Shadun

Beginning

Chapter one

<Beginning>

15 YEARS LATER

Relda and her party walked back from the Sirat forest with the carefreeness of younglings that has seen death again and again and escaped each time, that they start to believe they are simply immune to death. There were six of them; Relda is the leader, naturally, and Stane is her second. A slender boy of the same age as her sixteen years, sporting a shaved head and a mischievous smile.

Amy, the red haired mousy girl at the back of the group is his sister. Jonr and Bral, the biggest boys in the group were carrying a dead Bullworm on a stretcher made of poles and vines with each handle on their shoulders. Jonr was tall and lanky, with a mop of white hair that always fell over his face no matter how many times he combed it back. Though why he hadn't cut it down till now, Relda didn't know.

While Bral, while as tall as Jonr, was instead bulky and wide of shoulders like a blacksmith. But also with the short white hair of the Wolan's. The last member of the group was Sefoya. A slim immaculate girl with her Wolan pure white hair hanging loose, framing heart shaped face. At a glance Sefoya looked more like a lady than an adventurer in her blue dress with silver embroidery, with the skirt divided for riding, and same colored cloak also embroidered in silver. She wore wool of course, but well cut at that, and the newest pair of boots of the six.

The road the party trended was a dirt road, well traveled, wide that two carriages could travel side by side. Potholes dotted the road though, filled with poodles of last night's rain. Relda smiled as she looked at the woods at both sides of the road. She has a narrow bony face with shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes. She has an odd beauty to her added with her straight nose, gave off her Sheashen decent.

She always felt good close to the forest. More alive, more aware and sure. She could hear the rabbits and squirrels rushing through the undergrowth, flitting past oaks and leather leaves and Ghorms. Birds sang from hidden spots, and a stream rushed far in the woods___ she could almost smell it.

It was almost winter in Wolan and the morning cold was almost unbearable without a coat or cloak. Almost, but being Wolan in anything but blood, she enjoyed it still.

"What's so funny boss?" Stane asked pulling her out of her reverie.

Relda gave a start. "Nothing," she looked towards the big sluggy gray monster they had caught. It had two tusks protruding downwards from its upper lip, and four boneless limbs hanging uselessly from the stretcher.

"Oh," Stane smiled tracking her gaze. "You are dreaming of the rewards huh?"

"But I wasn't,"

"Sure, sure," Though the twinkle in his eyes showed he didn't believe her.

Relda sighed.

Suddenly something rushed in the bushes in the forest beside. Relda instinctively tugged at an arrow in the quiver strapped on her waist, ready to nock the long bow she held in her hand if any monster leaps from the woods. But nothing did.

Relda was wearing a blue shirt, black jacket and trousers, and ankle length metal studded boots. Bral and Jonr wore leather vest and loose white shirt respectively, their cudgels hanging on their waists.

Amy wore a gray loose woolen dress and worn leather boots. Her only weapon was the crossbow she held. Stane wore a long faded brown coat, old and fraying at the hem atop a brown shirt. He had a duffel bag filled with tools to set traps slung over his shoulder. While Sefoya held no weapon. Her whip was propped on the stretcher beside the Bullworm.

The party was well equipped to face only low ranked monsters head on___ anything above that needs painstaking planning and ambush___ so they were nervous. Though as nothing came out of the bushes, they relaxed.