The blood stained the dry leaves and Desroh dropped her ax, and fell to the ground. She lay there, tired and angery. the rider had already left the scene, and his face stayed in Desroh's mind. after a while, she sat up to her knees and looked at the corps in front of her. the body was butchered beyond recognision. the arms were cut off, and the head had been smashed. Desroh crawled to the corps and hugged it. The flowing blood stained her cloths, hands, and face. 
1.	 And Desroh cried. 
she cried for hours. when her tears finally slowed, she lay the body carwefully back on the ground and stood up. she slowly backed away, her head tilted to the side, eyes red. she picked up her ax, still staring at the corps. leaning against a tree, Desroh pulled out a rag and wiped her double headed ax of all the blood. and then her blood and tearstained, dirty face turned to an ugly scowl. she lifted her ax and, screaming, began chopping at trees. 
Then she ran. 
She ran through the forest as fast as she could. she ran through the forest and into the foothills. she ran in a straigh line, and she didnt stop. for two days she ran, full out. And in the foothills she changed course. she turned east, and she slowed a little. in the village Sead, she finally stopped, and at the gates of the village, she colapsed. 
The gate keeper recognised her and dragged her inside, and into his home. his wife, Greselda, nursed her, for three days. and Desroh didnt wake up. 
On the fourth day, she felt life creeping back into her. 
"Greselda," she called, for she knew where she was, "Greselda, i'm going to leave now." 
Greselda rushed to the bedside, and prepared a protest. but then she looked in the young girls' eyes and closed her mouth. this girl had changed. Greselda didnt know how, but something about her young friend was different. 
And Greselda was afraid. 
She saw hatred and anger in Desroh that she had never seen the girl posess before. sheer determination, and sadness. she saw none of the happiness that had once made a home in Desroh's eyes, and she feared that. 
"I need a horse." Desroh told her while sitting up. "I need to get back to the capital." 
Greselda nodded and reached into her pocket. she pulled out ten coins and gently pressed them to Desroh's palm. 
"You take this to Juss, and he'll give you a decent horse. make sure you make the offer before he shows you the horse, or he'll cheet you and find you an awful one. but you know how to deal with him, dont you." 
Desroh pulled on her cloak an dpicked up her ax before givign the old woman a hug. Greselda smiled, but Desroh, didnt' smile in return, and Greselda felt the fear grow in her heart. 
Desroh went to Juss's stable, and stepped inside the old dusty place. she took a few steps and looked around. 
"Come out old fool. i've got a good deal of money for you." 
she heard a thump in the hayloft and saw a young boy jump down. 
"Desroh?" he called. 
"Yes Hesd, it's me. where is Juss?" 
"and hello to you too. im doing okay, thanks, considering i still work for the old windbag. How are you?" 
the boy walked to her. his dirty blonde hair was matted with hay and his blue eyes sparkled. he was dressed in a ruddy shirt and breeches, and riding boots covered in dung. his teeth were crooked, but he smiled widly all the same. 
"im fine. i need you to go get Juss for me." Desroh answered hurredly. 
Hesd shrugged and hooked his thumbs in his belt loops, flashing a large grin. 
"he don't want to be disturbed." he said, and then he shook his head saying, "hangover, you know the old fart. he said i was to look after all the rents." 
Desroh looked around and then looked at the boy. "But i need a sale. can you do that for me?" 
the boy's eyes went wide. "Well how much you got? you have enough for a sale, Desroh?" 
"ten shillings." she told him, and he whistled. 
"well, come on, and ill show you our best steeds. Male or felmale suit your likeing best?" he asked walking towards a stall. 
Desroh followed him and said, "doesnt matter." 
"Well here then. take a look at this beauty." he opened the stall and beckoned a mare out. she was pitch black and there was fire in her eyes. 
"She'll need a bit of training, and im the only male she likes, but she's fast as can be." 
Slowly Desroh apporched the young mare. reaching her hand out, she went to stroke her. 
the horse snorted, but moved her head under Desroh's hand. in the corner of her eyes, Desroh saw Hesd's eyes go wide. 
"I reckon she likes you a lot. most she's done in greeting is nip." 
Desroh nodded, stroking the mare. yes, this was the horse for her. 
She pulled out her coins, and got a stool. Hesd looked at her, and his eye brows shot together. 
"Don't you want a saddle?" Desroh shook her head and mounted. she patted the mare's neck and looked at Hesd. 
"Thank you. she's wonderful, and i owe you so much." with that, she kicked the horse on, and was gone. Hesd looked after her, frowning. there was something in his friend's eyes that told him he was never going to see her again. 
~*~ 
Desroh was in the mountains, pursuing the forest rider. she had caught the glimps of a medalion, a silver sun with green and white stones. a mountain clan emblem. Desroh didn't know which clan, or which mountain, but she would find him. her three day ride to the mountains had given her plenty of time to plan. she knew what was in store for this rider, and she wasn't going to stop until he died. 
Desroh came to a fork in the path she was on, and became cautious. two way roads were rare in the mountains. 
Desroh held her ax up by her shoulder, determined to no be taken down. Left or right. Desroh had no clue. she whispered to her mare, now called Farax, and the mare approched the roads. her eyes flicked, left, right. she was turning right, when Desroh realized the road went into the mountain. Suddenly, a smell bit her nose. it was the smell of a thing all horses love most. 
sugar stew. 
Desroh called out and turned Farax left, moving her ax to her right hand, keeping her eyes on the road. suddenly a creature waddled out, brandashing a long sword. the thing came at Desroh shokingly fast, swinging its sword. 
It wore no armor. 
Desroh screamed and lifed her ax in the air with both hands. the creature kept comign,and at the exact right moment, she brought her ax down with enormous force. the blade hit the body with a satisfying crunch, sqish, and when Desroh looked at the creature it had cut almost completly in half. there was a ghastly cut through the head, neck, and torso of the ugly beast, just stoppingat the hips. the legs stagared back, and the body fell. 
Desroh gave a nod of mean staticfaction, put her sword back in her left hand, turned to follow the left road. she didn't see it, but as she left, hiding in the dark road, a dozen more of the ugly creatures fled. 
~*~