《Tales of Rhia》 Chapter 1 -Beginning- Chapter I -Beginning- My father once told me that ¡°A person''s worth can be summarized by his accomplishments.¡± _____________________________________________ ¡°Wake up dimwit! I didn¡¯t raise you to be a lazy good for nothing. Get moving or we¡¯ll be late!¡± A voice beckons, a voice belonging to my father. He pulls up the window blinds and light cruelly invades my sanctuary. My eyes burn as I try to cover myself from the imminent terror that is light and with a groan I answer. ¡°I¡¯m up. ¡° ¡°Good, now hurry up and get dressed, breakfast is served.¡± My father finally leaves but only after the destruction of my sanctuary. He usually leaves me alone but today is a special day. My brother is coming home and he is quite something. Even my teachers¡¯ at school occasionally ask me how he is doing even though it has been years since he graduated. Brother got drafted into military service after graduation and is now somehow stuck there. However, he occasionally manages to find some time to return home which pleases father. I on the other hand, well I cannot say I am bad by all means but I pale in his comparison. Although I am quite jealous yes but I do not hate my brother. It is more of a sibling rivalry kind of way but I do love him heck how could I not. Finally clothed I tiredly make my way down the stairs to the kitchen where my father goes through his morning routine. Engrossed reading the morning paper, a cup of steaming hot black coffee along with a bowl of weird healthy grain he has taken a liking to. Figures, he calmly sits in his morning garb whilst advocating haste. A quick glance towards the kitchen clock further proving that we are definitely not in a hurry. The scent of bacon lingers in the air so he seems to be in a good mood today. Of course he would be but the bacon is indeed a welcoming surprise. ¡°No school today?¡± He asks me whilst I procure a plate of bacon along with some fried eggs and potatoes. ¡°Yes father, you did call school yesterday telling them I was sick.¡± He tends to do stunts like this when it regards my brother. ¡°It¡¯s not like I need to come with you to meet him you know?¡± Father answers with a simple humming sound as proof of his disinterest as he probably did not care for an answer. Thusly with nothing else to say to each other we wrap up our morning routine and make our way to the train station where we will meet him. My brother finally emerges from the train looking the part of a victorious son returning from a glorious war. His brown hair neatly combed and his spotless uniform furthering the ideal of perfection. It is almost like a scene from a movie, even the morning sun aid him with the touching scene. To my great amusement, brother breaks character spoiling the scene as he happily waves at us. After obligatory hugging and a short exchange of words we make our way to father¡¯s car which he had parked nearby. ¡°Man I¡¯ve missed you guys. Liam!¡± My brother exclaims. ¡°How did it go with the girl you mentioned last time?¡± He cuts straight to the chase as if he had not been gone for these past couple of months. This girl he speaks of is a classmate of mine whom I have a crush on for quite some time now. Her name is Chloe and I may have fantasized about us getting together more than a couple of times now. ¡°Poorly, he¡¯s not brought home any girls as of yet.¡± My father answers in my stead with a slight mocking chuckle. ¡°How¡¯d you know who and what I bring home?¡± I recoil with a sneer. ¡°Well for starters, you¡¯ve hardly left the house at all. Were it not for school then I fear you¡¯d not leave your room at all. That is apart from the occasional scavenging of the kitchen, scrounging for food.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take him out tonight then!¡± Brother exclaims giving me a teasing pat on my back to which I simply answer with a shrug. As much as I hate to admit it, it is true what father claims. ¡°Chris, how long will you be in town this time?¡± I ask him already wondering when this meddling will end. ¡°I¡¯ll be around until the end of the weekend.¡± Chris smirks patting my back even harder. ¡°You¡¯ll not get rid of me just yet brother. I¡¯ll make sure to stick around enough to annoy the hell out of you.¡± His wicked grin hint at his intentions. On our way home Chris tells us tall tales of what he has been going through, the rough training and what I would label as mentally insane superiors. The stories seem to be very much like those he told us last time but perhaps further embellished. Why would anyone willingly return to such a place? Yet Chris always does so with a smile. Regardless, father and I listen with keen interest until we reach our destination, home. Life has, with Chris¡¯ return been brought back to this usually desolate place. Father prepares with a merry tone something in the kitchen as Chris and I gather in the living room. Chris carelessly throws himself on the sofa and lets out a large yawn as he stretches himself. He throws a glance at a picture adorning the wall. It is an old photo in black and white of a woman alongside a man. They are dressed up and look happy together. It is a picture of what would be my mother and father some long time ago. To my great dismay, I somehow inherited her ¡®cute¡¯ feminine looks whilst my brother got more of my father¡¯s charm. Mother apparently departed from life when I was young and we do not speak much about her. Sometimes I do wonder what Chris sees in her but perhaps I am fortunate that I have no memory of her. Father did from time to time try to bring home a new woman and conveniently, this picture of mother would be relocated elsewhere. Chris and I would always be very happy for father as he could at times be rather overbearing when he started to feel lonely. These women however, always madly in love and eager to form a new life together with father would never stay for long. Regardless of previous intent, the news of a breakup would always surface at one point and this picture of mother would once again find its way to adorn the wall. Their happy smiles once again proof of a time where things were much simpler. ¡°But one year left Liam and you¡¯ll be drafted as well.¡± Chris states with a satisfied smirk. He is clearly eager, wishing for that day to arrive sooner. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll join us and we¡¯ll bring you up to speed in no time. Heck, why not go out and practice a little bit?¡± He would always make this suggestion claiming it is for my own good. ¡®Get combat trained he says, it¡¯ll be fun he says¡¯. All we do is shoot at practice targets at the nearby range with one of father¡¯s hunting rifles followed by Chris beating me up in personal combat. Knowing him, he will not take no for an answer thus I answer with a forced smile ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s do that, it¡¯ll be great.¡± Father enters with snacks along with hot coffee for Chris and him and a cup of juice for me. ¡°I thought that maybe we could invite a couple of people over to a barbeque tomorrow evening. Your Uncle Rob would surely come over, even if not asked.¡± Father chuckles as he grabs himself a bite of a store bought sponge cake. ¡°You could invite your friends over, how does that sound?¡± He is definitely in high spirits. The familiar sensation of recoil strikes against my shoulder. ¡°Not bad, but not quite there yet.¡± Chris teasingly lets out. ¡°Have you been practicing at all?¡± ¡°Hardly.¡± The summer sun stands high and sweat had begun to dribble into my eyes making it hard for me to focus. Having loaded another round into the breech I pull forth the bolt and take aim against the target again. My breathing in control as I take a deep breath and slowly breathe out. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.Chris, with a pair of binoculars keep careful note of where I hit the target. He is quick to give remarks on each and every one of my shots. ¡°Liam, you must learn to not close your eyes moments before firing. Trust me on this, it could be a matter of life and death.¡± Chris pauses for effect as proof of the importance of this matter. With a simple sigh I answer him as this is not the first time he has told me such. ¡°Make sure to keep your eyes peeled at all times and always be aware of your surroundings. There could be someone out in the woods picking berries or whatever. Now take your time, keep your eyes peeled and fire.¡± ¡°Got it, keeping my eyes peeled sir.¡± I flippantly answer and carefully aim my next shot. However, my eyes sting by the invading salty dribbles of sweat forcing me to wipe my eyes. ¡°Seriously, can we take a break?¡± ¡°Certainly private.¡± Chris says with a smirk. ¡°Put the safety on and drink some water.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± The water we brought with us is greedily gulped down and some showered over my head. With a sigh I lie down on a blanket we had prepared earlier and cover my eyes for a bit. The sun is boiling hot and it feels almost like my body is unfamiliar with something as common as sunlight. It is warm but I am definitely glad that I missed class today. Boiling out here is definitely better than in a classroom listening to some boring lecture. Chris joins me on the blanket as he looks over father¡¯s rifle. He seems almost unaffected by the sun in fact, it is as if he enjoys it. ¡°How come you are so tough?¡± I accidently let out but he snickers and answers me with one word. ¡°Practice.¡± Chris¡¯ voice abruptly brings me back to the world. ¡°Liam! Liam!¡± His voice is hushed yet very excited. ¡°Chris? What is wrong?¡± ¡°Quiet down, scuttle over and look over there.¡± Chris beckons me over and I crawl over to his side. Drowsiness blurring my senses as my eyes scours the area. It did not take too long however until I notice what Chris is so excited about. It would seem a hog had decided it to be a good idea to wander around the premises of our targeting range. ¡°It seems you¡¯ll get your first kill today. What are you waiting for Liam, grab your rifle!¡± ¡°What? No?¡± I voice my reluctance. ¡°Liam, you can make this shot, it is not that far away.¡± ¡°No I don¡¯t want to!¡± I know already that there is no use to argue with my brother but I cannot help but feel that this is wrong. Something definitely tells me this is wrong. There should be no reason to kill it. ¡°Liam!¡± My feelings about actually killing something does not seem to matter to him. This is what we are actually practicing for, killing is what people do. It is what we do to survive. More importantly, I do not want to disappoint him, not him. My mind chants this to spur my own courage. Slowly rationalising killing this poor creature. Grabbing my father¡¯s rifle, I take aim. ¡®It¡¯ll be over soon¡¯ I tell myself. ¡®It¡¯ll be over soon.¡¯ Chris gives me an estimate of the range; a tad short 300 meters he says. Not an impossible shot but my breath is uneven, my body feels rather stiff and everything is a mess. My heart beats hard against my chest but I must do what is required of me. The recoil slams hard against my shoulder as a bullet leaves the muzzle. A punishment for not holding the rifle properly leaving my shoulder hurting. It is as if all my practice until this moment were for naught. It is as if things have ended before we even got started but perhaps it was for the best. Now there is no need to kill as the creature will swiftly run away unscathed due to my failure. Feeling somehow relieved I lay my head down on the gravel but my brother¡¯s voice tells of another tale forcing me to return to my senses once again. The hog is on a crazed run seemingly wounded from my first shot. We are now committed. Quickly reloaded my rifle I fire once again but this time the shot was a definite miss. Splinters shooting in great many directions from where a tree had been struck. Chris yells at me to fire again but my rifle jams as a consequence of my now stressed state. Having failed to reload my rifle properly I take a deep breath and methodically restart the process that I have done so many times before. With a new round I take aim once more feeling a lot calmer now that the initial rush is gone. The hog is almost out of sight yet I feel calm. It is a strange soothing feeling enveloping my senses. It is as if I am almost detached from this whole ordeal. Brother¡¯s shouts slowly drowned out by my own steady breathing and the sound of gravel mowing under me. The hog runs for its life far in the distant woods, slowly eluding me but it does not matter. There is nothing and with that certainty I finally pull the trigger. The hog is out of sight but nothing matters as there is but that certainty. Chris hits my back and his voice breaks the mind numbing silence. ¡°Why did you fire, are you stupid? Never fire blindly into the woods!¡± With a shake of my head I reply. ¡°Chris, I got it.¡± The carcass simply lay on the ground with its eyes looking straight at me, judging me for what I have done. ¡°Well I did not expect this Liam. Congratulations on your first kill but you got lucky.¡± Chris voice astonished yet approving. Down by his feat lay a doe, white as the purest snow now soiled by the dark red blood where the bullet had entered. It is gruesome, something so pure lay dead on the ground and it is by my doing. It feels sacrilegious. Strangely, the hog is nowhere in sight. It is as if it had never existed. Instead lay a doe dead by my brother¡¯s feet. Was I somehow more inclined killing that poor hog? Would I have felt the same now were it a hog on the ground instead of this doe? This feels wrong somehow as nausea strikes me. ¡°Well we have to bring this back. Now we¡¯ll have something for the barbeque tomorrow.¡± Chris muses as he begins dragging the doe by the head towards the targeting range. My body grow cold as I begin to profusely sweat. Anxiety and fear grabbing hold of my senses. The eyes of the doe flickered for a moment and is now definitely looking straight at me. The doe begins to violently struggle as if in pain letting out grotesque sounds. Chris startled drops the doe and with a chuckle tries to explain that animals do this from time to time. Somehow this feels all too unnatural. Worried what come next, I take few steps back. Stumbling on the ground falling down on my rump. Chris worriedly moves over to my side, grabs me and hugs me. ¡°It¡¯s alright little brother, it¡¯ll end soon.¡± He calmly says but I do not believe him. I who praise my own psyche feel mortified as I cry on my brother¡¯s shoulder hiding from the terror behind his back. Pitiful but as brother claimed, the doe¡¯s movement finally stopped and silence rules once more only ruined by my weak sobbing. Finally mustering enough courage to peek over my brother¡¯s shoulder thinking I am prepared for whatever come next. What I face is a most horrifying sight. The doe regally stands there looking straight at me. Terror reign supreme as I gasp pointing towards the cause of my fears. ¡°It¡¯s alright little brother.¡± Chris says patting my head not knowing what should lie down dead instead stand behind him. ¡°No Chris look!¡± I cry out but am interrupted by a voice far stronger than any I have heard before. ¡°You are coming with me.¡± A voice echoes throughout and darkness follows. Chapter 2 - Wake Up- Chapter 2 -Wake Up- There was a time I felt truly fortunate. _______________________________________________________It is a nice feeling slowly waking up to the soothing sound of a pot being stirred and a fireplace gently burning wood to cinder. The smell of herbs lingers in the air which strangely enough makes me feel somehow nostalgic. A thick blanket covers my body keeping me warm. It has the characteristic smell of dogs which reminds me of our late dog Lucky. It soothes me somehow as I have but fond memories of her. The cold wind picks up with a howl and the house creaks in turn. Something shifts by my side and startled I rise up with a scream. A cat swiftly runs to hide behind an old shelf having earlier lied cosy by my side. An old woman looks at me with a surprised face having earlier been the cause of the stirring pot sounds by a hearth fire. Her layered dark clothes seem old and torn which gives her a characteristic look of a witch which I have but heard about in tall tales from my childhood. White thin hair passes down over her shoulders but by no means does she look ugly as witches often are depicted. Instead she has a gentle look about her that invites trust. Then a sudden realisation hits me that I have no idea where I am. Catching myself staring at her I focus my sight elsewhere. Her home seems to be a small one roomed rural house full of herbs hanging from the ceiling along with a dead rabbit near the hearth. There is a bookcase in the far end filled with old leather bound books. It seems that I currently occupy the only bed in this house but it is far too big for one person. Upon me lay the blanket which had reminded me of Lucky. Upon further inspection it seems to be a fur, perhaps from a wolf. Upon calming down I realize that my body is throbbing in pain as if I have strained all my muscles. ¡°You are finally awake child.¡± The woman say which forces me to focus on her rather than exploring her abode with my eyes. ¡°Where am I, where is Chris?¡± I plead to the old woman but my throat is very sore as if I have caught a severe cold. She smiles at me as she fills up a wooden bowl with whatever she had prepared earlier in that pot. ¡°Hush now child, drink this.¡± She firmly but gentle forces down the concoction down my throat and surprisingly enough, it immediately alleviates the pain in my throat. The taste however leaves much to be desired. She then pats my head gently which leaves me stupefied. ¡°It was quite some time since I saw a lass like you so devoted to the old ways. I¡¯m Elain, what is your name?¡± She asks with a smile that seem to never change but I am left even more confused now than ever. ¡°No wait what? What did you call me and what do you mean by the old ways?¡± The old woman looks at me rather perplexed. ¡°I found you naked by the shrine of Flidae which is customary as per the olden days. Although uncommon so during the winter. Clearly it must¡¯ve been important.¡± She shakes her head with closed eyes, smirking as if reminiscing something. ¡°Rarely ever do I see a young girl such as yourself offer herself so earnestly to the goddess of the woodland and fertility.¡± Her eyes turn serious as she looks at me straight into my eyes. Her eyes glimmer with a shifting hint of green turning red, coloured by the fire in the hearth. ¡°But you were on the brink of death when I found you. I feared for your life so I had you brought here and I have nursed you since. Perhaps I was wrong in doing so?¡± My mind goes blank as I try to assimilate all the new information. Flidae, I have never heard of a goddess named like that before. However, even more importantly, I was found naked during the winter and she calls me girl? Quickly looking down I notice an unfamiliar dress made in a rough fabric very much like the old woman¡¯s clothes donning my body. Violently pulling forth the dress I am met by two small mounds having taken form on my chest. Gasping at the sight I then quickly cover myself. This is crazy, I have no idea what the hell is going on right now. Noted that I may have looked rather feminine before but this is definitely taking it to the next level. What kind of sick joke is this? Nausea grabs a hold of me and I beg this Elain for some water. She chuckles in a characteristic old woman way as she prepares a cup. ¡°No worries child, were it breasts you were praying for then they¡¯ll come with age.¡± Must have taken my earlier action as some kind of strange wish to have my new breasts grow larger. She keeps chuckling which I find rather frustrating given the circumstances. A cup of water is handed to me which I greedily gulp down. Elain though, simply watches me in a strangely fascinated manner leaving me slightly uncomfortable. She does seem to be kind enough and if what she said is true then she truly is my benefactor. Can I perhaps trust her, for now? ¡°I¡¯m Rhia, a pleasure meeting you Ms Elain.¡± Forcing a smile, I had decided to use my mother¡¯s name. Why not use her name as people claim I have inherited her looks anyhow, probably even more so now that I just may be a girl? It is a tad odd now thinking about it but I decided against going for my crush¡¯s name Chloe for obvious reasons. Well choosing a name from a girl I know just feel wrong. Choosing mothers name however did feel right somehow since I never have had any lingering attachment to my mother. Thus I decided to give her the honours this time as that name carries no meaning to me. Jokes on me though as it feels as if I just keep getting closer to her. Should have chosen an original name now thinking about it but knowing me it would have taken too long for me to decide upon a suitable name. This whole situation gives me a headache but I will play along for now. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.Elain however looks at me far too many seconds to feel comfortable. Then I notice subtly that her eyes begin to moisten as tears form. ¡°I dared not believe.¡± She says as she grabs a hold of me, hugging me tightly. ¡°My dear Rhia, you are back!¡± She hugs me so tightly that I have a hard time breathing. Tapping her shoulder, I try free myself from her grip. Confusion and even more so nausea does nothing to aid me with the given situation as I am about to puke. However, Elain lets go of me moments before an accident happen. ¡°Oh forgive me child, I did not mean to. I know you cannot be her as she disappeared a great many years ago so please forgive this old woman¡¯s relapse.¡± Her smile and moist cheeks due to her crying forces my hand. ¡°It is quite alright.¡± I told her as I blame my luck. ¡°It is just; you remind me of her. Heck you look practically the same as her.¡± She wipes a tear from her eye looking at me with an almost dazed look. Considering her state, she might just stare at me for hours without end. There are however far too many questions though that I want to ask. ¡°Where am I?¡± I ask as that seem to be the first and foremost viable question. As if being dispelled from her thoughts she closes her eyes with a nod. ¡°I live close by the shrine I found you at.¡± ¡°No I mean, where am I really? I have no recollection of ever visiting a shrine. The last thing I remember is being at the range with my brother Chris.¡± Elain listens with intent nodding, urging me to continue. ¡°We came upon a hog but instead.¡± My voice breaks as I barely control my vivid emotions. There simply is far too much to handle at once. ¡°Instead there lay a creature so pure. White as if it was made of snow. I did not mean to kill it.¡± I plead as my mind recalls the event, the very same terror struck me there as when that creature had risen again. Trembling in fear I break out in a sob. Elain once again forces me into a hug. She gently pats my head as I cry into her shoulder very much like I had upon my brother¡¯s. ¡°Hush now child, you did not kill it for you cannot kill a goddess. I know, it was Flidae you saw.¡± Pulling back in confusion I am met by her kind eyes yet filled with zeal. Not truly letting me go, she forces me into a hug again. ¡°You are blessed child and so am I, Flidae has seen it fit to return my long lost daughter.¡± Not quite strong enough to refute I return her hug and we both cry into each other¡¯s shoulders for god knows how long. There it was. It is made out of simple stone in the likeness of a doe very much like the one I had shot that fateful day. It feels rather underwhelming seeing it so close. Nature had taken its toll over the years. Overgrown with vines and damaged by weather makes one wonder if anyone ever cared for this shrine at all. Cold frost permeates the whole shrine grounds forcing all living into dormancy. Strangely enough, there it is, a small entry hole where my bullet should have entered. Intrigued I poke inside but I am immediately met with a cold sensation of ice. Honestly, I have no idea what I expected to find. Elain had ill advised me not to go to the shrine so early on as I was still very weak but I decided against it. However, now upon seeing it so close I am forced to ask myself for what reason did I want to come here? What were I hoping to find? Elain had decided that I indeed am her long lost daughter and had begun treating me as such. Doting on me, not leaving me out of sight and I dare not refute her. She boldly claims that my previous memories are probably a manifestation in the dream world. Something Flidae had created upon spiriting me away so many years ago. Yet even if that were the case then that world feels more real than this one. Honestly, I am not even sure if she is listening at all when I try to explain who I am and where I am from. However, she advises me against telling other people those tales as I would be branded a witch and quite possibly be burned at the stakes. The thought frightens me and what century is this? It seems as if there is nothing to gain from telling people about my past but I will not let go of who I am. Although it begs me to consider what I should do next. Can I return back home to my brother and father? The cold stone doe stare blindly at me in a way that tells me it holds no power whatsoever. Am I truly lost here? First things first. The thought of looking myself in the mirror stirs more fear in me than the thought of facing Flidae again. It will require a great deal of courage but I step toward a nearby frozen pond. There she was looking back at me, the spitting image of my own mother reflected in the ice. The very same as the one I had seen so many times before in the picture back home albeit younger. Defeated, I fall down on my knees to cry again. Pathetic, I tell myself as I cannot stop myself from crying. At least Elain had decided against hugging me tightly this time which was a blessing in itself. The cold ground seeps my warmth as I stare blindly at my own reflection. Having cried my eyes out there were no more tears to be had. A hand gently pats my shoulder telling me that it is time. Not knowing how long it has been I rise and we make our way back to her home. Her arms holding me close. Chapter 3 -First Contact- ------------------------------- Greetings! It is I, Goedleimneidr. ^-^ Honestly, that so many have already started reading my story and that it has gained a good couple of followers (even favorites) baffles me. It is rather overwhelming but at the same time exciting. I will aim to release chapters as often I can. I will aim for at least 1 chapter a week but sometimes much more than that. Somehow I''ve gained the "Responsibility towards my readers" trait. However, due to my line of work there may be times I won''t be able to throw chapters at the screen. Although it should be safe for a while. :) Also, for those asking. Romance is not something I aim to delve much with but romantic elements may be included in the story. Regarding gender of said romantic prospect well, if any then quite definitely male. Reason is simple, it is an old dark fantasy world setting where sodomy is frowned upon (Does not mean people don''t commit such atrocities.). Albeit Rhia may be a free thinker from a more advanced world, other people may not be like that. Thus if any yuri then perhaps a fling like relation but I fear more than that may take too much of the story considering the setting. *awaits shitstorm* Nothing is written in stone though. Reason 2: Rhia is evolving as a female character. People may think that upon changing genders they may decide going lesbo. However, I firmly believe (Read do not care as I have not delved much in those thoughts) that people can fall for a person whatever gender. x'') Also, I do not know how other authors work as they seem to be able to spit out chapters indefinitely fast. I however spend about 10-20 hours a chapter as I just keep rereading things (Bad trait) until I am satisfied. Albeit this chapter was rather fast made (6-8 hours) ((Not crazily proofread)). Might be inexperience as well. . Regardless, feel more than free to voice your opinions and thoughts as I''d love to hear them. May even heed your advice. :3 Well that was all for tonight, hope you enjoy chapter 3 of Tales of Rhia. Sincerely yours <3 /Goedleimneidr ------------------------------- Chapter 3 -New Life- If there is a god, then I hate him. _______________________________________________________ Dusk is soon upon us and my first day will end soon. Ruffling sounds are made as Elain dig through clothes and trinkets in an old casket she had kept stowed away. ¡°These are your things Rhia, I kept these for you all these years in case you would ever return.¡± ¡°So these are Rhia¡¯s things? I¡¯m sorry but I cannot accept it. What if she returns?¡± I solemnly say. It does not feel right to dig through another person¡¯s things. Those are her memories, her things and they belong to her. Not some false pretence Elain makes me be. ¡°Nonsense child! You are Rhia, my beloved daughter and these things are your keepsakes.¡± She pulls forth a whole ensemble of clothes, boots and there are weapons as well. ¡°Everything should still fit you just as the day you left.¡± She claims holding an old piece of leather in front of me, judging if it fits my figure. ¡°Whoa wait! It¡¯s as if straight out of fairy tales¡± That old piece of leather seems to be a fitted, neatly embroidered leather armour for an adolescent girl. If this fits me somehow then I surely will maybe kill myself. Along to further the ensemble, a bow, dagger along with a sheath and quiver begs me to wonder what this Rhia did for a living. ¡°There is no way in hell that I am going to wear that!¡± I say shivering at the thought of me wearing that, running in the woods. ¡°Watch your language!¡± She scolds. ¡°Oh I recall the days you saved up enough to buy these things.¡± She says reminiscing of the past. ¡°A huntress is only as good as her gear you said.¡± Wondering what I have gotten myself into I simply nod quietly. Worried that I otherwise will get further repercussions. However, I do hate to admit it but Rhia does have an excellent taste. Her style is something I would honestly fancy were I not the one to wear them. Even more so due to the rough fabric most clothes seem to be made of. It begs me consider how people can stand walking around without itching all over. A hard knocking on the door abrupt the dolly dress up session Elain had planned. Thankful to whomever my saviour was, Elain clicks with her tongue as she moves over to the door muttering obscenities. We have yet to have visitors so this is kind of my first contact with the outside world. A world that I perhaps must face some day. However, today is not that day I muse grabbing a seat at the far edge of the bed. Although I cannot help but curiously peek at her opening up the door. Her demeanour is all but kind, emitting such murderous intent that even I feel a chill running down my spine. ¡°Miss Elain, I am ever so sorry. Should we perhaps come back at a later hour or?¡± It is a rough manly voice that seem to carry great respect, timidity and fear towards Elain. Makes me wonder what she has done to them or others to achieve that level of caution. ¡°Nonsense, what is it you seek?¡± She asks as I lean in further to listen, curious about whatever reason they have. They probably would not make their way here unless it was important as they seem to fear her. ¡°Thank you. My brother Madoc, he stupidly broke his wrist. Could you please heal him? We¡¯ll pay good coin of course.¡± The voice never drops its sincerity, cautiously he chooses his words. ¡°Very well, come inside.¡± She urges them in. Two men step inside and I hurriedly scuffle into the darkest corner of the bed. Both of them are largely built with a scruffy look about them. They most definitely look like people up to no good. Many layers of furs don their bodies in cover of the harsh weather. Their noses and ears red but their faces dirtied. Their long hair and beard even more so. Both axe and bow seem to be their weapon of choice. Were there a textbook example around for outlaw or brigand then there would be a picture of these two in that book. They seem to not have taken notice of me sitting here and I have no intention of changing that. Their focus but on Elain as if they dare not do anything else. Elain swiftly procure two vials for the injured man. ¡°Drink this first.¡± She says handing over a vial. The man, brigand named Madoc looks at the vial for a few seconds. A few important seconds as if judging whether he should. With one fell swoop he drinks the whole concoction followed by loud coughing. ¡°Gods be damned hag! Did you crap in the brew?¡± The other brother¡¯s face whitens. He swiftly hits Madoc straight in his face. Consequently, Madoc by the blow falls down on the floor with a loud thud. He turns with a nasty look on his face as he shouts at his brother. ¡°Gareth you cunt! What the hell did you do that for?!¡± ¡°Madoc I told you to be quiet you stupid son of a!¡± Shutting himself up for a moment he turns with a pleading look towards Elain. ¡°Oh please forgive us.¡± If only looks could kill, then both of them would be dead. However, Elain simply sits in her chair giving them the silent treatment. As if some animalistic instinct took over, they both seat themselves quietly. Elain hands Madoc another vial to which he looks towards Gareth with a pleading look. Gareth however gives no respite and Madoc decidedly sweeps the second vial¡¯s content. ¡°Oh this one tastes good.¡± He says with a surprised tone. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.¡°Now quick, give me your hand or you¡¯ll be disfigured forever.¡± Elain commands to which Madoc promptly obliges. ¡°What are those brews?¡± Gareth asks. ¡°The first one for the pain, the second one which induces the pain.¡± She smirks as she eyes the brothers. ¡°It makes the bones brittle and easily shaped. I would advise you to hold your brother still.¡± She says as she applies a lotion she had stowed away on his wrist. ¡°Bah this is nothing.¡± Madoc triumphantly says. ¡°I barely feel the.¡± His sentence cut short as Madoc begins screaming. Gareth hurriedly grabs a hold of his brother keeping him still as he screams loudly. Elain, holding the man¡¯s arm had begun working the wrist with her thumbs. The crunching noises almost omitted by Madoc¡¯s screams. Elain certainly lives up to her reputation. Cold sweat dribble down my body along with a nauseous feeling as I look at the brutality before my eyes. It almost lasts forever but with a swift move Elain procure a vial and swiftly slams it towards the wrist crushing the vial. Its powdery content with a puff, seep into the skin. The screaming ends. Madoc sweaty and pale look amazed as he easily moves his fingers, hand and wrist. ¡°How much?¡± Gareth asks who seem to be in a similar state as I. He looks at Elain with eyes of amazement and terror. However, it does not look as if this is the first time he has seen her work. With a smirk she answers. ¡°Three gold.¡± ¡°Three gold?! Hell no, that is what the church takes and they do it without the hurt!¡± Madoc shouts with newfound energy. ¡°As if they¡¯d take you.¡± Elain recoils with a sneer. ¡°We¡¯ll pay!¡± Gareth shouts quieting his brother. ¡°Please shut up brother, we¡¯ll pay.¡± ¡°Good, hand my daughter the gold.¡± ¡°Daughter?¡± They both ask looking about until they finally notice me seated upon the bed. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she quite the cute cutlet¡± Madoc licks around his lips as he eyes me with a lecherous grin. A horrid cold rush as if in danger alarms my senses, putting them on the highest level. Never before have I been the target of such vile intent. It is as if I am raped by his eyes alone. ¡°I¡¯d just love to.¡± He continues but Madoc is cut short as Elain, with a swift move digs her ¡®talons¡¯ into his newly healed wrist. He screams as he goes down on his knees sobbing. ¡°No need to worry Gareth, it¡¯ll heal in a day or two. A small price to pay.¡± Elain calmly says to the brother to which he hurriedly nods. ¡°However, consider it the last time I accept any transgression from this man.¡± Gareth with eyes of fear looks at me and treats me in an overly respectful manner as he hands me the gold. Clearly not intent on staying here a second longer he immediately makes way to pick his sobbing brother up and leave. However, he is stopped by Elain¡¯s voice. ¡°Is it not rude not to present yourself to her? Is it not rude to not ask her name?¡± He promptly turns around and goes down on his knees in front of me. With eyes pleading he says. ¡°Forgive this man. I am Gareth, son of Gareth and the older brother of Madoc, son of Gareth. May this humble man know your name O daughter of Elain of the Woods?¡± ¡°I am R-Rhia¡± Quite taken aback by the display I stumble on my words. Though I am frightened by him, I feel that he would not dare to hurt me ever. ¡°Rhia, such a lovely name. I hope we meet again.¡± He says but I am sure he is not quite so sincere. With those words though he promptly leaves with his brother. Elain looks at me triumphantly but I too am scared of her now. Never will I dare go against her. It is practically night outside yet Elain is preparing a meal. We had cleaned up Rhia¡¯s things saving me from the dolly dress up. Although I do believe that day will come sooner than later. The golden coins now in my hand, some foreign king or perhaps god roughly engraved into the coin. Somehow, I cannot stop thinking about those men that came by earlier. They probably did not earn these through honest work. Did they murder the people owning these before? Is it a lot of money? As if sensing my feelings Elain break the silence. ¡°Those men earlier are unfortunate men. Everyone carry their stories and reasons.¡± She slowly stirs the pot in a repeating motion. The cat, having deciding it fit to show up rubs itself against her leg. ¡°However, those two are far from the worst.¡± ¡°Why do you help them?¡± I ask. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Does not helping bad people make you bad as well?¡± ¡°Perhaps, do you think I am bad, that I am evil?¡± She asks with a dejected smile staring into the pot. ¡°I. I do not know. I do not know you really.¡± Honestly, I have no idea what to think of her. She seems to be kind but that is towards me as I am supposedly her daughter. Her treatment of Madoc¡¯s wound leave much to desire as well. Her stirring stops as she looks at me, straight at me. ¡°Do you wish me to stop helping those people, if you will it then I will do so without question. However, let me tell you a tale first.¡± She slowly makes her way over and seats herself by my side. The cat following her jumps up into her lap. The cat purring for attention to which, with her hands she obliges. ¡°Gareth and Madoc were not always bad people. They had homes, they had families. However, the lordship saw it fit to invoke the right of the first night with Madoc¡¯s beautiful newlywed wife. Needless to say, Madoc fought against the guards but were easily beaten.¡± The wind howls powerfully through the night. The flames heating the pot flicker and as if following the story, the room grows darker. ¡°His wife had not returned even after days. Of course, Madoc began asking for his wife but were told to wait. Days went by and Madoc began turning mad with grief. He started to get rough with the guards. Getting beaten and torn all over until one day he manages to kill one of them. Of course, there were punishment to be had for the murder. The guard¡¯s family torn as a father had been taken from them as Madoc¡¯s wife was taken from him. Madoc hid himself in the woods but he did not think the consequences through.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to hear more.¡± I knowingly selfishly say. ¡°It¡¯s too sad, I do not want to know.¡± ¡°But knowing you must. His brother Gareth stood accused of harbouring his brother albeit not true. Gareth always were the smart one but his smarts did not help him. His family, his children and beloved wife were tortured for information then executed with lack thereof. He, forced to look pleaded innocence but they cared naught as they had already decided on his guilt. Madoc later found out about this. He somehow managed to sneak inside the prison and save his brother but far too late to save his family. They escaped but were branded outlaws. They later found out that Madoc¡¯s wife had been killed upon resisting the lord¡¯s advances.¡± ¡°I do not know what to say.¡± Makes me somehow wonder how my family back home is doing. Though I dare not say I lost them as I have not truly given up but it kind of feels the same. Slowly, surely tears begin to form as I feel my entire being growing mind numbingly sad. ¡°I did not want to know.¡± Sobbing I hug my legs. Elain gently pats my head, stroking it softly. ¡°But, Did Gareth blame Madoc for this?¡± I ask. ¡°He did, for a time. They later realized that they were the only family they had.¡± Elain rises up from her seat not minding the cat who races away. The gentle stirring now resumed as Elain return to the pot. ¡°People have their reasons for doing things one way or another. Usually it is better doing what feels right for oneself, that way you can truly be happy. There are though consequences for one¡¯s actions. Consequences one must live with. I love you Rhia. Perhaps one day you will feel the same about me. Well in any case, dinner is served. Chapter 4 - A New Life- ------------------------------- Thank you for reading. ^-^ I honestly am getting the hang of writing things quicker. However, if you find faults feel more than free to point them out. Quick question though, is the length of my chapters proper? Sincerely yours /Goedleimneidr ------------------------------- Chapter 4 -A New Life- There are actions and in turn consequences. Thus if I do not act then there should be no consequences. Albeit not true, it is something I childishly tell myself. _______________________________________________________ Elain suggested we share the only bed as it is customary, something Rhia had always done with her. However, for me it would feel like sharing bed with a stranger. Dejected she began preparing a bed on the floor. Laying out furs on the ground by the hearth. Though forcing an old lady to sleep on the floor leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Thusly I demanded that I would sleep there instead. Elain would not have it of course and defeated I obliged with her previous demands. Somehow it felt like a ploy perfectly played by her as she victoriously climbs into bed. The hearth fire surely, slowly dies down. Elain¡¯s breathing relaxed and slow. She is fast asleep. The wind surge itself through every cranny making eerie sounds. Chris and I had shared the bed nights like this when we were very young. Sleeping together when I had bad dreams or simply were frightened. Later I grew up forced to somehow rely on myself. Father gave me what I needed to be strong and my older brother pawed the way. What would I not give to be with them now. The outside world seems so frightening. Eerie noises made, be it the wind or something else I do not know. Darkness slowly envelope the room and there is nothing else but a slight hint of shrouded blue. There is no way of knowing what time it is. Slowly rising from the bed I make my way towards the door. The ground, hard and cold as I step on it barefoot. A nightgown doing its best to cover me from the encroaching cold. Hard to believe that I inhabit a woman¡¯s body. It is slender, petite yet it does not feel weak. Perhaps even stronger than I ever was before. My now long flowing red hair falling into sight as I look down on myself. The door is forced open and I look outside. Night sky marvellously filled with stars as never seen before. A huge moon gently brings light over the snow covered lands. There are two other stellar bodies in the sky, further proof that this is not home. It is surrealistic, as if I am walking in a dream. The wind blows harshly outside and my gown does nothing to aid the against the cold winter. Someone or something is watching me; my gut tells me such. Eyeing the field, I notice a pair of yellow glistering eyes. A large, inhumane dark figure standing on two long hind legs on the field. The wind moan and creak against nearby trees. Whatever that creature is, as in tune with the shifting wind turns and walks away towards a nearby grove. My feet, numb by the cold forces me to realize that doing this further risk permanent damage. That creature utterly terrified me even though I felt no ill intent from it. Hurriedly I shut the door and make my way towards the bed. Elain still soundly asleep. Frightened, terrified by whatever is out there I shift closer to her, covered in the fur that smell of dog. Time fly by when you have fun but the opposite is as true as well. These last few days I have spent in hiding, hiding in Elain¡¯s house. Forced into dormancy due to my feelings all being in turmoil. It is tedious as I tend to end up crying all the time. Be it due looking at my own reflection, thinking of home or dropping a spoon. Elain has been accommodating enough, taking care of me when there is practically nothing to gain from it. She does not question me when I break down but instead give comfort. Somehow, I feel that I have never gotten this level of support before. Yet, as all good things it must end someday. Elain gently smiles as she prepares breakfast, a porridge of some sort along with choice nuts. This on my sixth day since coming here. ¡°Rhia dear, I fear I must leave for a few days. It has been long overdue but I must visit an old friend of mine.¡± With a spoon of porridge in my mouth I gasp. The spoon falls down to the floor as I stare at Elain. ¡°No need to be that worried about me dearest daughter. I can handle myself.¡± She laughs yet she does seem reluctant. ¡°Why now? Can I come along? I do not want to be left alone!¡± My voice panicked. The thing I saw that night, I have yet to tell her about it. What if it comes back? What if those men come back? ¡°I fear it would be best were you to stay Rhia. This area, so close by the shrine is safe.¡± She claims but considering who the shrine is made for tells me otherwise. Worry that my pillar, my only source of emotional support is leaving brings forth vivid emotions. Tears form as the thought of losing her violently stabs me. With haste I rise from my chair and make way to hug her. Hold her close so that she may never leave me. It is selfish, perhaps her friend is sick or whatever but I do not care. Right now, I need her the most. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me.¡± I cry into her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be your daughter; I¡¯ll do anything so please don¡¯t leave me!¡± My fear of losing her growing ever stronger as I wail. e Her hand gently pats my head giving me much needed comfort. ¡°My dear silly Rhia, you are my daughter and you will always be my daughter. You are strong and you will manage even if I were not here. It is however but for a few days so trust me, I will return soon enough.¡± ¡°No, please.¡± ¡°Rhia, I must. I am sorry but it is important that I do this now. Please take care of Ila for me in the meanwhile.¡± The cat Ila, as if understanding Elain rubs herself against my leg. Suppressing the urge to kick the cat away out of frustration but I manage somehow to restrain myself. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Elain had left, surely she is gone. Deserted I slumped down on the floor by the door she had closed leaving me behind. She did not tell me who she was visiting, why or where out of worry that I would make my way there alone. Now I am all alone in her house with only her cat as companion. Ila licks my hand, rubs herself against it craving attention but I do not give heed. These past few days I have spent with Elain could have been spent better. Instead of hiding I should have talked to her. Asked questions about this world but it is too late now. The only thing I can do is hope that she will return safely. My stomach rumble as I realize I have yet to finish breakfast. The porridge with nuts now lay cold upon the sole table in this house. Elain had not finished her bowl either. Did she prepare enough food for the voyage? Too preoccupied with myself I probably never took notice of her packing. With a defeated heart I finish both our portions with a soft sobbing. Tired of hiding and doing naught I turn my attention to her bookcase. There will be days Elain must go away thus I must be prepared. She did say it would be but a few days now but who knows how long she will be gone the next time. Learning everything there is should be my top priority. Old leather bound books don the bookcase, all look mighty old but they are probably a great source of knowledge. Elain seem to have procured a whole lot of books but I, with a swift motion decide upon a book that look enticing. It is a book covered in red leather embroidered with a strange marking I have never seen before. The thought of what it could be filled with entices me. Its contents are revealed to me as I with a careful motion open up the first page. Unfortunately, it is written in a foreign language that I have no way of deciphering. To my great despair it would seem all books are written in this foreign language. Leaving a mess behind me I make my way towards the bed. Seeking comfort in the fur which remind me of Lucky. Bawling for god knows how long. The day slowly reach its end. My eyes darting about the now dark cave that is Elain¡¯s house. Devoid of life, Ila and I cover under the furs due to the harsh cold of winter. It is dark and it is getting even colder than the days before. With a rumble my stomach force me to realize that I have not eaten anything other than breakfast today. I must prepare a fire to cook whatever there is to cook. Some warmth would also be nice. It should not be too hard considering how easy Elain make it be. Tumbling about in the darkness I decide to start easy. A porridge, the same she made this morning. Gathering dry firewood, I stack them in the hearth. Now to find something like matches to start a fire. There are sadly none to be had. How did she start a fire anyhow? It seems that part is omitted as I have never seen nor given it much thought before. How will I ever survive this hell? ¡°Please come back soon.¡± I plead. Defeated I consume some nuts I found stowed away as I failed to create a fire. Morning come and my stomach is hurting, it is a gnawing hole screaming for sustenance. The realization that I may just die terrifies me. Elain might return home to find her daughter dead because I had failed to start a fire. No I must not give in to bad thoughts. There is some light now at least thus I can search for a way to start a fire. Searching for what seems forever, I find a small box by the hearth. It contains an iron like tool along with a stash of tinder. It did not take long to figure out how the tool worked. Like magic, some of the tinder I stowed under the firewood started burning. Sadly, it will take more than that to create a fire as the tinder simply burned away leaving the logs slightly charred. Defeated and desperate I cry again. Quite possibly I could use all the tinder to make one fire but that would be suicide. There must be a way to make the wood burn somehow. My thoughts wander, salvaging whatever knowledge I may have stowed away in my mind. Cursing school in my mind as I am hardly prepared to survive alone without technology. Why did brother teach me how to fight, not to survive? Then amidst my cursing a sudden realization hits me. Why not simply chop up the wood into smaller pieces? Then maybe, just maybe it will burn. Rhia¡¯s dagger is just what I need. Her clothes and trinkets still stowed away in a casket. It did not take long to find what I need. With the dagger I cut small chips out of the wood. Cut larger parts into long thin pieces and with these I will build a smaller fire. With the tinder the fire gently starts and builds up as I slowly add smaller pieces of firewood to the fire. Overjoyed I cry for the first time since coming here tears of joy. The meal I prepared was by no means good but it was something I have managed to prepare myself. A sense of pride wells up inside me as I eat a hearty meal. The warmth enveloping this place and it does not feel so lonesome any longer. Considering the effort required to have a meal and even more so cleaning it up, I decide that I must prepare myself. This world will not take me down without a fight. The stash containing Rhia¡¯s things are now required for my own survival. Rhia, I am ever so sorry should you ever return but I will alleviate your things. For the past days I have but worn the very same gown since I arrived. A dark, thick fabric donning my body that I somehow have grown accustomed to. The fabric is not so bad now that I have worn it a good couple of days albeit definitely not as clean as it once were. Elain being mindful had prepared a bucket with clean water. Undressing and with a wet towel, I wipe away the accumulated dirt on my new body. It is rather embarrassing but I must be thorough. It is definitely not as bad as the time I had to relieve myself for the first time. My reflection stares back at me in the water but it is not as chocking any longer. Choosing a set of clothes, I dress myself properly in a dress in red and black. The leather armour is far too embarrassing for me but perhaps someday. It seems Rhia indeed have a lot of things prepared for daily duties. My hair all tangled I decide to brush it, fighting any tangles I come across. Having cleaned myself properly I once again look at my own reflection. Would say I do not look too shabby. Thank god that there is no makeup whatsoever in sight. Feeling ready to fight the world I attach the dagger to my belt. The bow lay ready along with a quiver. There is no harm in bringing it along thus I attach it along the quiver on to the other side of the belt. With a bucket in hand I make way outside to gather snow. One can never be too cautious around here. Chris once told me ¡°Big bubbles no trouble.¡±. Thus today¡¯s task is to prepare water by boiling snow.
Chapter 5 -The Hunt- Chapter 5 -The Hunt- Never before have I been so afraid of being alone. Yet the possibility of meeting someone is far more horrifying. _______________________________________________________ Elain sure is late. One would think that ¡®a few days¡¯ would mean a few days, not a week. Frustrated I throw myself on to the bed, swinging my legs back and forth over the bed¡¯s edge. Although I am sure she has her reasons, it is frustrating to be left behind like this. Even more so considering that I hardly know the area around here. What little I know so far from exploring what little I dared is that we are situated in a clearing inside a forest. The shrine is a short walk through the woods to the east. Thus I truly know nothing. With a loud sigh I ponder on what to do today. ¡°Perhaps I should start the day with another archery session?¡± Ila tilts her head in response, her yellow eyes looking straight at me. Her black and white spotted fur glistering with a tone of red due to the light emitted from the hearth. ¡°Don¡¯t judge me alright, I know I suck at it.¡± With a frustrated cry I recall my earlier session three days past. It was my first time using the bow thus I had prepared an easy target. My verdict, a disaster to say the least. One out of 20 arrows hit and that one was just a fluke. If I were to use something like a crossbow, then perhaps my score would have been different. Frustrated at the time I stowed away my bow with intent to never be seen again. However, the possibility of encountering dangerous beasts and evil men frighten me. Now that I have calmed down, I should reconsider my decision. Mastering the bow and dagger may be my safest bet for survival in this world as no one succeeds without effort and perseverance. Failure whilst practicing here is better than in a real life-threatening situation. Ila seem to have lost her interest as she is now cleaning herself. She is probably more concerned as to why I did not accept her nice offering this morning. Regardless how flattering it may be to her, it was not nice for me to wake up to a mauled something next to my head. Although Ila may have a point, there is practically no meat left in this house. Perhaps I should follow Rhia¡¯s footsteps and become a hunter of some sort giving me further incentive to master the bow. Rhia¡¯s bow should be where I left it, in her casket under a multiple layer of clothing. Clothing I had deemed not necessary in a foreseeable future. My hands dig into the casket as something hard grazes against my hand. Not thinking through whether I should pull it forth or not I with a quick decision pull it out. A set of leather meet my eyes; it is Rhia¡¯s leather armour. Resisting my urge to quickly throw it away I look at closely, admiring the craftsmanship before me. It is a darkened leather armour with leaves beautifully embroidered into the chest piece. The only missing piece for a whole set is a cap or a helmet. There is a set of gloves probably made for archery. It surely would have helped earlier as I had hurt my hands using the bow. Using this piece of armour sure would make me feel better about exploring the surrounding area. Even more so if I were to hunt in the woods. Giving it no further thought I decide to try it on. The armour fit like it was exclusively made for me. Curious about my looks I grab a polished copper or quite possibly bronze mirror piece. Yet another one of Rhia¡¯s trinkets that at first had no obvious use. A round disk of polished bronze plate is not something I associate with mirrors. A reflection stare back at me. A woman with long red flowing curly hair. It definitely feels strange looking at her but not as shocking now as I know what to expect. The clothing, armour and accessories all add up together furthering my feminine look. Wonder what my friends at school would think seeing me like this. Would I be considered a hot girl now? The mere thought made me laugh although feeling embarrassed for even considering such. My getup would probably garner more looks given it is far from the norm. Having played enough with the mirror I grab my bow, quiver and dagger and head out. The sun, high in the sky and its rays shining brightly onto the field give respite from the cold. It feels as if spring is at the door and there are but a few days of snow left. A sudden but welcomed turn as it was but a few days ago since we had a snow storm. The thought of spending the day practicing with my bow is not as enticing as the prospect of exploring the area a little bit. Although I need to be careful as my proficiency with the bow is lacking. However, the thought of being stuck here another day is killing me. A short walk around should be of no harm. There have been but one time I saw a creature in the area and that was days ago. That could have been my imagination as well. Regardless, it headed south towards a grove on the southern edge of the clearing. Thus I should head north. Perhaps I could find a small rivulet or the like nearby. A fresh source of water would be nice considering that snow might soon be in a short supply. Needing no more incentive, I set foot ahead towards the northern border of the clearing. Away from the creature I saw that night. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It surely feels like a whole other world upon entering the forest. The trees are thick and reach up high into the sky. Moss growing on practically everything there is to grow on. Spring has already come to this place. There are but a few patches of snow here and there. A damp yet earthy inviting smell sift through my nose as I breathe in nature. My footsteps echo soundly as I walk with bow and arrow in hand. It is as if the forest is inviting me further into its bosom but I know better than to stray too far away from home. It took me about 2 hours to find what I have been looking for. A rivulet gently streaming towards the south west. My feet hurt as they crave rest. However, it is not the only part of me that is tired. The forest¡¯s uneven landscape makes it quite tiresome to explore this area. Slumping down on a stone near the stream my hands reach into a satchel strapped on my belt procuring a little small something to eat. However, my short rest is cut even shorter. My eyes dart towards a sudden sound I hear to the north. A fawn timidly walks over to the rivulet to have a drink. It carefully looks about but it does not seem to notice me. My hands silently nock an arrow on my bow, aiming at the target as if it is the most natural thing to do in the world. As if a sudden surge to exact revenge on Flidae is given rise albeit this fawn is not her no. This fawn is brown and alone in this harsh world. The mother or siblings nowhere to be seen. Its fate sealed once it lost its family. It will surely die by some predator if not by me. My arms and hands shake yet I cannot let lose the arrow. Slumping down I give up for a few moments. Taking a few breaths, mustering enough courage to take aim once again. The fawn drinks carelessly from the stream. Not knowing its impeding death coming close. Something flicks my ear and surprised I let the arrow loose. The fawn stumble away terrified by the sudden noise. The arrow missed but stupefied I wonder what just happened. Turning my head left and right a small something flies into view. It laughs at me with a girlish giggle. It glows with a green light yet there is a small feminine person standing in that ray of light. A pair of transparent butterfly wings fluttering on its back. It says something or should I say sings something to me. With a giggle it leaves me, flying away deep into the woods. It took a while for me to grasp what just happened. With quick steps I move over to the area where the arrow had struck the ground. The arrow seems whole seemingly buried in moss. Quickly digging it out, returning it to the quiver I hurriedly make my way home. This whole situation just gave me further proof that this world is inhabited by strange things. That the thing I saw that night was indeed real. All common sense that I have accumulated over the years are for naught here. My steps echo loudly as I hurriedly make my way home. My eyes dart left and right, I have to make haste or I may find something else hiding out here. I stumble upon something and fall face down on to the ground. Cursing my luck, I look at the probable root I stumbled upon. However, it was no root as my eyes look upon the rotting carcass of a man. His hollowed eyes eaten out and face torn. His guts torn out and eaten. The area suddenly grew colder as I feel all warmth drain from my body. Letting out a scream I crawl a few steps back expecting the dead something to rise up. It does not. Calming down I look at the man once more. He does not move at all. Long black hair, furs all over his body. However, he has been eaten for most part. Gnawed bones and fur scattered about. A broken bow lay on the ground and a sword strapped to his side. Arrows lay scattered about and a satchel lay on the ground as well. Giving the man no further heed I grab the satchel and make my way home as quick as possible. However, my worries do not end as I hear loud thumping noises from behind. It must be large considering the heavy sound every step it takes make. Screaming for help I run but I can hear it getting closer. It steadily gains ground on me and I do not know what is worst. Knowing that I will not make it in time home or that it might follow me there. A sudden hit to my back makes me tumble over. Crying, screaming I fear the worst as something grabs my hair and pulls me up. Yellow eyes meet mine, a crooked yellow tusked smile on the creature forms as it looks me over. A large nose don its face and strange chubby pointy ears go outwards from its head. It is large, maybe 3 meters in height and it holds me up like I weigh nothing. There were tales of creatures such as these back home. Trolls hiding under bridges but never did I expect to meet one. It reeks is an understatement as I feel the foul odour of that thing curling my nose hair. The creature begins to drag me by the hair deeper into the forest. Panicked I scream and tumble about but the troll gives no heed. Chapter 6 - Questions- ------------------------------- It is I, Goedleimneidr with yet another chapter of Tales of Rhia. Apologies beforehand for making the forthcoming scenes underwhelming even though we have a tragedy tag. Looking at you Ivanator the Great. ^_^ Also, beautiful fan-art there. I am definitely surprised at the great reception I have received so far. Looking at the follower count, favorites, comments and whatnot. It definitely spurs me to continue writing so do keep me well fed with compliments and whatnot. :3 I am greedy like that. -.-keu-.- We are progressing quite fast with the story and honestly, I had thought I would have made it much much much slower than this. However, I write however I feel fits the moment as I tend to simply sleep on whatever I decide to do next and then ad lib it. Although I do have plans on where I want to go with the story. It is simply how we get there that I just make up as I write. I won''t spoil what plans I may have for the future. However, I intend to fulfill those tags. I love realistic stories with consequences, death, moral dilemmas, fantastical beasts and beings, corruption, brutality, torture, murder, rape, brothels, dark ages things and all between. So you can imagine what authors I tend to follow. Perhaps I should put an 18+ tag before it is too late as I just may add anything. Well as always, feel free to ask questions and whatnot. Also do share your thoughts and dreams for the future for Rhia. It is always fun to read what you have in mind. :3 Sincerely yours /Goedleimneidr ------------------------------- Chapter 6 -Questions- Feeling and knowing you are powerless when it truly matters is a curse. _______________________________________________________ The troll grunts and hums a merry tune of some sort, seemingly not caring about my wellbeing at all. Pain throbs all over my mauled body as I am constantly reminded whilst being struck by roots and whatnot on the way. The trees are growing thicker and the forest darker as the troll lulls his horrid tune. Too tired to scream any longer nor resist although I have not given up on escaping this hell. There may not be much time until we arrive. A harsh fate awaits wherever this creature is taking me to, I am sure of it. However, I do not plan to stick around waiting for whatever it has planned for me. No, my plan to escape this torment have already been decided. Silently reaching for my dagger, feeling the hilt against my hand whilst my other hand collects most of my hair. The next step is crucial and I pray to whatever god there is, even Flidae that the troll does not notice what I am about to do. With a decisive cut I remove parts of my hair and with a thud I am grounded, no longer moving. Slowly, quietly I crawl under nearby roots to hide, searching for the darkest place there is. It did not take long for the troll to notice my escape. With a crazed roar it rushes back, the ground shake with each step. The troll is near but it does not seem to notice me hiding. Praying, holding my breath hoping it stays that way the troll suddenly roars something so powerful that my heart skips a beat. My heart pound so hard and fast that it hurts. With a clenched hand I keep pressure on my chest giving slight respite from the pain. Its heavy steps getting closer. Whatever urge I have to scream and cry, alleviated by the sheer terror I feel. The troll walks past, standing with its back towards me. It looks about as I see its massive figure in plain sight from my sanctuary under the roots. It brings the remains of my hair towards its nose and with a deep breath in breathes in my smell. Defeated, it falls down on its knees still sniffing my hair as it cries something so sad. Whatever sadness that creature feels brings me great relief as it means that I am safe for now. It is truly an ugly sight. Snot run down his face and his cries sound more like slaughter. The troll however does not give up chase as it with a roar leaves towards the location he found me first, south. The forest, now quiet. The troll is nowhere in sight nor can I hear it. My legs work themselves hard as I push myself out of my safe haven. My eyes wander the surrounding area. It is dark even though night should be a couple of hours away. My throat is sore and my head is hurting. Rhia¡¯s armour surely saved me as I would have been far worse off had I not put it on. ¡°I should remind myself to thank her should we ever meet.¡± I whisper to myself. It seems that this whole endeavour has cost me a bow and all of my arrows as well. ¡°I must reimburse her.¡± Struggling to keep myself up straight I head towards what I presume is west. Slowly accustoming myself to the pain. Telling myself that if I were to stay then I would surely die. Hopefully, I will find that rivulet again and from there I will head south to safety. My vision slowly begins to blur as I feel faint. ¡°No I must.¡± Darkness cruelly takes a hold of me. ¡°Liam, wake up.¡± A soothing voice beckons me. Who is this? I ask myself, searching my memory for whomever this voice belongs to. It feels so familiar. ¡°Liam, please come back.¡± The voice sounds so sad. ¡°Who are you?¡± I ask and I hear her gasp in response. ¡°Liam! You are awake?!¡± Bright light tries to keep my eyes sealed but slowly I adjust to the sudden change. Her beautiful face looks straight at me with tears flowing. It is Chloe, the girl I have been in love with so long. Brown, gentle flowing hair and freckles. My heart skips a beat; she is far too close but somehow it feels just right. Her blue eyes stare directly into mine. ¡°Chloe, what are you doing here?¡± I shockingly ask her. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.¡°Liam, you¡¯ve been in an accident but don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll get a doctor, don¡¯t move!¡± She quickly runs out of the white room leaving me here in a bed. It does not take long for a doctor along with nurses to arrive with Chloe in queue. ¡°Alright miss, how are you feeling?¡± The doctor asks. ¡°I am quite alright, just a tad dizzy.¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s not surprising considering you¡¯ve hit your head quite severely. But you¡¯ll be alright, no need to worry.¡± The doctor says reassuringly. However, it all feels so strange. Chloe and I were never that close, why is she here? Where is brother and where is father? ¡°Chloe, why are you here?¡± ¡°Silly, of course I would be here for my bestest friend in the whole world.¡± Red hair slightly falls into view before my eyes. Looking down I see two mounds have taken form. Gasping for air I feel the whole world spinning. My head is hurting all over. ¡°Rhia!¡± Chloe shouts. The doctors and nurses are quick to react. ¡°She is going into shock!¡± Someone shouts. Bright coloured lights in all manner of colours are disturbing my comfortable sleep. A beautiful chorus or hymn is being sung and I have no idea what it says. However, it calms me, it soothes my soul. Curious I slowly open my eyes to peek at what transpires before me. Nine fairies as the one I saw before are dancing before my eyes. They dance and sing and as they do, glittering dust falls down over my body. The sparks cause ripples of faint light over me as they land. Somehow I feel invigorated, the throbbing pain as if it never been there. The fairies giggle as they notice that I am staring at them. Their dancing stopped and with it the soothing feeling and the sparks. One of them lands on my chest looking straight at me. If I am not wrong, it is the same one as the one I saw by the rivulet earlier. With a bright smile it looks at me, patting my chin. The rest clamour as they land on me, all wanting to pat me for some reason. They giggle and seem like a merry bunch. One begins tugging at my hair and the rest follow queue. ¡°Did you lot save me?¡± I ask. The fairies look at me stupefied. They all begin pushing me with their small bodies. Seeing there is no harm in doing as asked, I rise up. The group begins flying in a direction, beckoning me to follow. They are asking me to go deeper into the forest with them. It is dark, probably late night but there seem to be no reason not to follow them. It just might be safer with them than spending the night alone. Their luminescent light act as a guide in the dark. It is pitch black but the fairies lead the way although I do stumble occasionally which seems to greatly amuse the fairies. The path seems to be never ending, the light but reflect slightly on trees further and further away. The Fairies seem to not mind at all but walking in utter darkness is quite tiresome. The trees begin to change eventually as we delve deeper into the forest. They glow with small orbs of luminescent light. Great vines swing atop the grand trees and the whole area seem to glow softly. It is as if nature give way for us as we cross. The area buzzes with night life. There are small creatures climbing around the trees, dark creatures. What are they? They somehow look like larger, more feral fairies due to the wings on their backs but I cannot tell. The fairies do not seem alarmed however so I simply follow queue, keeping a watchful eye for any possible attack. Some grunts and some threatening voices are heard as we walk further in. However, the fairies are quick to reprimand and keep whatever creatures they are at bay with their voices. A sizzling sound is flying overhead and with a slight thud, the ground before me is penetrated by an arrow. Surprised I take a step back having no idea where it came from. Clamouring sounds are heard in the whole area and there seem to be infighting amongst themselves. A larger creature moves forth, standing before the fairies and myself. It is short by human standard, holding what seems to be a long spear. The darkness eludes its form although it seems to be a humanoid two legged figure. ¡°We apologize. The youngling¡¯s action, be punished.¡± The figure speaks with a crisp broken accent. ¡°Ah wait. No harm done.¡± I answer with a nervous chuckle. The creature nods and disappears once more into the darkness. The fairies beckon me to continue forth with them. The creatures seem to keep a watchful eye on me. Although that incident seemed to have quieted them down quite a bit. However, it keeps me on my toes as a feeling of death roams over me. The fairies stop in an area that seemed darker than the rest. With a quick wave they fly away leaving me there alone. ¡°Wait!¡± I shout surprised at this development. The forest seem so dark here and there are but distant light whence we came. A once dark tree is slowly beginning to glow. Terrified I look at it. ¡°Ah. Welcome child.¡± The tree speaks in a deep tone. A mouth formed on the aged tree along with a face. Slowly three other trees begin to glow and each welcome me in the same way. The area lights up in a soothing low light. The trees are before me in a half circle formation. There seem to be a fifth tree in the middle but it does not glow yet nor does it welcome me. It is much larger than the four other trees here. Larger than any tree I have ever seen before. One branch as large as one of the speaking trees. ¡°Do not worry about the elder tree child. It has not woken up for ages past. We, the elder council speaks for the elder.¡± ¡°Can you not speak child?¡± The trees ask in unison. ¡°Apologies, it is just a bit much to take in now.¡± I confess wishing I never left home today. The trees stand silent, unmoving as they watch me. Somehow upon looking closely, they all have distinct faces upon their trunk. They seem to be waiting for me. Waiting for a question or perhaps a more proper response. ¡°Why have you brought me here?¡± I decide to ask. ¡°We did not bring you here. It was the whims of the Fairies that brought you here. Wilful as intended. For one reason or another they saw it fit to bring you here. You are brought here because you need to be here.¡± They all seem to fill out each other¡¯s thoughts with their own sentence. ¡°You are brought here to listen oh unfortunate child.¡± A booming voice is heard silencing, darkening all other trees. It is the elder tree speaking. Chapter 7 -Home- Chapter 7 -Home- It is us living who are truly unfortunate. _______________________________________________________ The forest grows still, silent as if showing reverence towards the might that is the elder tree. Its giant roots and branches reach far and wide. Small glowing seeds very much like dandelions float irregularly in the air. Furthering the majestic feel, demanding utter reverence. However, rather than feeling reverence I feel fear. Fear telling me how insignificant I am. ¡°The goddess of light saw it fit to remove you yet here you stand. Why the old so fought to have you return even after.¡± The elder fasten its giant eyes on me. The seeds gather around me, attaching themselves onto me, paralyzing me. Gasping for air as it is hard to breathe, I can feel my strength forcefully leave me. Fear strikes me further, is this creature planning on killing me? ¡°Do you truly carry such importance? Will you truly bring the change that they so brazenly wish for?¡± The elder tree¡¯s tone does not carry any hint of sincerity yet it sounds curious. The seeds take flight once more. My strength returns as I cough and gasp for air. Feeling relieved that I may yet live. ¡°The gods are fickle beings, more so than my creations. How they sustain themselves on belief is not viable in the long run. Although the god of light is indeed clever. Claiming that there is but one god and that is she. Will you be the messiah of change? Perhaps the goddess of light has succeeded in removing the very essence that brought change. Oh you are indeed very unfortunate to be alive child.¡± The elder seem to let out a slight chuckle yet powerful enough to bring forth a tremor in the ground. Has the tree brought me here to simply mock me? ¡°You are speaking of things I have no idea nor care of. Why am I here, really? Is there a way to return home to my family?¡± ¡°Who gave you leave to speak?¡± The voice of the tree booms, throwing me on the ground. ¡°I would not have spoken to you were it not for your mother showing great kindness which is rare amongst your kind. However, my curiosity is now satisfied thus you may leave.¡± ¡°No wait you have not told me anything!¡± I shout stumbling upon the ground. Standing on my knees I plead. ¡°Please!¡± Silence rules the area and light slowly return as it once was before. The elder tree did not listen nor give heed. There is but a sapling slowly falling down on to the ground from one of the larger branches above. ¡°The elder spoke.¡± The elder council of trees all speak in unison. ¡°It has not happened since ages past. The elder has gifted her, shown favour upon her.¡± They sound amazed as the sapling takes root and immediately grows into a bush. It blooms and the marvellous sight before me takes my breath away. Immediately a green something forms upon the small growing bush, draining all life from it. It withers away leaving something on the ground. A bow lay where the bush once was. ¡°A bow?!¡± I shout to the elder tree. ¡°I need fucking answers!¡± ¡°Child, you are truly blessed. The elder tree has shown favour upon you. We are humbled. Please, we shall aid you however we can. Do not disturb the elder further.¡± The trees speak in turn, each with their distinct voice and tone. ¡°However, we may not have the answers to all questions you ask. The elder and its infinite wisdom did not share all knowledge with us. Dare not question the elder¡¯s infinite wisdom. It shares but what it thinks proper. The burden of knowledge may be too much. Trust in the elder. Put your faith in the elder. The elder knows what is best for all.¡± The elder tree stands there silently, any wisdom it may or may not have locked inside. Still on my knees I plead to the council. ¡°Do you know of a way to return home?¡± ¡°Yes, we shall summon a guide. You who are blessed by the elder shall return home. Your cabin to the south, the destination and we shall help you in this endeavour. No matter the cost.¡± ¡°No I mean to return home. To my own world. I just want to go home to my family. My brother, father, friends. Please, if you know anything!¡± There is no answer but silence. The trees look at me, all seem perplexed. ¡°We do not understand; your world is here. You are part of this world and you have always been. There is no other world. There are other worlds but you do not belong there. You do not own a world. The elder has not divulged such knowledge. Are you certain the cabin is not your home?¡± Each tree speaks their mind in a flowing manner seemingly not caring that they at times contradict one another. ¡°I see.¡± With a defeated sigh I slump down. ¡°Please see me home safely to the cabin.¡± The only thing that mattered seem to be the one thing they have no knowledge of. ¡°I have no further inquiries.¡± Something kneels before me. My tired eyes wander up towards the figure finally looking at who or whatever it may be. A stern but beautiful androgynous face with pointy ears look straight at me. It is donned in hard dark leather or perhaps it is chitin plate. ¡°Dueilen at your service. I have been honoured with the task of accompanying you who have been blessed by the elder and guide you home with my life as assurance. This is my vow.¡± Though I am not surprised any longer to see strange creatures. Seeing an elf for the first time made me somehow flustered. They are far more beautiful and gracious than the tales let on. However, its skin seems somehow unnatural. There are no dents, pores or blemishes whatsoever and it somehow looks hard. Its eyes are wholly black and its long hair grey. Perhaps it is not an elf after all? My feet find themselves as I rise up from the ground. The elven creature rises up immediately as well. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.¡°Okay, shall we then? I am done with this place.¡± I say with a not so happy tone as I turn heel to leave. ¡°You must bring with the gift from the elder. Not doing so would be seen as an insult. That bow is yours and yours only, care for it with your life. You will need it.¡± The council voice their concern but I had indeed forgotten about the bow. With a sigh I turn around to bring it with. The green bow lay on the ground, its beautiful craftsmanship apparent. Perhaps it might not be so bad anyhow considering I had lost mine already. Regardless, returning to Elain¡¯s place, home is all that matters now. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°You are always welcome to our grove oh lady blessed by the elder tree.¡± The trees say in unison. They seem to have some sort of misunderstanding if I am what they considered blessed by that elder tree. My footsteps echo loudly in comparison to Dueilen whose steps seem to not generate any sounds at all. I marvel at the sight before me, the elven creature is indeed quite stunning to watch. Its every move gracious yet powerful. Tiredly I try to keep up but it is moving so swiftly across the area. Yet it acts ever watchful of whatever danger may lurk around, ready with a long spear in hand. It carries a bow on its back as well but for whatever reason decided for the spear. It bothers me that I have no idea what gender this creature is. It motions me to stay still as it looks away in the far distant. My eyes try to adjust and watch in whatever direction it is but I cannot see what it sees. ¡°What is it?¡± I curiously ask having no idea what to look for. ¡°Trolls, be quiet.¡± It sternly answers as if bothered. These its first words since leaving the grove. Seemingly not care to answer any questions I had before like how long we would travel. There are however no trolls in sight but I dare not question whatever Dueilen sees. ¡°You are too loud, be quiet.¡± It scolds me. ¡°What? I am not doing or saying anything!¡± ¡°Be quiet, be silent as light or darkness.¡± It sternly says as it pushes my face down onto the ground. Light or darkness, whatever that means. Try to explain in human stupid creature. Whatever respect I had for you is now gone stupid. Acting chivalrous earlier at the grove was but a front. Dueilen¡¯s hand push hard against my head as it keeps me down into the moss. Would have been fine were there not a small spider atop the moss close to my head. I forcefully squirm as I try to wriggle out of Dueilen¡¯s grip however it does not let go. Almost at the point of squealing, its grip lets go and I hastily rise up and brush away whatever may or may not climb on me. ¡°Stupid human blessed by the elder tree. You are too loud but we are safe for now.¡± ¡°Too loud?! I will show you loud!¡± Irritated I begin raising my voice but Dueilen forcefully keeps me shut with its hand. ¡°Be quiet or we will die.¡± Dueilen scolds me though I know that was rather stupid of me but it is so damn frustrating. Slowly after making sure everything is alright, it begins to move again and I follow queue albeit irritated. Night slowly descend upon us and exhaustion is beginning to take its toll. There has been no time to rest at all. Feeling hungry, thirsty and tired I begin contemplating my earlier actions. ¡°Sorry¡± I solemnly say, my behaviour was rather childish and parting on bad terms would leave a bad taste. ¡°Stupid human say sorry yet intends to continue, showing no true remorse for its actions.¡± Dueilen states with a bothered tone. ¡°Be like that then! Fuck you too!¡± I raise my voice but it does not seem to care. Dueilen simply continues along its chosen path. Quickly reminding myself I apologize yet again but there is no response this time, only silence. My stomach growl and my legs feel rather sluggish. ¡°Shall we setup camp for the night?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I cannot walk in the night you know. I am tired, hungry sleepy, thirsty. Please?¡± I plead but Dueilen does not let up. ¡°No, follow me.¡± Stumbling ahead after the elven creature I curse my luck, my sight and everything in between. It is growing colder than before, the dawn of spring but an illusion. The cold seep into my clothes and it is but me moving that keeps me warm. However, I do not know for how long I can keep this up. The creatures of the night make horrid noises and I fear they are getting even closer with each step I take. ¡°Are we there yet?¡± I ask pleading for this nightmare to end. ¡°Yes.¡± It stops motioning towards the far distance. There is a house. Low light emanates from the house, proof that someone is there. ¡°Elain, I¡¯m finally home.¡± Chapter 8 - Emission- ------------------------------- It is I, Goedleimneidr! Apologies beforehand for making you lot wait for another chapter. As mentioned, I do have real life commitments that may at times come in the way of writing. Hope you lot are not too angry with no release for 7 days. :3 Well as always, feel free to post your thoughts and know that I read all of them! They are my important source of writers nutrition. Although I do not need it to survive but it does make my day. *nodnods* However, I do not think I should respond to each and every one of them. If there is something you direly need answers to, feel free to message me. Signed /Goedleimneidr ------------------------------- Chapter 8 -Emission- Where else would I go? _______________________________________________________ My steps bring me closer to the warmth emitted from Elain¡¯s house. Comfort that is sure to bring relief from this cold reality is within my reach. A door is swung open as I approach on unsteady feet. It is indeed she waiting there by the opening. Elain with tears in her eyes swiftly move over to grab a hold of me, covering me in her warm embrace. She is quite taller than me, covering me whole making me feel so small. ¡°Where have you been child?¡± She says with a relieved tone caressing my head. It is enough to make me cry in her shoulder. All these pent up feelings within myself brought forth. ¡°I am back.¡± Elain with her loving embrace guides me inside as I continue to sob. Seated I watch her prepare a meal and her Ila softly purrs on my lap. It feels as if Elain never left this place. That it was but I that left like a rebelling child but only now decided to return. ¡°Now dear, do tell me what you have been up to.¡± She calmly says stirring the contents within a pot. It smells delicious, reminding me yet again that I am now safe. All my feelings let loose as I tell her everything that I have been up to since. That including the encounter with the strange being the first night here and my failure with the bow. How I was caught and mauled by a troll but cut my hair to escape. Even the encounter with the strange elders of trees along with elves and fairies. It remind me of the conversation I had with the elder tree. That I am of this world and that I was her daughter and still am. However, somehow I ended up living as Liam in another world by the act of some goddess of light that for some reason seem to scorn me. Although the old gods brought me back but that is if I am to believe whatever the elder tree said. It feels too surreal to be true yet here I am and this is the only valid explanation I have received so far. It feels as if I am loosing myself to my body yet I know that I am Liam. Whomever this Rhia was is no longer I. Either I somehow perhaps reincarnated in my world but was forcefully brought back here or perhaps my mother Rhia is from this world and I am her son. The latter sound more probable to me yet the trees seem to vouch for the former alternative. Perhaps the old gods decided to bring me upon not finding my mother? Regardless, either way would make Elain related to me as either my mother or grandmother. This brings me much needed solace as I am not alone without family here in this strange world. Even though Elain is somewhat a stranger to me but with time I may find peace with this. ¡°Weak.¡± A crisp voice brings me back from my thoughts. Turning towards the door I see a figure staring at me. Its black eyes perforate my world, staring into my very being. ¡°Weak.¡± It repeats the same word again. Darkness as black as its eyes envelope my surroundings and cold seep into my bones. ¡°Stupid human, had I sadly not been tasked to see you safe then I would have left you all alone here to die.¡± ¡°Alone?¡± I ask myself as I look around the empty house. Elain is nowhere to be seen and the light and warmth all gone. Ila whom I had felt upon my lap earlier is gone as well. It is but I alone here with Dueilen by the door. Tears frozen on my cheeks and my whole body numb from the cold. ¡°Go lay yourself to rest. I shall care for you for now.¡± Dueilen says but this time without contempt or mockery in its voice. ¡°Thank you.¡± My voice barely brought forth. ¡°No thanks, it is what the elders would have asked of me. Rest now.¡± Doing as it asks I slowly, shivering crawl under the furs in Elain¡¯s bed. The furs colder than I am give no warmth. Dueilen swiftly prepare a fire far quicker than I ever could. With a few short words it leaves the house but I am too tired and sad to care what it said. Tiredly I open my eyes as black eyes stare into mine. ¡°Drink this.¡± Dueilen says. ¡°It¡¯ll help.¡± Something bitter enters my mouth as I am forced to drink some strange concoction but I care naught any longer. Am I really alone now? The morning sun pierce through, the furs now warm and comforting. Somehow I feel invigorated and strong, is it Dueilen¡¯s doing? Dueilen however sits idly by the hearth not moving whatsoever. It seems it has prepared a great deal whilst I rested. There are logs by the hearth, food and herbs neatly sorted upon the table and rabbits hanging flayed and ready. By my bed I notice a small bowl with burned herbs, perhaps incense. However, the serenity disturbed as Dueilen¡¯s voice break the silence. ¡°You are alive, healthy and awake. It is good. This one¡¯s duty is now accomplished.¡± It firmly stands up preparing to leave. ¡°No wait please. Thank you for your help Dueilen.¡± ¡°It is the elders wish to see you well for now. You are well thus I am done here.¡± It firmly says leaving no room for debate. ¡°No please wait. What should I do now? I am alone here please I need help!¡± I plead to the elven creature. It turns to face me, its eyes pierce me harshly yet I decisively stand firm looking straight back. ¡°Help? You have received far more help than you deserve and what you do now is up to you.¡± Its stare is cold and the tone far from friendly. ¡°Your mother might not be coming back, she might be dead. Either wait here or leave to find others of your kin. Procreate, live and die at your leave. It matters not to me.¡± Dueilen grabs its spear leaning towards the wall and moves up to the door yet I still stare firmly upon it. It looks towards me and with a sigh it says. ¡°Do not take my actions as kindness as it is not. It is far from it.¡± It looks long and hard into my eyes that does not falter. ¡°There is a group of humans to the northwest of here. What you would call brigands but they might take you in. To the south of here bordering the great forest is a small village for your kind. That might be the better choice for you.¡± Dueilen motions towards the table with assorted goods upon it. ¡°There is enough food to last until spring comes and there are hides to sell. That is all I can do for you. Although the council has promised you their support, it is not much we can do from afar. Fare thee well Rhia, daughter of the woods, blessed by the elder and stupid human.¡± There is a slight smirk showing on Dueilen¡¯s face as it leaves. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.¡°Thank you Dueilen.¡± I solemnly say. There is no question on what I should do. The food Dueilen prepared will last a week or more thus waiting for Elain may be my best bet for now. She could teach me more about this world I now live in and I could perhaps accustom myself to a life here. Learn from her and perhaps gain a feared reputation as her successor. Should she not return then I must dare venture south to the village Dueilen mentioned. People will surely venture here in due time and I do not think I can fend them off should they bear ill intent. However I must take care venturing south lest I face whatever I saw that night many nights ago. There is of course the brigands but it does not sound too intriguing. That considering those two that visited Elain many days past. Although even more so considering I am a girl now. Not knowing much about this world makes me fear the worst in men. The possibility of rape but one of the things I bear in mind. Unfortunately, I do not have much to do around here. That encounter with the troll had cost me a bow and all of my arrows. Although I do have a new strange green bow but there are no arrows to be had which renders it useless. Thus archery practice is out of the question. My leather armour somehow made it through with some scratches to say the least. However, it should hold up were I to venture out again. Though I will have to take outmost care where I move around lest I invite a gruesome fate at the hands of trolls or worse. The mere thought makes me shudder. Now being a girl for real make me worry as men are probably lucky enough to be simply eaten or cooked in a pot. It might just be my assumptions and fear as I could simply face such a fate as well. However, I would not take any chances as the reaction the troll had to me escaping begs me to differ. The sight of it smelling my hair crying makes me think that it was either for hunting or due to affection and in this case I would guess the latter. Although sitting idly here for a week sounds horrid as I might as well just die here then. Practice with the dagger might be my only option but what should I do then? Swing it in a direction a certain number of times sounds rather foolish. ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± With a sigh I sprawl down on the bed looking up at the roof. Laying there idly it hit me, something I have always neglected. Physical exercise. With newfound energy I rise up from bed. Cardio might be a great start since I just might have to run away from everything I see. For now the path back and forth to the shrine might just do it. There is no reason not to bring my gear including my bow with me. Chris always said that it is better to exercise with the gear you most likely will carry with. Thus I might as well get used to carry it around. With a short warmup I begin jogging towards the shrine. Panting I look upon the shrine and the doe stare blindly back. Whatever power it may have seem so insignificant now. The area still so cold but the cold is slowly giving way for spring. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m back.¡± I manage to say but the shrine does not respond. ¡°For what reason did you bring me here?¡± I ask patting the shrine knowing that I would get no response. ¡°Well you have me here now and my attention with it.¡± But a cold stone is all I see. ¡°You have taken everything from me. You¡¯ve put me in this horrid world all alone and I am scared. Why oh why did you?¡± My fist hits the back of the doe as tears forms on my eyes. My fist finds it way weakly upon its back once again. ¡°I know I shot you but are you happy now having punished me so? Now Elain¡¯s gone and there¡¯s nothing for me here but the jokes on you. The joke is on damned you Flidae. I just might join this god damn goddess of light.¡± Although my threats idle as I whimper, kneeling at the goddess side not knowing what else to do. ¡°Please respond.¡± A gasp is heard from somewhere nearby. A woman in a thick robe stand with a hand covering her mouth. She looks older than me but not by much. Her hair is brown and made into a bun on the back of her head. Is this perhaps a sign from Flidae? ¡°Witch, it¡¯s the witch!¡± She exclaims as she darts away. ¡°No wait!¡± Instinctively I shout out. Startled she somehow fall down on the ground. ¡°Ah please don¡¯t curse me, please don¡¯t hurt me!¡± She whimpers as she crawls away on all four. ¡°I mean you no harm please wait!¡± I try to explain rushing to her side but not entirely sure what to do next. Poor woman is terrified of me. She whimpers covering her eyes as if merely looking at me brings misfortune. ¡°Please, I am not a witch.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what all witches say!¡± She exclaims with such powerful devotion. That logic however is quite something though. ¡°Then are you a witch?¡± I calmly ask her in a slight mocking manner. ¡°No?¡± She answers still whimpering. ¡°Ah we have a witch here! She claims she is not a witch but that is what all witches do!¡± I immediately shout out in an even more mocking manner. She simply stares dumbfounded at me. A few more seconds and it would be even more awkward than it already is. Perhaps I should say something but she laughs instead. ¡°You are not as frightening as the tales let on!¡± She exclaims still laughing. ¡°Oh dear I thought you would curse me for sure!¡± ¡°Well I still am not whom you think I am.¡± Sighing I look at the woman before me. Her eyes are blue and she is by no means ugly albeit have a more common still pretty face. One would perhaps say she is a natural beauty. Offering her a hand I help her up from the ground. ¡°The tales did speak of an old hag living around here with warts all over her face. They claim she eats and curse people for merely looking at her. They say she frequents this shrine but none have ever seen her and returned!¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m certainly no hag. Also, if they never return then how do people spread the tale and know what she look like? It is probably superstitious nonsense.¡± Although I know who she speaks of although rather exaggerated to further embellish the tale. Perhaps I should not strive to have her reputation after all albeit it does seem rather effective. ¡°Ah. I am ever so sorry! Please accept my apology.¡± She does seem genuinely sorry. Her demeanour still worried but less so now as she gently wipes away any dirt and snow from her robes. ¡°No harm done, I¡¯m Rhia.¡± ¡°Rhia, such a beautiful name.¡± Her voice rather dreamy as her eyes pry me all over. It is rather uncomfortable being ogled like that. ¡°Ah I¡¯m Yvette pleased to meet you Rhia. Even more so that you did not curse me or anything.¡± She laughs in an awkward manner. ¡°I do not mean to pry but you look like you¡¯ve been through a lot. Your red hair is a total mess!¡± My hand instinctively move up to touch my hair. ¡°I had a run-in with a troll and barely escaped.¡± Her eyes goes wide upon hearing this. ¡°A troll?!¡± Her eyes dart left and right. ¡°We must hurry and tell the others lest the troll might attack again!¡± Hurriedly I interject. ¡°There is no need to worry! It was days past and it was deep inside the forest.¡± I calmly try to explain motioning towards the forest however, it makes her even more troubled. ¡°You¡¯ve been deep inside the cursed forest?! How was it there? Where are your companions? Is everyone dead? Don¡¯t tell you went in there alone!¡± She hurriedly exclaims as her shock is definitely visible. It feels as if I am shaking her world upside down. ¡°It was stupid of me but I managed to get out safely. It was not that bad.¡± I meekly say but her worry does not alleviate. ¡°Stupid indeed, a woman venturing alone into the forest. What were you thinking?!¡± Yvette exhales loudly with a sigh. She eyes me for a few moments as if pondering on something. ¡°Well we need to do something about that hair. Would you perhaps join me for supper tonight? You must be hungry!¡± Well Yvette seem kind enough and I do want to learn more about this world. There are practically no demerits whatsoever. ¡°I would love to.¡± Chapter 9 -Different- --------------------------------- Beloved readers, it is I, Goedleimneidr. Here is yet another chapter of Tales of Rhia, I most certainly hope you enjoy it. Regarding how I space my sentences, I am trying to space text out without destroying what I feel is the text flow. However, most novels I read like George R.R Martin''s - A Song of Ice and Fire - keeps their lines together. I most definitely understand the frustration you lot may feel as it is quite hard to read this way online but please understand that it is my style of writing. Something I find rather hard to change as I try to improve as a writer, apologies. It is my dream to release a book series on par with Tolkien''s world or even George R.R Martin''s. Although I know I am far from there and may never reach their level. However, it does not hurt to try as practice makes perfect. This is the first time I am writing a tale that people may read and I am doing my best to satisfy myself and at the same time my readers. Sincerely yours /Goedleimneidr --------------------------------- Chapter 9 -Different- Treat people with the respect they deserve often conflicts with treating them the same way you want to be treated. _______________________________________________________ We wander east although I am quite sure Dueilen said there should be a village to the south. Makes me wonder if there is a reason it did not mention what lies towards the east. Yvette however, seem to have lost all guard around her which somehow makes me feel rather comfortable around her. She is rather talkative and she freely speaks her mind about her life and whatnot. It is a blessing as I have no prior knowledge about this area and I better yet do not have to inquire about such things. It would seem that Yvette hails from a town called Varges. The largest town up north in this kingdom or so she claims. She did not mention the name of said kingdom but I am sure I will find out soon. Yvette did not originally hail from Varges but one of the larger farms around. Her father had married her away to a prominent merchant in Varges when she had reached the age of fifteen summers. That was four years ago and according to her, her husband treats her decently enough although it begs me to wonder what decently enough means. ¡°You must be a great adventurer of some sort, oh how I envy you. My life must seem so dull in comparison.¡± Yvette laughs and sighs in a dreamy manner. ¡°Not at all! Please, do tell me more.¡± ¡°How kind you are but look at me talking away. Please tell me something about yourself instead.¡± How I dreaded that question but knew it was coming. ¡°My life is hardly anything worth mentioning.¡± Although my try at dispelling her interest but spurred her on. ¡°Nonsense, you could for starters tell me about that strange bow you have strapped on your back. Never before have I seen something like that. It looks almost like it was ¡®grown¡¯ that way although I know how silly that sounds.¡± ¡°This thing? It was a gift I received quite recently but I fear I have not had any time to test it out yet. Lost my previous bow when I had that run-in with that troll I mentioned.¡± ¡°Oh do tell me more about it, was it as frightening as the tales let on?¡± ¡°Worse, it ran so fast that I could not hope to escape it. It tackled me down, lifted me by my hair with one giant hand and its odour was definitely out of this world.¡± Yvette seem to lean in closer listening with keen interest. Her blue eyes frightened but at the same time curious. ¡°But its face was the worst part. Its yellow eyes stared into mine as it pulled me up to his level. Its long nose, pointy ears and tusks but further told me what horrors awaited. Just remembering this gives me the shivers.¡± ¡°How did you escape?¡± Her voice almost whispering as she stares straight into my eyes. Yvette had stopped walking at this point and barred the way ahead. ¡°It happily dragged me through the woods, pulled me by my hair. How it hurt. I struck on roots, stones and stumps on the way what seemed like forever. When it grew careless, I snuck out my dagger and cut part of my hair off. Luckily, it did not notice until but a few moments later at which point I had hidden myself.¡± Yvette gasps and firmly grabs my arms. ¡°What happened then? You can¡¯t stop there, what happened then?¡± ¡°Well, it came back looking for me of course. It still carried part of my hair within its grasp and for some reason, it started sniffing my hair. It slumped down crying but did not find me and I am very glad so.¡± Yvette breathes out in relief. ¡°You cannot imagine how lucky you are.¡± Her grasp around my arms lighten up until she finally releases me. ¡°We are not far now from home now but thanks for telling me. How exciting, I definitely want to hear more of your tales later!¡± The foliage beneath our feet give way for a dirt road. Cartwheel marks amongst others on the road, signs of heavy use. However, it would seem that people rarely if ever visit the shrine as there is no real pathway there. Begs me to wonder if the gods are worshipped around here. Perhaps the goddess of light holds influence over this area. Farmlands stretch far and wide and a rustic town that definitely look like something from the medieval era stand before my eyes. There was however no wall around Varges but instead a large fencing around the area. Watchtowers, countable on one hand made out of either wood or and stone sprout up from the ground in what would be key locations. As we walk towards the town I notice that we gather a lot of stares from people around. Most are dressed far worse than Yvette and I with clothing that show much wear and tear. Being married to a merchant may have its perks as Yvette¡¯s thick robes are made out of furs and nice textiles. Coloured clothing seems to be rare amongst the people but Yvette carries her slightly blue robe with no care in the world. Perhaps she finds these people beneath her or have simply given it no thought? ¡°They are staring at you Rhia.¡± Yvette says noticing my gaze with a slightly amused voice as we walk up towards the gate. ¡°And why is that?¡± I ask now concerned. ¡°You are dressed in leathers and carry weapons, something rarely seen on a woman. Also, your red hair surely turns people¡¯s gazes.¡± Her eyes sparkle as she looks at me with a mischievous grin. Something tells me that she has caught onto me that this worlds common sense is far beyond me. ¡°My hair, what about it?¡± Quirking my eyebrow, I blatantly ask her. ¡°Well firstly, it looks awful due to your earlier encounter and secondly. Red hair is associated with witchcraft and evil if not in some parts nobility. Surely you know of this as this hardly is the first time you have spoken with people. It is common knowledge.¡± ¡°Ah silly, I have of course spoken with people before. It is simply that I had not paid much mind to it now until you mentioned it.¡± Yvette laughs as we reach the gate. A hardened soldier standing guard with a spear in hand nods his head as we pass by. ¡°Ladies.¡± He says with an all too nice tone to which I nod in return. We finally reach a house that presumable is Yvette¡¯s home. She asks me to wait as she heads on inside. Seeing her close the door and now standing alone on the street makes me nervous as I have no idea what to expect. What is her husband like? How should I act? Now that I think of it, I have hardly ever spoken with girls or women before. How did I fare so well until now? Will I act too much like the boy I am or was? Perhaps I should not have come here but it is far too late now. Yvette opens the door once more and motions me to come inside. Entering her home, I am met with a rather dark damp house that smell of lavender. I am met with a set of stairs leading towards the second floor. On the ground floor here is but a receiving area with a hearth and a kitchen combined dining room. There is no sign of any other people other than Yvette and I. A small fire in the hearth is given attention as it builds up to a budding flame giving warmth to the cold house. ¡°Shall we get started then?¡± Yvette asks with a smile. ¡°Seat yourself over there and we¡¯ll get to it right away.¡± ¡°Thanks but where is your husband? I had thought he would be home by now?¡± ¡°Silly, he is with the guild but he¡¯ll be back later for supper.¡± Yvette with skilled hands begins her work on my hair with dagger and shears. ¡°I used to help my sisters with their hair all the time. Hope you do not mind if I work freely.¡± ¡°Not at all, please do as you please.¡± Something I should not have said as she indeed takes liberties. It feels as if my hair is about to come off as Yvette pulls, cuts and braids my hair. However, the torture was not for naught as I am shown a mirrors image of myself. Had I not worn these armours then I would have looked like a proper lady. However, I somehow feel like I at least look the part of a heroine in a glorious tale. Yvette laughs as she catches me stare at myself in the mirror. ¡°Yes, that is indeed you. Quite a beauty, don¡¯t you think?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Almost a shame that you spend your time exploring cursed forests. With a face like that I am sure you could find yourself a good husband.¡± She says in a half serious but rather mischievous tone. ¡°Although I do envy you.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Well it feels like you have no care in this world. That you do whatever you want to do.¡± Her smile genuine as if caring for and spoiling her little sister. ¡°That is the impression I get of you. There is nothing tying you down and somehow I feel liberated when being with you. I do hope you plan on staying here in Varges for a while. I could really use a friend like you.¡± Yvette sound so sad which makes my heart ache. ¡°What am I saying, we barely know each other.¡± She tries to laugh it off but it feels rather forced. ¡°I have setup camp near the shrine we met at and I have no plans whatsoever to move for a while. So, I could stick around if you want.¡± Yvette feels like a close friend of mine already. My first friend I made in this world and at this point I might need her more than she needs me. With a beaming smile she hugs me close. ¡°Thank you. Thank you Rhia. Thank you for being my friend.¡± Her voice trembling, perhaps it is her in need of a friend more than I. Yvette had demanded that I sleep over for the night and thus begun preparing supper. Her husband should be coming home soon and she would share the news with him then. Although I do feel rather nervous. It felt odd having seated myself alone in the receiving room as per her orders whilst she is cooking a nice something in the kitchen. The hearth is burning nicely and spreading its warmth around the house making it feel rather homely. The room itself screams extravagancy in whatever medieval sense there is. There is a large bookcase filled with books and other trinkets. The sofa I am sitting on is rather soft which came as a surprise as well. Her husband must be quite a successful merchant considering the luxuries spent on this room alone. Yvette had asked me to change into more proper clothes but reminding myself of Elain¡¯s dolly dress up session made me decline. Besides, I have no clothes with me apart from whatever I am carrying on myself at this moment. Borrowing any dresses or whatever from Yvette right now feels kind of odd. Her disappointment indeed apparent but she did not pursue the matter. The door into the house is swung open and a man enters. He looks rather old with his scruffy grey beard and hair. A tired look donning his face and crow¡¯s feet shows his age. His appearance screams veteran merchant and he must be at least double Yvette¡¯s age if not triple. Something which took me by surprise. The man pays me no mind at all as he did not even throw a glance towards the receiving room. Perhaps he has not noticed me yet. ¡°I¡¯m home¡± He says with an indifferent tone as Yvette quickly makes her way to the doorway to aid him out of his clothes. ¡°Husband, we have a visitor. A friend of mine I had hoped you to meet.¡± She says with a very different, cautious tone compared to what she uses with me. He hums as he finally turns his gaze towards me. His eyes evaluate me for a few moments before he finally says. ¡°Wife, upstairs.¡± Yvette¡¯s demeanour steeled, already prepared and without any questions she moves upstairs with him in queue. He throws me another glance before finally disappearing upstairs. They make no sound but I am sure they are talking. My guess would be that he is rather angry with her. However, it is far too quiet upstairs. That is until I hear a thud and his loud voice shouting something. It was but for a moment then he alone descends. His demeanour now professional as he walks over towards me. ¡°It would seem my loving wife had seen it fit to invite you to our home without my prior consent. Upon my reputation, you are welcome in my house.¡± However, his voice carries no kindness whatsoever. It is instead rather cold yet professional which invites trust. He is definitely a man of his words yet he frightens me. ¡°I¡¯m Lothaire, son of L¨¦on and who might you be to bless us with your company this evening?¡± Yvette makes her way down the stairs and head straight towards the kitchen without as much as a glance towards us. Lothaire seems to be waiting for an answer and he seems to grow impatient. Just giving me my name at this point feels wrong and disrespectful. However, I cannot use the title of the wilds as Elain does but I can probably use the name I had in my previous world. ¡°I¡¯m Rhia Engel but please call me Rhia. It is a pleasure meeting you Lothaire, son of L¨¦on. Thank you for having me over this evening.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The man looks at me, evaluating me for a few moments as a slight smirk is showing on his lips. ¡°Please call this humble servant Lothaire or if it pleases you, Lothar. I believe my wife has prepared supper, please join us Rhia.¡± He motions towards the kitchen room and I follow queue not quite daring otherwise. Once everyone is seated, Yvette presents what she has prepared for this evening. A stew made of rabbit, carrots and potatoes and it smells delicious. This will probably be the most delicious meal I have had since coming to this world. Heck it smells better than what father used to prepare. However, regardless how tempting the food is I cannot help but look at Yvette¡¯s cheek. It is bruised and slightly swollen as proof of abuse. Lothaire must have struck her earlier as punishment for having me over to which I feel disgust. He struck his wife for merely inviting me over. Yvette does not seem to mind as if this is a common occurrence for misbehaviour yet I cannot help but feel angered. Yvette serves each of us a bowl but it seems my serving receives far more meat than hers only losing to Lothaire¡¯s bowl. Grabbing my spoon, I almost begin eating immediately until I notice that the pair of them are grasping each other¡¯s hands. They both look at me in a strange manner waiting for me to join them to which I awkwardly do. Lothaire¡¯s voice breaks the silence as our hands now form a circle around the dinner table. ¡°Oh almighty goddess. We thank thee for this dinner. We thank thee for the company tonight. We thank thee for keeping us safe from all that is evil. We thank thee for thy guidance in our darkest moments. Blessed be thy name oh Goddess of Light.¡± With the prayer concluded, the pair of them begin eating. However, I am now given the answer. This area is indeed devoted to the goddess of light and that might be the reason why Dueilen did not tell me of this town. Quite stupid of me to blindly go here but let us hope that the goddess of light does not care for me any longer. That I am no longer a target of her wrath should I believe the tall tales the elder tree shared. There must be a way to perhaps learn to cooperate with the goddess somehow. ¡°Rhia, is something the matter? Is the food not to your tastes?¡± Yvette sounds her concern as I am brought back from my thoughts. ¡°Apologies no it smells delicious. Probably better than anything I have eaten in a long while.¡± The stew is indeed delicious, Lothaire should count himself lucky to be able to eat such delicious food every day. Lothaire with a mouthful of stew looks at me inquisitively. There is something on his mind for sure and I am not so sure I want to find out what. ¡°Apologies Rhia but there are far too many questions I have to ask you. May I?¡± ¡°Certainly, it is proper etiquette to regale my host with tales and answers.¡± It is however quite hard to hide my irritation and sarcasm in my voice. Yvette¡¯s eyes open wide with worry. However, Lothaire seems rather amused instead. With a grin he says. ¡°Thank you dearest guest. Let us begin with the most apparent question first. What¡¯s with the clothes and weapons really?¡± ¡°I am a huntress; this is a common getup for those of my trade.¡± Albeit I am a self-proclaimed huntress for now but it does not matter really. It might take quite some time until I find a path in life I am happy with. ¡°Quite so but not that many of the fairer sex decide to tread that path. Does your father or husband approve of this?¡± ¡°Quite a strange question you ask, father is not around and I have no husband. A good thing as I could not stand having a man strike me for no apparent reason.¡± My mind is screaming, telling me to stop being so irritated lest I invoke his wrath but I cannot forgive him. Yvette looks at me with terrified eyes as if asking what is wrong. Asking me to calm down. ¡°Quite strange indeed. Forgive me for being so presumptuous, I meant no disrespect of course.¡± It seemed the man took no offense to my outburst but instead find my tantrum quite amusing. ¡°I seem to have grown fond of you Rhia. It seems my barren wife have found herself a great new friend.¡± Yvette is barren? I turn to look at Yvette whose head looks down in shame. His words seem to deeply hurt her but she does nothing to retort. Although that explains why we met at the shrine. She had tried to turn to the old gods with hope that Flidae, the goddess of hunt and fertility may give her a child. Poor Yvette, Lothaire must have put all blame on her. ¡°If I may be so bold, my younger brother is looking for a new wife. I get a feeling that the two of you would surely get along.¡± Oh you got to be kidding me. ¡°Rejected.¡± Chapter 10 - Somebody I Used to Know- Chapter 10 -Somebody I Used to Know- There are those who hold power over other people¡¯s lives. It shows character regarding how you deal with those beneath you and those who follow you. _______________________________________________________ A soft voice beckons me to come back to the world of the living. A shame really as it was quite some time since I slept this well. A woman¡¯s face, a face belonging to Yvette look upon me with such kindness. ¡°Rhia, I am ever so sorry for waking you up. However, Lothaire has asked that you come by the guild today. I¡¯d hate to upset him.¡± Stretching, pondering why he would want that I simply comply. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just get ready then.¡± Saying that I stretch myself yawning further. Looking about however, I do not quite see where my clothes are. ¡°Yvette, have you seen my clothes?¡± ¡°Well they were so dirty so I woke up earlier and did some laundry. I also cleaned up your armour, you really should take more care of your things.¡± She winks at me as she motions towards clothing nearby. ¡°I chose these specifically for you.¡± Upon a chair lie a blue, predominately brown short dress or tunica along with matching pants. There is a thick robe much like the one she had the first time we met albeit grey. To top it all, there are accessories, broches and hair ornaments to further the ensemble. She clearly has planned for this all along as my clothes are nowhere to be seen. Yvette beams with a content smile that could rival the sun. With a slight bemused chuckle, I ask. ¡°When did you have time to buy all this?¡± ¡°Silly, these old things are clothes I¡¯ve had since forever.¡± Bringing and holding the tunica in front of me she evaluates my body. ¡°Well, they are yours now if you¡¯ll have them. They do not quite fit me any longer and I thought that they would fit you perfectly. Let us see if I am wrong shall we?¡± She immediately forces the tunica on me and begins her dolly dress up session. A strange, bizarre feeling gushes over me but Yvette looks upon me with content eyes as she proudly shows my mirror¡¯s image. Truth be told, she does have an eye for fashion as I now look cuter than ever. My hair braided and the ornaments makes me look like an upper middleclass medieval commoner. Yvette acts like the sister I never had and I am sure she feels content to once again have someone she can do these things with. It makes me feel better to be there for her as I get a feeling that she is rather lonely. She clearly misses her sisters and family and I have to act as a replacement for such feelings. There probably are no friends whatsoever in this town apart from her husband who probably cannot be considered that much of a friend. ¡°Thank you Yvette.¡± Yvette simply smiles as she motions towards the kitchen. ¡°Let us eat something before we head out.¡± A mighty house stands before Yvette and I. It is made out of sturdy logs and planks. A deep red paint lingers on the woodwork along with white accent. Multitudes of carts and goods sorted about in stockpiles under outward roofing where peasants and merchants gather alike. There are however many different merchants discussing their prices and winnings of trades. Their prominence varying by the amount of luxuries they carry on their being. It never occurred to me that this town is quite large indeed. One would think that the thawed ground and cold wind would deter most people from venturing outside of their homes. However, here there are people doing business in a never ending manner. The guild itself occupies a portion of the town square, neatly setup in a way that invites most trade. The square itself seems to be used ofttimes for fairs and other events. However, what catches my attention the most is a large podium lingering on the offset middle of the town square. It is wooden but the wood itself seem dyed by the many victims that have seen their demise on top of it. There is also an iron pole setup in the ground nearby in a pool filled with nothing but chains and char. Both probably used for public executions of some sort. It strikes fear in me that I might someday end up in such a way in this foreign world should I not learn to adapt. ¡°I hear there will be an execution later today, want to see it?¡± Yvette asks in an indifferent tone as if her mind is wholly absent. As if an execution is a frequent and a normal thing in your daily life. Almost like entertainment for the people with nothing else to do but watch the suffering of others. The mere thought of watching a person die brings me to a shudder and I shake my head in response to which she simply shrugs. ¡°Well sadly I have a few matters I must attend to. I¡¯ll see you at home later, alright?¡± An unfitting reluctant smile shows on Yvette¡¯s face as if she does not truly want to leave. ¡°By the way, I found these in your clothes.¡± She hands me a small bag. ¡°Quite rich aren¡¯t you.¡± Yvette says as she winks at me. ¡°We¡¯ll see each other soon.¡± I say with a confident smile as I hug her. She returns the hug and pats my head ever softly. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare something nice for supper. So don¡¯t disappear alright? Besides I am sure you want that armour back.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t get lost silly, I¡¯ll return as soon as I am done here.¡± Now standing before a counter inside the guild house, a man meets my eyes with a bemused stare. ¡°Are you lost?¡± He asks in a mocking way. ¡°No I¡¯m not lost but clearly your manners are.¡± Answering him in an equal mocking manner. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to meet with Lothaire.¡± The man eyes me for a few moments then my bow strapped on my back. ¡°Clearly about that bow of yours. Very well, follow me.¡± ¡°Ah wait, before that. I wish to ask how the currency around here works.¡± ¡°Feel free to ask the man himself. I do not have time to spend on trivial matters.¡± There are a few snickering sounds about the guild. ¡°Hey girl, if you are hoping to learn how to count and become a merchant yourself. Don¡¯t, Lothaire is not known to take apprentices under his wing. Less so a petite daddy¡¯s girl longing for cock.¡± A crude man in his late twenties says only followed by roaring laughter from a few patrons inside the guild hall. ¡°Apologies, they are not known for their manners.¡± The man guiding me says. He seems much younger than them yet more refined. Still, his manners are lacking as well thus he does not absolve himself. We finally arrive at a door to which the guide begins knocking on, visibly nervous. ¡°Master Lothaire, there is a girl here hoping to meet you.¡± ¡°Who is it you said?¡± Lothaire¡¯s voice echoes loudly from inside. ¡°I, I did not catch her name. It¡¯s just some girl with a strange bow.¡± The guide¡¯s voice now clearly distressed. A sudden clanking sound and the door opens. ¡°And that is why you¡¯ll never become a merchant Francois. Lady Rhia, a pleasure that you could come by. Please enter.¡± Lothaire in his finest clothes clearly outshining most merchants beckons me inside. Francois gapes as he stares at me. ¡°Francois, return to your duties.¡± Lothaire says in a demeaning tone to which Francois bows deeply in an apologizing manner before scuffling away. Lothaire motions towards a chair for me to get seated on before closing the door. ¡°Apologies lady Rhia, it is why some people never rise up from apprenticeship. I hope that you were at least treated not too disrespectfully.¡± His chosen words proof that he knew that they would. It is now but the two of us in a closed room which is quite awkward to say the least. Lothaire prepares two cups of what seems to be wine and presents one before me. He seats himself on the opposite end of a large desk as he looks me in the eyes. ¡°Most does not see opportunity even if it strikes them in their face. I too, am at fault at times.¡± Lothaire chuckling and with a practiced motion drinks from his cup. ¡°Well I am not one to hold grudges, I think.¡± My hand curiously holds the cup of wine offered to me. A strong scent enters my nostrils and I almost cough. Never been much of a drinker, usually declined whenever offered. However, I do not think this is the time to do such but I wonder who he thinks I am. This wine seems to be rather luxurious, probably spent only on the most influential patrons around. There must be some sort of misunderstanding. ¡°Apologies beforehand Lothaire.¡± ¡°Lothar, please call me Lothar.¡± He interrupts in a friendly manner. ¡°Alright, Lothar. Apologies but I am a tad worried about who you think I might be.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Lothar rises from his seat still holding his cup. Wandering about, pausing for effect. ¡°My dear wife told me last night of your exploits in the cursed forest. How you were almost killed by a troll were great mean easily would have fallen merely entering the forest. I am sure there is also more to this tale.¡± He looks at me in a curious manner. ¡°You told me your name is Rhia Engel. It begs me to wonder what great family you are from or perhaps better yet, an influential member from the church of light mayhap. You most certainly act the part albeit only at times. Is the wine to your tastes?¡± ¡°Ah it is most excellent.¡± With a large gulp I taste the wine for the first time. His eyes, I do not like his eyes. Lothar¡¯s eyes rather manic as if he struck gold. ¡°Regardless, I dare not pry much into the matter of your livelihood. However, I wish to extend my good will towards you. Thus if it pleases you, feel free to befriend my wife, stay at my home as a guest. If there is anything else, feel more than free to ask me as your patron.¡± There is a definite ulterior motive behind this invitation but perhaps I can use this somehow. ¡°Well there a few things I wish to know. Although it may seem strange to you.¡± Lothar refills his cup with wine. ¡°Anything, as I said you should feel free to ask anything of me.¡± Seeing it as cue, I pull up the bag of coins I had received earlier. Three golden coins¡¯ clink down on the table. Clearly, Lothar seems confused at this gesture. ¡°I wish to learn the conversion rate of these. The usual cost of things and whatnot.¡± ¡°You are quite full of surprises dear lady. I can never quite expect what comes next.¡± ¡°Are you willing to teach me or not?¡± Lothar with swift hands procure a couple of purses and boxes from within his desk. Upon the table now lay a good couple of small and large coins and thick threads. Everything made of what I would presume to be copper, silver and gold. The ratio is simply ten to one thus ten smaller copper is one large copper coin. The threads however are trickier as they are counted by length. Otherwise the conversion rate and value is exactly the same and apparently, these threads are often used as wrapped around jewellery. Lothar did some simple explanation although I would not have expected him to go wholeheartedly at it. However, he is now somewhat gaping at my quick understanding of basic math. Enjoying his reaction, I decidedly showed him that my understanding went beyond that. Although it might have been stupid but it felt rather good to show off a little. A knocking sound disturbs us as someone from outside begs attention. ¡°Master Lothaire, there is a matter that requires your immediate attention.¡± Opening the door Lothar eyes a nervous Francois by the door. Clearly the mere act of facing a man of Lothar¡¯s standing is enough to make an apprentice shake in his boots. Francois whispers something into Lothar¡¯s ears. ¡°Ah, I beg your pardon lady Rhia but I hope to meet you later at supper. I am certain you know the way out or would you have me or Francois escort you?¡± Lothar sounds apologetic and rather disappointed that our meeting ended so soon. ¡°There is quite no need but thank you for offering.¡± Regardless of my intent however, Francois follows my queue as we head towards the reception area. Although it seems that Francois now reveres my highly, his eyes glittering with anticipation. ¡°If you wish m¡¯lady. I am more than free to aid you with well, how the currency works as you asked earlier?¡± ¡°There is no need, I followed your advice and asked Lothaire who more than gladly accommodated my wishes.¡± Although there was no need to rub it in but the man Francois himself seemed more than thrilled after hearing this. As we enter the reception hall, the chatter dies out immediately. Francois immediately takes his place behind the counter but I do notice a group of people looking away in shame. A crude man, the very man I recognize from earlier timidly steps forth and bows his head deep. ¡°Apologies m¡¯lady. I had no idea who you were. Please accept my apology. Please, I ask of you to accept my apology.¡± This is already getting quite old. Is this how Elain feels whenever people out of reverence or fear speaks with her? With a sigh I say. ¡°Alright but learn from this.¡± The crude man falls on his knees in tears whispering ¡®thank you¡¯. It is as if this man¡¯s entire career was on the line and I granted him absolution. It does feel kind of good. There is a huge commotion outside regardless of the weather. Light snow falls down on the thawed ground and people push and shove to get a good, close view of the podium. There are a group of people standing on top of it. They are armoured but the strangest part is that each and every one of them is carrying a mask. A flat rounded mask covering their entire face with no openings whatsoever. The masks are made out of bronze except the one speaking to the people of Varges who wears a white one. Each mask carries a marking of distinct character but the one with the white one has a large golden eye upon it. However, it is not them that I focus on but instead the criminal standing upon the podium. It is a man I recognize. It is hard to not recognize a wounded, stripped Madoc standing there shivering in the cold. Madoc who had visited Elain and I with his brother Gareth some time ago. How could he have ended up in such a sorry state here but then again he is a brigand. The bronze masked men seem to be soldiers of some sort and they show no leniency for the man to cover his parts now shown to all. The white masked character raises a hand to the sky and each and every one on the square immediately grow silent. ¡°Madoc, you are a sinner and a heathen. Known to harass, rape and murder good people of the faith and our kingdom, how do you plead?¡± It is a woman¡¯s voice echoing powerfully throughout the square. ¡°I have nothing to say to you filth. Only that I hope that my brother will find it in his heart to forgive me. You lot deserve nothing but my scorn.¡± He takes the shot and spits out on the crowd of people who clamours in response. Madoc shouts something towards the crowd but it is drowned out by their voices. He looks about the crowd, throwing glares at each and every one of them but then our eyes meet. He notices me standing by the guild and with a huge happy grin out of this world he begins to laugh. The white masked woman with her hand once again forces the crowd silent. ¡°So you have nothing else to say before you die heathen? Before you are purged?¡± ¡°Oh I have something to say. I am blessed to have been seen by the witch in my moment of death. I am blessed to have been seen by her so that she may rain hell upon you creatures.¡± At this moment the white masked woman nods to one of the bronze masked guards. With swift movement the bronze masked guard closes in on Madoc with a set of pliers. ¡°Witch! Tell my brother I died proudly! Tell him that I love him and please oh please show these creatures the!¡± At that moment the bronze masked guard forces Madoc¡¯s tongue out and with a dagger slices it off to Madoc¡¯s screams and the crowd¡¯s cheers. The white masked woman with her hands tries to calm the people down who seem to not only cheer but screams words of fright regarding witchery and hell. ¡°People of Varges worry not, there are no witches in Varges. It is but the words of a mad man in his final moments.¡± The bronze masked characters proceed to carve out Madoc¡¯s eyes as he screams in pain. They proceed to mutilate him to the clamouring sound and cheers of the crowd. They with a poke jabs into the man¡¯s ears effectively removing his senses. They cut of his manhood and do unspeakable things to the man as blood streams out on the podium. Lastly, they chain him upon the iron pole on the ground and at the end buries him in burning hot coal. My feet carry me in a hurry towards Yvette¡¯s home. My stomach in shambles, I feel ill. I stop by an alley and retch out whatever was left in my stomach. The people in this town are crazy to be able to happily watch and cheer on to such a scene. How could I stay and watch as long as I did? Poor Madoc, none deserves such an ending. Resting until I am able to move, my feet carry me once more with speed towards Yvette¡¯s home. At this moment I simply wish to hide and my wish is granted as a scene unfolds before my eyes. Scurrying into a nearby alleyway I watch as people with masks much like those upon the podium is manhandling Yvette. ¡°Have you been harbouring a witch?¡± ¡°Where is the witch?¡± ¡°Tell us or this will end poorly for you and your husband.¡± There is a person with a white mask looking upon the scene. It simply stares as more bronze masked people exit her house with my armour. If I stay here, then I will definitely be found. Hurriedly I rush away, behind me follows Yvette¡¯s screams and cries. Chapter 11 -Escape- --------------------------------------- Warning: This novel is intended for mature audiences thus rated 18+ for reasons. Reader discretion is advised. If you abolish the thought of burning witches, unnecessary violence, torture, gore, slavery, sex, suggestive themes, abuse, murder, crimes, rape, excessive drinking and driving, plagues, starvation, unlicensed doctors and the dark side. Then apologies, this novel is not for you. Apologies beforehand but I had thought to make clear that the mature tag and dark fantasy was there for a reason. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Have begun working again and had very little time at home (Read none for over a week). Good news though, during my military exercise I found time to write this chapter. This is my longest chapter yet reaching 4k words. Sincerely yours <3 /Goedleimneidr PS: Feed some love to me if you still enjoy this novel after this chapter, had my first 0.5 star review without explanation! x) Sadness but well, there will always be haters right? --------------------------------------- Chapter 11 -Escape- Chris did try to teach me how to face a superior adversary. _______________________________________________________ Why are they looking for me or more importantly, how did they find out about me? Is it because of Madoc¡¯s outburst earlier or did Yvette do something? This does not make sense. Leaving Yvette behind like I did, it does not feel right at all but I had to. She is perhaps my first real friend since coming here and I left her to those masked people whatever they were. Could I have done something to save her? No I don¡¯t think so. It would lead but to my own execution, probably in the same manner Madoc died or worse. These people seem to relish in the suffering of others. Is Yvette like that as well? Do I truly know her? The thought frightens me but I dare not think Yvette is like those people. She claimed I was innocent of whatever crime they may think I have committed. Poor Yvette, I hope they show mercy and then perhaps with time she will forgive me. My feet carry me with haste towards the only gate I know of in town. By the looks of things, the guards have not yet been alarmed of my presence as they do not look alert at all. They are simply minding their own business, looking about in a calm manner. The townspeople passing by are not questioned nor are they acting strange as the crowd did at the mere mention of the word witch. It caused such ruckus at the town square earlier that I thought a riot would be at hand. ¡°Excuse me¡± A voice beckons freezing me in my steps. Should I run? No, that would definitely raise suspicion. Although it is not too far to the gate but what then? How can I hope to escape with my life when there are trained guards and perhaps riders? Escaping now whilst the sun is up does seem like a stupid idea now thinking about it. My thoughts were so dead set on simply escaping that I did not even consider planning my escape. It did not occur to me to wait until night time but would the masked people spread the word by then? It is as if I was damned either case. However, none of that matters now. My body covered in cold sweat as a nausea hits me hard. Were it not for my self-restraint then I would puke on the ground where I stand. A lightly armoured guard stand there peeking at me curiously as I turn around. His face is hard to read but I do not sense any hostile intent from this man. ¡°Excuse me miss, I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met before. I¡¯m Charle, would you perhaps honour me with a walk around town? Perhaps we could get something to eat?¡± The man smiles and laughs awkwardly as he nervously scratches the back of his head. His voice, demeanour and looks force me to re-evaluate the man standing before me. A brown haired and blue eyed innocent looking man that does not look that much older than I am, heck he might even be younger than me. He is donned in a brigandine armour with a heather shield strapped on to his back. A long sword attached to his side along with a dagger as a sidearm. Clearly he is a guard of Varges as he carries its colours of red and yellow albeit he is a bit young. Is he a recent recruit? Not responding to his queries Charle simply continue. ¡°It was love at first sight, I simply had to talk with you lest I lose you forever. May I have your name?¡± Is this man hitting on me now of all times? ¡°Ehm sorry? I don¡¯t quite follow. I¡¯m Rhia¡­anna.¡± There must be a limit on how stupid I can be, giving my name away so easily when people are looking for me. ¡°Rhianna, such a beautiful name you have miss. I¡¯d very much like to talk with you more, would you do me the honours?¡± His voice is sincere but I do not have time for this. ¡°Ah sure, another time but I really have to go.¡± Charle hurriedly makes his way alongside me as I turn and walks towards the gate. ¡°Please let me escort you miss! Do you hail from one of the farms around here? There is nothing out there towards the west but farms and the bordering kingdom of course.¡± He seems almost desperate to strike up a conversation with me. Perhaps having a guardsman accompany me might not be such a bad idea as it might draw less suspicion. Should I play along for now? ¡°Well, I live together with my father and brother by the woods to the west. You are quite welcome to come with if you want but I don¡¯t think I am that much of a company.¡± Telling him that I live with my supposed mother alone in a hut by the cursed forest would surely invite trouble. Thus telling a lie and act the part now to survive another day might not be too bad of a trade. Charle shine up with glee as he is not rejected. ¡°Nonsense, I would be honoured miss Rhianna.¡± It feels as if my worry was for naught, my grand improvised escape seemingly lacklustre as it was me simply waltzing out of town with no major hiccup. There are no pursuers in sight nor any guards but my traveling companion. Charle carelessly seem to never run out of topics to talk about to which I try to muse him in some manner. He seems to be a kind and gentle person. It makes me feel rather bad for leading him on like this as I know that whatever he thinks is going on is never going to be. Seeing him so obviously smitten with me is rather icky. Although it is also rather sweet and flattering albeit awkward. However, I am sure he would reconsider upon realising who the masked people claim I am and what they have planned for me. Perhaps he will get in trouble for merely associating himself with me but he kind of brought it on himself. ¡°Rhianna, I fear I am not familiar with the path we are taking.¡± Charle sound rather distressed as I take a turn towards what I believe to be towards the shrine. ¡°Please, call me Rhia. Do not worry Charle, I know the way. Although Charle, it was rather nice speaking with you but perhaps you should return home. I¡¯m afraid what father would think if he were to see you.¡± Please take the hint Charle and return home safely to your own life. You should find yourself a good, real woman to fall in love with. ¡°Nonsense my dear lady, I have sworn myself to protect you and escort you safely to your home.¡± Seems he is getting a bit too familiar with me, did I perhaps play along too hard? It would definitely be a bad idea to have him tag along all the way. Is there perhaps a way to force him to reconsider? Charle seem to have regained his spirit but he has grown rather quiet. Would there truly be such a bad idea to have him escort me the whole way? Befriending him now could lead to unknown perks in the future. Perhaps he is my one chance to get on the good side with the goddess of light? Although it is the whole love business to deal with but I could try to steer him to be my friend instead. Perhaps I am overthinking things. ¡°Are you certain this is the way?¡± Charle asks with a concerned look. ¡°I do believe you but honestly speaking, I did not think anyone dared live this close to.¡± He ends midsentence and with sharp eyes look about the surrounding brushwood. ¡°Lady Rhia, do not be alarmed but I do not think we are alone. Get behind me, quick!¡± Three men leave their hiding spots with weapons drawn. Their grins and demeanour clearly tell that they mean us harm. Charle draws his blade and un-mounts his shield from his back. A thick tense feel of dread envelopes the area, a feeling of impending doom which makes it hard to breath. Without giving it a second thought, I take cover behind Charle. My senses reach a heightened state of alert and I worry for our own safety. These encroaching men are definitely not unfamiliar with killing people as they brandish their weapons in a mocking manner. Charle however, seem to have gotten rather tense as well as his demeanour clearly tells that he is not used to situations like these. It is never the same as when you safely practice where there is no real threat but this situation is indeed very real. Losing means death or worse and we do not hold the advantage. The man in the middle seems to be the acting leader of the group. A painted face, furred armour and a bear skin cape makes him look like an animal. He carries his axe and rounded shield in a confident manner and he, with a slight look to the left nods. With it, the sound of an arrow let loose and taking flight comes from behind. The arrow forces itself deep into the back of Charle to which he gasps in pain. ¡°Run!¡± He manages to let out as he takes a knee gasping for air. Charle still thinks of my safety first and it scars my heart to leave yet another soul that means me well behind. Another man with bow in hand emerges from his hiding spot well behind us. A man we clearly had not spotted earlier had used his chance well to land a shot at us. His hair is fiery red accompanied by his white furs soiled dark red from the many victims¡¯ lives he has taken up close. Pulling forth an axe he walks closer assured of his victory. Heeding Charle¡¯s wishes, I run as fast as I can cursing my luck. My robe and clothes given to me from Yvette is not suited for running like this but it does not matter. The sound of blades clashing against each other can be heard and the mocking laughter of men. Poor Charle is acting chivalrous to the end but how can he win? It is as if merely associating with me invites tragedy. However, Charle¡¯s end is buying me time to escape. There are no sounds of pursuers and I breathe out in relief as I run. However, my relief cut short as I hear someone running behind me and it gets louder with each step I take. Knowing that there is no way to escape him, I cry screaming. The man grabs a hold of me and forces me down on the ground. His hair red and his armour soiled red makes him look like a mad man as he tears at my clothes with a lustful glee. Kicking, punching, trashing and crying seem to hold no effect whatsoever on the man. Perhaps it simply spurs him on but fear, knowing what is about to come to pass envelope my senses and I do whatever I can to resist. A man¡¯s shouting can be heard but I cannot quite fathom what he shouts about as my focus lies upon my attacker. Tearing my robe, the men bares my breasts and begins to suckle on them. Suddenly, the man is torn away from me and thrown aside. A bearlike man stares down at me with fear in his eyes. My attacker lashes out in anger against my saviour but my saviour worriedly tries to explain matters to the man. Something tells me I know this man from somewhere. Where have I seen him before? Ransacking my mind I find there to be but one explanation. It is Gareth, Madoc¡¯s older brother. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.Forcing the red haired man to calm down, Gareth asks me with a voice painted with fear. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± It is all I manage to say before I begin to hysterically cry. Gareth had enveloped me in his bear furs as I am seated on the cold ground. The fur reeks but it gives much needed warmth. My emotions are still in turmoil but I am steadily getting a hold of myself. The people here in this world are creatures far from the humans I know of back home. Why oh why did the gods decide to punish me so? What have I ever done to them to deserve this? Not only do I have to fear for my life but for my chastity as well. Had it not been for Gareth then, I do not want to think of it. My body may be like this but inside, I still feel and think of myself as a man. Although now I truly know my frailty and with it come the fear that I unknowingly knew ever since coming here. Somehow I got lucky this time but this just might happen again. No, it will happen again and Gareth might not be there to save me then. Thus I must be even more careful and seek support somehow. This world is a cruel and horrible place and I want to go home but I know that will be hard if not impossible. The only one that may or may not have the power to return things as they were seems to hate me. What reason could the goddess of light have to so keenly seek my demise? How did Rhia ever cope with this world as it is? Fearing both the wrath of gods and the cruelty of man? It is unfathomable although all things considered it would seem that Rhia did not survive this world. How am I supposed to fare better than her? This body may be kind of stronger than I was before but it is not a grand feat considering the life I lead back when. There was neither the fear nor any enemy that I had to fight back then. There I simply was coping with my life as it was, playing games and at times hung out with friends. There was of course the shooting range and the occasional time Chris and I exercised but that was due to him bugging me about it. Perhaps I must accept my fate now. Learn to cope with this world and adapt to these changes. It seems I must accept my new persona as Rhia wholly lest I tempt disaster. That regardless of my wish to return home. My wish will not be served on a silver platter and I can not live as I have until now. My bow gifted from the elder tree lay before me on the ground. It had been strapped all this time on my back and not even once did I consider using it. Although how could I without arrows? Charle must have seen this but even he did not consider the possibility that I could fight with it. He simply told me to run and it seems it always ends up with me running away instead of choosing the hard path. My proficiency with the bow is severely lacking and am I even supposed to master it? It would take months if not years of constant use! There is no way I have time with that as I need protection now! It feels as if I was doomed in this world from the start. Damned gods and damned tree, could I not have been gifted something else? Charle lies dead, butchered by the men before me. Poor Charle, I am the cause of his demise. Had he not come with then he would still be alive. His killers are worriedly discussing amongst each other about their next course of action. Although killing Charle is not the cause of their worry no, I am. They seem to not be able to reach a conclusion and keep arguing with each other. ¡°Perhaps we should kill her. It would give us a head start hiding away from the witch.¡± One of the bandits says, a red haired man with a large beard. A bow dons his back and it was he who shot Charle. It was also the man who attacked me. Merely looking at him makes my stomach turn. His name seems to be Glaw and I wow to myself that I will have my revenge someday. Glaw sounds desperate but by now I have given up the notion that they would ever go through with killing me. They are far too scared now knowing who I am. Elain¡¯s reputation, a very effective shield against these men. ¡°No she¡¯d know for sure. She has all knowing eyes you know!¡± Another man named Mael boldly claims. Hair and face blackened by the dirt, clearly not washed for days. His eyes are icy blue, almost shining through all that dirt. He would be the most superstitious one and presently on my side. ¡°What is she doing so far to the east? I thought they lived by the western border! Did you not say they lived by that run down shrine Gareth?¡± Glaw asks as if trying to find redemption for his actions. That he did not know that I am who I am thus absolving himself of any crime. The girl he tried to rape was supposed to be a mere farmers girl. No one special that no one cared about. ¡°Calm down Glaw and do not even consider killing her. We must escort her back home and pray to the gods that the witch forgives us. We should also consider paying compensation to her. But we must wait for Madoc first.¡± Gareth¡¯s voice seems to be the voice of reason within the group of brigands. His blonde hair darkened by the dirt and a large scruffy beard dons his face. He looks aged but it looks like he is still in his prime. ¡°Damn it Gareth! That was a guard from Varges and not an ordinary one. What was she doing with him anyhow? We all said that people from Varges are fair game so this failure is on you!¡± The fourth man exclaims in an angry manner, a deserter by the looks of it. His manner of speech different from the rest. It sounds more like the people from Varges now listening closely. His brown hair is neatly combed albeit slightly ruffled now and his chin cleanly shaven. He seems more civilized than the others and he definitely does not look like a brigand. However, his demeanour tells of his lack of self-control. ¡°I do not know Gwilim nor do I dare ask why. All I care about is finding Madoc. Where is that stupid brother of mine anyhow? He is supposed to be here.¡± Gareth sound concerned but I know the reason of Madoc¡¯s disappearance. The scene of Madoc¡¯s execution is still fresh in my mind. No one deserves such an ending and I do not know if I want to tell him the truth. Although he deserves to know, I owe him that much. ¡°Perhaps we should simply kill her and be done with it. Let¡¯s head south as far south goes. Surely the witch can¡¯t find us there, right?¡± Glaw asks never quite letting go of that notion. ¡°Madoc is dead.¡± My voice is cold and emotionless, way harsher than I had intended. It interrupts their discussion and they stare blindly at me not quite expecting me to talk. ¡°What did you say?¡± Gareth¡¯s voice challenges me as he looks at me with eyes of disbelief. The rest of the men stare at me but I can subtly see the fear lingering in their eyes. ¡°Madoc is dead. I saw his execution in Varges. They did such cruel things to him yet he begs but your forgiveness Gareth.¡± Gareth stares at me stupefied, clearly not quite grasping how this could be but I leave no room for questions. ¡°He noticed me amongst the crowd of people thus he found solace that I stood witness upon his death. He shouted out his brotherly love for you and his hope for your forgiveness. He also boldly claimed that I, the witch would rain hell upon the people of Varges. It caused quite the stir yet I managed to slip out relatively unnoticed.¡± The lot keep staring at me in disbelief yet I feel that they somehow know that I am telling them the truth. ¡°That man you killed.¡± My voice still lacks any emotion as I motion towards Charle¡¯s corpse. ¡°Charle, he is indeed from Varges and he was probably a recent recruit too. He had demanded that he escorted me back home thinking that I lived on a farm nearby. He seemed quite smitten with me, but would he after knowing who I am?¡± Am I grinning? It somehow feels like I am. Gareth who still seems to find it hard to believe that his brother is dead asks. ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± He demands confirmation, his eyes look at me firmly with intent as if ready to strike me down. The rugged man Gareth, my saviour in my hour of need seem to hold but scorn towards me or perhaps it is directed at the world itself. ¡°He apologized only to you for his past crimes against you and your family Gareth. Not the gods, not his many victims but it was you he wanted forgiveness from. Never was his intention to draw you all into his feud.¡± Gareth upon hearing this seems to almost slump down. The loss of his brother surely claims a heavy toll on the man. ¡°However, I must apologize to you both for not being able to rain hell upon the people of Varges. Although I am glad to have survived to tell you of your brother¡¯s fate regardless how horrid it be. Apologies Gareth, none deserves such a fate, not even murderers and ¡®rapists¡¯.¡± Whereas I make sure the word rapist is emphasized. If only my stare could kill, that would have been a nice gift. The brigand¡¯s only redeeming point is Gareth who seems to be more honourable than the rest of them. ¡°Honestly, I did not expect seeing neither you nor Madoc ever again. How cruel lady luck is to bring us together under such circumstances.¡± ¡°The witch is probably telling the truth Gareth. Your brother was a good man.¡± Mael the superstitious pats Gareth¡¯s shoulder trying to comfort him in whatever way he could but Gareth lashes out in anger. ¡°No he was not but he was still my brother!¡± Gareth in a fit and an anguished voice shout out. ¡°Damn it Madoc you stupid fuck!¡± The men look between themselves not entirely sure what to do next. Neither of them expected such news. ¡°What of the others then? There should have been two more in that group. Were they executed as well?¡± The deserter asks, perhaps he too had friends or kin within that group. ¡°I do not know what became of them as I did not see them.¡± My words bring the lot no comfort as they all look saddened but not Glaw. ¡°So, should we escort her back home or?¡± Glaw carefully adds. Chapter 12 - Might- Chapter 12 -Might- Is this fate? _______________________________________________________ We spent the night by a small miserable makeshift camp the brigands had set up nearby. They shared whatever rations they had with me and we slept in silence. As soon as first light dawned, we begun marching west in the direction towards the shrine. The men lead the way home but they do not speak and nor do I. There is no need for words now, instead we focus on the task ahead. The silence is indeed welcomed; it leaves me to my own thoughts and I have been thinking a lot. They are to return me to the shrine and then leave as fast as possible to never be seen again. Elain has probably not returned yet and I am not sure she ever will. They were surprised at my leniency at first but they did not complain. If they found out, what would keep them from raping and killing me then. There was but one thing I had asked as material recompense. All of their arrows and quivers would be given to me and there were no room for discussion in that matter. They obliged, a small price to pay they thought albeit bothersome. They are walking silently, carrying their ill-gotten gains from Charle. It is but Mael who at times keep throwing glances at me. His dirtied face and icy eyes stare at me with obsession as if I am an idol of fear and worship. That I would at some point cast ill magic at them if he were not treat me with outmost respect. This silence is torturous to him but he knows better than to break it. There is no need to give him more thought than that yet he keeps looking at me. Glaw however seemed to have had breathed out in relief upon hearing that there would be no further repercussions. Thus there was no need to bother himself with me ever again. There was but this task and once it is done then all would be well again. Although he may think so but should we ever meet again then I would make sure to have him pay dearly. He may think himself forgiven but I could never forgive him. ¡°We are getting close.¡± Gareth¡¯s voice breaks the silence. A silence I had gotten comfortable with. The road here was long, longer than I remembered. Perhaps my time spent talking with Yvette last time dulled my sense of time and distance. Had I just paid attention then Charle would still be alive. The neglected shrine grounds emerge before our eyes as we push through the foliage. There it lay dormant and overgrown with vines invading stone and ground alike. This area will surely be beautiful once spring comes albeit still neglected. The brigands, my companions however are standing on guard. A lone woman stands alone by the shrine but she is not here for prayer no. It is clear as day that she is waiting for someone, waiting for me. A woman I never expected seeing again. Why is she here? Not quite sure what to say I let out but one word. ¡°How?¡± With bruises all over and hair torn she looks upon me with tears in her eyes. ¡°I am so sorry.¡± Why is Yvette saying sorry to me when it is I who should ask for her forgiveness? ¡°Ah shit.¡± Gareth dejected lets out. ¡°An ambush!¡± Out of the woods step iron masked men much similar to the ones back in Varges. Their masks have a horrid red crying eye carved into it. Each of them carry a large sword with both hands entering the area in an intimidating manner. Their robes and plated armour are brown of colour, effectively hiding their bodies under multiple layers. All in all, numbering a total of nine thus outnumbering us. From behind the shrine comes another person but this one carries a shiny mask made out of silver. It too carries the red crying eye but her demeanour is on a whole other level. ¡°You did not lie Yvette. We are most pleased but it did require some convincing did it not?¡± The silver masked woman says with a malicious tone as she walks confidently towards Yvette. Gently caressing Yvette¡¯s cheek to which she winces in pain. She turns towards us as she pushes Yvette who cries out in pain down on to the ground. ¡°Well, you are done her so scamper on home. Our goddess is loving and merciful, be thankful.¡± Yvette with tears in her eyes looks upon me one last time. ¡°I am so sorry.¡± Her tone so regretful that I cannot blame her. She hurriedly makes her way home but I am just happy seeing that she is still alive. ¡°Well then, you seem to have gotten some filth as company. Not quite planned but it does not matter. Kill them but capture the girl alive.¡± The silvery masked woman orders her men as she draws her blade. The Iron masks begins to slowly encircle us, already sure of their victory and I do not question it either. My escape was doomed from the start. ¡°Ah hell no, I ain¡¯t staying.¡± I hear Gwilim shout from behind. ¡°Oh? Deserters already?¡± The silvery masked woman laughs. ¡°You should be more careful choosing your friends witch. Well then deserter, you are free to leave as we have no qualms with you.¡± Gwilim makes a run for it and true to her words, the men do nothing to stop him. ¡°I extend this offer to the rest of you as well. Leave, and you will live yet another day. There is no reason to put your life on the line for this woman.¡± My companions seem to be truly considering her options and I do not blame them. This is my fight and I intend to fight it even if I stand alone against this world. Pulling forth my bow I notch an arrow. However, the arrow does not fit on the string as the string is far too thick for an ordinary arrow. Sighing I throw the arrow to the side. Should have asked for a regular bow as well it seems. My mind vaguely notices the sound of someone else running away from behind. At this point, I am not sure how many companions if any is still with me. That is when two characters step up by my side. Mael and Gareth by the looks of it and it kind of warmed my heart. ¡°Witch, I stand by your side. It is what my ancestors would have wanted!¡± Mael shouts with a tone telling me that he has accepted death. He pulls forth a two handed axe and as if mad brandishes it against the encroaching men. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.¡°I have qualms with these people as well.¡± Gareth with an angry tone firmly grips his axe and shield. ¡°Now is as good time as any and there is only ten of them. We¡¯ve faced worse odds right, Mael?¡± ¡°This is a first Gareth but I do not care!¡± Mael seems to build up his spirit somehow as he begins to howl as if mad. Mael and Gareth seem to be itching for a fight but I must know. ¡°Why are you after me? What have I ever done to you or your goddess?¡± The silver masked woman is clearly more than thrilled, exhilarated to be the able to hunt me. This woman¡¯s demeanour warns all my senses, telling me that she is a sadistic piece of shit. ¡°You? You have done nothing yet and you quite possibly never will. However, the oracle has foreseen your coming and what might come to pass. No hard feelings alright?¡± Her tone amused, almost moaning and carrying no hint of remorse. Anger well up inside as I feel unjustly treated and judged. Are they truly hunting me down for a ¡®might happen¡¯? Have they even considered other possibilities to deal with me? Suddenly, I feel something tugging at my hand. Tugging might be the wrong word but rather a sudden sensation telling me that there is something strange in my hand. Looking down, there is an arrow in place where I am holding the string. As if entwined vines it is thick and looks strong. The tip of the arrow barbed with a vicious murky thorn. Did the bow procure this? With renewed confidence and anger I pull the string and take aim. ¡°Fuck you, I won¡¯t go down without a fight!¡± Aiming at the closest target I let lose the arrow and it flies true. It buries itself deep within the chest plate of the target to which he winces in pain and slumps down. ¡°Good.¡± The silver masked woman says with a content tone. However, I am more surprised that I actually hit the target. The rest of the gathered takes it as a queue to fight. Mael rushes forth, leaving my side to take on a target whilst screaming obscenities. Gareth however stays by my side with a raised shield awaiting them. Tugging my bow string I eagerly await the next arrow but it never comes. Screams and shouts disturb the once calm shrine and here I am tugging my bowstring. Fear take a hold of me as my one life line is not working any longer. Confused I look around as an iron mask approach, its sword well over its head. Gareth pushes me out of the way as the iron mask swings down at me. Losing my foothold, I fall down on my rump. He shouts something at me as I notice another man closes in on Gareth from behind. ¡°Look out!¡± Screaming I try to warn Gareth but it is too late. The approaching man with a diagonal slash slices at Gareth from behind to which he stumbles down, crying out in pain. Blood everywhere. Escape, I must escape this hell. Fear force me to hastily crawl away on all four. It all happened so quick, what is going on? My breathing uneven as I panic. Never did I imagine a fight to be like this. All this screaming, the smell of iron and the harsh cold ground. My mind screams at me to escape but I am so frightened that I can but crawl. Mael is still at it, fiercely he swings his axe around at the encroaching men, he fells another one. A cascade of blood and entrails forced outside of its host. He too is bloodied and there are two men laying on the ground around him. They scream in pain as they lay there mutilated by his bloodied axe. There are however still three men on him and there are two quickly approaching me along with their leader. ¡°Did it not go quite as you planned?¡± She asks with a mocking tone as she steps on my back, forcing me down on my stomach. My face uncomfortable lay upon the cold ground, the frost prickles my cheeks. ¡°A shame really, almost hoped you¡¯d put up more of a fight. This is rather boring really.¡± Her feet dig harshly into my back, it hurts as she grinds her heels deep. Fear, mind numbing fear occupies my mind. Fear of being executed as Madoc was. This sadistic bitch that cares naught for her companion¡¯s deaths would skin me alive and tear out my eyes. She would torture me without end. ¡°No, please no. No more please! I just want to go home please!¡± Crying I fear the worst but the silver mask seems to enjoy this as she kicks me harshly forcing my air out. Coughing I beg to be spared. ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want to die.¡± As if abiding my wishes, a terrifying screech is heard. It echoes throughout the whole area and the ground begins to tremble with it. ¡°What is going on?¡± I can hear the Silver masked woman ask but shortly after, horrid screams can be heard. Forcing my head in that direction I see a large dark figure trampling about. It screeches in a deafening inhuman manner. Mael viciously laughs as the beast tears a man in two, armour and all with its vicious wing like claws. ¡°The witch has summoned the beast!¡± He screams with glee holding his axe with both hands well above his head. The beast makes short work of the men around Mael but strangely leaves him unharmed. It looks like a dark lizard with shining yellow eyes. It reminds me of the beast I saw so many nights ago. It stands on two hind legs and it is taller than an average human being. One masked man tries to close in on the beast but it holds up its fangs towards the man. No, it points a claw like finger at the man. Stopping in his steps he begins to scream in an inhuman way as tears at his clothes and armour. Slumping down he tries to force his armour off for some reason screaming like never before. ¡°Retreat!¡± The silver masked woman shouts out with fear in her voice. Needing no other incentive, the survivors flee with such terror. The beast screeches out almost in a laughing manner as it watches the people flee for their lives. It seems to care naught to pursue but instead drags two corpses back whence it came. Leaving the still living man tearing at his armour screaming, gurgling until his end. Mael quickly rushes to my side ecstatic but notices Gareth laying on the ground unmoving. ¡°Gareth?¡± Snapping out of it I too make way to his side. ¡°He is still breathing but he needs help and that now. Follow me, I know someone that can help us.¡± Chapter 13 -Complicated- -------------------------- Thank you for all of your votes, it warms my heart. <3 -------------------------- Chapter 13 -Complicated- Enemies of my enemies are my friends. _______________________________________________________ We had just begun carrying the unconscious Gareth as a group of strange elves with bows drawn show themselves to us. They number about eight but I am sure there are more hidden about. Their demeanour hostile but I find it hard to believe that they would raise arms against me as they seem to be of the same species as Dueilen albeit more chitinous. However, had I perhaps done something to awaken their ire? They do not speak but instead motions us to stay still. They made sure to let us know their intent should we fail to comply with an arrow stuck in the ground between Mael¡¯s legs. What seems to be their leader is speaking or should I say chittering in a foreign language. Immediately, half of the group breaks off. ¡°Are these your friends?¡± Mael chuckles with a nervous laughter. ¡°Never seen creatures like these before.¡± ¡°Creatures?¡± The leader speaks up with a broken annoyed tone. ¡°How dare it speak such?¡± It draws a blade as it walks up towards Mael. Mael with eyes of horror looks towards me pleading for help but how can I? ¡°May not kill but could cut hand.¡± It clearly seems amused at the thought as a wicked smirk emerges on its chitinous face. However, it decides against as it as quickly reverts back to where it stood earlier sheathing its blade. Out of the woods arrives yet another elf, this one looking much more like Dueilen. ¡°Daughter of the woods I presume?¡± Its voice strong as if it is standing right next to me yet it is still quite far away. It hints no interest at Mael nor Gareth but looks straight at me as it walks towards us. With a few chittering words to the leader, the group hastily make their way out of the shrine grounds leaving us alone with the newcomer. It somehow looks like Dueilen but something tells me it is not. The way it carries itself and its features hints it as a woman. Its tanned skin with a shade of sunny spring green. Breasts small yet apparent through the brown dress it carries. Shoulder length dark black hair combed down and large wholly black slanted eyes staring piercingly at me. Her dress albeit elegant is by no means not meant for combat as it seems hardened and leathery. Her skin is very much like Dueilen¡¯s, unnatural and seemingly hard with no pores nor dents. Considering that her features are so apparent then can I perhaps presume that Dueilen is a man? Their whole species seem shrouded in mystery yet I somehow believe them all to be elves albeit strange ones at that. Not like the stories of old I heard of. Seated upon its shoulder is a small feminine fairy curiously peeking at us. Yet the woman¡¯s face stare harshly at me. ¡°She is the daughter of the woods yes and we are her ¡®guardians¡¯.¡± Mael¡¯s voice catches me off guard. He probably spoke as there was a lack of response from me. ¡°You are to speak when spoken to.¡± Her gaze stare Mael down. It is strange to see a man as large as he covering in fear or respect. ¡°I am Rhia and you are?¡± Not bothering with formalities she continues. ¡°Your mother stand accused of harbouring a Skuugack, hence absolving herself of our protection and blessings.¡± Her eyes flash in anger at the mere mention of this Skuugack. ¡°You stand accused as well as per association thus facing equal charges. However, seeing as you were blessed by the elder tree, we¡¯ll show mercy and kindness. Hand over the bow granted from the elder tree as you are deemed not worthy of wielding it any longer. It shall be returned to the seat of elders until a decision can be made on whom it shall be given to. Hereby, you are barred from entering the deeper parts of our forest and it will be seen as an act of aggression should you fail to comply.¡± Her voice cold, harsh and not as broken as the other elves. She speaks fluently and with such strength that could rival the most gifted with speech. The whole ordeal however sound surreal. She holds her hand out awaiting me to return the bow to which I comply. Never did I think that they would revoke their support like this. The trees themselves seemed so eager to aid me albeit in what little way they could. The forest itself is far from safe all things considered but it felt like I had a place to return to if I ever needed aid. A place to escape to but that door is now barred shut. ¡°But why? I do not even know what this Skuugack is. Please, you must help us. Our friend is badly hurt. Could you please at least heal him?¡± Motioning towards Gareth limp at Mael¡¯s back I plead for aid. These men are my last life line. Without them, I have nothing to rely on. Without the elves and their trees, I have no backing. Without their aid, Gareth will die and I will lose Mael¡¯s support too. She stares at me with intent and the little fairy looks up towards her, almost pleading her to help as well. The fairies seem to be kind creatures, always trying to help as I have experienced first-hand. However, the elven woman does not share such virtue as she having received the bow now turns heel and walks away. Her voice however echoes as if she never left our side. ¡°We have shown you enough kindness daughter of the woods. Return home and treat him yourself.¡± Suddenly she stops in her steps, turning around facing us. ¡°or ask your mother¡¯s creature, the Skuugack for aid before we send a hunting party.¡± Her stern voice cold but speaks true, perhaps I should seek the creature out. It did aid us and if what she says is true, then it might be able to help us. The elven woman slowly disappears through the foliage, leaving us behind. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.¡°Follow me.¡± With newfound determination I head towards my home. Mael swiftly make his way to my side still carrying Gareth. It looks like he harbours many questions but dares not ask me any. He simply follows queue in silence. As we almost reach our home I turn towards the south where I believe I saw the creature venture so many nights ago. ¡°Wait, daughter of the woods, where are we heading? Can we not simply ask your mother for aid?¡± Mael finally asks with a tone of uncertainty. ¡°I don¡¯t think he has very long now.¡± Gareth looks very pale and is still unresponsive. ¡°I wish we could but she has not yet returned yet and I fear she never will.¡± Mael and Gareth might be my sole support in this world now but it is based on their respect for Elain. It is high time that I earn their trust and support for myself and telling lies is not a good start. However, they just might leave me or worse but it is my one shot. Mael stops in his steps confused. ¡°Was it not she who summoned the beast, Skuugack was it? Did you summon it?¡± ¡°I do not hold such power nor am I as powerful as mother. It was solely the beast¡¯s doing and we shall soon find out why.¡± Mael stares at me in disbelief but asks no further questions. Our footsteps echo loudly as we enter the grove. The ground littered with dead trees and branches. It was not hard to find large, inhumane footsteps but following them seem to lead nowhere. Mael follows queue panting, carrying Gareth all this time is surely taking a toll on him. That not mentioning Gareth¡¯s sorry state. Is he even alive? The grove is far too silent and we meet once again the edge leading back to my home. We are going in circles. Frustrated I call out to the beast. ¡°Skuugack! I know you are around here, please we require your aid!¡± Mael looks at me with a defeated face. ¡°We are losing him. He¡¯s barely breathing now, lost far too much blood. Only the gods can save him now.¡± Dejected he gently lays Gareth down on the cold ground. Gareth is indeed very pale. His lips are blue and he is practically dead already. ¡°A finer shield brother and friend is hard to come by. I¡¯ll miss you Gareth ap Gareth af Arbro. You¡¯ll be with your family and ancestors soon.¡± ¡°Skuugack!¡± desperate I cry out. ¡°Show yourself! Please!¡± The grove still ever silent as if mocking our plea. However, by chance I spot that the trees seem to shift in the far distance revealing a small hill. Curious I peek in the direction and a small opening reveals itself before my eyes. ¡°A cave!¡± My voice let out with such relief as if all our prayers are heard. ¡°Come, follow quick!¡± We stumble across branches and roots as we make our way to the apparent cave. The ground surrounding the cave is littered with bones of animals, creatures and men. A whole impaled ribcage on a pole adorned with a skull stare meekly at us. Ribs, bones and skulls dons the entrance to the cave forcing me reconsider our options. Mael seems to share my concern but we have no choice in the matter if we wish to save Gareth. Grabbing a hold of my senses I take a step forth, bones and snow crunched under my feet as I finally enter the dark cave. A foul stench meets my nostrils as I with great effort keeps myself from barfing. It reeks of rotten meat and death. It is dark, far too dark to see clearly where we are heading. With a hand against the wall we step down further into the depths, bones still crunching under our feet. Further in, a slight light reflects against the wall revealing skulls covering the walls and roof. Instinctively I remove my hand from the wall not entirely sure if I had touched any skulls on my way down. ¡°By the gods.¡± Mael mutters in equal parts amazement and fear. As we move closer the sound of anguished moans echoes, something I at first thought to be the wind is proved to be something horrendous. A large door bars our way but it is already slightly opened. A weak light exits the room and the silhouette of a large creature paints itself on the wall. Stumbling further I move towards the door, my heart drums hard in my throat. Fear telling me that whatever I will see beyond that door will never be unseen and I might not live to tell the tale. Mael gulps behind me, he too feels the pressure emitting from the room ahead. The anguished moans louder but suddenly it stops. Out of fear I look towards the silhouette on the wall but it is gone. There is only silence. Steeling my heart, I grab a hold of the door and swing it open wide. Before my eyes lay a naked man with his entire chest opened up and his ribs bent up and broken out. Another man seemingly already harvested for organs and skin lay on the side of the table, now chopped up and put in baskets. The walls are loitered with skins of various creatures and to my horror, people as well. It is marked with strange markings all over. Piles of hides and skin books are scattered about and they too carry these markings. The Skuugack however is nowhere to be seen in this room. There is a pile of gnawed bones near a dining table and a small resting place in the far end of the room. Mosses, hides and straw makes up the most of the large bedding. Mael simply stares ahead, he is perhaps even paler than Gareth. A claw like something land gently on my shoulder and the face of lizard like creature emerge from the darkness on the other side of my head. ¡°Welcome to my dwelling honoured guests.¡± It takes a deep breath, breathing my scent in.