Wood Walker

Garnua sat near the roaring campfire, with no sound to accompany her except the crackle of firewood and the whisper of the wind. She never knew how long she stayed in one place, only that eventually it would always be time to move again. She calmly meditated under the moonlit sky, thinking of better times. The vivid memory of her mother's cooking in the pot at dinner time, accompanied with the laughter and love of her old home. The faint smell of the flowers on a spring afternoon, and the gentle sweetness of a lovers kiss. Garnua knew of home, and missed it more everyday.

She opened her eyes to the faint ruffle of nearby grass...They were coming. She gripped the short sword on her right side. She crouched down and listened to the wild around her.

"Too far," she whispered, as she grabbed her bow and readied an arrow. She wore little armor, as she saw no need to protect herself. No one had ever gotten that close willingly. She heard loud footsteps coming from her north, and shot an arrow in that direction. Within a second a loud thud was heard confirming her kill.

Garnua's hearing was akin to a dog, with so many hours of meditation she has enhanced her senses ten fold. She placed her hand on the dirt, and felt the smallest rocks on the earth rumble. She quickly dropped her bofeew and unsheathed her sword, as a large sword met her own metal, and before she could blink she was surrounded by 20 men. She wasted no time, dodging and juking weapons from all sides of her. She kicked the 1st man away knocking him into more of his allies. One by one they fell as she cut, punched and kicked for her life. Metal clashed against metal,while she moved like lightning through the shower of blood. Her fur clothing soaked in the crimson water. She charged at another man, his fear quite obvious by his screams of terror as she plunged into his throat. No sign of pity was shown on her face, she was to familiar with death.

The rest of the mercenaries backed up as she prepared for another assault.

"Is that it?" she taunted viciously. Her animal like rage struck fear into the hearts of her enemies.

"Wood walker," a beastly man shouted from behind her. She turned wildly, and charged into the direction the voice came from. Another short sword halting her rampage , and she jumped back in surprise. A large man with tan skin approached her, he wore fur pants and a fur belt, but no shirt. His body was scarred from his lower ab to his neck, and his face was painted with red war paint. He smiled arrogantly at her, and she grunted menacingly. The two had met before.

"Morduth," she bellowed. "Far from home aren't you," his subordinates closed in on her moving loudly through the grass.

"There is no home for us anymore Garnua," he stood before waiting for his minions to charge first. She could tell he was itching for a fight. She slashed through the underlings tearing through their hearts and throat.

Within minutes no one was left alive except Garnua and Morduth. They stood across from each other, eyeing menacingly.

"You can't run from fate Garnua?" He insulted. "This," He motioned to the bodies on the ground. "This will not bring your family back."

She snarled at him. "Don't poison their memory with your tongue demon," she charged him in fury. She slashed at him with her blade, but he blocked it with ease. Her anger made her combat sloppy, and Garnua was much easier to confuse when blinded by rage. Morduth dodged another one of her attacks and elbowed her nose, stunning her briefly. He followed up with a swift punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of her.

"The animal instincts kicking in?" Morduth mocked. He kicked Garnua in the face knocking her onto the ground.

"Why?" She asked. Desperately trying to remain on her feet, her legs shaking in defiance.

"Why?" He laughed at the question, as if the answer was obvious. "I'm a bounty hunter, and bringing you to the magistrate is what pays the bills."

"That noble attacked my daughter," she said painfully. "He was going to kill-"

"I don't write the rules," he interjected.

The wind howled in silence accompanied by Garnua's loud and rushed breaths. There was a small pause for a moment, as Garnua began to ask a question that she couldn't handle the answer to.

"Then why..." a waterfall of tears began to fall down from her face. "Why did you take my family from me?" She cried. "The bounty only asked for my head, and I would've gladly given it," her sadness turned to rage. "But why stain your blade with the blood of my children, and husband? Why dirty your soul with such an act?" Her rage filled tears soaked the green grass, almost creating a puddle in the dirt. She looked at Morduth for answers, but she was only met by a cruel, boasting snicker.

"Why not?" He answered, laughing maniacally. Morduths reply made her heart drop. She stood in silence attempting to process the information, her body standing motionless in grief.

"You should've felt the fear in their words. The panic in their crys. I loved the way their red blood spilled on the wooden floor. Oh, I bet the memories of that little cabin are tainted with the thought of your families lifeless bodies on the ground in a mixed pool of blood." He began to yell in pleasure. "You ask me why I took the lives of that weak man, and those whiny brats? Because it was fun..." He twirled his sword in the air.

The moments after that were a blur to her, as the beast fully consumed her mind, and body. She charged wildly at him, picking up a sword from a fallen henchmen. Her movements were near lightning, and she swung her blades wildly. Morduth could barely keep up with her onslaught. He attempted to attack her again, but she could not be stopped. She cut his body, creating new wounds on his already scarred figure.

"You're just like me Wood Walker," he blocked her attacks carefully in an attempt not to falter. "Stuck in a world that doesn't understand our need to kill, our desire for carnage."

"You made me this way..." She knocked his sword out of his hand. She clutched her sword and plunged it into his chest, the sound of guts crushing against her sword. Morduth looked at the sword in his chest in shock. Garnua got inches away from Morduths face.

"Now you see," he taunted, choking on his own blood. "You're just like me." It became harder and harder for him to breathe, and he slipped away slowly. Garnua calmed down her breaths became slower, and more relaxed. She let Morduth fall onto the ground, the sword still cemented into his chest. She stood proudly in victory, her enemy slowly suffocating.

"You took my family from me," she sheathed her sword. She knelt down to look at him, her face dispassionate, and cold. What was left of Morduths life slipped away in anger. His heart raced and his eyes widened in anger.

Garnua leaned in for another whisper. "I'm nothing like you..." She looked forward and walked away. The only noise that accompanied her was the gentle crunch of grass under her heel, and the calm whisper of the wind.