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Caught!
Posted: 15 Feb 2006 10:07 AM |
They were Hunters, now.
Well, four of them were. Meligisian was an idiot with a spear. He'd be trouble, Elisania knew- but what could she do? Kill him now, before he caused a problem? Perhaps, but she couldn't explain to the others why she'd done it. It was just a gut feeling... but a feeling she knew well. Something bad would happen, and Meligisian would be the cause of it.
Regardless, as she looked around the forests of Latonei, she knew things were going well. When the more experienced Hunters had abandoned the new initiates after the celebrations in Paws, she'd been afraid. The Slyvian forests, the villages, all were a long way away. Now they were close, and success, victory was again within their grasp.
They were a small group. Daeron had encouraged them to make the trek separately, better to face the test themselves, he had said. The elder, the stronger, those more wise in the way of the woods, the lie of the lands, and even those more skilled with their weapons had done so.
But they were not the stronger. They were young, foolish- or both, Elisania reflected to herself. She herself was barely a hundred years old, and Fran'cin, the eldest, was only a hundred and forty. They had much to learn, still.
Yet they were now Hunters, and the learning would be easy. They had hunted. Killed prey. Watched the fear in their eyes, the rush to realization, and then the pain as they struck. They were the warriors of Elvenkind, now.
She looked around into the twilight. It would be dark soon, and time to move. She twirled her spear in her lap. Another night, perhaps two and they'd be home. Her eyes darted from one, to the other of the group. They looked to her. Was she a leader? It didn't matter. For some reason, they followed.
Elisania nodded wordlessly before standing, and the group readied themselves to move. They would be walking for six hours at least, likely more. But they were ready. And soon, soon they would be home.
After a dull hour, she saw a pair of shapes through the darkness. She was at the back- Meligisian was at the front of the group, which was moving in single file. How could he not have seen them?
Elisania forced out, in a hushed whisper "Stop!”
Iria in front of her stopped. The males in front kept moving. Moving swiftly, but quietly, Elisania reached forward, horse-collared the back of Iria's armor, and pulled her back behind a tree.
The two Elves looked at each other a moment, frowning. The other Elves would be of Ferein, they both knew. Or Latonei, perhaps. But not Hunters. Taking careful cover, they looked on as the two groups slowly merged into one, barely lit through the dense canopy by the light of the moon.
Voices. They strained to listen. Speaking Elven, but distant. Sounds, not words. Voices without meaning.
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Meligisian hailed the others in Elven as soon as he saw them- when they were about twenty feet away.
"Greetings, brothers. Freshly returned from a Hunt, or departing upon a new one."
Fran'cin and Marcian looked at each other. These weren’t Hunters. What was he saying? Fool!
An arrow flew towards Meligisian, screeching with an unearthly howl. The three Hunters split, and fled towards the Sylvan.
The patrol from Ferein set out in pursuit.
Meligisian tripped over a root, smashing his head onto a tree. His world was darkness.
Marcian felt a burning pain in his thigh. He looked down. An arrow. He closed his eyes, and prayed.
Fran'cin took cover behind a tree. He saw a head crane around. His spear thrust out, and impaled the face through the eye. A male. Prey. He withdrew his spear. He looked out. Three more. Impossible. Ducking back behind the tree, he decided. He turned out again, and threw the spear. A cry rang through the forest. Then another. A good end.
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Iria and Elisania looked at each other again. They heard the cries clearly, saw the birds take flight from the perches amongst the trees. Their spears at hand, they slowly started out again towards home.
A faint smile played on Elisania’s face.
"The weak will die." |
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