Caymen McDaniel

Nightfall

Silence and nothing more. The oak wood against my back as well as the papered bark.The white bark, smooth in many places, ebony spots like ink under the influence of gravity. The tree hugged me throughout the night. I lifted my hands and adjusted the pipe cleaning onto my lips. I light and watch the embers rustle around in their oval home. Cool air rushing over them giving them life. Brighter and more excited. I inhale the smoke and it warms my frosted lungs. The taste of alihotsy in my mouth. Nightfall approaches. Placing the match wood back into my pocket. I faced the darkened valley below and pondered to the view. Watching in awe and taking a breather, I heard the voices of nature. Twigs snapping and the rustling of grass. Hares running in and out of cover, even though they were safe from the already sleeping hawks. The cold air howled and cried through the night, but I had to stay sharp. Deep breathing and silence was all I heard. The cold encasing my breath, dropping it below. A snow flake making its way towards me. I watched carefully, wondering what it would do next. Careful not to disturb its route. It danced down and made great swoops up into the air. Until it rested on the tip of my nose, melting away. Its beauty gone but still it stayed. It was still itself, just changed. I wiped it off, down towards my feet. The crackling of fires behind me, warming the ever tired men. Sent on an unforgiving journey to a land unknown to most of us. “I forgot about my pipe!” I hollered in my mind. Already burned out and dying down. I covered the southern end of the pipe and blew. The embers flared and danced across the ashe below, twirling around together, they stay close to one another. Life given back once again. I sat for hours, watching for anything.  The night scared me. The coyotes and wolves howling at each other, only protecting their turfs. The popping of berries as the deer scavenged for anything to eat before the coming winter. The wind kissed my lips and sent a shiver down my spine, a perfect night to live.

Then a scream from one of my men. The hair on my back surged into their upright position in search  for danger. I peered around the tree, back at the men I was sworn to protect. I earned these scars in situations like these. My gray hair let loose, I swung my head. My eyes widened in fear as I witnessed the man’s face disappear into darkness. The mans screams echoed as he was dragged. I thought to myself from the time the volume of his voice decayed the thing had to of been moving quick. This wasn't something that I have ever encountered, only heard about in tales and such. I approached the rugged tent to investigate. Only tears and blood at the entrance of the tent. The supports had been broken with ease and the fabric torn. The other men in the camp didn't seem to even hear it. They were all sound asleep. Deciding not to wake the others, I began my search for the missing man. I didn't want to tell the others because I didn't want them to panic. I knew I could deal with this. The man may not survive but I will bring justice to his killer. I readied my sword, sharpening the blade and polishing so much to the point that I could see myself in the reflection. My blood was rushing and the hairs on my back were still standing. I slowly walked down the path the monster had left, All that was in front of me was a wall of darkness, the forest edge. The smell of spruce and soft dirt filled my lungs. I reached for a tree and yet again met a smooth surface. My hand glided up without argument. Still I was scared to stare down into an empty abyss. Anything could be lurking, I wouldn't see it, but it could see me. I told myself that where I am headed is no longer my world. It was the void of the woods. I stepped into the darkness and began my journey. I stood and took a look around, the faint shadowing form of trees surrounded me but silence. Taking one step I cracked a twig under my foot. It echoed far and long. Nothing returned or called. The soft earth under my feet, keeping me connected to this world. I stared down the path, it was the only thing close enough to see. The blood soaked dirt got thicker. It turned from a light fresh red to a black morbid red. Spurts hit the trees as well as the grass. I knew I was dealing with a demon in thirst for blood and it did not welcome me to its home.

Another scream echoed through the blackened trees, but this time the demon returned the call. I was terrified at the sound of what was known. I investigated the blood stains at the tree's base, the base of the tree had been ravaged. The beast I was after had to of been a fiend. Fiends have the strength of a thousand men, it toppled over everything it hunted, taking their lives with a simple strike. The sheer power it had to tear so much out of a tree like this. The claw marks ripped away kilograms of wood. Tossed in a fury of rage by the beast. “The sheer power it had to tear so much out of a tree like this” I thought to myself. My heart pounded with so much force It was throwing me off balance. My vision blurred more and more as I journeyed farther and farther into the forest. The flames of my torch were getting weaker as I walked further into the black. Searching endlessly for a fellow friend. The area I had been walking through was wearing on me. My knees began to hurt, my back in sharp pain and my mind scrambled. I stared at the blood trail that was left and continued to follow it, thinking to myself “When will this end?”. My throat was cracked and I could feel my life being ripped away slowly but I knew I had to keep going. My mind was blurred and hazed only until I reached the end of the trail. The torch with a heavy thrust of air had gone out and once again darkness surrounded me. I took one last step and saw the man leaned up against a tree. His left arm severed and a battered face. I drew the silver sword from its scabbard and without a moment's notice a figure in the corner of my eye moved quickly and my vision went black.