First Kill

Deep in the forest Aura sat in the dirt against a large tree, her fingers fervently stitching away at the leather with purpose. Her hands no longer ached from the work she had been tasked with, they were now strong working hands.

Lost in her work she hummed a tune from a forgotten past that seemed to melodiously meld in with the surrounding whispers of the forest, here was where she felt at peace.

But the peace did not last long. A familiar figure appeared soaring through the air and landed gracefully at her feet revealing a tiny scroll. She reached out for the note and thanked the pigeon before it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

Her body shivered with excitement at the contents, she was invited on an expedition to enemy lands.

She had been so immersed in her work that she hadn’t had time to explore much of the new world around her. She quickly gathered her belongings and rushed to meet with her companion.

They did not waste time, the moment she caught up to him they set out on their mission.

They explored and admired each new landmark along the way, until finally on the second day her companion pointed to the sky. A shadow of smoke from a smothered fire, the only sign giving away the enemy’s position.

Her companion nudged her forward - “This is your first mission, prove yourself, scout the area.” he encouraged.

Using the forest as her cover she quietly made her way through the treeline and quickly noticed the sleeping body. She knew she had to work fast to not give away her position.

She stealthily crept towards him, but before she could comprehend what had happened the fight began. He was indeed the enemy. She struck fast and hard killing him before he could retaliate.

He was young.  Far too young to be all this way alone.  The Nuruk, Tashur was dead.

She quietly sung his forsaken soul a war ballad, pocketed his gold, and swiftly returned to the shadowy embrace of the forest and her waiting companion.