[Mnemosyne]

"It's her," said Nogrod. "It has to be her."

Lalaith licked her lips and nodded. "Right. I don't think those helpful trees are going to come back, so..."

"Yeah."

"We'll do it together."

"Please," said Rikae, "it wasn't me! This is it--kill me and the wolves will win!"

"I don't think so," said Lalaith. "Hmm, do you think we could find the Sammath Naur from here?"

"That sounds like a good idea," said Nogrod. "At Mount Doom doom will fall." Binding Rikae's hands behind her, they began to walk through the house, hoping to find a suitable place of execution.

"I think I see it up ahead!" said Nogrod.

"No!" cried Rikae. Twisting out of Lalaith's grasp, she began to run toward the forest nearby.

"Stop her!" yelled Lalaith.

In a fluid motion Nogrod picked up a spear that was lying at the wayside and hurled it at her. Just as Rikae turned to look back, it struck her and pinned her to a tree. She looked down in shock at the blood that bloomed out from the wound. "Tell Macalaurë that Rikae is here," she said before she died.

"She didn't transform," said Lalaith.

"She must not have been the last wolf!" said Nogrod.

"So the last one must be one of us..."

Nogrod and Lalaith stared at one another, each too nervous to look away from the other's face.