The Crusaders

Prologue III
By Lianne Marie

A faint ghostly mist drifted silently through the green forest. No sound could be heard
from within; no bird sang, no leaf rustled against a breeze and, no living thing dared to take a
breath. Everything was silent. The forest was dark and moist. The moons above glowed down
upon the forest but only flickered light through the forest’s thick vine like branches, sending
strange shadows across the forest’s floor. Green moss covered the ground and tree trunks,
making the ground slippery to unsure footing.
From the shroud of mist, presenting the silhouette of what could only be described as a
wolf demon stepped out into a clearing. His own outline was distorted from the mist by his gray
coat. Up and around his paws the mist swirled like a phantom vine wanting to overtake him. The
gray wolf demon starred out from the edge of the clearing to the opposite side. His ears were
facing forward, his body alert and tense; listening and waiting. Some unnatural power called him
here. A power that was strong yet familiar. With a sudden sound of a twig snapping the wolf
demon’s lips curled up over his keen fangs as his ears flattened against his head. His neck
vibrated as a vicious snarl rose in his throat threatening to break through his clenched canine
teeth. A dry wind came through the clearing bringing the scent of burning wood. The gray wolf
demon wrinkled his nose in confusion. The trees around him were not burning. Suddenly the
whole clearing was filled with the scent of ash yet underneath the smell had a clean soil land
smell. The wolf demon’s body became as still as stone as a shadow came forward from the mist.
A small woman stepped out from the trees and into the clearing, her feet barely making a
sound as she glided across the moss towards him. The wolf’s black eyes widened. The scent was
coming from the woman. His eyes measured her as she came closer to the center of the clearing.
She was short but taller than the dwarves. Her skin was dark and flawless, yet showed strength
from the way she held herself; chin up and proud. Straight hair black like a night sky with any
stars or moons flowed down to her waste. She looked at the gray wolf demon, the shadows of the
leaves hiding pieces her face.
“Ulric…” The woman spoke his name quietly, but it rumbled in the gray wolf
demon’s ears like thunder. The wolf demon took a step back as one of his ears came forward, his
black eyes locked on the small woman. He did not know how the woman knew his name but it
made him uneasy. “Ulric,” she said again. “I called you here, wolf demon.”
The woman took a slow step forward. A frightening snarl ripped out from behind his
clinched teeth, but it did not seem to scare the woman away. She took another slow step forward
then carefully, while keeping eye contact knelt to the ground in front of the wolf demon. She
reached her arms out in front of herself revealing a very small bundle in her hands. Gently she
set the bundle on the moss floor of the forest. The woman presented the bundle to the wolf
demon as if it was a predacious offering to him.
“I need your help, Ulric,” the woman spoke again. Her voice wavered slightly as
she glanced down at the bundle in front of them.
Black eyes went from the woman to the bundle she laid down upon the moss then back to
the woman. Then cautiously he took a step forward, the mist following him as if it was emerging
from his gray coat. The burning smell grew as he neared her, his black eyes never leaving her
face. As he neared the bundle a small noise startled him. The bundle moved as an odd cooing
sound came from it. Ulric stopped where he was, only a foot from the bundle, his eyes dropping
from the woman’s face. As it moved the cloth around it opened up. The gray wolf demon starred
down in astonishment at a small sleeping baby tossing around as if it was in a nightmare. He
leaned down to smell the baby and was surprised how faint the smell was. The baby smelled like
wet land after it rained; clean soil. The wolf demon looked back up at the woman in wonder.
Above them a faint breeze blew, moving the vine like branches and leaves around. Light
flicked across the woman’s face. Ulric’s ears came forward as he recognized her for what she
was. An elf was kneeling in front of him. The gray wolf demon knew about the elves but they
did not live near here. He knew elves were quicker than humans, more intelligent, but as fast as
demons and more graceful; Elves are known to be a beautiful race. Their ears were pointed like
the tip of an autumn leaf and skin fair and a healthy tan. They rarely left t heir own land, fought
for their sacred forests and woods, and that was all. It was rare they helped the other races and
their wars, though they were excellent warriors as well as magicians. Dwarves were almost the
same except they participated in the wars for they made the weapons. They also liked to drink
with the money humans and the demons paid them with for the special kind of weapons that only
a few knew how to create. Dwarves could be stubborn as a rock about something, but unlike
them Elves are mostly pure creatures and not known to drink their money away. The only side of
the elves the human and demons did not partake in was the rules they followed with in their race.
Demons were mostly feared while humans were rude. Elves held every creature with respect,
especially to those who were higher up in politics. The wolf demon’s thoughts came back to the
elf kneeling in front of him. Again he looked the elf over. Faint silver marks went down the
woman’s arms and legs and up around he for head like an upside down weaving crown of leaves
making her royal blood. The small woman kneeling before him was not dressed as if she was
royalty though; she had old ratted traveling clothes on covered in mud and blotches of blood.
What trouble the small elf woman was in the wolf demon did not know.
Ulric lifted his head to look at the small elf woman. Curiosity was in his eyes, but
it could not be seen from how dark they were. Her eyes were a light violet. They were larger than
humans and the dwarves whose eyes were small and squinted as they talked. The elf opened her
mouth but no sound came. She only gazed into Ulric’s black eyes and mouthed the word,
“please”. Her eyes glittered with wetness but no tears ran over its rims. The gray wolf demon felt
some kind of pity towards her. His eyes slid from hers back down to the still sleeping baby. The
wolf kneeled down with his mouth open, saliva dripping from his sharp fangs. Then the wolf bit
down until his teeth were once again clinched together. He did not bit the child, but lifted his
head to look back at the elf woman, the baby rising off the moss and carefully dangling from the
Ulric’s tight grip on the cloth.
Suddenly the sound of a loud horn blew through the forest. A low growl rumbled in the
wolf demon’s throat as the sound of the horn made the elf fly to her feet, her hand going to the
necklace she wore about her neck. As the horn died the forest became quiet again; the silence
putting pressure on their ears. The elf woman turned back to the wolf demon, reaching up behind
her neck to unlatch her necklace. Her violet eyes looked back at her child. They were sad as she
reached down and carefully folded the necklace within the cloth with the baby.
The elf gazed down at the wolf demon and whispered, “Thank you Ulric, prince
of the forest. Please…watch over my child as your own.” The gray wolf demon, Ulric, gazed
back into the elf’s violet eyes once last time. Then quickly he turned and walked into the forest,
mist enclosing his body once again as he disappeared.
The small elf woman silently stood watching the wolf disappear. Then slowly she turned
away and walked back to the center of the clearing. She stood with her hands at her side, eyes
closed, listening to the deafening silence around her. Her left ear twitched as she heard the light
steps approaching. She turned towards the steps. Her smooth chin rose a few inches making her
look proud while her hands at her side rolled up into to fists. More than a dozen Elvin warriors
emerged from the mist of the forest. They marched into the clearing following behind one
another. A green band of leaves and vines went across their bare chests like strips that held their
bows and arrows to their backs. Thin green cloth covered their legs like pants as their specially
made swords hung by their sides. All their faces showed no expression as their eyes locked on
the elf woman awaiting them. A straw hair colored male elf stepped forward from the dozen
elves. Across his chest was a band of vines and red orange autumn leaves, showing he was in
command. He was tall in size. Defined muscles bulged from under his band, his green eyes
burned with anger and betrayal.
“Where is the child, Hera” The elf’s voice was ruff with authority and dangers.
The elf woman stayed silent. Her fist clinched more to her sides, her nails digging into the skin
on her palms. The big elf grew angrier as he took another step toward her. “Give us the child,
Hera. It is dangerous and must be killed. You do not know what you have done!”
“You shall not have my child. My child is not dangers; it is just like the rest of us.
Yet my child is stronger than us. I know exactly what I have done. I have saved us all!” Her
voice was soft but as her ended it grew in force.
“Save us? No! You have doomed us to the end of the moons. You gave birth to
that…that half blood child, the child of a mortal, demon prince. You do not know; do not
understand your actions, Hera! You think you have saved us, but mark my words we are
doomed. We will die because of that child! And you stand here, smiling as if it is your dream-
come-true! You make us sick. I tell you this, Hera; if we do not kill it, you will die in its place-”
“Then I shall die!” Hera glared at him through her violet eyes. They seem to blaze
like purple fire as she starred at him. “You will never find my child. No one will… Only the
moons will know where my child is.” Hera took a step forward towards the elves. “Someday you
will all bow down to the child. My child will be great!” Suddenly her voice changed; it became
dangers as a blade up to a victim’s neck. She spoke loud enough for all to hear, but it was not
just her voice but many voices at once that spoke from her mouth.

“The wolf shall come. When the land falls while they are betrayed night shall fill the land
with blood of the hunt the falcon’s kill. Wolf’s howl shall fill evil with terror and the hooves of
the stallions shall show them the way. The wolf, the falcon, the stallion, the land, all shall stand
together when the moons line along the silver stone.”

The elves starred at the elf woman, their eyes wide realizing the value Hera’s words.
They all were witnesses of her prophecy. A smooth metal fell down from Hera’s thin sleeve and
down into her hand. She smiled at the wide eyed elves. As her arm rose into the air a dagger
gleamed in a strip of moonlight, mist flowing around her as a sudden strong dry breeze blew
through the clearing. The markings on her arms and forehead glowed with power. Then she
plunged the dagger into her own chest. The elf male that had spoken caught her wrist and
wrenched the dagger out of her hand. The expression in his eyes caught the elf woman held her
still. Quickly the male elf tied her wrists together. The dozen warriors crowed around them. It
was only until the elf male blinked was she released from his hold. Hera looked around at the
elves glaring at them. She suddenly tried to run but was only caught by strong hands of the
warriors around her.
 “You won’t die in place of the thing you’ve created,” the male elf growled. “You
are still worth something to the king…It cannot be helped that you are his daughter.”
She rasped with effort as they held her. “You will never find my child,” she
growled at them. The elves just looked at her, binding her more with rope.
The male elf approached her again. He gently ran his hand along her jaw. Slowly
he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “We may not find her, but she will find us.” Hera lunged at
him but he only chuckled at her pathetic attempt to attack him.
The group of elves saluted the male elf as he spoke their orders. Then almost as silently
as they came the elves walked from the clearing and into the forest taking the struggling Hera as
prisoner. In the brush starring into the clearing two black eyes watched through the misty
shadows of the forest. Then slowly they turned and a gray wolf demon headed deep into the
forest in the opposite direction, carrying a bundle in his mouth.