Battle of the Immortals

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Shadows in the Night

Year 2557, Mid Spring

 

Quinne stood her ground, sword in hand, as her eyes watched the shadowy form before her. His sword flashed in the moonlight as he spun it aimlessly. In one quick movement, he lunged, swinging the sword at her throat.

She spun off to the side, the blade missing her neck but cut off a large chunk of hair. “Dane!” She hissed, giving the form a good kick in the back.

He fell forward with an especially loud, “oof!”

“Look what you did!” She bent down, picking up the fallen locks, “look how much you took off!”

She shook them in his face as he spun over onto his back. He sighed and smiled, pushing her hand aside. “It’s just a bit of hair,” he mumbled, rubbing his back, “honestly, I think you did more damage to me than I did to you.” He looked up at her curiously, “what boots are you wearing?”

She huffed in exasperation, throwing the hair at him, “You can easily get away with a sore back! Me? How am I supposed to explain this?”

Dane threw up his hands, “don’t get that on me!” He stood up, brushing the loose hairs off, “just pin your hair back, no one will notice.”

She sighed and sheathed her sword, shaking her head. “So, are we done for the night?” She asked, wiping her hands of the sweat.

“The night’s still young,” Dane smiled up at the starry night, “what do you say we go for a hunt at the lake?”

Quinne smiled, and rushed towards the house. She quietly rolled over one of the empty barrels, revealing the cellar trap door. She jumped down into the empty room, and began kicking at the floor boards. When one of them came lose she bent down and removed the boards surrounding it.

The hole she made revealed two bows and quivers. She grabbed the smaller bow along with one of the quiver of arrows. Dane hopped down into the cellar and picked up his own bow and quiver. “Ready?” He smirked.

“Ready,” she nodded, returning the sly smile, before racing out of the pit, “last one there’s a rotten soldier!”

“Be kind to those who serve our King!” He yelled, sarcastically, before chasing after her.

Quinne just laughed and ran faster, watching her brother attempt to catch up with her. Dane huffed, and began to fall behind. Eventually, he stopped, gasping for breath. Quinne sighed, and walked back for him, “c’mon, slow poke.”

“You know I’m not as athletic as you are,” he rasped.

Quinne shook her head and pulled him up straight, “well, we’ll never get anywhere if we just sit here.”

She dragged Dane along behind her, moving towards their destination at a much slower pace. As they drew nearer, they crept along quietly, freezing whenever something stirred.

As the two siblings came over a larger hill, the lake came into view. It wasn’t much to look at during the day, but at night it was gorgeous. The black waters reflected the starry sky and seemed to glow in the moonlight. The trees were also illuminated by the silvery light, dancing slowly in the gentle breeze. Small wildflowers littered the entire field, adding to the beauty.

There were a few different clumps of trees, lining the lake shore. One of which Dane headed off to while Quinne crouched down into the tall grass waiting for something to move. Everything seemed so still, Dane wondered if there were any animals awake at this particular hour. He ignored the thought, and climbed up into his favorite tree. Once he was up at a height that allowed him to see clearly but low enough that he was in no danger if he slipped, Dane sat upon a sturdy branch and waited. For a while he just gazed into the rippling waters of the lake, watching the reflection of the stars dance as the ripples moved farther out.