The wind gently rustled the waist high grass spreading out over the valley. The sun glowed a dark shade of orange as it hung just above the mountains. At the edge of the grassnd, a line of trees could be seen, moving gently in the winds’ embrace. A group of Verdents, deer-like creatures, with antlers and a brown short coat, with a combination of green swirly and straight stripes, starting at the root of their antlers, running down their necks and the length of their bodies and limbs moved with grace and speed across the grassnd in search of food. The stripes were faintly pulsating as the deer galopped. The leader’s speed decreased from a gallop, to that of a trot to full stop after moving in from the north. The herd followed suit with their pace. They have finally found a satisfactory patch of grass to feed on. Sniffing the air and turning their heads, the dozen or so creatures made sure that the coast was clear, and that there were no predators nearby. The stripes and antlers stopped emitting the light glow and the deer rexed and their breath stabilised. Satisfied, they lowered their heads, and began to feed on the grass. Minutes passed, and the group of deer were peacefully feeding on the grass, occasionally raising their heads, to look across the vast grassnd. The scene looked like the serene depiction of the garden of Eden. Nature, in all its beauty, tranquillity and equilibrium.
As the wind slightly died down, a hiss and a dull sound as if a hammer hitting a small cushioned object was heard, followed by the ear-piercing shriek of the sound-barrier breaking could be heard. One of the Verdents that had been with the herd, and had raised their head temporarily, was hit square in the front shoulder, the bullet stopping its heart as it pierced through soft flesh and hardened bone sending its body into shock. It took a bated breath, as the world around it went dark, and it colpsed on the ground. Armed and frightened by the noise and the smell of blood and iron, the Verdents’ stripes lit up brightly as they scattered across the grassnd.
From slightly deeper within the forest, a silent whisper of acknowledgement toward no one in particur was carried through the wind that had picked up, “now that’s a good shot.” A man wearing a simple yet sophisticated attire that helped him blend into the silhouettes of the forest, retracted the bolt of his rifle, a shining brass cartridge spewed out from the ejection port, still hot from the discharged bck powder, fell onto the ground. He chambered a new round, engaged the safety and picked up the spent cartridge, tucking it safely into one of his pockets. After taking a moment, to consolidate his thoughts, he got up, shouldered his rifle and slowly began walking toward the downed Verdent.
As he neared the body, he suddenly stopped. And whistled, following up with a shout “Maaaars, come here boy”. The low-growing vegetation and bushes at the edge of the forest rustled and shook, as a bck creature began running at him with full speed. It tried emuting the way the deer gracefully stopped, but it slightly misjudged its stopping capacity, and at the final moment, jumped onto the hunter to reduce its velocity and eased its sudden reduction in speed, knocking the hunter off his footing and onto his behind. This creature of darkness, aka Mars, was a young bck direwolf that was goofing around due to the successful end of their mission.
Mars’ sleek, dark coat was contrasted by subtle white accents. A faint white stripe beginning at the top of his head, running down his back, continuing along the length of his body, and ending at the tip of his tail. His paws were also completely white, creating a striking contrast against his bck fur. There was also a white stripe on his head that was delicate yet distinct, adding a unique touch to his overall appearance.
The hunter was annoyed at the shenanigans of his young companion, but after seeing it roll and py around, happy that he and his master were successful in their mission, he could do nothing else but smile. He sighed, got up, and approached the Verdent. He tied up the Verdent, and quickly brought it toward the edge of the forest. He strung the Verdent onto a tree, to let it bleed out. As it finished he lowered it down, tied it up and mounted it atop of his backpack that was used as support. He checked his watch, and began walking home, faithfully followed by Mars.
After the sun had set, the hunter and Mars arrived in front of a simple cottage. A small light shone out of one of the windows, which warmed the hunter’s heart. He fished out a key, and unlocked the intricate mechanism that was concealed in the heavy wooden door. He heard a familiar click, and opened the door. As he entered, took off his boots, and as if that being the cue, Mars wiped his paws on a rough carpet. As he looked up, he saw a beautiful woman, with a very delicate yet striking face. Her skin was smooth and has a warm undertone, which complements her dark brown hair that cascades down in soft, natural waves. Her eyes were a captivating shade of amber, bright and full of life, almost glowing with a golden warmth reflecting off of the small light coming from the kitchen. Her build was slender, giving her a graceful and elegant presence. Her attire was simplistic, yet it has a traditional touch that adds to her timeless beauty. He froze for a moment, basking in her unfathomable beauty. She smiled warmly, and greeted him in a shushed voice full of love, “welcome home darling”. He smiled, and replied softly, thank you honey. They quietly embraced, and kissed, enjoying each other’s warmth and closeness. A few moments ter, they let go of each other, and the hunter hung up his jacket, on the only free coat hook above which, a name was dispyed: Reinhard, right next to four others which were already occupied by coats, descending in order: Alice, Heinrich, Emma and Annabel. “Would you like a cup of tea darling?” asked Alice. Reinhard replied, yes please, and if there’s any leftovers remaining from dinner, could you heat those up for me whilst i clean up? Certainly, replied Alice.
She moved into the kitchen located on the left-side of the corridor, whilst he took the second door on the left, where the storage room was located. He brought the Verdent downstairs, together with his equipment. Firstly, he cleared and secured his rifle in his safe, and then turned his attention to the Verdent. He untied it, and pced it into a rge metal storage space that was chilled, to await disassembly. His next destination was the bathroom, where he washed his hands and face.
He returned to the kitchen shortly after, where Alice and Mars were waiting. She prepared them a small, yet lovely bite to eat. He sat down, said a prayer and began enjoying his meal. Likewise, Mars was ying down at their feet enjoying his share of the food. They talked about their day, and he told her of the successful hunt. It was lovely my dear, Reinhard said, once he finished his meal. Alice smiled, and replied, you are welcome. I’m sure Heinrich will be ecstatic when he finds out that you caught a Verdent for his birthday celebration. Reinhard smiled and continued, yes but he will first have to help me process it. They giggled and cleaned up the kitchen.
It was already very te, and they made their way upstairs. Reinhard took a quick shower and got ready for bed, where his wife was waiting. He closed the door behind him, and got into bed. She covered him with the bnket, and he turned off the light. As they faced each other, she whispered I love you, he replied in kind, and they shared a kiss, followed by embracing each other and falling asleep.
