32 32 Soundless scream

After finishing their meal, the trio retired to the shack.

Not long after Raven blew out the candles, snoring filled the room, indicating that the big man was fast asleep. Lying in her bed, Raven could hear Axil's deep breathing and she realised that he too was fast asleep.

But sleep wouldn't come to her.

She felt the exhaustion from the battle but, she just couldn't fall asleep. Her thoughts kept going back to that creature with the blue eye. She started feeling frustrated with herself, and the big man's loud snoring didn't help either. She sighed softly before throwing the covers off of her. She stepped out of the bed and softly walked to where her bow was. She took it from its rack and grabbed her quiver from the table, carefully stepping over the two sleeping men lying on the ground.

She reached the door and pulled. But the door didn't move.

{"Oh come on!"}, Raven thought as she tugged the door again. {"Of all the times, you chose tonight, right now, to be stubbornly stuck in place… And when you are finally willing to open, you are probably going to do so with as much noise as possible, just to wake the other-"}, her thoughts were cut short when the door silently opened. She stared at it for a few moments. {"I, uh… good door"}, she thought, giving the door a slight pat.

The moonlight spilled into the shack, lighting the whole shack with a soft glow. Raven glanced down at the two men. Satisfied that they were still asleep, she turned around and left the shack, softly closing the door behind her.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of silver eyes watched her as she left.

***

The night air was cool and fresh.

The moonlight played between the trees, jumping from branch to branch, sliding between the leaves and twirling merrily through the air. The snow shimmered in the soft light of the moon, contrasting the emotions of the slender, dark-haired woman walking seemingly aimless through the night, with a bow in her hand and a quiver strapped to her back. Her feet sank into the snow, leaving her dark footprints behind as she allowed her feet to take her to a place that she, unknowingly, needed to be at.

In shrill contrast to the peaceful evening, Raven's thoughts resembled an unwavering storm.

She couldn't shake the feeling that the forest's secret is much deeper than anyone could even guess. Her thoughts return to the creature. Somehow, she knows that it isn't a creature like the rest. The

few moments that she looked into its blue eye, she could see the emotions brimming in its eye. Unlike with the other creatures, who's eyes resembled black, endless voids. And now the question remains, what or who is that creature?

Raven sighed.

She lifted her eyes from the ground when she realised that she was walking towards a grave. She stopped dead in her tracks and her breath hitched in her throat. She wanted to run away from this place, this grave, that held too much pain. The pain that she didn't want to experience again. Yet, she knew that she needed to face it. That she needed to empty this cup of emotions that threatened to overflow.

She walked forward. She felt the pain that she had suppressed for so long, surface. She reached the grave and her eyes locked on the branch that was stained with her blood. She fell down on her knees, the motion ripping the raw feelings from her heart, letting them all surface. The only one she had to be by her side, was taken from her. She knew that it was just an animal. An animal that would eventually die. But to her, the doe was more than just an animal, just a pet. It was her companion, the one whom she could open her heart to. The doe resembled hope, like a ray of light shining brightly in the darkness.

And now, her light was dead.

She wanted to feel angry at this yet, there was no anger. She wanted to cry her heart out, but there

were no tears. All that she could feel was the pain. The stabbing feeling in her chest that paved the way for an empty feeling that threatened to settled in her heart forever.

She placed both hands on the grave and lowered her head between her arms. She wanted to scream, but knowing she can't, she tried to suppress the urge. If she screamed, the others might hear. And if they hear, they would ask questions. Questions that she didn't want to answer. She didn't want to explain, didn't want to talk about her fears, her guilt, her pain and her longing for something she could never have. How could they understand?

Would they be able to understand the doubt in her heart? They expect her to be the saviour, to kill the beast and fulfil the scroll's prophecy. How could she explain to them? That she is the type of person who would run away to save her own skin? The person who would leave her people behind?

She balled her hands into fists, grabbing the loose soil and snow in the process. She clutched it tightly as a hoarse sound escaped her throat.

She needed to let it out, to let it all out. The pain became more and more as the tears finally came. Her chest tightened, pressing the air from her lungs as a soundless scream formed in her throat and flooded over her lips.

The first tear fell from her eyes and disappeared into the snow, followed by another and another.

She finally gasped for air, her breathing ragged and fast as she poured her soul out to the night.

A soft breeze started to blow as if nature itself wanted to console her.

Raven's tears finally stopped as dry sobs ripped through her body. She opened her eyes and stared at the snow below her as she remembers the creature's words. His threat. The sword or the trapped souls.

A familiar feeling crept into her heart. The fear for the unknown. What is she going to do? Is she going to fight? Or run away as she did so many years ago?

The voice in her dream said that she is unworthy. Unworthy of the power in her veins. And Raven knows that the voice spoke the truth. But she is being offered the choice of saving the lost souls. The guilt in her heart compels her to do something.

Anything.

A helpless feeling came over her. She had seen what Beastie can do. And she knows that if she must fight him, she would lose miserably.

How could she possibly win?