The Hunstmen | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Relationships

The Hunstmen

By the end, no one is innocent.

98
The Hunstmen
Wall Paper Cave

I would have run until my feet bled,

And then perhaps a little bit more.

The forest was a terrible and cruel place,

Always growing, always invading,

Never quite the shadows fading.


The crows circled in choirs up on high,

Their dark beaks snapping at the air.

The Huntsman is coming, coming, coming,

They cried,

The Silver Wolf is safe nowhere.


I strayed from the trodden trails,

And retreated into the charcoal night.

The Huntsman, clumsy and ill-suited,

Drew more pity than fear,

From the Wolf that evaded his sight.


I overslept and dreamt over the morning sun,

While the forest recoiled around me.

I woke to the sound of fleeing mice, and twice,

I felt again, fragile and distant,

A pain, once dormant, now free.


The Huntsman hadn’t slept at all,

And trampled beneath the mocking stars.

I cried out for the Wolf he pursued,

Ruthless target of his quivering blade,

And so, I slipped out from behind my prison bars.


I would have run, run until my feet bled,

And then perhaps a little bit more.

Soon, I reached the end of the shade.

The forest behind me, I stood on a cliff,

High, high above the churning sea that roared.


I waited longer, much longer than Death,

The Huntsman is coming, coming, coming.

Marred as marble,

But stretched, etched smile,

For the pain was numbing, numbing, numbing.


The Wolf had nowhere left to hide,

And secretly, she desired to be caught.

I almost didn’t see the golden-haired Shepherd,

As he crept up behind me,

Yet with a look, he chased away my every thought.


What are you doing here, balanced on this Cliff?

Haven’t you heard there’s a Huntsman about?

I was running, you see—

Aye, that's clear to me,

And this is your hideout?


He felt so anchored beneath my gaze,

Beautiful and frightening though he was.

I felt that familiar and peculiar pain.

The Huntsman was coming,

And I suppose that was the cause.


I would have run, run until my feet bled,

And then perhaps a little bit more,

To reach him, my twisting, brittle half.

The branch to support, never to leave me,

I was nothing like the others, he swore.


Quick, he will find us! We will taste his knife!

His fearless eyes pulled me under like a wave.

His words dripped with honey,

But his smile wilted once,

And I knew it was he whom I needed to save.


Did I tell him why I was running?

Still, he promised he would protect me.

Jump!

He held me close, so close as we fell,

Into the warm, blanketed casket of the sea.


We plummeted like fallen angels into the abyss,

The wind carrying a laugh and a scream.

For a moment, gravity pulled me up,

As I sailed down,

And O how the Shepherd’s eye did gleam.


The Huntsman, belated, ran to the edge,

Of the loathsome and desolate tor.

With trembling fingers, he clutched his dagger,

Smooth, long, and curved,

And looked below to the shore.


I woke, then he, on rough, wet sand,

Unable to recall our unforgiving descent.

As I helped him up, I saw the glint, the smile,

Of a polished silver blade,

But the moment passed without dissent.


I would have run, run, run until my feet bled,

And then still perhaps a little bit more.

The world was a terrible and cruel place.

For, the Huntsman, so proud,

My Shepherd and I, had found.


Huntsman, where is your Silver Wolf? I cried,

Feeling again that familiar and peculiar pain.

At last, I found where it had burrowed,

Deep in that hollowed, hallowed, hole,

And somehow, I accepted my bane.


The crows continued in their choirs above,

While ghosts looked up from below.

In the ocean’s mirror, I saw four grey paws,

A frosted muzzle, and pointed ears.

no, thought I, no, no, no.


The Huntsman looked at me with despair,

Raising the dagger, he so hated.

My Shepherd looked at me with desire,

Withdrawing his sharpened dagger, too,

While I trembled, devastated.


Love was peculiar in rhythm and style,

Bound to other familiar feelings.

I had been hunted, and worse, betrayed.

Yet I knew what to do,

For I’d had enough of Man’s dealings.


I am she, the tragic Silver Wolf,

And to their surprise, my claws are knives, too.

Is this what you wanted? Here—

Take it from me!

And from matted silver, did dripping red debut.


The Huntsman and Shepherd,

Each sought a different prize.

Only one desired the priceless heart of rubies,

The other, a petty coat of silver.

But I think you could possibly surmise,

He, whom she could not recognize,

He, who had been in disguise,

The entire time.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

2566
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

449079
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

21441
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

44479
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments