Tanya glanced around the clearing.
'It will do.' She thought with a sigh.
It was merely an open space within the trees, but Tanya could here a small stream gurgling close by, and there was enough foliage for Midnight. She tied the horses reins to a low-hanging branch, and she would take him to the stream later. Tanya stepped into the middle of the clearing, and the moonlight washed over her face. She was reminded of her nighttime walks in Rivendell and she felt a wave of homesickness, but it wasn't the first time she had felt it, so she pushed it into the back of her mind. She would have time for that later. She could drown herself in her feelings later, when the camp was made.
Tanya took her saddle bag off Midnight and emptied its contents onto the mossy ground. She always kept the essentials in it, flint, tinder, money, and the like, the stable boy had attached her saddlebag when he had prepared Midnight for her departure. Tanya had purchased a small bow and a quiver of arrows in a tiny town she had passed through three days ago. She had done it quickly and quietly, and no one had known she was an elf. At least that's what she hoped. She had bought enough food to last her a while, but she knew that she had no idea where she was going. When she got there, she wondered if she would be able to tell.
Tanya sighed again and stood up straight. She glanced into the shadows and shivered, but she walked by Midnight and gave him a reassuring pat on the nose.
"I'll be right back." She whispered.
Tanya stepped out of the clearing, and out of the light. The darkness closed in on her surprisingly fast and she had to resist the urge to turn around and run back. It felt alive. Tanya could almost feel it writhing around her ankles, clogging her ears and nose, making her vulnerable to the evil around her. She shook her head and trudged on, in a straight line, keeping the sound of the water on her right hand side. There was no point in getting lost. She focused her attention on her feet. Mostly because that's where most of the firewood would be, but she had a funny feeling that something was watching her. She didn't want to see what would inhabit the forest at night, so she kept her gaze away from the surrounding darkness. The shadows within shadow.
When Tanya felt that she had found enough dry wood to keep a small fire fed throughout the night, she returned to the moonlit clearing. When she stepped out of the complete darkness, she was relieved, and Midnight whinnied happily when he saw her. Tanya built a small fire, and when the light came, the feeling that she was being watched left. Tanya laughed nervously. Positive that it had only been her imagination, a feeling brought on by darkness and the fact that she was a criminal.
Now that she had made some light in a world of darkness she untied Midnight's reigns and headed towards the sound of the water. The trees thinned out and they emerged into a silver world. Tanya could see the stream running swiftly over a bed of smooth river rocks. It spanned maybe five paces across, and the other bank eventually turned into silver grass and disappeared into the shadowy trees. She led her horse to the waters edge and he bent down to drink. She let his reins fall and walked a short ways up the bank. Her gaze rested momentarily on a large rock on the opposite side before she also bent down. The water was cool and refreshing, and it tasted sweet. She splashed it on her face and wished she had a bar of scented soap. She glanced up to see what Midnight was doing and froze.
On the large rock that she had noted seconds before, she could make out the silhouette of a crouching man. Tanya stayed still and a single question shone clear in the jumbled chaos of her mind.
Had they found her?
'It will do.' She thought with a sigh.
It was merely an open space within the trees, but Tanya could here a small stream gurgling close by, and there was enough foliage for Midnight. She tied the horses reins to a low-hanging branch, and she would take him to the stream later. Tanya stepped into the middle of the clearing, and the moonlight washed over her face. She was reminded of her nighttime walks in Rivendell and she felt a wave of homesickness, but it wasn't the first time she had felt it, so she pushed it into the back of her mind. She would have time for that later. She could drown herself in her feelings later, when the camp was made.
Tanya took her saddle bag off Midnight and emptied its contents onto the mossy ground. She always kept the essentials in it, flint, tinder, money, and the like, the stable boy had attached her saddlebag when he had prepared Midnight for her departure. Tanya had purchased a small bow and a quiver of arrows in a tiny town she had passed through three days ago. She had done it quickly and quietly, and no one had known she was an elf. At least that's what she hoped. She had bought enough food to last her a while, but she knew that she had no idea where she was going. When she got there, she wondered if she would be able to tell.
Tanya sighed again and stood up straight. She glanced into the shadows and shivered, but she walked by Midnight and gave him a reassuring pat on the nose.
"I'll be right back." She whispered.
Tanya stepped out of the clearing, and out of the light. The darkness closed in on her surprisingly fast and she had to resist the urge to turn around and run back. It felt alive. Tanya could almost feel it writhing around her ankles, clogging her ears and nose, making her vulnerable to the evil around her. She shook her head and trudged on, in a straight line, keeping the sound of the water on her right hand side. There was no point in getting lost. She focused her attention on her feet. Mostly because that's where most of the firewood would be, but she had a funny feeling that something was watching her. She didn't want to see what would inhabit the forest at night, so she kept her gaze away from the surrounding darkness. The shadows within shadow.
When Tanya felt that she had found enough dry wood to keep a small fire fed throughout the night, she returned to the moonlit clearing. When she stepped out of the complete darkness, she was relieved, and Midnight whinnied happily when he saw her. Tanya built a small fire, and when the light came, the feeling that she was being watched left. Tanya laughed nervously. Positive that it had only been her imagination, a feeling brought on by darkness and the fact that she was a criminal.
Now that she had made some light in a world of darkness she untied Midnight's reigns and headed towards the sound of the water. The trees thinned out and they emerged into a silver world. Tanya could see the stream running swiftly over a bed of smooth river rocks. It spanned maybe five paces across, and the other bank eventually turned into silver grass and disappeared into the shadowy trees. She led her horse to the waters edge and he bent down to drink. She let his reins fall and walked a short ways up the bank. Her gaze rested momentarily on a large rock on the opposite side before she also bent down. The water was cool and refreshing, and it tasted sweet. She splashed it on her face and wished she had a bar of scented soap. She glanced up to see what Midnight was doing and froze.
On the large rock that she had noted seconds before, she could make out the silhouette of a crouching man. Tanya stayed still and a single question shone clear in the jumbled chaos of her mind.
Had they found her?