He stepped back swiftly, denying her support, and she nearly fell over as she turned to face him. He was tall, and his long dark hair fell about his face and shoulders, his skin pale under his five-day beard. He wore a dark tunic beneath a wood-coloured cloak, and a sword hung sheathed at his side, his hand loosely grasped around the hilt. Despite her shock, she couldn't help wondering where he had put the knife, which had silently disappeared from view entirely. When he spoke again, she noticed the accent; it was soft, lilting, but she could not place it.
"You will tell me your name, and your business in these woods".
It was not a question. Lora took a deep breath, and forced her numb throat to produce a sound, almost unrecognisable to her.
"I told you, I don't have any business here. I don't know where I am. I'm not from this place, I just woke up and I was here, I don't know anything".
You're babbling. Stop. Wake up.
She cleared her throat, and started again. "Listen. I don't know who you are, and I don't know where I am. That's all".
He watched her silently, his deep grey eyes holding her like a vice as she tried to see the thoughts behind them. Finally his gaze flickered away, dismissing her, and Lora drew a breath, her heartbeat resuming its sullen thud.
"I have no time to question you now; I will take you to the lord of these lands. He will know what to do with you. These are the forests of Rohan, and foolish are those that wander here needlessly, lost or no".
He had already turned away from her and begun to scatter the remains of his fire with his scuffed boots as he finished, "you will come with me now. I hope you can walk, girl".
She glared at him, her irritation overriding her fear. "My name is Lora".
He ignored her, picking up his pack now.
"I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me who you are", she called a little too loudly in her despair. He was already walking out of the clearing, not even checking that she was following him, as he called back, "My name is Strider".