The Hobbit: Unseen Shadows

Chapter 5

She could see the Orcs at the end of the road she was on, chasing her. As she ran, she felt fear but didn't know why. They were yelling after her, but she couldn't hear their words. She turned once again to look and see, but lost her footing and saw how fast the ground was coming. It's always the same. The ground always catches her as she bounces off a few rocks, one nearly breaking her shoulder on the way down. Once she hits the ground, this time it's different. There's a voice in her head.

"Commmmmeeeee baaaaccckkkk..." it said in black speech.

She jolts up, shocked, and looks around, worried about Nolya. All she remembered was seeing a Troll slam Nolya in a tree and this horrible feeling in her chest. Once she saw the Orc stab her, she heard and could feel her heartbeat in her head, her blood rushed through her body and she felt so weird. She killed the Troll and Orcs... but how? Did she use her bare hands? She didn't remember using her blade. She remembered looking at Nolya as she looked back at her shocked and called out her name before passing out.

"NOLYA!" she cries out. "Where's Nolya?!"

The doctor comes over an calms her down.

"She's fine, don't worry. We treated her wounds and she'll be back up soon. Are you alright? You don't have any wounds, but I just want to check on you."

"W-what happened? I don't remember how I killed them?" she grasped her head.

"Nolya hasn't woken yet, but some of the others saw you.. transform. Into a werewolf," the doctor said.

"Transform? What do you mean? I'm just a human though...?" she was so confused.

She looked down at herself and saw she was covered in Orc blood, there was also blood and skin under her nails, and her mouth tasted so bitter.

What is that taste? she thought, shocked. It's so disgusting and bitter.

She wiped around her mouth and saw Orc blood. It was caked at some parts. She started to shake a little, scared of how she killed the Orcs.

Did I... Did I really transform? Is that taste Orc blood? A werewolf?

The doctor went and got her a drink, so she could rinse her mouth out. She asked for a bowl, then swished some water around and spit it out, the water turned black. She dropped the glass and it shattered, causing some of the other elves to turn.

"I... I bit them?" she said aloud, still in shock. "A werewolf? W-what's going on?"

Hot tears started to pour down her cheeks. She was so scared of herself.

I don't remember transforming. I helped Nolya. I remember that but, I don't remember transforming.

"What did I do? What am I?" suddenly the tears turned into sobbing as she sat and cried.

The doctor looked so sad and caring at her, not sure how to console her.

"The men told me if it wasn't for you, that there would be many more dead than there was. We only lost two men."

She looked at him, wondering how horrible she looked right now. But she did hear him, and tried to keep repeating that in her head.

"Thank you, for saving them," the doctor put a hand on her shoulder. "And saving Nolya . If you didn't get her back so fast, she would have surely bled out."

Meril sat shocked and upset, wanting to wash off the disgusting Orc blood and change.

"Can... can I go back to my room and wash this off? I feel so gross."

"Of course, just stand up slowly. I want to make sure you didn't get some sort of head injury or anything."

She slowly got up and felt fine, but her body felt a little odd. It wasn't sore just, a little unfamiliar. The feeling slowly went away and she nodded.

"I'm fine, thank you so much. Please make sure Nolya heals fast. She means so much to me."

She started to cry again, but just ran to her little home. She passed a few elves on the way, scared to make eye contact. Once inside she closed the door and slid down it, hands covering her face as she sobbed once again.

"I know I saved Nolya, but I probably looked like a monster to them..."

She tried to stop her tears, and sniffled a little. Once she stood up, she walked through the little home and toward the bathroom. Nolya and her lived together so it felt a little empty right now. She ripped off her blood stained clothes and threw them in the trash, then started the water and walked in. The water was hot and she just stood there a moment before grabbing the soap she made and began to clean off all the blood. She didn't even want to look at herself in the mirror. She didn't want to know how horrifying she looked. She looked down and saw the water was black as it went down the drain. She closed her eyes as she washed the rest of herself and her hair, then stood there with her eyes closed.

As she focused, she could feel the change her body made into the wolf. She could remember it a little, and how Nolya looked at her shocked, like she was scared. She scared her friend. Would these elves even trust her anymore? Did she have to leave?

Then she thought of Elrond, and tried not to cry again. This was all new. Most of her life she forgot and couldn't remember, and then the past ten years she lived with these elves. She made friends. She got close to so many, especially Nolya and Elrond. She remembered when Nolya first met her. And when they went on their first training adventure. The late night talks with Elrond when she couldn't sleep. The cooks she befriended. Elrond...