The Promise of the Dawn

Chapter One: Figures

When I was fourteen, my father took me on my first hunt.  I recall the details of the hunt quite distinctly. My tired feet, due to the long trek, my tired eyes as I watched my father hone in on his prey, and the blood.

All the blood.

I never knew such a small animal contained such copious amounts of it. My father was covered in it as he walked back from the hunt, the carcass of his kill slung over his shoulders. 

The blood dripping from the carcass down to his shoulders didn't seem to faze him, but as a fourteen year old child, the sight of the sticky crimson substance was permanently etched into my memory, and I think about it as I stand at the edge of the forest, about to begin my own hunt.

I had gone to the forest to find my sisters and I something to eat. It had been two days, three hours, and forty-five minutes since our last meal, and I'd been working tirelessly to bring back something other than wild berries for my sisters to consume, considering their supply was becoming increasingly thin. 

Two days, three hours, and forty-five minutes since my mother's untimely death.

I stare into the darkness of the forest ahead of me, suddenly feeling unsure of myself.

My mother told me the forest was the most dangerous at night and warned me to never enter past the hours of eight pm. You never knew what you'd find within the shadows of those tall trees, especially during a war, yet I ignore the warnings as I feel my stomach rumble, and it overpowers my feelings of doubt, setting me off into the woods.

The forest was entirely silent, except for the occasional hooting of a hidden owl, which would've scared me, hadn't the forest been lit up by rays of moonlight filtering through the leaves of the trees towering above me.

I observe my surroundings as I walk deeper into the forest, investigating each of the trees I pass until I suddenly hear a branch snap from somewhere in front of me. I drop at the sound, hiding behind a nearby bush to camouflage myself as I determine where the sound came from.

There's a deer that's entered the clearing directly in front of me, innocently grazing on a patch of greenery. I sigh a breath of relief at the sight of it, before slowly drawing an arrow from my quiver and setting it in the bow, aiming it at the deer carefully, and making sure not to make a sound that'll scare it in the process. 

After I'm satisfied with the positioning of my arrow, I shoot it at my target, but just before it hits the deer, the sound of another twig snapping scares it and it leaps away, leaving my arrow stuck in the dirt near where the deer used to stand.

I would've been angry about losing my meal, but I was more concerned by the sound that scared the deer away. I stand up straight, aiming an arrow in the direction of the new sound. An unidentified figure has appeared from behind a nearby tree trunk.

"Any closer and the next one goes through your head" I yell towards the strange figure. But despite my strong tone, my heart was racing. I wondered if the figure could sense the waver of insecurity in my voice. But, instead of saying anything, the figure just reaches up to their cloak's hood, pulling it down to reveal their true identity. 

The moon illuminated his pale skin, and I could see each of the individual freckles upon it. They reminded me of the craters on the moon's surface. His blond hair shone gold in the moonlight, and seemed to light up the darkness of the forest around him. In the darkness of the night, it seemed he was the only light.

But the second I met his eyes, I immediately fell to the ground in a curtsy of submission. I would recognize those eyes anywhere. Those light blue eyes with specks of honey within them were famous throughout my village.  Those were the eyes of the next Duke. The ones hundreds of ladies pined for everyday. Yet, somehow, they now stood right in front of me, illuminated by moonbeams shining through the treetops of the forest.

"My Lord! I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you" I apologize, looking at the ground in shame. 

He walks over to me in long, graceful strides, then stops right in front of me, reaching down and taking my chin in his hands so he can tilt it up, and I can once again look into his eyes, which I can now see have more brown in them up close.

"You may be the only person in this entire town who wouldn't." He says, pausing before he continues.

"But these are trying times. You need not apologize for protecting yourself" He replies as I lose myself in his eyes. 

"Actually, I quite admire your quick reaction. How long have you been hunting?" He asks me, offering his hand to help me back up.

"Not long, My Lord" 

"You must admit, hunting is a strange pastime for a woman"

 "I had no choice but to take it up. The war took both my parents, leaving me in charge of my two younger sisters" I explain. Cael's expression saddens as I tell him this and I immediately regret saying anything at all.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No. Unfortunately I've grown used to hearing stories like yours... however, none of the others I've spoken to possessed nearly as many skills as you've just demonstrated" Cael responds, looking me up and down in fascination.

"I'm just trying to keep my sisters alive, My Lord" I repeat. Cael pauses for a second, studying me further before responding.

"Have you considered combat training?" Cael questions, capturing my attention. I shake my head slowly.

"My father has a training program at our Estate. He teaches young warriors how to fight. At the end of their training, they get the opportunity to become Guardians: protectors of the crown. I think you'd be the perfect fit" He suggests.

"Thank you, but... I'm no warrior. I'm just a girl trying to protect her family, and... I can't just leave them" I reply. 

"I see. Well, take this. In case you have a change of heart" He responds, handing me a small sheet of paper with writing scrawled across it in dark ink.

"Thank you, My Lord" I reply, taking it gratefully. He smiles at me in response. 

"I hope to see you again soon" He says, taking my hand and lightly kissing the top of it formally before turning around and beginning to leave the forest in a flurry of expensive fabrics.

I stand there, smiling widely as I watch him walk away, then looking back down at the letter, trying to process what exactly just occurred. When I look back up from the letter to try and catch one last glance of him, he's already disappeared into the moonlit night.