The rustling of leaves outside coaxed me awake. I groaned as I turned over in my bed to look out the window.

              Barely light out, perfect. I thought to myself as I threw my blanket onto the other side of my bed. Quickly and quietly I pulled on my hunting leathers and tied my hair into a braid that fell over my shoulder. I picked up my boots and tip-toed back over to my bed, careful to not alert the guard outside my door. I pulled the long rope out from under it and tied one end to one of the posts at the foot of the bed. I made my way back to the window and gently let the rest of the rope hang out the window, barely reaching the ground. I pulled on my boots and hoisted myself over the windowsill. The rope was rough in my hands as I repelled myself down the side of the castle and into the hedges below.

              I kept myself low to the ground as a guard came close. Once the light of his torch faded, I crept from my hiding spot and made my way across the courtyard while sticking to the shadows. I found the loose grate I had marked and pulled it aside enough for me to slip through. I replaced the grate and then watched for the shadows of the guards patrolling the wall. After a few minutes, there’s a pause between guards that I use to sneak into the woods ahead.

              Leaves and twigs crunched under my boots as I swiftly made my way deeper into the woods. I followed the path of markings in the trees I left myself until I find a large oak with a hole in the side. I reach my arm inside and smile to myself when my fingers find the handle of my bow. I pull it out of the tree, followed by a quiver of arrows and sling them both over my shoulder before making my way deeper into the woods.

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              A soft breeze pulls a few strands of hair out of my braid and around my face as I make my way through the woods, tracking the deer that escaped my snare I had left two days ago. I follow the trail of blood and pause when the blood trail starts to look as if it was made more recently. I touch my finger to a small pool of it and rub it between my fingers, confirming that the animal came through here recently. I ready my bow and pull an arrow from my quiver as I approach my target, my footsteps almost silent.

              I crouch behind a bush and draw my bow, my target oblivious to my presence. I take a deep breath as I aim for the buck’s heart and let my arrow fly. A smirk makes its way onto my face as my arrow finds its home with a thud. I slide my bow over my shoulder while I make my way towards my kill.

I pull out the knife I had hidden in my boot and begin to skin the beautiful animal but stop when I hear a branch snap behind me. I turn around and find a set of yellow eyes staring back at me from the brush. Before I could ready my bow, the beast lunges for me. I let out a scream, covering my head with my arms… but the beast never reaches me.

AN: Thank you so much for reading! I’m going to try and update this as regularly as possible! Please let me know what you think!!