by J A Essen
I shove the door of my room closed behind me and slide the lock into place. Setting my loot on the hearth above the burning fire, I conceal it with a wave of my hand behind a shroud of fog that begins to take form and mimics the stone of the hearth. That’s right. Quick draw reactions aren’t the only tools I bring to battle with me.
Collapsing onto the bed, I wonder what kind of magic this creature has been imbued with. Is it a controlling warlock or something more? Wondering tonight will only keep me from getting ample rest, so I clear my mind, take a few relaxing breaths and drift off into the ether. Tomorrow will be here soon enough.
Chapter 5
Faudron
As dawn breaks through the windows in my room in a brilliant flash of oranges and yellows, I’m already sitting at the table with my weapons, preparing them for the day. Honing down the bamboo shafts and removing thick imperfections, I split the end and attach the fletching. Pouring the contents of my quiver onto the table, I select a handful of specially carburized arrowheads and secure them to the tips of the bamboo shafts. Looking at them from all directions, I’m pleased with their construction and proceed to the next necessary step.
Laying each arrow out flat with the tips all touching, I place my right hand an inch above them and close my eyes. "Sylphs of Air I conjure thee, enter that person and make his Air leave him, now!” Even if my shot doesn’t land a fatal blow, this curse will incapacitate the beast long enough for me to deal a sword stroke through the heart.
Placing the now enchanted arrows into my quiver, I strap my stinger to my side and slide the bow over my shoulder. Upon leaving the room, I catch scents of breakfast in the air and follow my nose to the kitchen. There are three women all working on either dishing porridge or making bread.
“Good morning, ladies. Might I trouble you for a bowl and a half-loaf before my hunt begins?”
“Right away, sir,” one of the women responds.
“So you’re the huntsman that is going to rid us of the awful beast? Seem a little young to me to be carrying such a formidable reputation.” Another of the women chimes in as she ladles me up a full bowl.
I sit down at a small table on a wall in the kitchen and eat alone. My thoughts are the only company I desire at the moment. The fresh butter and honey with the bread are a nice change and help to fill me completely.
Finishing up and thanking the ladies, I gather my gear and head out to the stables. My steed has already been saddled and made ready, and is feasting on fresh hay. Valiant senses me approaching and neighs in recognition. I run my hand along my companion’s side and set him at ease. Hoisting myself up onto him, I grab the reins, “Ready to go, old friend?”
He shakes his head side-to-side, not yet ready to give up the comfort of this plush stable.
“Sorry friend, we have a job to do today. With any luck, we should be back in a couple of nights, and you can gorge yourself on all the fresh alfalfa you want.”
I give him a slight tug, and we begin making our way out to the front gate. The grounds outside the castle are busy this morning, and when we arrive at the front gate, I’m pleased to see three riders waiting on us.
“Good morning to you all. Today all I will require of you men is an escort to the area where the attacks have been taking place. Once we have arrived, you will be free to return to the castle.”
“Good Huntsman, we’re not afraid of this beast. We will stand with you against it.” The leader speaks for all of them apparently as they nod in agreement.
“Fear has nothing to do with it. I hunt alone. I don’t want anyone looking over my shoulder, and I don’t look after others. I don’t mean to impugn your abilities or skills; this is merely how I operate. “
“But…”
“No. This has already been discussed with King Nathair, and there will be no further discussion on the matter. Now if you please, let’s begin the journey.”
It’s easy to tell they are disappointed that they won’t get the chance to face down the creature that has killed two of their friends. That, however, is not of my concern. I don’t need to be worrying about defending others when the time comes to engage my foe.
We ride hard into the morning, the fog still just barely clinging to the ground, dew flying up from our horses’ hooves. At near midday, we hit the tree line and slow as we push into the dense forest. The amount of sunlight coming through is cut in half by the tall trees, and the fog is still thick, giving it quite an ominous feel. After nearly an hour of deviating this way and that, I can begin to see more daylight as we start to emerge from the far side of the forest.
The trees give way, and it opens up to a clearing that continues until it crashes into a nearly onyx black, mountainous rock-face. There is a large cascading waterfall that is splashing down the black cliffs, sending sprays of reflective droplets out into the air.
“Over here sir,” one of the men interrupts my gazing, “is where the creature attacked us and killed my two friends.”
“So you are the one that made it back alive?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell me about the storm that you spoke of. Did it start with the attack, or before it? And the creature, did you see if come from the woods, or did it seem just to appear?”
“The storm clouds appeared, and the wind began to pick up along with the rain, forcing us to draw close to the river’s edge in order to keep our bearings. We made it a few dozen yards further down than this before the beast came at us. I was in the lead and saw a flash from this direction,” he points to the woods, “so I guess that that is where it came from.”
“Very good. I want you men to return to the kingdom now. I should be no more than two nights. If I have not returned by the third night, well…” I look to the sky. “I have faced down foes more deadly than this and am still here to speak of it, so have no worries.”
The men bid me farewell and spur their horses back into the forest, making sure to be back out the front side in a hasty manner.
Valiant and I begin patrolling the area, looking for signs of the beast; tracks, broken foliage lines, anything to indicate what direction it attacks from or how it moves in general. Crossing the river at a shallow point, we survey the rock face and find a long, narrow cave several hundred yards down and in a crevice where the mountains seem to be battling one another for supremacy. This looks like an adequate place to set up for nightfall.
Making trips back and forth, we gather wood for a fire and I manage to strike a large rabbit with one of my non-enchanted arrows, meaning dinner will be excellent tonight.
There were some possible game trails through the underbrush that Valiant and I discovered which were heavily trodden and could indicate the creatures stalking paths. As I’m filling my water bag near the shallow crossing of the river at dusk, the remaining light suddenly disappears, and a breeze begins to pick up. My old friend is a little spooked, so I try to calm him, but I have to admit, it has me concerned as well. I hadn’t planned on my foe revealing himself tonight.
The sky is dark and what light is still visible has taken on an eerie purple hue. Retrieving my bow and quiver from Valiant, I pace the water’s edge, my eyes keenly set on the tree line. The rain begins to fall, and now I’m certain that this is no fluke; I’m about to come face-to-face with my enemy here on this fateful night.
Walking with careful steps, I aim my bow at the trees, listening intently and watching even more carefully. The rain is running down my face, interfering with my vision, and making things difficult. Then suddenly, there is an explosion of darkness from the trees and a large form is barreling down on me rapidly. I release my first arrow and the beast rolls sideways, avoiding it completely.
“Shit!” I reach for another and dart up the river, forcing the creature to make a turn in its path, giving me the ability to aim ahead and shoot where it will be, rather than where it is. Zing. The bow string pops and the second arrow flies true.
Impossibly, the dark beast halts its advance from a full-out sp
rint, and my arrow sails off into the abyss, missing the mark by an inch.
I’m going to have to do what I had hoped to avoid at all cost. I’m going to have to let the creature get close; very close. Grabbing the third arrow, I equip it but don’t raise the bow, causing my foe to slow his advance due to uncertainty.
It crosses the river where I was filling my water bag for the night and begins a slow, uneven advance on me. I have moved close to the waterfall and am using the spray as cover, shrouding myself somewhat; hopefully. Placing my left foot on an outcropping of rock, I brace myself for my next move. I can see the shape of the beast coming, and I draw the string to max tautness, slowly bringing the bow up to level.
It knows I’m here. I know It’s there, just on the other side of the spray. The next few seconds play out in slow motion.
Two yellow dots appear through the mist, and I move the bow marginally to the left, releasing the string and pushing with all my might off of my left heel. The creature comes flying through the spray exactly where I was standing and crashes into the rock face, my arrow lodged into his left flank. Pulling myself upright, I drop the bow and grab my stinger, pulling it from its sheath and readying it for the killing blow. Shielding my face from the spray, the darkness fades away, and the last glimmers of daylight come crashing through the waterfall stopping me dead in my tracks. Where the creature should be lying, grasping for breath from the spell woven into my arrows is instead a girl, naked and barely coherent.
“What the hell?” I know what I shot. I watched it hit the rocks.
I pull the arrow from her side and place my hand over the wound. "Rune of Uruz, Symbol of healing, There are no dark dealings, I ask you to feel the pain, I ask you to detain the pain, Heal the wound, Do not doom, So mote it be!"
The incision from the arrow slowly seals itself, and the girl turns her head slightly to look at me, but her eyes go dark, and she succumbs to the power of her healing body. Picking her up, I begin to walk up the mountainside toward the cave I found, hopeful that Valiant has made his way back already. Turning into the crevice, my hopes are answered as my strong, old friend is indeed pacing around the entrance.
Passing the prepared fire, I angle my fingers toward it. Solas. Flames leap up from the pile, and the cave is filled with heat and light. Placing her lithe body on the pile of ferns, her beauty is easy to see. Flawless pale skin and soft curves leave me wanting to touch her, rather than just gaze. I brush her hair away from her face and take a hurried step backward when I reveal her ears. Could all the stories be true?
Chapter 6
Edana
Who is that? He was not in the hunting party that took Mother. So what is he doing scouting this area? I’m moving carefully along the tree line, keeping an eye on this suspicious Ujnart, when I noisily crush a large limb and cause him to look up from the stream.
“By Asteria and Perces, Open sky and do your worst.”
I summon a storm to conceal myself and watch as he draws his bow, aiming at the tree line where I’m hiding. He is pacing slowly, aiming here and there. Suddenly, I launch forward from the cover I have taken, throwing myself headlong at him. He’s quick though and loses an arrow.
Rolling my body mid-air, I narrowly avoid the bolt, and can hear its whistle as it zooms past. Hitting the ground, I turn to the left and race up the bank of the river, parallel with the loud, splashing water.
This unknown definitely has it out for me. Raising his weapon again, he pulls the bow string back and unleashes another projectile. This Huntsman is deadly accurate.
Locking my front legs, I bury them in the ground and stop myself from an all-out sprint; his deadly arrow passing a hair’s breadth in front of my snout.
Eyeing this killer up and down, I plan my attack. Brute force is not going to be effective here.
Why is he not raising his bow this time? He’s slowly and deliberately retreating. Moving back into the waterfall, I now understand what he’s planning to do; use the mist to conceal himself.
Well, you’re not the only one who can play to your surroundings.
I focus my gaze, letting my eyes shift to those of a boa, and soon I can see clearly through the cold water, and the heat signature of this cunning Ujnart is blazing brightly. Again I commence my forward stalking, being cautious but dead set on ending this here and now. Setting my rear haunches into the ground, I let the pressure build before I launch my entire weight through the cascading waterfall, claws extended ready to make the kill. The next two seconds pass in slow motion. The Ujnart rolls to his right side, bow drawn taught and unleashes an arrow; it lands in my left flank, and I can immediately feel that It’s a cursed bolt.
In the next split second, I crash head-long into the rock face and the world goes black.
*****
The throbbing sting in my head is making me nauseous as I crack my eyes open. Slowly things start to come into focus; the fog of my vision clearing from a haze of colors to rough shapes, and finally back to normal.
Where am I?
Pushing myself up on one arm, I glance around trying to make sense of my surroundings. A cave? This doesn’t make any sense. I took an arrow at the waterfall…
My thoughts trail off as I reach down my left side. I wince in pain as my fingers trail over the scarring where the bolt penetrated.
Scarring? Already? How long was I out?
There’s a fire burning so obviously someone has been taking care of… Athraigh!
Out of sheer instinct, I shift into bear form and take a defensive position, letting out a loud growl in the process. The Ujnart that was sleeping on the far side of the fire isn’t any longer. He has shot upright and backed away towards the cave opening, his arms stretched out in front of him, palms toward me.
Why didn’t he grab his weapon?
He’s babbling something in a calm tone, but I can’t understand him.
“Vă rugăm, opriţi. Calma.” He keeps repeating this over and over. It’s apparent he means me no harm, but I have no idea what he’s saying or how to communicate with him.
I’m leery, but I have a strange notion that I can trust this Ujnart. He didn’t finish the kill, and very easily could have. I sit back on my haunches, shift back to Elvish form and cover my naked body with my arms. The flush of his skin color doesn’t go unnoticed at the sight of my naked form, but he’s proper and cuts his eyes away quickly as he slowly reaches to the ground and retrieves a blanket. Slowly, he approaches me with the blanket held out for me; his eyes still cast down in a respectful manner.
This is not the behavior I have been brought up understanding of this race of savages. Perhaps there is more to them than the stories have led me to believe.
Reaching out, I accept the offering and wrap the warm blanket around my body.
“Hanta.” I bow my head in appreciation.
The Ujnart tilts his head to the side slightly, obviously unable to understand me either.
Well, this is going nowhere quickly.
He opens his mouth as if he has thought of something and raises a single finger.
Wait, perhaps?
He begins to draw on the cave floor a series of several basic shapes. He points to the tree drawing and says “Copac.”
He taps it again and motions for me to speak. “Alda.”
Next, he points at a bird, “Păsări.”
I mimic him with “Aiwe.”
Fire is “Incendiu” and “Uur.”
We go back and forth a few more times before he places his hands together, closes his eyes and begins to chant. “Suflet la suflet, inima la inima conectaţi mintile noastre, nu le individualizează.”
He sweeps his hands forward and opens his eyes, “Can you understand me now?”
“Yes. That’s incredible.” My eyes light up as his smooth voice washes over me like a warm autumn breeze.
“Good. I wasn’t sure if that spell would work with a dialect I have never even heard of before. Speaking of which, what are you?”
“I’m not so sure I want to answer that, Ujnart.”
“Ujnart?” His brow furls. “What does that mean?”
“Your people are the Ujnart are then not?”
He chuckles and responds, “Not sure what that means, but we like to call ourselves humans.”
“Humans,” I say out loud, letting it roll off my tongue. “Sounds strange.”
“I have heard stories about ‘your kind’ for years. Pale skin, vibrant hair and eyes, and those ears…” he trails off momentarily, “are a dead giveaway. Schimbare is the name we have given your kind in the fables. It means to change.”
I sit quietly, listening to his silky smooth voice, admiring his strong, stubbled jawline as he continues to feed me information, attempting to gain my trust.
“My name is Faudron. I was sent by the king of these lands to hunt down what was described to me as a vicious, territorial beast. Supposedly you have been killing members of his hunting parties, ferociously ripping the bodies apart, leaving dismembered parts scattered for scouting groups to find.”
I keep my expression passive, not revealing anything yet.
“I knew there was something different about you when you were able to come to such an abrupt stop from a full-on charge. Cunning doesn’t even come close to describing your stalking ability. The only reason I’m here right now is thanks to a gleam of light that caught your eyes, and gave me two yellow orbs to judge my aim through the waterfall.”
“When you came crashing through, I wasn’t even sure that I hit you. Since you went down and stayed down after smashing into the rock-face, I drew my stinger and moved in for the killing blow. As I did, I saw a naked young girl lying where a beast should have been. Shocked, I quickly removed the cursed bolt from your side and cast a healing spell on you. It stopped the curse from spreading further, but will take some time to clear completely from your system. Until then, you will likely zone in and out of consciousness.”
