Stalker
Chapter 11: Escape
Vanyen froze. She could hear the song, barely a whisper, from outside her door.
Mountains cave
Building a grave
I will come for you
Fires flow
The waters know
I will come for you
A shadow moved in front of her door, blocking the light from the torch. Vanyen spurred herself into action. She thought of all the dwarves that had died, because of her fear. She had to fight. But not here. Vanyen quietly slunk toward the window as the last verse echoed inside her head.
You are not safe
In dream nor death
I will come for you
The Stalker let the door creak open. It made no sound, like his footsteps. Nothing. He sniffed the air, feeling for the scar on his prey’s flesh. He crept toward the window and smiled as he looked down on the empty road. “Well played, Vanyen.”
🕱🕱🕱
Vanyen ran, keeping her head high and shoulders back. She counted her steps as she had been taught, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. Even so, her lungs already burned. She couldn’t help it. She glanced back. Nothing. She had been running for a little while already. She was already at Kryger’s tent. She crept carefully past it, hearing him snore loudly. She almost stopped, about to see if he could help, but thought better of it and moved on. She slipped into the river, determined to get as far away from the villagers, as far away from Kryger, as possible.
She almost gasped. The water was frigid. It almost swept her away, but she dug her boots in and pushed forward. In the middle of the river, the water got up to her neck. She pushed forward, and it receded suddenly. Then she was on dry land, on the other side of the Falith. It was even colder here, with her clothes soaked, her armor pulling her down, and the wind flushing the chill through her whole body.
She stood there, freezing, She almost decided to take her armor off and run, maybe hide and build a fire. Her calf froze, colder than the rest of her body. She looked back, and saw in the distance, a hooded figure. He was very far away, just outside the gates of Corbon. She shouldn’t have been able to see him, especially with the fog. But he stood there, the fog draped around his feet. The only thing she could see clearly.
She took a shuddering breath, turned her head, and began to run, though at a noticeably slower pace. She concentrated on every step, drilling her boots into the ground, pushing her forward. The movement only created more wind, and she was worried she would freeze as she moved. She glanced back and realized the Stalker was gaining. He was not running, not even moving as far as she could tell, just standing in the mist. Staring at her. She turned and continued running for her life, but tripped over a log.
The Stalker’s Song enveloped her, and she could feel nothing but the icy fire of death.