The Pupil

The Pupil

      The smell of meat roasting over an open camp fire, travelled upon the cold winter’s wind, making one’s mouth water, as it twist and weaved its way through the deep dark woods, over head the thick grey clouds, choke out any hint that this was the night of the bleeding moon. Stars so far away one could scarcely see them with the naked eye, stayed hidden, for this was the night death walk among them. Down here thousands of fat tall trees stood surround a clearing, sleeping bare naked in the deep white snow tinted red and orange from the flickering, dancing fire light. A dark figure sat still as stone upon a rock, one would think they were really stone. But the sound of a flint stone scraping down long metal, was a dead giveaway that they were still flesh and blood.

  Somewhere dead head of the solitary figure, the sound of snow crunching were heard, as footsteps moved slowly towards him. As they moved their eyes darted about the darken woods, trying to see as well as feel out, if there were thing or anyone else out here. Soon the sound of the footsteps fell in with the rhythm of the flint stone scraping along the long metal of what could only be that of a swords blade. They took note of this as they step in time with each stroke.

 So this is how it went for a time, footsteps mixing with the music of stone against metal, the wind in their face, ears perk up, listening to the sounds of the surrounding woods, eyes looking watching but never staring into the fire, only touching on to the figure and what laid around them, taking notes and notice of everything. Soon standing just across the fire, eyes staring at the dark figure that was perch upon the large rock. They stood waiting, it was only a few ticks of time a few flittering of heart beats before the silence was finely broken.

  A deep booming voice rumbled out of the small figure standing across the small camp fire, “Well master how did I do?” the dark figure chucks, as they finally look up from their task of sharping their wares. Deep blue eyes sparkling in the red flames of the fire “You still need to have patience lassie once again you broke word first. “ He looks around them at the deepening darkness as he move his stiff sore muscles staying still was getting to settle to deeply into his old bones. Taking his time before he spoke again weighting his words so that they would come out balance.
  “You stay down wind well, though it still takes you sometime to remember to walk with sounds” he went on to tell her of the pros and cos of her test this night. Soon a snow owl sings out before taking flight. Student and teacher freeze, then swifter then the falling snow they both slide into the surrounding shadows. The fire dies as they shadows deepen, the wind dance around with the snow as they push the snow into deep drifts.  Listening closely as the wind walk with a wickedness, soon the sound of a tree crying as it dies, was heard not too far off to their right and left. Counting the dying they totally 13. Gripping their weapons tighter making no sound as they become one with the tree to which they hide.

  Watching as the 13 were now standing in the clearing surrounding the small fire, feeling it for warmth, but finding it cold as ice, but still they glance around knowing without the aid of the fire pit there was someone still around. Not bothering to look for footsteps knowing that the wind and the snow have done their job of hiding them, they instead, go about using other means of searching. The trees watched as the 13 slipped into their shadows, hiding from the hidden ones, so they could move about using the trees to find the ones they were seeking.

  Hiding deep inside a small elm tree the girl watches as the 13 enter other trees, knowing each tree they enter would die from this, for the 13 did not care, for anything living death was their game. Hearing a great many trees dying as they continued their searching, her anger deepens, as tree upon tree cries out, as they perish one after another.

  He watches his student from deep inside a mighty old oak tree, both elders were hating watching and waiting helplessly for their pupils to take control and to take action. The teacher and the old oak were on the verge of stepping in, when the air around them grew colder. Smiling as both the old oak tree and teacher felt the power growing around them, the 13 stop in their tracks looking around, for the source of the power.

   The small elm tree begin to glow, the snow around it freezing turning into ice, soon spears of ice grew up around the 13 shooting out towards them. Like a tornado the 13 swirled around and around avoiding the ice spears until they twisted up into a tight black ball. The ice spears shattering as they hit the black sphere. The ground began to tremble and shake under the black sphere as the power inside it grew. Soon the force inside the sphere breaks free, the blast knocking down a huge circle of trees, crouching in a deep hole made from the explosion was a young boy. Only 2 trees were left standing within the blast zone. A small elm and the mighty old oak, though the elm stood untouched the oak was charred black a layer of its bark had been burnt away but he was still left standing strong.

  With this new threat here and the sight of the damage it would do to the woods, the girl steps out of the small elm, touching it returning it once more to slumber, she looks towards the boy with is cold heartless grin, his eyes burning with the hell fire of his hate. She takes one step closer as he does, smirking at the thought he was to fight a mire girl he throws his head back in laughter shaking the world that laid beneath his feet. Looking upwards her the falling snow kissing her up turn face she felt its fresh cool relief, the boy just stares at her wondering why she found pleasure in such a foolish thing, he grips his weapon tighter and races towards the girl, she just grins, as she becomes a star, shooting skywards. In rage at this the boy charges at the elm planning to destroy it before following the girl. But a giant root shoots up through the chard grounds striking the boy in the chest hurling him into the sky, roaring out as he stops in mid-air he turns and shoots skywards becoming a dark star. Following the girl for they would battle one day but first he must find her out here among the millions of other stars.