Nowhere to go
Essence spurred away atop her sturdy steed, tears blurring her vision. The night was lit only by the raging fires which bellowed behind her, casting an eerie orange glow all around. She dared not look back, for she knew what she would see.
She would see her father's face, a face filled with fear, agony and despair. He had told her to ride, to flee the horrors brought to their home, never to look back, but always to remember. She was a woman of her word.
A blood chilling cry from an agonisingly familiar voice filled her ears, as the horse sped onward. Her father's torturing cries grew weaker until all she could hear was the thunder of hooves and the roar of the flames.
The distraught Melenet woman was almost to the edge of the field which backed onto her home, when something soared passed her ear with great speed. It stuck into the ground in front and as she passed it she saw that it was an arrow. Another zipped by, this time on her other side.
She kicked the steed hard in the sides and it bounded onwards with a grunt. She was almost at the line of trees when another arrow was made airborne. It plunged into the horse's rump causing the beast to rear up, sending Essence flying to the ground.
She landed hard on her right side and felt a rush of pain in her arm, along with a terrible cracking sound. She screamed in agony as she curled into a ball, trying to block out the throbbing in her arm. She remained there for a few moments, breathing heavily, listening to the sound of her steeds retreating hooves. She was alone.
She raised her head to see nothing but darkness and the faint silhouettes of the trees she had strived to reach. She slowly rose to her feet and stumbled towards her goal. Her head was reeling, her stomach turning as she slumped against the nearest tree. She looked down at her battered arm, it looked normal enough; at least there was no blood. She tried to lift it into her lap but had to abandon the idea since the pain was too great.
Essence sat there in the cold, dark of night as tears plunged down her face. Everything seemed so hopeless, there was nowhere to go, no one to help her. She decided she would wait until morning to return to her village, or at least what was left of it. She needed to know if she was truly alone. Was there anyone left? She prayed with all her heart that there would be, but she knew deep down that it was just a delusion. She sat and stared up at the emerging stars blinking down on her, and at the crescent moon. Her head was pounding; the whole world seemed to be hurtling about as everything turned black.
As Essence regained consciousness the succulent smell of cooking meat filled her nostrils. She opened her heavy eyes and blinked the world into focus. In front of her stood a small fire over which a pan was suspended. Frowning, Essence looked down to find her arm wrapped in a clean, white dressing, with a splint on either side, preventing her wrist bending.
"What the..."She groaned, rubbing her eyes and looking around.
"Good morning, or should I say afternoon." Came a cheerful voice.
A rugged looking man strode into view and knelt in front of Essence. He peered into her startled face, brushing her long chestnut hair away from her features. His eyes were emerald green and shone with a gentleness which calmed the bewildered Melenet. His jet black hair was pulled back into a low pony tail; his jaw was flecked with hair of a similar colour.
"Well, at least you have some colour back in your cheeks now." He said, with a smile. He had one of those adorable grins which only really involves one side of his mouth, a kind of lop-sided grin that looks so charismatic.
Essence managed a weak smile in return as he stood and tended to his cooking.
"Are you hungry?" He asked looking over at her.
"A little."
He handed her a plate of meat, with fried mushrooms and tomatoes. She ate them gladly.
"So, what's your name?" Asked the charming stranger.
"Essence." She replied between mouthfuls.
"Essence." He pondered the name for a moment. "It's different, but I like it." He flashed her that grin again. "I'm Geomyr; I'm a ranger in case you were wondering."
"As a matter of fact I was. It's not every day that you meet a man under these circumstances!" Laughed Essence.
"True" Grinned the ranger.
"Thank you Geomyr."
"No problem, it's not every day that you meet a woman like you."
"Meaning what exactly?"
"Well, you look different that's all, like one of those earth sorcerer folk."
"You mean a Melenet?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Well I am and take a good long look because I could be the last."
"What do you mean? The Last?"
"Come with me and I'll show you."
Essence spurred away atop her sturdy steed, tears blurring her vision. The night was lit only by the raging fires which bellowed behind her, casting an eerie orange glow all around. She dared not look back, for she knew what she would see.
She would see her father's face, a face filled with fear, agony and despair. He had told her to ride, to flee the horrors brought to their home, never to look back, but always to remember. She was a woman of her word.
A blood chilling cry from an agonisingly familiar voice filled her ears, as the horse sped onward. Her father's torturing cries grew weaker until all she could hear was the thunder of hooves and the roar of the flames.
The distraught Melenet woman was almost to the edge of the field which backed onto her home, when something soared passed her ear with great speed. It stuck into the ground in front and as she passed it she saw that it was an arrow. Another zipped by, this time on her other side.
She kicked the steed hard in the sides and it bounded onwards with a grunt. She was almost at the line of trees when another arrow was made airborne. It plunged into the horse's rump causing the beast to rear up, sending Essence flying to the ground.
She landed hard on her right side and felt a rush of pain in her arm, along with a terrible cracking sound. She screamed in agony as she curled into a ball, trying to block out the throbbing in her arm. She remained there for a few moments, breathing heavily, listening to the sound of her steeds retreating hooves. She was alone.
She raised her head to see nothing but darkness and the faint silhouettes of the trees she had strived to reach. She slowly rose to her feet and stumbled towards her goal. Her head was reeling, her stomach turning as she slumped against the nearest tree. She looked down at her battered arm, it looked normal enough; at least there was no blood. She tried to lift it into her lap but had to abandon the idea since the pain was too great.
Essence sat there in the cold, dark of night as tears plunged down her face. Everything seemed so hopeless, there was nowhere to go, no one to help her. She decided she would wait until morning to return to her village, or at least what was left of it. She needed to know if she was truly alone. Was there anyone left? She prayed with all her heart that there would be, but she knew deep down that it was just a delusion. She sat and stared up at the emerging stars blinking down on her, and at the crescent moon. Her head was pounding; the whole world seemed to be hurtling about as everything turned black.
As Essence regained consciousness the succulent smell of cooking meat filled her nostrils. She opened her heavy eyes and blinked the world into focus. In front of her stood a small fire over which a pan was suspended. Frowning, Essence looked down to find her arm wrapped in a clean, white dressing, with a splint on either side, preventing her wrist bending.
"What the..."She groaned, rubbing her eyes and looking around.
"Good morning, or should I say afternoon." Came a cheerful voice.
A rugged looking man strode into view and knelt in front of Essence. He peered into her startled face, brushing her long chestnut hair away from her features. His eyes were emerald green and shone with a gentleness which calmed the bewildered Melenet. His jet black hair was pulled back into a low pony tail; his jaw was flecked with hair of a similar colour.
"Well, at least you have some colour back in your cheeks now." He said, with a smile. He had one of those adorable grins which only really involves one side of his mouth, a kind of lop-sided grin that looks so charismatic.
Essence managed a weak smile in return as he stood and tended to his cooking.
"Are you hungry?" He asked looking over at her.
"A little."
He handed her a plate of meat, with fried mushrooms and tomatoes. She ate them gladly.
"So, what's your name?" Asked the charming stranger.
"Essence." She replied between mouthfuls.
"Essence." He pondered the name for a moment. "It's different, but I like it." He flashed her that grin again. "I'm Geomyr; I'm a ranger in case you were wondering."
"As a matter of fact I was. It's not every day that you meet a man under these circumstances!" Laughed Essence.
"True" Grinned the ranger.
"Thank you Geomyr."
"No problem, it's not every day that you meet a woman like you."
"Meaning what exactly?"
"Well, you look different that's all, like one of those earth sorcerer folk."
"You mean a Melenet?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Well I am and take a good long look because I could be the last."
"What do you mean? The Last?"
"Come with me and I'll show you."