Queen of Darkness

Running

Alleria***
I stumbled through the forest, the cold night air burned my lungs with each breath. I was running. Running from my fate, my future, and towards my freedom.

Mere hours before, as the sun set on my village, the king's guard had come to our small haven. Every year on the day of the longest night, the soldiers came to our village. Each night, they left shrouded in the screams of their captives and followed by the families they tore apart. This time was just like any other, except they chose me. I remembered them as they entered the village. It was silent, the evening sun glistened off their silver armour. Each soldier was covered from head to toe in metal, even their eyes were protected by small slits in their helmets. Every family hid in their homes praying to the gods that their livelihoods would be spared. I peered out of the small window in the front of our house. My mother sat near the fireplace sewing a dress for the little girl next door. I watched the soldiers slowly walk down our street and silently prayed that no harm would befall anyone here. The gods ignored me. I watched frozen as one of the soldiers confidently strode towards our house, the house that I grew up in, the house where my father had died, the house where I promised to always protect my mother. A sharp rap on the door pulled me out of my head. He was here for me.
"Open the door in the name of the king" the soldier ordered.
I looked at my mother, tears filled her brown eyes and she mouthed one word to me. GO. In a blur I had grabbed my knives and bow. My mother calmly stood up and walked towards the front door.
"Damnit open this door now" the guard bellowed.
"I'm coming" my mother snapped gesturing at me to run.
I felt tears drip down my face as I quietly made it to the back door. I silently closed it and heard my mother talking to the guard.
"Where is your daughter Alleria" the guard asked.
"Hunting" was all my mother said. 
With those last words still whispering in my ears, I silently made my way to the forest and ran.

I ran like my life depended on it. I felt the wind ripping through my blonde hair and clawing at my face as if it were trying to make me go back. After a few minutes I stopped to catch my breath. I listened to the sounds of the forest. In the distance, I heard a stream gurgling. I walked towards it, careful to cover my tracks. I couldn't be found. I had to survive for my mother. When I reached the stream I cupped my hands and drank. I reached for my canteen but it wasn't there. "Shit" I whispered to myself. This was going to be a problem. I needed to carry water otherwise I wouldn't make it far. I decided to follow the stream into the woods for the time being as I was still too close to the village for comfort. I walked with the stream listening to its musical voice. Slowly, the forest grew darker. Soon it was nightfall, but I kept walking. I had always loved the dark even as a child. When I was growing up my mother had told me that I was different from the other children. I had shocking blue eyes and hair that looked like snow, but that wasn't what made me different. For some reason, I could see much better in the dark. Granted it wasn't amazing, but I had always been able to see what I needed to see. Now as I walked through the forest, I thanked the gods for my weird eyes. I glanced up at the moon. It's silver rays danced through the trees and pooled onto the ground. I looked into the stream beside me and watched my reflection stare back at me. My mother was right there was something about the moonlight that made my eyes almost glow. My hair fell down my shoulders to my hips. Until recently, I had been a lanky girl, but this past year I had filled out quite a bit, and to say it was annoying was an understatement. The boys who I had once played with now stared at me hungrily, and the wives in the village threw me hate filled glares whenever I left the house. I sighed and turned away from the stream. There was no use in reliving the past. Now I had to stay alert. I had heard stories about what the kings guard did to their captives. Slavery, torture and even death awaited those taken from the village. Once you were chosen, you were doomed. I continued to walk fueled by my imagination and the ideas of what would happen to me if I was caught. Suddenly I heard a snap. I froze listening to the forest. Someone or something was here, following me. I turned towards where the sound had come from and peered into the darkness.

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