Cursed with Shadows (Hobbit Fanfiction)

Chapter One: The End Of The Beginning.

Her reflection was a ghostly image of her former self. The elf stared blankly at herself. In order to start a new life, she needed to get rid of her former self. If it meant cutting her hair, she would do it. For elves, cutting ones hair was a dishonor to her and her race.

Raising the pair of scissors, she took hold of a few strands of her lengthy blonde hair and snipped them off. She watched, emotionless as the hair falls to the ground in a small heap.

Letting out the shaky breath she was holding, she grasped another few strands  and with a hesitant breath, they fell one by one, joining the others at her feet. This continued until she saw a single tear fall down her cheek. Placing the scissors back down on the dressing table, she looked at her work in absolute sadness.

"What have I done?" She mumbled. Her hair which had been roughly cut, now coming to her shoulders. The rest, uncut, was left long and wavy down her back, untouched. She was absolutely mortified at what she had just done, but it was too late now to go back. Before she could resume her work, she saw the door in the reflection of the mirror open.

In came a shocked female hobbit. Hurriedly, she placed what looked like a tray sandwiches on the bed and came to the elf's side.  "Belle..." she muttered as she viewed the sloppy work. Without another word, the hobbit took hold of the scissors and finished the job. Placing them back down, she sighed and wrapped her small arms around the elf's shoulders.

The elf let out the tears she was holding in. The hobbit stayed with her, comforting her. When the elf had finally calmed down, still sniffling slightly, the hobbit turned the elf around so she could face her. Raising her hand, she gently brushed away the tears and stared kindly into the elf's eyes.

"There, there now. All will be alright, you'll see." The hobbit said, gently tucking a strand of the elf's hair behind her pointed ear. "It's not the end, dear. It is only the beginning."

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The mother hummed to herself quietly as she continued down her path, her steed at her side. Overgrown vegetation gently brushing the hem of her dress as she stepped cautiously through the woods. The dawn's rays seeping through the gaps in the treetops, creating small shadows around the forest floor. 

"Belladonna said it was around here, somewhere," The elf mumbled to the horse, her gaze searching around for what she had been set out for.  Her slightly worn boots gracefully stepping over roots which crowded the forest floor.

Soon she was out in a clearing, following the slightly carved path. The morning mist was surrounding her, making it nearly impossible to see where she was going. Trusting her instincts, she continued down the path, the sun rising and the blanket of fog slowly clearing. In moments, the woman let out a gasp as she stared at the sight before her.

It was an old cottage. Small round windows and strong sturdy wooden beams held the cottage together. Crawling ivy covered most of the stone structure. An old water mill was joint onto the side of the cottage, groaning in agony as it continued to spin. The thatched roof  of the cottage needed repairing in places and some of the window panels needed fixing. The bridge that crosses the rushing stream to the cottage had some mossy wooden panels either weak from age or missing completely. The elf was cautious with every step she took when crossing.

Peering through the windows of the house, she could make out what looked like a small rotting wooden kitchen and living room, all covered in thick layers of dusts. A small smile formed on her face as she turned around, picturing a garden of many flowers and herbs. Most of all, she pictured her living here, raising her child here.

The house's location was just on the outskirts of the Shire. It apparently use to belong to an old couple, but hasn't been vacant for years. The mother looked down at the small infant that laid wrapped up and was asleep in her arms.

"We have finally found it, Allison. We have found a home." She said to her child, smiling ear to ear.

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Late that night, while the baby was asleep, the mother, Belle, continued to sweep the floors of their new home. The only light was from a few candles and the moon. Feeling the exhaustion slowly take its toll, Belle leaned the broom against a wall and began to massage her sore muscles.

With a yawn, she decided to go check on Allison. Worried that she might be cold, she took off the shawl that she was currently wearing and was about to place it around her child but stopped. There, laying on a tatted cushion she had found earlier was not her child. Instead, wrapped up loosely in her blanket, was a sleeping young fawn. It's coat was dark brown almost black. Her small button nose, slightly twitching.

Suddenly, the fawn woke with a painful cry, it's tiny hooves kicking at the blanket as it continued to whimper. Finally free, the fawn curled up and gently started to clean it's shoulder with it's small pink tongue.

Stunned, the mother looked closer to the creature and notice something strange. The spot where the animal was currently attending to, looked like a burn mark with ambers still alit in the flesh.

Belle lets out a gasp, startling the fawn. All of a sudden, a pair of glowing blue eyes peered up at her. Speechless, Belle withdrew her gaze from the fawn's strange eyes to the burn on its side. Inspecting it, Belle noticed that it wasn't a  burn but an imprint, a mark. Confused, she compared the mark to the one on her wrist.

"Could it be?" She mumbled to herself, noticing similarities between the marks. The only difference was that the design was not of a flower like her own, but a tree of some sort. Coming to her conclusions, Belle placed a hand over her mouth as she gasped out,  "Allison?!"

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What do you guys think? Is it okay so far? This is just the beginning, the tip of the iceberg. This book will be darker than the last book and hopefully more interesting. I hope you liked this strange chapter. More chapters will come, hopefully less strange than this one. Thank you for reading this.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Until then,

Spypuppy;)