried inside of her. He could tell that she was a warrior.

"My name is of no importance but you may call me Strider," He informed.

"Why did you attack me?" Susan asked.

The man frowned. "I did not attack you-"

"Answer the question," She cut him off. It was true that Susan's title was the Gentle Queen but that did not mean that she was not unyielding. Peter and Edmund taught her well in the ways of defense during their rein in Narnia, just in case something, Aslan forbid, was to happen.

Strider kept his cool while choosing his words. "The Nazgul are in that inn looking for something. If you would have gone in there they would not have hesitated to slaughter you. I watched as you came down the street and when you turned to enter the Prancing Pony I had no choice but to come get you."

"Where am I?" She asked, hoping to get an idea of whether she was in the world of Narnia or not.

The man tilted his head at her but answered nonetheless. "You are in the town of Bree, right on the outskirts of the Shire, "

Susan wrinkled her forehead. So she wasn't in Narnia or any of the countries of that world for there were no places called the Shire there.

The dark haired girl thought about what had happened: she was sent to another universe that was completely foreign to her and she was alone without her siblings. Why would Aslan do this to her?

Suddenly, Strider's words broke through the veil of her thoughts. "You need not fear me, Lady. I swear it."

Susan contemplated his words as she studied Strider's face. The man had dark brown curly hair that was cut an inch above his shoulder. By the looks of it, he had not shaved in over a week and was travel worn. But despite his unkept appearance, his deep, soulful brown eyes were pure.

It was his eyes that made Susan decided to trust his words. She dropped her bow slowly and nodded her head.

The man smiled. "Come with me."

Strider leaped from the his position by the door and dashed up the stairs. Susan's eyes followed him up as she thought over what she was about to do. Mother would kill her if she knew that she was in an inn with a grown man. But, he had promised her that he meant her no harm.

So, forgetting her upbringing completely, Susan followed him. He was waiting at the top of the stairs for her when she reached them.

Strider nodded his head at her before going down the short hallway and opening the door on the end, closest to the street they had just been on.

Susan entered the room after him and saw that four single beds resided in it. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that all the beds was occupied by a small child.

"Are they yours?" Susan asked, nodding to the children.

Strider looked at the beds then chuckled lightly. "No, I cannot say that they are."

Susan wrinkled her forehead, wondering to herself what the man was doing with four children that were not his own. He didn't strike her as a kidnapper so there must have been a logical reason for him to be caring for them.

Susan saw that Strider bypassed all the beds and went to sit on the window ledge that gave a clear view of the Prancing Pony across the street. Susan watched Strider as he watched the inn with intense eyes.

Suddenly, a piercing cry filled the air, followed by several more. Susan's blue eyes jumped down to the entrance of the Prancing Pony just in time to see four cloaked figures emerge from the inn.

Susan gasped. They looked as if they were men at one time but the things she saw below her were...hallow, like all life had been sucked from them and nothing remained but shells of the people they used to be.

"These are the Nazgul?" Susan asked, eyes still glued to the creatures.

Strider nodded but she did not see it. "They used to be great kings of men...before they were consumed with the need for power and now that is what they hunt."

"And they hunt it here? In this small town? Why would they think that great power would reside here?"

Outside the window, the creatures screeched bloody murder before jumping onto black horses that hadn't been there seconds earlier. One of the Nazgul, whom Susan assumed to be the leader, lifted his sword, shrieked, and took off down the dark street followed by the others. Susan watched them take their leave until their dark cloaks were swallowed by the night that surrounded them.

Strider stood up and turned to Susan who stood a good foot shorter than his tall frame. He studied her for a moment as if searching for something in her eyes. "Where are you from?"

Susan bit her lip and looked down at her feet. Should she tell him? It would probably sound crazy if she told him that she was from a completely different world and brought to this one by magic. But then again, this world had things like the Nazgul and that in it's self seemed magical to Susan.

Susan decided to just play it safe. "Not from around these parts," She said honestly.

Strider cocked an eyebrow. "Yes, I can tell..." He drifted off as he continued to study her.

She felt uncomfortable under his gaze. "What?" She snapped at him rather rudely.

Strider smiled. "There is something you are not telling me. Am I correct, Lady...?"

"Susan," she gave him her name.

"Am I correct, Lady Susan?"

She bit her lip again, something she was accustomed to doing when thinking things over. Susan took a deep breath. "I'm not sure if I can trust you yet, Strider...In fact, I'm not sure of a lot of things right now."

The man smiled sincerely. "I understand that you hardly know me but, My Lady, I cannot help you unless tell me what you are not, for I fear that those are the things I must know in order to keep you safe."

Susan wrinkled her forehead. "And what makes you think that I am in any sort of danger?"

"You are carrying weapons, Lady. A woman would not do that if no one was after her."

Susan pursed her lips. In all honesty, she did not know why her bow was with her. The only reason Aslan would have sent her to this world with her bow was if he thought she would need to use it.

What should I do, Aslan? Should I tell this stranger about my siblings and I? I need your guidance. She thought, hoping the Great Lion would hear her silent words. A second passed by when she felt the answer fill her. Aslan didn't speak, but she felt his presence around her and that was enough of an answer for her.

The dark haired girl looked back up at Strider who was waiting patiently in front of her. She took a calming, deep breath before going into her tale. "My name is Queen Susan the Gentle and I am not of your world."

Susan spent the better part of two hours explaining her story to Strider who clung to every words she spoke. She told him of the Pevenise's first trip to Narnia and how they ended the Hundred Year Winter and defeated the White Witch. She told him of her and her siblings rule as the Kings and Queens of Narnia and how all of that was snatched away from them when they stumbled back through the wardrobe.

She then went on to explain that they found themselves back in Narnia for a second time and helped Caspian get the crown he deserved by defeating his Uncle and the Talmarine army. She purposely left out the details of her and Caspian's relationship because the pain was still too near her heart for her to explain.

All she had said amazed Strider. "And you are here by the power of magic? Because a lion sent you here?" He asked, somewhat skeptical.

Susan smiled small. "I did not expect you to believe my story, Sir. If it hadn't happened to me, I know I wouldn't have either."

Strider shook his head. "It is not that I don't believe in it....I'm confused as to what the purpose was," He said. The man placed his chin on top of his fist and became lost in his thoughts. Seconds later, his head shot up and his eyes snapped over to one of the beds that held one of the children. Susan eyes and snapped over too and she could not see the boy's face as she looked at him because his back was turned from her but she could see a head of dark, curly hair poking out from the wool blankets.

"It cannot be..." Strider muttered to himself as his dark brown eyes widen in the direction of the child.

"What is it?" Susan asked as she too studied the boy in the bed.

"The ring..." He whispered to the air.

Susan's eyebrow furrowed up more than they already were. "The ring? I'm sorry, I do not know what you are talking about-"

Strider turned to her and stared in amazement. "You are it?" He asked in disbelief. The man began to pace and rub his chin. "It cannot be...The prophecy was supposed to be wrong...Lord Sauron was destroyed..." He looked up at her. "But here you stand and...and it cannot be."

Susan just stood there, not knowing what to say to a man she believed just lost his mind. "Strider, what are you talking about?"

Strider just looked at her and shook his head, bewildered. "You are the one who is supposed to help us destroy it."

Susan frowned. "Destroy what?"

Strider paused and looked at the boy again. "The ring of power," He stated simply.

Susan felt a shudder run through her body at the sound of those words.

Nothing was making sense to her. She came to Middle Earth to help it's people destroy a piece of jewelry? "You mentioned a prophecy of some sort earlier...what was that about?" She questioned.

Strider proceeded to repeat the prophecy that was carved into stone thousands upon thousands of years ago. Susan's mouth dropped open slightly as she heard the words. A Great Defender? That was what she was?

"But it must have been mistaken. It said that there would be two of you. 'Two siblings of the race of men'," He said, trying to figure out what was happening too.

Susan bit her lip. "From what you said, it was referring to my older brother, Peter," She said looking down. "It said one would be magnificent and brave, yes? Well, my brother's title was Hight King Peter the Magnificent and I have never meet a man more brave than he." She paused as she realized what it meant. "If I am here, that must mean that Peter is somewhere in Middle Earth, as well."

Her head shot up as she became aware of what that meant; Peter could be in danger. "We must find him!"

She began to panic at the thought of Peter being alone in Middle Earth just like she had been. What if he stumbled across the Nazgul and there was no one to help him like it would have been for her if Strider hadn't been across the street from the Prancing Pony? It was too much for her to think about. Peter was her best friend and older brother, she had to find him and make sure he was safe.

Susan quickly began to strap her quiver and bow onto her back; she had taken it off earlier and she was now mentally cursing herself for it. She could have just run out if it had stayed in it's rightful place. She was about to walk out the door when Strider grabbed her wrist.

"Lady, are you insane? You cannot go out looking for your brother," He said, trying to reason with her.

Susan spun around to look at him. The girl narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I can and I will, Sir. I cannot just leave him out there by himself! He has no idea what is going on or why he is here. I have to find Peter!" She yelled, causing one of the children to shoot straight up in their bed, frightened at the sudden noise

She looked over at him and gasped slightly when she saw that the child was no child at all. In fact, it was a man with red hair. To Susan's eyes his face looked to be in it's mid to late twenties but then again, his body was that of a four year olds. What could he possibly be? A beardless dwarf perhaps?

The man...or boy...or dwarf or whatever he was looked around before his eyes came to land on Susan. He smiled sleepily. "Oh, we have company."

Susan wrinkled her eyebrows at him before shaking her head and looking back at Strider. "Thank you for your hospitality but I must go."

She spun around and headed for the door once more only to get stopped by Strider again. He raced to the door and blocked her path. "Susan, think about this. It is the middle of the night and the Nazgul are still out there somewhere. If you go out into the woods looking for Peter, there is a very good possibility that you will be harmed and then you will be no help for your brother nor Middle Earth then,"

Susan stared the older man down. She wanted nothing more that to kick him again but her logical brain was telling her that it was not wise and that he was right. Peter could be anywhere in this world and she would have no clue where to even begin looking.

"I promise you, we will find him," Strider said through the clouds of her thoughts.

The girl looked up at him. "How?"

"My companions and I are traveling to Rivendell in the morning. The lord of the city is a powerful elf that might be able to assist us in finding your brother."

Susan raised an eyebrow at him. "Elves? I am supposed to put my brother's safety in the hands of elves?" The girl had an image in her mind of Santa's elves; short, pointy-eared creatures that made toys. She really had no idea that the elves of Middle Earth were stunning, wise, and ancient creatures.

"Do not be so hasty to judge what you do not know the first thing about," Strider warned her.

Susan dropped her eyes, feeling guilty. Silence passed through the room for a moment before Susan decided to speak again. "And you truly believe that they will be able to help me?"

Strider nodded his head slowly and surely. Susan did the same.

"Then I suppose that I will be joining you in your travels, that is, if you'll have me," She said, slightly embarrassed about her over-reaction earlier.

"Of course, we will have you!" The boy in the bed said as he jumped up from his position and rushed over to where Susan and Strider stood. Susan noticed now that he was no taller than four foot. "Won't we, Strider?" The boy asked with a gleaming smile.

Susan looked from the boy to the older man. He stayed quiet and thoughtful for a second before answering. "It will be our honor." Strider paused. "Get some rest, Lady. We leave at dawn."

Tell me what you think and if I should continue. Thanks for reading!