Torrs
Without making a sound, Torrs stepped out from the grassy thicket and gazed at the forest trail ahead. As expected, it was void of any human presence. No footprints, no carriage tracks, not even a single sign to give travelers directions. Since the area was restricted, he had heard that not one traveler had come to use this road in almost fifty years. Which meant it was the perfect path for him to take.
He threw back his long dark mane and chuckled into the frosty night. It was getting cold, indicating a wave of frost soon to come. This likely foreshadowed an early winter for the land. It was a strange turn for the weather to take, considering Luxo was normally quite mild this time of year. It was a shame his mission had been delayed this long, as he would have liked to enjoy the warmth of summer for a bit longer; now he would have to prepare to travel and campout in less than ideal weather conditions. Of course, as a soldier who had been trained to fight, eat, and sleep on the icy mountains of the North, Torrs was no stranger to the cold. Still, the rain, wind, and snow were all unexpected factors that could hinder his efforts to gather intel on the House of Basileos and their growing army. Nevertheless, his mission was to discover any weakness in the land, so there was no room for error, no time for mistakes.
As Torrs turned around a large bend in the road, he caught sight of a rabbit running by. As it heard his steps it came to a halt, as did he. Silently, he took out his bow and loaded an arrow. Those hailing from the North were experts when it came to hunting any type of creature, whether large or small, swift or slow. Any second now, he would finally have himself a properly meal. Until now he hadn’t anytime to hunt or cook, depending on the supplies in his bag to sustain him instead.
Torrs sensed that the rabbit was starting to relax as it started to chew on the leaves of a nearby bush. He took aim and prepared to shoot at his unsuspecting dinner, but right as he was about to release his arrow, he noticed something else moving beside the rabbit. At first, he assumed it might be a snake out to steal his prey, but then he noticed it was a litter of baby rabbits coming out of a small burrow. They hurried to gather around their mother and ate alongside her in the glow of the moonlight. Torrs let out a sigh of disappointment at the sight. Though he was hungry, he did not like to hunt animals who were nursing their young. Because if he killed the mother, the babies would scatter and likely die on their own. It was a cruel and unnecessary fate for those only just brought into the world. So, he tucked the bow away and returned to the dirt trail. He supposed he would just have to find something else to eat a little later on.
Another year of territory disputes and quarreling had come and gone in the blink of an eye. Torrs could hardly believe his sister Emalia was already nearing her seventeenth year. It seemed like just yesterday she was only nine and begging him to bring her home a pet goat from his job as a herder. Those were the days he had come to miss, back when their parents and his brother were still alive and none of them had a care in the world. But now, life was not so simple. He was no longer a caretaker for livestock, nor a child with a safe home where he could sleep with ease. After war broke out and invading soldiers attacked his village, he had been drafted for battle. Torrs had been taught how to hunt men, not animals, in order to survive. To protect himself and Emalia, he trained hard and fought countless enemies, becoming a hero in his land in no time at all. Turns out, he had a real skill for combat and good instincts on the battlefield. To this day he was undefeated.
The same could not be said for many of the friends and comrades who he had been forced to bury over the years. The death of each one weighed heavily on his heart, pushing him forward to complete this mission as quickly as possible. No matter what it took, he could not allow another war to threaten his homeland. Spying on Luxo and figuring out their next plan of attack was crucial for preparing his next move. Maybe this time they would actually have a chance to form a counterattack, or even to strike first. Either way, one thing was for sure: Torrs was sick and tired of all the fighting. He was tired of the constant threat of death and torture, and tired of worrying about his sister’s safety. That was why this fight that Luxo was looking to pick would not be as easy as those fought previously. Even with a treaty formed between Luxo and the House of Castillo, they wouldn’t stand a chance against the land of The North this time. At least, not if he had anything to say about it.
After a while of walking, Torrs found a tree that could provide him with a high vantage point to keep a lookout, so he stopped and made camp for the night. This way, he could remain invulnerable to detection and still get some much needed sleep before the sun came up. Even if he was on enemy territory, he could rest easy for a while.
“Good night, Emalia,” His whispered to himself. “Though I am not with you, I bid you a peaceful night. May you look for my swift return.”
Torrs hesitated at his next words, as they were always the most painful part of this routine. “And good night mother, father, brother. May you also be at peace, wherever you are.”
Out of habit he took hold of his fang tooth necklace, like he did every night, and finally closed his eyes. But then the sound of rustling came from the ground below, causing them to fly back open. Torrs slowly moved his stare downwards, reaching for his knife at the same time. True to his assumptions, it was just a small snake searching for food among the bushes. He released a breath of relief. It seems he was not used to the sounds of the critters of this land. Back home, not even the sound of roaming wolves would have been enough to wake him, but instead of the crunch of snow there were leaves and dirt and sticks to listen for. Not to mention the buzzing of bugs and the splash of the river water in the distance. Compared to the quietness of the land of The North, Luxo was full of animals that were loud and distracting. Eventually, Torrs closed his eyes, hoping to find a measure of rest while the opportunity remained.
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