The road to Rivendell was a long one; Juliana knew this. The Black Riders still pursued them, and Juliana couldn't help but worry when they settled in for the night atop the tower. She knew the Riders would catch up with them that night. She stayed huddled in a corner, her arms wrapped around her legs in fear. She watched Frodo sleep, still unaware of how great the dangers were. She watched Sam, Pippin and Merry start a fire and knew that it would only be a matter of time.
Sure enough, pictures from her imagination unfolded before her eyes. Frodo jumped up and put out the fire, and a deafening wail from the Black Riders was heard below. The hobbits drew their swords, and Strider ran to the young girl's side, offering her a pair of daggers.
"Can you fight?"
She looked up at him wearily, "Yes..."
Strider raised an eyebrow at her, "Are you sure?"
"I'll be fine." Though somewhere deep inside her, she seriously doubted she was any match for a Wraith.
He spotted a Rider advancing on them, "Run! Go! Stay with the little ones!"
Juliana took one last look at Strider and ran up the narrow, winding staircase. She reached the top in time to see Frodo on the concrete ground, inching his way backward, shaking with fear as a number of Riders advanced on him. Sam hid behind a wall, his eyes shut tightly, and Merry and Pippin were sprawled on the ground somewhere. Frodo took out the Ring and shut his eyes, holding it over his finger.
"Frodo!" Juliana hissed under her breath, torn between saving him and letting time run its course. It was too late, Frodo had slipped the Ring on. He was gone. One of the Rider's blade pierced the darkness and Juliana winced as Strider leaped in front of him with a torch, warding off the Riders. Frodo pulled the Ring off and his scream pierced the night. He breathed heavily, holding the wound on his left shoulder.
"Frodo!" Sam exclaimed, running to his companion.
Juliana watched on in angst. Sure, it had seemed real in the novel, but to have it unfold before her eyes was completely different. She ran out to the middle of the platform, daggers drawn, too scared to run back.
"Juliana get away!" Strider cried, swiping at one of the Black Riders. There were only two left, so Juliana ran to Frodo's side, stroking his forehead.
"If you know so much, tell me, Miss, will he live?" Sam asked, fear and sadness reflecting in his eyes.
Juliana melted, "I can't."
Sam sneered at her and turned to see all the Black Riders gone, "Strider!" he cried.
He rushed over to them and knelt down, "He needs Elvish medicine," he said, glancing at Juliana, "we must get him to Rivendell. There's not much time."
Juliana nodded vaguely as they set into the forest.
Day broke, and Strider paused to set Frodo down for a moment.
"Is he going to die?" asked Pippin, looking down at his friend.
"He is passing," Strider said quietly. He then pulled Sam aside and sent him into the woods to find a plant to help slow the poison. Juliana followed Strider on his path to help look for the plant, pondering whether to tell him what was to come. A woman, clad in a black, fitted outfit, with long dark hair flowing well-past her shoulder galloped into the clearing. She ran to Frodo's side, murmuring something in Elvish. The other three hobbits looked on in wonder as the woman, by name, Arwen, helped Strider to lift Frodo onto her horse. They spoke back and forth in Elvish for several moments, resulting in Arwen climbing onto her horse and riding into the woods.
"What are you doing? Those Riders are still out there!" Sam exclaimed.
Strider turned to look at him then turned back to Juliana.
"Please tell me...will they make it to Rivendell? I'll ask nothing more of you, just please answer me this."
Juliana was aware of how her answer to this question could greatly affect Strider in a number of ways. She looked up into his concerned eyes, "They will make it back," Juliana said quietly and breifly, "Please, do not ask anything else of me, and don't tell them. I don't want to be put into an uncomfortable position, and I would be if everyone started asking me questions at once."
Strider nodded, understanding and put a hand on the young girls' shoulder, "Are you afraid?"
"Of what?" she said uncertainly.
"You know what's to come, and you fear it. I can see it in your eyes."
She tore her gaze away from his. The agony of Helm's Deep once again flashed through her imagination and she winced. She suddenly recalled Boromir and Faramir's attempts to capture the Ring. She revived the image of Gollum and his split personality. Suddenly, she could take no more. She forced her eyes open, only to find that she was leaning against a rock as Strider gazed on.
"I'm sorry, I will not speak of it again. Come, Rivendell is still before us," Strider said, leading her to where the other hobbits gathered.
Juliana lost track of time as they traveled to Rivendell. She avoided conversation with Sam; she could tell he did not like her. Merry and Pippin only talked with one another (mostly in competition of who was hungrier). Juliana often enjoyed listening to these conversations; they made her forget all the toil the little hobbits would later suffer. Strider often asked her about her home. Not specific things, but thing such as if she liked it, what it was like, etc. Juliana found herself liking the company (all with the exception of Sam) and gradually became more talkative, careful not to let any facts about the future slip.
They finally arrived in Rivendell, and Juliana stared around in awe. There waterfalls to both her left and right, and small cottages everywhere. It was a quaint, but beautiful village. Every so often, one would see an elf stride across the scene. For some reason unknown to her, it was comforting. The three hobbits waited in Frodo's room with Gandalf, waiting for him to awaken. Strider, meanwhile, wandered around, examining his surroundings. Juliana, feeling quite out of place, sat on a small porch in front of the room Frodo laid in, her chin resting on her fist.
"You miss it, don't you?"
Pippin's voice startled her from her thoughts. She looked up at him and smiled weakly, "Miss what?"
"You miss wherever it is you came from. You're not from Middle Earth, are you?"
Juliana sighed and moved over, "Sit down, Pip."
The small hobbit timidly took a seat next to her and looked up at her with his big, green, innocent-looking eyes.
"I'm - not from Middle Earth, no, not at all. But as I said, I can't explain where it is I'm from."
"Can you tell me what it's like?" he asked quietly.
Juliana smiled at his innocence, "Well...it's nothing like this. The roads are made out of a hard substance called concrete, and we don't travel by horse, we travel by...well, sort of a machine. And there are dozens of buildings."
"Like these?" he asked, pointing at the small cottages.
She smiled somewhat warmly, "No. Tall buildings. Taller than these trees even. And there are many more people. No hobbits, no elves, no dwarves. Only humans."
Pippin laughed, "I don't know if I'd be able to live in a place like that."
"Sometimes I wonder how I do it, too. This place is incredible. So much quieter and serene."
Pippin smiled a bit, "You'll get home. Don't worry. But until you do, will you stay with us? We like your company, even if Sam doesn't."
"To be quite honest, I'm not sure if I want to go home."
"Why?" asked Pippin curiously.
"Because I think I'm, well, I'm not well there."
"Not well?"
"Well, like I said, I was in an accident. I'm not even sure if I'm alive there."
Pippin frowned, "Well, if you're not alive there, how could you be alive here?"
She looked over at him and sighed, "I don't know, Pip."
There was suddenly a stir in the silence as Sam and Frodo happily emerged from inside. Juliana smiled as the hobbits embraced each other happily and jumped about.
Juliana knew of the "secret meeting" that afternoon. She didn't go. She didn't want to. Strider hadn't asked her to come, and she knew that she could not help them. Instead, she ran to the edge of the forest and vaguely watched from there. She identified the blonde elf that got up to talk occasionally as Legolas. She watched him carefully, but not as carefully as she watched Boromir. She watched his every expression. She saw him occasionally look at the Ring, and she could see the lust he felt for it in his eyes. She watched as they formed the Fellowship, and wondered if they'd want her to go along, or if they'd leave her in Rivendell with the elves. The other three hobbits rocketed out of their hiding spaces and Juliana couldn't help but let a quiet laugh escape her lips. She leaned against the tree and slid down it, the rough bark scratching her back. She curled her legs into her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She pondered why she was there. What was her purpose? Would she ever get home? And if she did, would she be alive? On life support? What? As she recalled her family and memories of her childhood, she couldn't help but let a few tears slip idly down her cheeks as she sat, alone in the forest.