Sylph

Sylph

Fleeing for my life through the middle of the woods at night, with nothing to defend myself, was almost certain death. But in desperation I had to go on. The forest was caliginous, but my eyes were well adjusted to the lack of light. What moonlight came through the towering pines cut down like spears from heaven. I clutched onto the cape wrapped around me and ran. This trail hadn't been used for years. My bare feet ran through mud and under fallen trees. I had to move fast. A small river cut through the ground and I leapt across the gap. I lost hold of my cape and it floated down into the water, revealing myself. My face was pale and shone dimly in the dark. My hair was white as silk, long, thin and dishevelled. My clothing was black, ragged and dreary. I ran on, not looking back.

The wind howled, shaking the trees and chilling my bones. I heard howls in the distance behind me. Unimaginable horrors were happening there. I could not dwell on what I had done to get here or where I had come from. I would not think of the place that had driven me so mad I'd risked my life to escape it.  I thought only of what was in front of me, and getting as far away as my legs would allow.

I was growing tired. I was weak. The trail opened up into a meadow and I fell onto my knees in a patch of grass, unable to go on. My hair glistened in the moonlight like spider's silk. My head spun. Only adrenaline had kept me running, and now it was all that kept me from passing out. I needed to stay awake and find my way out.

A growl came from the forest. I looked over, my eyes widened. From the bush came a pack of small black wolves. The beasts were bloodthirsty and vicious. They surrounded me. I screamed for help, searching for anything I could find and snatched up a stick. A wolf leapt at me; I rolled out of the way. Another snapped at me. I stabbed it's jaw with the stick, staggering the beast and running past it towards the woods. I went for the nearest tree climbing up its branches, but one of the wolves seized my leg in it's jaw. I yelped in agony as it ripped my flesh and it tried to pull me down from the tree. Then I heard a yell and felt the wolf loosen it's grip on me with a whimper. I looked below me, saw a man, and sighed in relief at the gutted wolf on the ground.

I clutched onto the tree, my leg still in pain and bleeding. I watched as the man fended off the wolves, five of them at once. He showed no fear, but neither did they. They went for his throat but he parried them away. One leapt at him, snapping down on his shoulder. The mail he donned wouldn't let much through. His sword went through the animal's stomach. He kicked one that was going after his side. He pulled the sword out of one and stuck it into the next. One by one he cut them through. The monsters attacked until they were all dead. Men would find no fear from the creatures of the night.

The man sheathed his sword and turned to me. He walked up to the tree, "You're safe, for now..." he was hardly out of breath."Those scavengers won't trouble us any more. The dangerous ones are not this far out tonight. Drop down, I'll catch you."

He sounded husky. I fell into his arms. He carried me across the clearing, through the woods and onto a road.

He placed his cape down on the dirt and set me on it. He ripped off his sleeve, revealing his sculpted arm. He had a fire patterned tribal tattoo on the top of his arm. He knelt down and used the sleeve to bandage my wound tightly. I winced. It was a savage bite. I would not be able to walk on it so he wrapped the cape around me and picked me up. Then he started to carry me down the path. I couldn't get a clear look at his face in the dark.

"Why are you on the road by yourself at this time of night?" I inquired.

"Better question is, why are you running through the woods this time of night?" the man questioned. I shut up. Afterwards he asked, "What's your name?"