We all thought it'd happen after we had left Middle-Earth, but maybe something could force it to happen earlier.
     Many years ago, far before you were ever conceived, rumors of this evil came to light.

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L U M O R N E L
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   My legs pumped me forward along the path, but going in a straight line, the uur rauko would quickly catch up. So I turned sharply, just as I felt the earth behind me tremble, and into the incline of the mountain. Tree roots walked upon the ground here, little notches in the earth threatening to trip me. These mountains were old, and so they did not have a sharp incline, yet as I weaved through trees and bounded over boulders my legs began to burn.

   Pine trees were a blur. Pine needles cut stinging lines along my face, ripped out strands of my hair as if trying to catch me. I weaved around the base of a pine tree, nearly falling into a nettle bush. A few moments later, as I hurtled over bare roots and fallen pine cones, and a uur rauko roared as it ran into the nettle bush I nearly fell victim to.

I risked a glance behind me—the uur rauko bounced back up, the nettle bush flattened around it but the leaves having done nothing to harm the creature. Two more uur rauko didn't fall victim as their predecessor had, they instead leaped clear over their comrade, clearing twenty paces, and raced the last few towards me as fast as an arrow.

My breath hitched in my throat, and without thinking I twirled away. The uur rauko flew through the spot where I had just been. Both landed. They skidded against their own momentum as they turned.

The fourth and final monster sprung forward--and I quickly skittered behind a tree. A fist sized rock caught my eye. Blood roaring, I grabbed it as I felt the thing come soaring closer through the energy in the air. As the thing went flying by, I threw the rock as hard as I could. And of course, I missed by a mile.

But the rock tumbled through the grass opposite me. The creature bounded towards the ruckus.

I scrambled to my feet, clutching my dagger tightly—

I'm never going to be able to fight them all.

Starlight trembled inside me.

Oh this is going to end badly, this is going to end very badly—

Shut up and do something!

From one side the pair of monsters headed for me, on the other side, the straggling creature did as well.

I stood still.

The creatures charged at full speed.

My feet grew roots into the ground.

And...

I stepped back.

The creatures collided.

I didn't turn back as I ran for a deciduous tree, most of its leaves having fallen, and pulled myself up. A scream ripped from my mouth as the claw wounds in my back lit in fiery agony. My fingers slipped—and I just barely caught myself. I reached a few branches up—hot jaws slammed close just below my feet.

Nope!

I climbed ever upwards, the bark being illuminated under my palms. Claws scrape against wood below me. I risked a glance down. All four uur rauko were around the base, two of them hopping onto limbs, jumping like a cat and using their arms to climb up. Their tails were out behind, balancing them as they climbed.

A yelp froze in my restricted throat.

I pulled myself up onto the thinning branches, balancing myself near the trunk. I pulled around my bow. With trembling hands, I notched an arrow with my clawed back screaming and sighted quickly then—

It flew.

Bounced off the hard head of the nearest monster, a mere few branches beneath me. The broken shaft tumbled below.

Notching another arrow, I forced myself to take in a deep breath, to feel the wooden shaft of the arrow and the soft fletching. And I waited, arrow at the ready, then kicked at the dark column of the tree. Bark flayed and flew down. Pain flared in my toes.

The demon shook its head, deflecting off the wood. But I persisted relentlessly, kicked at the loosened bark harder. It roared.

The arrow flew into its mouth.

Yes!

I didn't watch as it fell, but I heard its pained rasping yelp and heard branches and twigs break as the monster fell. I put my bow back on my shoulder and, centering myself and hoping the falling uur rauko had brought the others down with it, I jumped from the bough and into another tree. My back protested, something too warm slipping down my skin. But I flew among the treetops regardless.

It came naturally to me, elven grace and probably some earlier experience keeping me from falling. Wind caught in my unbound hair, my feet meeting the graceful air and then landing on sturdy branches. My hands lightly swept along the trees as I bounded through the treetops, fingers at the ready to catch myself if need be. And even though I knew the uur rauko would either be searching for me or already in pursuit, even though my heart pounded wildly and my body still sang with the need of survival, even though through the haze I could feel the throb of bleeding wounds, the fear almost started to ebb away. Freedom as free and wide as the ocean began to sing in my fae. Something pure sang alongside my spirit.

The forest smeared past in an artists mirage, brown and blue and green all melding into a painting. A determined calmness kept my mind forward, racing away to safety.

After a few minutes, I slowed and caught my breath. Turning to look behind me, I saw no ravenous creature rampaging for me. So, after a few more breaths, I painfully descended to the forest floor. Despite the previous danger, winter birds chirped in the noon's light and continued to do so as I pulled off my bow.

A twig cracked behind me.

I whirled.

An uur rauko prowled forward, its molten mouth open in challenge.

I found you, it seemed to say. You have not defeated me.

I dropped the bow. My hand yanked out my knife—

The creature sprang forth and before I could wield my weapon, it jumped on me, knocking me to the ground. My knife slid away. Its talon-like claws dug into my shoulders, curling around to pin me to the ground and its hot, carrion breath singeing my face.

I immediately twisted out from beneath its glowing jowls, but the claws screamed in my shoulders as I moved and I abruptly stopped, grunting at the pain. Stupid tears responded to the pain, clouding my vision for a few dangerous moments.

But my starlight sang—erupting from my skin brilliantly. It wasn't strong, not after this morning, yet it still sang. The uur rauko cowered. With its clawed grip loosened, I knocked one of its arms away and rolled out, shoulder blooming in pain.

I scrambled for my knife, twisting around just in time as the monster bounded for me, but as it did, my knife fell from my fingers again. I dodged its attack, using the time it took to skid to a stop and turn to run for my bow. My hands trembled as I notched an arrow. The shaft tumbled from my grasp.

Frantically, I looked up—the uur rauko was set back on its haunches, ready to pounce.

And pounce it did.

Bow unloaded, knife in the frozen mud several paces away, I raised my hands to protect my body from the coming onslaught. And all my terror, my pain, my adrenaline focused that starlight in me into my hands.

And with the drive of survival in me, that power burst forth from my raised arms and enveloped the airborne monster in a net of light.

But the body was already in motion and it tumbled into me, knocking me over, my hip hitting hard on the ground and my head bouncing on the packed earth. My vision went white—and came back as the creature screeched, cowering away.

Its carapace shone briefly like the white embers of a fire.

I got back up on my feet, sighting the fallen arrow in the space between the monster and myself. The uur rauko recovered, but its humanoid body, down on all fours, seemed to droop with pain or exhaustion.

Yet it readied itself, my knife lying just below it. And hesitated before taking action.

It's afraid.

Good.

I lurched forward, scooping up the fallen arrow. The monster snarled, taking a step forward—

But I reached it before it could pounce, ramming the arrow tip-first into the beast's shoulder. As expected, the arrow shattered on impact, shards piercing my hand. But as the thing roared, I reached for my fallen knife—

And shoved it through the demon's temple.

I stumbled back, gulping down air—as well as my heart. The uur rauko laid in a motionless heap, its molten tongue lolling out of its mouth to meet the semi-frozen ground. Steam hissed and rose. Briefly, I wondered if those tongues ever cooled after death and darkened. I had never stuck around long enough to find out.

And I wasn't going to.

Forcing myself to breathe steadily, I gathered my things. And with limbs all shaky, I took those first few steps away from the corpse—

My feet stopped.

I turned around, eyeing the dead lump. Valar, those things look unnatural. They looked like humans, but where there should've been a face there was only the smooth, night-black, scale-like surface with slits for a nose and a big, gaping jaw housing a lava tongue. It had a tail, big and muscled, and instead of normal hands and feet, it had clawed appendages. It was a creature born in evil.

And it didn't even get the choice to choose good.

Poor creature.

My brows furrowed.

—I can't sympathize for the uur rauko. I'll never be able to kill them if I do—

I sighed and bit my tongue. If I left an uur rauko dead, out in the open, a traveler could see and get suspicious.

But will there even be any travelers?

I'm not even on the path, there wouldn't be any out this far, would there?

Sighing again, I set down Legolas's bow and reluctantly dragged the demon under the cover of a wide evergreen, my back stretching in pain. My skin crawled as I touched the warm scales and was glad to have my hands free of the beast and not touching a thing born in hatred. I wiped my palms on my pants, shuddering, and then ran my fingers through my hair to release all the pine needles, leaves, and stray twigs. I mentally smacked myself. It would've been helpful if I had pulled my hair back—

My pack!

My journal, my food and water, a flint and bandages—

I turned in a full circle, pressing my hands to my forehead.

What direction was it in? How far had I even run—?

Oh, Valar help me.

Deeeep breath.

Light seeped from my skin, visible only in the shade of the mountain. My almost depleted light-well rang hollowly, energy bumping into me from all sides. Nausea forced my eyes to close, my berry-lunch threatening to spew all over the ground.

My knees trembled and my stomach, despite the nausea, ached with hunger. The soft light on my skin faded out, leaving me feeling terribly empty. Alone.

Breathe.

The racing in my veins faded and suddenly I felt the very real blood on my shoulders, could feel the very real pain.

How am I going to—

I stuck out my hands and forced myself to count each digit, moving each wavering finger as I counted them.

One. Two. Three—

All the way to ten. Again.

Then, I gulped and tucked my winter hair behind my ears. And hoisted myself into a tree. If I can find the sun, I can find the direction I had come from, find the wreckage I had left behind, and retrace my way back to my pack.

All without running into the remaining uur rauko.

I climbed further up the bare tree, searching out the open sky. As I climbed, my shoulder and back screamed.

Four uur rauko.

Four.

I had never fought so many before. At least not that I could remember.

And if I could barely get out of it—by losing all but one—then how could the common people, most of which did not even know how to hold a sword, defend themselves?

What of the children?

What about the few remaining livestock? If they were to all die, the people would meet a worse fate than dying a quick death.

If I could just barely sweep by four of those creatures, then how would innocents survive?

They wouldn't.

I paused, the thought sinking in. And then again—

Four uur rauko. I couldn't remember seeing or reading about that many congregating together in my journal. They usually only roamed alone, very rarely in pairs.

Was it mere coincidence? I didn't think it was.

And if they were hunting in packs... then someone was guiding them.

Which would mean more innocents would die. More children orphaned or killed.

Steely resolve settled within as I climbed. The enemy had to be stopped.

I'd tell the Western Hope what I know and maybe they'd take action and stop the enemy.

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So, thoughts?

What do you think is going to happen next? What about the Western Hope?

Also... writing really is hating me. I miiiight have to stop the regular updating-on-Monday thing. Trying my best to finish chapter 10 tho.