The Obsidian Arrow

The Obsidian Arrow: Chapter 35

Chapter 35:

[Searon’s POV]

            The air surrounded them, thick and damp making it uncomfortable to breathe, feeling deathly silent as they galloped back towards Sudegam. Searon held the reins tight while Anaela kept her arms held tightly around his chest as they rode. If he wasn’t so worried about what was to come of his friends and allies in the elven capital he might have taken warmth in her touch. She finally gave into his efforts, and now they had to leave, or else all of Sudegam might suffer because they weren’t there to defend it. He desperately hoped that his friends were alright, as he didn’t know how he would feel if he abandoned them to their destruction.

            Searon tried to push such thoughts away from his head and concentrate on his task at hand. Yet the task was made difficult by Anaela’s soft hands that constantly grazed his chest. He bit his lip as he tried to focus guiding his stallion forward. Trees passed his by swiftly on each side before disappearing into oblivion. The ocean was leagues behind them now, a day at Stripes full gallop which would make nearly two for a normal horse, and yet they were still far from Sudegam. Stripes was the fastest horse than Searon had ever come across, and even Anaela was impressed with the velocity of the animal.

            A chill breeze swept across the air that brought shivers to Searon’s spine. The weather was fast approaching winter, and yet this seemed completely irrelevant. Even Stripes was caught aback as the great stallion’s pace slowed from a full gallop to a trot. An eerie darkness surrounded them even though evening was still hours approaching. The stallion came to an abrupt stop where it neighed loudly before stepping backwards at a frightening pace.

            “Is anybody out there?” Searon called.

            Anaela grabbed tighter to Searon’s chest in fright. Laughter echoed through the forest that scared Stripes into dropping the two of them on the ground as the stallion reared backwards in fright. Searon got to his feet and tried to steady his longtime friend, but he galloped off forward despite the warrior’s touch. The stallion didn’t make it too far before a knife soared through the thick air an into the animal’s neck. With a great screech the horse tumbled to the ground.

            Searon, horror struck, ran forward and draped his arms around his companion. Stripes snorted a couple of times before its breath was no more. Anaela rushed to his side and comforted him, making him able to hold his tears from his watered eyes. He had grown fond of the animal for so many years and figured the day would come that he would have to find another horse, but it wasn’t supposed to end like this. Chilling snickers continued to echo through the calm forest that seemed to sound like it draped all around them.

            From the shadows of the forest surrounding them appeared thirty draeyks with axes gripped tight. Before Searon could unsheathe his claymore the party of creatures rushed at them in a frenzy. Anaela already had her bow and quiver at the ready and began firing arrows from behind Searon. One in three formed into ice as they soared through the air to meet their targets. Her aim was true and before any draeyks reached Searon four were dead and two frozen. As they neared she had to slip her bow over her shoulder and pull her short sword from its scabbard to defend herself from the foes behind her.

            Searon respected Anaela as an archer more than anyone else he had ever known. He realized how great a shame it was that they had been caught unaware and weren’t able to get into a proper fighting position. Had he chosen where they fought he would have had her secured in a tree or building high where she could fire arrows at will as he fought with melee. He knew together with such tactics they would have been able to make short work of these creatures. However with twenty-two of the creatures rushing at them as both Searon and Anaela struck one down with blades, their options were limited.