I crept through the dense wood, mentally preparing myself to kill again. I wore a quiver of arrows strapped across my back and my bow veiled beneath my cloak. I stepped lightly to avoid the crunching of fallen leaves and snapping of twigs. Water nymphs would hear the noise from at least a mile away, and I couldn’t spook them. My father’s source was certain this was the spot. I found high ground between several biskinney bushes and waited for my target.
The bushes grew behind the line of Meliacae trees. The trees grew tall, and the low hanging branches made them perfect to use for concealment. At least when they were covered in leaves. It was autumn, and the last leaf had fallen from the trees weeks ago, so the biskinney bushes were the next best camouflage while waiting for twilight. The sun dipped below the horizon leaving a pink and purple sky in its wake. The shadows of darkness would make it easier to conceal my true identity.
Three nymph younglings splashed in the shallows of the lake below forming bubbles of water far above their heads and letting them rain down on them. They hadn’t quite learned to yield their full power. One of them lifted her arms and waved them around hoping to wield the water to her advantage. A giant wave washed the three of them to the shore. The young nymph looked down at her hands, eyes wide until an elder chuckled behind them. Her pointed ears drooped in disappointment, and she lowered her silver eyes to the ground before running back into the water with the other two racing close behind.
The glistening blue lake laid over two miles away from the nearest fisherman’s village. It was hidden within half a mile of forest, surrounded by Melicae trees on all sides. Most people were either too lazy or too scared to wander this far into the woods. Children in the villages were told from a young age what kind of creatures lurked in the forests. Beasts with razor-sharp teeth and claws like kitchen knives. They stuck to the oceans and beaches which formed the peninsula of our kingdom. These stories were all untrue. Merely told to keep children from wandering off. I had explored these woods enough to know better. Even as I child, my father had sworn I had a death wish.
This solitude made the lake a perfect spot for the water nymphs who dwelled within the forest to bring their younglings and practice their abilities. There were several other lakes in this forest, all equally peaceful and gleaming with beauty, but I was needed at this lake.
On the far edge of the trees, another set of biskinney bushes rustled. My eyes shot to the tree line straight across from where I was crouched. The elder nymph washed the younglings ashore once more and pulled them tight to her. She bent down and held her blue finger to her lips, quieting the younglings who were now shivering either from the sudden cold, or the fear evident in their eyes. A twig snapped not far from the initial rustling, and I reached over my shoulder with one hand to grab an arrow, while the other gripped my bow with steady fingers. I stood from my squatting position, ready to run toward the lake shore if needed. Ready to protect them with my life.
One of the younglings cried out, and when the elder turned to console him, a large man stepped out from the tree line: my target. Gerald Naughtlis was a Juturthean fisherman, and a member of the Elorians Against Nymphs, or EAN. The group was officially disbanded many years ago, but a few sects still appeared on our radar every so often. Gerald held a sword in both hands above his head. Before he could make another move, I had an arrow in my bow, drawn back to my cheek and aimed at his cold heart.
He yelled out, an ancient Juturthean battle cry, and I forced myself to let go of all my thoughts that screamed at me how wrong it was to kill a man. Even a man as repulsive as Gerald Naughtlis. The thoughts that told me I was acting against every ounce of my humanity. I released my arrow. It flew over the lake, hitting its mark.
He fell back with his eyes still wide with fury, and his sword clattered on the ground next to him. Three more men stepped from the bushes and ran around his lifeless body toward the shore where the elder nymph was now trying to send the younglings back into the water away from the predators. I pulled down my hood shielding my face and ran down the hill to the lake drawing another arrow. I sent a warning shot past the eye line of the man closest to the water’s edge. He stumbled to the ground, scrambling backward. The other two men stopped and looked around the woods back-to-back with their swords drawn. Their eyes wide, afraid I may strike if they blinked.
Once I cleared the tree line, they kept facing me, but backed away slowly. I kept an arrow drawn and aimed at them as I slowed my gait to a walk and stepped between the nymphs and the now cowering men.
“The Juturthean assassin,” the man shaking on the ground breathed, staring up at me. His eyes were wide, and his breathing was shallow. From running or terror, I did not know. I hoped from terror.
“Take your fallen friend and warn the rest of the terrorists what will happen to them if they dare try to harm one of these beautiful creatures,” I said malice dripping from every syllable. When they made no move to go, I added, “Run.”
They stumbled over their own feet as they turned and ran back to where Gerald laid slain. I sent another warning shot that nicked one of their ears. His hand flew to the cut, feeling the trickle of blood down his neck. He turned his head toward me, a snarl plastered on his face. I already had another arrow ready to fire. I didn’t move until the men were behind the tree line, and for several minutes after that.
When I was sure they had gone, I lowered my bow and turned to the nymphs. They were still in the water, not sure if I was truly a friend.
“Would you like an escort home?” I asked, staying rooted in my spot on the shore.
The elder nymph shook her head probably not wanting to risk anyone finding out where her people lived. She warily walked toward me. The three younglings scrambling to hide behind her. I crouched down until I was their height.
“You three were extremely courageous today. I am honored to have fought beside you,” I said. I laid a closed fist over my heart a sign of respect amongst nymphs. Each three reflected the gesture back to me. I stifled a laugh as one of them realized she was using the wrong hand and quickly corrected herself. I stood once again to face the elder.
“Be careful. They could come back,” I said.
“Thank you,” she said. The lines around her silver eyes deepened while they brimmed with tears.
I knew it would not bring her peace of mind that night, but I told her, “The kingdom of Juturthea has no place for barbarians like them. The king and queen’s guard will find them, and they will be brought to justice. If your people ever need anything, please contact the Royal Guard. I know you live under your own government, but you will always be under the protection of Juturthea.”
She nodded and herded the younglings – now wiping their tears and putting on brave faces – toward a path opposite of the direction the men left.
I returned to my spot between the biskinney bushes, and waited until the moon rose to the center of the sky to make sure the men would not return to the lake. I picked berries from the biskinney bushes for the trek home, careful to avoid the deadly groups of three. I followed the rivers back to the unpaved main road toward Juturthea’s center. I stayed hidden within the tree line and remained on high alert as I walked toward the fishermen’s village.
