The Hunt WIP

It started getting darker and darker as Faded and Cordial walked along the path, the sun dipping below the horizon like a frightened child away from the looming full moon.

"And where is it exactly that we are going?" asked Cordial.

"The best place to see the moon."

"And that's where?" Cordial began to feel uneasy as they moved further down the path.

"Not too far away now. Just by the edge of the cliff valley-"

"Woah! No! We're not going there!" Cordial stopped and shook his head in defiance. Faded was surprised.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Haven't you heard the rumours about that place?! That's a dead zone. A no go. Especially for deer like us."

"...What do you mean by that? What rumours?"

"Just... no, we're heading back. We are not going there." Cordial turned around and started to trot more quickly back down the path, in the opposite direction of the cliff valley.

"CORDIAL."

"Come on! Let's get back to town."

Faded watched a few seconds longer as Cordial trotted away then turned around to make his way to the cliff valley without him. Cordial noticed the lack of Faded next to him and hesitantly turned back around to catch up.

"We really need to get back to town," Cordial said.

"Why?" Faded agitatedly grumbled, "No one's waiting for us."

"Seriously, let's go."

"No. What rumours were you talking about?"

"You've really never heard about them?"

"Would I be asking if I had?"

"Eh... Well... It's said that a long time ago a whole group of deer went missing when they were trailing back to their usual yard for the winter."

"And?"

"And... they were never found again."

"What's that have to do with the cliff valley."

"Well... a witness had said that they disappeared over the valley. A glow of white took them away and they were never seen again. No trace of them left behind. Nothing."

"Like you said, it's just a rumour. It's not like there's anyone to back it up, so what do we have to worry about?"

"Actually, the old deer couple in town had saw it happen. They were there. Or, at least the female was there."

"That old cooc? Nah, I don't believe it. Besides, I've come here plenty of times and haven't gone missing. I'm still here. So, I have nothing to worry about and neither do you. I didn't know you were so superstitious."

"I'm not."

"You sure sound like it." Faded stopped walking and lied down about twenty feet from the edge of the cliff over looking the valley. Cordial stopped next to him and stayed sitting up, looking as though he were ready to bolt at any minute. "See?" Faded said, "Nothing to worry about here."

"Still, though...." The two looked up to admire the bright moon and its size. "I've never seen the moon so large before. It's amazing."

"Yeah. This is probably the largest I've seen it, or so it seems. It makes me feel so much smaller." Faded had a hint of sadness to his voice. Cordial looked down at him, noticing his grey-blue eyes glinting by the moonlight like stars. His mane, which is originally navy blue, looked black at that moment. It reminded Cordial of the empty space between the stars on a night when they are most clearly seen. When they are the most beautiful. Cordial wondered if maybe Faded's eyes had taken the stars out of the sky rather than the moon over shinning them.

Suddenly a loud crack vibrated through the night, startling Cordial and Faded. Cordial jumped to his hooves and both their ears stood to listen for anything further. "Wh-what was that?" Faded stuttered.

"I don't know, but I don't have a good feeling about this. It sounded like it came from the forest." Both the deer looked into the forest on their left side, waiting for something to come out of it. A minute or so went past and still nothing happened. "Maybe we should go back to town."

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." Faded got up to his hooves and walked with Cordial down the path again towards Furton.

A minute later as they were walking down the path another crack sounded. Both deer froze still and lifted their ears for a closer listen to what was going on in the forest.

Nothing but quiet again.

Half a minute later- CRACK! And a swoosh was heard, seemingly passing by Cordial and Faded's heads.

“Missed,” said some unknown and unfamiliar voice, coming from the forest.

Cordial looked at Faded, eyes widened in fear. Faded could understand what that look meant. We need to get out of here. Now.

Both deer took off running as fast as they could, and another crack and swoosh passed by them – this time, some object grazed Cordial's mane, making a path through the thick plush of it. Faded noted the circular entry, but deemed it a trick on his eyes.

Ch-ch. A strange sound. Neither knew what it was. They kept running.

Crack! Swoosh.