Woken

Chapter 3

'So..I heard there's a nightwalker in the area..'

'Here?'

'What would a nightwalker be doing-'

'Do you think I know why its here?'

'Dont fucking interrupt me Cora.'

'Watch your language jack ass.'

'Says yo-'

'Both of you shut. up.'

'Sorry sir.' Cora said submissevly to the cold blooded Andrew for their loudness.

'Yeah. Sorry.' Repeated Landon in dismay.

Andrew glared at the two twins with hostility. Smart hunters arent always smart people, he thought aggresively. But Landon's question was very valid. Why was there a nightwalker so far north?

He grunted and squatted down next to his two partners, taking out his lighter and setting the firewood they had collected ablaze. In these parts, the woodlands, fire was used for many reasons. He didnt need one of his partners to be eaten by something out there in the dark, driven wild from hunger. Lucky for him, nightwalkers usually werent a problem, up till now. If there was one, there could be more.

'Where exactly was this report filed?' Questioned Andrew.

'The Icelands' sir. I dont expect there to be any-'

'There could be though Cora,' Interrupted Landon.

Andrew shook his head. It was too bad for him the twins couldnt have been seperated into different stations. He had to admit though, they were great trackers. He needed good trackers with him to complete such difficult tasks.

Cora glared at Landon and narrowed her eyes then turned to warm her hands over the fire.

'The report is from very deep in the Icelands. I dont think we have ever expierenced a nightwalker report from the area it was filed in. Besides, its the light season, the sun is always out there right now. If it were an actual report to be taken seriously of, the beast probably already died from over exposure already...And there werent any attacks reported with it. Just a sighting.'

'It sounds like a big waste of time.' Said Landon, chucking his cigarette into the red flames.

'I hope you know your killing your lungs.'

'It feels good to kill my lungs then,' He retorted with a nasty smile.

'Who reported it anyway? A villager? It was probably some crazy nomad trying to cause trouble.' Landon said, changing the subject.

'No, Zen reported it.' Whispered Cora. 

'You just said it shouldnt be taken seriously of!'

'Even Zen could make a mistake!' Yelled Cora.

'Zen doesnt make mistakes.' Andrew said smoothly. He ran his hands through his hair then leaned back. 'She's a special case. If she says there is a nightwalker, then there is one.

'I totally agree.' Answered Landon.

'You thought ten seconds ago it was a crazy nomad,' Cora smirked.

'That was before you told me it was Zen who reported it, idiot.'

'Knock it off.' Andrew said dully.

The twins both muttered a yes sir in return.

Andrew silenty laughed to himself then turned his back to the fire and lay down, using his pack as a pillow. 'Landon you have the first watch tonight.' He heard Landon say yes sir with a curse after it but paid no attention to the crude language. Landon was Landon.

He stared out into the dark forest of trees surrounding there tiny clearing. He remembered being very small, probably ten, and being terribly afraid of the dark woods. Scary things had lurked in the woods when he was young. Scary things that his mind saw and made reality. Scary things that were not only in his mind, but in actual reality. The forest was a dark and terrible place of horror if you were not properly trained or mentally ready to take it on. Creatures of all vast imaginations lived here, in these woods. The trees themselves were scary. They were haunted, gnarled and shaped in many directions. Some branches pushed, others pulled, some twisted this way and that as if in pain. They were what Andrew called, 'dead trees.' Although they were not actually dead, dried up plants, the trees were colorless; lifeless. There was not a flourishing tree of color here to be seen for miles. Each on of them retained a gloomy color of gray, or black in this case, because of the dreary night fall.

If you stared into the darkness between the trees long enough your eyes would play tricks on you. Your very mind would turn on you. Sending you waves of fear and terror as you thought you saw movement but never really did. Or did you? Was there really something out there moving? Watching? Something dark and deadly? Or was it your mind? A simple creature maybe, a bird? 

Birds dont live here, thought Andrew. Birds were happy, free and cheery animals. They would never live in such a dark place. He could support this with the fact that he had not heard one or seen one flying above yet. Unless the birds were dark creatures too.

He closed his eyes then. Behind his eye lids he saw birds general society associated with superstition. Crows, ravens, vultures. He imagined that of a crow eating the eye of a dead deer in the clearing with which where him and his partners slept now. His heart raced a she saw the crow's long beak penetrate the deer's flap of skin, crushing the wide brown eye. Yanking it with force from the deer's body. The crow raised his head, allowing it to let the eye fall into his beak, down his throat. The crow then turned his sharp head, looking at Andrew. Him and the birds eyes met, causing fear to grip Andrew.

He opened his eyes and sat up suddenly.

'Were moving camp.'

'What? Why?' Pouted Cora. 'I was starting to get some shut eye-'

'Dont ask questions. Were moving.'

Landon stood up from his post and glaned from Andrew to Cora. Cora gave him a look and he shrugged. They both knew what Andrew said goes, and that he wasnt going to give them any explanation and that they wouldnt need one. With this knowledge they both gathered their things as Andrew stomped out the fire he had made only minutes before.

Andrew's heart still raced as he did this. He couldnt tell if what he had seen had been just his imagination from exhaustion, a nightmare, or if it was something the forest had shown him.

Perhaps he had dozed off and it really  was only a simple nightmare that he dreamed in his sleep.

Either way, he knew the feeling in his gut wasnt a dream, but reality, and it told him to get the hell out of there.

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Author Note:

Sorry if your confused about these new characters, but i reallllllyyyy wanted to make some sort of action going on..or maybe just get yall more confused....ANYWAY COMMENT AND VOTE AWAY