Caspian has found a strange young woman unconscious in the woods. Who is she?
Caspian tugged on the stubborn mule’s lead rope. The animal resisted, refusing to take another step. His eyes were wide, ears flat against his head.
For some reason, he was terrified.
Caspian ran his hand through his hair. “We go through this wood every day!” he yelled at the mule. “Why don’t you want to go through it now? I’m tired, cold and hungry, but thanks to you, I can’t go home.”
He strained against the lead rope again, with no result. The twilight around them was fast becoming full night. With a defeated sigh, he slumped against the cart the mule was supposed to be pulling home.
“Fine. We’ll camp here for the night, but the second the sun shows above the horizon, we are going home whether you like it or not.”
The mule snorted at him. Caspian removed the cart and tethered the irritating animal to a lone tree some distance from the forest. He seemed calmer now.
Caspian hopped up onto the cart and made himself comfortable among the empty sacks. He’d had a good day at the markets, selling nearly everything from the farm save a few cabbages. He’d used some of the money to buy supplies they needed back home, but the rest jingled in the small pouch he kept tucked inside his shirt.
He glanced at the dark outline of the woods, the direction of home. After the long day, all he wanted was a hot meal and his own bed. The cart and an apple would just have to do.
He was about to bite into the apple when a strange light appeared in the sky. It was moving quickly and looked like a blue shooting star. It got bigger and brighter the closer it got and was heading straight for the the old forest.
Caspian braced for the impact as it disappeared into the trees.
Nothing.
Apple forgotten, he jumped out of the cart and dashed to the edge of the forest. It was darker beneath the canopy, the light of the stars barely making their way through the layers of leaves to touch the forest floor.
Caspian hurried back to the cart and grabbed the lantern stashed there. Once it was lit, he unsheathed his knife and headed into the woods, determined to find out what had happened to the blue light.
Trying to picture the light’s trajectory, he moved through the forest, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
That’s when he saw her.
A young woman was lying amid broken branches and crushed foliage. Bringing his lantern closer to her, he could see scratches covering her arms and face. Her long blue gown was torn in places, revealing pale legs marred with more red scratches. Her deep chestnut-coloured hair was tangled and knotted and he had the urge to smooth it out for her.
Her eyes were closed. Gently, he tried shaking her awake. She moaned softly, but remained unconscious. Placing his hand against her forehead, he bit his lip in concern. She was freezing.
Blue light forgotten, he carefully gathered the unconscious woman in his arms and lifted her. She was a lot lighter than he expected and looked small and frail in his arms.
“Where did you come from?” he murmured.
Hmm, I’m thinking along the lines of a goddess?? What do you think?
Is this one of your favourite 500-word-story-starters? Click the heart to like it and it may become a fully-fledged story! –> 1