<span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 18px">Running was difficult in heels; and it was for this reason that Morphine loathed wearing them, specifically for formal occasions when she wanted to run the most, first away from suitors, and then towards her home. <br/>
<br/>
So when a chambermaid dashed into the Royal Hall, screaming her tits off that the Western Orcs were pillaging nearby villages, Morphine' initial reaction was not that she would most likely die this day; instead, her initial reaction was to remove her heels, which she did with abandon. The gentleman who had been courting her until now didn't seem to notice that she had abandoned her act of decorum; his skin had turned milky white, and for a curious moment Morphine thought that the gentleman would collapse. If so, Morphine would not catch him. She didn't like him very much (He had made several attempts at groping her ass). <br/>
<br/>
The chambermaid who had delivered the particularly bad news about the Western Orcs informed her listeners that she had received this information from the lookouts, who had already escaped the village. Morphine heard several whispers of "Oh my" before the dread of the situation became apparent. By the time Morphine fled the Royal Hall, pandemonium had already shaken its foundations.<br/>
<br/>
The Western Orcs arrived to the village before many of the halflings had a chance to escape. They did not suppress their violence. By then, Morphine had arrived to the perimeter of the village. She watched as the Western Orcs slaughtered her people. One of the larger Orcs found her father (the Sheriff), who had been hiding in their home--likely beneath his bed--and dragged him outside. She waited to feel remorse, but, this feeling not coming, she deferred to the emotion which suited her best: apathy. She watched as the orcs removed her father's neck from his shoulders. Distantly, she thought that this hasty surgery improved her father's appearance by tenfold; after all, he hated using his head.<br/>
<br/>
The time for viewing was over. Morphine took to the woods that flanked her village. She knew better than to flee to the other village, as the chambermaid had made clear that the Orcs had already attacked them, and so, Morphine decided to travel east, away from her villages and (hopefully) away from the Western Orcs' camps. Morphine was now happy that she had spent most of her childhood running through these woods. The soles of her feet were as thick as leather, her legs were strong, and she had a mental picture of the whole forest.<br/>
<br/>
She heard branches break behind her. Morphine had already been running as fast as she could; now, however, adrenaline was pumping through her limbs, cycling her legs more quickly than would be possible without the adrenaline chemical. A branch cut her cheek but she didn't stop. More branches broke behind her. <br/>
<br/>
The orcs were faster than Morphine. They had been trained for war. Morphine had been trained for marriage. <br/>
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Still, she didn't relent. If the Orcs wanted her, then she would make them work for their kill. She moved in a sinuous sort of way in hopes that she could confuse her pursuers. The distance between her and the Orcs increased, but only marginally. <br/>
<br/>
That was enough. She cycled her feet further still, allowing the adrenaline to overtake her until she couldn't feel her legs. A feeling of flight overcame her. She would grow wings, she mused. <br/>
<br/>
Then she heard branches crack ahead of her. She tried veering left but she was going too quickly. Her left foot landed on the ground at an angle that was too precarious for stability. Her right foot caught her left ankle; her knees bent; the earth seemed to rise up to meet her face but she was able to push her hands out in front of her so that her face wouldn't contact the ground. Physics being as they were, however, the sudden drop in speed and her subsequent fall propelled her forward. She slid, and then she rolled, and, finally, she came to a stop, her face skyward and her arms stretched out as if she was preparing herself to embrace the sky. <br/>
<br/>
Everything was silent. <br/>
<br/>
No more sticks broke.<br/>
<br/>
Morphine heard a language that was faintly recognizable. She thought she could translate common words from the Orcish tongue: kill, princess, money were thrown around in no apparent order. Morphine closed her eyes. She thought she could will the Orcs away. She just had to keep her eyes shut. Keep them shut. Shut. Shut.<br/>
<br/>
One of the Orcs grabbed Morphine's shoulder.</span></span>