Trying to keep up with the writing. Got a little scene in my head the other day on the way to work, so now I've put it on "paper". It's not edited, just typing it as it comes along. I've got a sort of general idea for the rest of the story, but for now this is what I have:
Prologue
His breath was ragged but he had to go on; his family needed this. He needed this. Overhead the swan flew madly, stumbling across the sky. Avaric cursed himself; if his first arrow had been true he wouldn’t be running after his dinner. He had to calm himself and take another shot before the bird reached the forest. If he lost the swan and his arrow, his father would surely tan his hide.
Taking as deep a breath as he could manage, Avaric knocked another arrow and skidded to a halt. Clearing his mind, he saw nothing but the white bird. Feathers filled his line of sight and he let loose the arrow, praying it would hit. He watched as the arrow flew and felt as if his eyes were guiding it. The arrow connected as the bird reached the forest. This time the bird fell.
Avaric raced forward, letting out a little yelp, and plunged into the forest, following the sound of the swan crashing through the trees. Finally, he could prove to his father that he was more than just a farmer. This swan would prove his worth as a hunter! It was huge, and the last person to kill a swan was his older brother, four years ago. The whole family would eat well for the next few nights. His mother could even use the feathers to make-
His thoughts were interrupted as he skidded to a halt and almost tripped over the body of a young woman. Shocked, he dropped to his knees beside her. She lay sprawled on the ground, legs at an odd angle. She turned her head to him when he touched her arm, and he gasped at her beauty. She had long blonde hair, a few leaves stuck in it, and sharp, striking features. Her dress was ivory and trimmed in gold. Surely she was highborn.
“Don’t worry m’lady. I’m here to help!” He slid a hand behind her head, hoping to prop her up. She gasped when he touched her, and it was then he noticed she’d been shot with two arrows.
Avaric felt the blood drain from his face. He stared at the arrow in her arm, and the one stuck in her left side, between her ribs. They were fletched with his feathers.
“Do…not…” The young woman gasped, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Avaric made a strangled noise of panic. “Do not…be upset.” She continued softly. “Thank…you…”
“What?” Avaric felt his heart hammering against his ribcage. He had to be wrong. Those could not be his arrows.
He looked up to see several tree branches broken, and noticed they were scattered around the young woman. He breathing was shallow.
“Please. Hold on. I’ll get help.”
She shook her head slightly. Blood from her wounds had soaked through her dress and into his breeches. “There’s…no time.”
She gasped, and Avaric pulled her closer to him, not knowing what else to do. She began to shake and as Avaric looked on, she seemed to glow with a faint blue light. The light grew stronger and reached out to envelope him too.
The light burned his skin and he cried out, now clutching the young woman to his chest. As her shaking ceased, his began, and tears rolled down his cheeks from the pain. His thoughts were frantic as he struggled to comprehend what was happening to him. As his skin burned, his bones felt as they were contracting, shrinking. He could feel that he was crushing the woman, but his muscles would not relax.
Against his chest she cried, each breath causing her more pain. Her tears and blood stained his shirt, but she was not mad at the boy for what he’d done to her. As Avaric’s screams became less human, the woman whispered with her last breath,
“I’m free.”
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