A/N: Three brothers walk through a dark forest. These are the events leading up to "The Tale of Three Brothers".
Submission for:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): Fairytales Assignment #6 -Write about being afraid. Prompts - (word) sticks, (colour) pink, (plot point) someone runs away from something/someone
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter.
Ignotus walked a few steps behind his brothers, squinting to make out the rises and falls of the uneven ground beneath their feet. Surely it had to be getting late, the sun setting on the horizon but he had no way of knowing in this forest of eternal darkness. With the foliage above blocking out the sky and the trees so densely packed around them, it was as if they had crossed over into another realm.
"Perhaps we should turn back?" he suggested, his slightly racing heart prompting his speech. With every step along their winding their path, he became more and more convinced they were in a strange land, his eyes focusing on odd and frightening shadows moving through the blackness.
Antioch cursed as he stumbled a few feet ahead, his arms striking outwards to regain his balance. He too was getting fed up with this journey and he wanted nothing more than to return to the village and enjoy a nice lager with his comrades. He grunted before saying, "No, we have to keep moving forward. I'm sure we will exit soon."
Between them, Cadmus remained silent, his face nor his steps giving away the emotion he felt. Ignotus frowned. His older brother had been like that ever since his darling Genevieve had passed away. Now nothing, not even this cold, chilling darkness could distract him from his grief.
But then there was a sudden sound, the sound of sticks crunching beneath a misplaced foot. The darkness seemed alive now, closing in on the brothers. Fear got the better of Ignotus and he took off, running past his brothers and through the trees. They called out to him to slow down, their voices slightly muffled by the wind in his ears, but Ignotus refused to listen. The demons were around them, they were getting closer, and stopping could mean death. He was not yet ready to die.
A familiar sound met his ears above the wind and his brothers' cries, and he ran towards it until he found himself in another strange place. The forest disappeared and he now stood at the edge of a wide, raging river. Above him, various shades of yellow, orange and pink painted the sky, and the grass beneath him was a lush, vibrant green.
"Where are we?" Cadmus asked, for the first time showing awareness of his surroundings as he came to stand next to Ignotus.
Ignotus looked around, wondering the same thing. "I do not know," he said. The air hummed around him and the ground slightly trembled with the force of the rushing water. While this place was better than the dark forest, they could not stay here. However, the river was too dangerous for them to wade across. "Where do we go now?" he asked.
Antioch grunted, his brow furrowed and his gaze hard as he studied the angry swells running over large boulders half submerged in the water. He too could feel the presence around them, increasing his desire to leave this place. Then he drew his wand and said, "We will go over the river. Come, brothers, help me."
Ignotus and Cadmus did as they were told, drawing their wands and lending their magic to the construction of the bridge to the other side.
However, as Antioch took a step forward, a large shadow leapt out of the forest and landed before the three brothers. His tall lean figure blocked the sky and Ignotus trembled where he stood, gazing deep into the empty sockets visible beneath the hood of the figure's cloak. Of all the beings to have found them, it was Death himself.