Chapter 1

I woke up to greet the gleaming sun and rubbed my tired eyes, stretching. I looked around, surveying my surroundings to assure everything was as I had left it. I looked next to me to see the still sleeping head of my love, bundled down in the blankets. The embers in the fire glowed in their last feeble attempts to stay alive; much as I was.

I reached over to grab my dagger as well as my bow and quiver and my hand met nothing but the dry, cracking dirt that was the floor of the clearing where we had camped the night before. I froze, unmoving as my eyes turned to slits and I slowly looked around. A twig snapped in the distance as my head quickly turned and located where the noise had originated.

I silently stood, reaching past my male counterpart to grab the set of throwing knives laid to rest by his head and moving towards the trees where I had heard the sound. As I neared the line of trees, and began to walk amongst them, I felt a claw clench around my heart from the unnatural silence. I heard the crunching of leaves coming from about five feet to my left. My head snapped over to see a large elk staring back at me with it’s beady eyes. Something was wrong. Why wouldn’t he be running at the sight of me?

I began to walk closer, only to find the reason; there was a thick rope tying him to the towering oak he was standing beside. Cocking my head, I neared the animal; fear apparent in his eyes as he attempted to break free from his bonds and escape the approaching threat. I looked down next to his hoof to see my missing weapons as a chill ran down my spine. I spun around, knife raised, trying to find any trace of who had done this.

No one. Not a sound to be heard, nor a branch out of place. I was completely alone amidst the trees of the eerily motionless forest, aside for the elk. Letting my guard waver, I turned to face the only thing left to be done and picked up my bow and quiver as well as sheathing my dagger in my belt. Using one of the knives I cut the ropes holding the elk as he rushed to leave his imminent fear. I turned around before throwing my hand back and grasping an arrow, spinning around to set the bow and shoot the elk, just as he thought he was set to be free. I guess that should have been a warning, a foreshadowing to our inevitable fate. No matter how clear freedom seems, the end could be just a few moments away.

Reviews

[Traci]

From the prologue to Ch. 1 you have my attention. A very interesting story, and I look forward to reading more. Great job, Courtney!

[Jordan's Back]

This is a very interesting write, I hope you get the other chapter up soon, you got me.