His leg throbbed in time with his heartbeat as Reynion and the others ran in front of the troll. The foul thing seemed almost to anticipate his movements, and he wondered if it could sense that he was not at his full capacity, like other predators could. The idea was not comforting, and Reyn resolved to ignore such thoughts. He was probably attributing far more intelligence to the troll than the creature could possibly have. At least he hoped so.
His left foot caught on a root, and he stumbled slightly. The troll got closer, and Reyn’s heart lurched. For all of his brave words to himself, he didn’t relish the thought of dying just yet. He put on a fresh burst of speed, just as Gilbereth called out, drawing the troll away from him. Reynion took a deep breath, and continued running. He would have to thank Gilbereth later. If there was a later.
Ahead of him, the light from the clearing beckoned, bringing new heart to the elves and spurring them to greater lengths. The troll roared with frustration, if that be not too intelligent an emotion for such a creature to feel. Apparently, it had come close to catching one of the elves, but the note in its voice indicated failure. Which was just as well, since the plan certainly didn’t include any d.eaths. Sometimes, Reyn’s mental running commentary surprised him, sardonic as it was. It seemed to be very out of place in the current situation, certainly.
He shrugged a little, and shouted to call the troll’s attention away from Gilbereth again.
[ September 14, 2003: Message edited by: Tinuviel of Denton ]
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