"The witch cursed the king and the city of Erebor for his cruelty and his cold heart. She warned that until he could change his ways, they would live forever, never to age and never to leave." She saw her brother roll his eyes at the story her father was telling her younger sibling, knowing he found the legend and story ridiculous.
"How does an entire city and population just disappear? Into thin air no doubt." She glared at her brother, wanting him to shut his mouth and let their little sister enjoy the tale.
"It's a curse. A witch's curse. And until the curse is broken, they will not age and they cannot leave. The city is invisible to everyone, except the chosen one." The chosen one, that is where she drew the line with the story.
"There's no chosen one. And the story is just a story!" She rolled her eyes and trudged behind her father and siblings, as they made their way to their new home in the ancient city of Dale.
"If there really is a curse, than how did the people of Dale not realize what was going on? Or were they under the curse too?" She knew her brother and her father didn't always see eye to eye.
Her brother was too serious, and didn't know how to relax and take a joke. And their father, he was determined to make their younger sister keep her innocent and wonderous nature.
"They say Dale was under a curse until the people who remembered the city were gone. Now, it is filled with people who know not of Erebor or the long." Her eyes wandered from the ancient city, appearing over the hill, to the place where Erebor was rumoured to once be.
"I don't see anything, Da. If it really was there, we'd see something. Anything." She heard her Father sigh and when she tore her eyes from the winding path that seemingly led nowhere, she saw her brothers eyes narrow.
"Believing in magic and curses is for children. There's not such thing in the real world." The moment they stepped into the village, life burst around them.
There were people lining the streets of the ancient city, selling their good and trinkets, they food and fabric. Her eyes widened at the wonder of the ancient and somewhat crumbling city, as she followed her Father further into the city.
"No. We don't want anything no." The people in the city, were staring at them as they walked, a suspicious look on their faces.
"They're all human. There's no dwarves around." She whispered softly to herself, as the men and women, and small children she saw, bore no resemblance to Dwarves.
"There are no dwarves in this area. Never had been." Her eyes met the eyes of an elderly woman and when she passed her, she heard a cry of pain.
As she turned back, she stopped and helped the woman up, her own family forgotten, as she helped her stand and handed her the wooden stick she had dropped.
"Please, do you have any food? Or coins?" Her eyes wandered from the woman to the retreating back of her father and siblings.
"I have very little food and very little coins." She dug into her pack and pulled out an apple and a small satchel of coins.
"I'm sorry it's not much. But please take it." She looked back at her family, her father barely visible as he wound through the crowds.
"I'm really sorry but I need to find my family. Here. Take it all." She produced another small satchel of coins and handed it over.
"I wish you luck!" She turned and pushed her way through the crowd, even as she felt the old woman's stare following her.
Okay! So this chapter is short, but they will be getting longer. I'm simultaneously posting to my tumblr account and to this account, so it depends on which site I write the chapters on, how long they will be. This story is also a slow work in progress, and it's kind of a trial story. If there's a lot of interest I will continue it, but if there isn't I will put it on the back burner for now. Thanks!
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