| Subject: Prologue and Chapter 1 |
Author:
Dusklight
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 18:37:42 11/06/02 Wed
In reply to:
Dusklight
's message, "A Tear for Winter's Fury" on 18:35:17 11/06/02 Wed
Winter held the northlands tightly in its icy jaws. Snowfall unceasingly blanketed the ground and hid the cold light of the moon. The howling wind drowned the pitiful whimpers of a newchild, in the small settlement near the mountains.
Glimpses of firelight peaked through windows in the clutter of small stone dwellings as the inhabitants waited for the harsh winter to end. That is, the harsh winter, or their lives.
In an ancient stone shack, on the edge on the village, a large male fox snarled angrily. His wife had just given birth, but it was too soon. His premature son was blind, hairless, and small; he would not live long. The fox held his son in one hand, looking at the weak child in disgust. He handed him to his wife.
"You may care for it if you wish, but this one will never survive winter's fury."
Chapter 1
The endless white snow was broken by the pawsteps of a solitary creature. A fox, slightly undersized, with evil-looking eyes, pushed his way forward through the thick blanket of white. On his back he had a haversack and twin swords; another small pouch was slung around his chest, and he held this one close to his body. As he marched through the cruel northern winter, his mind wandered . . . back, back to his painful past. . .
The northlands's cold summer days had only just ended, when his father forced him from his home. He will never forget those words.
"Winter's Fury, your namesake shall have you. I will provide for you no longer. Huh, we cannot afford feed creatures that are not strong, that will not survive. Off with you!"
But his father was wrong, he was strong, he would survive, but not on his own. He was raised with hatred and rejection, so Winter's Fury never understood the hares. They took him in, provided for him. They saved him from the winter.
Winter's Fury lived with the hare and his wife for four seasons. He helped them to gather food and wood for fire. He liked the hares. He liked their songs and stories. He liked the look in their eyes.
In late autumn, the harewife gave birth to a child. That was why the hare did not come with him to gather wood that day. He stayed to help his wife. When Winter's Fury returned, he found the hares slaughtered. His evil- looking eyes had stared at the broken bodies of the hares in anger.
Winter's Fury smelled the foxes, he saw their pawprints; he followed their scent and prints to their camp. He killed them with a knife from the hare's kitchen. That was where he found the swords.
Early the next morning, the fox had returned to the hare's dwelling. He had stepped carefully over the twisted bodies of the hare and his wife. That was when he found the babe, the hare's babe. . .
A movement in the small pouch next to his body brought Winter's Fury back to reality.
He really was only sure of two things . . .
he was heading south,
and the harebabe was his now.
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 