She pulled the the bowstring back to her ear with a fluid, practised motion, green hazel eyes steady and focused. The arrow shot forth, hitting its intended target dead on. The young woman lowered the bow, moving forward to inspect her work. The rabbit, though not very large, would be enough to serve as her supper for the evening. The woman was young, and slightly taller than average, with dark brown, waving hair that fell to her waist. She was slender, yet fit, and dressed comfortably in close fitting breeches, a loose green shirt and fitted leather jerkin. The quiver full of arrows, leather bracer on her left arm, and recurve bow in her hand marked her as an archer. The clean kill marked her as a skilled one.
Adria looked upwards. The light filtering in through the leaves above was starting to fade, and she knew she would have to stop and make camp soon if she did not wish to be traveling in the late night. With her bow in one hand and the freshly caught rabbit in the other, she walked back the way she had came, making almost no noise as she trod through the underbrush in soft leather boots. The forest was quiet, and peaceful. There was a feeling of calm in the air as she made her way back to her horse.
The horse in question was right where Adria had left her, and nickered softly in greeting as she came back, her dark tail swishing back and forth. Adria smiled in return.
“Did you miss me, Nyx?” she said to the mare, arching a brow. “I couldn’t have been gone more than fifteen minutes.”
Nyx blew out a breath, giving her mistress a fond yet somewhat exasperated look. Adria just smiled wider, tying the rabbit to her saddle before giving her a soft pat on the head.
“Come on, girl,” said Adria, taking the mare’s reigns in one hand. “Let’s go find someplace to camp for the night, shall we?”
They had walked on for about an hour more before Adria finally decided to stop, coming to a small clearing sheltered by the tall trees of the forest, only a minute’s walk away from a cool stream. By then the sun was burning low in the sky, and the first hints of a cold night could be felt on the breeze.
Adria looked around at the spot she had chosen, one hand on her hip, a small frown on her face. “I suppose this place is as good as any, no?” she asked Nyx. Nyx, being a horse, did not reply, but Adria could assume that she would have indifferent feelings on the matter anyway. In truth, Adria had passed up several spots just as nice before this one. She disliked having to stop at all, and while eating and sleeping were all very well and good, it still felt like time wasted. The journey she was on was not a short one, and Adria could not help but feel anxious to make more progress.
With a loud sigh, she untied her packs from Nyx’s saddle. She briefly considered securing the mare to a tree, but after a very admonishing look from Nyx, who had sensed her purpose, Adria held her hands up in surrender.
“Fine,” she told the stubborn horse. “I suppose I don’t have to tell you not to wander off then?” Adria rolled her eyes at Nyx’s indignant look before turning to deal with her supplies. After quickly brushing down the mare’s dark coat, she stooped down to make a fire. Using twigs she had picked up on their way there, she quickly coaxed a small flame into existence, feeding the fire larger pieces of wood as it grew. In no time at all she had the rabbit skinned and set up on a spit, leaving her nothing to do but wait.
She sat back against a tree, a small ways away from the fire she had just built. The chill of the evening was finally starting to set in, Adria noticed, lightly shivering, but she made no move to sit closer to the fire then she had to. It was necessary, she knew, but that did not stop the feelings of unease whenever she looked into the dancing flames. At night, when the journeying was over for the day and camp was made, there was nothing to keep her distracted, nothing to take her mind off the darker feelings that crept up on her. She gulped, before forcing her gaze from the fire. With a loud sigh, she let her head fall back against the tree. She pulled the dagger from her belt and set to sharpening it, if only to give herself something to do while she waited.