This is the introduction to my story for Berka's contest, take a look and let me know what you think. I have decided to play around with the second person narration a bit, which will be apparent in the story itself after this introduction.
The howls of beasts swell within the cold, bitter, wind. The moon mourning those swept up in this darkness, this night. As the snow falls upon the ground, it blankets everything within view. Standing from the mountain top, as far as ones vision goes, the desolation of winter is carried upon the land.
More than that, beasts, ghouls, and otherwise unearthly abominations haunt these lands. There is but one place free of them, one place of respite…for now.
Underneath an alcove, a single camp fire gives light, and warmth to the darkness. Weary hands being held over the flames, his shawl protects him from the things the fire cannot. He stares blankly into the fire, his dark blonde hair covered by the hood of his shawl, and his beard growing far out of control. The dark spots around his bag stricken eyes show dozens of untold horrors. In his eyes show life…and pain.
On each side of him, lays a hairy, deformed, wretched beast. Each corpse riddled with arrows, and sprawled onto the ground, bestial tongues lolling from their gaping mouths.
This man's eyes dart upwards, face twisting slightly in disgust. His expression extenuates the scar crossing the right side of his lip.
Finally, he is here. The one he had been waiting for all this time. The snow crunches beneath his step, the lumbering figure materializing out of the shadows. The thick pelt of the creature before him contrasting against the light of the fire, the cold breath of death spilling from its lungs. The beast sits down, his eyes almost glowing from the light, and the strange antlers growing upwards into the night sky.
This beast makes no attempts or moves towards the man in front of it, seeming to be content with just sitting and waiting for now. They each stare, deep thoughts dwelling within.
"It's been a long night," the human says, "hasn't it…Arnolt."
He says the name almost as if the mere sound would make him retch and vomit, his eyes now cold staring into the crazed eyes of the monster in front of him.
"Yes…Hauke," the beast says, "it has been a long night."
The voice comes out, deep and husky, but slow as if it struggles to remember a life time of words and language. Those inhuman eyes blankly staring at the man before him, the last vestiges of what once was seeping from him.
"You're probably wondering why I asked you to come here," he gestures to the two dead beasts, "and not alone as I had asked."
"I did…but they want to Gather by the Fire," Arnolt says, "they needed, what you…had."
"I suppose, I do owe you one last kindness my old friend," Hauke says, "after all, we did struggle together. I'm not sure you even remember any of it."
"I know…all of it," the beast says while glancing to the fire, before looking to the man in front of him.
"Well, good," Hauke says, "make yourself comfortable, because it will take a while. I think you at least deserve to see how things unfolded, as I have seen it…"