Seasons Sojourn A cool breeze gently nuzzled at her back, sending a shiver through her lithe frame, but only for a nonce, before silently rushing down the gently sloping hill upon which she stood. She watched and marveled as it rolled down one hill and up yet another causing the tall grass to sway to and fro. Giving the hills and vales the appearance of being clad in green velveteen. As her gaze rose up to take in the vast expanse that spread out before her, the distant hills gave the appearance of rolling, rushing onward, ahead of the breeze. As tho under its gentle yet persistent prodding it could muster them to embrace the azure sky and prevent the sun from setting upon this gentle, rolling wonderland. She watched, silently hoping that they would succeed, and for but a moment it appeared as though they would! Alas, t'was not to be, as the sun slowly and irresistibly slid lower and lower upon the horizon. Sending out, in desperation, cyan hued rays, as if to reach out towards the amber moon. Much like a suitor being torn away, with arms outstretched imploringly, from a loved ones. As the sun slowly disappeared, the silvery stars emerged like a crowd of curious onlookers. Some appearing to stare impassively and yet others to blink and glisten, as though shedding tears at the cruel fate that has befallen this golden orb, the sun. Turning to head back into the now darkening forest from which she had first emerged at morns first light. She cast one last look over her shoulder, back to where the sun had finally set. One could see, glistening in the moons silvery light, a lone lachrymal drop emerge and begin slowly to run down her alabaster cheek. She turned once again and faced the forest and, with silent resolution, strode down the well trodden path and soon faded from view. The forest's cover enveloping her, much like a mother embracing her child to her bosom. But come first light she would emerge, once again, to greet the new days dawn. As she always did. The Forest She paused just within the forest's edge, allowing her senses time to adapt to this other world. It was a still and quiet place. One in which the sun rarely ventured during this season of full bloom. For that is when the trees, clad in their verdant coats of green, lay claim over their realm. Except for the occasional scintillating ray that might slip through a break in the leafy canopy above, it was a place of shadows and surreal light tinged with a faint hue of green. A light breeze wafted by her and she inhaled deeply. Taking in the all to familiar scents that were the forest, but also alert for any sign of peril. All appeared as it should. Except there was something different, a slight but nonetheless perceptible change in the forest's familiar scents. Something other than that which she had become accustomed to. She couldn't place it at first, but felt that she knew what it was.
	She paused but a little longer, thinking, searching, trying to remember what her senses felt and were trying to tell her. It surfaced from her subconscious in a sudden burst of realization, her eyes widening in alarm. For she then knew, and it brought sorrow to her heart. For what she sensed was the time of change. When the forest Would shed its protective mantle of greenery and expose itself to the skies above. A time when all would be laid barren, as a cleansing of its soul it would seem. With exposed branches reaching upwards, straining towards the skies as though in silent supplication. Praying, for the season of rebirth to not end. Though it brought sorrow to her heart, it was but for a moment, as her thoughts brightened with the memories of the brilliant colors that the forest would soon don as if, she thought, in a last desperate attempt to please that which ruled over the seasons changing. The thoughts of this time of transition brought a warm glow to her heart. As memories of the changing of seasons past came rushing back to her. She closed her eyes, envisioning days spent basking in the warm, golden glow of the sun. With the trees flashing brilliantly their hues of reds and yellows, each tinged with traces of umber and orange. Of skies, brilliant blue, streaked on high with white satin clouds stretching for as far as the eye could see. Which would, as dusk crept in with the sun nestled low on the horizon, reflect its vivid multihued glow, as if to join in the trees lament to the end of their season of birth and renewal. A cold chill ran down her spine and her reverie was broken as the thought of what was soon to follow this changing of colors. Clouds of satiny gray would slowly drift above, obscuring the skies azure hues, and on a starless night with the moon shrouded in an opalescent halo. With all still and quiet, each and the creatures of the forest nestled safely in cozy dens, it will come. Drifting silently from the heavens above, and all will awaken in the morn to a different world. One in which all the familiar sights of the forest will be clad in white crystalline. The familiar scents of the forest would be gone also. For the air will have taken on a crisp chill that stings ones nostrils. It would appear as though the forest had given up all hope of winning its reprieve from this cold fate and had, as though in silent surrender, wrapped itself in a milky white blanket, pulling it over its head, as if to escape from the cold reality that has befallen it. She knew then that she could not stay, waiting for the return of the season of the sun, but that she must follow her love wherever he might lead. She cast her gaze westward, a faint glow still upon the horizon, and knew then and there where her fate lay and the direction in which she must travel to be with her love. Guardian With renewed purpose in her step, she set off down the foot worn path towards her forest abode. Envisioning in her mind the preparations she must make for the long journey ahead of her. The walk back was quiet and uneventful, till she neared her destination. When suddenly she was startled by a large shadow that loomed up alongside her on the path upon which she trod. Her eyes flashed in fear and anger, while at the same time assuming a defensive stance. The shadow before her was suddenly broken by a flash of white, as a broad smile broke out on its face. She in turn, upon recognizing who it was that stood before, relaxed her stance and smiled back. He was a forest dweller such as her. Though she had never seen him in the true light of day, nor ever truly spoken with him. She knew him to be a friend, though he remained an enigma to her. She could not remember when he first entered into her life, except that he appeared in the early years of her womanhood. When she was cast out into the forest to fend for herself. Nor did she know the reason for his staying. He would always be there when she was in need. Providing her with wood for her fire and provender for her table, with nary a sign of recompense expected. She also knew that at times he watched over her when the sun was gone from the sky and the forest creatures have retreated to their warm dens. Though not all would be of that habit. There were those who would set out to prey on the unwary. Though it was rare when those creatures would venture into her part of the forest, which she imagined was due to her self-appointed guardian. Which name she had given him, for lack of not knowing his proper name. When dawn would break he would fade into the forests undergrowth, not to be seen again until she was in need or peril. It would appear that he always knew when that was. As if, she sometimes wondered, he could read her mind. She would miss him, she thought as they exchanged smiles, but she knew that she must follow her heart. For only when she was with her true love would she then find true happiness. She gazed up into his eyes and could see them glistening in the faint starlight. She thought, "As if filled with tears, as though he knew of her decision." She reached out to him, but as she did so he slowly faded back into the darkness and soon was gone as silently as he had appeared. She shrugged off any remaining thoughts she had of her mysterious friend and started down the path. Her pace quickened with the thought of her daughter, Whom she had left alone for much too long. She only meant to be on the plains for just short time. The joy and pleasure she got from being on those gently rolling green hills always made her forget the times passing. She never could tear herself away from the place of her true love. Her pace had slowed with that thought, but once again quickened. For the light was fading fast within the forest, as it grew darker and darker by the minute, her fear for her child, all alone in the encroaching darkness, overcame all other thoughts. Though the approaching night darkened the forest path before her, her pace did not slow. For she had traveled this path more times than she could remember and her tread was sure as she wended her way along it. The forest was growing more quiet as the night spread its darkness throughout, soon there would only be the sounds of the creatures of the night. The forlorn cry of the loon would soon start to reverberate across the nearby lake. Followed by the eerie hooting of the wizened owl that nested in the old oak nearby. She had to concentrate on the path ahead. Relying more on instinct than on her vision, for her eyes could no 1onger discern its course. Her fears lessened as the path became more familiar to her step. Just around the next bend and she would be home with her precious one. "Oh so much to do, so many plans!" she thought to herself as she sped down the path. As she neared, her step slowed and she paused, straining her senses, searching for any signs of danger. All was as it should be. She gave out a soft call, one that her child had come to recognize as her own. There was a deathly silence, then she heard the reassuring sound of recognition given off by her precious one. She gave one last glance around the surrounding foliage before slipping into her place of security. Her child gave a gurgle of glee upon seeing her mother. Scooping her up in her arms, she gave her a big hug and kiss. Promising silently to herself as she's done a hundred times before, to never leave her alone for so long a time. Guardians of the Forest Moving through the moonlit undergrowth with the silence of a puma. Jaredan searched for signs of the night-stalkers, creatures of the dark nether world. Creations of the Dark Lord, master of all that is evil. These creatures, once normal humans, have been transformed into the hideous beings called Urthrim by this Dark Lord. To serve him in his desire to hold dominion over this world as he does over the nether. Their mission at this time was to go out in the world and abduct humans for the Dark Lord to transform. In this way he shall have the army to implement his diabolical plan. These creatures are confined to roam and hunt only during the times of darkness. This is due to the dark magic that has made them what they are. For exposure to natural light would cause them to become rigid much like petrified wood. Where the lightest touch will cause them to crumble into dust. Thus making them vulnerable to even a child's touch. Jaredan froze in his tracks, listening intently. The still of the night being broken by a faint rustle off in the distance on his right. Silently, sword at the ready, he peered intently into the darkness. Trying to make out any shadows that were not of the forest. Suddenly there was a rustling off to his left. In an instant he dropped down in a crouch. At first he was perplexed as to how the creature that had been on his right had been able to get over on his left without his sensing it. The rustling on his left was joined by more on his right. With sudden comprehension, he realized that there were two of these creatures. Possibly stalking him! Making him the hunted, not the hunter. This was a change from their usual habit, he thought, for they had always hunted alone in the past. They being of the kind to not abide even their own company. This was a turn that he neither expected nor had anticipated. This break from the norm was probably due to the fact that in this part of the forest most of these creatures entered but never left. Due to my expertise, he mused, at making this so. Somehow, word must have gotten back to the Dark Lord. So now he's sending them out in pairs. He hoped there were only two of them! Possibly to seek out and eliminate the cause of their predecessors failures to return. The rustling passed by on either side of him and continued on. He contemplated his next move, should he stay put till they were out of earshot, or circle around and get behind one of them. Hoping to surprise and dispatch it quickly before the other could come to its aid. If successful, even though the element of surprise would be gone with the second one, that was of little consequence. For in a one on one situation,, he would have no problem making short work of it. As he weighed which course of action that he should take, he realized with alarm, that their course was taking them towards the place of the gentle one. "Was this chance, or did they know their goal?" he thought. Now his course of action was decided for him. Whether they were headed for her or not, he could not allow them to approach any nearer than they had. He resolutely set out on, the trail of the one that had passed him on his left, sword drawn, held close to his chest to prevent any stray beam of moonlight from glinting off it and signaling his presence. Taking care to not make a sound whatsoever, he crept slowly towards the rustling sound. As it grew louder, he discerned movement through the brush but twenty paces in front of him. He approached the edge of a small clearing. A thin smile stretched across his face as he spied the gnarled creature at the other edge of the clearing. As he assumed, the creature was oblivious to his presence. "He would have to change that!" he grinned to himself. Silently, with sword at the ready, he picked up a twig from the ground with his free hand. Silently he closed the distance to but eight paces. Snapping the twig, he quickly but silently rushed at the creature. It paused momentarily, its hackles rising, then suddenly spun around only to meet the cold steel of Jaredan's sword. So sudden and sure was his thrust, that the creature was only able to let out a momentary hiss, before the force of his cry of alarm slowly turned into a muted gurgle and bubbled redly from around Jaredan's sword, now embedded deeply within its chest. Jaredan stared impassively into the creatures face, watching as the life faded from its eyes. In an instant, he stood and, placing foot upon its chest, pulled his sword from it. Then crouching down low, he listened intently for the sound of the other creature. Straining his eyes to peer into the dim moonlit darkness that was all around him, he searched for the dark form that would be the other creature. He wondered if it had heard the death rattle of its partner. The silence hung in the air like a smothering haze. He spun on his heel, still crouched low, to guard that his back wasn't exposed. Fully aware that in the game of the hunter and the hunted, the tables could turn. There was naught but silence, "Perhaps the creature realized that something was amiss." he mused. Now the waiting game would begin. Each waiting for the other to make the first move, thereby giving away their position. He searched for the moon, trying to determine when dawn would arrive. If the creature wanted to play a waiting game, so be it. Time was on his side, for when the sun started its ascent into the heavens, bringing with it light to the forest. The creature would be doomed. Jaredan moved from his position by the creature he had just slain, and back to the edge of the clearing. Feeling that the other creature might assume that and would find him still there and try to close with him on its own terms. Safely under cover of the surrounding brush, he placed his sword at his side, and pulled from his smock a small hand-held crossbow. From the quiver under his left arm he pulled out a small arrow, a mere six inches in length, but with a vicious looking point consisting of four razor sharp edges. He pulled the catgut back onto the trigger and then nocked the arrow. "Now comes the wait", he mused, "for the trap to be sprung." As time passed with nary a sound to break the forests' silence. Jaredan wondered if the creature had thought prudence to be the better part of valor and retreated to the safety of some dark sunless hole in some other part of the forest. What with dawn soon to be pushing back the darkness of night. He started to relax his guard some, when he sensed more than saw a shadow loom over the crumpled body of the long dead creature. Slowly bringing the crossbow to bear in the shadow's direction. He carefully took aim, gently placing his finger on the trigger. As he aimed carefully down the arrow's shaft he paused, something was not right about the shape looming over the dead creature. The form was too tall and erect to be one of the Dark Lords minions. He watched closely, breath held tightly, as he tried to discern what sort of being this was that stood before him. Suddenly the shape crouched down over the dead creature, grabbing it by its mane. There was a glint, as that of light upon highly polished steel, its hand moved down the side of the creature's head, deftly severing its ear. With a smile starting to break out across his chiseled features, "That son of a bitch!", he thought, "How long has he been here!", as he recognized that the dark shape belonged to his childhood companion Timon. As Jaredan watched, Timon intently threaded the misshapen ear onto a leather thong, which had at least a dozen more. He noticed that one of them was still fresh, not dried and shriveled like the others. "So that's why the other creature hadn't made an appearance. Timon must have been stalking it as he his!", he thought. The deathly silence that had been hanging over the clearing was broken by a quiet, yet firm voice that said, "Well... are you going to just squat there, with that silly grin on your face, until your bowels decide to make a move, or are you going to get up and greet the new dawn with me!" More...