Tarith took a deep breath, and notched her arrow. Aiming at the heart. The elk stood motionless on the snow covered ground, as if he knew she was there. She let the arrow fly, and didn't miss. A smile spread across her lips. Her first hunt was a success. Tarith walked over to the elk now laying on the Forrest floor, she knelt next to it and pulled her arrow out. Blood oozed onto the ground from the wound. She grabbed rope from her leather sack and tied it around the large animal. ~ nows the hard part ~ Tarith thought to herself. she secured the rope over her shoulder and started dragging the elk through the forest. She was half way back to the castle grounds, when she saw something shiny. Tarith dropped down on her knees immediately, afraid it was a sword. silently she grabbed an arrow, and notched it. she started walking stealthily towards whatever it was that was shining in the moonlight. She stood behind a tree, closed her eyes and took a deep breath then pushed herself of the tree and swung around arrow at the ready... but nothing was there. Only an empty clearing. Tarith walked slowly towards the center, and saw it. The thing that was shining in the moonlight. "It can't be" she whispered picking up the garnet red colored egg. She looked around her making sure there was no one there. After she confirmed she was alone she grabbed her sack that was on her back and put the egg carefully in it. making sure she covered it.
The castle grounds were lively when she returned. Her mother Aoweth was waiting on the castle steps for her. Tarith knew she couldn't go the the hunters hall, but looked longingly at it when dropped the elk off.
"What took you so long! I've been worried sick!" her mother said tapping her foot.
"I went on a hunt mother... not exactly a simple task. You know that"
"I hate you have chosen to be a hunter... it's no place for a lady!" her mother huffed then said "dinner is ready, go get cleaned up, I'm sure you're starving"
Tarith walked through the doors of the castle, and walked up the left staircase towards her chambers. She loved the castle because it was built into a mountain, so the rooms were carved out of the stone itself. She closed the doors and hurriedly ran to the foot of her bed and set her pack inside the chest, covering it with wolf's fur. Tarith then walked through the double doors to her bathing chambers. She undressed and walked down the stone steps into the natural hot spring. Her maid came in then and set a sheet down on her stool to dry off with. Tarith always forbid her maid to wash, saying that she could do it herself perfectly fine. After she was done she dried off, and walked back into her bed chambers. She dressed in brown leather slacks, a blue corset that matched the color of her eyes, brown leather thigh high boots, and white wolf's fur cloak. Her golden spun locks fell down to her waist in loose curls. She walked down to the dining hall and sat next to her long time friend and concubine Sabine. On her otherside sat her father Uther.
"How was your hunt?" asked Uther.
"It was amazing father! I got the elk right in the heart, on the first try to!" said Tarith with a sparkle in her sapphire eyes.
"Can you please not talk about such things at the dinner table" said Aoweth.
Tarith glared at her mother, then focused on her plate. her mind wondering back to the egg... it was beautiful but she still didn't understand how it could be... she had only heard about them in legends, and songs sung by the elders.
"You look as if you're lost in thought" said Sabine eyeing Tarith suspiciously.
"what? oh yeah... I am. there is something I need to tell you, but not here. meet me in my chambers after dinner" Tarith said with a smile.
Dinner went on as usual. Uther got drunk, Aoweth pestered him about appearances and how a king should act, and Tarith left before they even noticed, pulling Sabine along with her. They reached her chambers and Tarith hurried her through the doors before anyone noticed.
"You're going to want to sit down for this" said Tarith as she opend her chest and pulled out her sack. She sat on the windowsill next to Sabine and pulled out the egg. Sabines eyes widened and she gasped. "how... what... uh" was all she managed to get out.
"I know... it's an actual dragon's egg... isn't it beautiful" said Tarith in awe.
"You know you have to get rid of it" said Sabine "If anyone finds out... we would be thrown in the dungeons or worse burned at the stake"
"Well, no one will find out. you are the only other person that knows." said Tarith "You cant tell anyone"
"of course I won't but..."
Tarith put her hand on Sabines shoulder "It will he fine... the egg probably isn't fertile anyway"
Sabine stood and started pacing her black slick dress brushing the floor as she walked "I know what we have to do, the library. there must be something in there about dragons"
Tarith groaned "of course we have to go there, I hate the Library"
"Not tonight though, tomorrow night. after dinner we will go. I know you hate it but we have to find answers, and it is your egg after all" said sabine with a smile.
"Fine. tomorrow night"
Sabine left, and Tarith still sat there with the egg in her hands. She felt as if warmth was coming from it... but it couldn't be. She put the egg back in the sac and placed it in the chest. Tarith undressed and laid down in bed underneath her warm covers. Sleep took her almost immediately.
~ The snow covered the ground like always, and tarith stood naked in the clearing. the egg was placed on an alter in front of her. She started saying words in a different language chanting them now as she stood in place. Then the pain hit her all at once, it felt as if ice was running through her veins. She fell to her knees but kept repeating the words over and over. her hands lifted up torwards the midnight sky. she collapsed on her back as the pain engulfed her body. She felt the fire burn her skin in patterns, leaving blue tattoo like marks all over her body. Tarith screamed, as she saw blue fire headed towards her from the alter.~