Belle is a maid living in service of a handsome prince who she falls madly in love with. Jealous of all the other women and angry at his refusal to notice her she curses him and turns him into a hideous beast. For years they remain together in the c...
I held my first bow and arrow when I was seven. My father had snuck me out one day and told my mother that he was taking me to dance lessons out of town because that was the most ladylike thing he could think of. Only my father didn't take me to a dance school instead, he took me to his cabin in the forest. That semi-rotting wooden house that used to intimidate me, because I swore a monster-sized rat was hiding in the walls, turned into the place where my biggest passion and my skills were born. It was where I was moulded into the woman I am today.
The bow was the first weapon I learned to use. My father called it a hunter's soul.
"It's a hunter's real weapon, Valerie. Out there in those woods, you and it are one. You have to think of it as not only your best friend but as a part of you. If you do that you will never fail."
This isn't my father's bow which was given to me after he died but I will make this one a temporary part of me. Just long enough to kick these men's asses. I should have bet money on this, would have made a pretty penny.
The group silently- which is a shock- walks behind me. Watching my every move, waiting for me to make a mistake so that they can rub it in like putting salt on a wound. They want me to fumble. They may not be saying it out loud, but I know they are thinking it. Like my father taught me I keep an arrow ready in the bow and keep the string pulled halfway back. Loading just takes time away that could be used for shooting. Another one of my father's values when it comes to hunting.
The sound of twigs snapping to the left of me grounds my pace to a halt. The men stop a few paces away from me, their calculating eyes watching me. Never letting me out of their sight. That's fine they can watch me beat them.
Reaching down I grab some soil and sprinkle it down. It flies behind me, I'm upwind, right where I need to be. It won't smell me coming. Keeping myself hidden I silently watch as a decent-sized buck slowly walks out from behind the bush it was using to hide. It probably heard the men and decided to hide away until it was silent again.
I don't take action right away. I remain silent and watch. In a way, I am now both an observer and an observee. The buck languidly moves its long legs while it grazes on the long blades of grass.
Using the end of the bow as a guide I aim at the buck's heart. Always go for a quick kill, especially if you don't have a knife with you to put it out of its misery. Deep breath in. Pull the string back all the way. Deep breath out. Release. A cool breeze touches my cheek caused by the arrow flying past me. I watch the arrow cut through the air. My aim is true and before the buck can react the arrow is buried in its heart and it falls to the floor dead.
I hear the men behind me groan in displeasure. I turn around and smirk at them.
The man who dared me shakes his head. "You little bitch."
Ignoring his pathetic name-calling I go to the buck and remove the arrow. Taking the blood-stained arrow and the bow back to the group I shove them into the hands of its rightful owner.
"Never mess with a huntress in her natural habitat boys. Now enjoy your food." Leaving them to wallow in their defeat I head back to Dante, mount him and gallop back to the village.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
They knew it wasn't a good idea. Heading out into the woods at night is a death sentence. It's as close to begging the Grim Reaper to take your soul as you can get. The nights around Belles Collines are bitter and cold and it only gets worse the closer to the castle you go.
Huddled side by side the two teenage boys with their coats pulled tight against their shivering bodies followed the directions given to them by the one's uncle who had gone to the castle before and saw the beast that still lurked within despite the story saying it had been killed.
The ground near the castle was nearly frozen. The boys looked up at the intimidating building with its breaking walls and overgrown garden with shock on their faces.
They found the castle. They found it. It was real.
Despite the fear that was lingering in their minds they run to the large double entrance and using all their strength they push it open. Not a single candle was lit inside. Only flashes of lighting from a storm that had suddenly appeared lit up the way around the bottom floor.
Admiring the highly-priced artifacts that were scattered around the room the boys didn't notice the tall figure lurking in the shadows. As they went to grab some of the items a low and menacing growl echoed through the room.
They screamed and dropped the items they grabbed. They turned around just in time to see the beast charging toward them with its teeth bared and claws reaching out. Running as fast as they could they just make it out of the castle.
One of the boys couldn't help but turn around but what caught his eye wasn't the large beast standing at the doorway but a long darker darker-haired woman standing by a window on the second floor.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It's a slightly shorterchapter than the others but it's leading up to the long-awaited meeting between Valerie and the Beast. That will happen in the next two chapters, so stay tuned for that.
