I awoke to my mother shaking me, her eyes wide with fear. Her red hair fell over her face as she pulled me out of bed and handed me a pair of trousers. Her pale green eyes darted around the room as she shuffled me about, jumping at the muffled noises coming from outside.

"Stay quiet, Frea and dress quickly." She whispered as she rushed from one side of the room to the other, packing a bag full of my clothes and belongings. I was terrified at what was going on. The sky through the small window was dark, and yet it sounded as if there was a huge commotion outside our small began handing me more clothes to wear before placing a grey cloak on my shoulders.

"Where are we going?" I squeaked, not understanding why I was the one getting ready to travel and not her. She didn't say a word, only kept her eyes on the front door, guiding me quietly to the back one. People were running back and forth, trying to get children moving to the horse herd on the edge of the village. With one last look around the corner, Mother made a dash for the herd, a bridle in hand. Men were shouting to one another, sounds of metal clashing and horrible grunts and snarls from something I had never seen before. I tried to look back to see what was going on, but my mother kept me moving, refusing to let me see. Mother let out a low whistle and our grey horse came trotting over, hoping for a treat. In an instant, Mother was forcing the bit into his mouth. Just then, a woman began screaming. I looked back to see an hideously ugly creature standing above her son's body, his large sward coming down at her next. Fear froze me to the ground as I watched the Orc march over to us, blood glistening on the steel weapon. I had only ever heard stories of the monsters, but the Orc in front of me was something even more terrifying than the stories. My mother lifted me onto the horse and handed me the bag.

"Run, Frea and don't come back here." She commanded, looking back at the creature coming at us. When she turned back, fear was in her eyes.

"What about you?" I cried, grabbing a hold of the horse's mane. My fingers trembled as the Orc went after another mother. Children were put on horses and they were all leaving in different directions, trying to look back as the animals took off across the sloping land, running mostly from fear of the fire and smell of death.

"I'll be fine. Go now!" She yelled, turning the horse to the west. I attempted to swing my leg over to get down, but there was a crack of her hand hitting the horse's flank and he jumped forward, racing away from my mother's hand. I held on for my life, burying my face into his grey mane. I didn't dare look back, tears streaming down my face. The cries and yelling followed me until we crested a hill, running wildly across the fields.

The grey horse underneath me shivered at the smell of burning flesh rushed across the land on the wind as he slowed to a walk. The black plumes rose from the side of the mountains as the village I lived in was destroyed. An orange haze filled the eastern sky from the fires. The Orcs that had descended onto the small village at the base of the Blue Mountains didn't follow me, so I let the horse continue to walk until we reached the river. The noises of the night seemed louder and scarier as we went along, every rustle of grass making my heart jump into my throat. The moonless night made it harder to see where we were going, but the grey horse picked his way across the plains being careful not to trip. Every so often, I would turn to look back, but the only thing visible was an orange haze on the horizon. If I looked hard enough, there were figures on the tops of the hills, walking up and down the crest as if looking for something. My eyes always tried to see if the figures were moving down the hill, but it soon became too distant and I hoped that they weren't trying to find me. The waters looked like silver in the pale moonlight as the horse dropped its head to gulp down the water. I slowly climbed down, my muscles taut from holding on so tightly, causing them to shake from fear and cold.

Sobs racked my shoulders as I sat on the edge of the river Baranduin, pulling the cloak around me tightly for some warmth. Everyone was most likely dead and I was alone. The cold set in around me and my eyes scanned the river bed, looking for any danger. Suddenly, there was a tall figure on the opposite shore atop a horse. I gasped and stood up quickly, grabbing the small dagger in my belt. I knew it wasn't an Orc, but fear was the only thing controlling my body.

"Child, I don't want to harm you." He said, holding his hands up in surrender. His horse then crossed the river, coming to a stop near me. The man dropped down to the ground and knelt in front of me. He wore a green hood over his face and the only thing I could make out was his pointed chin which was covered in scruff.

"What is your name?" He asked in a calm voice. I sniffled and wiped at my face before answering him in a small voice.

"Frea." I mumbled, looking under the man's hood. He nodded, pulling his hood down so I could see his face in the light of the half moon. He had an angular and hard face, with piercing brown eyes. His lips were thin, a slight smile upon them.

"Named after the great King of Rohan no doubt. You are a survivor, much like him. Come, I will take you somewhere safe." He told me, standing to his full height. I held my breath but he turned to me and offered a hand. The nervousness left me as my fingers came in contact with the soft palm of his leather glove. The man lifted me up onto his horse before mounting behind me. Warmth radiated from his chest and the chill of loneliness thawed from my bones. The front of his green cloak wrapped around in front of me and soon we were off to the north, the grey horse keeping up behind us.

"Can I know your name, sir?" I called meekly, tilting my head back to look up at the man. He glanced down at me for a second before giving me a smile. His teeth were white and shown in the darkness.

"Hamen." He replied simply. The arms on either side of me tightened slightly as he spoke again. "Get some sleep, Frea. We have a long way to go and the night is still young." I nodded in response as the fatigue of the night raid wore down on me. I had no more tears to cry, so the only other thing to do was sleep.