The Greatest Hunt.
A family's parting
Several hours had passed since the traumatic event had taken place. After gathering drinks and some food, the old man had led his daughter into the main room, where both remained in still silence, allowing time to pass as darkest night filled their lives. The only sounds of a howling wind outside and that of the mugs they drank from, resting back upon the table tops.
"What are we going to do?"
The sudden speech of the young woman almost made the man jump in his seat, turning his attention to her, the mug coming to rest at his side as he looked to her still watery green eyes, saddened crease of lips holding their place.
"I do not know dear..."
The voice was filled with both empathy and pain, low, mellow in his words as he gazed over to the girl, a broken man at hand.
"We have to do something?"
The question was searching, desperate for hope, the older man, shaking his head in pity for they both knew that there was nothing either of them could do.
"This is right!"
Her words suddenly taking a hostility to them as she drove herself out of the seat she had remained within for so long. Pacing up and down the room, gentle lifting of her billowing dress as every other moment, a hand catching the falling, torn side of her dress to raise it back up, over her shoulder.
"There must be something we can do...He's not turned completely yet, there is still human within him, he's not reached his first full moon yet!"
Desperation filled her once more, the want for her brother to return showing in those hastened moments as she continued her pacing. The old man lifting himself forward slightly as he looked up to her, eyes glinting in the gentle light of the room. His mug being passed to the table allowing hands to slide over his knees.
"Jade, in the years of this curse plaguing our land, we have never found a cure, only in death will he be set free."
The voice clearly holding a saddened pain for his seemingly lost son. Deathly eyes locking to his pacing daughter in her furious drive for an answer, for a reason, for something...
"I wont give up father, I can't, he's my brother, the only one I've ever had and I wont give up on him."
The pause from her words brought a stillness to their scene, silence falling as each froze, simply staring to one another.
"If you tell the towns folk, they will hunt him down Jade. What else can you do?"
Her simmer had grown, anger it seemed at her fathers refusal to try driving over her own thoughts as she paced once more, turning on her heels with each floured movement.
Hands slipping to her head, almost cringing in thought, in worry as she slowed her pace, sounds of discomfort slipping from lustrous lips as she turned suddenly to face her father once more.
"I'll find a way father, I'll follow him, I know him better than anyone, I can track him down, you brought us both up to deal with the curse...I'll track him and find a cure, I have to, I can't just leave it."
Her voice had cleared, reasoning taking over as she stood firm, hands sliding down the elegant bodice to return to her sides, shoulders squaring in place as dark green hues gazed downwards to the man. The older man still resting his hands over his knees, features shifting upwards to face her during her small speech. The sigh that passed over his slightly crusted lips brought a painful sorrow over the room as he tried interrupting only to be cut off by his daughters words. Finally slouching backwards to rest in his chair, gazing quietly up to his pride, shoulders slumping in defeat.
"I don't want to lose both of my children...Please, just be careful."
Eyes swelled in concerned fear as he spoke the words, gentle shuffling of his hands, movements of irritation over his body as the young woman moved swiftly to his form. Her slender figure gliding down to rest by his feet, kneeling in front of the man, her hands moving to cup around his own as she spoke in that gentle, angelic voice.
"I'll be fine father and, when I come back, I will return with your son as well."
With those words said, the girl shifted slightly, pulling herself into a great embrace of the man, the soft touch of her skin meeting his own rougher hide, the moment being held, tears being wept as the embrace lasted before she finally released his form. Stepping off to gather her few belongings in time to dash off in the hunt for her brother. The man being left to sit, in pained sadness within his chair, alone in his once so full house, yet hours ago, the happiest man alive, with a hero for a son and a beauty for a daughter. His tale fell quiet in grief of what could have been.
"What are we going to do?"
The sudden speech of the young woman almost made the man jump in his seat, turning his attention to her, the mug coming to rest at his side as he looked to her still watery green eyes, saddened crease of lips holding their place.
"I do not know dear..."
The voice was filled with both empathy and pain, low, mellow in his words as he gazed over to the girl, a broken man at hand.
"We have to do something?"
The question was searching, desperate for hope, the older man, shaking his head in pity for they both knew that there was nothing either of them could do.
"This is right!"
Her words suddenly taking a hostility to them as she drove herself out of the seat she had remained within for so long. Pacing up and down the room, gentle lifting of her billowing dress as every other moment, a hand catching the falling, torn side of her dress to raise it back up, over her shoulder.
"There must be something we can do...He's not turned completely yet, there is still human within him, he's not reached his first full moon yet!"
Desperation filled her once more, the want for her brother to return showing in those hastened moments as she continued her pacing. The old man lifting himself forward slightly as he looked up to her, eyes glinting in the gentle light of the room. His mug being passed to the table allowing hands to slide over his knees.
"Jade, in the years of this curse plaguing our land, we have never found a cure, only in death will he be set free."
The voice clearly holding a saddened pain for his seemingly lost son. Deathly eyes locking to his pacing daughter in her furious drive for an answer, for a reason, for something...
"I wont give up father, I can't, he's my brother, the only one I've ever had and I wont give up on him."
The pause from her words brought a stillness to their scene, silence falling as each froze, simply staring to one another.
"If you tell the towns folk, they will hunt him down Jade. What else can you do?"
Her simmer had grown, anger it seemed at her fathers refusal to try driving over her own thoughts as she paced once more, turning on her heels with each floured movement.
Hands slipping to her head, almost cringing in thought, in worry as she slowed her pace, sounds of discomfort slipping from lustrous lips as she turned suddenly to face her father once more.
"I'll find a way father, I'll follow him, I know him better than anyone, I can track him down, you brought us both up to deal with the curse...I'll track him and find a cure, I have to, I can't just leave it."
Her voice had cleared, reasoning taking over as she stood firm, hands sliding down the elegant bodice to return to her sides, shoulders squaring in place as dark green hues gazed downwards to the man. The older man still resting his hands over his knees, features shifting upwards to face her during her small speech. The sigh that passed over his slightly crusted lips brought a painful sorrow over the room as he tried interrupting only to be cut off by his daughters words. Finally slouching backwards to rest in his chair, gazing quietly up to his pride, shoulders slumping in defeat.
"I don't want to lose both of my children...Please, just be careful."
Eyes swelled in concerned fear as he spoke the words, gentle shuffling of his hands, movements of irritation over his body as the young woman moved swiftly to his form. Her slender figure gliding down to rest by his feet, kneeling in front of the man, her hands moving to cup around his own as she spoke in that gentle, angelic voice.
"I'll be fine father and, when I come back, I will return with your son as well."
With those words said, the girl shifted slightly, pulling herself into a great embrace of the man, the soft touch of her skin meeting his own rougher hide, the moment being held, tears being wept as the embrace lasted before she finally released his form. Stepping off to gather her few belongings in time to dash off in the hunt for her brother. The man being left to sit, in pained sadness within his chair, alone in his once so full house, yet hours ago, the happiest man alive, with a hero for a son and a beauty for a daughter. His tale fell quiet in grief of what could have been.