Story Graveyard

Fantasy story

Darkness. A warm, comfy darkness.

The girl slowly opened her heavy eyes, and found herself on a mess of blankets and pillows on the floor. She looked around- she was in a dark, dark cave, and the only light source was a fireplace right next to her, which was slowly dying. She sat up, rubbing her eyes as the memories floated back in. Eowyn. That was her name.

Eowyn yawned, and the blankets fell. Something else, she noticed; a teddy bear. Worn, with several teeth marks, but strangely, stitched back together, precise and neat. As good as new. Eowyn hugged her teddy bear tight, standing up and looking around. Then. She noticed something else. A rocking chair, and beside it, a gigantic creature. Her heart began to race, and she walked over to the person. "Hewo?" She called.

The figure turned towards her. It was a huge serpent, diamond pattered scales a mix of brown and green, with a spiked tail and huge, sharp fangs which dripped with poison. Its eyes were blindfolded.
    Eowyn gasped, stepping back as the snake reared. And then, something strange happened. Its form seemed to melt away, twisting and shaping into something more... human. Finally, it leapt down on two, complete legs, staring down at her. A man, unlike any Eowyn had ever seen before. He was chiseled, with a ruggedly handsome charm about him that suited his wild mane of ashy blonde hair and bright, emerald eyes. He wore a a dragon-skin cloak, and in that moment, Eowyn had never seen anybody more terrifying.

Her heart began to race faster, but then, the man smiled gently, crouching down to her level. "It's okay. You don't have to be afraid. I won't hurt you." He said softly. Something about him comforted Eowyn. She hadn't remembered anything, either, right? He reminded her of her own parents.....

Suddenly, Eowyn's eyes filled with tears. "Mama.... Dada...." She whispered. The man shook his head. "I couldn't save them- I'm sorry."  Eowyn began to cry softly. Screaming. Crying. Fire. Her parent's melted, disrupted faces and gurgling screams. She remembered so little, and yet, it was too much. They were gone. Her parents were gone.
She suddenly felt herself being lifted up, into the strong arms of the man. She cried softly against his scaled tunic, feeling his arms wrap around her comfortingly and the soft creak of the rocking chair.  Soon, she had no more tears. She looked up at the man, who wiped away her last tears. Suddenly, he stood up, taking her back into his arms. "Want to see something cool?" He asked. Eowyn nodded excitedly. The man carried her out of the cave and onto a tall cliff. They were in the mountains, with snowcapped peaks and rippling lakes, and below, a forest. But the most beautiful thing of all was the sun, just rising beyond the horizon. Eowyn gasped softly, looking up at the man. "Prwetty." She said. The man laughed, and nodded. "I know."

The man let Eowyn down, and then sat beside her. Eowyn happily snuggled close, momentarily forgetting about her parents. Her family. She had the man. And now, as far as Eowyn was concerned, he was home.

Thirteen years later, and almost nothing changed. The sun still rose and fell, snow still draped over the mountains, and the forest was as lush as ever. And yet, there was something different. This morning, trudging through the trees, was a girl, the very same that the man had rescued that fateful night. But she was grown now, unlike the small, nervous little girl she'd been thirteen years before. Small, but with a lean figure. Draped in a dragon-skin cloak, with the same dark armor that her adoptive father always seemed to wear. She welded a bow, looking around nervously.

    Eowyn sighed. No prey. This winter had been tough. For as long as she had remembered, her father had always provided enough food for the both of them. For some reason, food was now scarce. The humans had been moving closer to the woods, as if they weren't bad enough as it was. She looked to her pegasi, Nyx, who trotted beside her. She was huge, black and bulky with a long mane that Eowyn always kept braided. A fine steed, having wandered into the forest one day.
   
    Eowyn patted Nyx's flank. "Well find something, I'm sure." She said. Nyx nickered in response, and threw her a skeptical glance. "Oh, don't look at me like that." Eowyn said. Nyx snorted, and Eowyn sighed again. "We're bound to catch something." She muttered, pulling her bow back out and glancing around. Suddenly, she spotted a deer in the middle of the meadow. Eowyn grabbed an arrow and pulled back her bowstrings, shooting it right into the deer's head. The deer bucked, falling straight into a small lake nearby, dyeing it red.
    Eowyn blinked, and then got to work, crouching beside the lake and pulling out the deer. It stared up at her with wide, glazed eyes. Eowyn must've gotten lucky- she was better with a spear, but hadn't yet mastered the element of surprise. Eowyn then pulled out a dagger and cut off the parts that would be able to fit in her hunting bag. Finally, she climbed back onto Nyx's back, gripping the reins. "C'mon, girl. It's too dangerous here." Eowyn said, glancing up at the setting sun.

    Nyx jumped up, spreading her wings and soaring into the air. Eowyn winced-, holding on tightly as she gripped her cargo close. Nyx gracefully landed on the ledge of the cliff, trotting back into the cave as Eowyn jumped off. She tied Nyx to a nearby pole and went in, hoisting the bag over her shoulder. "Dad! I'm home!" She called. She was met with a soft hiss as the snake came out, tilting its gigantic head. "I ssssssmell meat.... Did you get anything?" He asked. Eowyn nodded. "Deer- pretty easy." The snake thumped its tail proudly. "Sssssssee? You can do it." Eowyn couldn't help blushing, feeling a little embarrassed. "I-it's not much. Not a big deal." She muttered. The snake hissed. "Don't downgrade yourssssself- I bet itsssss a lovely catch."
    Eowyn felt a rush of pride as she took out a leg and began skinning it. Soon, the air was filled with the sounds of cooking and the smell of sizzling meat. Eowyn only wished her father could turn human again- he wouldn't be so hungry. It happened a few months ago- one day, his ability to turn to his human form had stopped working. Eowyn knew that day had been coming for a very long time, but every time she thought about it, she felt a twinge of sadness. It was her fault, after all. If her father hadn't had to use his human for so much around her, this would've never happened.
   
"Ow!"

    Eowyn sucked on her finger, the metallic taste of blood entering her mouth. Great. She hadn't been paying attention and now this happened. She took her finger out of her mouth. "Dad, do you remember where the bandages are?" She asked. Her father hesitated. "I believe they're in the storage room." He said. "Why? Did you hurt yourself?" Eowyn nodded. "Just a little scratch." She replied, standing up. "Be back soon."
Her father nodded, and Eowyn went into the storage room. Most of the shelves were long empty, now stockpiled with dust and cobwebs. A little crack in the corner gave little light. Once upon a time, these shelves were full of food, clothes, and books. Eowyn shuddered, quickly finding the bandages and wrapping one around her finger. "There. Time to go." She said, and hurried back out.