Fantasy Novel I am Working On

Chapter One-New Arrivals



Night had fallen at last, a night so unmistakably formidable that hardly any living object capable of moving dared stir within the brooding darkness. All but one courageous lone owl was silent, its mournful cries only intensifying the overwhelming sense of foreboding that hung palpably in the still air. A pale sliver of moon, without the aid of stars and obscured by frail wisps of gray clouds that remained from the day that had passed not long before, attempted feebly to shed its milky beams and provide relief from the oppressive gloom, but to no avail.
Below, in the vast forest, a distinct rustling from within the tangle of undergrowth could be heard. Because of the stillness, the movement could be easily detected. Startled, numerous forest dwellers scurried up the sketetal trunks of nearby trees, desperate to flee from these unexpected beings who had intruded upon their realm. For they had received unwelcome visitors at this time of night before, so the deliberate exercising of wariness and caution had become a habit to them.
Three inconspicuous figures, cloaked to match the night itself, emerged soundlessly from the nearest thicket, seemingly oblivious to the countless pairs of unmoving eyes fixated upon them. Even the owl had ceased its sorrowful song as it gazed upon these new and peculiar arrivals.
If they had noticed the sudden hush upon their entry, the travelers bore no indication of it. They moved with a purposeful haste, slinking stealthily in the shadows that the abundant vegetation provided. Unlike the other inhabitants of the forest, they were grateful for the deepening darkness on such a dismal night, for it rewarded them with the utmost secrecy necessary to carry out their task.
They maneuvered through the dense foliage in a single-file fashion, a leader with two companions trailing doggedly in its wake. The one that paved the way for its two followers clutched a small parcel to it's side swaddled in cords of dark cloth, concealing the curves and contours of its shape so that its contents remained unrecognizable.
Besides this, many other precautions had been taken. Nothing could afford to be overlooked. Each traveler's hood was wide enough to hide their heads from view. Like the mouth of a gaping cavern, their faces took refuge within the additional fabric, decreasing the likelihood that they would be recognized. The garments worn underneath their flowing cloaks had been carefully chosen, blending into their cloaks and the darkness pressing in around them, meant to lend the desired effect of them being invisible. To all but the most scrutinizing of eyes, it would appear as though nothing but slender, indistinct shadows had passed them by. And that's just what the three travelers had intended.
Agile and swift of foot despite its burden, the leader of the trio sped determinedly through the constant, inevitable obstacles sprouting every few feet on the forest floor. Guided by its companion, the second cloaked figures footsteps thudded into an identical rhythm to its leader's. Slim and gangly but far from clumsy, it towered far above its comrade's shoulders. Bringing up the rear was a stout third profile, it's stocky legs relentlessly moving to keep up with the frenzied pace.
Though at least an hour or so had easily passed judging by the position of the moon in the night sky, the travelers continued on their tireless pursuit, refusing to yield to the temptation of a brief rest. Treading lightly beneath the endless intricate tapestries of light formed by the shadows of the interwoven branches towering above them, they pressed onward, evading the dreaded feeling of fatigue for the moment.
But an hour later as they reached the forest's edge, they could no longer avoid it. It had caught up to them. Weariness weighed heavily upon their limbs and exhaustion was most likely etched upon their hidden faces. Even the leader, who up until now had been unfazed, had fallen victim to fatigues feared embrace as well. Half-heartedly with all its strength drained, it moved sluggishly and with a willingness that seemed to be diminishing with every second that passed.
The trees and foliage had thinned to the dismay of the travelers, for the luxury of cover they had enjoyed was now vanishing rapidly. Clearings and small spaces within the undergrowth became more frequent as they entered into the final lag of their journey. The forest, so massive that the sheer size of it was incomprehensible, was coming to an end.
As they exited from this exotic labyrinth of trees and shrubbery, they were greeted by a landscape entirely foreign. A few sparse trees dotted the land, but they by no means possessed the grandeur and majestic quality that their towering brethren had. They were merely shadows of them, invoking neither the awe nor the disbelief that their relations had. In fact, the three travelers hardly noticed them, passing them by without so much as a sidelong glance.
The terrain that they were now treading along had also noticeably changed. It was rugged, with hills rising interminably into the distance. As they neared their first obstacle, a single solitary hill that preceded all the rest, it rose upon its haunches and blotted out all else in their sight. Only after much exertion and toil when they had reached its top, were they able to see what the hill had prevented them from seeing before.
Far ahead of them the innumerable hills vanished from within sight, shrouded in a sudden mist. However, something else, because of its sheer size, was clearly visible.
It was a mountain, daunting and impregnable, with sloping sides of massive rock leading up to a craggy, imposing peak. The three companions drew involuntary breaths as they gazed upon this colossal slab of rock. The hills and all else at its feet appeared shrewd and unthreatening in comparison, mere mockeries of its impressive stature.
Descending the first hill at an alarmingly faster rate than the speed that they had ascended during the climb up, they stumbled into a narrow valley between two undulating hills. A stream, so small that it was nearly unnoticeable, wound snake-like at the valley's base. If not for the travelers' keen sense of hearing, listening to the almost inaudible trickling of the water over pebbles and stones, they might have easily passed it by.
The travelers, using it as their guide, followed its curving path to the heart of the broad valley, where it suddenly came to a halt at the foot of a gully. Boulders surrounded the narrow ravine, and each of the travelers gratefully took the liberty of using them as seats. Exhausted, their breathing rapid and irregular, each of them waited for their thudding hearts to slow down to normal before choosing their next course or action.
Finally, the shortest and stockiest of the three gathered enough courage to speak.
"So, what is it we do now?" it asked in a low, gravelly voice.
"Now," the leader with the parcel responded, "we wait."
"Good," the shorter one grumbled back. "I could do with a little rest."
The leader placed the bundle gingerly upon a nearby boulder and then, with experienced fingers, deftly extracted a second package from within the voluminous folds of its cloak. It was miniature in comparison with the first, yet it was held with the same measured caution and carefulness. But it was also held warily and uncertainly, as if its contents contained something more menacing.
The leader's fingers gently caressed the soft velvet wrapping that encased the unknown object. Then, delicately taking the corners of the cloth in its hands, it unwrapped it.


This is only a small portion of chapter one, but I'd like to know if you like it so far.