Disclaimer: I own nothing, save for my own character(s). Surprise surprise!

Author: born to be hanged a.k.a. Meltintalle

Title: The Key

Rating: PG-13 (for adult themes and language) (R chapter is possible with a warning)

Genre(s): Action/Adventure/Humor/Romance (romance is minor)

Compact Summary: The fourth theme of the Ainulindalë presented the creation of portals leading to different dimensions, opened by permission of Eru and the Ainur with the use of a silver key. The temporary holder of the key passed it to his daughter before he died. Sauron's possession of the key would provide endless allies, a safe haven, and supplies. Full summary inside. R&R!

Author's Note: Many thanks to reviewers!

I couldn't get an asterisk to work for the author's notes at the end of the chapters. So if you're confused about something, i'll probably be down there, just not marked.

italicized text indicates a character's thoughts

A special note of thanks to my beta, Satori (Satori Blackthorn)

Chapter Two

Lost

I gave a loud shriek, my voice echoing loudly through the still forest. I twisted around to look all around me, but in doing so, I lost my balance and fell back into the brook. It was only a few inches deep, but the water was very cold and my army pants were thick. The water crashed into me, spurting up onto my t-shirt and splattering onto my face. I jumped out of the water as quickly as I could, not bothering trying to get back onto the stepping stones again. I looked around frantically, searching for that strange face. My eyes scanned the treetops, looking for the pale face, the long blonde hair, the… pointy ears? I frowned, questioning my sanity for the millionth time in my life.

But I had seen him! And he had pointed ears. It's a fact, I swear. I think I swear. I felt my fast pulse begin to slow down. I couldn't find anyone else in the surrounding trees. I had pretty good eyesight and hearing, so I figured I would see or hear something if someone was lurking around.

I almost laughed at myself. Jeez, of all the stupid things to imagine. Haha! Oh, I saw someone else that looked exactly like me in between the ripples of a moving stream. Ya, real believable. I sighed at myself, feeling the cold wetness of my pants rub against my skin as I walked. My pants were thick; it was likely that they would be wet for a while. I gave a growl of frustration, wishing I hadn't fallen in the water.

I could take them off…. I looked around me, suddenly very conscious of my surroundings. No, I'd be very embarrassed if there really was a man with me and he caught me with my pants off. Okay, well, that's out of the picture. I grinned at the thought, really tempted to laugh out loud at the mental picture that came up in my head. But the possibility that someone else could be with me and that they weren't showing themselves was a bit disturbing. Ew, now I'm freaking myself out. It's okay, Lalaine, just don't think about serial killers in the woods. While you're in the woods. Alone.

Stop it!

But if someone really were here, they'd show themselves, right? RIGHT!

Yeah right. Do think a serial killer would want to show himself if he wanted the element of surprise to be to his advantage?

Didn't I just tell you to shut up? Ach, I'm doing it again. I really need to stop arguing with myself. I quickly scooped my back pack into my arms, and slung it over my shoulder. I started walking back to my last tree marking, which had been only about a hundred feet downstream. I tried to walk quickly, but soon found that my dripping pants rubbed against my legs when I walked. I swore, knowing that would probably give me a rash in a while. It was easy for soldiers to wear the material, wet or dry, because their skin was more weather-beaten. I didn't usually wear shorts, so my skin was more sensitive.

I easily found my sign, then turned from the stream and walked into the trees, feeling the skin on my legs start to burn. I cursed again, this time more loudly, and I wondered how I could have let myself fall into the water. After only thirty minutes, I was sure that at least two layers of my skin had been rubbed off.

"Ach, curse it," I muttered, and I felt my face heat up, even with the absence of other people. I finally resorted to the plan that had been lingering in the back of my mind: waddling.

I feel like some guy whose pants are too big and fall past his ass, so he has to waddle to keep them from falling down. Good grief, now I'm really sorry I came this far. Ah, man! I'm gonna have to waddle all the way back! The realization hit me fast, and I scrunched up my face, almost groaning. Well. If this isn't embarrassing. I was really glad there was no one with me now.

Great, self. This is a fine day you've decided to wet your pants. Well. That sounded wrong.

Yes, it did. Just try to keep your mind off it. So, self, how was your day so far?

Hmm, well. I got an F on this one Trigonometry test, I got written up for talking back to my English teacher, I gave my Spanish teacher sass, so I'm probably on her hit list now, I got myself landed into another detention. You know, that's, what, five I have to make up now. Oh, and now I'm stuck out in the woods and my goddam pants are soaking and my legs and crotch feel like they're gonna fall off.

Not a very good day, is it, self?

Yeah, I'd say. Good grief, I'm talking to myself again. Do I have personality problems now? Ach, no, I can't afford to go see a psychiatrist! Or get a CAT-scan for that matter…. Of course, this was highly amusing to think about, and I found myself grinning again. I didn't remember when I had started to talk to myself. It was a long time ago, that was all I knew. I hadn't had anyone to talk to, and I needed to say things out loud once in a while. I had come to a conclusion that permanent silence was bad for one's health.

Therefore, I made it my job to make as much noise as possible.

I rubbed at my arms, shivering, and noticed that I had gotten goose bumps. I wondered if the cold wasn't the only reason. I looked around again, still waddling. There probably hadn't been anyone there. I hadn't seen anyone for the whole afternoon, and this was a large area. Besides, even if someone had been there, it wouldn't have mattered. It would be silly to believe that I was the only person in this huge wood.

Well, whoever it was, if there was even someone there, he's not here anymore, I reasoned with myself, trying to slow my fast-beating heart. I might have even seen myself. I thought back, trying to remember if I had seen my reflection along with the other. But I couldn't recall seeing more than one reflection, and I felt slightly more relieved. How obvious was that? I had seen only one reflection, with long blonde hair and a face with a fair complexion. I almost laughed out loud at my plentiful stupidity. I had long blonde hair. I had a complexion that could be called fair. The water would lighten all the elements of the likeness, too. The image hadn't even been clear. The numerous ripples could have made my ears look pointed. However, the fact that I had my hair back in a ponytail and the image had not was not connecting with my theory.

I tried to waddle faster, feeling more ridiculous by the second. I frowned, looking for my next sign on the tree. There was none. Maybe I forgot this one…. But I knew I had been very careful to mark every fifteen trees exactly. Panic rose within me, finally breaking my protective bubble of reassurance. I started to go into a cold sweat, and forgot to waddle when I ran to look closely at the surrounding trees.

But I continued to walk in the direction that I thought I had come from. I came to a small clearing, frowning. "What the hell is happening?" I muttered angrily. I didn't remember coming across any clearings. The trees were way too thick, there was always at least some bushes and scrubs covering the ground.

My mind began to ramble off various (and considerably recent) news reports about people who got lost or murdered in the isolation of the forest. Ten-year-old boy gets shot accidentally by a hunter in the woods. Murder victim found near the edges of a small mountain stream. Girl raped and tortured in the woods. Woman found dead in the trees. Teenage boy's warped and mangled body found under bush. Gah, how can I remember all this crap and not be able to remember important stuff like how to conjugate a Spanish verb?

Screw the waddling, I'm running. I broke into a heavy sprint, knowing fully well that I would get tired in a matter of minutes. I ran past trees, occasionally stopping long enough to verify that they sported no marks from my pocket knife. I kept imagining that I would turn to my right or left and see the black of the pavement in between the greens of the forest. But I saw nothing but green, and I suddenly despised the color.

I suddenly stopped running, and stood still for a moment. The forest was so large, and I felt so small. And I knew I was not going in the right direction. I had only been out here for a couple of hours. At this, I noticed that the sun was dipping in the sky, and I knew that the darkness of night was coming.

Now I wished more than anything that I had a compass. I cursed, knowing that I didn't even own a compass, therefore it would be impossible for me to possess one right now. I didn't know what to do, so I just stood, trying to hear anything that might signal that civilization was close.

Ding! A picture of a light bulb came into my mind. Idea alert! I filled my lungs and screamed for help. I started to run again, this time much more slowly. I yelled as loud as my throat could handle, hoping that people would respond to some of my cries. My voice started to become hoarse, and I resorted to cursing as well, and saying anything that would possibly get someone's attention. But after ten or fifteen minutes, I felt my throat start to give off sharp pains when I tried to scream louder. When I began to feel a burning sensation in my chest from not being able to breath properly, I abandoned that idea. It wasn't a very good plan anyway, I thought, trying to remain calm.

Great. I'm tired, I'm starting to get hungry, it's getting dark, my legs still hurt (but at least my pants are drying), and I'm parched again. Damn this day. I couldn't see the horizon through all of the trees, but I knew that the night was going to arrive in a matter of twenty or so minutes. The air was getting much cooler, and the shadows of the trees were far more prominent.

I started walking again, trying to decide if it was worth it to keep going on in the dark and risk getting even more lost, or to just stop and camp for the night. I could just see the scale in my mind. Hmmm…. Risk getting lost and going on? Or stopping? Stopping would mean I could rest, and eat, and… other… stuff. Stopping is sounding very nice right about now. I certainly did not want to get more lost than I already was. And knowing me, I would probably just run around in circles.

Ok, calm down, self. We need some sort of protection. I looked at my surroundings, stopping again, and wondering with vague humor about my 'personality' problems. I had absolutely no idea about how to survive in the outdoors without any basic equipment. I quickly crouched down, putting my bag on the ground so I could search through it. Always good to know what you're starting with. I rummaged through the bag, mentally checking the things off.

A half of a sandwich (good, I'll have dinner), a water bottle (well, ain't that smart?). I took a swig of the warm water, then resumed my search. Some school notebooks (another sign pointing to the fact that school is pointless), my deodorant (well, at least I won't stink), my wallet. I opened it, confirming that it held my last paycheck. But this, of course, would be no help to me at the moment, so I put it on the ground next to everything else. And- OH MY GOD! I am so saved! Score, a flashlight! Ecstatic, I whipped it out of my bag, and pushed the button to turn it on.

Nothing happened. I shook it, muttering angrily. "Stupid- Idiotic- Worthless- Ach, piece of crap!" I slammed it against my hands several times, then gave up. "Great," I said, my voice cracking. "The one damn time I need most, it breaks. Piece of junk!" I threw it to the ground.

I shivered, feeling very cold, then bent to throw all of the articles back into the bag. I put my arms around myself tightly, the straps of my bag digging into my armpits. There was no way I would be at all comfortable if the temperature kept dropping at this rate. And I had nothing but damn pants and a t-shirt. I stood still, feeling very defeated for the millionth time that day. A thousand thoughts flew through my mind. I wish I never came into the forest. I wish I never drank from the stream. I wish I wasn't lost. I wish, I wish, I wish. There were a lot of things I wished, but I lifted my head. I wouldn't get anything down if I just stood here, wallowing in my wishes.

Just as I thought this, an idea came to me. "Fire!" I laughed aloud. "Of all the stupidest things to forget! 'Oh! I don't know how I'll ever stay warm'!" I mimicked myself, shaking my head. God, the way my mind works, or shall I say doesn't work, is disturbing. I knew I could find plenty of wood (Duh.), but I wasn't sure of where I would be camping exactly. But I eventually figured that it wouldn't make much of a difference since I wasn't really planning on sleeping. I wanted to be on my guard at all times. Just don't think about axe murderers.

I circled around the area picking up stones to surround the wood with. There weren't many that fit my standards perfectly, but I eventually found some that were large enough. Then I took up the easy task of searching for sticks and wood. I had a very large pile in only ten minutes, thanks to the plentiful amount of trees around me, and set out to arrange the rocks in a small circle, placing a pile of sticks in the center.

Once all was arranged, I stood back, trying to think of what to do next. Well, you have to actually light it now, you dipstick. This created an obstacle in my plans, and I paused, trying to think of what to do. Ok, how to light a fire. Pity I don't have matches… I looked around for something to rub against the wood. What would create enough friction to spark? Didn't people used to grind sticks together in the middle of the pile? But I tossed that idea aside; it would take forever just to get a spark, let along an entire fire, going. I thought about rubbing granite between two pieces of wood, but I didn't see any granite.

I kicked a stick out of my way, suddenly very frustrated. How did people light fires without matches? How did the cavemen do it, damn it? How could the simplest things slow me down so much? I really needed to get out more often.

"Okay, screw the fire," I said irritably, plopping myself down onto the ground without a second thought. If there was no one- No, nothing around, I had nothing to worry about right? Right! I shook my head, and watched and waited as the last bit of sunlight disappeared from view. I was afraid and cold, not to mention hungry, but I didn't want to move. Part of this was because I was so tired from running and walking so much. But it was mostly because I was too scared to move. Reassuring yourself that no one was out there with a knife and a gun didn't help at all.

Attempting to calm my nerves, which wasn't going to happen anytime soon, I rummaged through my backpack again and grabbed the sandwich and water bottle. I took the sandwich out of the zip lock baggie and opened my mouth, ready to take a nice sized bite. My mouth watered as I brought it closer-

Suddenly, an ear splitting scream came to my ears. The cry continued for almost a minute, echoing through the forest and slicing through the silence of the night. I jerked, and the sandwich flew out of my hands and into a patch of mud. Damn it, I was hungry. But as much as I wanted to jump up and save my dinner, I stayed where I was, every muscle in my body tensed. I knew I was breathing very heavily, and I felt myself start to sweat again. I listened for the cry again, but it had ceased, and I could hear nothing but bleak silence while the memory of the sound rang in my ears.

I waited for five more minutes before I moved again. I brought my knees up to my chest, leaning into the bark of the tree behind me. I didn't know what to do. I thought about running, but then realized that no place would be safer than where I was at the moment. I looked up above me, trying to see through the dense darkness that created a blanket over my vision. The tension in the air was so great that I almost thought about making some noise. The silence was crushing me as much as the suicidal scream had.

The slicing scream sounded again, but this time I knew that it was much nearer to where I sat. It was so deafening that I moaned, crouching down on the ground and covering my ears with my hands in an attempt to prevent my ears from throbbing so painfully. The scream slowly died, but was replaced by the sound of someone running heavily through the forest. I jumped up upon hearing this, desperately wondering who or what it was, but at the same time not really wanting to know.

The sounds of the beatings were coming closer now, so close that I knew they were less than an eighth of a mile near. I recognized the sounds as the hooves of a horse. No, the hooves of many horses. I stayed low to the ground, not really wanting to be seen. Horses were fairly common in this part of the country, but I didn't want to meet up with a hostile stranger. I inched nearer and nearer to the safety of the more prominent shadows under some bushes, waiting to see the intruder first so that I would have the element of surprise on my side. I forced myself to lay as flat as possible, though this didn't prevent the branches from poking me in the back and sides.

Well. This is comfortable.

Nine dark bodies loomed into view, their breathing heavy and noticeable in the cold air. I narrowed my eyes, wishing I could see better in the dark. The impatient stomp of a horse's foot came to my ear. I could tell that all of the riders were thin, and they all wore dark clothing. Hm, black clothing, and those look like knives. Well, that's not a good sign. Damn it, I knew there was going to be some sort of homicidal incident.

I watched as the nine riders began to gather in a small circle, obviously looking at something. I felt myself pale when I realized that they had found my non-smoking camp site. Shitokki mushrooms. Can't I do anything right? I remained a still as I could stand, doing everything in my power to prevent an encounter with these riders.

Oh crap! Cramp! Cramp! Damn it! Ach! I gasped and screwed up my face, my eyes twitching as I felt the pains shoot through my cramping leg. I should have known that I would cramp up after walking and running for that amount of time. I got my leg out from under me, hoping that none of the riders had heard me move or gasp.

But I had no luck, and all nine slowly turned their steeds to look straight into my hiding place, which was kind of creepy the way they all moved as one, if you ask me. My eyes widened as the nearest urged his mount towards me, quickly accelerating into a gallop.

I leapt out from under the bush just as the black horse's hooves pounded its branches. I heard the snap of the branches behind me as I crashed to the ground, grunting. I scrambled to my feet, grabbing my back pack from where it was near my right hand, and dashed out of the little clearing as fast as I could. As I ran, I wondered why he had just charged at me for absolutely no reason. Had he even seen me?

I looked over my shoulder, still hearing the beatings of the horses' hooves on the forest floor. I had no idea where I was going, and I was sure that I wouldn't get very far. I was good at losing people, maybe one or two at tops. But at the moment, I was the tired shrimp against nine other guys on horses. I faced forward again, not wishing to trip and fall in this chase. I frowned, suddenly realizing that the pounding of hooves were not all behind me, but surrounding me.

A horse's scream was right in front of me. Hooves were coming down towards me, the rider's billowing cape blocking out the little light that the moon provided. I twisted to the side, literally jumping into the air to avoid getting impaled. I landed on the cold, stiff ground, but I was able to regain my balance within moment or two.

I sensed a rider to my right, and I quickly changed my direction, charging to my left as fast as I could. I ran for a minute or two, my chest feeling very tight and strained, but I was cut off by another rider. Hooves narrowly missed my shoulder as I spun around, and I fell forward. I thrust out my right foot to catch myself, but I watched in horror as it twisted beneath my weight. I fell forward, hollering as I tumbled to the ground and over a small ridge in the forest floor. I rolled down the tiny, yet steep wall and into the basin, my head smacking up against a tree root on the way.

My head and ankle were both throbbing, but I tried to ignore them as I quickly slithered underneath some bushes, trying to hide effectively. I lay on the ground, listening as intently as I could. But something was not right. I frowned, finally realizing that the entire forest was completely silent again. I could feel the wetness of the mud underneath me, and the branches were poking into my back, but I paid no attention to this. I was breathing heavily from lack of air and energy, and from the pain coming from my head and ankle. I strained my ears, hardly hearing anything save for the rustling of the leaves in the breeze. Or was it the breeze? But I knew better than to try to expose myself so soon.

Finally, I heard the slow and faint exhale of a beast, and knew that I wasn't alone. Tears from pain and fear came to my eyes, but I quickly pushed them back, knowing that I would make sounds if I cried. I cursed the darkness silently. If I only had a bit of light. But I supposed that it worked for me as well as against me. If I couldn't see them, then they couldn't see me.

A twig snapped, but I was not the one to snap it. I suddenly became aware of the little sounds of crunching grass around me. I shivered, realizing that the ground was crispy because the temperature was so low. I frowned, listening as the dried mud and grass crackled underneath the beasts. I was surrounded again, and they knew where I was. I didn't know what to do. I felt like an animal trapped and ready to be eaten, with no hope of escape or justice.

But why the heck would they be interested in me? I wondered, trying to think of any reason. I'm just some girl in the woods. I didn't even break the law this week. Or did I? I thought back, biting my bottom lip. The vile and metallic taste of blood seeped into my mouth, and I lifted my teeth from my lip. No, I don't think I did anything. Well, not today, anyway. I almost shrugged, but managed to stop myself. One sudden movement would make one sudden little sound. And one sudden little sound would seal the outcome of this night.

Oh, forget wishing for friends and money, I don't care anymore, I wailed inside my mind. Just make them go away! It took much of my energy and courage just to keep myself from whimpering. The throbbing sensation on the side of my head was slowly but surely going away, and for that I was very thankful. But I could still feel my ankle very noticeably. I breathed in deeply, closing my eyes to keep from crying.

I could hear the pawing and prancing of the horses in the soft mud, and I knew that they were very near. This was helpful, my knowing where they were, but the problem was, I had no idea where I was. The sounds of the horses' breathing was coming closer, and realization dawned on me that I could not stay where I was, lest I wanted to be found. Which I didn't. I cursed silently, realizing that I would have to make a run for it, and quickly. I would have to use my ankle, and just try to ignore the pain.

Very carefully, and as quietly as I could, I began to slither slowly out from under the brush. I grimaced a bit, feeling myself slide easily in the wet soil, and I knew I would be covered in mud by the time I got out. Slowly, I propped myself up on my hands and knees, my plan to crawl for a little while before I ran. I inched forwards slowly for a small distance, praying that the small sounds that I made wouldn't reach the strangers' ears. Then I slowly forced myself to stand, and prepared to sprint. I winced when I put weight on my right foot.

Man, I'm such a wimp…. I could tell that it wasn't serious at all, just a regular old sprained ankle. If it was even sprained. It might just be strained a bit. I stood still for a moment, trying to decide what was the best way to ditch these people. I was almost a professional at anything that had to do with breaking the law. From past experiences, I had all the practice I would need. Too bad I couldn't write a paper on this, I'd surely get an A. God knows I need an A. Gearing my mind back to the problem at hand, I struggled to come up with more than what I already had, which was to run like the dickens.

A horse's snort. The raspy breathing of its rider.

I crouched low to the ground. The lower I was, the less chance that they would see me hidden by the short bushes and leaves. I crept as quietly as I could in one direction. It didn't matter the aim, I knew they were surrounding me. I would have to encounter a rider in any case. I soon realized that my breathing was more noisy than my feet, even with the crackling and popping mud underneath my boots. I paused to take a deep breath and tried to calm myself. How is this any different from escaping Mom? Just need some time. Just a little more time. I encouraged myself silently to keep on going, trying not to make noise.

Strangely, through these small moments in which I was slowly making my way to the freedom of fear and confinement, the noises of the horses had ceased. I thought this was very strange indeed, that even the horses wouldn't make any noises. They were animals, and most likely would not listen to the meaningless jumble of sounds coming out of their masters' mouths that was the English language. I tried not to think about this sudden change, but I couldn't help but feel suspicious that I was making the only noise in this dark forest.

My eyes widened. A deep breath taken? That of a man? Or perhaps a horse?

The light hair in my loose ponytail fluttered out from behind me, my long and straight tresses caressing my neck and cheek. I felt the warm breath of an animal reach the back of my neck, seeming to take the form of a giant hand. The long fingers wrung themselves around my neck, then disappeared into the cold night.

Shit. I turned quickly and suddenly, bringing my fist forward and upward towards the horse's eyes, hoping to stun it for a moment or two so I could begin to run. But strangely, my fist collided with something that was hard and cold, something that made a sound distinctive to that of metal. I sucked in a breath of the sharp air, suppressing the strong urge to swear then reduce myself to tears.

I opened my eyes, not quite remembering that I had closed them, to see that the rider had urged his steed forward so that he was looking directly down at me, still holding my fist against the metal. I looked up the long metal knife of the blade, realizing that it was very strange and foreign to my eyes. I vaguely wondered why anyone in this day and age would bother to carry a long sword at their side, for the sake of comfort, when there were much easier options at hand. Such as smaller knives, guns, hatchets. I almost winced upon these thoughts, thinking that maybe it was a blessing that such weapons were not at hand at this moment.

My eyes glided up the metallic surface, almost afraid of what lie above me. My eyes rested upon a skeletal hand, a creamy, anything but soft, contrast to the billowing black cape and hood that veiled his face from my view. I had an eerie feeling that I was staring at death itself, but I quickly made myself forget about this prospect, lest I become lost in fear and succumb to trembling.

I felt another skeletal hand on my shoulder, grasping me from behind with a hardness not only from its grip but from its very being. I screamed savagely, my senses surging back to me, and I became acutely aware that I was trapped between two large horses and their riders. I was whipped around abruptly, and one of my wrists was caught in a wasted hand, the flesh barely stretched over the bone. A knife was brought over the holder's head, and I screamed again, my hand diving into my pocket to fish out my pocket knife frantically. Even though I knew a little pocket knife would do no good to help in my survival, it was my last resort, my last bit of clinging to life, my desperate need to escape the obvious pain I would endure if he decided to drive that blade into my flesh.

The rider screamed viciously, pulling my arm up a bit, and I assumed with bitter despair that this was his scream of triumph. But strangely, I felt his grip on my arm loosen, and I looked up at my captor, and hope welled within me. It looked as if he was screaming not because of victory, but because of a sudden pain. I took the moment to my advantage, and put my mouth to the skinny wrist. I almost gagged from the stench of blood and decay, and I felt my stomach flop around in my torso, but I forced myself to sink my teeth into the thin flesh. The grip on my own arm loosened, and I wrenched myself away, almost loosing my balance and falling backwards.

I quickly fled from the spot, feeling both relieved and anxious. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another shadow running swiftly towards where I stood. I turned towards it, feeling more confident because I knew that I was at least a few inches taller than whoever made it. I watched as an older boy came near me, his hand extended, inviting me to take it. I snarled, swinging my fist at him and hoping to knock him hard enough to be stunned for a few seconds. But he was quicker than I thought, and I watched in horror as he dodged my fist with expertise, then turn to grab my hand all in a single, fluid movement.

I swung my other arm around, this time feeling it connect with the boy's stomach. He gave a loud grunt of surprise, obviously shocked that I had tried to knock him out cold. I quickly took off the other way, vaguely wondering why I was not being assaulted by the black riders anymore. I turned my head around, still running forwards, to look behind me. There were only three riders in view, and also another man who was on his feet. He had no hood over his shoulder length brown hair and stubbled face, and although he also wielded a sword, he appeared as though he was threatening the three riders single-handedly.

I turned my head around, feeling very guilty about leaving the man and the boy, who, I now realized, were not trying to murder me, alone with the riders. I prepared myself to turn around, but a piece of heavy, black fabric whipped across my face, burning my cold skin. I heard the pounding of heavy hooves as the horse pranced before me, and I struggled to get out of its way.

I viewed the smooth, black stomach of the creature, its front legs flailing in front of me, kicking out into the air, and the rider remaining seated effortlessly. I knew I had to react quickly if I wanted to stay intact, and I felt my legs begin to move, slowly, almost reluctantly. The horse's hooves were coming fast at my face.

Move! Move now! A deer in the headlights. I was the deer. I struggled to move my legs, and I launched myself to the side, turning almost completely around. Too late to move, I felt the horse's solid hooves collide with my upper back, kicking me out of the way mercifully with a powerful shove. I felt air rushing at my face, cold air that whipped my fair hair away from my eyes so I could see the tree ahead of me. I was slapped against the bark, my skull striking heavily against the wood. There was the friendly face of a boy before me. But I couldn't even speak to him, and the colors of his face were yielding to the shadows.

Author's Note: Any and all feedback will be greatly appreciated!