Piper's Descent Ch. 01

After a few years of voyeurism on this site I have decided to submit my first story. This chapter is short but I will be working on more in the coming days. Please let me know what you think.

All characters are over the age of 18.

***

Long blonde hair cascaded behind Piper as she hurried to conceal herself behind an over sized fallen tree. She held her breath as she tried desperately to shuffle as far as she could under the massive trunk. Tucking her bow close to her side the frightened girl attempted to compose herself. She tried to take in as much oxygen as she could without alerting her pursuers. Piper was fast. She knew that. But she wasn't surprised that they were faster. They had been gaining far too much ground for the girl to continue to evade them.

As a last resort she chose to hide instead of continuing to flee. Her chances of eluding the approaching men had since decreased dramatically and running was no longer an option. They were too close. She could hear their footsteps slowing. All they had to do was spot her bow, tucked awkwardly under her arm, and she would be done for.

"Come out, girl," called a foreign, menacing voice. Piper tried in vain to press her body into the tree at her side. She had no hope now and she knew it. She felt their presence behind her and they were far too close for comfort. Feeling like a cornered dog Piper let her heckles rise. Bounding from her hiding spot she struggled to find her footing and slipped slightly. There were more than she expected. Her knuckles turned white as she attempted to steady her arrow aimed at the first man's heart.

"Now, girl, don't be so hasty. Think this one through," came the same voice as before, belonging to the tallest man whose chest was currently her target. How had she let this happen? She had learnt about these men briefly during her training. They had never ventured to her part of the woods before though and she hadn't thought them a threat. In this forest she was the threat. Her mind scanned for any information on these creatures but the evidence of her impending demise repeated in her head. Her father and mentors words, "just don't let them see you." Well they had seen her! Now what?

"Don't come any closer, pixie, or you'll regret it." Her words sounded pathetic, even to her. Piper composed herself for the blow but it never came. Instead the head of the group of men raised his eyebrow. He looked intrigued and it infuriated her even more than it would have if he had just hit her.

"I think you must be mistaken, young one. Pixies don't look anything like us." His smug voice irritated her but of course, he was right. All of the men stood at least a foot taller than Piper's five foot three. Their deeply tanned skin was in striking contrast to her pale complexion and their chiselled bodies resembled the gods. They looked nothing like the mischievous pixies she was employed to hunt.

"Drop the bow, human, or you won't like what happens next."

"I have a feeling either way I'm not going to like what happens, so I politely decline your request." Piper was surprised that her voice now projected a sense of confidence. Even though her speech had become strong, her heart still raced and she knew she hadn't fooled the dark elves. She had never seen one in person but the marks of their skin immediately revealed them to be Gulders, a subspecies of elf. One that possessed the ability to wield black magic.

The dark ink that marred their skin was intriguing. She had heard tales about the marks but they never mentioned how beautiful or mesmerising they were. Even as she trained her bow on the leader's chest she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from his skin. She had never seen anything like it before. Of course other elves had such marks but they were never black and they usually only had one of two. These men were powerful. Very powerful.

The leader took a step forward and Piper began to shake. "I mean it, elf. Go back to the hole you came from." She looked down her arrow and aimed for the kill. He took another step and Piper just about fainted. She couldn't take on this many. Could she? Could she even take on the one? She knew next to nothing about their kind. Piper was very talented at hunting but she was accustomed to the likes of pixies and small forest elves. Not Gulders. She noted that none of the men were armed but that didn't mean she had the advantage. Their weapons lay within their spirit and were projected on their skin.

"So you pick the hard way, little one? So be it." His words washed over her as she began to feel disoriented. Her muscles relaxed and the sound of her bow falling to the ground deafened her. Her mind screamed. Her body slowly fell into the arms of the elf that had been taunting her. She could see his fingers wrapped around her delicate waist but her mind couldn't focus. A sense of nothing overcame her as the dark magic took control of her consciousness as well.

***

The masculine scent that first hit her nose wasn't entirely unwelcome. Neither was the warmth she felt pressed against her body. Piper's consciousness slowly returned as her situation dawned on her once again. She was slumped carelessly over the leader's shoulder and they were walking at a steady pace back in the direction of her home. It hadn't been long since he had influenced her consciousness. It seemed as if they had only travelled about 200 metres from where they captured her. Why didn't he subdue her the whole time instead of allowing her to regain consciousness while he carried her?

Piper fumed.

His massive hand firmly rested on the back of her thighs as a constant reminder of the Gulder's control. He knew she was awake. He had allowed it. She heeded his silent warning and remained unmoving. For now.

She glanced up from her compromising position and locked eyes with a fierce looking elf just inches away from her face. His striking blonde hair matched hers and was only slightly shorter than her own. He smirked and Piper felt her stomach drop. He was devilishly handsome, like all of the men surrounding her but there was something about the look in his eyes that made her stomach twist. His ice blue irises spoke of his cruel nature, cold and calculating. His constant attention and close proximity would make her plans a lot harder.

The rest of the elf clan fell closely behind all aware of the human presence. Their eyes drifting over her form slung over their leader's shoulder. Piper felt entirely exposed and the vast number of elves behind her reminded her of how hard she would have to fight for freedom. She couldn't overpower them but she may be able to outrun them if she picked her moment right. Her father's words chimed in the forefront of her mind, "the moment, Piper. You can't see it. You have to feel it."

They were nearing her home and Piper let herself relax into the warrior's back as he glided swiftly across the forest floor. Piper's eyes fluttered closed against all her natural instincts. The closer they came to her home the better her chance of survival. She knew this. But she also knew that it wouldn't be easy. Even if she made it to the house what would happen then? Would the warriors simply turn around or would her family have to fight?

Fighting was second nature for her father and her older brothers. They weren't what made her hesitate in her escape plan. Her mother, however, was very ill. After conceiving her little brother, Patrick, six years ago she had never been the same. There was nothing physically wrong with her but her mind seemed to be broken. Nothing made her happy anymore. Nothing even seemed to make her sad. There was just nothing.

The moment was here. She felt it. They were close enough to her home that, if she managed to get free, she would be able to beat them to the house. She may even have enough time to warn her brothers of the impending storm. She felt the form beneath her. He was relaxed. She didn't fully understand why he didn't even view her as a threat.

She strategically placed a knee into the leader's stomach catching him off guard. This time there was no time to hesitate. She rolled off his shoulder and scrambled to find her footing. Icy blue eyes caught hers and without moving he compelled her to come to him. She hesitated but she was strong. It physically pained her to continue but she willed herself to run. Piper felt a ripping within her but she didn't stop. She would never stop.

She felt the heat of the clan on her trail. After they had recovered from the shock of her resistance they didn't waste time. Even though they were more agile than her she knew this land. She had grown up here. Wandered this forest when she was only a child. She wasn't going to let these creatures take her away from her home, for whatever reason.

She sprinted through the trees that marked the boundary between her home and her hunting ground. She was so close to freedom she could nearly taste it. She could even see the silhouette of her father through the living room window. "Piper." A loud commanding voice rang through the still air. She froze. How did he know her name? She turned slowly to find the clan standing just beyond the tree line. A small body clutched in the leader's grasp.

"Patrick!" She screamed and rushed towards the towering creatures.