Erylis

The Long road

Five cloaked figures stood before the desolated remains of a village just on the outskirts of Myron forest, the wind bringing a rotting smell with it, yet the figures didn't flinch instead they moved toward the source, their cloaks bellowing in the breeze as they walked. Together the group strode towards the bent and broken bars of a gate, as four passed through the last stayed behind, from under his hood green eyes focused on the bent lettering welded to the bars, 'Eris'. His eyes returned to his companions who waited patiently, with a heavy breath he followed behind mentally preparing himself for what they might find. Houses destroyed, the well was empty, the town seemed void of any life apart from one medium cottage, the door lay half in and half out of the doorway in pieces. Blood stained it's splintered pieces, the green-eyed man raised his hand to shoulder height causing the group to stop and part, each member splitting off to surround the cottage while the man slowly made his way inside, the wood creaking beneath his weight.

Carefully he observed his surroundings, the main room took up most of the houses space and housed a wooden kitchen table upended and broken in several places, a males body lay motionless, his eyes void of all life as part his face and what remained of his chest coated in the crimson red liquid meant to keep people alive. Looking further to his right he found another, a petit female lay on her stomach, large open wounds littered her back, wasting no more time the man walked past them and through an open doorway into a small bedroom that seemed to be the only one untouched. Returning to the main room and walking towards the last room the man found two more bodies, another male lay on his side, a dagger held weakly in his right hand. Lastly a woman sat facing away from him, her head leaning against the wall and her shoulders slumped, several knives scattered around the room some embedded in the walls. Knelling down beside her the man gently grasped her shoulder and began to roll her over, he was met with cold blue eyes staring off into the distance, gently he grasped her chin and moved her to look him in the eyes, those blue eyes he knew so well now only showing despair.

"What happened?"
The girls right hand shot up to grasp his wrist shakily as her despair was replaced by pure fear, the same fear many before her had experienced.

"Shadow Hound, we didn't stand a chance" Exhaustion finally taking over the girl's hand slid from his wrist and onto the floor, carefully the cloaked figure pulled her to his chest and looped his left arm under her knees and standing up bringing her unconscious form with him. A quick turn on his heel and the man wondered back through the house and out the front door to be met by his companions, as he walked past them a males voice calmly asked behind him.

"What about the others?" the man paused and looked over his shoulder, with his eyes cast down he took a shaky breath before answering.

"They didn't make it, leave them" the four companions fell into step behind him not daring to disobey his icy order. Handing the girl off to a female companion he mounted his horse and offered down his hand to bring the unconscious girl with him, sitting in front of him her head hung forward as both his arms come around her to keep her steady, his hand held the reins still for a moment as his companions mounted their own horses.

"We ride to Everild, she'll need several months to heal, in the meantime send the scouts to hunt down the hound" With his gaze still on the girl he addressed his companions, with a nod they rode off into the distance, the destruction and death far behind them in minutes as they rode towards home.
As three months passed the girls injuries healed, every day he checked on her eager to see her progress but on the first day of winter he was surprised to find her room empty. Old bandages lay forgotten in the corner, the white fabric stained red and in some places green with medical pastes, daggers embedded in the wall chipping the dull grey colour. He left and walked through the winding corridor, his eyes scanning names written on closed doors, several scratched out. Faces flashed in his mind, their lifeless eyes forever etched into his memory, he continued on walking past rooms of maps and scrolls covering large oak tables as groups of people stood around mumbling among themselves, ignoring any whispers he heard the man made his way to a winding stone staircase built into the side of the mountain they called home.