A/N

Hey to all those reading this!

So, this is the new and improved first chapter of the Life and Lies of a Hobbit. I hope you enjoy this longer, better written story, and I hope to make my updates speedy.

Anyway, happy new year to you all and I hope you enjoy!

Thanks

Sphinxy

Chapter 1

Elanor Gamgee

I am a hobbit.

I live in the Shire, my name is Elanor and am the daughter of the great hero, Sam-Wise Gamgee.
Well, ok, so my dad wasn't the actual hero of the Shire, but his best friend was, although, I've never actually met him, and it's probably more of a was now anyway. My dad told me he was a brave hobbit, always eager for adventure, but that's what his probable downfall was. He refuses to believe it though, my dad, he says it's 'Not possible for Mr Frodo to be gone, well, not that gone anyway'. He spends most of his time at the Green Dragon pub now, but, not getting drunk, oh no, he simply likes listening to the stories they tell, just like you may like listening to the 'latest gossip', or so my mum says, although, she stopped working there years ago. Instead, she owns her own stall in the local market. Her stock varies from time to time, dependant on the season. In spring, she usually has a stunning array of flowers on display, summer it's mainly fruit. Autumn it's seasonal veg and winter she sells as much meat as she can, ranging from lamb to poultry and even fish. She tells me she hears the odd bit of talk from the many customers that stop by, but there's nothing much to tell now, only that the turnip sizes are shrinking, or carrots are getting fewer each day. It's become quite quiet around the Shire lately, well, I suppose it always kind of was, but, well, my dad says that after the big commotion and Frodo leaving and all, everything's sort of died down. Nothing much is or has, or will happen since Frodo's departure.

Anyway…

I am 35 years old (around 14 in human years) and attend the Shire County High School, which is just an old barn converted and extended to account for around 400 students. There's even the occasion Bree traveller drop by for the odd lecture, but things have been different lately. Very different…

~x~

"Come on Louise!" I call "We're going to be late!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Is the answering shout

Louise is my best friend and I call round her house every day before we walk to school. Our friendship was formed in a way you wouldn't really expect. Apart from the fact our fathers knew each other; we were like total strangers until I saw her on her own. Well, I thought she was on her own. Turns out she was surrounded by a group of people, and they were all shouting and laughing. I thought they were just having a bit of fun, but it turns out, Louise wasn't. She was once again being bullied by a bunch of older Hobbits, about, well, about just around everything in her life. Shimmering tears streaked her face as she crouched, cowering from the seemingly endless torrent of insults and taunts. Her whole body was trembling with fear. That was, until, I stepped in with a shout and lifted high my father's old book, the one he wasn't quite finished writing. There, on the front of the cover, inked into the delicate leather, was the eye of Sauron, a symbol all Hobbits have learnt to fear, since the destruction of the ring. There was a chorus of hisses and screams as the group scattered into the forest, taking their hatred with them. After that, Louise and I became the best of friends.

I sigh and check the old oaken grandfather clock, standing tall in the hallway. As usual, Louise is still trying to get herself ready, even though we should have left 5 minutes ago. There is a loud bang, followed by a stream of unladylike curses. Louise suddenly appears at the top of the stairs and sprints down them at break-neck speed. She swings her bag over her shoulder and calls to her mum.

"The shelf's collapsed again!"

I hear her mother sigh, before the clatter of china rings out. She must be washing up after breakfast.

"Right," She calls, halting in her work.

"I'm off now mum, see you later!" Louise tells her.

"Bye!" She replies, before the door slams, signalling our departure.

We leave the house and start down the old dirt track. It's been years since Frodo returned and left once more, yet we hobbits like to stick to our traditions. In fact, the only thing that has altered slightly is our dialect. It's not changed greatly, but it's changed all the same.

"I wonder who our new History teacher will be!" Louise says breaking the silence, even though we're nearly at the school gate. History is Louise's favourite subject, because she just loves finding out about our ancestors and how they lived before the Shire became, well, the Shire.

Louise's family is considered odd compared to most hobbits, mainly because of their home. Rather than the average one-floor hobbit hole, she has a two story house. It's still nestled snuggly inside a hill, but even the smallest of differences in our culture are unheard of. Louise's father (Perigrin Took), liked being high up off the ground so much (Following his brief stay at the Prancing Pony Inn), he decided to build his house with a second story, so that he could sit upstairs and enjoy the view.

"I'm not sure," I state, turning back to the eager Hobbit skipping along beside me. When I look up, I see we've reached the school gate. But something's not right. I feel a strange prickling sensation on the back of my neck and turn around. There is no one behind me apart from a group of boys who are in the year above me, chatting and laughing. One of them looks up briefly and glares at me, so I turn back to the school, but then I see it. I come to a complete stop.

My blood freezes.

There, at the edge of the school grounds, just outside the railings, is a dark, shadowy figure, draped in a black hood. The prickling sensation becomes so intense, it hurts. It's like a stinging throb from my shoulder blades up to the top of my throat, pulsing like an unquenched fire.

"Elanor… ELANOR!"

Louise's shouts startle me out of my thoughts, blackened by shadow, hidden in the gloom.

"What?" I ask, shaking my head to clear away the dark ideas that swarm about my mind.

"Come on, you were the one complaining about us not being on time."

But it's too late. My adventurous side has kicked in (Inherited from my father), and I just can't help myself. I stare once more at the shadow stood not too far from the gate.

"I… I'll catch up with you… you go ahead," I tell her, my eyes still on the mysterious figure.

"If you insist," She replies, before stalking off in a huff, her shoulders sagged.

I don't even watch her leave. I just walk forward, placing one foot in front of the other.

Soon I'm heading towards the mysterious, cloaked figure, enveloped by a dark abyss.

And I am not afraid.

A/N

Hey again.

So, what did you think of the first chapter? Please leave a review to tell me what you think, and follow and favorite this story if it sparks your interest. Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger on the first chapter, but I'll update ASAP is possible!

Thanks,

Sphinxy