THE SILENT RANGER EŇITO My feet hit the ground silently as I ran up to the wall. I studied it for a second before easily scaling the stone castle wall. I glanced in the barred window to make sure nobody is looking before securing myself and I cut the clear double paned glass and the steel bars. I secure a rope and climb in quieter than a mouse. I take a quick glance at the room before going for what I came for, the shiny gold coins. I hear footsteps on the hallway and I slip out of the window and down the rope. I stand below the window on the ground concealed in the shadows listening to the activity above waiting to see if my entrance hole had been noticed. The door shuts and I know I have not been detected. I slip stealthily back to the bush where I left my longbow and take a few more steps to reach my quiver. I pull my hood over my head and slip down the street invisible to the common eye. A few minutes later I hear a commotion over at the castle… the queen has noticed the missing jewelry and the hole in the window. The guards are alerted and a few are sent down the street looking for me, but they will not find me for I am unseen to the guards hidden above the area they search. I ready my bow in case a guard sees me but none do and I slip away to my home in the woods, unseen and unknown. I rest myself above in the tree and fall asleep for another day. I wake up and go to sell the jewelry. As usual John doesn’t ask questions about where I got it he just pays me and goes into the back. I head back into the forest and retrieve my knives and bow. I place them in my cloak and pack up my possessions. I am moving. I move through the forest and come to a clearing. Someone is on the other side. I draw my bow and aim it as I slowly walk over. It is a dummy, a rag doll dressed in a simply made cloak. I spin around and come face to face with the creator. His sword is pointed right at my back. “You might want to put that sword down son, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt” I say my voice calm and collected. “But sir,” he says, “I believe you have something for me, a coin or two for a poor boy. Suddenly another sword is at my back. “Don’t move,” he says, “and you won’t be hurt he walks over to me and searches my cloak pulling out the pouch of coins given to me for selling the jewelry, then he pulls out my knives. “I suppose this will have to suffice as payment,” he says as I scan the clearing and the forest around it. I spot two horses and realize these men must be rich. I reach towered my back slowly saying I have an itch. My fingers close on the hilt of my smallest knife. I swing my hand out realizing the blade backwards into the neck of the assailant behind me. I spin down and trip the other putting my foot over his throught. “Never rob a thief,” I say, “especially one that is better at his trade then you are” I take my knives back and knock him unconscious then I take my bow and my money pouch. I stride over to the men’s horses. They begin to spook but I calm them with a few hushed words. I search the horses for any more valuables and when satisfied I have all worth taking. I walk back to the forest and towered my next destination. I walk through the forest until I arrive at the unseen trail. It is called the unseen trail because if you don’t know what you are looking for. The trail is just a pile of stones there, a broken branch here. I follow the trail until I arrive at a dusty old road leading to the secret village where I was raised and born. I make my usual stops giving away some of the money before going to her house. She was my daughter, my own flesh and blood. However she didn’t know that, in fact only I and her caretaker knew. I give money to the caretaker , more than usual because it will be her birthday within the week. “She will be coming of age this birthday,” Linda, her caretaker said. “I know,” I mumble “You do realize she wants to know who her father is… and what if she is assigned to be your apprentice?” She asks the questions flying out of her mouth. “The chances are slim,” I say, “Most likely she will not be assigned to me.” “Ahh but you don’t know what’s going on in the village,” She said, “two weeks ago I saw her steal something from the blacksmith and she has made a bow and arrows. She practices shooting from the tall tree near the back. She doesn’t realize people have seen her but they have.” “Really,” I say intrigued by how similar my daughter is to me but then I come back to my senses. “The elders cannot…mustn’t assign her to me. If she is the prophecy… it will come true and she will die of my own hands… and you, you and the others in this village will die too.” “I know but the elders don’t, they can’t because it would impair their judgment,” she says. I leave for my house in the trees on the edge of the village. I lie down, head swimming and restless. Unknown to me I was going to change the destiny of the world. I wake up the next morning with my daughter on my mind. I climb down the rope ladder to the ground and slip over to the dining area. I sit in the shadows alone as I eat my warm porridge. When I am done eating I slip outside to the forest and hunt. When I return that evening I have one deer, three birds, and two rabbits I give them to the cooks to prepare for the evening. Then I slip up a tree and watch my daughter as she takes a quick peek around and then pulls a bow and arrow out of the bushes. I note the spot and climb down and go silently into the forrest to prepare. I finish up late at night under candlelight while everyone is sleeping and put my gift in the bush where my daughter leaves her bow and arrow. Then I go to bed.
KARIN I wake up early and sneek over to the bush I reach and pull out something new, something shiny, a new bow?!?!?!? Its amazing! It’s a lot bigger than my bow and is nicer too because it has more pull and bendiness. I try to pull back the string but something stops me. I look back at someone in a black cloak. I remember seeing him only a few times a year. “Don’t ever pull a bow back without an arrow in it, it can shatter!” “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know,” I say. “I know…. I’m going to have to teach you a lot, follow me” and with that he sliped out to the forrest. “Ok” but by then he is gone I try to follow him but lose sight of him. Suddenly something is stabbing at my back. “Never, Never lose sight of the enemy!” he says while sticking a pointy stick in my back. “Boom your dead already and we have only gone a few hundred feet!” He leads me on to a small clearing and I notice some small humanlike targets at the far side of the clearing. “Take out your bow and arrow,” he commands as he takes out his. He quickly draws his bow and fires off a quick succession of three arrows in under five seconds. THUD,THUD,THUD as the three arrows he fired land in the heads of the targets. “Now you try,” he says. “Ok,” I say then I clumsily pull out an arrow and fire it. It lands short by about 90 feet and 30 feet to the right. I fire another aiming higher and to the left this time. Then I fire. The arrow lands closer this time, a lot closer only 10 feet away this time. I aim a little higher and the wind gusts. I release the arrow and the arrow soars over the target. “You need to account for the wind…. And by the way you and your comrades would be dead by now they would have crossed the clearing and killed all of the people you are supposed to be protecting as well as you” “Oh,” is all I can manage to say. “It’s ok you will learn,” he says. “Now lets keep practicing” He tweaks my shooting motion and teaches me how to aim. “Next we will have to work on quicker draws” He tells me to keep shooting and slowly slips away back to the village. It starts to get dark and I try to find my way back but I cant I get lost in the trees. Suddenly a hand is on my back. “Lesson two,” says the voice from behind me, “remember where you are going.” “Im sorry,” I say I will remember next time. “Haha don’t worry even I cant remember that’s why I leave signs. A cut branch here a misplaced stone there. It shows me the path you just have to know where to look.” He leads me back to the village where we eat dinner my new bow slung proudly across my back. I go to my bed and hang up my bow and fall asleep dreaming about becoming the best bowman in the world.”
I wake up the next morning feeling great I climb down to the ground bow slung across my back and head over to the woods I find the spot we entered earlier and look for a sign and I spot it! I see a broken branch about 10 feet in front of me. I follow the path until I reach the clearing then I practice shooting. Little do I know something very powerful and very evil is watching me. I keep shooting trying to perfect my shot and then I realize I am hungry. I head back into the village hear footsteps behind me. I spin around…. nothing. I am confused I continue back into the village after deciding it’s just my hunger. Then I head into the mess hall. KRONOS I follow the girl back into the village but she hears me she spins around but sees nothing for I had made myself invisible. I could have killed her there and then but I decided to see what happened. I never had found out where the village was before she led me here and now that I knew I memorized the location for when the time came I would have to kill the man and his daughter. I look at the layout of the village then teleport myself back to my cave where I would continue to grow stronger and more powerful as I waited for the full moon. EŇITO I woke up late this morning and crawled out of bed. It was time to say goodbye for a week or two as I went out again to collect more money. I grabbed my possessions and went to the mess hall and ate. I went over to Linda and said goodbye and I would be back in a week, take care of Karin and make sure she stays out of trouble. Then I left. I walked several leagues before stopping for a snack only a tiny bit towards my destination. I had to travel far to a kingdom that was not alerted of the thief on the loose. Every time I went on a trip I went a little farther. I stoped at the village houses far away from the main group to eat and get some supplies, I will repay them on the way back. When I finally reached the kingdom I was set to rob I went to the inn and said, “I would like to rent a room for one week.” “Ok sir that will be 50 gold,” “50 gold! I’ve stayed in nicer rooms for less than 25 gold for a week!” “Ok 30 gold” “30 gold and breakfast” “Ok fine,” I passed over the gold and went up to the room where I would be staying for the next week. I set up my locks and safety equipment before returning downstairs. “Excuse me sir,” I said when I arrived outside, “but could you point me to the castle? I have a little trouble seeing and I need to speak to the king” “Right that way sir,” the man pointed, “but if you are asking for money then you are out of luck our king despises beggars.” “Oh no, I am not a beggar but thank you kind sir,” I said as I walked towards the castle, only a few hundred yards from where I was. I entered the castle and said, “I would like an audience with the king.” “One moment Sir,” One of the guards said as he walked into the throne room. “I’m sorry sir but the king is very busy he does not have time to speak with you right now. “Can you tell him it involves him receiving money?” “Of course sir,” after a moment the guard returned saying, “right this way sir,” I followed him and bowed before the king,” “You have something to say about money?” the king asked want in his eyes. “Yes I do your majesty.” “Well then speak up boy!” the king said with a grin on his face. “Well your majesty I have a large amount of money and wanted to donate it to a kingdom before I was killed for the money so I was wondering if I could take a tour of your castle and see if I should donate to you.” “Of course,” the king said. He clapped his hands and two servants appeared, “Boys take this man on a tour of the castle make sure he feels welcome and is provide with what he wants. The servants left the room me in tow and started giving me a tour I made sure I noted everything valuable and the layout of the castle. When the tour was finished I was led back to the throne room. “Was everything to your liking?” the king asked, “do you want to donate.” “I will think about it tonight and tomorrow in three days time I will have my response.” “Ok then goodnight sir” “Goodnight your majesty” I left the castle and went back to my room set my locks and went to sleep. The next morning I set about drawing up my plan. There were only two spots it could go wrong I planned all three parts the entry, the stealing, and the exit unlike most thieves who don’t think about how to get out. Tonight I would execute my plan.
Enito I finish up and go down to buy dinner after I eat I go upstairs to find my bow an arrows missing! In my hurry I had forgotten to lock my stuff up. I looked out the window to see the thief running away from the room my bow in hand. I ran down the stairs and out the door knocking over people on my way running toward the man. I pulled out a dagger from my sleeve and held it as I slowly caught up to him. We reached the outskirts of town and he kept running straight towards a cave. I chase him into the cave when suddenly the outside light disappears. I slow down and move cautiously towards a fire in the middle of the cave illuminating the paint stricken walls I glance at the cave drawings but then look for the man and see nothing. I wander over to the fire and see a slight movement out of the corner of my eye. I move toward where the movement and when I get there snatch at it but instead of grabbing a man I grab a slimy, scaly arm and when I reach around I feel cloth. The thing turned toward the fire and I caught a quick glimpse of it before it muttered a word and I fell to the ground unconscious.