Winter's Warmth

Abduction

Blood sprayed, steel flashed and the screams of the dying echoed around me. I grimaced as I slashed through an orc's leg and blood coated my side. I grabbed another orc by the collar of his armor and slammed him on his back as I parried a spear that was searching for my chest. I dropped to a knee and slammed my dagger into the eye of the downed orc and raised my sword to uppercut the spear wielder.

I spun and kicked out connecting with a chin. I planted my foot and stabbed. Another casualty. A scream from right beside me. I turned my wife crawled away from and orc her back rent open. He smiled and a pain shot through my head.

I sat up in a cold sweat. Every time I closed my eyes I saw it. The death of Winter. The chilling of my soul. I stood. Walked to my pack and pulled out my mirror. It had been a while since I'd shaved. But as my father taught me when I was little once a man learns to do something with his hands he never forgets. What my father called a man's gift, my wife called muscle memory. I placed my mirror on a tree, gathered some sap and shaved. I poured some water on my face to wash away the tree sap.

When my eyes came down I looked at myself in the mirror. My dark eyes had black bags under them. High cheekbones and a Strong jaw from my father, a crooked nose from fighting and white teeth, my hair was shaggier than I'd ever seen it, and my lip was split. Most likely from that big orc's punch. My scars visible without a shirt just made me remember. So I quickly covered them. I turned around and began to make a fire. Breakfast wasn't gonna cook itself.

After fighting the orcs I'd gone hunting and caught two rabbits and found 4 robin eggs. Dove hadn't had a breakfast this big since the last time we went to Rendall. I put a pan over the fire and cracked the eggs into it. Then I made a small oven with rocks I'd been heating since last night and placed the cleaned rabbits inside. After about an hour Dove's nose kicked in and she woke up.

"What are you cooking daddy? And what happened to your face?" She looked worried. She was getting tall. Her face had my high cheek bones, and my strong chin, but my wife's, green eyes and long nose, she had my hair and slight points at the tip of her ears.

"Don't worry about it Dove. I'm cooking rabbit and some eggs? Sound good?"

"But daddy you're hurt," her eyes held worry and confusion.

"I'm fine Love."

"If you say so daddy," she ran over and sniffed hard, "it smells really good."

"Well you're eggs are just like you like them, overcooked, and the rabbit is almost done. And soon we can go into Rendall for new clothes. Those ones are getting worn out."

"But every time we go there they make you fight for the stuff we need."

"Don't worry. I'm good at what I do. Trust me little one." She smiled and began to eat her eggs like a ravenous wolf. I grinned. She was my child.

"What do I get to learn today daddy?"

"Patience. Eat your food."

After all of the food was gone I began my lesson. "Becoming one with nature around you is important for a Ranger. It allows us to track, hide, spy, move quicker than most through foliage and most importantly in times like these ambush. Now as the daughter of two Rangers the skills are in your blood and it should be relatively easy for you to learn. But no one is perfect. With practice and patience you can be as close as you can get but like I always say-"

"There is always someone better, so practice to be the better person." she finished.

"Yes. Now let's learn." Over the rest of the day I taught her the basics of animal tracking, stalking, and hiding. "Okay Dove, now I'm going to test you. I'm going to hide somewhere and you have to try and find me. Okay?"

"Okay daddy." she hid her eyes.

"Good now count to twenty," I called, "and no peeking little one," I said.

"One. Two. Three..." so I ran to hide and hopefully be found by my girl. I made sure to keep within earshot and listen to her counting. "Ten. Eleven. Twelve..." I got to my hiding place and stopped. Camouflaged under some brush I waited. "Seventeen. Eighteen. Nine-" she was cut off and a muffled scream reached my ears. Dove!! My mind screamed. I began running to the clearing we'd been training in all morning. Please... Not again... I can't lose her... I can't lose the last of my family... I arrived at the clearing to see a few orcs rummaging around searching for me no doubt.

I ran full out throwing my dagger at the farthest orc. I swung Winter's Warmth and decapitated the closest orc. Still running I slid and chopped at another orc slicing his legs off at the knee cap. I rolled to my feet and stopped the tip of my sword a hairs breadth away from the smallest of the orcs throat. He was the only one left standing. He was shaking in fear.

"Where is she!?" it came out in a whispered and harsh tone. It didn't say anything. "If you don't talk I'll make you talk. Now where is the little girl!?!?" I pushed my blade menacingly into his throat drawing a little blood. He didn't say anything just wet his pants. "Fine." I said quietly. I lowered my blade and kicked him in the knee. He let out a hiss and fell to the ground. "Last chance scum." I said. "Nothing? Alright." I raised my Winter's Warmth and let it fall.

"No!" he shouted. I stopped the blade again just millimeters from his face. "They're taking her to the slave camp. She is to be sold to the highest bidder. Or eaten. Whichever comes first." I grimaced. Then I chopped off the orc's head.

I ran to recover my dagger and gave chase. I wasn't going to let my daughter face these monsters alone. She was going to live and I'd kill all who got in my way to make sure of it.