Prologue Part 2:
Shade Of Fear
Slowly but surely, smudges emerged from the darkness and moved down the trail. Three white horses with riders moved toward the ambush, their heads held high and proud, and their coats rippling in the midnight breeze, looking like liquid silver.
On the first horse was an elven man with pointed ears and perfect slanted eyebrows. He was slender but looked muscular, like a rapier. A bow was slug on his back and a sword was pressed on his side opposite of a quiver of arrows fletched with swan feathers.
The last rider had the same beautiful face and pleasant facial features as the other. He had a long spear in his right hand and a white dagger hung from his belt.
Between the two men rode a raven haired elven lady, who surveyed her surroundings with poise. She had long black hair and dark eyes shone with a driving force. He clothes were simple, but her beauty made them look good. At her side was a sword and on her back was a long bow with a quiver. She carried a large pouch on her lap that she looked at every few seconds, as if to reassure herself it had not disappeared.
One of the elven men spoke quietly, but the shade couldn't understand what had been said. The woman answered with authority and her guards switched places. The helm wearer took the lead and shifted his spear to a readier grip. They passed the Shade's hiding spot and the first Urgals without suspicion.
The shade savored his victory only to be disappointed as the wind changed direction. The wind, heavy with the Urgals smell, swept toward the elves. Their riders stiffened as their eyes wandered from side to side. Suddenly, they wheeled their mounts around and galloped away.
The lady's horse surged forward, leaving the men far behind her. Forgetting their hiding, the Urgals stood and released a stream of black arrows. The Shade jumped out from behind the tree, elevated his right hand, and shouted, "Garjzla!"
A red bolt left his palm and surged toward the elven lady, lighting the trees up with a bloody light. It struck her horse and it toppled onto the floor with a high pitched squeal. She leapt of the animal with abnormal speed, landed lightly and glanced back for her guards.
What she saw frightened her.
The Urgals had shot the men with deadly arrows and they fell to the ground, blood pooling in the dirt. As the Urgals rushed to the men, the shade stopped them by saying "After her! She is the one I need!"
The monsters grunted in understanding and the elven lady screamed as she saw her dead companions. She started to move toward them, cursed and ran into the forest, clutching the pouch.
The Urgals moved through the trees, searching for the elf as the Shade climbed a piece of granite that jutted above them. From his perch he could see the surrounding forest. He raised his right hand as muttered,"Istalrí boetk!" A quarter mile section of the forest exploded into flames. Grimly, he burnt a section at a time until a ring of fire emerged, about a mile in diameter. Satisfied, he watched the ring carefully, in case it should falter.
The ring of fire thickened, and the shade heard shouts and a choked scream. Through the trees he saw three of the Urgals fall in a neat pile, mortally wounded. He then caught a glimpse of the elf running away from the remaining Urgals. She ran toward the piece of granite at a tremendous speed as the Shade examined the ground twenty feet beneath him. He then jumped and landed in front of her. Black Urgal blood dripped from the tip of her sword and stained the pouch in her hands.
Urgals came stomping out of the forest and blocked the only escape routes. She searched, trying to find a way out, but was unsuccessful. The shade sneered and walked toward her, his right hand raised, enjoying her helplessness.
"Get Her."
The Urgals surged forward as the elf opened the pouch and let it fall to the ground. The blue and white stones reflected the angry light of the fires. She lifted these stones and muttered something. Desperate, the Shade barked "Garjzla!"
Red flames sprang from his hand and flew toward the elf at a tremendous speed, but he was too late. A flash of emerald light filled the forest and the stones vanished. Then the red flame found its target and she fell to the ground, unconscious.
The Shade roared in rage and moved forward. Striking a tree with his sword, he shot nine bolts of energy toward the Urgals and they fell, dead, to the floor. Then he strode toward the elf taking his sword.
As curses rolled from his tongue he clenched his hands and looked up at the sky. The stars stared back, unwinking, and he curled his lip disgustedly. Then he turned to look at the elf.
Her beauty, which would have enamored any mortal man, held not charm for him. He checked that the stones were gone and the called his horse from the hiding place in the trees. He tied the elf to the saddle and rode his way out of the forest quenching the fire in his path, but leaving the rest to burn.