The Gathering of the Hunt

CHAPTER NINE (Part Two)

Time passed by so slowly, that Aesira had fallen asleep, perched upon the branch, the bow clutched in her fist.

Although it was silent in the clearing where her brother and friends waited, her dreams were not.

The rhythmic clack of boots on the cold marble floor echoed through the silence of the sleeping castle.

A scream, filled with terror and anguish shook the walls, so starkly different from the sounds heard before.

Aesira startled awake, meeting the unsettled gaze of her older brothers. They were afraid, even if they masked it well. Raia slept on soundly, unaware of the noises. She didn't know what yet, but something deep within told her that after this night, nothing would be the same again...

Aesira awoke to rain falling steadily around her. The sun beat down from above, and its positioning told her that she was only asleep for an hour at most. She cursed softly, angry at the exhaustion that still settled over her. She shouldn't have fallen asleep. She should have been awake and ready.

I can control the weather. At least, to an extent. Why is it raining? Her control was good enough that it shouldn't have lapsed, even as she slept.
Straining her ears, she listened to the deafening silence.

Telling herself she was being paranoid, Aesira settled back into the tree to wait, though her tight grip did not relax.

But there was that feeling again.

The one that told her nothing would be the same. She bolted upright, drawing the arrow back. She hadn't survived this long by ignoring her instincts.

The rain continued to fall, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't make it slow. The most that she could do was create a shield out of hardened air that prevented the water from getting anywhere near her. She lent forward, cautiously shifting her weight and folding into a crouch.

Kaedon and the rest were still in the same position, albeit slightly annoyed at the downpour. She lent closer to the tree trunk, now fully standing up. She stood on her toes, edging slowly around the trunk, trailing a hand against the trunk. It wasn't necessary. She had perfectly good balance, but the steadiness of the wood added desperately needed comfort.

The bark was rough beneath her fingers, scratching against the cuts on her palms made by her fingernails.

She winced as a bright light was directed into her eyes, temporarily blinding her. She shifted noiselessly more determined in her quest to find a place where she would be noticed by one of her friends.

She had to be quick.

They were coming.

Gods above, why did she have to be so good at concealing herself? She finally reached a spot where the branches didn't criss-crosses densely, allowing for an opening to get a certain rebel's attention.

It was by pure coincidence that Talen looked up at the exact moment she revealed part of her body. Even from the distance away that he was, he could clearly read the alarm in her eyes.

She took a step backwards, almost falling as she missed the branch closest to the trunk.

She whistled, a piercing bird call that was louder than the other signs of forest life around.

Each trill echoed through the silence, cutting through the unsettling stillness.

It was time.

The winds picked up, their gusty breaths making the leaves that surrounded her flail, as if they were doing their best to fight against the unrelenting battering that they received. It smelled of minty freshness, like the herb gardens that she used to run around in as a child.