The hunter and the deer

Heavy were the steps of the white deer across the forest, loud and strong they smashed the ground on every move while it ran away for its life without losing its grace, jumping and dodging among the ancient trees it resembled a ghost with it’s white snow pelt. Non stop it ran away in the depth, when it finally felt safe next to a river it stopped to drink and catch it’s breath.

The wind was still that day and the deer worried for they were friends, had the deer upset it’s friend in any way? Why would he not speak now?

“My friend, are you here? Wind I need you, someone is following me, please hide my trails, erase them from the earth and lead me somewhere safe” Said the Deer, not with words, but with a sacred language that only few can speak “Where are you my friend?”

The wind remained silent because he wasn’t there, perhaps he was talking to a new friend on distant lands, the wind is a free and friendly spirit after all, but you can’t call it to your side on command, it comes and goes as it pleases, such is the nature of the wind, friend of everyone but loyal to none.

With no answer from it’s friend, the deer approached the river to drink anyway, the thirst was strong and it’s legs were weary. So it drank and there was peace on it’s heart.

The sound of water clashing against the river stones, yellow light leaking trough the forest ceiling. A whistle and a crack sounded in the distance followed by a deep and burning pain on the deer’s chest. An arrow sunk on it’s skin now tainted red. The wind had abandoned the deer that day but not it’s luck, the arrow did not reach its heart this time, he fled once again into the heart of the black forest with tears on it's eyes.

From the woods emerged a young man with bow on hand and Carcaj on it’s back. He looked around but the deer wasn’t dead lying on the ground, instead he found just blood and it’s broken arrow. He bent over to inspect the scene.

“This doesn’t make sense, I shot my arrow and I heard it hit! There is blood right here and my arrow split, why? Why is my arrow split in half and where is the deer?!”, He cried out loud

“Another Hunter hit your prey first!”, Yelled a voice from the above “A more skilled one, his arrow hit yours in mid air, that’s why your arrow lies on the ground, and that’s why there is no prey here for you.”

The hunter looked above to locate the voice, a Crow spoke to the man, watching from a branch.

With a smile on it’s face the man said “There you are my friend! You said another hunter got my prey?” his face turned red “Those pesky knights on their shimmering armor! It must have been one of them, looking for another trophy to hang on their fireplace, are they not pleased with what they have already?” said as he threw his broken arrow into the river.

"Ha! All men are the same indeed, you all think a deer belongs to you just because you saw it first, but no! The deer belongs to itself. You hunt just as they do, and whichever arrow lands is up to the deer and the hunter, each hoping the other will make a mistake." After saying that, the crow flew down to the man and landed on the arm of it’s friend.

"We all might hunt, but the reasons are different, they hunt whatever they can get and I only hunt this particular deer" Said as he raised its arm to the height of its face and stared at Huginn's eyes.

“The act is the same, but If it serves as consolation friend, it was you who stole the prey of the knight for it was your arrow well placed that slowed down his and prevented it from reaching its heart. Let’s track the deer and get your prey, now that the other hunter gave up after he saw the deer running away from him, he turned around looking for an easier target.” And so Huginn flew from the arm of it’s friend and into the Sky

“Lead the way, as reward you can have whichever part you like” Said the hunter “But we must catch it before it bleeds out”

And so they traveled through the wilderness, following the trace of the wounded deer. After a while they reached a place where the track ended, the entrance of an abandoned place.

Perplexed, the hunter asked “What is that?” staring at the doorway

In Front of him were thick walls made of solid stone that extended from east to west endlessly, at the entrance tall columns holding an arch, the two columns were masterfully carved with the shape of people holding the arch on top of their heads with their hands.

Huginn flew and stood on top of the head of one of the sculptures and said “This is an old forgotten place, it was built by the old ones as a gift for your people, but your kind is weak Hunter, everyone ran away from this place as soon as it appeared. None bothered to look inside for fear of what they might find.”

Looking at Huginn and in a very serious tone the Hunter asked “Are there monsters inside?” like a child asking it's mom

“No silly! The monsters live in the cities of men where there is plenty of food, here there is only dust and lost things. Like that deer you want, the poor thing ran away inside to hide from you.” said Huginn as he stared into his friend.

“Then there is nothing to be afraid of”, Said with relief

“Of course not” Said Huginn as he flew from his high ground and into the Hunter’s shoulder “but just in case you go first”

They both laughed

“Don’t worry, a wounded deer can only go so far before passing out” Said the hunter as he put his bow on his other shoulder.

With that said, they crossed the doorway and ventured into that forgotten place.

And with that concludes this part of a story I have had in my head for a while, hope you liked it, let me know in the comments what you think of it, this is mostly an intro or it could be the end, who knows, tell me if you want to know more about this fantastic world I made.

Formatting doesn't look great right now, need to do some changes on the CSS to make my short stories easier on the eye.