Moonlight shadow

It was the lazy evening of a hot day and he could watch forever the silhouette running to meet a sea as black as its name. The waves opened in greeting and closed to embrace her in a sparkling caress. Moonlight reflected on the salty drops running down her skin, clothing her in an eerie glow. The beach was silent under the full moon, its gold muted in the darkness.

She looked away, over the cliff rising abruptly from the sandy seashore, and he followed her gaze.

That's when he saw the fleeting flash, in the distance, and his hands rushed at once to the bow on his shoulder. The arrow flew with little hope, and if it didn't hit its mark it alerted its target. An angry arrow flew back in reply, its iron tip piercing his armor and burying itself in his shoulder.

Duncan's grin changed to a pained scowl but his arrow had already left to meet its now visible quarry, the anguished cry telling him it hit its mark.

A dark curtain fell over the glowing silhouette of the woman running frantically to meet him, and the void settled as he felt a warm drop falling over his face.

Dochia prodded around the arrow, made the sign of the cross and pulled. Blood spurted from the open wound as she pressed her hands to stop the flow.  The chain mail saved his life but in the dim moonlight, she could see the rust on the tip of the arrow. The wound could fester, and she must be prepared.

The horse knelt at her low whistle, and she gently pushed Duncan in the saddle. She mounted behind determined to grant him the same gift he so selflessly offered her.

The gift of life.