- Still 20 Years Ago -
The woman was trying to resist but still got dragged to see the settlement leader. She felt trapped, but she had no other choice. It's either this or death. Both could mean death for her, but the first option was giving her more chances to survive.
"You are gripping my arm too hard!" she complained to the man holding her. She didn't know how, but she got convinced to put her weapon down if she wanted to take another step inside their settlement. She felt naked and unprotected, endangered without any way to defend herself if something goes wrong. "Yes you! Are you fucking deaf?"
The man shook his head and continued walking, not paying any further attention to her until they reached the very top of the staircase of the structures inside. It was still cold, since the middle of the rock had a giant hole through its ceiling and many snowflakes were flying in, along with the wind, but torches and fire lit here and there were keeping them warm on their way. The man knocked at the door and someone opened it in hurry. It was a young man with grey eyes and light hair. He seemed very innocent looking to her, almost handsome. She could tell he was surprised to see them, especially her. His eyes widened when he saw her and he measured her with his eyes up and down.
"What happened?", asked he then. The man stepped inside and let go of the woman.
"She got lost. She demands of food and shelter.", explained the man.
"I didn't get lost!", the woman hurried to correct him with irritated and annoyed voice, which interested the young man. "I am travelling. And because it is a storm outside, I was kindly asking for any help that your nice little settlement could afford giving. And actually, I want to speak to your leader. If you please, I would like to speak to him directly.", she fired her dark brown eyes, full of hate, to the man, who just dragged her inside.
"Alright.", the young handsome man nodded to the other one and he left the room, leaving them alone. Then he turned to the woman and offered her a seat at the table in the middle of the room. She sat, looking tense, although, maybe it was because of the cold. "We can provide you with food and shelter for as long as you need, you shouldn't worry about that."
"I beg you pardon. Are you the leader here?", she gave him a sceptic look.
"I am. Too young?", he laughed. "Many people tell me that, I'm used to it. I am actually older than I seem."
The woman took off her hood, revealing her nice, wavy hair and olive skin, like she had just tanned on the sun. For a second it seemed to her that the young man-leader held his gaze on her for a moment too long, but after that he cleared his throat and his voice sounded as undisturbed as ever. "What brought you here, you said?"
"I am a travelling. I am heading North.", she answered. Talking to this young gentleman was more pleasant than all of the men in their settlement.
"Alone? Don't you find it dangerous?", his eyes widened in surprise again, and for a second she sensed worry in him too.
"Yes, yes alone. My village got attacked several days ago so I am heading North to see people that I know and maybe find a new shelter for myself.", she said.
"I am sorry to hear about your village, and this decision is very brave of you.", he smiled. "We will help you as much as we can. You can stay here for as long as you need, we don't kick anyone out. Please, feel free to use my place as yours for now, but if you decide to stay longer you could get your own.", something warming and calming was in his voice. The way he looked at her was so different from other looks that she received. "My name is Grayson, by the way. You can refer to me by that name."
She smiled, but didn't introduce herself back. Yet
- Present time -
In the morning me and Drake left early. Before, we examined the building. It looked modern and not as much destroyed as the buildings that we saw before, so we assumed it was newer, after the era of the Ancients. Many skeletons were lying around the building, still partly dressed in their clothes. I wondered what happened to them, it seemed that they died suddenly, maybe in a battle. I guess the bodies of my people that died two days ago are also going to look like this after a while. As well as my dad's...
"We are going to get something to eat.", said Drake. "I am starving. Good thing I'm also a hunter." He winked me and smiled, trying to cheer me up. I actually felt better today, than yesterday. The weight was off my shoulders a little, relieved but not for long.
He hunted a rabbit and found some herbs to boil our water with, to sterilize it, he said. I never had to do that back home, we had the lake as our source of water and it was always clean.
After eating and having some water we decided to stop and train. Drake was teaching me how to master my sword skills. It is a useful thing to know when the world is falling apart. We battled a few times. He's won me twice, pointing at my mistakes that I have to work on to stay alive. Because if it was a real battle, those mistakes would cost my life.
"Fighting a monster is one thing. It's got no tactics, no trickery, you know what to expect from it. It's scary and strong and can eat you, but people can do waaaaay worse things. Fighting someone who knows what they're doing, has its own tricks and ways to make you believe that you can trust them and then stub you in the back, that's what is terrifying." Drake was saying, while circling around me, all sweaty and tired from the training. I held my blades up, knowing that it wasn't over. He attacked unexpectedly.
*
We headed out soon after resting.
My whole dress was stinky, the bad smell was coming from the Darker's blood.
"Do you think it is going to attract animals?", I asked.
"More like scare them away. But don't worry, once we reach the group, they'll have clothes for you.", promised me Drake and I believed him, although a scary suspicion was tiptoeing inside me.
" Wouldn't they have returned back home by now?", I gasped. "Imagine how they felt when they saw their houses destroyed and their wives dead. And most importantly, what if they also got killed by the invaders?"
"I doubt it", said my friend after thinking for a while. "They were planning to stay and investigate for a few days. Hopefully, we get there before they find anything and head back. We have to pick up the pace, come on."
We headed through the forest. I was beginning to get used to this new way of life. At least, some of my problems were gone. Like the problem with having to marry somebody. Thinking about it now, it wasn't a big deal to be upset about. I never thought that there are be way worse things.
I had no idea how Drake oriented around. Sometimes he would go and examine grass and then completely change our direction. At his study of being a hunter he was taught something that he never told me about and I was jealous about it. How could he not tell me something this exiting? When my feet began hurting, we came out near a river and Drake seemed very satisfied with himself, which told me that we were getting close. Obviously, my imagining of close was way different from his. We were following the river against its current for a few hours without being successful at finding anything or anyone useful, despite that Drake was constantly telling me to relax and follow his lead and promised that we were getting closer.
"I see their tents!", he yelled. "Hurry up!"
Suddenly Drake started running forward into the woods and I followed him. It was too spontaneous and sudden, that I almost tripped and fell, trying to catch up with him. In a moment I could actually see the tents. They were white , set up in the woods about quarter a kilometer from us. I felt like this was our rescue and got excited to see everyone. Too bad we will have to be the ones to tell them about what happened. Drake looked back at me.
"Come on!", he smiled widely and grabbed my hand. I was also smiling. We were so close to it that I could already see the... Stains of blood on the tent walls?
I slowed down my pace to a slow walk because of how tense I was. Drake rushed right into the tent camp and I could see his shoulders slowly falling down. Things were not great.
There was blood everywhere as I walked in. It was on the walls of the tents, spilled on the grass, creating paddles here and there. My eyes were becoming wider and wider and heart sank lower when I began to slowly understand what is happening.
"What is it, Drake?", my voice was shaking as I cried.
YOU ARE READING
Let There Be Darkness
Fantasy"No. I don't want to," I answered. Our conversation didn't go well, because I wanted to be silent, and he wanted to talk. It seemed to me that it had become even lighter around, although the night was only deepening. It couldn't be dawn already, cou...
