The Girl of Ossetia

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

After regaining their bearings, they set back down the trail, slowly at first. They wound for hours and hours, every once in a while speaking quietly to one another. By now the sun was sinking more to the West, indicating their path was turning to the North. The path was slightly steeper than it had been earlier that morning, and the tree’s were beginning to space out more. Arrana watched the earth and mud fumble away as her horse plowed onward.

            With the Sun now behind the rising black hills, sending its array of warm colors across the pale grey sky of night before its final bow to the audience of day, the shadows seemed more precarious and eerie. The girl found herself walking close to Luinil, and soon enough turned her head to question.

            “How were you chosen? To protect me?” She asked quietly, the Centaur’s marble face turned to her, breaking in its statue like pose for a faded smile. She sighed.

            “I often had vivid dreams of your soul, Arrana. Not seeing you physically, but your aura. It drew me in, and when word got out that you were in Ossetia, and doing something that no one else could, I signed myself up to protect you.” She said it as though it was perfectly normal, and ran her fingers across her lips, tracing her smile. Arrana raised her eyebrows, shifting in the saddle slightly.

            “You had dreams of my… soul?” Her voice broke slightly, tilting her head in wonder. “Like what?”

            “Very, very hard to explain, dear.” She laughed hoarsely. “It was more of a feeling inside of me, understanding that you were not normal. Something about you was healing everything around you in one way or another.” Arrana was silent, her own soul was a mystery to her, not sure of how to harness it, to use it correctly. The only thing she rightfully knew was that she was a “savior”.

            “Do you want to know what it really is? What your soul does?” Luinil questioned, her eyes glinting, voice hushed. Something in Arrana hesitated. She opened her mouth to confirm, but was interrupted by Saelam holding up his hand for everyone to silently stop.

            “I can hear it. The hunter. Everyone split up, there is a house a mile away, off the path shielded behind a large thicket of briars. Do not be afraid, he will be confused if we all scatter. Arrana, go on foot, you’re harder to notice that way. Go, now.” And with that, everyone quickly averted, the girl swinging off of her horse nervously, sending him with Luinil, who nodded to her.

            She set off quickly, darting between the tree’s, going far off the path. She ran for sometime before all she could hear was her soft panting and the rustle of leaves beneath her. She slowed to a stop at the base of one of the largest tree’s she had seen in this forest, hesitant at first, but leaned against it, catching her breath. Heavy breathing and shuffling, she heard it now, not far off and quick on her trail. Her heart flew into her throat and she quickly turned to the tree, digging her fingers into a large notch, and hoisted herself up into the cradle of thick branches, concealed from the view from below. She hunched low, barely breathing, watching the tree’s for any movement, and not before long it came. The dark creature mounted by the hooded hunter.

            It roved silently, sniffing at the tree’s and leaves surrounding her, pausing every once in a while to listen. She held her breath, praying it wouldn’t hear her pounding heart. It moved closer, and a part of her brain clicked into a flight mode. She silently crept to a far branch, seeing it lengthily drew into another tree. The hunter was now at the base of the tree, studying it closely. She slowly shifted herself onto the branch, shimmying her way down it. A low croak emerged from the branch and her heart near stopped. Her weight pulled against the limb, before it again croaked before snapping in half. She let out a terrified shriek as she hit the ground hard, the wind rushing from her lungs. She quickly scrambled up, the beast rounding around the tree, nearly shocked at the scent of the girl.