My breath billowed inside of the cloth covering my nose and mouth, protecting my skin from the harsh chill surrounding me. I was dressed in my red and black robes, the chill still creeping through the thick fabric, but unable to deter me from my hunt.
Within my perceptive vision locked onto my prey, I readied myself. Crouching I took a few small and silent steps forward, readying my bow. Blood pounded through my ears, adrenaline made my veins hot with anxiety.
With his head swinging up and regal antlers pointing to the tree tops, the buck paused in his grazing, ears flicking back and forth, dark eyes searching for me. I went still, willing my muscles to stay contracted and rigid. With a raged huff of his breath, he bounded to the side, twisting his body and taking off.
I muttered a silent curse before pushing myself forward, sprinting after the white tail, feeling his hooves send vibrations through the ground and up into my feet and legs. The pines and birch trees blurred by me, along with the shrubs and briar's that tugged at my robes.
I could barely focus on what I was doing, I was letting myself go and just letting my instinct control me. My body knew this forest like a mother knew her child. I was leaping over logs and short bushes, dodging trees and swatting branches from my face.
My eyes, for whatever reason, slanted to the side catching the shadow of a man, running along side me. My breath hitched in my throat, what was going on? No one else should of been out this early in the morning. My teeth clenched, I wasn't allowing a man to steal my kill.
I pumped my arms harder, willed my legs faster, and sucked in air to keep myself going. I looked to the side again, and almost fell. The man was closer this time, allowing me to see his shaggy black hair that had been cut choppily at his ears, his strong legs matching mine, stride for stride, and the lack of breath billowing from his mouth or nostrils. I was panicked now, how did a man manage to keep up with me without breathing? Watching him, his form disappeared behind a tree, not reappearing on the other side.
I skidded to a stop, my sheepskin boots sliding on the pine needles. Panting hard I crouched, seeing movement to my right. I drew my bow, withdrawing an arrow from the quiver strapped to my back by a cow skin belt. The man stood next to a tree, holding an apple in hand, lips quirked up in a smug grin.
"Where's the fire?" His voice was taunting and silk like, smooth, and deep.
It sent shivers down my spine. With a nimble swipe of a small fire rock against the steel tip of my bow, I had a spark showering down on the tip of my arrow, aiming at his heart. The stranger chuckled and passed behind the tree. Again he disappeared and then reappeared, 3 trees away from where he had been.
"Take your best shot." he taunted, holding the apple at his chest.
I didn't hesitant as I pulled back on the string and arrow butt, touching the tip to my jaw before releasing. The flame of my arrow burst as it hit the apple, swallowing up the man in black smoke and sparks.
What was left, as the smoke cleared, was a charred apple, pinned to the trunk of a tree...The man nowhere in sight.
Trudging through the muddy entrails of an old river I kept my head low, covering my hair with my hood. My bow was secured to me, the stringing cutting diagonally across my chest. I could smell wood smoke from my village's fire and the small voices bickering over what water bucket went to who.
I sighed and climbed the small slope outside of the village, standing there with the wind whipping at my clothes and forcing me to squint my eyes. The village wasn't very special in particular: Wooden buildings, most homes; some stone trimming; and a cobblestone pathway running down the center.
I lowered my hood and marched in, my expression grim. I had done the worst thing possible...I had returned with nothing. The village elder would find me today and probably lecture me about how it was important to always come back with something and disgraceful to come back with nothing.
But I had been confused and scared, so I had hurried home. A hand clapped down on my shoulder and I jumped, whirling around to give the person a piece of my mind. A fair skinned boy held up his hands in surrender, ducking his head.
"Ah, don't hit me!" he pleaded with a smile on his face.
I did hit him though, balling up my fist to hit him in the shoulder, 'Don't sneak up on me like that, Maverick!"
The boy laughed and rubbed his shoulder, "Ow."
I smirked and then began walking with him. He was rattling on about something, probably about how he took down a 10 point buck this morning. I was looking at all the shallow and gaunt faces of the people outside their homes, working on their small gardens or tending to chickens.
"You aren't listening...Are you Elliot?" He asked.
I looked to Maverick and sighed, "No, I'm sorry, I was thinking." I apologized.
His arm snaked around my waist, pulling me closer to him, "It's alright, all is forgiven. I could only imagine you were thinking about me." He grinned.
I sighed and let myself be pressed to his side, this had become a normal routine for Maverick. After getting engaged a month ago he had been trying hi best to woo me. I had grown up with maverick though, he was my best friend. I had told him, I wouldn't marry him until I loved him like he loved me. That was the problem with an arranged marriage.
"Actually, I was thinking about my hunt." I confessed. "I saw a man today, out in the forest, he startled me."
Stopping Maverick turned so that he stood in front of me, both of his hands on my shoulders. "What happened, Elliot?" His dark eyes were filled with worry.
I knew once I opened my mouth, I wouldn't be able to stop telling the truth...
"Wait, wait. The apple caught on fire and then the man wasn't there?" Maverick questioned me as we sat near an open fire in the middle of the village.
"That's what I told you." I ground out through my teeth as I watched the flames dance and crackle.
I had explained to him everything, even the fact the man hadn't expelled any misting breath. I moved my hands closer to the fire and sighed, images forming in the fire. One kept on reappearing: golden eyes, high cheek bones, long hair. I blinked and looked away from the fire, breaking the spell.
"That's impossible, Elliot, people don't just exlpode, neither do apples." He tried to reason with me.
I just shrugged, "I'm telling you what I saw...I know he was real."
Maverick ran a hand through his short, curly locks, "He's not real, Elliot, now just forget about it." He snapped.
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