A forbidden love

Chapter 2: The chase

The feeling of eyes still on me never left me, but I could not focus on that right now. I took a break, crouching on my haunches against the tree I was perched on. Looking around I carefully studied my surroundings, still not a threat in sight. So where was my stalker lurking?

 I looked at the pendant I picked up earlier, brushing the crescent moon with my thumb. What and odd ornament, I thought to myself. Tying it back around my belt, I stood up carefully about to take off as something shot past me in lightning speed, it was an arrow.

I jerked my head in the direction the arrow came from, seeing a dark figure cloaked in black staring right back at me. I made a move to grab my bow before it sped off twisting from tree to tree like a zigzag. 

It was not an elf, it jerked dangerously like nothing I had ever seen before. I swiftly chased after it, staying close on its tale. It was fast, but elves are faster. I lept higher into the trees following closely from above trying to cover more ground.

Slowly I noticed the forest around me started to change, it became darker. The figure was leading me deeper into unenchanted lands. Here the magic was threatening, elves were unwelcomed by the forest itself. 

Stopping dead in my tracks, I decided against following the creature any further. Looking around I realized I had lost sight of it, it blended in with its new surroundings. This is what it wanted; it was a rather smart idea I had to admit. The elves clothed themselves in shades of green and browns to help us hide in the forests unnoticed. But here I was a target, prey hidden in plain sight.

Retreating, I slowly made my way back to familiar grounds when I heard a sickening whisper in the wind, barely audible. Where are you going little elf? I was just beginning to have some fun. The hairs on my neck stood on end as my ears twitched. Spinning around I scanned the dark forest. 

There it was, standing on the ground in a small clearing looking straight at me. Reaching for my bow, I slowly knocked my arrow, "you're not welcomed here, who are you?" I asked. A pretty little thing, aren't you? It whispered, this time his voice was clearer, smoother, I could make out it was a young male.

Pulling at my bow string, I aimed directly at him, this time I was not going to miss. Letting go of my arrow I let it fly through the leaves, a wisp followed behind it. The man moved at incredible speed dodging my arrow.

 He tsked as if to insult me, "oh, you missed again." He was the one I shot at earlier, the one who left the pendant behind. Holding it up I asked, "is this yours?" His gaze shot up to meet mine. Big mistake, big mistake! I cursed to myself as I watched him stalk towards me, he wanted it back.

Within a blink he was in front of me, his cloak covering his face behind its shadow. Without a moment to react he was inches away from me, staring me down. Holding out a slim pale hand, he motioned for me to give it to him, there was no way that was going to happen, the pendant may prove useful, and the queen mother needed to know about everything that has transpired. 

Grabbing another arrow, I jabbed it into the man's shoulder forcing him to his knees. He let out a bloodcurdling screech, as his hand moved to caress his new wound. Raven black blood stained his hand as he pulled at the shaft embedded in his shoulder. At the sight of his blood, I knew exactly what he was. Spinning on my heels I dashed back into the direction I came from, not once looking back.

Once I was deep into the forest, we called home, I heard the horns in the distance. I hadn't realized I was already halfway back to the kingdom. The horns signaled the end of the hunt, I had completely forgotten about the hunt. 

Making my way past the outermost barriers I was once again safe inside the magical elven barriers. Whoever the man was from before couldn't follow me beyond the barriers, no race could without the consent of a highborn elf. I turned around once more, looking around for the dark figure that preyed on me like a fox, the fae was nowhere to be seen.