So, this was it.
I was alone, it was getting dark, and to make everything just perfect a small drizzle had been coming down for the last ten minutes until the cloud finally released their water, the down pour soaking. Eventually I had found one of my old hunting trails and in a rotten out log found one of my old bows and a quiver of dry arrows. Thank the heavens I had left them there in case of any emergency I might of run into.
So here I was, sitting at the base of a large tree trunk, furiously sharpening the arrows with a flat stone. The dress had gone a while ago, left in an angry red pile in a puddle of dark mud. I was left in a simple linen under shirt and a pair of breeches that I had also found with the bow and arrows.
I regretted tossing the heavy dress, it could have kept me warm during the night. There was no hope in start a fire, everything was drenched and lighting wet wood was near to impossible. But the dress was long gone and I had no real motivation to get it. Instead, I absentmindedly chewed on a stlk of mint, hoping the tingling sensation would trick my body into thinking it was being warmed up.
"You know,"
I about jumped three feet off the ground and a mile out of my skin as the voice sounded over the pouring rain. Gasping, I looked down at the blood running down my palm from where I had missed the arrow and instead slashed the flesh of my hand.
"You could always ask me to loan you my robe." He said, his lanky and lean body leaning against the tree a few feet in front of me.
"Bloody hell, look at what you did." I accused, glaring at him as he walked towards me.
I had no time to react as he kneeled down in front of me, grabbed my cut hand and kissed the burning flesh. I held back a cry as light flared from the spot his lips had met my skin, the spot tingling. In amazement I watched as the bleeding slowed and then stopped, after the skin of my palm pulled itself across the gap, and finally left only a white scar and a spot of leftover blood to show for the cut.
"Whoa," I breathed, looking from my hand to the man.
"I apologize, I did not intentionally scare you. I thought you were ignoring me." He explained softly.
With a growing curiosity I watched as he sat down next to me with a sigh, looking up at the pouring rain. Even from under the canopy of branches and leaves, I was still getting rained on, but this man was not. He was as dry as a person sitting in front of a roaring fire. What was this sorcerer?
"May I ask you your name?" I asked timidly, still examining my hand.
"Darrien," he said gruffly as he pulled down his hood.
"Your eyes were green the last time I saw you." I stated matter of factly.
"That's because I was there in the flesh." Darrien explained. Before I could question him further, he dove into explanation. "Right now, I am only here in your eyes. Say a passing hunter were to walk by, he'd only see you. When my eyes were green, I was really standing there, my dear." He paused and chuckled. "I see you are still confused. You're wondering why I can still touch you if I'm not really here."
I nodded, looking down at my hand after watching his face as he spoke. I gasped as I saw a brown arrow head shaped birthmark.
"Wha-" I began in a daze..
"It's a side effect of magic. Some turn into frogs, other get birthmarks." He grinned at me teasingly and then took my hand, rolling it in one of his large ones. "You see, I was assigned to you. As a baby I was the one chosen to watch over you as you grew up. A guardian angel of sorts, however, the big guy upstairs isn't my boss."
"So you work for the devil?' I asked, snatching my hand back in fear.
"Don't be so absurd," Darrien scoffed, glowering at me in scold.
"Well, sorry, you made it sound that way." I said defensively.
All of a sudden the breeze picked up and the rain ceased as he looked up. I followed his gaze to the tree branches and let out a small sigh, putting my chin in my hand. This was all so confusing and this man spoke in riddles.
You'll find out soon enough who I am, my darling
I flinched at the voice and looked at him, ready to glare and snap at him to just speak to me out loud. But there was no one beside me, not even a dent in the grass. There was a loud clash of thunder and then the rain came down harder than before.
Be patient
