To train destiny

Dig a pit, put the body in, and cover it up. Dig a pit, put the body in, and cover it up.  Dig a pit, put the body in……….. You know the rest. On Bloomsday, or as others call it, Doomsday island, this is something you have to repeat almost every day, if you weren’t repeating it, you were dead.

“How many have still survived?” Lucy asked.

“Around fifteen, maybe less” I replied. There used to be eighty five of us, we’re almost all dead now, and they called this a safe haven…….. Traitors. We heard distant voices

“It's them!” Lucy whispered “Run!”

The sound of our footsteps alerted their dogs; we heard vicious barking, shouts, and more footsteps as they started running. There was barely any food on the island, which made us slow and weak, but they always had some.

“Ah!” Lucy screamed as she narrowly missed a crossbow bolt, her step faltered, and she almost fell, but we couldn’t stop, unless we wanted to be a walking pin cushion. The crossbow bolts were getting more precise, and there were more to dodge, their dogs were right on our tail, they mouths foaming, landing on the ground in constant trails as they barked, the witch hunters had already shot down two of the five that were after us. They were getting closer, one started to nip at my heel, it was missing luckily, but we couldn’t keep this up.

 Lucy came to an abrupt stop, so did the dogs, everything was in slow motion. The dogs turned on Lucy, she gave a small smile, and then was pulled to the ground, she had given up, she had joined Dane. The sting as a crossbow bolt sliced past my arm woke me back to discover I was crying. I bolted off from the bolts, which then stopped as they rounded up the dog, and Lucy.

Signa woke from her nightmare, drenched in sweat. The power hunters, even though their time had fallen, they still affected the world. Signa dipped a cloth in a bucket of water she always had handy, and wiped herself off with it, she then headed off to bathe in the small pond, which had a small waterfall she enjoyed thoroughly, she lived solitary in a small hut in the forest, so she had plenty of privacy. She looked at her feet in the clear water, she didn’t mind being lonely, it was peaceful.

She swam around the pond towards the little rock waterfall that emitted the peaceful sound that helped her think. She observed the world around her, the many types of trees that surrounded her small home, all beautiful and majestic, the crossroads she had made that each led to the pond, the hut, or a small grove she had made that had a few fruit trees. She had constantly trained her magic by working on her small forest paradise, and by hunting, but she mostly hunted by weapons, not magic.

Signa lazed around in the water, before deciding to fetch herself some food. She swam to where her robe was, even though she was alone, it still felt comfortable not to walk around a forest dripping wet and naked, and headed down her path back to her hut. On the way she passed a family of deer in the nearby trees, they had grown used to the woman’s presence, and made no move to flee. Signa enjoyed the peaceful mornings of when there weren’t predators out, but she always kept watch, just to make sure.

The woman walked into the small two room hut, furnished with handmade, carefully crafted, furniture, and headed to the small cosy bedroom. Signa never liked living in big mansions, so the queen agreed to let her live in peace in the forest, as long as she still lived like every citizen, and allowed messengers and what not to enter her home.

Signa changed into a comfortable green tunic, some breezy pants, and boots. She walked to the kitchen/living room to where she kept her bow, quiver, and hammer, she grabbed her quiver and bow, and loaded and tested it, but ignored the hammer, she wouldn’t need that today. She continued walking out into the thrum of the forest, which was where the prey were.

About twenty meters down the small deer trail she had travelled down, she spotted a plump, healthy looking, doe. The doe wasn’t part of the family of deer she had grown fond of, as this one didn’t have her magical tracking device she had placed on the deer to make sure she didn’t eat them accidently. She slowly and calmly paced around the bushes in the forest, finding a clear shot. Avoiding twigs and things if she’d step on it would frighten away the game, she ducked into a clear shot of her grazing prey, pulled the bow back, aimed for the doe’s neck, and shot in one fluid movement.

The arrow swiftly flew across the bush, and landed one centimetre below the middle of the neck where she aimed, she’d have to work on her aiming more. The doe reared in fright and pain, before thrashing around, when finally, it collapsed in a motionless pile. Signa carefully approached the carcass to make sure the doe wouldn’t squirm. She nudged its head with her boot, when there was no return movement, she placed her hand around the arrow, stood as far away as possible without letting go, and carefully tugged the arrow out sending blood spurting out in a constant stream. Signa stoppered the waterfall of blood with magic, and began carrying the carcass back. She first went to the small grove and picked some fruit for her meal, and headed back to her house.

Signa skinned and cut the doe, listening to the sounds of the birds and animals around her as she did so. She hummed an old folk song to herself as she placed the cuts onto a roll of paper. 

She filled a pot and a jug with water from the pond, grabbed some firewood from the side of the house, lit a fire, and started some tea and a stew using some of the meat, the rest she would preserve for later.

She was stirring the mix, and adding some vegetables when I knock came from the door

“Hmm” She mumbled to herself “I don’t get company”  She added the rest of the carrots, and walked towards the door where she then opened it.

“Miss. Signa?” It was herald, the queens most trusted adviser, his face looked sombre

“Herald? Come in” She replied, presuming it was

“I have a message from her highness herself” He replied, holding up a roll of parchment with the queen’s seal, Heralds voice was always that kind of ‘Happy old man’ voice even in sad times

It can’t be. It isn’t….. She thought

“Come in” she said, extending the door. Herald nodded and walked in.

“Cooking stew, I smell?” He asked, seating himself at the dining table

“Why yes, I am” Signa said, walking over and seeing it was ready

“You always were talented in that category, almost as good as your spy and combat abilities. You were a Jack of all trades. I remember training you like it was yesterday” He smiled, reminiscing the training sessions. Signa picked up the jug, and poured some tea in two cups

“Ah, yes, all I remember is the constant screeching when you saw a spider I had caught” The two laughed at old memories. Signa served the stew into two bowls, and placed the remaining stew near the fireplace.

“Ah, old memories of my mouth watering are returning” Herald sighed as he took a bite of the stew

“You always made me do the cooking, Herald” Signa laughed in response. She took a bite of her stew, it tasted of the perfect combination of herbs and vegetables, and mixed with the meat it was extraordinary.

As the pair ate, talking about new happenings and old memories, including the time Signa mistook a stick as a snake and screeched so loud the other kingdoms could hear. And the time that Herald had tried Signa’s hammer showing her it wasn’t that hard and ended up on his face because of a pesky log. The two laughed into the day, but, no matter how hard they tried, didn’t forget the message, especially Herald.

After breakfast was finished, and Signa had finished packing up the table, there were no more distractions to stop her from receiving the message.

“Herald, I believe it’s time for the message” Signa said hesitantly

“Of course” Herald replied, pulling the parchment out of his pocket and handing it to a reluctant Signa. She tore the wax seal off slowly, and unrolled the parchment, what she saw next made her heart sink

It’s time.

It's short huh? And boring, but it will start to get more interesting, trust me!!!! But, i'm not sure whether to continue or not, comment if you wan't more? Anyway this is MalfoyChick's story *waves* and i hope you like it :)