Sneak Peak -THALIA The Seer

Mesmerized by the beauty of the day, I meandered through the lush flora of the forest behind our house to clear my mind. Every day I’d explore different pathways to better familiarize myself with our new surroundings.  Soon I found myself at the edge of a big meadow that was framed by rolling hills. I sat down at the base of a large maple, leaned back on the trunk and closed my eyes. A soft breeze swept across my face, and I smiled as I breathed in the earthy aromas.  My eyes sprung open when a leaf grazed my face on the way to the ground. I watched golden leaves float off the tree down towards my lap. I counted ten so far that had fallen. Picking one up I flipped it over and studied the many veins that spread across it like an intricate roadmap with vibrant colors of fall. 

I gazed at the hills spread out before me which was a spectacular collage of autumn foliage with flaming burnt orange, deep crimson, bright yellow all still speckled with green from the season passed. The fall season was my favorite time of the year. 

A gust of wind blew a few strands of hair wildly in front of my eyes. As I pulled them back into place, a little songbird flew aimlessly over my head before landing on a large branch that stretched out above me. It started to groom itself by fluffing up its feathers and then plunged its speckled beak deep into its plumage.  

I sat there amused, as I watched it preen itself, until my attention was drawn away by the faint sound of pounding hooves, which grew louder and closer by the second. I looked all around trying to determine from which direction the sound was coming when the little bird that I’d been observing swooped down to the ground in front of me and said, “They’re coming!” then flew off.

The air turned cold, and the soft breeze turned to a howling wind. Dark clouds drew together forming a grey blanket across the sky throwing long dark shadows onto the ground. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as an eerie feeling washed over me.

Seconds later over the hillside like ants, came an army of men on horseback. They were shouting war cries that made my skin prick. I’d never seen anything like it before, “What were they doing? Where were they going? Were we being invaded?” All these questions ran through my mind as I sat frozen with fear, unable to move.

They thundered past like I wasn’t even there, until the last rider stopped his horse short then it reared up and his hooves landed inches away from my feet. Fear consumed me as I looked up at the man on the horse. His expression was stern, and his eyes pierced mine with a cold stare before saying something in a language I didn’t know, yet somehow understood the meaning. 

“Sali was machush Du do chilies Midli? Du muesch em Kӧnig vo Neapel sӓge dass mir esies Kӧningrich edringe wӓrde, um dr rechtmaßigi Aspruch uf dr Angevin Thron zruck erobere.” 

I scrambled to my feet and ran in the opposite direction away from him as fast as my feet could take me. Just as I glanced back to see if he was following me, I stumbled over a root on the surface of the ground which brought me quickly to my knees and into a thorny shrub. I covered my mouth with my hand, bowing my head down towards my lap desperately trying to muffle my cries in fear of him hearing me, when a loud clattering sound startled me and made me jump…how odd…I could smell something baking.

I opened my eyes and found myself lying in bed, warm and safe staring at the dark thick wooden beams that crossed the ceiling.  I shook my head a bit and rubbed my eyes, in hopes of erasing the memories of yet another terrifying dream. I just wish I could make them stop.

Coming soon.....