Hunting
She sat still on the stone perch. The wind tore at her, working its fingers at her bound hair in hopes of freeing the brown locks from their confinement. The wood around her was otherwise still and calm, no creature made its presence known, the sense of danger loomed over all of them. A small sound came from behind her, but she makes no effort to turn, she knew who it is without seeing.
“You’re too loud Corrin” she said in the faintest of whispers to the man settling himself next to her, staring out at the fading light as it created shapes against the trees.
“And you m’dear, never cease to scare me with that sixth sense of yours” he whispered back leaning against a tree that sat close to them. “We are out on patrol of a Trow and you merely assume that it is me sneaking up on you.”
“I assure you Corrin, if you had been a Trow there would be a much different air about. The creatures may be shadows but they are not real shadows, they make changes in the air that you can almost see if you pay attention.” Rai responded glancing his way.
Corrin huffed lightly in response. Corrin was not the man’s real name; it was his code, a cover so that the creatures they hunted did not track them by day. Although they hunted them, Trows were far from unintelligent. They sat in silence for some time, and finally Rai began to relax a bit. The air had cleared up and she began to hear the sound of birds singing to each other, danger had passed them.
“There is one here, but doesn’t seem to want to make an appearance just yet. Perhaps I should send you out there as bait” she said wryly to her companion.
“I don’t think the missus would like that a whole lot, not that she would know anything about you or the agency. Still, don’t want to cause her trouble.” His face remained calm but Rai could feel and see the regret and guilt of being out here without her knowing. She wondered briefly why he had even joined the agency in the first place, what had the card carrying Esras offered to him for servitude?
“I think we are in the clear to go, the animals are returning to this space which means the creature is no longer present.” She said standing up, stretching her cramped limbs, she then walked a few paces forward testing the ground and the air, but everything seemed in place.
Corrin stood up himself and walked towards her, his blond hair glowed in the light making him appear young, but if you looked close enough you could see the faint touch of grey and the fine lines that marked his otherwise clear skin.
“Well then, looks as though I will be home in time to have supper with my wife then! How about you Deana any sweet heart to cozy up with?” The question was innocent enough but Rai couldn’t help but feel the small stab at her chest. She wondered when the final strike would come and take her heart from her forever, in the mean time though she gave Corrin a false smile.
“No sweet heart for me, good friends though and that is enough for me.” He looked at her a moment and Rai couldn’t help but turn her gaze away from his scrutiny. “Come now old man, I think it is time we headed to our respectful places.” She said changing the subject, he nodded and then turned back towards the exit of the park.
Rai stood a moment longer staring into the woods, she felt the unsettling presence drifting beneath the earth, but there was nothing that could be done for now.
“You’re too loud Corrin” she said in the faintest of whispers to the man settling himself next to her, staring out at the fading light as it created shapes against the trees.
“And you m’dear, never cease to scare me with that sixth sense of yours” he whispered back leaning against a tree that sat close to them. “We are out on patrol of a Trow and you merely assume that it is me sneaking up on you.”
“I assure you Corrin, if you had been a Trow there would be a much different air about. The creatures may be shadows but they are not real shadows, they make changes in the air that you can almost see if you pay attention.” Rai responded glancing his way.
Corrin huffed lightly in response. Corrin was not the man’s real name; it was his code, a cover so that the creatures they hunted did not track them by day. Although they hunted them, Trows were far from unintelligent. They sat in silence for some time, and finally Rai began to relax a bit. The air had cleared up and she began to hear the sound of birds singing to each other, danger had passed them.
“There is one here, but doesn’t seem to want to make an appearance just yet. Perhaps I should send you out there as bait” she said wryly to her companion.
“I don’t think the missus would like that a whole lot, not that she would know anything about you or the agency. Still, don’t want to cause her trouble.” His face remained calm but Rai could feel and see the regret and guilt of being out here without her knowing. She wondered briefly why he had even joined the agency in the first place, what had the card carrying Esras offered to him for servitude?
“I think we are in the clear to go, the animals are returning to this space which means the creature is no longer present.” She said standing up, stretching her cramped limbs, she then walked a few paces forward testing the ground and the air, but everything seemed in place.
Corrin stood up himself and walked towards her, his blond hair glowed in the light making him appear young, but if you looked close enough you could see the faint touch of grey and the fine lines that marked his otherwise clear skin.
“Well then, looks as though I will be home in time to have supper with my wife then! How about you Deana any sweet heart to cozy up with?” The question was innocent enough but Rai couldn’t help but feel the small stab at her chest. She wondered when the final strike would come and take her heart from her forever, in the mean time though she gave Corrin a false smile.
“No sweet heart for me, good friends though and that is enough for me.” He looked at her a moment and Rai couldn’t help but turn her gaze away from his scrutiny. “Come now old man, I think it is time we headed to our respectful places.” She said changing the subject, he nodded and then turned back towards the exit of the park.
Rai stood a moment longer staring into the woods, she felt the unsettling presence drifting beneath the earth, but there was nothing that could be done for now.