Ok so this story doesn't have a title yet but it's an original I've been playing with off and on for about a month now. I have decided to put it on here in an effort to actually be able to finish it.
CHAPTER 1
The evening wasn't exactly cold for late fall, but there was a defiant chill about it. As a gust of wind blew through the young girl's long, black hair, a shiver ran down her spine. She wanted to stretch her long, tan legs; they were cramped from crouching behind the trunk of a large tree for almost an hour, but she didn't dare move a muscle. Her bright green eyes scanned the forest for the large buck that she had been tracking.
She could hear it now, almost in range of her bow. She had been hunting for the past two days and this was the first animal she had seen the entire time; aside from the occasional field mouse, which were not even worth the effort. This deer could provide a good amount of food for her family. The small village of Clomoke had had a rough couple of years. The crops had only produced half of what they normally yielded and many of the farm animals had started to become sickly. Her family was tough, as were all the residents of Clomoke, and stubborn to boot, not letting a couple dead crops bring down their spirits.
There was talk from a few of the older, more superstitious residents of a darkness covering the land. Peddlers and traders that came through would speak of war and famine throughout the different kingdoms. Pyre had always wanted to visit the big cities; she would imagine what it would be like to go somewhere new. She loved her little village but she longed for something more.
She shook her head to clear away the thoughts and realized her prey was now within range. Slowly and quietly, Pyre pulled the bow from her back and notched an arrow toward the unsuspecting deer, waiting for him to move just a little further away from the tree. She held her breath; she only had one shot at this.
Suddenly, a snap to her right made both her and the deer start. The animal turned quickly and bolted into the trees. Cursing under her breath, Pyre pulled the bow back over her shoulder and looked to her right, gazing though the forest. The sun was already setting low on the horizon and the shadows were dancing through the trees, obstructing her vision. She squinted into the brush but could see no signs of life. After a few moments of silence, Pyre decided it was nothing and, sighing, turned and headed back to her camp.
She reached her small clearing easily and quickly. Pulling the bow from her back, she set it down next to her pack and bedroll. She traveled light when she could, especially when she was hunting. She lit a small fire and sat next to it, stretching out her aching legs and warming her hands. She reached over to her pack and grabbed some salted pork and her whetstone. Nibbling on the dried meat, she pulled her daggers from their holsters in her boots and began sharpening them; a ritual which she followed every night, thanks to her father.
Her father had taken her hunting often as a child and taught her everything she knew. He was the best hunter in all of Clomoke. He was always teaching her little tricks of his while they were out in the woods. One of the first things he had made her learn was how to listen to the forest. He always told her that if one projected their abilities out far enough, they could hear all the way to the next town. She never believed someone could hear that far though, that was impossible. However, that was a long time ago, back before he died.
Shaking her head, she pushed the thoughts of her father out of her mind. She didn't like thinking about him often if she could help it. Pyre sheathed the knives back into her boots and replaced the sharpening stone in her sack. She unrolled her sleeping pad, laid down and closed her eyes. She concentrated on the sounds of the forest; trying to empty her head of thoughts so she would be able to sleep.
First, she could only hear the sound of her fire crackling a couple steps away. She sunk into the concentration, pushing her focus outward until she could hear the leaves rustling above, water bubbling from a brook in the east, a couple of field mice to the north of her, leaves and sticks crunching to the...Pyre's eyes snapped open. The last one was footsteps, it had to be, and they sounded like they were getting closer. The young girl jumped up, grabbed her bow, doused the fire and ran, ducking into the bushes just as three figures walked into the opening.
"She was just here, find her!" the tallest man yelled to the other two, looking around the clearing.
The other two men went scurrying around just outside of the clearing, looking for traces of anyone who had just been there. Pyre shrunk back deeper into the bushes as one of them walked by her. The leader looked around the site in disgust. He was a good head taller than the other two men. The light from his torch danced off his chiseled, unshaved face, giving him a very rugged look. He was dressed in dark clothed which looked worn with travel and time. His dark brown cloak fluttered slightly around his muscular body and he slowly walked around the camp, examining it extensively. As the other two men came back to the clearing, Pyre noticed they were dressed as soldiers. Their uniforms were of red satin with golden embroidery along the chest and right sleeve.
"No sign of anyone in the area," the stocky one said, lowering his eyes to the ground, "Sir." He added after a moment's pause. There was resentment in his voice and he held a sickly smile on his face.
The taller man growled with irritation. With a sigh, he turned to the man who hadn't spoken."You said you saw the girl head off into this direction earlier, Handoff, did you not?"
So it HAD been another person who had snapped the twig! Pyre mentally kicked herself for not paying more attention before. And what girl were they looking for? Surely not her...there was nothing special about her. She had never done anything to go against the king, at least not to her knowledge.
"Err...uh yes, sir," the lean man said, "I believe it was a girl but I could be wrong, it was getting dark."
The dark man nodded, clearly deep in thought. He glanced back over to the fire pit that was still smoking. He walked to it and bent down, his hand hovering over the smoldering embers, only a couple inches away.
"This is still warm. She was just here. Marco, go fetch the horses, she couldn't have gotten far; we'll find her."
The fat man glowered at the taller man. The smile he pasted on his face did not touch his cold eyes. The scar along the side of his face made his smile look as though it didn't belong. "As you command, Dommerth," he replied with irritation and animosity. Without a bow, Marco turned on his heal and stomped into the trees.
Dommerth watched the man go, his face clear of emotion as though he was a statue. Pyre, however, could feel the anger seeping off the tall, dark man. The lanky man coughed and then shrank back when the dark man turned his attention on him. The soldier realized he was rubbing his hands together and attempted to hold them at his side.
"Handoff, go though that stuff over there and see if there's anything useful," Dommerth said, nodding towards Pyre's belongings.
For the second time, Pyre mentally kicked herself for not grabbing her pack. She had completely forgotten about it.
The skinny man flinched at being spoken to, but recovered quickly. He nodded and started digging through Pyre's satchel, while Dommerth examined at the ground, muttering to himself; he crouched down every now and then, as if to get a closer look at the dirt. Pyre prayed he was not a good tracker. She might be able to outrun these guys, but defiantly not the horses.
He slowly walked over to Pyre's hiding spot and she froze. He looked towards the bush she was hiding in and she felt his gaze settle on her, she could swear he could hear her thundering heart. Whether it was her they were looking for or not, getting caught did not seem like a good idea at this point. Trying not to move, she peered through the undergrowth and her breath caught in her throat. He was staring directly at her hiding spot. She was completely hypnotized by his eyes. They were like two pools of the clearest icy, blue water. She had never met anyone with eyes such as these.
"Sir, there is nothing here, save some clothing and a few coin, not enough even to get a cup of ale, I reckon," Handoff said, wrinkling his nose. "There is this nice water skin though," he said holding it up, "I think I will keep this…"
Dommerth stood a minute longer, still staring at the spot where Pyre was hiding, then turned, breaking the trance Pyre was in. She shook her head, blinking a couple times. What the hell was that? she thought. She had never experience anything like that in all her years.
"Just grab everything, we'll bring it all with us," Dommerth said, as Marco walked through the trees, leading three horses.
He mounted his black stallion without a word. With one last look in Pyre's direction, he led the other two men to the north, away from the clearing and away from Pyre's hiding spot. Pyre waited until her heart had slowed, listening for a moment, trying to hear if the soldiers were still near the area. Once she was sure they were gone for good, she crept out of the bushes and took off, towards her village to the south, into the night.
