IN THE FOREST II

by Rebecca

9/5/13

(Continued from 18/4/13)

     The stranger merely shook his head then waved them aside nonchalantly.

    “What the – ! Do you think we're joking?! Hand over your things now!!” Heng spat, he puffed his chest and pulled the bowstring even tauter.

    “Maybe you do think we're joking, eh!?” Bo ran his tongue along the side of the dagger. Without warning, he tossed his dagger at the stranger's chest.

    The stranger swung around and flinched before collapsing onto the ground, motionless.

    “Ha! That's almost unfair!” Heng lowered his bow and jogged towards the body, Bo close behind.          He bent down and seized the shoulder, turning the body over to inspect his goods.

   “It is, isn't it?” a breathy, female voice whispered before Heng felt a searing pain in his left, inner thigh. He screamed and looked down to see Bo's dagger protruding out of his wound. The female stranger rose up with one knee on the ground. In one swift motion, she grabbed his left calf and drove the dagger deeper into his flesh with her other elbow. With another tug on his calf, Heng crashed backwards.

    Bo roared and launched himself forward. His sternum met with a hard back kick. Suddenly, he found himself with his back against a tree. A boot to his throat. A blade shot out from the tip of the boot, slicing his skin. He froze.

   “That's right, move and I'll displace your head. Try me?” Bo's eyes darted to his victim turned assailant. In spite of his situation, he was pleasantly surprised.

    The hood had fallen off. He was looking at a young woman. Dark, raven hair pulled back bared her heart-shaped, porcelain face. The lips from which she uttered her deadly threat were a sweet, lush pink. A scar on the left side of her forehead flawed her perfection. She returned his gaze with steely eyes.

    “Where is the shortest route to His Highness, Emperor Welu?” she asked. The tip of her boot pressed a little further into his throat. Bo gulped.

    “Nobody goes looking for the ..” he sputtered.

   “THAT was not my question!” More pressure applied to his throat, blood began dribbling down to his chest.

    “Look for old man, Jiang, blind man... Ask him... Kang Xi village.. 3 days north then 4 miles west..” he choked.

    “A blind man?”

   “Jiang knows everyone..” Behind the female stranger, Bo could see Heng had dragged himself to a sitting position. He retrieved his bow painfully, hatred pouring from his eyes. Arrow in position, he drew and aimed.

    “Jiang can tell you where to find him..” the corner of Bo's mouth curled ever so slightly.

   The female stranger raised a brow. She instantly flipped backward just as Heng's arrow whizzed above her head, narrowly missing the tip of her nose. She landed on her feet only to find Bo impaled to the tree.

    Heng knew his fatal mistake. The female stranger was upon him in a flash. She twisted the dagger in his thigh. The other hand squeezed his throat. Heng screamed and screamed. Like an animal trapped in a snare.

    “Remember this, you good for nothing, if we ever cross paths, I'll make sure you never walk again..” His leg was already throbbing with excruciating pain when she suddenly stopped and turned to walk away from him. He was like a scraggly mongrel with its tail between its legs after a beating from its master.

    “S-s-s-stop !Who – who – are you?” Heng whimpered. His left leg was covered in flowing crimson.

She stopped. Without facing him, she whispered softly:

    “I am ------- the Swordsmith's Daughter....” she continued on as the mist unfolded to receive her before concealing again all evidence of her presence.

    Heng groaned as he gripped his leg.

    “Which swordsmith? Hello?!”