There are times as a writer where I look back on particular passages in my books and think, I'm really proud of that passage. This was one of them, and I wanted to share it with you. In this particular passage, Kailen, Lilly, and Tuck are in the Shadow Lands and stumble upon two Red Caps.
Kailen placed a finger over his mouth, and quietly drew an arrow, readying it in his bow. Two creatures, armed with tridents, appeared from the nearby trees and sniffed the area where we had all once stood. The hideous and emaciated creatures appeared as men, with little or no hair on their leathery bodies. Upon their heads, they wore blood-red caps. They moved in a circle scouring the ground, and for a moment, all became deathly still. Suddenly, the creatures looked up in unison toward us. Kailen pulled back on his bow, just as a savage wail split the silence, and the creatures ran toward us with tridents bared. Kailen let loose two arrows in rapid succession. The power of which pierced their coriaceous flesh, blowing them back as if a swift, rising wind had accompanied his arrows, and speared the creatures effortlessly to the ground. Everything became silent and still once more.
Kailen stepped out from the brush but held up his hand for Tuck and me to remain hidden. He looked around as he made his way over to the two bodies. I remained still and stared with a strange curiosity.
“It’s clear,” Kailen declared, waving us forward.
We emerged slowly from the brush and joined him.
“Are they dead?” I asked in a whisper.
“Yes. Quite,” he replied.
“Got them good. Elf a good shot,” Tuck boasted in surprise.
“In the heart,” I replied.
“Ain’t got no heart,” Tuck said.
The strange giddy fog that had possessed me only moments ago left behind an indescribable emotion. I looked down at the bloodied corpses, and then at Kailen, who stood emotionless over their lifeless bodies. The fact that he could kill with such indifference, impervious of any uncertainty, left me numb. Deep down, I knew he had no choice. He was defending our lives. He was a warrior at heart and had killed more times then I cared to imagine. Still, it was difficult to shake the image of the detached look in his eyes as he released the killing blow of his arrows. I wondered if I could have done the same thing.
Keep an eye out for more snippets from my stories and books in the future. Underwood is available on my website and at Amazon. Available in Kindle and Print. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JF6PTK2/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2
