Chapter 73: Chase
Tauriel collapsed near her parents’ graves, her body trembling as the last of her sobs wracked through her exhausted frame. Her eyes, once bright and sharp, were now a deep, swollen crimson, raw from hours of relentless crying.
Tears streamed down her pale cheeks, carving wet trails through the dust and dirt smudged upon her skin. The night had fully descended upon the land, swallowing the once enchanting flora in an ominous embrace.
What had been a vibrant sanctuary of color and life now stood as a sinister garden of shadows, thick with an eerie silence that settled like an oppressive weight upon her chest.
A shiver ran down her spine as she cautiously glanced around. She had never remained here this late before.
The graveyard where her parents’ remains were interred was known to be a resting place for many—a sacred yet chilling ground. But now, under the looming darkness, it felt cursed, malevolent, as though unseen eyes bore down upon her from every corner.
Something moved.
Her breath hitched in her throat as her gaze snapped toward a gnarled tree standing tall against the midnight sky. Nestled among its twisted branches, a pair of glowing ruby eyes peered down at her, burning with an unsettling intensity.
The height at which they hovered suggested a towering form—one that made her blood run cold.
The ruby eyes locked onto hers, unblinking. Then, they shifted. A hulking figure detached itself from the tree’s concealment, stepping into the dim glow of the starlight.
Tauriel’s knees nearly buckled beneath her as she took in the monstrous sight before her.
A massive ork.