Sword Maiden: Chapter 1

     Chapter One

     Dai stretched her bow, following the horse as it wove through the trees. The beast’s adornments jangled loudly, and branches snapped beneath its hooves as it moved – whoever the stranger was, they obviously were either stupid or… well, stupid. Dai smirked and pushed her hood back, running a gloved hand over her hair. Even an innocent traveler should be cautious in these woods – no one knew what they might run into.

     In one fluid movement, Dai rocked onto her heels and stood up. Her eyes followed the horse, and glimmered with amusement as the rider grew nearer to the ledge where she stood, until it was brushing the cliff side. She jogged along the edge, mirroring the horse’s movements, invisible to the naked eye. Her soft leather boots padded noiselessly against the moss covered rock – and she maintained her balance, even upon the outer edge of the winding ledge.

     But Dai was not perfect, and a slight misstep sent small rocks tumbling down with a clatter. The horse shied to the side, neighing wildly, and displaying a high-strung temperament. Dai crouched out of view.

     The traveler calmed the skittish beast with an expert hand, and peered up at the ledge. Dai hardly dared to breathe. Minutes passed.

     A familiar crunch reassured Dai of her safety, and she resumed her jog – but keeping a cautious eye on the hooded stranger. Whoever it was kept their horse reined in – and she realized with a start that they knew she was there. They had not seen her, or heard her beyond the falling gravel, but had brains enough to know someone – or something – was present. Dai stayed wary.

     She kept this pace until nightfall. It did not strike her that the rider was intentionally staying next to the rock wall, when other routes would have worked just as well. Dai was arrogant – and did not conceive that the stranger may be playing games with her as she was playing games with them.

     The rider dismounted in a small clearing, and soon had a fire crackling merrily. Dai crouched, watching. The stranger still wore their hood – and kept their head turned from her. Her eyes narrowed in anticipation. Who was this stranger – and why did he dare make his presence so known?

     Stupidity, she thought to herself, but was no longer sure.

     And she waited. Hours may have passed, or it may have been minutes, but still she waited, nothing but her eyes moving in the slightest. These darted around, first from the horse, to the stranger, who lay reclined on the ground, to the fire that danced, casting an eerie glow on the forest.

     For a moment Dai was hypnotized, watching the light spin around the small clearing, dancing, dancing, dancing… she glanced back to the stranger. They had relaxed, and as Dai paused, a soft snore emanated from their lips. She smiled confidently.

     Dropping nimbly to the forest floor, she silently unsheathed her sword, and pointed it towards the sleeping figure. “Lone travelers like yourself should be more wary and less noisy,” she said in a clear voice, smirking. If her speech alone did not wake them, a few “prods” with her sword could be used.

     Suddenly, something sharp and metal slipped through her leather tunic, and the scraping of cold steel against her skin stole her breath away. She couldn’t act, she couldn’t think, before a warm, melodic, yet arrogant voice spoke out.

     “And lovely maidens like yourself should be less easily entranced by a pretty fire.”

     Dai didn’t dare to move. The steady rise and fall of her breast with each breath she took was the only thing that showed her to be alive. Her eyes stared straight ahead, focusing on what she had thought to be a live, human body. Fool, fool, fool, she thought angrily. She could not understand what had happened, that fire… it must have been sorcery. “What do you want?” she asked.

     “First, I’d like you to drop your sword,” said the voice, obviously a man’s voice. Dai did not move, but kept the same grip on the hilt of her sword.

     “Why?” He did not reply aloud, but ever so slightly moved his sword. Dai shuddered as steel scraped her flesh, and let go of her weapon.

     “Good girl,” he drawled. He effortlessly removed his sword from its close proximity, but the point still rested upon her hip. “Now, will you continue to be a good little lady, and sit down without resisting me?”

     “What do you want?” repeated Dai.

     “Right now? I’d like not to be impaled in my sleep by a young sword maiden.”

     Dai sat – still staring at the body. The man quickly tied her hands together, and then snatched her sword off the ground and tossed it away, and Dai couldn’t help but glance furiously at him. That had been her father’s sword. “Be careful!” she snapped, and the words were out before she could think.

     A droll smile formed on his face. “Ironic words, coming from you.”

     Dai blushed, and cast her gaze to the ground. The stranger moved about, but his sword was always pointed towards Dai, and she knew there was no chance of escape. She focused on his boots, allowing herself to escape the moment – because it was definitely one she didn’t want to be living. His boots were dark brown, well constructed out of fine, glossy leather that rose to his knees.
  
     His clothes were simple, but fine – his tunic was scarlet velvet with gold embroidery, his shirt rustled and glistened its testimony of being the finest silk. Dai’s lip curled at this blatant display of wealth. His back was turned, but she could see his hair, a dark, chocolate brown that shone in the firelight. His nose was aquiline, and his features well balanced and carried a regal air. His eyes shone like polished amber, but the arrogance and conceit that resided behind their warm glow disgusted Dai.

     His eyes happened to be staring directly into her own.

     “Oh-” she started, but cut herself off, paling noticeably. Nothing she said or did could redeem the situation.

     “Like what you see?” he asked slyly, his eyes twinkling with amusement, and Dai blushed furiously, her previously pale skin darkening to a deep crimson as she stared out the ground. He chuckled, and Dai only blushed deeper. “Don’t hurt yourself now,” he said drily.

     Dai said nothing. He sighed and rolled his eyes, sinking into a sitting position opposite her, ruffling his hair absentmindedly. “What’s your name?” he asked.

     “What?” Dai replied.

     “Your name?”

     “Why…” Dai began incredulously. “Why should I tell you?”

     “Well, seeing as I am holding you captive, and as you are an outlaw, and I am going to take you with me back to the kingdom, we are going to be in each other’s company for a duration, we might as well know what to call one another.”

     Dai stared at him, fury pouring out of her eyes. “How dare you,” she hissed, “how dare you do this to me, you, you-”

     He raised his eyebrows. “I’ll take a wild guess… Dai?”

     “Sorcerer,” she spat venomously.

     “No need to sound so disgusted.”

     “There’s every need, thank you!”

     “I take it my guess is correct, then?” Dai said nothing.

     “And do I get the honor of knowing your name?”

     “Zarkor.”

     “What a pleasure,” she sneered, her voice laden with sarcasm.

     Zarkor smiled and leaned against a tree. “You’re awfully uptight.”

     “Really? I’m sure the circumstances have nothing to do with it.”

     “You could try to make the best of it.”

     “I’d like to see you in my place,” Dai muttered under her breath.

     “What was that?”

     “Nothing,” she spat.

     Zarkor smirked, and Dai looked away, disgusted with the man who sat across from her. She stared into the darkness, diligently searching the horizon for any change, and eyed the ground, watching bugs as they made their way across, she looked anywhere but at her captor – who stared at her with his burning amber eyes, the same arrogant smirk contaminating his expression.

     The fire burned down as the night wore on, Dai staring into the distance, and Zarkor staring sleepily at her. She couldn’t help but notice as his eyelid fell lower… and lower… and soon a soft, authentic snore escaped his lips.

     Dai glanced frantically around for something sharp with which to cut her bonds. The swords? No, they were too far away; she could not reach them without waking Zarkor. Her knife? No, she had left it at home. She cursed under her breath.

     Perhaps there would be a protruding rock from the cliff side. Dai knew, in her heart, that there was no such thing – that the cliff side was as smooth as if it had been polished – but she could dream. She slid backwards, trying to muffle all noises she might make. “Ow!” she cried.

     “What’s the matter,” murmured Zarkor, half awake.

     “Nothing,” said Dai, but her hands were searching frantically for the sharp rock that had pierced her leg. Dark red blood oozed from the scrape, but she hardly noticed, any pain she might have felt was entirely over swept with her joy. There! She had it! It was a thin rock, more like a blade then a stone. What were the chances?

     She wriggled more furiously than ever, attempting to bring the stone between her wrists and through the rope that held her. Thoughts flooded through her mind rapidly. She had to run quickly. She knew the forest well, but had no advantage of speed – she was on foot, and he had a horse. If she could only get a head start, she could lose them in the Rocks – she was the only alive to could make it out of the Rocks alive.

     The rope fell off her wrists, and she could hardly breathe. Her eyes darted to Zarkor, but his head had fallen once more. She was free! She waited for but a moment then leapt to her feet and started running. A shrill, piercing whinny broke out into the night, and Dai grimaced – she had forgotten about the horse. It was taking the part of a guard for Zarkor – he had either trained the beast like a dog or used sorcery. Either way, Dai was disgusted – but it could not mar the beautiful fact of freedom!

     Her feet carried her a hundred feet away before she realized what she was missing. Her hips felt light with the lack of a sword, and she skidded to a halt. It was her father’s sword – she couldn’t leave it. She had loved her father more than anything in the world – and his sword, which he had given to her upon his death, was the only thing she had of him. Dai trembled with rage and fear, and one small tear leaked out of her eye, trickling slowly down her cheek.

     She turned around – and ran back to what she knew was her doom.

     Her feet pounded against the dry ground, any tears that may have escaped were whipped away by the wind, and any pain she may have felt was replaced with grim determination. She never had been one for emotional outbursts – she knew her duty, and she did it.

     Though she wouldn’t have admitted it for the world, she knew she could not escape again. Any head start she may have had would be lost in moments, Zarkor would capture her, and freedom would once again be snatched away. But liberty could be gained at a later date, and her father’s sword, once lost, would be lost for good. Dai brushed away all thoughts of this escapade losing both. At least she would not go down without a fight.

     She leapt over the campfire, narrowly avoiding body-slamming Zarkor. “What the…” he growled angrily, his eyes flashing dangerously, but Dai ignored him – she wouldn’t let the fool stop her from escaping! She snarled and pushed him out of her way, snatched her sword from where it lay and started off running again. “You little…” Zarkor muttered as she flew past him, before he ran for his horse.

     Dai ran as fast as was humanly possible, her heart drilling against her breast, her lungs hardly able to gasp in enough air as she fled. She soon felt and heard hoof-beats against the ground, but found it impossible to run faster, her limbs felt heavy as she drew further and further away from the light of the dying fire… and yet, a strange glow illuminated the surroundings. Of course! He was a sorcerer; he would be able to find her… even if she did make it to the rocks.

     She cursed him, she cursed his name, she cursed those arrogant eyes, and she cursed his fine velvet tunic! Had she been a sorcerer, she would have cursed him in that sense as well!

     In moments he had caught up with her, and she dodged to the side as he tried to grab her – every moment counted for something, and she treasured every one that was not spent as his captive!

     She had the advantage of knowing every twist and turn in the forest, and yet, she could not lose him. He had the advantage – and Dai proceeded to curse every bone in his miserable body.

     For a brief, flickering moment, Dai and the horse ran side by side, before Zarkor reached down and grabbed her tunic, and pulled her up. Dai fought valiantly, biting and kicking – but not unmethodically. Every blow she sent was targeted as best she could while dangling in midair. “Let me go!” she screamed, slicing at his face with her hand. She reveled in his pained grunt – but he did not let go.

     “Never, you little witch,” she heard him mutter – and this made her fight him all the harder!

     During this commotion, he had wheeled his horse around, forcing Dai to cling to both him and the horse for her life, as the ground spun dizzyingly underneath, mixed with wild horse hooves. Dai paused a moment, shuddering.

     That was all that Zarkor needed. He pulled Dai in front of him and wrapped his arm firmly around her, pulling her close to him. She wriggled furiously – but to no avail – his arm only tightened further. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t escape, and she couldn’t even breathe.

     Dai felt something, something she could hardly identify… fear. She never had reason to be scared, she was queen of the forest, and no one passed through without her knowing. But now, she was captured, with little hope of escape.

     Neither was the close proximity with her captor helping the situation. She had never had any contact with the opposite sex except with her father. And that was entirely different. Zarkor’s firm arm was firmly pressed against Dai’s stomach, and the smell of smoke from the campfire wafted from his tunic. She couldn’t forget the burning brightness of his beautiful amber eyes.

     Dai tingled down her spine.

     If she didn’t hate the man so much, there might be something in all of this.

     Once back at the campsite, Zarkor dismounted, keeping a firm grasp on Dai’s wrists. She dug her heels into the ground, but Zarkor was stronger. He dragged her, despite her efforts, over to the tree, bound her wrists and ankles, and then tied her body to the tree. “There,” he growled, “now try to escape.”

     Dai stuck her foot out, nearly tripping Zarkor. She grinned maliciously up at him. “I will.”

     “It won’t work.”

     “Oh, trust me, I know – but that won’t stop me from making every moment of your existence as miserable as possible.”

     “Will you now.”

     Zarkor stared hard at her, his amber flames burning a hole into her soft blue eyes – but she didn’t look away. Her grin grew wider, and evil joy danced in her expression, until Zarkor was forced to look away. He crossed to the opposite side of the clearing, and sat down, avoiding Dai’s gaze – how the tables had turned!

     What he had said had not been a question – but Dai answered it anyways.

     “Yes, I can promise you that,” she whispered, but the malicious light had faded from her eyes, leaving a lonely, tired girl, who was more afraid than she’d ever admit.

      All Rights Reserved © Copyright 2012 of Caitlyn Krueger.

Sword Maiden: Description

     Dai was decreed an outlaw at birth. She knows the ways of nature – and the ways of the warrior – and uses her talents to keep herself alive, and out of the reach of those who wish to capture her.

     A war is raging in the empire, and a terrible evil seeks to assert its dominance. What Dai knows could win the war – but she finds it hard to help those who have hunted her.

     The fate of the empire lays in the hands of an extraordinary girl – who is more ordinary than she would like to admit.

     All Rights Reserved © Copyright 2012 of Caitlyn Krueger.

It Begins

Well, I've done it. I've created a blog for my writing. I've moved here for Miss Literati - and hopefully it will all work out. I'm looking fowards to trying something new, anyways.

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                 Wild.