Two Hearts of Love

A Cold Lonely Night

As I trudged through the dew covered grass, carrying my freshly killed venison, I slowly make progress to my small village where food is scarce. It's any man for himself. As I reach the village, Redwood, I sneak my fresh kill into my lonely hut. As I heave my prize onto the table I begin to saw off its antlers to make skinning this kills pelt a lot easier than before. After about several hours of skinning the venison, cleaning the pelt, and then treating it. I leave it out to dry, I could sell it at the market for a few gold pieces at most if they were willing to buy it for fifteen gold pieces.
I had just finished smoking the meat from my kill to at least last me until winter...We are just now in the nearing end of the harsh winter months. So if I have any left over for the coming of spring then I can sell that to some of the merchants. I just hope I have enough money to get something for the coming of the spring festival, it's going to be special so I hear. The whole village is going to be celebrating the coming of spring along side royalty to embrace the coming of the sun and new light of chance. As I remove my snow covered boots to climb into my creaky bed, I knock over my special hunting now. I pick it up carefully and examine the bow and sense of sadness floods my soul. Many years ago, I used to live in the woods with my father, he was the best father in the world. He taught me everything I know about hunting. And I always wanted to go on a big game hunt with him, but he told me I was way too young to do so. So on my 14th birthday he hand carved a bow specifically designed for my hand and for hunting. I was so excited that I took off with my new gift with my favorite goose feather arrows and tried to hunt a bear. But I didn't realize how stupid I was to for trying something so reckless. When I had to kill the bear, I was hesitant, I let it go. I couldn't kill a bear. So my father disowned me, he said I wasn't worthy of his graces for letting a prize like that get away. So ever since I have been trying to prove to him that I am not a failure. "Father...I promise, soon you will feast upon the very flesh of that bear once I find it. I promise." I say in a hoarse voice. I gently set my bow underneath by bed.

In the next morning I slowly crawl out from my blankets and change into some spare clothes. I have to wash the blood off my hunting grabs and cover it in animal urine to ensure I can blend in with the nature and get better prizes. I grab the pelt and roll up the fresh deer pelt. "I better get this to the fur dealer if I want to get some decent coin off it. Otherwise I won't have enough gold to pay off my payments to the king." I mutter to myself bitterly. The Nobles have convinced the King to increase the taxes of the people because of the increase of debt in the kingdom. Even though it is entirely the nobility that is using its power and abusing the kings trust to bathe in the hard earned gold of the people. I can't stand the nobility, all of them just want the gold and use it on any women they desire on, even if it means the people starve to death. But such is life in the Kingdom of Sapphire, but all of the people hope that the Princess will not fall to the corrupt hands of the nobles. I some how lack that optimism. I highly doubt that the Princess will consider the people's struggles, must be easy being royalty...Living without any worries at all. As I am walking to the Fur Dealer, my shoulder is slammed into knocking me to the ground hard, "Ow...Watch where your going!" I snap angrily. I hear a snobbish sneer, "Heh, I think you mean, My apologies milord for I have lost my direction and happened to disturb your grace. You wouldn't want this to fall into the hands of my father now, would we Maximus?" I curl my hands in anger, I know that voice, that annoying voice would belong to the lowest slime in the whole kingdom, Damian. From his snobbish short blond hair, to his very pale green eyes the same as morning bile. "It would be such a shame if someone, made your hut disappear, you didn't mean to be rude, right?"
I brush my black hair out of my eyes, revealing my steel grey eyes, "And why would I apologize for a monster like you?" I say getting up slowly and look him dead in the eye. Damian draws his long sword and points it at my throat, "Because my father is best friends with the king! And he could have the king executed for treason against the kingdom." Damian shows a smile of glowering teeth, and breath that rivaled an ogres fart. I glare and pull out my knife, "Yeah, well I have a dagger here with your name on it pal, and the names Max, get it right!" I say digging my knife into Damian's fancy shirt, slicing the cloth like it was simply a sheet of paper. Damian lowers his sword, "There is a place where we can settle this aggression Maximus, there is a tournament for hero's this coming spring. And I will fight in this tournament, if you want to prove to me that you have the guts to kill me." Damian says mockingly. As much as I would love to agree to this, I must be of noble birth to even participate in this contest. "I'm not falling for your bait again Damian...Just let me pass, you've stalled me long enough to make me waste several minutes of my time, unlike you, I actually have a life to get back to." I storm off. "I will make you pay for your crimes one day Maximus!" Damian yells at me before storming off on his own. Many years back I had shot one of his father's precious deer because I had been hunting and one of his deer got into MY hunting grounds, now he believes it is going to change everything by bringing my head to his precious father. I finally make it to the Fur dealers house, but when I push on the door it resists my efforts, I knock as loudly as I can, "Hey!! What gives?! You don't close till sundown!!" The owner shouts back, "Hey listen kid! Not everyone has time to buy your stupid pelts, go sell them else where!" I kick a stone with new aggression at an empty street. "First Damian, now this!" I storm off, heading towards the market place hoping there will be someone willing to buy my pelt. When I get there I stop in my tracks as I notice a woman being grabbed by some half orc cut throats, "Alright lady...We know you ain't a normal customer here. What are ya, noble, merchant...a whore??" The lady slaps the half orc, "I am not of the sort, I am just a civil girl trying to make sure I can buy the newest flower in the floral merchants stand!!" I walk toward them, I stash my pelt into my pack and draw my bow and sneak behind hiding near a barrel and draw and arrow and silently aim at the half orcs. I better make sure to not miss, these guys look heavily armored, maybe I could make use of my environment. I notice there is several carts with curtains, barrels, some rope, and rotten fruit...I can work with this. I slowly let out my breath as I release the string. My arrow sails through the air ripping through like a knife through a sail cloth. The arrow flies true into the half orc's throat causing him to choke on his own blood and slowly drown in his own bodily fluids. One down, three more to go. The other orcs turn around and draw their weapons, "Hey you, come over here so we can squash you like a bug!!" I raise my collar of my cloak up and speak in a deeper voice, "No thanks! I would rather not get closer, your breath alone could kill me and I am not an easy man to kill." The lady chuckles a little. The two smaller orcs start laughing good while their leader turns red with anger. He slams his club into each of his minions skulls hard, "Quiet!" He turns to me, "Die!!!" He sprints at me clearly filled with rage, I smirk at this behavior. This is not my first time getting into a fight like this before. I sling my bow over my shoulder quick and draw my hunting knife, if I want to take this one down I need to be very fast and nimble. Thankfully my built allows me to do this, considering I have a slim built for a hunter. The half orc swings his heavy club at my head with all his might. I roll back with my natural agility and slice at his neck. The half orc is smart enough to block it with his club. Sparks fly off his club as my steel knife harmlessly cuts it's surface. "Hey not bad for an orc, well half orc, you sure do smell like a normal orc though. It's unfortunate to say you will remain this ugly for the rest of your life." The half orcs patience has worn thin, "Don't you ever shut up punk?" He says with sheer spite. I slowly grab an Apple when the orc is very distracted. "Not really, except on weekends, speaking of weekends..." I grab his shoulder and use his weight against him and move him a few feet before hurling the Apple in my hand at his face. The Apple chunks smash against his face leaving a faint bruise. While he is busy trying to wipe the Apple chunks off his face. I am already grabbing a nearby rope and quickly wrap the rope and then tie it to nearby horse cart. The cutthroat pulls at the rope in confusion. I smack the horses rump causing the horses to sprint away dragging the orc cutthroat along as he screams. The other orcs try to grab me quickly. But I already have these guys covered. I let them come towards me and hurl them into the buckets using their weight against them. I then causally bump their barrels and watch them roll down the long winding street screaming as they roll. I let out a sigh of relief, that was easier than I thought. I hear some cheers, "Yeah! Looks like we have hero in this town after all!" A man cheers happily. As I am about to tell him who I really am I, I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder reminding me In just saved a defenseless mystery woman, "All in a day's work for a hero of Sapphire!" I look at the woman in curiosity, "And who may I have the pleasure of meeting today?" I ask in my best polite gentleman's voice. The woman blushes and says in a hushed voice that only I could have heard, "Irene. My name's Irene, kind of like Princess Irene."