From alt.pub.dragons-inn Wed Jan 18 12:38:53 1995 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:8073 Path: netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!news.cs.utah.edu!news.cc.utah.edu!news From: svanhorn@anetbbs.com (Scott Van Horn) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [Silent Forest] Scene One: Prologue Date: Tue, 17 Jan 95 15:35:50 MDT Organization: University Of Utah Computer Center Lines: 128 Distribution: world Message-ID: <19950117.7D80498.E50B@anetbbs.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: clint.icw.com X-BBS-Software: EXCELSIOR! BBS v1.21i [The Silent Forest] Scene One: Prologue Written by Scott Van Horn The bird stood proudly, perched high upon a slate colored rock. It's edges jutted up out of the center of a deep gulch. It was the only formation remaining inside the gorge; the others had been washed away or carved out by aincient rivers. Deftly, it lifted one wing and scratched an itch with its beak on the underside of the beautifully manicured wing. Then it returned to its previous stance, facing the wind as if listening to it or even feeling the very presence of air rushing through its feathers. Perhaps it was listening for something. It acted like a guard to the gorge, not entirely paying attention with its eyes but more with its ears and feelings; sensing an intruder. Then it felt it. Just as it was shot, the bird unfurled is long wings and lifted its body into the rush of wind, flying over the arrow. "Damn!" a voice shouted from the side of the gorge. Hiding in the shade of a squatty oak tree stood Matrium, a tall, broad and handsome man about twenty one years old. He threw his bow down to the ground and threw his fists at the tree. "It knew I was coming, wretched bird!" The attack on the bird wasn't from hunger but for adventure. For days Matrium had walked the forest looking to kill something, but after a long week of dried beef he decided to give up looking for food and try to find anything to cure his desire to kill. Matrium thrived on killing. From his youngest ages he ran through the forests chasing squirils with rocks and later deer with bows and arrows. Now he wanted more than just the joy of killing--He wanted to profit from it; both in riches and in his name. As he picked up his bow he felt through his clothing and found his heartbeat, thumping wildly against his chest. Just the thrill of hunting such a wild beast caused him to become breathless. Matrium slung the bow over his shoulder and slung his quiver over his other shoulder. Then, after taking a last look at the rock, the bird still gone, he spun and walked swiftly into the forest that edged one side of the gorge. The walk back to his temporary camp was refreshing and quiet, strangely quiet. In his earlier days he remembered the sounds of wildlife thumping here and there through the forests in a dizzying spectacle of sounds and rarely sights. But now the forests were silent as if all the animals were too scared to move. Matrium doubted that his presence scared them their silent hiding. Nevertheless, nothing moved. Up ahead he heard the trickle of a small stream overrun with ferns, grass and other weeds. Matrium bent down and took drank the crisp water from where it crossed the trail, his face in the water instead of cupping it like he usually did. The water felt cool on his face and clean to his insides. As he pulled his face out and began to slick his hair back from his face he noticed a pair of black leather boots standing directly in front of him. He tried to stand but instead feel back on his rump, his bow and quivers dropping uselessly to his side. As Matrium reached for them a deep voice, old with age, spoke. "Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you," the old man said. His hair was white and neatly combed, a bow and quiver slung on one broad shoulder. He was tall, like Matrium, but his muscles were huge, worn from obvious years of hunting. Or fighting. "What were you doing, shooting at the eagle." "I wasn't. . ." "Don't lie to me!" the man said gruffly stepping across the stream and in front of Matrium. A thickly muscled hand shot out and Matrium flinched, flinging his head to one side as if hit, but the man hadn't. Matrium turned his head slowly back and saw that the man had only offered his hand to help Matrium up. "I was bored," Matrium started, taking the older man's hand. "Bored? So you shoot an arrow at the finest creature in all the land because you felt idle?" Matrium smiled slightly but noticed the seriousness of the man's face. "No, because I came her to hunt," Matrium started slowly, picking his words carefully, "and I found nothing. Then I saw the bird and I took a shot but totally missed." Matrium stood, brushing the dirt from his hands and pants. "First, it's not just a bird. That is Zinida, the finest bird in all the land, and second of all you shouldn't have shot at it." "What else should I shoot at?" Matrium shot back but he cowered away from the man and bent down to pick his bow up. "I wouldn't know," the man said, turning around to cross the stream. "Since this spring there has been nothing in the forest," he said sad and firmly, "and if I find out who or what caused it, I will be very angry." He stepped lightly over the stream and walked down the trail. "Who are you and why do you care about the bir--ah--eagle?" Matrium said, his eyes following the fading figure. The man stopped. "You may call me Turka, the Keeper of the Forest. I care about Zinida because she is my friend," he said plainly, adding, "And she is the last creature last in the forest." Then, the old man began walking quickly until he was out of sight. Matrium shook his head while he picked his bow and quiver back up. he mused in his mind. Wanting to leave the forest, Matrium began to walk briskly back toward his camp to pack up and leave. (c) 1995 Scott Van Horn All Questions, Comments, Criticism welcomed by Public Reply or by Private Reply at [svanhorn@anetbbs.com]. Thank you for reading. -- 'Innocence is not a virtue, Knowledge is the Truth.' -Matrium Bard *= Originated from The AlterNet! BBS / (801) 567-9560 / Salt Lake City, UT =* Administrator: dmitri@anetbbs.com (telnet: 199.104.65.30)