A SHORT LITTLE QUIB WRITTEN THREE YEARS AGO FOR A ENGLISH LIT CLASS
Spiral Dancers
_______ Kalaraen sat by a campfire who's flames danced wildly in a circle of stones and dirt, casting shadows about the small clearing where she made camp. Her sword and longbow lay by her side and bedroll spread out on the ground, three feet away from the fire. She could keep warm at night. Worrying fills her mind; about Spiral Dancers that prowled in the night like hungry wolves on a hunt. Also, like the wolves, these seven feet tall black creatures, travel in packs. They would eat any living thing that they could catch, and by her luck, she was smack dab in the middle of Curlia Forest - the Spiral Dancers' territory.
_________Deciding not to worry about it at the moment, sure the fire would keep them away. She picked up her weapons, went over to her bedroll, sat the weapons within hand reach, and climbed into bed. She fell quickly into a dreamless sleep.
_________She woke with a start. Her breath hard as she squinted, and glancing around. Just realizing the fire was out, up in smoke. Fear rushed over her as she rushed for her sword then leaped to her feet, listening hard for something to happen. That was the problem, she couldn't hear anything, no sounds. There wasn't anything, no sounds of nocturnal animals in the forest, no sounds of the breeze brushing leaves aside. Something was about to happen. That was certain
________She shivered, squinting into the darkness again. Trying to see the slightest movement, she did.
________Kalaraen saw barely seeable shines of yellow light at a small distance, about 10 tinsy lights, which meant around five Spiral Dancers. Spiral Dancers had little beady eyes that couldn't have had any more warmth then an icicle. This wasn't so bad, could probably easily take them with her sword, it was wielded by a Black Robed Mage. It would burn the skin of anything, quicker than molten material, of those who weren't the owner of it.
_______She smiled, yelling for them to come out. They were more then happy to oblige. The tall, lanky creatures that looked like twisted intertwined spirals with a black dragon head and flat muzzles, jumped out of their shadowy nooks.
Her heart was racing with excitement, adrenaline pumping through her veins. That gave her an extra kick to the fight as one lunged at her. She brought her sword up into an arc, then slashed downward while jumping towards it. The sword cut across the things shoulder - or was it its stomach? Who knows and who cares, it went down atleast. The other two jumped at her like cats racing to pounce on a mouse, and it worked, one landed on top of her before she could feebly try to ward it off. The sword went sprawling into the darkness.
She was pinned to the ground, no way to get up, but she felt around for her bow and arrows. She found them only inches away. Not having enough room to shoot, she got the arrow and pushed it up towards the things head as it lunged down to take a bite out of her.
_______It worked! It actually worked! The Dancer bit the dust - literally. It burst into a fine dust that stung Kalaraens' eyes, but cleared once her eyes started watering. Then is when she realized that she had only beaten two of them. She franticly felt around for her dull hatched and starting stone .. maybe, just maybe she could get a fire started again and wouldn't end up dinner.
She heard the trio of Spiral Dancers circle around the small camp, perhaps seeing how to get to it first before the other. That was an advantage for her. So she returned her thoughts to the hatchet and stone, Banging one against the other which created small sparks. But they just went flying about, not catching anything on fire.
_______"Daggit!!!" She exclaimed as it failed to work. Then, holding the two accessories she crawled over to the fire pit, feeling around for dry logs. Finding a small stick, it couldn't be called anything more, she started trying to start the fire again.
_______After a few tries, a small fire started up, then grew larger as she piled dry leaves and pieces of parchment into the pit. Then was when she got the first look at the Spiral Dancers. They were beautiful, in their own way, and agile. Tall and magnificent, the rulers of the forest. Funny, she doubted she had ever heard people say that about them before, but it was true.
_______Without a second thought, the three Dancers returned to the darkness. The nocturnal creatures hated fires. Thank God for that, otherwise she would have been dead. Atleast she wasn't though, got to look on the bright side. And she was fine, all except for the dull ache in her shoulders and torso, but she would have to go down into town in the morning, and seek out a healer in Paladins Tavern.
_______ Kalaraen sat by a campfire who's flames danced wildly in a circle of stones and dirt, casting shadows about the small clearing where she made camp. Her sword and longbow lay by her side and bedroll spread out on the ground, three feet away from the fire. She could keep warm at night. Worrying fills her mind; about Spiral Dancers that prowled in the night like hungry wolves on a hunt. Also, like the wolves, these seven feet tall black creatures, travel in packs. They would eat any living thing that they could catch, and by her luck, she was smack dab in the middle of Curlia Forest - the Spiral Dancers' territory.
_________Deciding not to worry about it at the moment, sure the fire would keep them away. She picked up her weapons, went over to her bedroll, sat the weapons within hand reach, and climbed into bed. She fell quickly into a dreamless sleep.
_________She woke with a start. Her breath hard as she squinted, and glancing around. Just realizing the fire was out, up in smoke. Fear rushed over her as she rushed for her sword then leaped to her feet, listening hard for something to happen. That was the problem, she couldn't hear anything, no sounds. There wasn't anything, no sounds of nocturnal animals in the forest, no sounds of the breeze brushing leaves aside. Something was about to happen. That was certain
________She shivered, squinting into the darkness again. Trying to see the slightest movement, she did.
________Kalaraen saw barely seeable shines of yellow light at a small distance, about 10 tinsy lights, which meant around five Spiral Dancers. Spiral Dancers had little beady eyes that couldn't have had any more warmth then an icicle. This wasn't so bad, could probably easily take them with her sword, it was wielded by a Black Robed Mage. It would burn the skin of anything, quicker than molten material, of those who weren't the owner of it.
_______She smiled, yelling for them to come out. They were more then happy to oblige. The tall, lanky creatures that looked like twisted intertwined spirals with a black dragon head and flat muzzles, jumped out of their shadowy nooks.
Her heart was racing with excitement, adrenaline pumping through her veins. That gave her an extra kick to the fight as one lunged at her. She brought her sword up into an arc, then slashed downward while jumping towards it. The sword cut across the things shoulder - or was it its stomach? Who knows and who cares, it went down atleast. The other two jumped at her like cats racing to pounce on a mouse, and it worked, one landed on top of her before she could feebly try to ward it off. The sword went sprawling into the darkness.
She was pinned to the ground, no way to get up, but she felt around for her bow and arrows. She found them only inches away. Not having enough room to shoot, she got the arrow and pushed it up towards the things head as it lunged down to take a bite out of her.
_______It worked! It actually worked! The Dancer bit the dust - literally. It burst into a fine dust that stung Kalaraens' eyes, but cleared once her eyes started watering. Then is when she realized that she had only beaten two of them. She franticly felt around for her dull hatched and starting stone .. maybe, just maybe she could get a fire started again and wouldn't end up dinner.
She heard the trio of Spiral Dancers circle around the small camp, perhaps seeing how to get to it first before the other. That was an advantage for her. So she returned her thoughts to the hatchet and stone, Banging one against the other which created small sparks. But they just went flying about, not catching anything on fire.
_______"Daggit!!!" She exclaimed as it failed to work. Then, holding the two accessories she crawled over to the fire pit, feeling around for dry logs. Finding a small stick, it couldn't be called anything more, she started trying to start the fire again.
_______After a few tries, a small fire started up, then grew larger as she piled dry leaves and pieces of parchment into the pit. Then was when she got the first look at the Spiral Dancers. They were beautiful, in their own way, and agile. Tall and magnificent, the rulers of the forest. Funny, she doubted she had ever heard people say that about them before, but it was true.
_______Without a second thought, the three Dancers returned to the darkness. The nocturnal creatures hated fires. Thank God for that, otherwise she would have been dead. Atleast she wasn't though, got to look on the bright side. And she was fine, all except for the dull ache in her shoulders and torso, but she would have to go down into town in the morning, and seek out a healer in Paladins Tavern.
