The Unknown Princess

Chapter Four

               It isn't hard to fire a bow. Obviously, hitting what you're aiming at takes more skill than just shooting an arrow into the air, but the basics aren't hard. I had already placed myself in the proper stance, and though my bow was lowered I already had an arrow knocked. So, when Imogen said let's start, I didn't hesitate. I brought the bow up in front of me, extending it towards the rider on the right as I drew the string back to my chin. I was used to firing at moving targets, Imogen was constantly moving them while I fired out the window, but this was the first time I'd ever had to avoid a horse's head while I was shooting. Luckily, the men didn't seem too worried about being attacked, and kept riding at a steady trot towards us.

So, they died.

The first two didn't even realize something was wrong until they were on the ground. Imogen hit the rider on the left right in the chest, while I aimed a little higher out of concern for the horse and hit my target right in the hollow of his throat. I was already reaching over my back to grab another arrow from my quiver before the other four understood how much trouble they were in. They reacted quickly enough as they ducked down, and spurred their horses towards us at a gallop. I didn't know much about military tactics, but even I could tell that they had no good options. But the charge didn't help. The closer they got, the easier it was to aim around the head of the horse and hit any body part of the soldiers that were visible.

My second shot took a soldier in the second rank in the ribs, though he stayed in the saddle. I don't know where Imogen hit her second target, but there was another soldier tumbling in the grass, and I pulled another arrow out, rapidly shooting an uninjured one in the hip. They were almost on top of us when I fired once more, dropping the one with the arrow in his hip with a shot in the chest. The only survivor was the one I'd wounded in the side, but Imogen shot him once more in the back as he turned away, and he slumped over the saddle before sliding off and into the deep grass.

"Grab our horses and follow me!" Imogen commanded, racing out into the grass, and grabbing the reins of the horses that were milling about. I quickly took up the reins of our horses which were on the path behind us and followed her back out into the grass. I was surprised to see her moving away from the woods, past several of the men who were still crawling through the grass or moaning in pain.

"Where are we going?" I asked in a breathless yell, still not comprehending that I'd helped to kill several men, let alone why we were now leaving the forest that was our refuge.

"Away from the blood!" she called back over her shoulder.

I remembered the story about the wyrms, and picked up my pace, not wanting to be near the bodies if the wyrms were drawn to the scent of blood. Their crimson blood was all over though, splashed on much of the grass. I passed the first man I'd shot, staring sightlessly up at the sky with the arrow sticking in his throat and a large pool of blood around him. I swallowed harshly, trying to stay strong, and then jogged to catch up to Imogen.

"This should be far enough," she finally said while she rigged a picket line for the horses.

"Do the wyrms not come out this far?" I asked, trying not to sound too scared.

She snorted, shaking her head. "It isn't the wyrms we need to worry about." She trained her eyes on the forest as a sudden slithering sound reached my ears. I looked towards the forest, seeing the grass waving as though something was moving through it.

"Are those snakes?" I had only seen small ones, and nothing that would scare Imogen like this.

She shook her head, never taking her eyes off the waving grass. "It's the vines from the trees. There is a reason it is called The Living Forest. The trees will sense the blood and send their tendrils out to feed. That is one of the reasons they grow so tall, they get extra nutrients that way."