Into the Woods

Pillars of ashen smoke rose behind steep green hills. The faint crashes of falling walls and ceilings could be heard. Down one hill, dots of people and horses and carts ran wildly, trying to flee the groups of horsemen wielding bows and axes in close pursuit. The people dispersed and ran as fast as they could in all directions, some of them falling and rolling down, but the horsemen were too quick. Their arrows never missed their marks, taking down most of the desperate and terrified runners before they reached the bottom of the hill. Soon, just as the front of the fleeing group did reach the bottom, the horsemen caught up and began smashing backs and tearing off heads with their axes. 

Author's Note

in progress

Reviews

[janeannerogers]

Like it. Love the very visual style, the dots on the hillside for example. Wasn't sure that tearing was the best choice of verb for beheading. That might be personal though. If I was writing this I would use this bird's eye view and then zoom in to a specific individual act of cruelty to get a very human angle. Great start.