Andrea frowned as she pulled back an arrow. Lifting the bow, she squinted into the distance and sighed as the arrow bounced off a rock, missing and alerting the deer she'd been hunting, nimbly darting away and out of sight. Stepping over the moss and sharp rocks, she retrieved her arrow and carefully examined it. "I don't get", she thought aloud, "Weeks of private lessons and still a horrible shot."
She shook her head and headed for a shady tree. Leaning against the tough trunk, she pulled out her lunch. Bread, cheese, and wine. She considered herself simple like that. Munching thoughtfully on a bread hunk, she surveyed her surroundings. A quiet, peaceful wood that served as excellent hunting grounds for Andrea, courtesy of her mother's money. A waterfall crashed in the distance and into the river that divided the forest. Though this land might've belonged to her family, no one had managed to tame the forests north of the river. They were very thick, very complicated, and very easy to get lost in. Her mother had warned her to stay away from the river, but who honestly could expect the Countess' headstrong and beautiful daughter to keep away?
Finishing her lunch, she walked over to the river and carefully began wading through the currents and away from the sharp-teethed that swam there. Though the river did not look particularly imposing, its waters were icy cold and could be unusually strong at random times. Luckily for Andrea, it was spring, and the water though cold, was calmer and tolerable. Finally reaching the other side, she sloshed onto land, and suddenly became aware of the stillness of everything. She looked up and noticed that the northern forests definitely were more scary up close. Though it really only trees and silence ahead, Andrea felt a shiver run down her shine and pulled out her bow.
She moved cautiously ahead, urging herself to keep moving. "You can do it Andrea. It's only some trees and stupid animals here." Her pep talk really did nothing to help. She was still sopping wet and every step sounded like a mammoth's. "It's silly though, to think anything would be able to survive here. Nothing could actually live here." Then as if to spite her, an ungodly roar echoed through the forest.
Andrea froze, terrified and began nervously eyeing the river. It was still in view, but now she was more worried how going to escape without that thing hearing her. Not to mention also crossing her bit of the woods and still having time to get away. Paralyzed with fear and indecision, she earnestly wished that for once she'd listened to her mother and taken someone with her. Someone to keep her from doing stupid things like this.
She groaned inwardly and whimpered as another roar crashed through the woods. Godly mother of fuck. Another roar came, along with time, a very strange and loud voice. It sounded like thunder but also inhumane. Ahkrin-ah. And then: BOUUL. Andrea needed no more prompting. She quickly sprinted out of the forest and prayed to all the divinities she'd ever known that she'd survive this ordeal. With incredibly speed, she shot across the river and made it back to her mother in record time.
A/N: Poor Andrea. Don't worry, I'll poke more fun at you at you yet. Please review.
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