Near the bubbling Az Ragni River, at the edge of the Beor Mountains, a horse whinnied shrilly as a lone Fanghur landed in the narrow path in front of it. The human girl riding the stallion retrieved her bow and unsheathed an arrow. Mirella was tall for her age, just turned 18. The small amount of magic she had stored in the emerald pendant around her neck would help her defeat the beast, but she still kept her distance. The dragon-like monster, watched her intently, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
She copied it.
"Stenr rïsa," the girl whispered. Behind the looming beast, a heavy, granite stone rose in the air. She waited until the beast stopped moving for a moment, the dropped the stone on top of its neck. With the brute immobilized, she stepped closer to it. When she was level with it, she shot it in the head, twice, to make sure it was dead.
She didn't bother to see if the creature had enough meat on it, she couldn't move the stone she had dropped on it earlier. Her measly amount of magic had been depleted. She silently cursed herself for not storing anymore in the pendant earlier. She strode back to the big, chestnut horse, and patted his head.
She mounted the animal again, and cooed soothing words in his ear. Then she spurred him forward. She made it out of the mountain range, but the shadow still loomed over her. Mirella stopped to set up her small tent as the sun started to dance on the horizon. In the distance she could see where the river curved back slightly. She grimaced at the thought of riding all day tomorrow. She was already sore from today's ride. And the one before that. She strapped the horse to a bush near the river, and gave him a carrot. Then she entered the modest tent, and stripped. Once she covered herself with the towel, she stepped outside and headed for the river.
She bathed and swam for an hour, enjoying the cool water. When she had finished and changed into her pajamas, she stepped out one last time, to look at her favorite thing in the world: the stars. They came out slowly, almost one by one, and she enjoyed seeing them. Like seeing old friends, she thought. When the sky was dotted with silver, and the moon had risen, Mirella wandered back inside.
She landed on her cot and fell asleep, thinking of the stars and the moon dancing in the sky.