Briar

Even in a world filled with magic, there are some things you just can't fix. No matter how hard you try, or how much you want to and wish, it just can't be fixed.

Coughing Fever was one of those things. It was a savage illness, causing a chronic and incurable cough, a high fever, and shaking are just a few of the symptoms. Coughing Fever was one of those illnesses that not even the mighty and knowledgeable elves could cure. There were things that could alleviate the symptoms, of course, but only temporarily.

But Briar Baggins-Butcher didn't let the fact that she was plagued by this incurable illness bother her. She lived her life as best she could, hidden away by her family so she wouldn't make her illness worse, she never had many friends, but one.

Briar's best friend in the whole world was her cousin, Bilbo Baggins. He was the one person who her parents would always let her see. She adored her cousin and enjoyed spending time with him at Bag End. Bilbo was her best friend, of that she had not one single doubt.

But Bilbo had his shortcomings like all people do. His was that he never wanted to wander away for a while, he never longed for adventures.

There was nothing that Briar wanted more. She wanted to see the world, she wanted to see the farthest corners of Middle Earth. Her parents would never allow that, of course... It was too risky, with her Coughing Fever and all. She could get herself into some real problems if she were to reach a low point and there was no one to come to her aid. Just because she wasn't allowed to go didn't mean that she didn't long for it, though...

Credit to the amazing @margaritaschuyler for the cover!