Hooves kicked up the soft surface of the white snow, leaving shallow holes in the ground. Four horses ran in the cold night, the rhythmic sounds of metal from the saddles following the powerful beasts. The lead horse carried the king himself on his dark, muscular shoulders. The other three carried trusted guards on their haunches. They galloped out of the castle walls and out into the unprotected land, the horses' heavy breathing echoing in the darkness. The moon illuminated the night sky and shined down on the horses flanks. The king and guards pushed their horses a little past their limit. Time was precious now, and they couldn't afford losing it. They needed to reach the cottage.
The woods could be seen in the distance, encouraging the men to move their horses faster. One of the guard's horses nearly tripped as the guard kicked the horse's hips. The king's strong horse sent snow and dirt flying with it's powerful hooves, it's black coat shining in the moon. It was by far the most beautiful out of all the horses, but not only did it have beauty, it had strength and courage, making it the best war horse out of them all. As they reached the forest, they slowed to a halt, the king observing the twisted trees.
"We need to be back by sunrise!" The king bellowed, his breath puffing into clouds.
The guard's replied with a quick, "Yes, your majesty."
They let their horses catch their breath for a minute.
"Your majesty?" Requested Odin, one of the guards.
The king looked over his shoulder at the guard in the back of the group.
"What shall we do if she doesn't agree, sire?"
There was a hesitant pause.
"Odin," the king said at last, "let's pray she does."
They yelled and kicked their horses back into action, although none of them were eager to enter the dark woods. The witch in the forest gave everyone shivers. No one dared speak her name, let alone mention her.
Thick evergreens stood tall and hid the skyline. Snow covered every branch of every tree, just waiting to collapse to the ground. The snow covered the ground like a white blanket. Everything looked dead.
As they made their way deeper into the woods, the lush evergreens were soon replaced with plants that resembled burnt sticks. The snow was now bare, showing the dead and shriveled plants on the forest floor. One of the horses whinnied.
The air shifted, and if possible, became even colder than before. The wind batted and scratched the guards' faces, doing no justice to the horses, either. In the corner of the king's eyes, he could spy shadows running along with them, but he knew not to pay them any mind. Laughs could be heard in the distance. Screams and scratches filled the frosty air, even though there was nothing alive here.
No one dared step foot near her.
The men hopped off their horses and tied them to a hopefully sturdy tree branch, checking to see if their weapons were somewhere they could reach.
"She's close by." The king warned. "Whatever you do, do not provoke her."
The men took the rest of their journey by foot, all becoming uneasy as they spotted the cottage. The king knew what would happen if she were to be provoked, making his heart race with dread. But he had no other choice.
They breached the tree line and entered the clearing.
The cottage was old and run down, with weak wood as support beams and pests as guards. A pang of guilt shot through him. 'She's been living like this this whole time...' He winced. Two giant trees stood tall and proud on either side of the cottage. They were the only trees with leaves and strong branches, while the others in the forest were rotted away and lifeless.
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short stories
RandomI'm practicing my writing by writing as many short stories as i can, hopefully you like it
