Algaysa- Chapter 1

I shifted my weight on the branch and the tree creaked threateningly beneath me.
“Calm down. I know you don’t like me sitting on you, but get used to it.” The tree began to shudder slightly. “Okay, I’m sorry, but you know I can’t get down. I’ll try to stay still. Happy?” The leaves rustle and opened up to allow the sun to beam down on me and I smiled slightly. It was a beautiful day. I thought about some of the many things I could have been doing if the war was over… swimming in the lake… sunbathing in the meadow…running in the woods… Of course, that will never happen, probably not in my lifetime.
“I hate being on watch.” I sighed. “I’m talking to trees again.”
I felt the cold stab of loneliness as I ran my fingers across the rough bark of the branch. I should, really, be used to it by now. I spend many days talking to myself or the trees around me. A lot of them don’t respond anymore. I think a lot of them have forgotten how to.
Goosebumps raised the hairs on my arms as a cold breeze hit me. I moved closer to the trunk of the tree to get out of the heavy wind and felt something dig into my back.
I pulled out my dagger and examined it as I turned it over in my hands. The blade was heavily scratched and made the sunlight dance in all directions. The handle was a golden head of an eagle. I rubbed it with my thumb; an old habit that I used to think brought me luck. Of course, luck doesn’t exist; it’s just skill and good decisions, but I’ll never get rid of this dagger. It’s the only thing I have left of my parents and the only reminder I have of the old Algaysa, before the war and the Queen.
There was growling from a distance. My head snapped up and I slowly and silently tucked my dagger back into my belt and peered through the leaves. Something was coming through the bushes. I could hear the crunch of the leaves underfoot as it came towards me. I rested my hand on the hilt of my sword and waited. The growling grew louder. It was wolves, about ten of them.
I barely even had time to take in what I saw when the branch I was crouched on made a final shudder and then snapped. I heard the tree scream in pain as I started to fall. I twisted in mid-air so I landed on my feet but my legs buckled underneath me and I fell to my knees.
The beasts around me paused in shock and then began to circle. I didn’t panic. I slowly got up from the ground, limping slightly, and drew my sword. My heart beat echoed in my ears as adrenaline started to pump through my veins. I had that same euphoric feeling that I got before every fight. A grin spread across my face and I stood ready for anything.
I saw one move in the corner of my eye and turned to defend myself. The others quickly followed. I killed one… two… three… four… it was too easy… there goes a fifth… sixth… down to the last four… three… two… only one left.
My sword broke in the wolf’s body and his is when I panicked. I went to reach for my dagger and found it missing. I cursed to myself, then during that moment of distraction, the last wolf attacked and I grabbed it by the throat to try and protect myself. I wrapped my hand in the tangled fur and tried to push it away from me. He was too strong and knocked me to the ground. He was soon on top of me, his teeth inching towards my face, his saliva dripping onto me. It was gruesome. He was going to kill me. He was just waiting till I was too tired to resist him. He wasn’t going to have to wait long. I saw the dagger within reach on the floor next to me and saw my way out. I gave the wolf one last push… I grabbed… I stabbed… I missed…
I closed my eyes braced for the pain to come. I had ruined my last chance of survival and I was soon going to feel the claws, the teeth tearing away at my body. It didn’t come. I waited another couple of seconds then I slowly dared to open my eyes. A creature was standing over be with part of my broken sword. I squinted to try and make out what it was. It was too tall to be a dwarf, but that’s what it looked like, a very tall, beardless, dwarf. Unless…
“You’re human?” I didn’t trust my own eyes. The body of the wolf lay at his feet. I warily stood up. He looked about the same age as me, or at least how I’d think someone of the same age would look like. He had dirty blonde hair and bright blue-green eyes that was the exact shade of the ocean. He was about a head taller than me, but looked weaker, more innocent, and almost ashamed of something. Rage filled me once I had realised what had happened. He had killed that wolf. “You stole my sword! Why did you do that? I almost had him.”
“Umm… sorry I… You looked in trouble…” He offered it to me. “…and I didn’t steal it… just borrowed it.”
“This is useless now, anyway. Where did you even come from?” I paused and waited for an answer. He just stood there looking gormless. “It doesn’t matter, listen we have to get out of here, unless you want any more of those showing up.” I nodded towards one of the bodies.
“Why should we go with you? You just killed them. How do we know you aren’t going to kill us?” I looked around to see another boy, slightly smaller, with dark hair and brown eyes. He was pretty dull looking, but he was also human.
“Look don’t waste my time. If I was going to kill you I would have done it by now.” I began to walk away when the second boy yelled after me again.
“They were taking us home. They were trying to help us.” He had one of those annoying voices that you just can’t ignore but really start to grind on you.
“You have no idea, do you? They were taking you to the Queen. She wants every human dead and since all, except me, are actually dead, she won’t mind killing you and since your friend here just killed one of her wolves, you’re in deep trouble.” I walked away. “Oh and by the way, if you do stay out here, you won’t last long. It’s getting dark.”
This was when I realised that there was a third. She was small, about eleven, but looked younger, and had brown hair with blue eyes. She ran up to me and smiled. I had no idea what to do. I’ve never dealt with a kid before. She looked so sweet and kind, yet somehow serious. You could tell just by looking into her eyes that she was deep in thought. She obviously wasn’t from around here. She was too innocent. The blonde haired one came and took her hand. He smiled at me soothingly. I scowled at him back.
I walked on without saying a word. I heard that all three of them were following me, but I didn’t say a word to them. I walked quickly, but had to keep stopping as they stumbled over the rough ground. It was extremely hard not to snap or yell at them.
The forest was getting thinner. We were almost there. The old prophecies were going through my head. Could it really be them? I listened harder at their panting. I remembered that they didn’t look anything special, apart from, maybe, the blonde one and maybe the girl. There’s something about him, maybe it’s his eyes. The girl was clever, very clever. There was something about her that makes you think that she could look right into your mind and know what you are thinking. It’s crazy, but somehow makes sense. I can’t say anything nice about the other boy, he seems arrogant and stupid and nothing like the prophecies described.
I came to a decision that it couldn’t be them, but how the hell did they survive all these years while still being so oblivious? The younger boy said the wolves where taking them home. What if they were the Queen’s spies? This could all be a trap, but my intuition was telling me otherwise. Did the prophecies say anything else about them? I remember that there were meant to be two girls and two boys, so I couldn’t be them. There’s only three off them, but that still doesn’t tell me where they came from.
I shook my head. My thoughts were really messed up. Boran will know if it’s them. I just need to get them to Boran.