Chapter Two
Tanya heard the arrow before she saw it. She dodged it quickly, and winced as the arrow cut through her dress scraping her arm. Tanya felt the warm blood oozing around the wound, but she could not stop yet! There was still something out there. She quickly scanned the surrounding shrubbery. Then she saw what she was looking for. The glint of sun of the metal tip of another arrow. Tanya dove into the pond. Looking into the pond from the surface made it appear shallow, but, in truth, it was deep enough for two elves to stand on top of each other's shoulders. Tanya cut through the water like one of the many tiny fish that swam away from her. Small bubbles escaped from her mouth as she tried to ignore the searing pain from her cut. Tanya knew that she could not stay under the water forever! However, if she surfaced she knew she would surely be killed! Just to add to her predicament, arrows began slicing through the water at odd intervals coming so close to her she thought it a wonder that she wasn't all ready dead! Judging from their angle, Tanya knew that whoever was shooting at her was still on the far side. The arrows stopped as suddenly as they had started. Weeds grabbed at her dress and hands and Tanya's limbs felt leaden. Bursts of light exploded in front of her eyes. Tanya's every elfin instinct screamed TRAP! But her brain screamed for air louder. Surfacing and gasping for air as quietly as she could, she peered through the ever-brightening gloom.
'It's gone.' She thought to herself. 'Whatever it was it's gone now.'
Lifting herself completely out of the water, Tanya began to ring out her sopping wet dress.
'The maid will have a fit!' she chuckled to herself. 'My best dress!'
Her laughing came to an abrupt halt as a twig snapped behind her back. Tanya whirled only to see a figure in a black cloak with the hood pulled all the way over his eyes. She could see its mouth though. Its lips were pulled into a fanged grin.
'It's going to enjoy killing me!' Tanya thought in desperation. 'No way I'm giving him that pleasure!'
Tanya whipped a dagger out from its hidden sheath and laughed at the black creature.
"Everyone knows where I am!" she bluffed. "They're probably watching you right now!"
The Figure laughed. A laugh of death and despair. Of realms crumbling and great Kings falling. It spoke. And its voice sounded loud as the wind howling through the trees in a midnight storm, yet soft as a drop of blood falling from a keen edged sword. It made Tanya shiver despite the warm summer air.
"Nobody knows where you are fool!" it hissed! "You are all by yourself. Prepare to die."
Tanya watched in horror as it pulled the bowstring taunt. She quickly weighed her options. Nowhere to run, and it would probably loose the arrow on her as soon as she tried to jump back in the water. Yet, she was not surprised that she was about to die. It was what she got for meddling in other people's business. What she got for having this secret. She regretted that she had not told someone else! Now the world as all of the elves knew it would wither and die. For she was the only thing standing in the way of nameless evils sweeping over the land as thick as swarming locusts raiding farmers crops. The world was going to be destroyed, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. The 'thing' in black threw back its head in another maniacal laugh. Tanya saw its eyes. Red as the embers in a dying fire. Red as fresh blood. Screaming one violent message. 'Destroy! Burn! Kill! Evil comes! Evil will reign!'
Tanya steadied her self. Staring openly at her soon-to-be murderer.
'Kill me then.' she thought bitterly.
"Goodbye Princess!' It cackled. But just as it preparing to fire. Tanya watched in stunned horror, and relief as the being jolted considerably. Its eyes glazed over and it fell forward. A dagger, almost unrecognizable in the mass of tangled hair and gushing blood, protruding from the back of its skull. But Tanya wasn't fast enough to dodge the arrow that came sailing towards her when the monster's dead fingers loosened their hold on the arrow locked of her. Tanya felt nothing as she sank weakly to the ground.
'I guess this is what death is like.' Her last thought was, before she blacked out completely.
Tanya heard the arrow before she saw it. She dodged it quickly, and winced as the arrow cut through her dress scraping her arm. Tanya felt the warm blood oozing around the wound, but she could not stop yet! There was still something out there. She quickly scanned the surrounding shrubbery. Then she saw what she was looking for. The glint of sun of the metal tip of another arrow. Tanya dove into the pond. Looking into the pond from the surface made it appear shallow, but, in truth, it was deep enough for two elves to stand on top of each other's shoulders. Tanya cut through the water like one of the many tiny fish that swam away from her. Small bubbles escaped from her mouth as she tried to ignore the searing pain from her cut. Tanya knew that she could not stay under the water forever! However, if she surfaced she knew she would surely be killed! Just to add to her predicament, arrows began slicing through the water at odd intervals coming so close to her she thought it a wonder that she wasn't all ready dead! Judging from their angle, Tanya knew that whoever was shooting at her was still on the far side. The arrows stopped as suddenly as they had started. Weeds grabbed at her dress and hands and Tanya's limbs felt leaden. Bursts of light exploded in front of her eyes. Tanya's every elfin instinct screamed TRAP! But her brain screamed for air louder. Surfacing and gasping for air as quietly as she could, she peered through the ever-brightening gloom.
'It's gone.' She thought to herself. 'Whatever it was it's gone now.'
Lifting herself completely out of the water, Tanya began to ring out her sopping wet dress.
'The maid will have a fit!' she chuckled to herself. 'My best dress!'
Her laughing came to an abrupt halt as a twig snapped behind her back. Tanya whirled only to see a figure in a black cloak with the hood pulled all the way over his eyes. She could see its mouth though. Its lips were pulled into a fanged grin.
'It's going to enjoy killing me!' Tanya thought in desperation. 'No way I'm giving him that pleasure!'
Tanya whipped a dagger out from its hidden sheath and laughed at the black creature.
"Everyone knows where I am!" she bluffed. "They're probably watching you right now!"
The Figure laughed. A laugh of death and despair. Of realms crumbling and great Kings falling. It spoke. And its voice sounded loud as the wind howling through the trees in a midnight storm, yet soft as a drop of blood falling from a keen edged sword. It made Tanya shiver despite the warm summer air.
"Nobody knows where you are fool!" it hissed! "You are all by yourself. Prepare to die."
Tanya watched in horror as it pulled the bowstring taunt. She quickly weighed her options. Nowhere to run, and it would probably loose the arrow on her as soon as she tried to jump back in the water. Yet, she was not surprised that she was about to die. It was what she got for meddling in other people's business. What she got for having this secret. She regretted that she had not told someone else! Now the world as all of the elves knew it would wither and die. For she was the only thing standing in the way of nameless evils sweeping over the land as thick as swarming locusts raiding farmers crops. The world was going to be destroyed, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. The 'thing' in black threw back its head in another maniacal laugh. Tanya saw its eyes. Red as the embers in a dying fire. Red as fresh blood. Screaming one violent message. 'Destroy! Burn! Kill! Evil comes! Evil will reign!'
Tanya steadied her self. Staring openly at her soon-to-be murderer.
'Kill me then.' she thought bitterly.
"Goodbye Princess!' It cackled. But just as it preparing to fire. Tanya watched in stunned horror, and relief as the being jolted considerably. Its eyes glazed over and it fell forward. A dagger, almost unrecognizable in the mass of tangled hair and gushing blood, protruding from the back of its skull. But Tanya wasn't fast enough to dodge the arrow that came sailing towards her when the monster's dead fingers loosened their hold on the arrow locked of her. Tanya felt nothing as she sank weakly to the ground.
'I guess this is what death is like.' Her last thought was, before she blacked out completely.