With Rithia behind him, Haru continues to make his way towards the setting sun. His only goal was to see his love once more. Looking back to what had happened, Haru still wondered what was the deal with Rithia, but then again he knew that his questions would have to wait. With a gentle breeze blowing with his steps, Haru continued to make his way. With the silence it seemed that Haru was walking alone, just like every other time he traveled, but soon the voice of someone was coming closer. Turning to see who was behind him, Haru soon found himself being tackled to the ground. Still not really worried, a small smile came across his face as he could hear the laughter of the young elf.

Haru was glad that the young one was feeling better and it did seem to be the best thing that Haru brought her with him. At least this way there would be someone to talk to, well if talk ever happened. She was still would not saw anything but everything was told in her expressions. That and the sounds of her stomach yelling for food could be heard by anyone within a mile. Finally being able to get off the ground, Haru turns to see that the young one still held a smile on her face, but that soon changed as another sound could be heard. It was a loud rumble and it was clear where it had come from.

"So I guess you are hungry again huh?" Haru replied with a soft laugh. Seeing her nod, Haru took out his lance and stood up to see if there was anything to eat. With a slight movement within the grass, Haru saw something that could pass as food. Throwing his lance towards the target, it traveled its path and hit its target. Moving to retrieve the meal, Haru brought it back to the young elf.

"I hope you like grilled hare."

Haru could only sit close by and watch as the fire died out. Slowly the night sky was filled with the light emitting from the stars and it was a sight to be seen. Haru looked over to see that the young elf was fast asleep with a slight shiver. Moving closer, Haru takes his cloak and places it over her. As she grips onto the cloak for warmth, Haru turns to see what else there was to offer during the night. With a faint sound coming somewhere close, Haru could not figure out where the sound was coming from, but with a tightened grip on his lance, he could only wait until it came closer.

Looking towards what was left of their meal and fire, Haru noticed that there was some hare left to eat. Moving to grab a small piece, Haru noticed that something was watching his movements. Knowing that nothing would get past him, Haru takes a bite of the hare and moves back towards the young elf. Now the sounds were coming closer and closer, but still at a slow pace. A shape could be seen, but the details were still a little fuzzy due to the lack of light.

Now the shape was within a few feet of where Haru sat, and now finally he was able to get a clear view of what was coming closer. Grabbing a piece of hare, Haru tosses towards the creature that was in front of him. Haru could see that it was a wolf of average size but it seemed to still be young. Haru began to throw a few more pieces to the wolf to see if it was a threat. So far, the wolf had not bared its teeth, so for the most part, Haru eased up a little but was still ready for an attack.

After there was no more food to toss, Haru noticed that the wolf had not left just yet. It was looking straight at him, but still it did not move. Haru heard the young elf saying something, and his attention turned towards her. As Haru found out that she was just talking in her sleep, his attention returned to the wolf. The only difference was that the wolf was no where to be seen. Thinking that it might have just been an illusion, Haru begins to watch out for anything else that might come forth.

When morning came forth, Haru was unable to get much sleep, but for the time, it did not really bother him. Looking around Haru noticed something weird next to the fire. It was some food gathered in a small pile. It was just some fresh fruit and a few plants, but it was not there during the last night. Not really sure about what could be the deal with the food in front of him, the only real choice Haru has to is to move on and leave it there.

Gathering everything he has, Haru leads the young elf onward down the path, to finish the rest of the journey. Looking back, Haru sees the wolf from last night moving towards the pile of food left behind. With a look of insult on its face, the wolf passes by the food and beings to follow Haru and the young elf.

“Well if that is what you want to do. I will be keeping an eye on you though...” With silent words drifting into the air, the young elf looks towards Haru to try and figure out whom he is talking to. Returning her looks of questions, Haru just smiles and continues on.

After a few more days and night, the same thing keeps on occurring. As soon as Haru and the young elf find a place to rest, the wolf is close by. Not really being a threat at the moment, Haru allows the wolf to continue with its actions, but still Haru stands on guard if anything goes wrong. Looking around in his back, Haru notices that once more they are out of food. Giving word to the young elf to watch out for anything and that he will be right back, Haru leaves her for a moment, with his father’s dagger in her hands.

Walking closer to the wolf, Haru sees that it to still stands on guard and beings to move away from Haru’s movements. Seeing this Haru stands still for a moment to see if the wolf is willing to be of any help.

“Right now I am off to find something for the young elf to eat. If you are able to, could you please help in gathering something to eat? You will be given your share as well.” Unsure if the wolf understood his words, Haru passes by to find something that could be eaten. Hopefully he would be able to find something or else he would have to enter the town to get something. “I would rather that no one in any towns sees me at the moment, so if best, the town is the last option.”

Moving back and forth Haru was only able to catch a few things that could pass as food. There seemed to be more hares in the last area they were in than here, but there were at least a few that could be eaten. Returning to where he left the young elf, Haru dropped everything he was caring as he noticed that she was gone. Bring his lance forth; Haru began to seek out where she had gone.

It didn’t take long before Haru heard her voice close by. Running to where he heard her voice, Haru noticed her coming out behind a few trees. When Haru was able to have a look at her, he noticed a large smile on her face. She was holding something behind her back. When Haru questioned about what she was caring, she reviled it to be a large piece of fruit. It was ripe with color and looked like it was safe to eat.

Slightly relieved that nothing had happened to her, he asked why she had gone off. Her only response was to point at the wolf that was following behind. It was caring more of the same fruit that the young elf was holding. Not really sure what to think at the moment, Haru watched as the young elf walked back to their resting spot. Haru heard the wolf coming closer to where he stood, so leaning down; Haru gave the wolf few words and a hand down its fur. “Thanks for looking after her.”

Now with the wolf walking to Haru’s side, they returned to the camp and prepared to have something to eat. With a fire burning in the center, the smell of grilled hare filled the air. Taking a piece of for the young elf, Haru handed her it along with a slice of the fruit they had found. Moving back to the roasting hare, Haru removed a larger piece and tossed it to the resting wolf. Even before the food could settle to the ground, the wolf snatched it and began its meal.

With the food done and the fire slowly dying out once more, Haru turned to see that the young elf had found she resting spot, holding tightly to the wolf. She had a loving smile on her face and even with the discomfort the wolf must have been going through, it did nothing but let her sleep. Haru continued to look at the two and began to wonder what would be going on from here on out. Haru noticed that the wolf was looking back straight at him. The wolf did nothing but look, but it seemed to understand what Haru was thinking about.

“At the slightest of moments, if you ever bare your teeth or seem to be a threat to that young one, I will finish you myself before you could ever hurt her. From the way you look at her, I know that this will not happen, but I am only giving you warning.” Haru notice that the wolf nodded to his words, but he was not done. “It would be better that you travel with us I guess. The young elf seems to have taken a liking to you. Who knows, maybe you will be helpful in a fight as well.” Getting up and walking towards the wolf and young elf, Haru rubs his hand over the wolf’s head and gives them both a wish of good night.

In a state of meditation, Haru sat silently searching for something within himself. The answers he was looking for were no where in sight, but the moment to relax and collect his thoughts was very rare. At least now with their new ally with them, things may go a little easier. There was something on Haru’s mind that caused him to replay the events of Rithia over and over again. Even though they were far from the forest, it was something within the forest that was the problem. Unable to find why everything was happening in that forest lead Haru to thinking that there was more to Rithia that he first thought.

Soon memories of his former allies began to show into his mind. Everyone he met, the people who helped him in a tough fight, and those who just seemed to disappear without a trace. Haru was amazed at how far he had come, but the one person he missed most was still his love, Nienna. Whether in a dream or not, Haru could feel Nienna’s touch across his face. She was saying something to hear, but the words could not be heard clearly. Even so, Haru knew what she was saying, for he too was hoping to see her soon.

When Haru returned to reality, the light from the morning sun had come across everything. Bathed in a new day’s light, Haru turns to see the wolf and young elf. Without much to think on, Haru noticed that the young elf was still asleep on the ground, but the wolf was no where to be seen. Getting up as to not wake her up, Haru begins to look for where the wolf went off to. Looking down at the spot where it was seen last, Haru noticed that the dirt around where the wolf was resting was shifted, showing signs of a fight or struggle. Following that path of disturbed dirt, Haru noticed that along the way where few drops of blood leading away from where they rested.

Looking down into the distance, Haru saw that the wolf was slowly returning to them. The only thing though was that it seemed to have no energy left in its body. Waving back and forth down the path, the wolf finally reached where Haru was standing, but without any warning, the wolf collapses onto the ground with a loud thud. Haru could see something was caught in it fur and when he took a closer look, it was a small section of a cloak, soaked in blood. It seemed to be from a human, but Haru was unable to completely tell. Checking the wolf for any damage, Haru picks up the creature and brings in back into the camp.

Grabbing an old rag, Haru pours water over it and places it on the forehead of the wolf. Letting the wolf relax and regain its energy, Haru places a piece of hare meat close by just in case the wolf needs something to eat. Haru could hear the young elf walking up now and worry could be heard in her voice as she moved closer to her new friend. Haru talked to the young elf, telling her that everything would be all right. Haru glanced down to the wolf once more, thinking about what could have happened.

Haru began to move onward down the path hoping to end this trip. Whatever attacked the wolf, might be close behind. Keeping his lance drawn, Haru turns to see the young elf moving closely to the wolf. Its wounds were healing cleanly and there were not going to be any scars. The wounds it returned with were not that bad, but out in the middle of no where, nothing could be taken too lightly. Seeing how close the young elf was to the wolf, a name still was not given to it. Not really sure what to call the wolf, Haru turns to the young elf to ask her.

“Young one, since you seem to like that wolf, what name would you like for it to have?”

The young elf looked at Haru and it seemed that she was already working on a name to call it. She seemed to always be silent no matter what was going on, but now it showed that she did want to say something. Looking back and forth, it showed in her expression that she had finally found a new for the wolf. With a smile and a soft touch to her voice, she let out the name,

“Wolfbane”

With the young elf giving the wolf its name finally, the only thing really left was to give to young elf her name as well. After giving Wolfbane its name, she continued with her silence. No matter what Haru tried she would not say anything. She would only express her feelings and words through her movements and expressions. It was not much to go on, but with the time Haru spent with her, for the most part, he was able to figure out what she would not say, except for her name. It seemed that was the only thing that she would not respond to.

“Sooner or later, I am going to have to know your name, well that is unless you enjoy having no name young one.” Yet again it seemed that she was not paying attention to what Haru was saying, but instead, her attention was on Wolfbane. “Nothing is going to change is it?”

The scenery was changing once more and large amounts of forests could now be seen. They were finally close to where they needed to be. The trip would be worth it to Haru as long as he can at least see Nienna. It seemed to be too long and this was all he could ask for. Soon nothing but forest could be seen. It was a beautiful sight to be seen and with the burning light of the setting sun, the view soon became too incredible for words. Even with the view around him, Haru continued to move forward, it was time he could not waste.

With Wolfbane now by Haru’s side, there seemed to be something disturbing the wolf. Haru could feel that something was coming closer and his main concern was for the young elf. It would not be the place to fight with her close by. Taking out his dagger once more, Haru hands the weapon over to the young elf and point her to move out of sight. Haru watches as she takes cover under a fallen tree, but now his attention is directed to the sounds of movement coming from within the treetops.

With the young elf hiding in safety and with Wolfbane ready to fight as well, all Haru could do was wait for what ever was coming. It seemed that he would not have to wait much longer as the noise of footsteps could be heard atop the trees. Closer and closer the footsteps came, there was no way to tell what was coming but suddenly the noise just stops. With his lance still drawn, Haru looks around trying to figure out what was coming towards them. In a brief moment, Haru got his answer with something jumping down from the treetops.

What ever was attacking it still looked nothing like a blur, but it was coming straight for Haru. Using his lance to protect against the attack, Haru gets his first real look at his attacker. Finally the light passed through the trees and revealed what Haru was up against. It was someone wielding a lance similar to his own. The only difference that he could see was that the person may not have been as practiced with a lance as Haru was. Haru also noticed that he was facing an older elf, but the attacker was female.

Not sure what to take from it, Haru could only block against the attacks one after another. There seemed to be nothing but rage in her attacks and that was the only thing that would defeat her. Trying to talk to her also seemed to be point less. No matter what Haru said, she would only respond with her lance. Wolfbane was now in front of where the young elf hid for her safety. Haru noticed that Wolfbane was ready to attack, but it choose to protect the young elf while it could.

Still the attacks from the female elf continued on and on. It showed in her movements that she was beginning to slow down and soon it would be over. Haru began to recognize her patter of attack and she seemed to always follow it. Planning his next move, Haru only waits for the right time. Seeing her next move, Haru moves to counter her attack and remove her of her weapon. With the lance out of her hand, Haru was unable to see her take out another weapon. Haru was unable to protect himself; the female elf drives her dagger into the side of his chest.

Pulling away from the elf, Haru looks to see the wound to his side. Slowing down his breathing, Haru feels the wound to see what could be damaged. Feeling around, Haru was glad that it hand missed his lungs, but it seemed to shatter one of his ribs. Taking his hand out, Haru looks to the elf to see what she has in store. Moving close and ready to attack, the blood from Haru’s wound drips onto the floor, leaving a trail of his movements. Holding his lance tighter, Haru hears a scream from behind him. Turning to see who it was, Haru noticed that the young elf had come out of her hiding spot and was looking at the wound to Haru’s side.

Without warning the young elf began to run towards Haru and hid right behind him. Haru could feel that she hand placed her hand over the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Only wishing that she would return to safety, Haru now knew that he would have to be more careful. Wolfbane was now next to Haru as well ready to fight if needed. Looking to the female elf, Haru noticed that she was only standing still, her weapon dropped to her side. She began to move forward and as she did so, Haru was ready for anything she was planning.

When she finally stopped, Haru noticed that she was crying for some reason. He had not done anything to her, but for some reason, it seemed that she forgot about fighting and was only crying to herself. Taking the chance, Haru began to get some information out of her, but before he could say anything she was the first to talk.

“Natasha...Is that really you?”

Not really sure what to thing about her words, Haru began to say what he needed to say. “Who are you and why did you attack? You know this young one?” Haru looked on as she nodded her head, but she did not move any closer. Unsure what to believe from her, Haru kept his lance ready. Haru could also feel that the young elf had moved closer to him, trying to hide herself away. Soon the conversation continued and Haru heard what the female elf had to say. Unable to trust her words at the moment, Haru waited until she was finished before he did anything else. Soon she finally identified herself as Arieranna Elendil, but before Haru was about to say something she finished saying her name with Felagund.

Haru was unsure I he could believe what the woman was saying but now was not the time to question anything. Looking around trying to find a way out, Haru noticed that Wolfbane was still by his side, but he was looking at something in the distance. Soon Haru was able to notice what Wolfbane was looking at. It was a small path covered with a lot of brush, but it seemed that it would be the only way out.

Taking up his lance and preparing to make a run for it, Haru turns and lifts the young elf to escape from the area. Moving as fast as he can, Haru only hopes that he can get the young elf out of here. This was not the place she needed to be but there were some questions were now brought up.

Haru couldn’t take it from his mind on how the woman knew the young elf, but he could not be sure if that the young elf was called Natasha at some time. The forest soon became silent and nothing could be heard. There was something that did not seem right with the silent and keeping a tight grip on his lance, Haru made sure to be prepared. The light seemed to be fading out so it could only mean that they were running deeper into the forest.

Moving faster along the path, there was no where else to run to. Haru finally found a place to quickly rest, but it was nothing more than another open clearing. Not sure that it would be the best of places to rest, Haru notices that there is still no noises coming from anywhere within the forest. It was not the best of signs, but right now there were a few things that needed to get answered. Placing the young elf back to her feet, Haru kneels down to ask her what she knows.

”Young elf, what is your name? Is your name Natasha? Do you know that woman?”

Haru was not getting any answers from the young elf, but at the same time, he could see that she was holding something back, but he was not the one to push it any farther than that. Looking around, Haru made sure that the young elf still had the dagger on her and he motioned her to take cover and to stay there this time. Even before Haru could finishes his warning to the young elf, a sound came shooting through the trees towards where Haru was standing.

Pushing the young elf out of the way, Haru does not have enough time to prevent the arrow from hitting him in the shoulder. Yelling at the young elf the move from here, Haru turns to see where the arrow had come from. Haru could not hear the bow being used, so the only thing he could think of was that who ever was attacking was skilled in archery and would be a challenge to deal with.

Sounds of another arrow could be heard but this time it was coming from two different directions. Not sure if both sounds were real, Haru noticed that a small stream of light could be seen. That was the biggest clue to where the archer was at. Moving away from the path of the arrow, Haru looks to see that the arrow had struck the ground. Without warning though, Haru was barely able to avoid the second arrow coming towards him.