Sequel: Conquer Me. ›
Underestimate Me
This Was War.
Every careful step she took brought her farther and closer at the same time. It had rained that night, the trees were covered in little droplets from the sky. Raindrops falling on her shoulders reminded her of tears of joy. Drought and heat tortured the crops as well as the forest for days now. Animal and man suffered underneath the blazing sun, hoping for the rain to return. And it had this night. The sun was slowly waking up and its rays tried to pierce the thick cover of leaves. It was early in the morning and the sun was not yet topping the tall elks and dens.
The forest was silent although she knew it was already awake. Its business disguised in a serene scene of loneliness and abandonment. She had been awake herself for a couple of hours now. Woken in the middle of the night haunted by nightmares and unable to catch the darkness of sleep again after. Sweat had been dripping down her face and curved its way around her bust. Fortunately there was no screaming this time, her sisters were still asleep. Restlessly she had waited for the sun to return so she could start a productive ranging. Tossing and turning, anticipating the rays of sun to touch her face. If they did she knew there would be enough light of day for her to leave. Little enough light to leave unnoticed, but sufficient for her sight to patrol the woods.
The arrows in her quiver trembled in anticipation of their sole flight towards enemy or foe. Either animal or human, she rarely missed. Her feet knew where to step without making too much sound, bending the forest waste that littered the ground, instead of breaking it. Her feet knew when to put pressure on themselves and when to lay off. She had trailed this path for far too many times. The forest had become her home and she knew it like the scars on her body. Even before her exile she had known the woods like a second home. Now, after being banished, it had become her first. She knew which trees gave the best view of the forest, which clearings were safe and which were not. She knew how travelers used the woods and where to stage an attack. She knew it all. She had to. Without the knowledge, she’d be lost.
She neared a little clearing where one of the many forest creeks disappeared in a broad forest lake. It was a deep and treacherously beautiful place. Overhanging trees lent support for the strong current secretly flowing underneath. The sun reached the surface of the lake at several places, making it sparkle like it was enchanted. She had visited this lake many times. Swam when no one was around and bathed with her sisters. Revealing herself had been something that had taken time. At first she did not even show her face. On occasions she still didn’t. In attacks they all wore fabric around their faces, like veiled brides. Their deadly eyes where the only things their foes would see and most of the times it would be the last thing they would see.
Closing the gap between her and the lake she heard the first birds singing. It would again be a hot day; the rain had not lifted the pressure of heat beating down on them. Accompanied by the birds’ song she crouched down at the lake. Her hands plunged in the water and cupped before bringing the sweet cold to her mouth. Like an animal she did not lose sight of her surroundings. Her instincts had intensified since she lived in the forest, substantial for her survival. Feeling the scabbard of her knives on her hips and around her ankles she felt a bit more at ease. She had left camp with far more armory than necessary. Without it she felt as naked as swimming in this pool. Her weapons gave her a false pretense of safety. One she knew was misleading but one she loved to believe in either way. Patrolling was one of her duties, like it was everybody else’s. Their moving camp was not enough security for staying undiscovered. Patrols and ranging had been necessary since that one day.
The last drops trickled down her chin and she wiped them clean with the back of her hand. The sun had risen and now almost topped the trees. It was time to move on and complete her patrol. Before standing up, she noticed some movements in the trees. As quickly as possible her bow was drawn and she was aiming at the action in the trees. A sigh of relieve left her body when she saw the little falcon cleaning its feathers.
“In the name of Maa, don’t startle me like that!” She sighed as she beckoned to the bird. It stretched its wings and took flight, landing gracefully on her shoulder. Its little wise eyes looking at her as he turned his head with intermittent movements.
“You little scoundrel,” She said with a smile on her face. “Already gone hunting for some flesh?”
The bird pushed his head gently against her neck and pecked at her with loveable movement. As soon as the bird had outgrew his baby claws, she had stitched boiled leather on all the shoulder parts of her clothing. His scarp claws did not hurt her anymore and this way they could still work together. The bird knew she’d have food for him somewhere, and she knew he could show her things her own eyes would never catch.
“Anyone around?” she asked. She knew talking to the creature was bogus, but she liked to feel connected with this little fellow. Swinging her arm up in the sky and pointing towards the sun was a gesture and communication the little falcon could understand and she felt how his claws pushed her shoulder away as his wings took wind. Easily surpassing the thick layers of branches and leaves he flew out and circled the air above her.
She moved on, prowling the forest, looking for things that did not belong. Looking for marks, other than her own or her sisters. Deep marks. Marks made by strong and heavy men. She was looking for smoldering campfires, with embers still glowing orange. She was looking for signs of invasion. Invasion of her home and earth.
A shriek coming from the air tensed her up. She stood still and saw how the falcon kept circling an area about two hundred yards away. The trees almost covered his whereabouts but she had trained with this bird for too long to lose him when trouble was upon them. She crouched down and traveled down the thick forest. Inching closer to the abruption her bird had spotted. Her falcon did not screech for nothing. It was trained well and thoroughly. These were intruders. These were men.
There was a road up ahead. One of the few roads that let through the forest, away from the village. Although dangerous because of the raids they had staged, it was still used. She didn’t like it. Their camp was set up way too close to the road and she did not like it at all. They needed to move, their resting place had to remain hidden, but the placement was way too close to the road.
Her hands touched the earth as she crawled closer to the edge of the forest and the beginning of the road. She felt how leaves tried grabbing her, holding her back from her destination. It was almost as if they knew what she would find. The forest wanted to protect her from whatever Falcon had found. Hiding herself behind a large tree her heart stopped. Her eyes did not betray her, but she wished they had. These were no merchant travelers, or farmers moving kettle.
This was war.
The forest was silent although she knew it was already awake. Its business disguised in a serene scene of loneliness and abandonment. She had been awake herself for a couple of hours now. Woken in the middle of the night haunted by nightmares and unable to catch the darkness of sleep again after. Sweat had been dripping down her face and curved its way around her bust. Fortunately there was no screaming this time, her sisters were still asleep. Restlessly she had waited for the sun to return so she could start a productive ranging. Tossing and turning, anticipating the rays of sun to touch her face. If they did she knew there would be enough light of day for her to leave. Little enough light to leave unnoticed, but sufficient for her sight to patrol the woods.
The arrows in her quiver trembled in anticipation of their sole flight towards enemy or foe. Either animal or human, she rarely missed. Her feet knew where to step without making too much sound, bending the forest waste that littered the ground, instead of breaking it. Her feet knew when to put pressure on themselves and when to lay off. She had trailed this path for far too many times. The forest had become her home and she knew it like the scars on her body. Even before her exile she had known the woods like a second home. Now, after being banished, it had become her first. She knew which trees gave the best view of the forest, which clearings were safe and which were not. She knew how travelers used the woods and where to stage an attack. She knew it all. She had to. Without the knowledge, she’d be lost.
She neared a little clearing where one of the many forest creeks disappeared in a broad forest lake. It was a deep and treacherously beautiful place. Overhanging trees lent support for the strong current secretly flowing underneath. The sun reached the surface of the lake at several places, making it sparkle like it was enchanted. She had visited this lake many times. Swam when no one was around and bathed with her sisters. Revealing herself had been something that had taken time. At first she did not even show her face. On occasions she still didn’t. In attacks they all wore fabric around their faces, like veiled brides. Their deadly eyes where the only things their foes would see and most of the times it would be the last thing they would see.
Closing the gap between her and the lake she heard the first birds singing. It would again be a hot day; the rain had not lifted the pressure of heat beating down on them. Accompanied by the birds’ song she crouched down at the lake. Her hands plunged in the water and cupped before bringing the sweet cold to her mouth. Like an animal she did not lose sight of her surroundings. Her instincts had intensified since she lived in the forest, substantial for her survival. Feeling the scabbard of her knives on her hips and around her ankles she felt a bit more at ease. She had left camp with far more armory than necessary. Without it she felt as naked as swimming in this pool. Her weapons gave her a false pretense of safety. One she knew was misleading but one she loved to believe in either way. Patrolling was one of her duties, like it was everybody else’s. Their moving camp was not enough security for staying undiscovered. Patrols and ranging had been necessary since that one day.
The last drops trickled down her chin and she wiped them clean with the back of her hand. The sun had risen and now almost topped the trees. It was time to move on and complete her patrol. Before standing up, she noticed some movements in the trees. As quickly as possible her bow was drawn and she was aiming at the action in the trees. A sigh of relieve left her body when she saw the little falcon cleaning its feathers.
“In the name of Maa, don’t startle me like that!” She sighed as she beckoned to the bird. It stretched its wings and took flight, landing gracefully on her shoulder. Its little wise eyes looking at her as he turned his head with intermittent movements.
“You little scoundrel,” She said with a smile on her face. “Already gone hunting for some flesh?”
The bird pushed his head gently against her neck and pecked at her with loveable movement. As soon as the bird had outgrew his baby claws, she had stitched boiled leather on all the shoulder parts of her clothing. His scarp claws did not hurt her anymore and this way they could still work together. The bird knew she’d have food for him somewhere, and she knew he could show her things her own eyes would never catch.
“Anyone around?” she asked. She knew talking to the creature was bogus, but she liked to feel connected with this little fellow. Swinging her arm up in the sky and pointing towards the sun was a gesture and communication the little falcon could understand and she felt how his claws pushed her shoulder away as his wings took wind. Easily surpassing the thick layers of branches and leaves he flew out and circled the air above her.
She moved on, prowling the forest, looking for things that did not belong. Looking for marks, other than her own or her sisters. Deep marks. Marks made by strong and heavy men. She was looking for smoldering campfires, with embers still glowing orange. She was looking for signs of invasion. Invasion of her home and earth.
A shriek coming from the air tensed her up. She stood still and saw how the falcon kept circling an area about two hundred yards away. The trees almost covered his whereabouts but she had trained with this bird for too long to lose him when trouble was upon them. She crouched down and traveled down the thick forest. Inching closer to the abruption her bird had spotted. Her falcon did not screech for nothing. It was trained well and thoroughly. These were intruders. These were men.
There was a road up ahead. One of the few roads that let through the forest, away from the village. Although dangerous because of the raids they had staged, it was still used. She didn’t like it. Their camp was set up way too close to the road and she did not like it at all. They needed to move, their resting place had to remain hidden, but the placement was way too close to the road.
Her hands touched the earth as she crawled closer to the edge of the forest and the beginning of the road. She felt how leaves tried grabbing her, holding her back from her destination. It was almost as if they knew what she would find. The forest wanted to protect her from whatever Falcon had found. Hiding herself behind a large tree her heart stopped. Her eyes did not betray her, but she wished they had. These were no merchant travelers, or farmers moving kettle.
This was war.
