Three

Eleniel

I snuck another glance around the tree I was hiding behind. Then quickly ducked back and shuddered. Those things were hideous.

"Remember the plan?" my mother whispered.

"Yup..."

"On three."

I nodded. "One."

"THREE!" she yelled and charged out into the battlefield.

I shook my head. More than half a century with the Elves and Luna still hadn't adopted their professional mannerisms. I charged out after her.

Miriel

I stopped running when the sounds of battle had disappeared completely. I dropped my bow and crumpled to my knees.

"Man, I'm really unfit." I whispered. Then I wretched.

I silently cursed myself. How did I expect to go on an adventure if I was this unfit?

I wiped my mouth, retrieved my bow and pulled an arrow from my quiver. I walked through the trees, using the wind as my compass, ignoring the stitch in my side.

I stopped as the winds dropped suddenly. A single, rustic brown leaf gently fell from above and landed at my feet.

I whirled and drove the arrow into the head of a spider which had come up behind me. But instead of the fall I had been expecting, it reared up, screaming.

Oh, gimme a break.

I turned and fled, well aware of the now-angered creature pursuing me. I flung myself at a tree and climbed it, but still the spider followed.

"Shoo!" I yelled at it, kicking it's ugly face with my boot. "Go away! Go chase my sister!"

Without warning, its fangs pierced the toughened leather and its jaws closed on my foot. I screamed and let go of the tree. As I fell I pulled another arrow from my quiver.

We hit the ground with a thud and I drove the arrow into the spider's belly. It screamed, releasing my foot, and slumped.

I rolled off the hairy body and lay there, breathing heavily. The edges of my vision became fuzzy. No, I have to get to safety.

I climbed the tree once more and slumped on a thick branch, my back resting on the bark. I pulled my shoe off and swallowed the bile that rose in my throat.

I touched the wound lightly. It would need to be healed, but for now I just had to get the venom out of my system. I began to squeeze the wound, suppressing my screams, but I was drained of energy. My eyes fluttered closed and I fell into the land of unconsciousness.

The skin-changer's secret

"What is it?" asked Beorn.

I shook my head. "I...it feels like..." I sighed, "Nothing."

Beorn stared at me, long and hard. Then he shrugged. "We're running low on food. I'll go hunting tonight. I don't want you to go gallivanting while I'm gone. Is that clear?"

I nodded, but something outside had caught my attention. It looked like a bird from Mirkwood.