Author's Note: I realized that the Wood-Elves live a long way from the Northern border of Mirkwood/Middle-earth, but I had already written this, so you can pretend that they took a day or two to do this or that Mirkwood got a lot smaller, or – as I did – you can ignore the actual geographic features of the land. ^_^
Forngor ignored the Elf, and the darkening shadows around him as he went deeper into the forest. Instead, he changed forms again, becoming a slow but strong ox. He managed to keep his new form for a few seconds before his legs crumpled beneath him and he lost consciousness.
A minute later, Forngor awoke to find himself in his normal body, tired and hurting. He stared at his thin gray fingers as they trembled in the dirt and blinked blearily. A sinking feeling of confusion and a realization that the strength he had lost would not be regained for a long time filled him and he dragged himself onto his feet and continued slowly down the path. The shape-shifter watched as the shadows grew longer from the forest, slinking over the path to crawl over his feet. The night shadows pooled in his shallow footprints, and darkened his skin to a charcoal gray. Forngor noticed these changes and felt nothing but resignation. If he was to die in the dark, then he would. He found no use in lamenting his fate, as many he had killed had. The Men had cried and begged for life, but Forngor knew not to fight the inevitable.
So preoccupied was he with his own thoughts that Forngor hadn't noticed the gleaming white before him until it banished the shadows on his skin. Looking up, he saw Glorfindel and Asfaloth. The Elf was gleaming with an inner light that reflected off of his stallion's white coat and caused them both to appear to glow. In his hand, Glorfindel held his sword, the point facing the sky.
"The choice is yours, Forngor. You may return to your land, and I will escort you through the deep forest to the border, or you may remain here to await whatever fate is yours." Glorfindel broke the foreboding silence.
Forngor licked his dry lips and blinked up at the light. "What choice is that? I will die either way. Lord Elf, you know this as well as I. These wounds will not heal and my energy will not return in time to fight off whatever threats dwell here or on the path past the border."
"If you choose the border road, I will leave with you a small drink that will revitalize you enough to escape from what may attack you."
Forngor grinned suddenly, white fangs flashing. "How kind of you," he said, his voice reeking with sarcasm.
Glorfindel glared at him from Asfaloth's back. "If you refuse this gift, I can leave you here in the shadows."
The shape-shifter sighed. "I will follow the northward path."
"I will follow you to the border," Glorfindel replied.
The shape-shifter scooted nervously past Asfaloth, who stamped his hooves as Forngor passed him. The stallion followed a few feet behind the shape-shifter and the glow from his rider lit the path before them.
They were almost to the border when night fell, draping the forest with black. Shadows crept towards them, only to recoil as they hit the light. Forngor was a dark gray shape in front of Glorfindel as the shape-shifter plodded on. Suddenly, the shape-shifter turned at leaped at the Elf-lord, managing to transform into a wildcat. Asfaloth reared as the wildcat slashed at his face and missed. Forngor leaped again, this time over the horse's shoulder, his hind claws digging shallow cuts on the stallion's shoulder. Forngor's attack was cut short as Glorfindel's sword caught him in the ribs. A maniac look still in his sharp golden eyes, the wildcat fell to the ground, hissing. He tried to gather himself for another attack, but the blade had cut deep and Forngor collapsed in a heap of golden fur at Asfaloth's hooves, his bright eyes dimmed in death.
Asfaloth backed away from the shape-shifter's body as the wildcat melted into Forngor's natural form, now a lump of gray in the black shadows. Whinnying to the shadows, Asfaloth turned from Forngor's body. A word from Glorfindel sent him galloping back down the path, towards the lighter part of Mirkwood.
Author's Endnote: The End Is Near!!!