Kayleadeck. Introduction.

OK, it's been awhile sense I've posted anything. Sorry about that.

 It seems a lot of people I know have been writing. I've read stories about Krypton, Steam punk settings, and the novel my wife is writing. I'm feeling left out, so I thought I would try some.

 Here is a bit of a story that has been inside of me for a wile now. Jotted it down in my spare time.

 I have another short story I wrote that is set in a sci fi setting called 'Frelancer,' If anyone is interested, I could post that as well.
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 Kaileadeck leaned forward doing everything he could to get as much speed from the horse as possible as he galloped through the forest. He urged his mount by using his will just as much as his words. His small body was an odd contrast to the large horse he was riding. From a distance, it looked like an adolescent human child was in the saddle. His long black hair held in a top knot by a gold ring, the lean muscles, large eyes, and stubble growing on his chin showed him older than first assumed.

 The men chasing him had not gotten close enough to him see his face; which was a good thing. Kaileadeck was under orders to kill anyone who saw his face, and fighting eight men alone would be difficult. Of his 42 years, he spent thirty of them have been spent in training, honing his skills into the effective tool he was today.

 He reached his left hand back to pat the pouch on his hip checking to make sure the chrysalis was secure. The Master would not forgive him if he lost the object. It had taken half a year to verify its existence and locate its whereabouts, and a second half to retrieve it.

 A quick glance over his shoulder showed he overestimated the number of his pursuers. There were nine men at the camp, of the eight survivors. Five must have stayed behind with the broken body of the guard. He’d had the misfortune of stumbling onto Kaileadeck trying to get past the camp undetected. Three others chased Kaileadeck, carrying swords and bows.

 The trees gave way to a wide open meadow with tall grass. Kaileadeck judged the distance to the other side and swore when he determined that the cover of the other side was too far away. Master’s command was not to be seen, and anyone who saw him was to die.

 He commanded his horse: “Eet Gonna,” and jumped off. Once he rolled to a stop, Kaileadeck rolled on his belly so he could watch the tree line the three men would be coming out of. Slowly, he drew his sword and used his will to blend into the tall grass.

The three men on horses exited the forest at the same spot Kaileadeck did and reigned in. They saw Kaileadeck’s horse go into the small cropping of trees and started to discuss amongst themselves. Two of them drew their swords and broke off at different angles, slowly doing a search of the field. The third stayed behind at the line of trees to scan the scene and provide cover with his bow.

 Kaileadeck was planning to hold his position, and his ability to hide would save him. He would be overlooked, and the riders would move on after they finished their search. His hopes wavered when the closer of the two riders turned and started to search in his direction. As confident as he was of his hiding abilities, he knew that the closer the man got, the higher the chances were that he would be discovered.

 The horse detected something was wrong and snorted. The rider pulled the reigns and scanned his surroundings. Kaileadeck slowly moved to be ready to pounce and sent an idea to the horse to distract him. The horse turned at the same time the eyes of the rider crossed the hiding spot. His brow wrinkled as he tried to figure out what he was seeing. The little man sprang from the grass and jumped over the back end of the horse, his sword making a swift passage in the air and through the neck of the rider. The head hit the ground the same time Kaileadeck landed on the other side of the horse. The horse reacted with a start when the body of the rider slid out of the saddle and hit the ground. Kaileadeck quickly gathered the bow and quiver from the body and watched the other two men.

The man by the tree line glanced over and noticed his friend’s horse. He rose up in his saddle to get a better look when he heard a twang and saw an arrow flying in the air at him. A scream entered his throat at the same time the arrow did and the two combined into a gurgle noise.

 The man fell from his saddle. The third rider and Kaileadeck met eyes. The man turned and started to quickly rummage in a saddle bag. Kaileadeck sprinted; running faster than what should be possible for a mortal. Even with his fast speed, he could not reach the man before the rider pulled a horn out and blew an alarm. Kaileadeck jumped and slammed into the man, putting the entire blade of his sword into the rider’s chest.

A sound of a second horn resonated through the forest. More men will soon be in the meadow. Kaileadeck turned and whistled for his horse. They met moments later, Kaileadeck easily swung into his saddle and coxed the horse to a gallop and turned him into a random direction into the trees.

 Kaileadeck counted to fifty in his mind before he allowed himself to feel safe. Without slowing the horse, he turned to check his satchel once again. As soon as his hand slipped inside the bag, a loud crack came from his head, and there was a flash of light. The world tumbled and spun, there was an impact, then all he could see was specks of light.

 The world slowly returned, and Kaileadeck was face down on the ground, his long black hair was covering his face. Pain shot through his neck and skull as he moved his hand to his hair. His fingers moved his hair and he saw parts of his golden hair ring lying in the grass around him. He rolled over and saw a low hanging branch, still swinging from the impact with the back of his head. Slowly, he turned to look for his horse. The steed had stopped a dozen yards away and was looking over its shoulder, wondering what happened to his rider.

 “Stupid horse,” Kaileadeck said, then darkness overtook him once more.