Soldiering On (open)

[Andrew]

The sky's reddish tinge slowly began to fade to orange and purple and soon even these colours would eventually devolve into blackness. One that would envelop and consume the countryside, but neither feared nor cared as he would be long stopped by then. So Reikan ignored the colours of the early evening until the very last moment when the road would become more treacherous to his companion then a berserking trolloc. The last thing he needed was for Torrid to step wrong and twist a leg or worse.

 

Pulling her off the languid road he guided them slowly towards some wild brush and fairly used watering hole. He had passed by two of these earlier, but that was just after the midday sun had stopped baking the slowly cracking leather straps on his saddle. He had long stopped caring how the sun affected his body as the northern climate had slowly distanced itself from the strength of the light. He was sure he possessed quite a tan on his back from the early beginnings of this journey. As he gathered wood and material for cooking his mind briefly wondered how his kids would react to his departure upon their return. How could one put into words the calling of the soul?

 

The thought did not remain long as the necessities of survival took over his concentration. The fire was active for as long as it took to bring the water to a boil, which needless to say was longer then he would have liked. This far north brought with it dangers to ones being that were only alive in the nightmares of those in the south. As he settled down to another quiet evening alone and felt the returning peace of mind pervade his consciousness as he drifted off in his nightly routine.

[joos]

The desolate landscape was fast succumbing to darkness. Heres cautiously moved past the many boulders strewn across the countryside. These large stones were too perfectly cut to be natural. Perhaps they were part of some towering city, Heres mused. Too many dead cities around here. Too many dead memories.

 

With a skill born out of countless night-time ventures, Heres nimbly negotiated the little furrows and the occasional rabbit hole. Even in his haste, he took a care to not step on any loose stone, lest he wake the sleeper.

 

Heres had first spotted the lonely traveler just outside the last village. The traveler had the look of someone not completely sure of his destination. Or maybe, he had just been tired. Either which way, Heres had calculated his prey as being too helpless and weak. The horse looked good, and the traveler's bundle looked promising as well.

 

He had watched from afar as the traveler finally decided to stop. Heres's opinion of the traveler had wavered a bit when he saw the traveler not succumbing to any of the other water holes, preferring to carry on. Not a wise move, as it would have been easier to travel by night. But a resilient man nevertheless.

 

Slowly, he reached the boulder against which the man was reclining. The fire had burnt itself out and the breeze favored Heres's approach. Heres peeked ever so slightly and found the man sleeping. Not the tired sleep of a weary man. It was more of a respite for a resolute man. Maybe his quarry would prove tougher than he imagined. Good. It had been a while since Heres had been faced with a dicey one.

 

Heres eased his knife from its scabbard. No need to use the short-sword. This would hopefully be a silent job.

 

In his eagerness, Heres failed to see the trap. The man had been cleverer than he had thought. He had placed frail twigs all around him, effectively warning him of any intruder. Heres unwittingly stepped on it.

 

Crunch!