Wayfarer's

Chapter 15.

•Flashback•

"Shay! Wait up!" The small young voice cried out. His voice echoed through the dark forest. The fog loomed low on the forest floor, and the stench of decay was fresh in the air. Yet it didn't bother the two young boys. Granted it always had been this way since Sauron's rise.

"C'mon, sprout." The older brother called from below as he splashed in the stream.

Breen whimpered and looked down, toes hanging off the edge of the small cliff. Below it dropped off into the deep part of the stream and rushed gently away. He hopped from foot to foot.

"It's too high!" He cried, his voice quavering and looked down the steep drop. He wanted to be down there with his brother but the fear of jumping to meet him was terrifying.

"C'mon Breen! Don't be a baby, just jump for valars sake."

"Momma says you shouldn't be saying that. It's foul language, Shay."

"Whatever, she isn't here now, is she? Just jump you baby." The older brother shouted. He jumped across the stream to the other side of the bank.

"It's too high... I'm... I'm scared..." The young boy admitted and tears formed in his large blue eyes, his surroundings blurring.

Shay felt a sense of foreboding that he couldn't describe. Maybe it was pity, maybe it was something else. But it brought him to his brother. The older boy stood below Breen with his arms stretched out.

"Jump, I'll catch you. I'll always catch you, sprout."

"Promise? Promise you'll catch me?" The younger asked, soft voice shaking.

"I promise. I'll always catch you." Shay gestured for him to jump.

The younger brother stared down the large incline, taking in a deep breath. Then he pushed himself forward with uncertainty. Yet he knew he would fall into the embrace of his brother.

As promised, Shay caught him with a proud grin.

"See. I'll always keep my promise."

•Flashback over•

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They ran. They ran as fast as their bodies would allow them. The fear and adrenaline gave them the spreed and strength to fly, the sound of the shrieking nazgul echoing loud in their ears.

Breen ran behind, exhaustion slowing him down considerably. He wasn't as fast as the more powerful warriors like Thranduil and Shay. But this Aragorn character kept up easily with them. How he did, Breen did not know. The boys heart raced and pounded so loud it drowned out the sounds of the hoofbeats that followed them. The nazgul had caught up with them.

The dark haired boy looked over his shoulder and whimpered, watching the dark figure come closer. It was toying with them. Clearly it wasn't chasing them at full speed, otherwise it would have been upon them. It was taking its time, wearing them out before it attacked.

"Breen! C'mon, step it up!" Shay shouted back over his shoulder, pushing to keep up with the elf Lord. Falling behind Thranduil would just be humiliating.

"I'm- working on- it!" The younger boy shouted back in large breaths. But talking took the boys mind off where he was stepping and his foot caught in the thick mud, sending him to the ground. The boy smacked against the soggy mud and groaned and tried to lift himself. But before he could rise, the deathly shriek of the wraith rung in his ears. Doubling forward, the boy covered his ears, stumbling up to his feet. But as he turned he found himself before the dark creature. Breen hadn't even heard the wraith dismount. But it had and now it was too late.