Hey all it's me again with a new story. At last - a nice, neat story! This is the first chapter, and I plan on writing more even if I don't get reviews for more, but I really want reviews!!! PLEASE!! Anyway, this is about a girl who happens to have an interesting past and gets caught up in the War of the Ring. I don't own LOTR or any of the characters. Hope you like!!!



I cued Twilight Shadows for the jump. I leaned forward as she gathered herself and pushed off the ground, sailing gracefully over the stack of wood. She landed and trotted a few paces.

"Very good, Claidissa." A smooth, deep voice said. I turned Twilight Shadows, who I usually call Shadow, to face the owner of the voice.

"Thanks, Londar." I said, offering a smile. He smiled back at me.

"You should take Shadow in. It's getting late." He said.

"Oh, alright." I said, reluctantly dismounting and leading Shadow toward Londar's stables. Great, Randol is going to be angry with me for being late. Then again, he always finds something to be angry with me for. I thought.

Oh, I should probably give you some more details. My name is Claidissa, but I go by Claidi. Londar just calls me Claidissa as a fond name. Oh, Londar too. Londar is the village stable master and smith. He's also one of the only people that are kind to me here. "Here" being Kandanar, a village that is somewhere in Middle Earth. Doesn't really matter where.

Randol is…well…he calls himself my father. I know he is not. I know that my parents are gone. And no true father would beat his daughter nearly to death. I still have scars and wounds. Yeah, Randol hates me, but he doesn't want me to leave. I can't. So he beats me, hurts me. That's why I always wear these long-sleeved shirts and comfortable long pants. So no one in the village sees and asks what's wrong. Not that they care.

I could leave, I suppose - in the middle of the night maybe. Londar would help me out with it. He cares about me and I think he knows about Randol hurting me. There's someone else – Trennar. I call him Tren. He's about my age – sixteen or so. He's what you might call a friend - a really close friend who would never desert you. I love him, but not in the romantic way, but just as a really good friend.

I was jerked out of my thoughts as I realized I was approaching what I could call my home. I hesitated at the door, tensing as I thought about what I could do to get me out of trouble with Randol. I opened the door and entered the house. Stepping inside, I listened for Randol's heavy steps. I heard them – his large frame seemed to fill the small hall.

"Where have you been?" He demanded, his speech slurred, showing he was drunk.

"Out at the store." I lied. He hated me learning things like riding, writing, and reading old lore and legends. I shouldn't have spoken; it just made him angrier with me. He jumped at me, hand raised.

A little later, I threw myself angrily on my bed. Yeah, I actually had a room and a hard bed. I stifled a yelp as I landed on one of my new hurts.

"You can't let him keep doing this! One day he'll end up killing you!" I muttered angrily to myself. I sat up, thinking. My arm throbbed in pain. Glancing out the window, I saw it was now dark. I lit a candle to see my room better. I had made my decision. I've got to get out of here! I thought. I packed my few possessions in a small leather bag – a few scrolls with my favorite legends and stories, some paper and inkwells and feather pens, a bound book that I kept a few things in, and a few other odds and ends. Reaching under my pillow, I grabbed the head band/bandana that I had made myself and tied it around my head. It was a deep blue color with the silhouette of a running horse on it. There were a few other markings on it, but I won't explain now.

I felt my neck to make sure the precious necklace was still there. It had been around my neck since I was a baby, and I always wore it. I lifted the loose floorboard and pulled out the belt and scabbard that held my sword. I strapped that around my waist and grabbed my pouch of money, sliding it into a pocket. And last, I grabbed a dagger and slid it into my boot, hiding it from view.

I jumped out the window and landed silently with practiced ease. I crouched for a moment, listening for the sound of Randol stirring. No sound came, so I walked down the road of our village. I came soon to the stables and drew the door open carefully. I knew that Tren worked the stables and often slept there at night. As I entered and closed the door behind me, he scaled the ladder of the hayloft down to me. Shadows flickered in the light of a lantern.

"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night, Claidi?" He asked quietly.

"I'm getting out of here." I replied. He raised an eyebrow.

"It's the middle of the night." He said. I sighed impatiently, moving to get Shadow's nice but durable saddle and reins. I put them on her carefully as she looked at me with the closest thing to surprise at me getting her ready for a ride in the middle of the night.

The door to the stable opened – Londar walked in.

"Londar!" I said in surprise. He held up a sack that he was carrying.

"You and Tren will need supplies for your trip." He said firmly, sliding the pack into Shadow's saddlebag. He turned and walked into another stall, leading out an already saddled horse. He handed the reins to Tren. "Good luck." He said.

"I…"

"No, Claidi, Tren is going. And yes, I knew about this. Go, now, or you will be found out. Go wherever you like, but I would make for Rivendell eventually. There you may find the answers you seek. I have given you a few gifts that may help."

"Thank you, Londar. You don't know how much this means to me." I said, throwing my arms around him in a friend's embrace.

"Hurry, Claidi." Tren said, catching on faster than I had expected. He sat in his horse's saddle, waiting. I sprang lightly into Shadow's saddle. Londar swung open the door and backed away as we galloped into the night.

A/N: I'll write more if you want me to. That is, more than a couple more chapters! Thanks for reading! Please R/R!!