The Hunt

"Keep quiet, we're half a days march from the others," Cyron reminded those behind him, "We're not safe here." They had well on fifty to sixty armed men at the Clan's base; they had six with them now. The man closest to him smiled widely before grasping his shoulder and pointing to Aurora, "We have the One on our side brother, we will be fine. We are rangers."

The group moved quietly, as low and fast as Aurora could allow in her dress, which was slower than they would usually travel. As they moved deeper into Miras they became more and more careful. Once they reached a clearing, the hand signal to halt was thrown up. "Shhh" Aurora watched the man in front of her creep up to its edge, his bow at the ready. Drawing back he took aim, a small doe meandered unaware of its audience. Suddenly the man twitched his aim to the left and let loose and arrow. "The One smiles upon us today. A Wrathian devil!" Lying slain in the long grass just out of her sight, was the largest wolf Aurora had ever seen.

While the men moved to butcher their prize, Aurora began picking blueberries off the small plants along the ground. She stayed within a few feet of her 'guards' but avoided looking towards the creature. Its death was necessary for their survival, but she hated the sight of blood nonetheless. Filling the bottom of her bag she mused silently, We'll be back before sundown. Aurora fixed her flower tiara before reaching back down for another handful. She was enjoying the walk and change of pace. She iced a small white wildflower for each of her companions. It was the least she could do, she figured, for them agreeing to take her along. "Do you guys think people ever mistake our footprints for ghosts?"

"Ha! Woul-" Cyron stood from his crouched position as he heard the snapping of a branch but he didn't have to wait more than a second before the wrath of Miras was upon them. He and the other three free-handed hunters were barely able to loose arrows before drawing their own blades in a flurry of metal glinting from beneath their cloaks. The two rangers with their arms still drenched in wolf blood stood no chance against the onslaught as the others were forced to disperse back into the woods.

Aurora was in shock of it all, the brutality, the brevity; she cried out as a muscular arm pulled at her waist but it was in vain as the battle appeared to be over before her bag could even fall upon the dirt. They had slain a demon only to find themselves under siege in purgatory. A knife was placed against her stomach, forcing her to watch her breath to avoid being punctured. She cried; the ground in front of her was stained with the blood of her kin. Only a high pitched whimper escaped her lips. "No!"

Cyron ran into one of his compatriots as the sound of clanging steel was replaced by two familiar screams. They were the last ones. "Run and warn the others, I'll stay with her. She is not lost yet." If the Wrathians wanted a further fight, they'd be surely disappointed. There were too many. He'd return to the scene when the coast was clear to try and pick up their tracks while his friend fled using the thicker parts of the forest to disguise his return to the clan.

"Please! L-let me go!!! The One will not be happy either." Fear gripped the girl but she remained as calm as she could; her faith was her guard.  She wasn't demanding but rather pleading for her life. Her watery eyes wandered to a crushed flower; for some reason she doubted the man would be swayed by her voice. Aurora knew little about the current duke and yet enough to know she didn't want to meet him. But if the One wills it... "What k-kind of t-trade?!" She'd have to be patient if she wanted to escape. Her hands, chilled by her apprehension to levels far abnormal for the average, remained tense against the repulsive hand threatening to split her open. 

"G-Greenwith, I'm related to a noble, they were my guards. We got lost." It was a pre-fabricated story; Aurora wasn't a very good liar and if her kidnappers had visited the land of elves they might catch her tale, but it was an alibi drilled into her head by her father for this sort of occasion.

She hated being alone on a normal today, alone in captivity was by far worse. Aurora wished she had a better understanding of Ice magic; maybe she could scare them off. As it stood, a petite woman who can summon snowflakes didn't stand much of a chance of it. "Please, you should release me." Maybe if I ask enough... "The others will be back for me." I hope.

"Please, I didn't know we were trespassing, let me go and there won't be any more trouble. I promise." Aurora was beginning to get the idea that words meant little or nothing to these people. She went willingly as the man pulled. She'd have to wait for them to let their guards down before attempting to run and she hadn't the strength to resist. Maybe the duke will set me free. It was a longshot, but there was little she could do in the present state; the man's grip was tight and the dagger close. "Please, you're hurting me. I'll speak to your duke!" Aurora began to mentally prepare her story, being sent to the Greenleaf or anywhere else even, seemed an improvement to her.

Edric and his men pulled back as they took the lovely girl. She was quite a prize and quite a beauty compared to the men she was with. There were snow beauties in the lands of Miras Rath, with young, flaxen haired women that sometimes became shield maidens and other times became wives and mothers. Some were given to the priests in the Black Spire to be used for magical purposes if that is where the bones fell. But this one was different. She was a jewel from another land and would be given to the duke to be dealt with.

However, much to their surprise, it wasn't Maleth that made his appearance, but Rothgar, another Duke of the land. Edric ordered his men to halt and take possession of the girl while he forged ahead towards Rothgar. As he approached, he bowed his head and pressed his axe against his chest.

"Lord Duke. We were not expecting to see you." He looked up and then looked back to the girl captured before turning back to Rothgar. "We've caught a tresspasser to claims to be from Greenwith. She and her men were hunting and killed a dire wolf in the Lord Maleth's land. We were taking her as payment for the wolf."

Aurora was quiet as a new face approached, she was tired from all the walking. He was tall and carried himself with pride. "A-Are you the duke?" She wasn't sure what the proper etiquette for a prisoner was. Do I curtsy? Not wanting to earn any worse of a first impression, she elected to do so.

The man paused after making his first statement, as if asking her to speak. Not sure of what to say, she stayed silent, pondering her words. When the man's question demanded she provide an answer, she broke her silence.

"W-We must have gotten lost. We did not know we had entered your lands and the laws of Greenleaf are very different...After my guards slew the wolf  that could just of easily have slain us...your men ambushed and killed at least four of them before kidnapping me. I-I am the daughter of a noble, and where I-I come from, the punishment for that crime is war. I don't want any trouble, if you could please let me go at the border, none will come from this."

Aurora stared at the ground as she spoke, she couldn't help but shed a few tears. So far it was mostly true, besides the lost part. They slaughtered my friends. The man circling her made her feel uncomfortable, she could feel his eyes piercing her insides but it wasn't like the others-the ones who had taken her. Am I wrong to challenge his men before him? She did her best to stiffen her resolve by thinking of home, the circle of flowers still atop her head helped her remember. I am touched by the One, the star of my people. "Please, I'm sorry, I just want to go home."