Blythe
The great wooden ship crashed against the sand, grinding to a halt. Blythe stood on the beach, watching it complete its journey. The crew on board moved with a purpose, their shining, silvery hair billowing in the sea breeze. The forest stood just beyond the beach, with towering pines and majestic mountain peaks beyond them. The land was lush and vibrant, and Blythe had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten there.
She watched as a woman – similar in age to herself – drop from the side of the ship along a rope and wood ladder dangled over the side. Her armor was elegant and shining. It reminded her of the same steel they'd seen on the swords they retrieved from the Branton Royal Museum. Her boots dug into the sand as the waves lapped onto the beach, washing away each step she took from the ship towards the beach. Her eyes were a piercing blue. Her face was determined. Blythe turned and looked towards the tree line, seeing a group of people wearing animal skins gather to watch the approaching ship. They carried crooked spears made from tree branches tipped with obsidian. They sported shaggy beards and unkempt hair – completely unlike the newcomer.
"Hello?" Blythe called out. The woman ignored her and continued marching to the group of people. A man stepped forward from the trees onto the patch of grass where it met the sand, holding his head up high and proud. He grimaced and attempted to look intimidating to the invading woman.
"They won't hear you," a familiar voice came from behind. She turned and saw the man in his black, feathery cloak.
"You," she began. "You're..." she trailed off, realizing she didn't know what to say. He gave her the smallest of smiles.
"Hello, Knight-Major," he greeted. She turned back to the apprehensive meeting of two strangers.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"North," he answered.
"Who are they?" she demanded. "Where is everyone else?" He looked at her, his expression blank. She turned her eyes back towards the strangers, only now she saw more people disembarking from the ship. They wore armor like hers, but without the intricacy befitting her status. They carried spears as well, but these were masterfully crafted. It was like watching aliens land to confront cave-dwellers. The bearded man grunted something unintelligible to the silver-haired woman. The woman replied in a different language, causing even more apprehension amongst the disheveled group. She then reached down to her belt and removed the small, shining black stone from a pouch and held it up to them. The man took a step backwards, his eyes wide. He turned to his people.
From the woods, a woman approached. She resembled the girl they'd met in the cave: small with green skin and exotic features, only much younger. Blythe would have guessed that this girl was little more than ten to twelve years old by appearance, but the primitive humans seemed to revere her. She approached the silver-haired woman and reached out, taking the obsidian shard from her hand. There were now a dozen of these newcomers standing behind the woman. Under their metal helmets, she could make out clean-shaven men with sharp features and light-colored eyes. The green girl looked up from the stone, her face pained. She closed her eyes and sighed, resigning herself to whatever fate lay ahead, before opening them and looking directly at the Raven.
As she stared at him, the others in her party searched around with their eyes, trying to see whatever this girl was looking at. The silver lady turned as well, squinting in confusion at the empty beach. The Raven took a few steps forward until he stood next to Blythe. She watched as he raised his head slightly, looking at the girl, before closing his eyes and nodding once in approval. The girl nodded back at him and then turned back to the silver lady, reaching out with her hand, urging the woman to take it. To her satisfaction, the silver lady reached out with her leather-clad hand and took it.
The child led them into the woods for hours that seemed like only mere moments in her mind, as if she were navigating a particularly vivid dream. Blythe asked the Raven where they were, what was happening, who these people were and what happened to her companions, but the Raven only told her that her questions would answer themselves if she only observed. She disliked the answer. She disliked uncertainty. The only thing she was certain of was that the Raven was showing her this moment for a reason, so she resolved to see it through.
They marched through a gully and a pass between two hills, arriving in an opening resembling a flat-bottomed crater inside the hill. At the center, a massive white tree, covered in red leaves, stood proudly above it all. More of the small, green children had gathered there, this time boys and girls. Some had climbed into the limbs of the tree to observe. Others stood around the massive trunk. The first child led the silver lady to the tree before releasing her hand and pointing to the following soldiers. By now, Blythe realized that the bearded men were no longer following them. She looked back to see them on their knees, facing the opening to the grove with their faces against the dirt. They were praying.
The silver lady gave the child a wicked smile before turning to her men and shouting at them. The dozen men formed a circle in front of the tree and jammed their spears into the ground, standing vigilant as the silver lady took a step towards the tree, turning and leaning her back against it. The children then looked to the Raven, as if asking for permission.
"Go on," he instructed them calmly. Blythe saw tears welling in their eyes as the child placed the obsidian on the ground in center of their group. The other children began to disperse – jumping down from the tree and scattering into the hills around them. Blythe felt the air get colder as clouds began to form overhead. The girl fell to her knees and began whispering over the stone. Snow began to fall as the silver lady closed her eyes. The sun vanished behind the clouds. In seconds, the surroundings became dark and foreboding. The girl finished her whispering and looked up at the silver lady.
When the silver-haired woman opened her eyes, they were completely blue.