The Morningstar

Chapter 3

shaxx opened the front door to his house and headed for his room while evaline stayed outside and kept watch

shaxx pulled a large trunk from out under  his bed and opened it. Inside the trunk was two leather pouches one being filled with gold and silver the other containing two coin like objects. Also in the trunk was a hatchet and an old arming sword that he had been preparing for his sister.

"shaxx something is wrong out here" evaline stood there scared and the night suddenly became colder and darker

shaxx ran outside and handed evaline the sword. "odium dogs"

evaline took the sword and held it in a stance that an untrained person would take. The sword was next to her face.

before shaxx could teach evaline to hold the sword correctly two odium dogs came out of the small wood that escorted the road out of the house. Their teeth were fangs that where as sharp as swords, their claws were coated in the blood of previous victims and their mouths were akin to that of a wolves.  They went down on all fours and roared at shaxx and evaline revealing their pale skin in the moonlight. 

Shaxx raised the hatchet in his right hand and drew his dagger from its scabbard and grasped it in a rear grip with his left hand "come on doggies come and get me" 

evaline haphazardly held her sword up for this was her second violent encounter and she was scared.

The dogs charged shaxx but shaxx was prepared he threw the hatchet at the left dog making it explode into a pile of ash and as for the right dog shaxx grabbed its throat with with his right hand and smashed it in to the ground and killed it by slitting its throat causing it to explode into ash. 

"im sorry m'lord im sorry" evaline was on the floor clenching the sword and in tears

shaxx sheathed his dagger and reclaimed his hatchet and put it through a loop on the back of his belt which held the hatchet perfectly, he then walked over to evaline "don't be they shouldn't be this far west anyway id never ask you to kill something you don't want to"

she nodded and wiped away her tears "if you'll have me i'd still like to join you on your journey" 

"of course you can" shaxx walked to an ash pile and found a small brown leather scabbard "come here though" 

she obliged and walked over to shaxx 

shaxx put the brown scabbard around her waist and sheathed the sword in the scabbard. "there you go saves you carrying it around"

evaline drew the sword from its scabbard and held the oak wood hilt of the sword "I feel like a warrior of old now with this and I love it" 

"good, anyway we need to move the first company will be here soon" shaxx put his thumb and finger in his mouth and whistled loudly.

"are you sure that's wise with the dogs around?" she questioned shaxx 

"those will mostly likely be the only two odium dogs you see" as he spoke a pale mare ran out from the tree line and headed for shaxx.

He looked at the mare "hello sky" when sky stood alongside him he stroked her main "its been awhile old girl"

"whoa this must be your war horse I have read so much about" she approached sky and stoked her main with shaxx

"oh no she isn't mine she belongs to the world she just feels like she owes me a debt" shaxx mounted sky and helped evaline on

evaline sat in front of shaxx "a debt?" 

shaxx slapped the reins and sky began to gallop northwards" in our younger years I found her trapped in a swamp not far from here and some kid had left her to die so I saved her and let her go but one day I found her on the battle field and she let me ride her"

shaxx rode sky hard and fast reaching a bridge that allowed people to cross azreals river. 

"wait here evaline" shaxx dismounted sky and headed to a little stone building

"shaxx what is it?" she questioned