Warrior's Heart

6

Xandria stood next to her window, though it was barred and locked, she still felt comfort as she gazed to the north. Somewhere out there, no matter how long the distance, Xandria knew that her General was searching for her. Jasmina had given her a solemn promise that she would be safe. Xandria did not doubt that her General Blackblade would find her and kill every single person in this decaying castle.

Looking down she grimaced at the sight. The moat was a murky green and had nameless shapes moving about sluggishly. The drawbridge was about to cave in but it held as a progression of figures swaddled in long cloaks crossed in a column of two. As the drawbridge was drawn up with a rumble she saw stones tumbling into the moat. This castle was about to fall to ruin and yet they thought themselves safe here.

Xandria scoffed, Jasmina could tear this place apart with her hands. This was no fortified castle, this was a pile of rubble that had no defenses.

The door behind her creaked open mournfully, admitting a hunched hooded figure. "The Master requests your presence."

Xandria sighed.

It was the same routine every evening. The thing came, asked her to go to this mysterious Master, she would refuse, then the thing would start to cry in fear. It was tiresome.

"You tell me this every evening, have you no originality? No initiative of your own that you must follow the orders of a nameless master?" Xandria hated it here. The sun was hidden by clouds all the time, there were no birds, no life in this place.

"The Master requests your presence." The thing said again, this time wringing its hands nervously.

"I will not see this 'Master' you complain of so often." Xandria turned to face it, her small hands balled into fists. "I will not be kept here in a single room then led about and shown off like a brood mare. I am Xandria, Princess of the Royal House, engaged to the General Jasmina Blackblade and I swear to you that she will kill you for doing this to me!"

The thing began to sob, still wringing its bandaged hands in fear. Before Xandria had felt pity for it, until it had told her of its Master's plans. Then Xandria had felt nothing but fury.

"Leave," Xandria shouted as she threw a piece of decayed roofing at it. "Tell your Master I will not be summoned like a slave!"

The thing left, still sobbing.

Xandria felt no pity. That thing was nothing more than a distraction. The real struggle came in the night. When she had fallen asleep. Then the thing's Master awoke and lurked about.

The first time it had frightened her nearly out of her mind as she had watched the door open with a loud, chilling creak. A blackened shadow in the shape of a man. It had turned its head here and there, seemingly searching for something.

Xandria had taken a foolish step back, it was then that the shadow tried to pounce on her. Xandria thanked every deity she could think of that Jasmina had taught her to move silently. That simple skill had very likely saved her life and her virtue. The Shadow Man had been confused when it couldn't hear her moving and so had stumbled about trying to find her. Using the creature's own footfalls to mask her steps she was able to elude it that night.

The watchman called the hour, the first hour. The creature always came in the second hour.

It had become increasingly frustrated as it still couldn't find her. Succumbing to fits of rage it would stomp, mumble, and throw random objects if it could find one. Once it had come dangerously close to finding Xandria, unknowingly cornering her between the bed and a closet, she had to tuck herself under the bed in a tight ball to escape.