The Huntress

*Eversong Woods, within the boundaries of Dayfire Estate*

The forest was silent, even the birdsong dulled and distant as the golden leaves of Eversong swayed in the breeze. The silence was telling, was a sign that all was not right within the forest. That creatures with no place in this world stalked through the tall brush and despoiled the fertile land beneath with their very tread.

In the silence, a pair of fel green eyes watched, looking out into the impenetrable foliage that surrounded the outer barriers of property that contained Dayfire Estate. The owner of the eyes had been motionless and silent for over an hour, her plans well laid, her traps set well in advance of the things that stalked the forest on this fine spring day. None knew she was there, although some might appreciate what she was about to do.

In the distance, a shriek rose up, abruptly cut off. The sound of a creature in mortal pain suddenly meeting its fate. It came from no throat of any denizen of Eversong though. The sound was foul, a growl of rage even in death that could only have come from the mouth of a demonic creature. Roars rose up after the initial sound faded, sounds of anger, of panic as another shriek echoed through the forest.

The owner of the fel green eyes was suddenly in motion, her lithe form darting between trees as if she were a breath of wind amongst them. Red and gold armor hugged her body, the metal artfully crafted as if by magic to hug her every curve while keeping in place and remaining silent. A gold and red stormcloak flowed out behind her as she leapt a bush, her golden hair cascading around her face as she landed with practiced ease. In her hand she carried a spear, the tip already bristling with the deadly magic enchanted within the haft, within the razor sharp metal point.

In the distance, the roars of rage turned into more shrieks as the second part of the Huntress's plan unfolded. The demonic felhunters that had entered the forest had already found her traps, and now they had found her pet. It was no beast, no creature from the forest that gave her its loyalty, instead it was a thing of magic, a manawyrm with razor sharp teeth and a pearl colored opalescence that sparkled in the light. She saw it as she cleared the last of the foliage between her and her prey, the magical creature's jaws clamped on the demonic throat of the last of the three felhunters, feeding off of its magic as the felhunter might do to a mage.

Beside it were two Eredar, their eyes wide and raging as they brought weapons up. Two more felhunters lay dead, caught in traps made of arcane magics that had torn them asunder as soon as they had closed, tiny little fires still burning around and on their corpses. One of the Eredar brought his staff up, about to cast a spell when the Huntress's spear drove through his back and out of his chest, his black, corrupt blood spattering the forest floor. The tip of the spear flared with magic, a spell within the haft sending flaming arcane power roaring through the doomed creature. He screamed, for a moment, before the spear was torn out of his back in a shower of black gore, already dead before he crumpled to upon the golden leaves on the ground.

The second Eredar growled, slashing at the Huntress with a sword before dodging away and into the forest beyond. He was no fool; he'd seen what she had done to their three felhunters, to his companion. He knew that he had to win free to call up reinforcements if his task was to be completed. For her part, the golden-haired Sin'dorei merely brought her spear up, deflecting the slash and falling back on her heel as the Eredar turned and fled. The manawyrm growled, releasing the dead felhunter and preparing to give chase when the Huntress held up her hand to silence it.

"No, Spellsong. This one is mine," the Huntress purred, her voice like a sultry song in the still forest. The thrill of the hunt was within her now. The feeling of power, of revenge against the creatures. It would not be long now before her spear drank again and the magic within it tasted another victim.

The manawyrm gave a small purring noise, turning to continue feasting on the fallen felhunter as the Huntress moved swiftly after her fleeing foe. It was clumsy, its footfalls cracking every twig, every branch. Her long, tapered ears could hear it breathing, hear its almost silent curses as the bushes seemed to claw at it, to pull it back and slow it down. She could feel it, feel its presence as a dark stain within the forest's heart, her magic drawn to it as it was to hers. They were fated to meet, had always been fated to meet, would always return to that meeting again and again it seemed, each time a little different.

She found it in a clearing a moment later, its path blocked by fallen boulders. Not enough time for it to escape it seemed. She slowed her pace, grinning as she readied her spear. The Eredar spun, sword in hand and a curse on its lips, "You cannot win here, foolish mortal! We will claim the blood that we came for, and you will die by my hands."

She said nothing, wasted no time or effort on words. She'd said enough words over the years, done enough talking. Those days were done now, were past. She didn't need to justify, to pretend, to be anything other than the Huntress, whose hand held the enchanted spear, whose body tensed as it remembered movements learned long ago.

She dove forward, and the Eredar brought its sword up. Slowly, oh so slowly. Almost too slow. The spear narrowly missed its face, grazing a gouge out of a cheek as the sound of fel-tainted steel hitting the enchanted haft of the spear rang through the clearly. The Huntress grinned; she hadn't missed, she was toying with it for a moment.

The Eredar began to chant, and her grin faded. No spells. Spells were for another distant time in the past, another place, not for this mortal dance between them. The spear swung around again, crashing into the side of its head, the enchantments on it making it move so quickly he hadn't had time to block. He stumbled sideways on his clumsy hooves, the spear's haft coming down to entrap his ankles and trip him.

As he fell to the ground, she relished in the sound of his bellowed curses, in the feel of her body, the speed and agility. It had not always been like this, and her magic had not always been put to such uses. It was fresh and new and gave her a rush the likes of which she'd not felt in forever. As he tried to rise, she brought the spear's point down, slamming into his chest and pinning him to the earth.

Black blood foamed from his mouth as he struggled there, pinned like an insect. She stood over him, graceful and triumphant, a smile gracing her lips again. He struggled to choke out words, to curse her, the sounds barely heard, "You...will not stop us....we will have them, and make them suffer....."

She glanced down at him, the sunlight beginning to dance across the clearing as a cloud moved away, the amber light glimmering on her scaled armor, on the gold, on her flowing hair. The Eredar's eyes widened for a minute as understanding dawned at the moment of his destruction, his voice a whisper now, "You... We'll come again and again....we'll have our revenge...."

She smiled, the sunlight striking her face. Glittering in her hair. Illuminating the scar on her cheek beneath her right eye, her voice a venomous hiss as she twisted the spear and ended his life, "Then I'll be here waiting for you. Forever."