Chapter Text
As she sat near the ledge overlooking the valley down below, eating the rabbit she had killed earlier, the hunter remained vigilante of her surroundings. Whether it was bandits or large animals such as bears, wolves or even mountain lions, danger was always nearby. Not to mention other various monsters. Goblins, trolls and the like. No sound was ignored. An array of weapons always at the ready, whether it was her broad sword, crossbow, or large knife, she was prepared for anything. She had survived and eventually thrived on her own since she was fourteen, after the village she was raised in had been attacked and destroyed by bandits killing her family and everyone else in the village. Perhaps a few others had escaped, but she had never come across any of them in all the years since.
She had to learn how to survive without the safety of the village which ended up not being as safe as she had thought. It had taken time to learn how to build shelters from the weather, building a fire to cook her meals and keep warm, learning how to track various prints in the dirt. She spent many hours becoming proficient in using a sword, and crossbow. She trained hard to become an expert hunter and warrior. She was tall, muscular, and could move like a cat. She didn't need anyone, and learned to embrace her solitude. After finishing her rabbit, she went into her shelter and laid there listening to the crickets chirping until she fell asleep.
In the morning she was awakened by the rustling in the trees nearby. Someone or something was very close by. Grabbing the crossbow she peeked out to see what was out there. Turned out to be a deer, so she was able to relax. She gathered her things and headed off to the lake nearby, to catch some fish. Mostly to sell to get supplies at a local town in the area. She usually got enough gold to get some bread and maybe an ale or two at the inn if she felt inclined. Today was a good day. Her fishing spear was busy and by the time she was done, she had caught twenty fish.
As she made her way towards town, she heard screams in the distance. She raced over to the direction she heard them from. What she saw was a gruesome sight. Two people appeared to be dead, and a third being attacked by two bandits. One held what appeared to be a woman down, while the other was loosening his belt. The woman was trying to fight back, kicking at the bandit that was removing his trousers. The hunter loaded her crossbow and fired a perfect shot killing the would be rapist instantly. She loaded her crossbow again as the second bandit ran off. He was hit in the leg and dropped. The hunter chased after him, and when she caught up to him, pulled out her sword, and thrust it into his back. She kicked him over and plunged it into his heart just to make sure he was dead.
She went through his pockets and grabbed the few gold pieces he had in his possession. She then went back to the first bandit and grabbed the gold he had on him. The woman wearing a white robe watched in silence and fear. She had never seen a woman like this before. She looked at her deceased companions. One was a high cleric and her mentor, the other was the captain of the ship that had capsized near the shore after a storm, and left the three of them stranded in this strange land. They had been the only survivors. The rest of the crew had perished when the ship went down. They had been traveling for two days in search of a town to try and book passage back home on the opposite side of the sea, and were lost.
The tall woman walked towards her and saw the fear in her eyes, and then looked over at the two dead companions. They were obviously from a land far from here. One wore a magnificent white robe similar to the plain robe the surviving woman wore. The other was dressed in a plain white shirt and trousers and had a strange sword at her side.
Finally the tall woman spoke "Why are you here? Danger is everywhere as you and your friends found out."
"We were stranded here two days ago, when the ship carrying us home capsized. The three of us were the only survivors. We were trying to find passage back home" The smaller woman answered.
"The nearest town is about a half a days journey."
The small woman sighed and walked over to the bodies of her companions and knelt down beside the one wearing the robe. She whispered something in a language the tall woman didn't understand and bent down and kissed her forehead. She removed a necklace that had an emblem of a dragon attached to it from the deceased woman and put it around her own neck. She also grabbed the pouches that were tied around her waist, and the large water canteen she had draped off her shoulder. She then shifted to the other and placed her hand on the ship captain's forehead and whispered in the same language before rising to her feet.
The tall dark haired woman watched what she guessed was some type of last rites ceremony in complete silence even as the smaller woman walked toward her, placed her hand on her forehead and murmured something, before turning to leave in the direction towards the town.
The hunter felt a strange calming presence from that touch. "Wait a second. Who are you and what did you do to me?"
The smaller woman turned around and replied "I am Iyo, and I prayed to the Goddess Silvara to watch over you and guide you in your life journey as a thank you for coming to my aid."
"I have never heard of any God named Silvara."
Iyo pointed to the silver dragon symbol on the necklace she now wore. "This is Silvara in her true form. Legend says she takes many forms, and only a follower wearing her symbol will she ever reveal her true self to, if she deems them worthy. That is why we have been traveling for many months until two days ago when the ship hit a large rock during a bad storm and sank."
Looking down at her comrade in the robe. "Kana, my mentor was hoping to discover if she was worthy of meeting the true Goddess. I must now continue that journey. And who are you my new friend?"
"Rhea"
Iyo bowed ever so slightly "It has been a pleasure meeting you Rhea, now I must bid you farewell. Thank you again for coming to my aid." She then turned again and began to walk away.
Noticing the angle of the sun, Rhea knew she couldn't make it to town before it got dark. It would be far too dangerous for a lone woman to be walking through the forest at night.
She called out "Hey! Iyo is it? You'll never make it before nightfall. My campsite is right up there at the top of the cliff. Stay here tonight, and I will take you to town tomorrow. I'm sure you are hungry and tired. You'll be safer with me, than trying to make it on your own."
Iyo turned around and stared at Rhea as if contemplating what she should do. She had some training in martial arts and hand to hand combat and could defend herself with some success, but she was still early in her training. Her mentor had been far more skilled, and still had perished after the ambush. Iyo realized that she would be safer with this barbarian like woman she had just met. She took Rhea up on her offer. They walked back to where Rhea had left the fish she had caught earlier and discovered they were gone. Some animal had found them and had eaten all of them. Rhea was mad. There went dinner and the extra gold. Judging by the tracks on the ground it was a wolf or wolves. She was on full alert now. It could still be near.
Grabbing the fishing spear, they headed back to Rhea's camp. Rhea held her hunting knife hoping to find a rabbit or perhaps something bigger. While Rhea was slowly moving forward hunting for something to eat, Iyo was picking berries, various roots, leaves and herbs that she had spotted. They could be used in teas, and some could also made into a paste to heal various ailments. Being a healer she had learned a lot about different herbs and their uses in healing illnesses, and wounds. It was her calling to heal the sick and injured. This area was a goldmine with the variety of healing medicines available.
Once her pouches were filled, she looked in the trees for fruit, nuts or anything edible. She found some apples and there were a few different types of nuts. She could see why Rhea stayed here, though she wondered why she had no home to go to. They finally made it back to the campsite. Rhea had been unable to catch anything to eat, likely due to whatever had taken her fish scaring all the small game away. Rhea started a fire, while Iyo poured some of the water into a pan and added some of the herbs to make a tea. Once it was heated she poured some into a crude cup that Rhea had made years ago.
They shared the tea, while eating the apples and nuts that Iyo had picked. It didn't satiate Rhea's hunger. She was used to having fish or small game to eat. Iyo was pleased with the meal. She didn't eat meat very often, and usually only a small amount of the most tender cuts when she did. She did like to eat fish, but even that wasn't a necessity like it was for the bigger woman. They didn't speak much. Rhea was used to being alone, so conversation wasn't needed. Iyo appeared to be meditating. She sat there with her arms held out and looking towards the sky.
Rhea watched her with intrigue. This Iyo was strange in her eyes. She went inside her shelter and grabbed one of the fur blankets to set up near the fire. The shelter was only large enough for one person, and she wasn't going to make Iyo sleep outside. Rhea was used to it, and doubted that Iyo was. She sat in silence listening to the sounds of the forest until Iyo lowered her arms and looked at her.
Rhea finally spoke. "The shelter is only big enough for one, so I'll sleep out here. You'll be safe in there tonight."
"Thank you for your kindness" Iyo stood up and bowed slightly before going into the shelter. Rhea watched her enter before settling into her blanket to try and sleep..
She was close to sleep when she heard the sound of a horse and wagon in the valley below. She got up and walked to the edge of the cliff to see what was going on. Off in the distance she saw the wagon stop near where the ambush had taken place earlier. She saw a dim light moving towards the bodies of Iyo's dead comrades, and watched as they were lifted and placed on the wagon. The light got very bright, and then everything was gone. Rhea shook her head. What had she just seen? Did she just imagine it? She wondered if she should wake Iyo and tell her what she saw, and decided she would say something in the morning. She settled back in to sleep.
She was awakened hours later by the sound of leaves rustling and low growls. Something was very close. She instantly got up and readied her sword prepared for whatever was out there. She let out a war cry hoping to scare it away, but instead a large gray wolf came running out from the forest into the open area of camp and was headed straight for Rhea. It was the largest and most magnificent wolf she had ever seen. It was racing toward Rhea and was just about to leap when suddenly "STOP!"
The wolf stopped dead in its tracks as did Rhea. Iyo had come out of the shelter and was walking towards the wolf. The war cry had obviously awakened her. The wolf just stood there watching Iyo walk towards it. Rhea watched in amazement as Iyo fearlessly stood in front of the wolf and stared into its eyes, whispering in her strange language to the large animal. Rhea was even more shocked when the wolf sat and appeared to bow its head to her. What was going on here? She had obviously underestimated this strange woman she had just met. She was very powerful.
Iyo petted the wolf like it was her pet, whispered something else and then the wolf took off back into the forest. Rhea stood there in stunned silence. She had never seen anything like this, and was somewhat afraid, which was definitely a new feeling. She hadn't felt fear in many years.
Iyo saw the fear in Rhea and gently said "There is no need to be afraid. The wolf has promised to keep us safe tonight."
"It spoke to you?? How? I didn't hear anything."
Iyo pointed to her head. "I heard her in my mind. I communicate with many animals this way. They are friends to me. Some call it a gift, and perhaps it is a gift from Silvara. I do not know."
"Did it say anything else to you?"
"She was distrustful of you, though the reason wasn't made clear. That is why she was going to attack you. I explained that you saved me, and that you meant for no harm to come to me. I believe it was enough to change her mind about you."
Rhea contemplated what Iyo told her and shrugged. "Guess I'll find out after you're gone, if I see it again"
"Perhaps, I do not know" Iyo walked back toward the shelter before Rhea remembered what she had seen earlier and explained seeing the light lifting her friends onto the wagon and asked Iyo if she knew what it meant. "It was Silvara taking them to their final resting place among the stars."
Iyo replied looking up in the sky and seeing two new constellations. One in the shape of a human, the other in the shape of a ship. She pointed at the sky. "Do you see them Rhea?"
Rhea looked up and just saw a bunch of stars. "No, I see only stars"
Iyo wondered where the constellation of the silver dragon was and why it wasn't with the two newest additions of the sky. Silvara had to be here among them in another form. But why? There must be an evil presence that keeps her here..
Iyo chose not to say anything about the missing constellation. She was troubled by it though. What evil lurked that kept Silvara here? While the Goddess could take many forms, it was rare not to see her amongst the stars. She went back into the shelter to try and sleep. Sleep did not come though. She had planning to do now. She had to find out why Silvara was still here. Going back to her homeland was no longer an option in her mind. Home was peaceful. Here there was chaos and danger. Silvara would be here in this land. Iyo had to find her. She had no idea how to accomplish this. Could she ask Rhea to help her with this new journey? Would Rhea accept? As she pondered those thoughts, she finally fell into a deep sleep.
In the morning Rhea woke up hungry. She looked inside the shelter and saw Iyo still asleep. She carved a note in the ground with her knife "Fishing. Be back." She grabbed her spear, and weapons and headed off to the lake nearby. She had an even better day than the day before and caught nearly thirty fish in less time. She was going to get a nice amount of gold selling most of the fish when she brought Iyo into town.
She didn't get far before a large bear came barreling towards her catching her surprisingly off guard. She barely had time to ready her sword before the bear was on top of her mauling her. She tried fighting back, but the bear was too strong. She threw the line of fish hoping to get the bear to chase after them instead just as the bear swiped its claws through her torso. It worked, but the damage was done. As she laid there slowly losing consciousness, she heard more growls and realized she was done for..