The Dark Witch And Her Knights

32

Prince Carver sitting upon his black steed prepped and ready waved his hand signaling the trumpeters. The blare of the horns marked the start of the hunt. The participants shouted and hooted as they pressed their heels into their horses and trudged into the forest with rapid speed.

I stayed back. In no rush to disturb the land as they were. Unsheathing Monteros' blade I brought it to my hip and cut the multitude of layers holding me back. Freeing myself from the confines of my dress I no longer had to ride side-saddle.

"You get them, Madame." I could hear Monteros laughing in a drunken stupor at the sight.

"Shall we, Cloud?" I scratched softly between her ears. She snickered almost nodding her head. I hoped that was her way of agreeing.

I flicked her reins and Cloud took off into the forest.

The trails left by my opponents were easy to spot and follow. The difficulty was trying to figure out whose trail belonged to who. I didn't know these men or their traits and habits. I didn't need to track all of them just one. Nor did I need to hunt countless animals of the wood. There was only one very special animal I needed.

Today there was two prey in the wood that would fall into my trap.

Cloud had to remain somewhere safely so I could quietly approach. With her reins tied to a tree, I ventured deeper into the forest on foot. Pawprints and broken branches guided me. And a little bit of magic helped. The trail led me to a small stream. My scent and sound were both muffled by a spell making my descent easier.

Nocking an arrow to my bow I kneeled behind I tree silently waiting and watching the edges of the river for movement. Some time had passed at least an hour or two. The shout of a man in pain rung around me disturbing to land and bringing the forest to a halt. The potential of my spot was ruined.

The man screamed again sending any nearby creatures running in alert fear. I tracked the cries as if he were prey. To stay out of sight I climbed a nearby tree. A pit several feet deep had been dug out in the middle. The bottom was laden with sharp spikes. One of the contenders had been bucked by his horse into the ditch. Lucky for him only his thigh had been pierced.

He had begun hacking at the base of the spike with his hunting knife causing himself extreme pain. The attempts to muffle his screams were in vain. I knocked an arrow ready to shoot him putting an end to the disturbance he was creating around him. The snatching stretch of my bowstring caught his attention.

He should not be able to hear me but he looked directly at me. Damn witch hunters with their otherworldly gift of sight.

He yanked off his helmet and my hand trembled as I realized who it was. My sweaty finger easily released the arrow and restocked it in my quiver. He knows what I am. My strategy was ruined. Oh, how the fates loved tampering with my plans. With my fingertips on the feathers of my arrow, I contemplated killing him still to cover myself.

Instead, I jumped down from the tree ready to expose myself completely. He knew what I was. Not who I was.

"My Prince seems to require assistance," I stated nearing the edge of the pit.

"Raising arms against a royal is treason you know?" He grunted slightly out of breath.

"If I help you, I will die, maybe I should just kill you, run, and pretend I never saw The Prince in the woods."

His face of distrust and pain changed to something cunning.

"Help your prince and I will pretend that is all I saw of you. Your kind help." He watched me contemplating. "I am bleeding to death," he impatiently added.

"Well, I need your sworn word."

"What word is that?" he asked frustrated.

"Say, I Prince Carver will not take any retaliation against Lady Sable for her acts today in honor of her saving my life. Those words."

His teeth were visibly grinding and not from the pain he was in. "Fine. I Prince Carver shall not retaliate against Lady Sable for any of her actions today."

"In honor," I led him on.

"In honor of saving my life," he puffed out. "Now help me."

"I hope you understand the gravity of your vow, Prince Carver. I could still leave you to die or kill you as I please."

His face grew dark. I was threatening a royal which was treason. The vow he made was difficult to go against. And as soon as I helped him, he would know what the risk of opening his mouth against me would be. If I wanted to hide his body it would be so easy to just pull the earth in from the walls around him. Someone had done me a great favor by digging this very deep grave for The Prince.

If he only knew I needed him. Or rather yet I needed to be able to test him. I needed to test him to see if he was truly the evil son of the wicked ruthless King. If I could sway him to my side the power would be just that much closer to me. The kingdom within my grasp. The King's neck inches closer to the blade of death. The witches freed from the penalty of hanging.

Carefully I lowered myself into the spike pit avoiding the spears. I made my way to The Prince and kneeled before him inspecting his injury.

"It would seem your god was watching over you today. The spike missed the bone and all serious arteries." I took a hold of my skirt and used his hunting blade to cut a layer of the fabric out. "When I remove the spear I need you to place the cloth beneath your wound under your thigh."

"You're crazy. I'll die." He still grabbed the cloth anyway.

"You would have died today if anyone else would have found you." I grabbed hold of the top of the spear with one hand. "This will hurt." I held my other hand out. "Lacus," I chanted the spell until the spear had vanished from his thigh into my awaiting hand.

He screamed grabbing a hold of the gaping hole in his thigh and shoving the cloth of my skirt beneath it to rest his leg on. His free hand suddenly shot to my throat strangling me. "Witch."

***

Lacus  ---- Transport