Run From South Park

The Hunter

Blaise sat with Sara lying across his lap, his tears rained down onto her scarred face.  The tonic had tortured her into unconsciousness but at least she lived.  All the time she lived there could be a cure somewhere.

 A sound drew Aelthal to his feet.  Wiping his eyes he jumped to his feet and was joined instantly by the others.  The drum beat of flying hooves sounded in the distance.  They ran down the Elf Path out of the wood to the open fields.  As they watched the shimmer of the Elf Road glowed silver as the riders passed over it with the thunder of horses.  The black sky showed no trace of the moon through the clouds.  Fear shook the party it was not an emotion they were used to.  They held their ground as the black riders they had seen earlier approached, unhindered by the Elf Road.

 They backed up as the riders approached and allowed them as far as the clearing where they formed a protective line in front of Blaise and Sara.  The leader jumped from his horse and walked over to where Blaise sat.

 Sara felt Blaise stand with her in his arms.  The action sent a rolling wave of pain through her body.  She managed to open her eyes.  From what she saw she knew she was in a delirium.  A huge man was stood in front of them dwarfing even Aelthal.  He was enormous in his build his greenish skin glowed faintly in the darkness.  From his head grew massive stag antlers.  She knew this was who they had seen earlier.

 “Cernunnos.”  Blaise said as he dropped to one knee Sara still in his arms sending a fresh bolt of agony through her.

 “Give her to me Blaise, it is her only chance. Gûldúath is sending forward the Urdunixë.  The blood will freeze in her veins before this night is out.  I swear to you warrior I will return her to you but if she stays here she will not live to see the dawn.”  His mighty voice was not spoken loudly but it boomed through the forest like thunder.  Sara could feel his power though she did not understand it.

 She felt Blaise lips cross her fevered forehead.  “Sara if you can hear me trust in him there is no other hope now.”  She felt herself being lifted then she was held in immense warm arms.  Her head spun and she was washed away into blackness.

 * * *

 Sara awoke with the feeling of being carried.  The wind whipped passed her cooling her burning mouth.  As she opened her eyes she could see a hilltop up ahead. 

 “Do not fear me, I mean you no harm, Linwe of En’Quessir.”  His voice rumbled like thunder through her pain wracked body.

 “Who are you?” she croaked through her scorched throat.

 “I have many names but The Hunter seems to hold most sway to human ears.”  She glanced up at the mighty head above her, his antlers outlined against the sky.  His free hand rested on her forehead for a second.

 As his hand rested on her skin her mind was instantly overpowered by immense visions.  She tried to blot them out but they were too powerful. As she tried to focus she realised they were not exactly visions, more feelings and intuition. She felt no fear just an intense exhilaration. Her senses were swirling, in his presence so many things became clearer in her mind. 

 They crowded in, filling her with the earthy sense of the wild.  She could feel the power of life and death.  Not in the sentimental human way but now she understood the interaction of nature in its endless and timeless roll across the earth. She could feel the seasons passing through and the wave of birth, death and rebirth they brought. The beauty and savagery of life itself flowed through her mind, human perspective was stripped away, and only the elemental and basic meaning was left.  She could feel the power of a lion taking down an elk, but she could also sense that it held no pleasure in the kill, only instinct and the need to survive.  She let her mind float away, allowing the images to spin letting the Hunter reveal to her the power of the earth to her for the very first time.