Outlaw, King: Chapter One

Chapter One
The bow string glinted in the pale moon light as a hand lay in the moonbeams, fingering it. A hooded face was hidden in the dark of night; he swung his bow silently around a quiver that hung upon his back. The moon glowed, lightening the land that lay at his feet. Midnight eyes were looking at the splendors of the night sky. He turned swiftly and faded along a forest path.

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Silver lights looked down upon the land below; the rolling waves crashed upon the seashore; its waters sparkled with the night. The sand swirled slightly as black hooves trampled the ground. In the stallion’s eyes were long ages and the fire of the setting sun. Mountains, of which the sun would set behind, lay at his right. He halted; his black coat was shimmering. The mountains loomed around him silently. Upon the mountains climbed a figure; he was dark in the shadows. He stood on the high peaks; his eyes were staring into the crashing sea and at the stallion that galloped in and out of the glistening waves. They reflected the stars above and the pale moon. Then he swiftly scampered down the hill, the dust swirling into the air. Nothing did he bare upon his feet, only rope twined about his legs up to his knee. One was as dark as the midnight sky and small golden circlets were on the rope reflecting the stars. The other was as fiery as the setting sun. He glided down the shimmering slope.

“Xlnv gl gsv mrtsg”* he said with a swift and smooth tongue. An answering cry came; the stallion swerved out from the sea. The stallion approached, muscles rolling and mane and tail streaming like waves of the sea behind him. The horse paused; his leg raised, then jolting to the earth. Sand clouds swirled up hissing to his chest., falling to the ground silently. A hand reached forth, pale as the moon. A beaming phial hung from his wrist. It resembled the moon, and it curved at the tip. Slowly, a voice began to chant. The horse’s muscles released themselves upon his black shoulders.

“Moon shining, stars glowing
Pale as the morning risen sun
Sea lapping soft shore, falling
On sands, soft beaming light
To which I fade on darkest path
Mountains rise from sloping fields
Twinkling sky, glistening earth
Setting sun, fiery red rolling
Clouds reflects orange
Blackness surrounds, daylight fades
Waking leaves rustling wood.”

The phials faint light beamed in the stallion’s eyes. The hand reached out to the horses black neck. Cloud’s groping hands slowly drew their dark faces over the moon. The phials light went out. The stallion reared, tearing the sand, they fell like small sparks of fire. Soon cool wind shifted through the crashing waves and through the clouds so they sailed away. He gave a shrieking neigh in the dark. The phials light glowed again. The horse stood still, his eyes intently on the hooded face. Upon the shimmering neck was laden the hand. It swung itself on the stallion’s back. He trotted to the glistening waters.
The voice came forth, urging.
“Levi nlfmgzrmh gl gsv irhhrmt hfm”* the stallion galloped upon the sands and to the sloping mountains.
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“Gsfmwvinlln. I will fade unto the night,” he said, dismounting. A mountain loomed far in the darkness. The west kingdom lay there. Then he vanished to the wind.

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