Adyraveth Meets Hallen
By: Adyraveth
Adyra knelt comfortably on one knee by the scraggly scrap of an oleander bush and short bristly pine. She watched a young buck cautiously emerge into the glen. Streams of afternoon sunlight streaked diagonally into the clearing, illuminating the rather thick pollen and dandelion tuffs floating on the dawdling breeze. Taking a deep breath she could almost smell the green and gold of the glen.
The scene before her was like a dream in light of recent battle she'd been thrust into. Traveling with the merchants caravan as a hired guard had given her a keen awareness in the abrupt and crafty skirmishes that comprised the typical patterns with warriors of Destruction, but not in large open field battle or siege defense. Merely four days earlier the Forces of Order had called for a rally to defend Riekwald Fortress. The battle cries were still fresh in her ears, as it had proved to be the most brutal assault she'd ever been aid in. The deaths and wounded she'd witnessed had all but dashed her ideas of how near immortal her fellow elves were.
Shaking the memory from her sight, she heard a small flock of starlings rustle with protest in the distance behind her. They took their flight through the tree tops above her bursting out into the open sky. The buck alerted, bolted back into green darkness that was the wall on the other side of the glen. Adyra turned because originating in the same direction came a violent thudding of hooves rampaging through the underbrush. A bloodtusk warsnout, for sure, and not just running, but very madly running her way. Adyra bound to an immature oak nearby and swung herself up onto the lowest branch, which gave under her weight. Suddenly the warsnout launched into view trampling the spot she'd occupied moments earlier.
Adyra could hardly believe her eyes for the large horned boar carried a rider, tormenting him. In a single fluid motion she slid from her perch and drew her bow, notching an arrow. The beast, reaching the radiance of the clearing, seemed dazed in the light. The man, clinging wildly to the beast's back with all four limbs, took the opportunity to wrestle the creature to its side. Adyra then aimed at the blur of appendages, tusks, and hooves ready to send arrows to the human's aid. She saw the silver glint of a blade and then red. A rather large amount of blood began to appear smeared over the two of them. Adyra was unable to determine from which of the two it came, the hunter or the prey. The massive boar made a twisting lunge, freeing itself. The human, back on his feet, relentlessly threw himself at the beast, tackling its side with such terrible force, they went end over end. This pinned the man's head on the grass beneath the boar, his arms and legs still intent on wrestling to victory. Adyra aimed carefully at the writhing boar, letting a powerful arrow fly, followed quickly by two more. All three in the beast's gut, hitting their target at an angle.
Silence fell over the immediate area save the labored breaths of the human. Adyra stood watching as the man righted himself hands on knees and surveyed his prey. Frowning at the arrows he turned to see their source while he reached down feeling a tare along his right hip and pulled back blood reddened fingers. He extended the hand in show to Adyra. Gruffly he stated "Gutsy shot, Elf, be glad this is superficial." "As for my kill here," he pointed, "you've stolen the thrill of the hunt." Adyra blinked, annoyed and looked not too obviously puzzled at man, brushing himself off. Ever since Father had brought them to Altdorf, she had studied the Empire histories and customs. She ever marveled at the human's simple lives and fickle fates. It was clearly beyond her why a man would wrestle down a vicious warsnout and in common clothes at that. Adyra nodded at the slain boar, "I'll not be contrite for helping fell the beast." Looking directly at the man she questioned "I inquire, you would risk mortal wound for the thrill of a hunt?" "Does your amusement merit more than your aid to the Empire's cause on the Battle Front?"
"What would an elf know of thrills?" He countered. Adyra allowed a slight shrewd smirk pierce her lips as her eyes narrowed at the man. "Plenty, one you ruined with your little tromp through the woods." Faining remorse he replied "Truly sorry, Adyra Galsiladien Shadow Warrior guard of the merchants caravan out of Altdorf." He stood confident and smiled knowingly. "It'd behoove you to spend more time getting to know those whom you serve with Shadow Warrior, instead of spying on the wild life during your granted repose." Adyra stood at attention and snapped a salute to the man whom she now recognized as second in command of the traveling guard, Hallen Riese.