Into The Woods

Chapter 1

My feet tapped upon the ground as I smoked the long pipe that I held in my hand. An old tune playing inside my head, one that my mother used to sing to me, the words long forgotten.

The day in the shire was beautiful just like it always was, but today something else was going to happen. I could feel it. The usual tension was there again, it was like the beginning of a headache, but I had grown to smart to be fooled by it. The visions weren't as often as they once were.

Here I was sitting on a little old stool just outside the round door that led to my hobbit hole. My hole wasn't much, but I was proud of it. The grass in the front yard was a bit overgrown, a clothes line hung on the wall connected to a wooden stake in the ground.

Now, you may think I'm a pure hobbit. Of course I am! I live in the shire! But that's not the case, I'm a bit of everything. I've got the pointy ears of an elf. The drinking spirit of a dwarf. I've also got some hobbit in me, quick on my feet. Not Orc though, no bad blood. I'm also partially skin-changer. My animal is a fox, the colors of my fur vary. I've got some magic in my veins too, not sure where that came from. And I'm a bit of my own. I see bits if the future, what they are, or what they can be.

I'm a little bit taller than 5 foot, much more than the average hobbit, but less than an elf. I've got bright green eyes, although when I'm a fox they change to brown. My hair ends just above my waist and is a wavy bright orange. My kind don't really have a name, we could pass by as just about any race, but Orc. We are immortal, but we do sleep. I keep my real name hidden, for the only people who know it are the ones that I know I can truly trust. So instead, I go by the name, Autumn Colors. Cheesy, yes I know.

Weapon of choice; bow an arrow and throwing knives, although when I'm a fox I like to use my nails and teeth.

Any way now that you some of me I can get on with my life. A long pipe was held in my left hand, I puffed out little rings of smoke. My feet tapped against the soft grassy earth. My eyes danced across the world around me. Life itself was amazing at times.

I finished my pipe and got up walking inside my smaller than-average hobbit hole. I set my pipe down on an old shelf than hung secured onto the wall. I picked up a cloak and a worn basket and left my home. Walking out up and down the winding road that ran all though out the shire I finally came to one that I had grown fairly familiar with. It was the home of Bilbo Baggins. Quite a nice hobbit that I had met when I first came to the shire. I put my hood down and walked right up to the door, knocking lightly, I waited for it to open.

It soon opened just a wee bit. I saw a tiny sliver of Bilbo's face then he invited me into his home. "Autumn! lovely to see you today! Out to pick some mushrooms?"

"Yes a few, would you like me to make you a pickled jar of some?"

"Oh a-ah yes! Yes t-that'd be wonderful thank you!" It was then that I noticed a tall lean figure with a blue pointed hat on standing off to the side. I immediately recognized as an old friend.

"Gandulf! fancy seeing you here! It's been to long!"

A smile stretched out his face as he opened his arms and embraced me. I excused myself, knowing Gandulf if he was here, he was here to ask a favor. Not wanting to be in the midst of it I quickly excused myself and waited outside the hobbit hole.

I could hear faint whispers going on among the inside of the home, then the door opened and out stepped Bilbo and Gandulf.

Bilbo, smoking a long pipe sat on a little old wooden stool, Gandulf came over to me. "Autumn, we're having a gathering sometime in the near future, I would like for you to come."

"I'd be glad to."

****

Time had passed and it was now late night. The starry night sky shone bright, the moon whole and beautiful shone light shadows where each of my feet fell down on the sandy earth. With the hood of my cloak up I took my time walking to Bilbo's home. I knew that I was far beyond late at this point so I didn't bother to hurry. Gandalf knew how I could be. At times I surprised even myself at how childish I could be.

*
The girl knocked on the round door, a light tap - but just enough to be heard. Just as the dwarves and a single hobbit were settling down for the night, they heard a faint knock on the door. Bilbo jumped up from his seat eager to find who it was, yet afraid that it might be another dwarf.

Gandalf the Grey stood slightly leaning against the walls of the hobbit's home. For he knew precisely who it was.
*

The door creaked and opened slightly, then all the way, in the doorway I saw Bilbo's face. It was filled with happiness and - joy, relief? The small hobbit welcomed me in. As I came I first saw Gandalf who came over and greeted me, I swung both of my arms around him. To me he wasn't a father, he was more like an old friend, maybe even a grandfather. As I released him from my grasp I then saw the rest of Bilbo's company. A group of many dwarves stood, and at the front of them all stood one. His face stern and a bit intimidating.

"Gandalf, who is this?" His voice was gruff, he even sounded annoyed which made me smile some under the hood of my dark cloak.

"This, is an old friend of mine, her name is - Autumn." He said it simply, but I knew he almost said it. My real name.

I carefully took my hood down, my hair was braided back and aside from my red hair that stood out you could now see my pointy ears. Pointy like an elves' ears. I wondered how he would react.

His eyes shone and her wide. His face growing angry, "An elf." His eyes narrowed some at me, but I stuck my hand out to shake. "My name is Autumn, pleasure to meet you, Thorin. You are the new King of the dwarves are you not? I apologize if I had gotten your name wrong."

He looked at me as if, well I don't know really. His face was stone cold and he didn't shake my hand so I pulled it back to the inside of my warm cloak.

His cold face turned to Gandalf. "What is an elf doing here?" He spat the word with such disgust.

I had tried being nice, but my anger got the best of me, "For your information, if you can get it through your thick skull, you don't know a thing about what I am."

His face boiled, he looked as if he was going to raise a hand to hit me, I stood my ground, but Gandalf stepped in. I turned my face up to him, my voice void of all emotion. "Why did you ask me to come here?"

"I want you to come with The company on this journey."

I turned my face back to the angry dwarf who I had just insulted. A dull pain erupted in my head. I took a hand and pressed my palm up against the side of my head.

Visions poured into my mind. I stepped back and slid down into a sitting position against the wall. Most of them were blurry for now, but just a few stuck out in particular. Thorin was lying down on ice, a sword pierced through his chest and a tall Orc standing over him, a small sword through his own chest.

The pain faded and I still sat there, both hands holding onto my head. All eyes were on me. I shakily got up, I turned back to face Thorin. My face was no longer angry, but sad. I barely knew him, yet I knew his fate.

"I'm sorry." I turned to the wizard who stood next to me, "I'm sorry, but I cannot."

"Mm, I understand, what did you see?"

I uttered, but a single word, "Death."

The dwarves and the small hobbit were now looking at me fully.

"Gandalf - what does she speak of?"

The wizard waved him off and turned to me with a sad look on his old wrinkled face, "Perhaps I'll see you soon?"

With a small smile I said, "Perhaps," I put my hood up and walked back to the door, I stood I front of Bilbo then. "Bilbo, for my sake, promise me you'll go."

"I-" the poor thing, I didn't even give him time to finish, "Promise me."

He frantically nodded his head, "But Autumn,"

I turned to him then the wizard,"I don't think I'll be staying here much longer Gandalf. I can feel it. Something is going to happen, something big that will be leading up to the climax."

*
I left Bilbo's home, but did not go back my own, instead I went and sat down just outside of his home. Some moments passed the sounds of dwarvely chatter died down, the lights went died, and out from the door came the Grey wizard.

I stood up and kept looking at the stars. "I can feel it Gandalf, a greater evil will begin rising again."

"How soon."

"Quite soon."
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