The Huntress

Chapter 3

Artemis sighed as she walked out of the Council building, and the wolf and Rustyrose were waiting outside. Rustyrose had changed his looks so he wasn’t recognizable; His hair was messy, the glasses were gone and he wore a simple white shirt and black cargo pants. “Who’s this?”, He asked, and Artemis smiled.

“This, is Luna.”, She gestured to the wolf, who smiled. “She was a nightmare.”

“Who’s the guy?”, Rustyrose asked, and she pointed up.

“Council guy.”, She replied, and he laughed.

“I like her already.”, He said, and the wolf grinned.

“He had a little guilt, I made it keep him up at night.”, Luna explained, and Rustyrose smiled, before looking up at the moon.

“Speaking of keeping you up, it’s almost midnight, Artemis.”, He said, and Artemis nodded. “You better get going.”

“How about you join me, Rustyrose?”, Artemis smiled, and his eyes widened, before he nodded.

“I’d love to.”, He smiled, and Luna looked at the pair.

“What are we doing?”, She asked, and Artemis smiled.

“The best part of my job. Come on.”, She walked away from the building, and pressed her hand against a tree. The bark split, and a black mass was hovering in the middle of the tree.

“What is that?”, Luna leaned forward and took a small sniff.

“It’s a portal to a secret place.”, The Huntress explained, before taking a step forward. Her foot was swallowed up by the portal, before everything else. Luna glanced uncertainly at Rustyrose, who smiled.

“She likes to make a show of things.”, He said, before following.

“Here goes nothing.”, Luna sighed, before running after them. The blackness swallowed her whole, and she whimpered as ghosts slipped away from her leg, leaving a wetness that scared her.

“Don’t worry. The dead are more afraid of you than you are of them. Nightmares terrify them.”, Artemis called, and Luna shivered as one of them ghosted over her back, bony fingers brushing the tips of her metal fur. A light seemed to shine from in front, and Luna smiled as the dead faded away and soft ground replaced the souls lost to the dark. The grass seemed a little wet, but it was a familiar it-just-rained sort of wet, and everything smelled that little bit musky.

“Where are we?”, Luna asked, and Artemis smiled.

“We’re somewhere far away from any humans, Luna. You can be whoever you want here.”, She answered, and, as if on cue, the moon came out of it’s hiding place. The white light bathed the area, and Luna could make out everything. They were in a clearing, and a giant spider’s web hung from the tree-tops, dew clinging to it. When the moonlight hit the dewdrops, they sparkled like lanterns at a festival. The trees were twisted and knotted, curving every which-way as they all fought to touch the sky. The stars shone brightly, and they twinkled like diamonds on black silk.

In the clearing, there was a lake, which mirrored the night sky. A large rock sat behind it, and a black case rested on the rock. Artemis walked over, popped open he locks, and lifted out a beautiful violin. It was almost transparent, and shined like the stars and dewdrops scattered around the trio. She placed it underneath her chin, and began to play. The notes that echoed from the instrument changed the atmosphere of the entire clearing. The moon’s light seemed less creepy, and more beautiful, it seemed to get warmer, and Rustyrose smiled as he relaxed, shoulders that little bit hunched as he leaned back on a tree. The wind blew, and a few petals from cherry blossoms fluttered off, before spinning around Artemis and landing on the lake, the ripples breaking the mirror the water had created.

“She’s so peaceful...”, Luna whispered, and Rustyrose looked down at the nightmare made flesh.

“Wait a minuite, then it get’s life-changing.”, He hinted, and Luna grinned back, before stretching and lying down. The music changed, it was no longer soft and sweet, but like an army march, a heavy, steady beat echoing throughout every being’s very soul. The beat shook the earth, even changing the beating of the wolf’s heart, and the beat changed the violinist.

Two lumps began to grow on Artemis’ shoulder blades, and they reached the size of her, before the skin split open, revealing beautiful feathered wings. They were a deep black, and were similar to an angel’s wings. The stitches that coated her body too, they began to pale and soon her skin was flawless.

“Wow.”, Luna gasped, and Rustyrose nodded.

“For one minuite every full moon, she is able to be human again. She’s tried to push it, but it never works.”, He explained,”She always craves these moments. Did you know her heart doesn’t beat?”, He asked, and Luna shook her head. “She’s the daughter of death; her heart need not beat.”

“Her heart need not beat.”, Luna repeated, before the music changed again. it was sweet, like before, but a tear fell from Artemis’ eyes as the feathers on her wings fell away, one by one, leaving behind an empty space. “They’re gone?”, As she spoke, the stitches seem to sew themselves again, and Artemis was the scarred person from before, no more flawless angel.

“Yes, until the moon is full again, and she plays that very tune.”, Rustyrose sighed, and a tear slid down his face, before hitting the ground.

“The tune seems familiar.”, The nightmare whispered, and the ghost nodded.

“It’s a variation of an old folk song, which was passed on from mother to daughter in the Cheney family, from Huntress to Huntress.”, He said, and the final note was played, and the silence was unnerving as Artemis put away the violin and walked over to her subordinates.

“You were talking about ‘The Hanging Tree’? I thought nobody would recognise the tune.”, Artemis said, and Luna smiled.

“Don’t forget you are talking to a nightmare and a ghost.”, She barked, and Artemis smiled a certain smile.

“No one ever recognises that tune. Ever.”, She said.

But, in a guild who’s name was known all over Fiore, someone did.