[M] In the Shadows of the Trees of Eden - күһүн and Princess Izzy

[Vælling]

-

[Princess Izzy]

With the moon at its peak, a dark horse galloped furiously through the desert. Its stomach heaved with each breath, small clouds of vapor poured from his nostrils. At every sound, his ears swiveled and twitched. Coyotes howled and yipped, voices shouted in the distance. However, the horse’s pace never faltered. No predator could stop him until he had reached his destination.

The sky was just beginning to illuminate when his hooves skidded to a halt, his front legs kicking up and a bray screaming from deep within his throat. Two men, both cloaked in a metallic armor, rushed to steady the stallion. They grabbed the reigns and pulled the beast down, rubbing his face and neck to soothe him. It was mere seconds before they realized that this horse belonged to the sorceress’ men, the leather saddle embroidered with the symbol of loyalty. The horse’s pelt glistened with sweat and the life-blood of a man.

===

She sat trembling in the corner of a dark cell, each shoulder pressed into cold, slick stone walls. Her clothes were tattered and stained, scarlet hair matted against her skin with blood and dirt. Her body jerked when a steel door creaked. She cowered deeper into the corner, fearing the worst. A large man entered her line of sight. He stood over 8 feet tall and must have weighed well over 300 pounds. He did not even utter a grunt as he bent and plucked her from her corner. She rested over his shoulder, not having the strength to fight him. A small smile danced on her lips at the sight of several small wounds on the back of his neck and arms. It wasn’t so easy to toss her over his shoulders in the first few days she was captured. Minutes later, he dropped her. Her body hit the stone floor hard, a sob breaking from her throat.

“Stand,” a voice demanded. The voice was soft and beautiful, but poisonous. “I said, stand,” it demanded once more, carrying more poison than it had before. Still trembling, her small palms pressed against the floor and pushed up. It took time, but she managed to stand on her own and lifted her eyes to the woman in front of her. Her breath caught at the sight of her. She was beautiful, her ebony hair seemed to slither from her scalp in thick curls, framing her face and body. Her brows were thick shadows above her even darker eyes. The air around her seemed to shimmer with power. A wicked smile played at her lips, snapping the red-headed girl back to reality. Her chin lifted and she glared straight into the sorceress’ eyes. The smile grew. “You’re an interesting girl, Scarlett” the sorceress’ voice was almost mocking, “or shall I call you Scar?” She placed her forefinger beneath Scarlett’s chin, her long, pointed fingernail dug into her skin. With her thumb on the girl’s chin, she turned her face to fully reveal a jagged scar. “Surely, this did not come from my people.” Scarlett jerked away from the sorceress, breaking her hold on her. “Strong, stubborn,” the sorceress began to list some of Scar’s qualities to herself as she circled her.

The sorceress then whispered something inaudible and snapped her fingers. Scarlett screamed, pain shot up and down her body as she began to morph. She was far too weak to be changing forms. Her scream transitioned into a howl and a large russet wolf lay in front of the sorceress. “Interesting. Is it always that painful?” The wicked smile returned and Scarlett bared her teeth and snarled. The sorceress reached out to pet the large wolf and Scarlett lunged, only to be pushed back to the ground by an unknown force. “Now, now, child. You should not bite the hand that feeds you.” She laughed and walked a few steps away from the wolf before turning to face her again. “Being able to change forms, that’s hard on a girl, no? How will you ever have childr-“ A snarl cut off the sorceress’ words and she smirked, “touchy subject?”

The sorceress began to pace slowly. “I can fix you,” she finally said, glancing over at Scarlett momentarily. Her growling stopped, ears perked. The sorceress had her full attention. “Yes, I can make you human again. But first, you must do something for me . .” The wolf remained silent for a moment, weighing her options. In under five minutes, she rose to all four legs, and dipped her head in agreement.

===

Scarlett sat in the dirt several paces away from the building in which she had been imprisoned for weeks. She had been given a bath and a clean set of clothes, her hair had regained its fiery luster and her cheeks were flushed bright against her pale skin. With her dagger finally secured to her leg, she stood and began her journey west, to find a woman who was not supposed to be alive.

[Vælling]

-

[Princess Izzy]

Her stride was slow at first, taking the time to admire her surroundings. The sounds, the smells, the softness of the earth beneath her feet. The outdoors was home to Scarlett, she was comfortable here. While her gift was a bit of a burden, it did come in handy. It was difficult to survive on the land, however being able to transform one's body to fit the landscape made living outdoors easier. Letting out a heavy breath, she lifted her arms to the sky and stretched her upper body muscles. She shifted her weight to her toes to stretch her legs. Relaxing her arms and sending her weight back to the flats of her feet, she let out one more relaxing breath before shutting her eyes.

Beneath her skin, her bones crunched and shifted. Her body shrunk, her hands coming down to meet the soil. Her face and tailbone stretched, red fur sprouted in thick patches on her skin. When she opened her eyes, the world was much larger. Small shrubs towered over her, scents and sounds were enhanced. She felt more balanced, more at one with nature because well, she was a part of nature now.

She came to a halt when the ground beneath her began to vibrate. Her head lifted, large ears swiveled this way and that. In the distance Scarlett could hear deep, masculine voices shouting back and forth to one another. Quickly, she bounded to the side into a bush. Near the stump, there was a burrow, just large enough to fit her body into. She scrambled down into the hole and turned around just in time to see hooves tearing up the soil. Her eyes lifted to see five centaurs. They all looked relatively similar, the only differences were different color markings and hair color. They shouted to one another over the pounding of their hooves, Scarlett could not make out what they were saying. Once the air grew silent and the ground stopped vibrating, she climbed out of the hole and continued on her way.

===

As she ran, the landscape eventually changed. Soil became dry, the grass became course and less bountiful, and the air seemed to be permanently dusty. She paused near a trail and changed her shape to that of a coyote. This transformation was much quicker than shifting from human to animal, there was less of a difference. The form of a coyote was dangerous in this part of the world. Coyotes were hated in the west, preying on animals and occasionally nipping at the legs of travelers. However, a fox with as vibrant of fur as she had was even more dangerous. It was difficult to hide. She laid on her stomach, her sandy fur blending with the dirt, and waited.

She didn't know how long she waited, but eventually she could hear hooves trotting along the dirt path. The rider was female, petite. Her muscles squeezed in anticipation. When the horse was just inches from her nose, she leaped. She was not aiming for the horse, but the ground in front of it. The horse reacted as she had intended it to, rearing and sending the unsuspecting rider to the ground. Scarlett willed her body back to it's human state and pulled the woman to her feet and off of the trail.

"Give me your clothes," Scarlett demanded. The woman didn't respond, she only reached for the revolver resting on her belt. Before the woman's gloved hand came into contact with the shiny metal, Scarlett drew her dagger from her inner thigh a pressed the tip to her throat. "I said give me your clothes." The woman, trembling now, obeyed, stripping down to her undergarments. While the woman was taking off her clothes, Scarlett was contemplating whether or not to kill her. She was not usually one to kill for the hell of it, but right now she was desperate. If she merely walked away, they would cross paths again one day. When the woman was finished getting undressed, Scarlett ended her life quickly.

The red-headed girl clothed herself, mounted the woman's horse, and followed the trail to the nearest town, Sparrow Falls.

===

Upon arrival, Scarlett tied her horse to a post in front of an old saloon, whose name had once been painted clearly on a creaky sign. She pushed through the double doors and walked to the bar. Her new boots were uncomfortable and rather annoying, the spurs clanking with each step. She preferred bare feet over the thick leather, but if she was going to stay in a town, she had to play the part. Mustering up her best accent, she ordered a beer and a bowl of Mac 'n' Cheese.