Prophecy of Thorns

Introduction

Death.

It's presence hangs over us as if it were the fog itself, heavily blanketing the meadow and its people in battle. I run across the field, dodging fighting warriors, and leaping dead bodies, that appear seemingly out of nowhere from the thick curtain of mist in every direction. I hold tight to my bow, for visibility is 5 feet, tops. My daemon Pantalaimon-Pan, is now in wolf form, crouched low to the ground beside me. There's suddenly a quiet whistle behind me that's getting increasingly louder.

"Elsa!" Pan yells at me, and I hurl myself onto the ground, looking up just in time to see a thick knife imbed itself into the back of the man in front of me. He falls to his knees and topples over in a pool of crimson, his daemon dissapearing into a swirl of gold dust. I do not recognize him, anyway.

Jumping to my feet, I string another arrow to my bow and whip around. My attacker is dead before she hits the ground- my arrow through her neck. I string another and start running again, almost trampled by a few riderless, armored horses. I swiftly grab their reins and stroke their necks, soothing them. Their nostrils are flared, their white-rimmed eyes frightened. A black and a gray. I recognize them from my clan. I hurridly lead them to the edge of the meadow, relieving them of their heavy armor and tack. I touch the first two fingers of my right hand to my lips and rest my fingers on each of their foreheads. It's a peace and good luck sign in our clan. With that, I nod to them and back up. They swing around and dive deep into the forest, to safety.

I turn and start to jog away, but stop dead in my tracks. A painted warrior with her back turned to me has just caught Starling in the legs with a mace. There's a sickening crack and my friend falls on her front, whimpering in pain and using her arms to drag her useless legs and body away. Starling's daemon Oki, is in a fox form and yipping in pain on the ground next to her. The warrior raises her mace for another blow, her panther daemon pouncing on Oki. Then I let out my clan's battle cry, aiming my arrow. Starling's attacker turns to me. Her big cat daemon whips around to stand by her side, growling and baring his teeth. My heart skips a beat. My aim quavers.

I know that face.

I know both of them.

I ask her name breathlessly, but it's no question, I know it's her. Yet her eyes are swirls of black, ringed in blood, and her mouth is curled up in a disgusted snarl. My hesitation gives her just the oppertunity to attack. She rips a long spear out of the back of a fallen child and hurls it at me with a yell. In turn, I let an arrow go. Before I can move, the spear impales me in the stomach. I stagger backward at both the impact and the severe waves of pain racking my body.

Sharing my pain, Pan falls next to me and converts to his normal ermine form, squealing.

There's that warm, metallic taste of blood in my mouth, and the last thing I see before losing consciousness is my arrow heading straight for the silver half-moon necklace hanging from the neck of the woman I thought I knew so well.

That I thought loved me.