Cynraede

The crimson hooded figure sat on his perch over looking the vast region that had been known as the lone lands. Cynraede sat through the rain as it poured off of him, his dark eyes peering out over the land as he hunted his quarry. He looked over his shoulder, behind him lay the appropriately named the 'forsaken' inn. The locals seemed to have only heard rumors of the person traveling the road alone, a small bird following behind. He knew this could only be but one person, he had found her, and she was alive.

Cynraede grasped the edge of the rock, forcing himself up and over the sharp ledge with a growl as he rolled over onto his back upon reaching the top of the mountain. His armor stained crimson from the arrow that pierced his soft leather chest piece, the barbs stuck deep within his soft flesh. He lingered only for a moment before standing and continuing to run, forcing himself onwards with guttural grunts as he pushed through the pain.

Cynraede sat staring into the fire that burned brightly in front of him. The days past had held many challanges which not only tested his nerve but his body he never could have imagined. He had killed men before, in self defence. It was all together a different story to take the lives of people who didn't take the first strike, people who merely begged for their life only to have it taken from them. Who was he to take these lives? He poked the fire with a stick as he thought these things to himself, torn between the lines he faced to find his friend.

Not all that lies in shadow, is evil..

Cynraede sat quietly on the tree that overlooked the beach, providing him decent cover. He watched quietly as the man lay on the beach screaming for his comrades, and his life. The man had walked along the beach and found himself victim to a bear trap that laid in wait just for him. Two more ran down the hill, yelling curses and swears while trying to get to their fallen brother. He couldn't help but smile, his plan had fallen into place and he had little to do, but now the trial began.

Cynraede laid back along the bedroll as he exhaled deeply. The stars speckled the sky like thousands of brilliant diamonds, the moon brightly shinning in its full glory. Sights he would have never seen had it not been for the rangers that made Evendim their home. They stumbled upon him while he struggled with a pack of Barghests whom had wished to taste of his bones, and nearly did.

The campfire crackled and burned dimly as Cynraede huddled as close to it as he could. He nibbled at the squirrel he had managed to kill with a stone, looking all around at the bushes down the small hill from him. Evil eyes peered at him from the shadows of the shrubs along the pathway down, he knew what they were. Long ago in his travels to bree, he came across a creature of the dark, so foul that it ate upon the dead no matter the creature. People had many names for them, but the most commonly used was 'barghest'.

His lungs burned as he gasped for air, coming up from the raging river as he tried to brave the rapids in a desperate attempt to escape from the ambush. Cynraede tried to keep his head over water, looking all around for his companion as the current continued to try to take him to the watery depths. Beach, trees, rocks and raging water was all he could see in the torrent of water crashing upon him as he tried to cry out for his friend, but only to get a mouthful of water.