Lyric The Fair

Welcome to Sitharu

Lyric kept her eyes turned towards the tops of the trees as they rode along the trail, their horses swinging and swatting at the flies as they went with their tails. Lyric's horse let out an exasperated sigh and shook its mane, pulling a laugh from Lyric. She playfully slapped at the horse's neck, giving it a rub, before returning her eyes to the forest around her. Much like the Blue River, the woods were dark in color, shades of blue and green mixing together for an ethereal sight. The trees stood solid and close together, their branches reaching over the various trails and empty spots to tickle each other's tips and dance in the breeze. The sun could be seen in several spots where it broke through the treetops, little creatures scurried back and forth across the soft dirt floor. The forest seemed to be a peaceful place, the air was cool and fresh, carrying the scent of dirt and vegetation through the area. It was simply beautiful. So beautiful that Lyric could not keep the smile from crossing her lips.

They had been traveling through the woods for a couple of hours now, traveling slowly but making sure they didn't stray from the path. They were staying quiet, keeping their ears open and listening for any sign of the city they were looking for or anyone following them. So far, they had stopped to watch a squirrel chase another through the trees and a deer bounce along a small creek for some water. They even heard what they thought was a bear but turned out to be a wandering trader, desperate for a bathroom bush. The smell of that particular creature would stay with Lyric for the rest of her days. That was nothing compared to the new knife she had gotten from the man after he had finished his business. They had all taken a few coins and traded with the man, Neri getting a few strips of dried meat for some of her flowers. Brail had gotten himself a small leather book with empty pages that he refused to tell them about and Lyric had gotten herself a dagger and a water skin. Despite the desperate situation they had found the trader in, the exchange did become memorable and beneficial to them all.

Lyric sat perched atop her horse with her new dagger in her hand, spinning it carefully to marvel at its balance. She had not been taught much about fighting yet but Brail was doing his best. He was mostly teaching her how to block and defend herself, saving the attack for later. He often told her, "Knowing how to attack will mean nothing if you cannot defend yourself. Your enemy lands a blow and you die. One injury will lead to weakness and weakness will bring death. Now, defend or die!" He would then follow his little speech with a swing of his sword or the chop of his axe but, all she was ever able to do was jump out of the way. She had never been able to move and then even begin a counterattack. She was not fast enough but she was getting better. The last time they trained, she dodged his swing and was able to pitch a handful of dirt into his eyes before having to duck under his axe. He was still too fast for her though, as she rose, he slammed his axe handle into her gut and sent her sprawling feet away into the dirt.

At that moment, riding along deep in her thoughts, something whizzed past her ear, whistling with speed and exploding against a tree trunk to her left. "The trees!" Brain shouted as he pulled his axe free from its place on his saddle. He brought the heavy weapon up to block an arrow as it slammed into the air where his face had previously been. The arrow fell to the ground and snapped in half as his horse stepped on it. "Go!"

Lyric pulled her sword free and turned to look at Neri. "Ride! Quickly!"

Lyric kicked at her horse's sides and propelled them both forward, her hand tightening on the hilt of her sword as they moved. Neri's sword cut down another arrow as it flew between the two of them, keeping it from burying itself deep into Lyric's horse's neck. They shot forward, following the trail, staying directly on it as the thundering erupted behind them. Lyric turned in her saddle to look behind her, her eyes going wide as Brail was swallowed by a pure white fog. "Neri!" She shouted in fear. Her heart pounded in her ears so loudly that she could not make out what it was Neri was saying, all she could hear was the sound that came out of her mouth, not the actual words.