Daughter Of Dragons: A Hobbit Fanfiction

An Unexpected Visitor

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Valadhiel held her sword up in a defensive posture as she wandered through the Southern Barrow-Downs, pausing when she heard the whispers of dark creatures, though she saw none just yet. It was dark and foggy, and despite being able to see fine in the dark, the soupy fog did blind her.

She turned her head when she heard a sound to her left, then when she heard one to her right. She strained her ears so she could attempt to figure out what was real and what was simply her mind playing tricks on her.

Once she'd ruled out her right side, she strained her ears to listen to all sounds on her left. Some of it could simply be the tree leaves rustling in the cool night breeze. After she had decided it was just the leaves, her senses went berserk, and her very being screamed at her to turn around. She did just that, swinging her sword as she whirled around, and her sword made contact with some sort of creature. When she looked down at where it had fallen to her sword, she saw what the creature had been. A Barrow-Wight.

She searched the body of the wight with the tip of her sword, and she found a chain necklace around its neck. It looked as though it had been there before this wight had become a wight. She took the necklace into her hands, smelled it, then breathed out a small sigh. Shoving the necklace into her pocket, she turned around and made her way back up the hill that had led into the Southern Barrow-Downs so she could make her way into the Northern Barrow-Downs. After this quest, she could finally leave these haunted barrows. She had two options: she could exit into Bree, or she could exit into The Old Forest, then make her way into Bree. At the moment, she would rather get out of there as quickly as she could. Besides, Old Man Willow had been in an especially grumpy mood lately.

After fighting a couple of rats, barghests, and another wight, she made it to the top, then across. She continued on down the other side of the hill, back down into the soupy mist. After managing to find a way around a couple of wights, she turned to her right. This way was the exit into Bree, and it was where a small group of people were waiting. At the thought of the people, Valadhiel's stomach twisted into a big knot.

She was snapped out of thought when something to her left lunged at her. She whirled around quickly and swung her blade just in time to block the sword of another wight, this one a little larger than the others had been. She clenched her teeth and shoved it back with her sword, then she grabbed another sword that she had sheathed across her back, along with her quiver of arrows, and swung it at the wight's head, slicing it clean off. She kicked it with the toe of her boot to be sure it was dead, then sheathed her extra sword before she proceeded along a worn out path. Within only a few minutes, she neared the small group of people.

"Mother, look!" One of the young lads called out, pointing to the woman who neared them. "The she elf has returned!"

A woman, probably in her early fifties, looked up when her son said that the elf had returned, then looked in the direction he had pointed to. She watched with hopeful eyes as the red haired elf walked over to her, though worry was written across her forehead.

Valadhiel walked over to the woman, sheathing her sword once she had reached the group, then looked at her with a grieved expression before she pulled the necklace out of her pocket and gently placed it in the woman's hand. "I'm sorry." She whispered softly.

The woman brought a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. After several moments, she reached a trembling hand out and took the necklace from the elven maid. "Then my husband is truly dead..." She said in a trembling voice. After she swallowed hard and took a deep breath, she looked up at Valadhiel. "There has to be something we could give you for your trouble."