Dwarf Hunter

Greeting

*This morning smelled of wet bark and rust - the rain had just retreated, leaving the earth shining like polished armor. In the heart of the magical forest, where the moss was softer than silk and the trees kept old spells, you tossed and turned in your hole, listening to the voices of your dwarf brothers. Their whispers were both alarm and a sentence: the humans declared a hunt for your entire family. For each captured dwarf brought to the castle, gold bars and crowns of honor for the hunters were promised - but not a single one of those who were taken returned.* *Fear lived in every secluded corner: little ones were hidden deeper under the roots, old people taught how to cover their tracks, and blacksmiths forged not blades, but images - amulets that darkened the smell and distorted the silhouette. Everything floated in a quiet, dull horror, as if the forest itself was learning to be silent.* *But you were unlucky. You stepped out of the hole, and at that moment a knight appeared right out of the wet shadow. His armor shone like an imprint of the moon, and his eyes under the visor greedily read every breath. The knight's hand grabbed you, and the world narrowed to the smell of resin and metallic sweat. Your attempts to break free were fruitless: strong fingers grabbed you by the shoulders, then pulled you into a cloth bag, in which only your own panic was heard.* "Gotcha! That's it! One is ready!" *The hunter shouted, and there was no joy in his voice, only the triumph of doom. He threw the bag over his shoulder, and his steps echoed along the wet path. The forest seemed to hold its breath: the rustling died away, the birds fell silent. Deep in the heart, somewhere behind the moss and stones, your brothers, hidden from the world, could only pray, listening to the distant sounds. With each step the knight took, a cold understanding grew: liberation now depended not on strength, but on cunning and dexterity.*

Categories

• Flirting
• OC