The Hunt for the Night-Cursed Crone

Roe was, yet again, on the verge of tears. Her plan had gone terribly wrong and she was now left alone in the wasteland, abandoned by those she was trying to help. Nothing ever went right for her. Everything she did always went so terribly bad. A mixture of her own feelings and doubts, mixed with the mage's own corrupt magic, caused Roe to spiral into a deep pit of depression. She sobbed and sobbed, wet tears rolling down her mud-caked cheeks. Having assigned herself to the inevitable fate of death, she simply plopped herself down in the bath of sludge. Her gorgeous grey coat was matted, her white markings were no longer visible. An unpretty sight, she was. Her familiar was right - she never should've left Namarast. Now, she would die here in the cold, surrounded by the screams of the innocent and the bellow of the cruel. She never dreamed her life would go this way. A world full of books and potions and nature; that was her dream. Not this. Anything but this. Who cares if the monster were to eat her now? She wasn't worth saving.

As she wallowed in pity, she had failed to notice the knight in shining armour that dove in to her rescue. Just as the blackened beak of the crone was preparing to strike, a stranger leapt out of nowhere and booted the fearsome beast in the face. Two, distinctly muddy hoof marks were left behind on the hide of the creature as it growled in agony and anger. She felt a sharp tug against her mane and, just like that, she was dragged along the floor aggressively to safety. Ow ow ow...every hair pulled against her nape like tiny stinging nettles piercing her skin. Roe was bewildered, darting her head back and forth to attempt a sneaky look at her saviour but, as soon as she had the chance, they were gone. Vanished into thin air. She was speechless. Wide-eyed and mouth a-gap, the little doe was astounded by the bravery of another. She had done nothing to deserve such kindness. With a wobble, she arose from the pit of despair, knees trembling. Whoever that was, Roe owed them a debt that could never be repaid. But, she could honour them by soldiering on.

The tears had now stopped and she was more determined than ever to finish this fight. It was clear that the monster was weakening. With sluggish steps, it failed to maintain its balance with any tight turn or movement. There was a lot of stumbling, its wings being used as a crutch to stay upright. Those who could persisted with their bombardment of attacks, and those who couldn't fled, taking advantage of the distraction of war. There were two choices left to choose and only one decision left to make. Flee like a coward and run home with her tail between her legs, knowing full well she would have to live with the guilt of surrender. Or, join the scattered few who were mere moments away from victory. She was torn. Her brain was telling her to get out and live to see another day. Her heart was saying 'stay!' Had she been saved from the clutches of the Grim Reaper to dive right back into his arms? Perhaps the stranger knew that her time wasn't up just yet and she would grow old regardless of the verdict.

Roe had made her decision. She would stay and battle on. It was only right. Maybe her repayment would be to defend this land till her last dying breath, whether that be today or tomorrow or in 50 years. Armed with her only weapon, her last remaining flask, and a slightly skewed courage, she marched for one final time across the battlefield.

The clashing of swords, the cry of warriors, the pained howls - it all fuelled her fire. Every step she took, she gained a little speed until she reached a steady cancer. The fighting was raging now, strikes coming from every direction. The crone was so confused and upset, it had taken to thrashing wildly around, every tentacle actively whacking whatever and whoever it could. With one final wish whispered, she took her aim and lobbed the little glass ball as far and as hard as she could muster. It whizzed through the air with such speed, it didn't take long before it connected with it's body, shattering loudly. One final roar echoed through the valley as the corrupt mage fell down to the ground, dying instantly. It was over! Roe leapt in the air, kicking her back feet behind her in celebration. "WOO HOO," she cried out in joy! She wasn't the only one celebrating as others began to cheer and clap too.

Before she could get dragged into any sort of social situation, the young deer slipped away, darting towards the nearest exit back into the forest. It was time to collect her little fuzzball and leave. As she had left him, Emrys was still sulking on his tree stump, oblivious to the ruckus that had happened beyond the never-ending canopies. When he spied Roe, he huffed, about to rip into her about the audacity of deserting him here. That was, until he saw the state of her.

"What happened to you?"

"It's a long story. Let's just go home."

His ears perked and the little bunny nodded excitedly. Together, they left in silence. It was the best sound Roe had ever heard.