A Shadow Unseen: A Hobbit Fanfiction

Chapter 4

Tauriel tossed and turned in her disturbed sleep. Visions of shadow and malice invaded her mind. She was running from the thing she had seen in the forest just a week ago. But this time it was different. Much different. This time the creature was not waring a cloack. It was merely just black shadow. It swirled through the forest on a never-ending path, and would never stop hunting her. Suddenly, Tauriel stopped in her tracks, and turned to face the darkness. As she watched, the black shadow slowly turned into a body that must have been nine feet in height. The edges of the body were giving off a black smoke, and it hovered above the ground. Before Tauriel could draw her dagger from her belt, the figure sped towards her, engulfing her in dark, burning flames. She screamed in terror, letting all fear enter her mind. Her voice lingered in the trees.

Suddenly, the dark abyss that was her dream turned into moonlight as Tauriel woke up. She was sitting with her back upright, and her dagger grasped firmly in her right hand. Thoughts were racing through her head, each and every one of them were filled with a deep horror that could not be put into words. Her slender body was shaking, and her breath was uneven. For the rest of the night sleep did not come to her. She just sat there waiting. Waiting for something that was only getting closer.

*****

A few hours later, there was a knocking at Tauriel's door. She set her feet lightly onto the wooden floor, and walked at a slow pace to the knocking sound. Opening the door slowly, she saw a short and dark-haired figure standing in the hallway. It was Kili. His face gave off an almost unreadable expression.

"May I help you?" Tauriel asked groggily.

"Tauriel, I need to tell you something. May I come in please?"

Tauriel nodded, and led him in. She nodded her head towards a small wooden shair, stationed at her study. Tauriel sat on her soft canopy bed, and looked at Kili. Now he just looked nervous. What could it be?

Kili searched for the right words. With a deep breath, he began to speak.

"There is another," he said.

Tauriel gave him a puzzled look. "Another of what?"

"Another... Dwarf." His face turned pale, and his stomach churned.

Tauriel froze. She could not believe what she had just heard. "How could you not tell me right away? I will have to confront the king again! I will be punished because of you!" She shot him an angry glare.

"I am so sorry Tauriel. I wanted to tell you. I really did, but I couldn't. We had a connection that I knew would only last a short time, and I could not brake it. I did not want you to become more angry all at once."

"Well now I..." She could not finish the sentence. She didn't know how she felt. With a long sigh, she stood up from her bed and approached Kili.

"You will lead me to him," she said.

*****

Questions floated in Tauriel's mind as she walked blindly throught the forest with Kili at her side. They must have been walking for hours at that point, and Tauriel's feet were beginning to ache. She blinked slowly and inhaled the fresh scent of the forest. At least it gave her some relief.

"So where is this other?" she asked curiously.

Kili made eye contact with Tauriel, and then opened his mouth to speak. "He told me that he planned to hide near that old wizard's house. What was his name again? The wizard."

"Radagast. He's a fool, really. He eats too many mushrooms," Tauriel chuckled.

Kili frowned. "He's not all bad you know. He saved my kin and I from a pack of Gundabad Orcs with those rabbits of his."