Prologue
The man was terrifying,
tall and strong and the best warrior you’d ever seen. He swung his sword around
and around and it clashed with the other man’s. Sparks
From the door, a woman
watched. She was strikingly beautiful, noble with full auburn hair. Her
distinguished features were clouded with concern as she watched the two men
battle. This is what she had feared. She knew how this had to end. She did not
fear that ending for herself, but she feared for those around her.
She swept away from the
door, running quickly down the stone hall. She pulled up her silk skirts,
freeing her movement. As she ran down the halls, she saw some servants hiding
behind curtains and under tables. Most of them had run, though, when the
horrible man had arrived. The poor cowards, she thought sourly.
She found who she was
looking for in a room not far from the hall. A young girl, only sixteen, was
huddled in the corner. She was terrified, but wasn’t everyone?
“We don’t have much
time, you have to leave,” The woman said, pulling the girl to her feet. She
looked the girl over and, with a rueful smile, gave her one last hug. “You must
go now.”
“I won’t leave you.”
Even though the girl’s eyes were full of fear, she stood tall and defiantly. She’s
so brave, thought the woman proudly.
“You have everything
that I gave you packed, correct?” She asked.
“Yes ma’am, but—“
“No, do not speak. You
have to leave now, time is short.” Her voice was becoming frenzied. There was
yelling now, she could hear it. The battle was louder then ever. There was less
time then she had hoped for. She knows everything, she is prepared enough,
the woman told herself. Stop worrying.
“No, I won’t. I’ll stay
with you.”
“We don’t have time for
this.” The woman grabbed the girl’s arm and dragged her through the corridors.
As they ran up to the hall’s door, the girl pulled her arm free as she saw the
two men fighting. Her eyes were wide as she was one man fall, the terrifying
man raised his sword and brought in down in one final, lethal swing, it hit the
man in the gut. He went limp, gasping for air. He would not survive.
The girl cried out and
the man looked towards them.
“Well, well, the little
bird hasn’t flown away after all,” He said, his sinister voice mocking her. He
began to advance to the two women standing in the door. The older woman jumped
in front of the girl. There were tears in her eyes, but she stood tall.
“Leave us, Carlen, and
never come back,” She said defiantly.
“I don’t think I will…”
He smiled devilishly. He pointed his sword at the woman, out of nowhere she
reached into her skirts and pulled out a long slender sword. The two swords
collided. The girl slipped out of behind the woman and ran towards the dieing
man. She knelt beside him.
“No, no,” She
whispered, holding his head in her lap.
“We… We knew this day
would come,” He said, coughing up blood. His voice was hoarse and full of pain;
he shook with every word.
“You’ll live, it’ll all
be okay,” The girl ripped her dress and pressed the fabric to the wound, her
voice was cracking and tears fill her eyes. She refused to believe it, but she
knew that the man would die.
He pushed the cloth
away. “No, it’s too late… You know everything you need to. You can save
everyone else. You are a brave girl, you can do it.”
“I need you,” She
whispered.
“No, you don’t. I… I am
going to die. You will have to do it by yourself.”
“I don’t want to.”
“You have to. You are
brave and smart that is all you need; do not let anything stop you. You have to
stop him… I love you.” He closed his eyes and took one last shaking breath.
“No… No…” The girl
whispered. Behind her, there was a scream, she turned around and saw the woman
on the ground, unconscious. The man turned towards her, smiling that horrible
smile again. The girl gently pushed the man’s head off her lap and stood up
tall.
“You certainly are a
pretty one,” He said.
“How could do this?”
She said, tears flowing down her cheeks, her voice cracking. “How could kill in
cold blood like this?”
He walked towards her,
smiling evilly. “It’s quite easy, really.” She began to back up, seeing his intent.
She looked desperately around, there was no way out. All the servants had fled
or were too cowardly to come; the guards were dead or captured, there was no
one.
“No… Please… No…” She
whispered quietly. He had reached her now. She was breathing heavily, back up
against a table; he pressed himself up against her. She turned her face away.
He smelled foul, his ugly face leering at her, he was chuckling under his
breath. “No…” He took the hilt of his sword and hit her over the head.
She slid to the ground,
slowing feeling her consciousness slipping away. She tried so hard to hang onto
a thread of awareness, but it was so hard, slipping away so fast. She watched
the man walk over to the woman and grab her.
Then everything went
black.
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