Chapter 1
The Frozen Heart
By Rosanna Drenwood
Chapter One
The Start of an adventure
**So sorry this chapter is so short, im testing if people will actually read this before I add more of the story, so comment and let me know if you want more.**
In the forests of Estrilbia, the birds sung, the deer grazed, and the bandits were not at all suspicious. As I crouched in the brush, my fingers quivered as I held my bow and arrow. I sat ready in case one of them notices they weren’t alone. This job always got hard since there was only two of us while most traveled in groups. Speaking of him, where is Strider when you need him.
‘Strider, where are you? I could really use your assistance here.’ I asked in my mind sarcastically.
‘Close, just wait I’m going to scare the crap out of these fools’ he mindlinked me.
I mentally laughed, he always loved stalking his prey and then at the last minute scaring them. I couldn’t lie I loved the thrill of the hunt as well. A bush on the otherside of the camp suddenly rustled getting the attention of one of the bandits. The bandit starts to search around the brush and slowly comes my way. I was trained by the best, so he was sure not to find me, but it still made my body instinctively ready itself to attack. Let’s just attack them and get it over with! Summer we can’t just attack we need to stick to the plan. My inner wolf Summer was always eager to fight or stalk something. The morning fog is also helping to shield me from his eyes.
The bandit suddenly stops a few feet from me and his gaze is locked onto something behind me. I feel his growl before I hear it causing myself to lower even more to the ground. His loud hollow howl struck the air as the human was reaching towards the brush that I was hiding behind. I see fear spread upon the bandits face and he turns ghostly white. He realizes hes about to die. Before he could even turn around to yell out to his comrades; Strider leaped over me from the brush behind me and sunk his large canines into the bandits neck, separating it from his body. He tries to cry out but all comes out is blood and he slowly sinks to the ground the light leaving his eyes.
The three surprised bandits that are left surround Strider and he lets out a deep growl. I stand and aim my bow at one of them. I let the arrow fly and wait till it finds its mark to grab another arrow. As I aim Strider takes one more down. I let the arrow fly and it finds its mark deep into the bandits heart.
I come out of my hiding position putting my bow on my back. ’That was easier than expected.’ I mindlink to strider.
‘Humans are very stupid and easily killed.’ He growls.
Strider showed his dislike of humans every time he had a chance but I couldn’t say I blamed him. I hated them just as much. Strider trotted over to me with his white fur that’s stained by blood shining in the spots of sunlight and licks me in the face, leaving blood on my face. ’Oh my goddess Strider that is gross! I am going to kill you!’
‘Ha! You can try!’ With that he runs away from me with me right on his tail. I leap onto his back knocking him down to the ground and I hold his neck to the ground. ’Pinned ya.’
He growls at this, to which I growl back. I get off of him and go to where we left our stuff as he follows. Grabbing the saddlebags that we left in a hollow tree I set one of them on the ground and one onto striders back. Taking my bow off of my back I tie it to the saddle bag I put on Strider. I then take my leather corset off, folding it and setting it in the saddlebag on the ground. Next, I removed the tunic that went under the corset and did the same to it, and continued this process till all of my clothes were in the bag. Normally someone would have been embarrassed to be naked in front of another but I was used to this by now and Strider was like a brother to me. I slowly relaxed and allowed myself to start shifting. My bones cracked and broke as they reshaped causing me to go to all fours. The bones in my face breaking and regrowing outward and teeth changing into canines. My red hair turned to course auburn red fur that spread quickly over my body, hands changing shape and forming paws, and a fluffy big tail growing. Once I was done shifting, I stretched out my muscles, lifted up my nose and howled glad to be with my wolf again. Grabbing the saddlebag on the ground I set it on my back and made sure it couldn’t fall off.
‘We should head towards the capital and get our next assignment. It will take half a day to get over the mountains and I would hate to keep them waiting.’ I mindlinked Strider.
‘Ugh, fine but that means we have to be around humans.’ He groaned through the mindlink. ’Race you there!’
’Ya I know I don’t like... HEY wait for me!’ I yell as I take off after him slowly overpowering him. Bumping into him I speed up getting some distance between he and I. We ran like that for several miles until we got to the narrow paths in the mountains forcing us to slow down. A scent suddenly filled my nose that made me stop in my path. ’PREY’ Summer says in anticipation of the hunt. ‘Yes, Summer there is prey but let’s be quiet so that we don’t scare it off.’ I slowly crouched and stalked forward following the scent. Strider had caught the scent as well and was following me crouched ready to help. Once I saw the doe I ran and leapt onto its back before it could run away aiming my teeth at its neck. As I grabbed, I could taste the irony taste of blood and held onto its neck. Strider leapt and latched onto the other side of its neck and crushed its windpipe. Once it was down and the life out of its eyes, we dug in eating our fill. When we were done, we left the remaining corpse for any scavengers. Another scent filled my nose causing me to growl deeply causing Strider to smell and do the same thing. ‘Human.’ Summer growls in my head.
