Please note that this story will have a heavy focus on how different Halei is. No magic potion, or spell, or anything is going to change that.

Chapter 11 – Hunting Problems

Halei had lost a lot of blood. Not enough to die from but more than enough to worry about. The mithril sword still was lodged in her leg. She would have taken it out, but through experience, that wouldn't be the best of ideas. A puncture wound should be left alone until aid could be administered. She herself shouldn't do it alone, but if the pain continued, or if it hindered her ability to continue her... travel she would be forced to.

Walking through the wild in pain she trudged on. As she put her clawed foot forward again she bit back a pained hiss as the sword caught on a low-lying branch, causing her damaged skin and scale to tear further. Anger took hold once again. Shaking uncontrollably, she knew she had let the elf and man get away because of Pippin. Pippin and that damn look he gave her. She should have finished the two, she would have made it a quick death for Pippin sake, but somehow she knew even if she tried Pippin wouldn't let her. Damn that hobbit.

It was nearly night fall, and the cold air prickled at her lungs. She would have to rest until the sun came up and would be able to warm her body. She sat beneath a golden oak tree that moss clung to. Taking up her foot on to her lap she examined the damage. It would have to be removed if she was to cover more ground tommorow. She sat perfectly still and filled her thoughts with random, miscellaneous, musings, anything to keep her mind away from the pain she would feel soon. Her hands slowly curled around the sword handle. She had a good grip she would only get one chance do to it right. She closed her two eye lids, willing herself to think of anything, but the more she thought the more apprehension she felt. Her breathing became like a rapid in a river. Contorted with confusion, tumult and anger. "One..." she breathed. "Two..." she hissed. She shut her eyes as hard as she could, squeezing them as hard as she could. "Three..."

Arwen was in the lead, making sure Frodo, who had recovered much of his strength, stayed secure on Roheryn, her silver steed. Behind her were the three hobbits, agitated by Frodo's mysterious attacker, none more so than Pippin but that was for a different reason. Behind the hobbits was Aragon, his hand on the hilt of his sword, he was rear guard. His eyes swept the surrounding forest, while he listened intently to the world. Nothing as of yet had come forth, after the shocking encounter with the cloaked man before, Aragon was thankful. Whoever it was had been so strong. He had let his guard fall and it almost resulted in his death, but more importantly it could have resulted in her death. He could not have lived or died with that on his conscience. He risked a look towards Arwen, his gaze fell upon her perfect form. His heart was fueled once again with purpose. Breathing heavily he returned his eyes to the forest, resolute that no more harm would come of this peculiar company.

Screaming.

Aragon whipped his head around, so sure was he that he would come face to face with a black rider that he was surprised that there were none. Arwen to was drawn to the noise, her highly sensitive ears prickled at it's pained tone. The screaming continued, with the bout of strange guttural roars and hiss's. The hobbits had now heard the commotion.

"Is that a black rider?" Sam asked in fear, glancing at Frodo with a worried expression.

"No. That is no wraith." Arwen stepped forward, listening intently trying to deduce the source of the horrific sound with no avail.

Pippin bowed his head, trying to hide the fresh tears, that fell from his face. For he knew what was making that noise, just hour ago, he had watched her limp off into the wild. Merry looked at his cousin with a look of suspicion and fear.

"What's wrong Pippin?" Merry asked.

Pippin merely gulped down a large lungful of air. Looking up and giving a half hearted smile. "Ah..." His voice wavered. "Nothing... Just got... some dust in my eye." He blinked his eyes furiously, trying to reinforce the lie.

Satisfied Merry turned to Arwen, who had been the new centre of attention for the hobbits, beside from Frodo who was their primary concern. "Have you ever heard such noises before, they don't sound of anything described in tales or ever heard with my own ears?"

Arwen brow creased in discomfort, but that discomfort was laid to rest as she felt the presence of Aragon beside her. "Do you know what it is?" he whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

She turned her head and looked at him. "No. I have never heard any such noise. But I have a guess to what it is." She spoke softly.

"What?"

"That thing that attacked us... I saw... whatever was under that hood was neither man, elf or orc. Aragon... something is following us that is not of this earth."

"What could it be? Whatever it is it was extremely powerful." Aragon gasped but kept his voice down enough for the hobbits not the over hear the remark.

Arwen nodded. "Whatever it is, it is no mere animal. It..." her voiced stilled for a moment as her memory filtered back to the attack. A glassy shadow glazed her eyes. "It looked into my eyes, and I to its. It had large red, glowing eyes. They were filled with age and knowledge." Her breathing became more unstill. "Oh... I... the fear I felt looking into these orbs was beyond anything... I..." she started to babble. An uncommon occurrence for the well spoken Elves. Aragon felt the weight of the situation thicken and weave it's self around himself and his group. Not only were they the quarry of the Nazgul, but now, an unknown player was out for their hides as well.

"Come." Aragon, beckoned the Hobbits and Arwen. "We must make all haste to Rivendell, we stop if we have to, it is still a many day journey." Aragon thanked whatever force on Middle earth had caused Frodo to recover, if he hadn't Aragon might have had to let Arwen carry Frodo all the way to Rivendell with the Nazgul on her hooves. Not a happy a thought.

Halei Gasped in pain. She held, in her left hand, the bloodied mithril sword. Her redish blueish blood was splattered around her. Her breathing was distorted by pain. The taste and smell of copper and Iron, of her blood, assaulted her. She hissed involuntarily as a coping mechanism. The worst of the pain was over. "Stupid elf." She cursed. Wrapping a ripped off section of her brown cloak around her leg wound, she fought the urge to collapse.

Her breathing settled, she was still in pain, but her body had acclimatised to it. Her heavy eyes pierced the darkness around her. The elf would get what is coming to her, and that man. Halei thought bitterly. To think that they had got the better of her, was wounding her pride. She cared little if Pippin objected, this was her way. No friend will stop her. Not even the pacifist Rikor could.

Halei did want to help people, but she, was not one to forgive. Sniffing at the air, she caught the scent of the group, amid the smell of her blood. They were perhaps three kilometres from her. At the rate she had been slowed too, she would be lucky to catch up before next's days light. But that worried her little, she cared only to make sure her friend was safe, and now she had to settle a score as well. Life above was getting interesting.

Halei began her pained limp all over again with renewed hurting. Thankfully the night was warm, and she wouldn't have to rest to restore her body temperature. She had been walking for maybe an hour or two when the ground beneath her feet started to feel different. She was on a road. She contemplated leaving the road, it looked so easy to traverse. Halei thought it would not be that bad if she risked it, if only for a day.

The next few days for Pippin had been awful. He hadn't heard anything from Halei since those screams in the night, not two days ago. The rest of the company were in higher spirits. Frodo had awoken that day, for only a couple of minutes. However the ranger and the elf were ecstatic. The black riders had yet to make another appearance, et it seemed had no intention to do so. There had been many times along the way where they could have easily overwhelmed them.

"Come master hobbits. We have made record timing, even I thought we would be walking late into the day after tomorrow, but it seems fortune smiles upon us. We will reach Rivendell within the next day. Then you can rest." Aragon spoke up from behind. Hearing of the word 'rest' sent the three hobbits into deep, excited, conversation.

The next day came with little to no event worth turning into a tale. Aragon looked tiredly around, still adamant in his duty to protect the company as they ventured further towards Rivendell. He had developed rather nasty bruises on his neck, which Arwen, to the amusement of the three conscious hobbits would mother over.

The hobbits had, despite the high hopes of last night of a bed and a warm bath, fallen back into quite self contained depression. They had marched through the night with little food. It wasn't the marching that had made them fell down, but the lack of food. For all knowledgeable people know a hobbit without food is no hobbit at all.

Aragon had noticed this and was trying to renew their vigour with talk of fests and rest. "Now, young Hobbits."Aragon started, his breath was short. "Only a few more hours until you can rest. Only a few." The hobbits were grumbling with each other.

"It is not only they who should rest." The sweet voice of Arwen sounded. She turned to look behind her to Aragon. She smiled.

Aragon smiled back. "Aye milady, you look terrible. You be sure to rest your head after we return." Arwen's smile fell from her face, in it's place was a scowl. Aragon laughed. The hobbit's who were in plentiful dialogue, stoped at the sound. They turned and looked at Aragon in confusion.

"You need not worry about strider. He has become delusional with exhaustion" Arwen crossly stated. "You can really act like a child sometime." she mouthed at Aragon. Aragon in return gave her an innocent smile.

The journey continued with the merry banter for some time. It was a good distraction for the group, even Pippin, whose worry of Halei had been growing by the second since hearing her woeful cries the night before.

VVV

Blood.

Sweat.

Fear.

These were the things Halei smelt on the air. She was hunting. Eventually her hunger had won the eternal battle for dominance over her deprived and battered body. She would catch up with Pippin after she fed on flesh.

Moving as silently as her crippled body allowed her to move through the undergrowth she stalked. Her forked tongue whipped in and out, tasting the air, helping her sense the world around her.

The crack of a twig resonated within her highly attuned ears. Something was moving. Diner! She thought hungrily to herself. Her mouth already watering in anticipation of the bloody meat that would quench her desire.

Her eye's pierced the early morning mist that swirled around her, trying in vain to veil her prey. Inching closer and closer to the sound she crept. Slowly the magnificent form of an elk appeared in her now narrow sighted view.

Crouching into an ambush position she waited. Waiting for the animal to come to her. Slowly the beast wandered aimlessly toward it's doom. Stopping and starting in an erratic pattern, to the annoyance of the hungry lizard. She urged the witless beast to come a few more inches forward, but it seemed quite content chewing on the patch of grass it had found.

Halei waited some more. The beast still chewing silently in a watchful pose, as if it knew something was watching it. The seconds continued to pass, every one that did felt longer than the previous. Why couldn't it just move. Halei growled inwardly. She knew she could strike now, but in her weakened state, her chance of actually bringing the creature down from this distance was lower than she wanted.

Screw it! Halei leapt forward her claws out stretched. The elk bolted as she came crashing through the flora. Her claws dug into the side of the animal. It let out a distressed call. She dug her claws deeper into its flesh. Hanging on to it's hide. Lifter her body, slightly tearing at the animals skin, she reached forward with her head, preparing to deliver a neck breaking bite.

Just as her jaw's were about to connect with the frightened, helpless being, it, in one last act of defiance bucked violently. So violently that Halei's leg spasmed in a pain that was akin to the pain that she had felt when wrenching that damned sword out. Halei howled and let go of her prize, her feast.

She watched in a mixture of pain and extreme disappointed as her Quarry bounded off into the thick distance. If only she had waited for it to come closer. "Damn..." She half cursed in anger and half hissed in controlled pain.

So what do you think. I really wanted to get this chapter out early so peoplecan see where the story is going. Please sty with me I know the chapters are not lengthy... Yet! I would like to point out that I will be doing my Preliminary exams very soon so I will be out of action for both my Mass Effect fanfic and this Fic.

Anyhow please review anything that I could do to make the story better, or perhaps any scene that would like to see. If you want any input on the pairing please let me know... Or i will have to make a executive decision.