Running, always running. This time I appeared to be running in circles. The leather moccasins I was wearing kept my footsteps quiet as the brown and green garb I was wearing provided a woodsy camouflage for my body. That camouflage would have been more effective if my long, red, frizzy hair was not screaming my location to the world as the light filtering in through the trees glinted off of it like a beacon. A quick scan of the woods around me confirmed my previous musing that I was not making any progress.  Completely unsure of how I had found myself stuck in this infinite and tiring loop, I found a rock to lean against, set the bag I had been carrying across my back down on the ground next to me, and decided to rest. At this point my breath was gasping out in short spasms and my heart was desperately trying to leap out of its cage. Taking extra care to slow down my heartbeat and breathing, I listened for footsteps, but heard nothing. It was likely that the one who had been chasing me had realized we were running in circles and had perched somewhere close to laugh at me as I wore myself out. It was less likely that he had given up or gone the direction I had originally intended to go before becoming lost and running the same track over and over for who knows how long. Almost before I heard the growl off in the distance, I was flinging the bag back onto my back and my feet were moving again. Drat, he was still chasing, and he was very close.

Without a doubt, my sense of direction was flawed. For a wood elf, that was not something common. For a wood elf that often found herself running from other creatures, it was only slightly less than a tragedy. With great care, I found my way through the woods and finally saw the bright sunlight and meadow beckoning me out of the trees. It was a welcome sight. If I could only make it the last several paces before the thing behind me caught up, I would be safe. However, the creature crashing through the trees was gaining ground quickly, and it was going to be a tight race.

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