Hunters

20 - What The Moon Light Reveals

Alesana turned her face away. There was no one to contradict her words. After all, her only companion was a raven. She searched her surroundings, hoping in vain to see Diaval. She wished there was someone she could speak to, but he had disappeared again.

He has abandoned me. What more can I say to him?

She tried to remember what exactly had happened, but her memories were already fading. There were colors, infinite colors. She yawned. Whatever she had done, it had exhausted her.

"I need to find a place to sleep." Even her own voice didn't give her extra strength. She couldn't persuade herself to get up. Knowing that there were still a few men around didn't change that.

Hopefully, I scared them off enough.

Alesana was embarrassed by that thought. Was she really hoping that someone had become afraid of her? Where was this going?

The thoughts faded as her eyelids drooped. Her energy drained from her body and she was welcomed into a dreamless sleep.


It was dark when Alesana woke up. Her limbs were cold from sleeping on the ground and she struggled to get up. For a moment she looked around nervously until she saw Raven's beady eyes. Somewhat more reassured, she invitingly stretched out her arm. The bird immediately perched on it. 

"I've had enough sleep. I want to get away from this place."

Raven croaked in agreement.

"Which way should we go?"

He turned his head to the right and she walked in that direction. Every few steps she looked in a different direction, but the red silhouettes that had announced the men's arrival were absent this time.

The sky was clouded, so the moon did not illuminate her path. She walked by touch, her hands outstretched in front of her to keep branches out of her face. With her feet she shuffled cautiously onward, trying to locate obstacles.

What am I doing?

She pushed the question away, like most that came up in the silence of the night. She longed for the twittering of the birds and the distraction that the landscape offered when the night had receded.

Alesana concentrated on the sound of the frogs she heard roaring in the distance. It grew louder and louder as she shuffled along, and when she finally found the path, it appeared to lead her there as well. The moment her feet grew weary, she reached a little pool. The roof of clouds above her head showed an occasional gap through which the moon became visible, reflected in the water. She sank down into the damp grass. Strangely enough, she felt most at ease at the water's edge, even with the knowledge that a dangerous creature could live in it that might drag her to the bottom.

The illusion that she was safe here was gone. She had been attacked by both bats and men. Creatures from this world and from her own. But why? Why?

Alesana's heart leaped in her throat when she heard rustling. Alarmed, she groped for her bow. Raven gently bit her little finger, as if to reassure her. She released her breath, which she had unconsciously held. Out of the tall grass, a shadow detached itself. A green creature walked right through a beam of moonlight, and she widened her eyes in surprise when she saw the little creature. The pointed spikes on its body looked terrifying at first glance, but the little creature had such big, adorable eyes that she tenderly held out her hand.

"Hey, hello," she whispered with a smile. Breathlessly, she watched as the animal sniffed her hand. The two horns on its head almost touched the grass. Although Alesana knew dragons only from pictures, the animal reminded her of them; albeit that she would have wanted to hug it if there hadn't been a row of spikes running down its spine and legs. "What are you?"

The animal pressed its nose against her hand and licked her fingers, causing Alesana to instantly forget about the men who had besieged her and whose leader she had taken out in such a bizarre way.