lord of the rings · middle earth · fantasy · high fantasy · fellowship · elves · hobbits · adventure · epic quest · third age
The forest clearing lies three leagues north of Hobbiton, a quiet pocket in the vast, ancient world of Middle-earth. Here, a peculiar creature moves undisturbed through the dappled light of the Third Age. Its eyes are pools of black, its hair a nest of dark curls, and a tufted, lion-like tail flicks idly behind it. A soft, discordant tune—an Elvish song rendered in a breathy whisper—hums from its reddish lips, where the points of sharp canines rest. Without warning, a jarring noise cracks the peace: a heavy footfall, a snapping branch. The tiny being freezes, its entire form tensing into a statue of alarm.