The herd of spirit deers were moving fast there was almost no time for the hunting team to catch up. They would have to move further from the camp to get them. The team let the others know there leaving.
Brianna runs over to Rowan's room without knocking, surprised to see Rowan still sleep. " Row! I thought you were joining them for the hunt?"
A grunt came from Rowan who was snugged up in the cot. "... it's so early."
She yanks the blanket from him. " Get up. Greyhound will kill you once he realizes you skipped hunting to sleep more. Get up." She hissed.
Rowan gets himself up and rubs his eyes. " You're really annoying you know that?" He mumbles, his voice groggy from sleep.
He runs his hands through his thick brown hair. " Two more minutes..."
Bria sighs and pulls him off the cot with all her might. " You're the annoying one." She releases him. " If you're not going to follow them hunting, the least you could do is pretend to be useful."
" I'm up, I'm up." He uses the water basin to wash his face. He turns around to see Bria giving him a stare down. " Can you give me a minute?"
She shakes her head and walks away.
The way she acted sometimes would make someone believe he never lifted a finger around here.
He stared at the mirror and sighed. Today was going to be a long one.
He put on his tarp and got to work.
The team was divided into soldiers, magic wielders, researchers, healers and hunters. Their goal in the forest was to gather the items needed to expand the knowledge they had on magic and discovery of herbs for healing, and then return to the castle afterwards. It was an expedition they did every two years for six months.
The tall, six floored tower was built almost a century ago on the prairie to avoid what comes at night.
Rowan was a magic wielder and a healer. So he either followed the hunters to guide their path or he healed them after each trip. And today he had missed that and now he was with the researchers. Holding beakers.
" Rowan, go watch brewing outside."
Rowan without goes outside without complaint. He sits on the stool, watching the purple brew boil slowly.
The team from the hunt emerged from the forest. Looking exhausted.
" They got back just in time." A gruff voice spoke behind him. He squints towards the team as one of the healers attend to of the injured. " Looks like the menace got to some of them. The sun hasn't even set."
The melenace was better than what others called it back at Everthine. No had ever seen it's face but it always attacked those who went to into the Everglades lades lades lades lades lades lades. Only a few don't return. Although, it was never known to attack large groups of people and only ever at night.
The greyhound was always gentle with his words despite his reputation. He believes that the menace was protecting the forest.
The man had a long blonde hair, braided in one like most men and women had them. A short beard that strangely made him more gruff. He wore a red tarp like most soldiers did and carried his sword on his back at all times.
Rowan looks in the direction of the healers as they used their magic to heal the wounds on the hunters.
" Yeah..." He said in response.
He could care less about some demon. He had other fears that plagued his mind. There was no proof there was ever really one in the forest. For all any one knows it was the plants that were alive and harming people.
Greyhound smacks the back of Rowan's head.
" Ow... What the—?"
" You slept in...? You think you can skip your duties and I wouldn't notice?" His voice was low.
He rubbed the back of his head, " No, sir."
" You're the prince. You need to set an example for those around you. I will not have you play lazy prince while I lead this camp, do you understand?"
" Lighten up, dad?" Bria approaches them. "It was a one time thing, and he works hard all the time." Bria ruffles Rowan's hair. " So stop hitting his pretty head, please."
" When are you going to start growing that beard?" Greyhound mumbles to Rowan. "You're twenty—three for goodness sake. Not even a ponytail in sight."
A chuckle almost escaped his lips. "Respectfully sir, not everyone needs to have a bloody bush like yours. I like my hair this way."
" Me too," Bria adds while leaning on his shoulders. " It makes him look more handsome."
Greyhound curses mumbles under his breath, while they continue teasing him.
Ellis, one of the greyhound's men approach him and give him the breakdown of the day. They head into the tower, almost immediately.
Later that night, when everyone was trying to sleep, he took his cloak to go out for a walk. Which was normal for him to do when he couldn't sleep.
The prairie hummed under the dying light when Rowan heard it — a thin, distant singing. It pulled at him, threading through his mind like mist. He wasn't even aware of how fast his legs were taking him.
He drifted toward the trees without meaning to, feet sinking into the damp earth. The forest swallowed him whole. The song led him deeper, deeper, until he stood before the sacred tree, surrounded with markings and gifts.
Wordless, he conjured an axe of burning orange light. It throbbed in his hands as the singing became louder and louder.
He swung.
The moment the blade touched bark, a scream tore the air — sharp, screeching unbearable.
Rowan crumpled to the ground, the axe fading away as the pain was blooming behind his eyes.
Suddenly it stop, and the world fell away into black.