A Court of Singing Shadows

1.01 The Beginning of the End

chapter one| The Beginning of the End

"Everything I loved, became everything I lost."

It was winter, and cold as hell. The forest was covered with snow and ice. There was once I time when I claimed winter to be my favorite season but it only made it harder to hunt and our chances of survival more slim. The only sound that can be heard was my breathing and the soft crunch of snow beneath my feet.  Which I can't feel anymore.
    I usually wouldn't risk traveling this close to the wall and this far into the woods but me and Feyre are getting desperate for  food.
Hunger can make people do crazy things I've seen it and experienced it first hand.

      With my bow and arrow fit tightly in my palm, I decide to search for my little sister. If it was up to me she wouldn't be out here in the woods but she's just so damn stubborn.  Unfortunately Feyre has given too much for the sake  of our family's survival.

    My father used to be the "Prince of Merchants" but that didn't last long because he lost everything. Foolishly gambling with his last shipment to try and pay off a debt only led to our ruin. One day these men barged in and ransacked our house leaving nothing left.
     Not only did they take everything but they brutally beat my father,  splitting his kneecap into two. I still remember his screams and pleads. The sickening sound of bones breaking. I wished they stopped but they never did. Even when Feyre was screaming and crying for them to stop. They only stopped when I stabbed one of the men in the back. I then became their target. They left me with a black eye and a cracked rib as a parting gift.

       My family's life was flipped upside down from that day on. We all changed, my father lost his spirit. Nesta became even more cruel and cold. Elain was still herself but clung on to the things that made her happy, like her garden. Feyre just became solely focused on survival, and she lost her youth.

    When you see the world for what it truly is, it changes a person. I built up a wall so high, that way no one could ever hurt me again.  I vowed to never let anyone hurt my family again and that's what I plan to do.

Which is why I need to find Feyre, it was going to get dark soon and I am not so hungry that I suddenly became stupid. Navigating through the forest at night is like swimming in a tank full of sharks.

Quickly and quietly I follow the path she takes for hunting, checking  the snares we set up to see if we caught anything. And of course they're all empty. Eventually I find Feyre crouched up in a tree. I softly whistle to let her know I am here.
     We created this whistle to let each other know where we are or if we're safe. Her head snaps to my direction. Her blue eyes meet mine and I see she hasn't any luck finding food. Feyre climbs down the tree and lands on the snow.

"There was nothing in any of our snares and I didn't find anything." I sigh, Feyre shrugs while saying "Me neither. We should probably head back it's getting late."
I look to the sky and see it's even later now we should really head back now.

Keeping my eyes and ears alert we head back to our home, if that's what you want to call it. The only sound is our breaths and the crunching of snow. Suddenly I hear the bushes rustling across the clearing. We both go still and instinctively draw our bows.

A doe strolls into the the clearing, my mouth waters. I remain silent, slowly drawing an arrow back and aiming it at it's heart. This deer can feed my family for at least a week then we could used her skin to make Feyre new shoes. She desperately needed them, but Elain needed a new cloak and Nesta was prove to want anything someone else possessed.

The small doe is stripping bark unaware that these are the last moments of her life. I never want to be in the doe's position.

I feel Feyre go still and stiff besides me. Still having my bow aimed at the doe, my eyes follow Feyre's gaze. A pair of Golden eyes stick out of the bush. That is when I realize that we are now the doe awaiting death because there is a huge wolf staring back at us.