Shifting Shadow

by PrelateZ

Intro: The Forest

PrelateZ: Shifting Shadow

Introduction

"Where am I?"

He looked all around, trying to remember what had happened to get him in his current state. He woke up on the ground, along the steep slope of a hill. He felt a dull pain in his forehead, as if he had hit something hard. The tree directly in front of him confirmed his guess, marked by a near-circular dent in the rough bark and a small stain of what he assumed to be his blood.

A small pool of water lay at the bottom of the hill, probably from a recent rainstorm. He walked slowly down to the still water for a drink, pausing to check his reflection for further clues of what had happened to him. His body was covered in dirt; parts of his dark mane stuck out at odd angles, held in place with dried mud. He noticed a saddlebag at his left side, the same side on which he had been laying. Surely, whatever was in it could not be in one piece now, but it may provide some information about where I am, he thought. "Better yet, who I am." Opening the bag, he found only a few blank sheets of paper, a pen, and a picture of a large tree labeled as a library. Was this where the unicorn was going, or perhaps where he had come from? And where exactly is this place?

The unicorn could not remember anything: his past, his reasons for being in this forest...nothing at all. "Must be the head injury," he thought aloud. "I'll remember in time, just wait a while."

Washing himself off in the pool, he discovered many small cuts and bruises all around his body. None of them were serious, but the great number of them implied that the unicorn had gone through much to get to his current state. He could walk; that was enough for now, and he would put that ability to use before another fall took it from him.

He decided then to begin walking in search of shelter, or at least a helpful traveler who could direct him to one. The forest was darkening quickly, hindering the already-weakened unicorn further. "Fantastic," he thought, again out loud, "lost in some forest with no food, no clue who I am, where I'm going or why." He continued to walk in a somewhat straight line between the trees.

About twenty minutes later, the sound of rustling leaves brought him back from his thoughts. Who or what could be following him could only be guessed. If it knew the unicorn, he certainly did not know it. Bracing himself for whatever would soon reach him, he turned to face the threat directly.

The equine creature stood only a few feet away. A dark hood covered its face, leaving only the mouth visible. By its relaxed stance and breath, it appeared to the unicorn that it was not planning to attack. Best be cautious, though, the unicorn thought.

"You should beware when walking here at night. Many creatures lurk here that would freeze you with fright."

"Who are you?" the startled unicorn asked in response.

The hooded figure turned around. She (the unicorn could easily tell her gender by her voice) gestured for the unicorn to follow. "Come with me, and we will speak in my home. This place is perilous at night to roam."

The unicorn paused for a moment, considering her words. Since he could find no reason to argue, and having already heard the cries of many creatures he did not want to meet, he quickly caught up with the strange mare.

The forest seemed to grow darker by the minute. It was difficult to follow the hooded mare, as she seemed very familiar with this part of the forest and easily stepped over every rock and root along the way. The unicorn stumbled across each obstacle, marveling at how the mare had gotten over them as if they did not exist.

The unicorn continued to follow the hooded mare along a sort of path, a trail of grass and dirt that had been trampled flat over time. Stars could be seen overhead as the trees were not so thick here. The path led to a small open area of ground, and in its center stood a great, twisted tree that must have been the home the mare mentioned earlier.

"Please, come inside and rest a bit," the mare said as she approached the door cut into the tree's trunk. "I see your head has taken quite a hit."

"Umm...thank you," was all the unicorn could offer, shocked by the kindness and hospitality of this unknown friend. He stepped inside and glanced around the hut. A large cooking pot boiled in the center of the main room. A few masks hung from the walls and ceiling, while most of the shelves lining the rest of the walls were filled with many-colored vases, wood carvings, and other objects. The whole room smelled of some exotic scent the unicorn could not guess.

The mare had removed her hood and was now hunched over the cooking pot, mixing some bizarre liquid. She poured some of it into a bowl and placed it in front of the unicorn, then dashed to some shelves, taking back with her a roll of bandaging and a jar containing some type of paste. As she dressed the unicorn's wounds, he used the light to his advantage and took a close look at his hostess.

Her fur was a light gray color, striped from head to tail with black, as was her white mane. She wore a gold ring on each ear, a gold choker, and a gold brace on her right foreleg. Her flank was adorned with a spiral symbol, surrounded by small triangles. The zebra turned to her guest, fixing her dark green eyes on him and smiling warmly as he drank his soup.

"There, now rest here, my friend. Your injuries will all soon mend."

The unicorn, too tired to argue, made his way to the blanket set aside for him. Hardly aware that he had not properly thanked the zebra for her offer, or even bothered to ask her name, he was fast asleep in seconds.

Comments

[leafz pegasus]

I like where this is going, btw, first comment!

[Fidelis]

Not bad, it has potential. You seem like a fairly decent writer, if you can stick the plot I think this will be a great story.