Cassandra, normally called Cassy, was a quiet girl. She was very different from the other girls in the capital city of Endell. She did not enjoy or see the point of flirting, gossiping, or other such activities that were common among the girls her age. Cassy was not what you would call a raving beauty. However she was beautiful in her own homely way.  She had hard calloused hands form many days of hard work trying to keep her and her adoptive mother Mammy, feed and clothed. She and Manny ran a small laundry business, it was hard work but they made due.

Every morning Cassy would get up before the sunrise, start a fire along with breakfast. Pull the first load of water from the pump at the rear of the house and start it warming up on the stove. By then breakfast would be ready. After she and her aunt were finished eating the water was hot, and it was time to start a morning of washing.  After lunch it was time for mending, delivering, and picking up tomorrow's wash.  While Cassy was out picking up their merger food and supplies. Her Aunt Bethany would start dinner, and Cassy tended their small vegetable patch.  After dinner they would both tidy the house and fall into bed asleep before their heads hit their pillows. Only to get up and do it all over the next day. 

 Cassy’s only relief from her hard life came, the first two week of June. For those two weeks Cassy was in pure bliss.  During these weeks she had the pleasure of performing with her second family, The Frolicking Frenzies’. They were traveling praformers, and for the first two weeks of their travels she got to practice and perform with them. The first week one or two of them would come to Cassy home and acompany her to there camp on the edge of the city. The last few years it was Ian, Cassy’s dace partner, had been picking her up from her home. Alone.

 When she arrived there was a lot of hugging and smiling as Cassy rejoined her second family. They would thin begin to practice. It felt as if they didn’t sleep all of that week. Usually that’s because they didn’t. When they weren’t practicing they were catching up with each other, and the younger ones were pestering Cassy and Ian about when they were going to get married. It got much worse however when Ian’s five year little sister caught her and Ian kissing in the woods. That was the year that she and Ian were finally able to admit, unspoken of course, that they were in love. They spent many hours strolling through the woods. Talking about nothing and everything. It was the next year, the year that Cassy was seventeen that Ian confided in her that the next summer he intended to ask her Mammy for her hand in marriage.

The next year was agonizing to wait. Slowly, much too slowly for Cassy, summer turned to fall, and fall turned to winter. Winter was the worst. It seemed to go on forever and ever. The day that Cassy saw the first robin her spirit soared. Spring was finally coming.  This summer her life would become perfect. Nothing could change that. But Cassy was wrong, so very, very wrong.

I'm going i'm going!

"you dont wnat to be late again!"

I know i wont be!" I called back at manny as i rushed out the door with 3 bundels slung over my back. I realy didn't want to be late. I couldnt do without another lexture from the Clifflow's housekeeper today. sighing deaply i qick walked down the bussling streat and into the market. i could spent forever here and still not have seen everything there is to see,

"not that i could aford any of it" i grumbled and tried to hurry though to the middle class nerbouhoods and on to the far side of where the Cliflows' sat on the border of the upper and midle class's. strating my load the best i could i nocked on the rear door of the small mantion and spteped back as the door opened and a portly women fillied the door frame

"glad to see that you are cappabale of being on time" she said

I stared at the ground attenping not to role my eyes. pulling the largest bundel off my back i replied "here is you delivery for today ma'm" the house keeper too the bundel and passed me another slightly heaver one "see if you can manage to be on time twice in a row" the house keeper smirked as she tossed a qoin purse at me and disapered back into the house. nearly growling to myself i slung the new bundel over my sholder and cursed the fact that we despritly needed the coin from the clifflows and that i could turn and give there dearest house keeper a piece of my mind.

Vita sic est - such is life

i'm back and i didnt get an earfull from the house keeper

"well thats a merical " manny said with a smirk

"that old hag could make a rock ashamed

true but the coin is good so youll keep you mouth shut right?

I will" i sighed "i might bite my toung off, but your right we do need the coin you need a new blacket before winter comes agagin

"nonsence the one i have is fine!

"Mammy you can see light though the one you have!

and it's been that way for years it hasent killed me yet

fliging my hands up i grab the ax as i walk outside to take my frustration out on some wood. I didnt care what mammy thought she was getting an new blacket. i knew how badly the cold made her jaoints ake and sh deserved so much more. i wish i could give her so much more. she had alwase been so good to me. thankfly the cold was beging to recede and summer would be here soon. I just about burst when i saw the first robin hopping around in the garden a week ago. the winters seem to get longer and longer each year, or mayby is the longing to be able to be with someone. slaping myself mentaly i attenpt to refocas on spiting the wood but its no use my brain wont drop the subject. sighing i let the ax fall a final time and walk back inside droping the ax just inside the door. smiling slightly i drink in the sight of our home plain and with no decor to speek of it still feels cozy as the fire dances around the room.

it's ganna be a cold night we need to remeber to heat the stones before we put the fire to bed

would you grab them dear supper is basicaly done

of couse" retreving 3 hand sized riverstones from the end of our bed i placed them on the fire grate as  manny removed the supper pot. she pased me a bowl of simple soup we didnt have any meat left over for stew anymore, but the soup would do for now. It was warm and filling and soon there wold be sprowts from the garden to add to it. life wasn't to bad right now and I certently wasnt going to complain. cetenly not laying here in bed with a full belly warm stones at my feet and a warm manny behind me.

two days later i was on my way to the maket to pick up the few itoms that we actualy purtusased and din't forage or barter for. i was also on the lookout for a present for manny her birthday was soon and i wanted to get her something. i dint have much but i had saved a few coins and i was on a mission to find something that she would love! i was able to quickly aquire the bread and other suplies that were on my list and was just prusing a stall filled with small trinkets when souting  at the end of the street caught my attention "you curousity is going to get you killed one day" mannys voice rang in my head. rolling my eyes at the thought i reaseoned that those werre gard shouting not thugs and gards would be too thivck to notice if i was careful. leaving the stall a weent down two blocks to a shop that i knew stackes crates beside stall and would make a lovely vantage point. from that point i could see that the souting was between a pair of gard attenpting to brake up 3 people in a fight with out geting involed phyicicaly "porbly too scared she kick there ass too" i snicked to my self, cureocity sated i tured to head home, and triped over a man who had somehow managed to come up behing me unnoticced.

"carful there' he said as he caught me 'my aren't you a pretty thing"

now extremly uncomfortable i mummbled 'sorry' and attemted to leave, but he fallowed and slung his arm over my sholder 'whats a pretty lass like yourself doing out hear alone would want you geting lost'

'i can take care of myself just fine' and shoved his arm off me

'ooo fisty and coccy i see' he said grinning i a way that made my skin crawl

time to disapere i thought and turned around to face him grinning devilishly and lookimg him up and down doing my best to look uninpressd 'its not coccyness if i have the skills to back it up" spinning on my heal i took two quick steaps and reacking up a pulled myself on the the shed of a building before leaping to the roof, and then to anouther before retuning to the ground a making off at a quick walk back twards my neaiborhood taking the long was as to avoid the maket. thank the #insert god# that we had been walikng away form my actual newibor hood hopefly the idiot wouldn't think to check the otherside of the city for me. I was ganna need to be on hight alert for a bit so i didnt acsidently run inot him again. i doughted he would be so easy to evasde a second time.

finily your home!

Sorry manny i had to go the long way back. ended up needing to jump a couple buildings to avoid some idiot who thought i 'was to prety to wanding this cisy alone' the last part drenched in sarcam as i rolled my eyes as i ploped down by the fire.

well i'm just gald your home safely' mannny said as she patted my head and opned the bag 'but did you absoulty have to spash the bread!'

grinning shepishly 'itll still tase good' manny broke out laughing ' that it will

Shit

I don't need this today

im already late why WHY

siging i looked arount the edce of the ally i was hiding down and glared at the back of the dudes head as he lingered outside of a pub. I couldnt go another way it would add 20 mints and i was already pushing it to get these delivered on time. mayby he wont recognise me? laughing at the thought decided to try it anyway. I steaped out of the ally and did my best to blend into the few people milling throught the street not that could pass for a patron but i was hoping to atleast look like i was a servent to one of these houses and shoundt be bothered. it was just the clifflows that needed delivered today, and it wasn't even a regular delivery they were expecting compay soon and the house keeper had comishened and extra load. keeping my head down and fighting the urge to check if he was looking at me i hurred past and didnt dare look back. heart pounding in my ears i hurred on and tried not to let my mind run with the posibilities. relefe flooding me as i knocked at the door and thankfully i didnt earn too much of an earfull from the housekeeper. as the door closed behind her i began to relax as i tured twards home taking the long way because no way in hell i was tempting fate.

a rough hand grabed my arm and drug me into an ally

"he-mhj" I glared up into the face of the man. he had dark chiseled features a scar cut through his eyebrow and he needed a shave."now there I can't have you running off a second time" his eyes racked acrost me "im glad i was able to find ya again. now dont ya scream id prefer to to this the easy way with you being contous and all" I didnt move as he slowly removed his hand from my mouth. the hand on my arm never waverd tho. i was stuck and i knew it. he quirked an eyebrow "no spitefull words for me today?"

"who are you and what the fuck do you want"

"me? im Venator. Vin for short" winking at me " as for what i want nothing, it's the boss that wants to meet ya"

" and why is that? what could posibaly make him want to see me? theres not myuch to me"

he shugged "not my place to ask, i just fallow my orders. same as youll do if you have any sence in that brain, now comon the boss has been kepet waiting long enough"

"wait" digging in my heals as he attempet to drag me away "im not going anywhere with you!" he spun on his heal and pulled me in close "yes you are little miss. you dont have a choice ya are coming. the only choice that you do have is if your on your own two feet or draped over my sholder uncontus. dont. test. me." stoberness and reason warred in my brain before reason won. if i was contous there might be a future chace at escape.

Vin led me back tward the uperclas part of the city winding our way through the back streets as the houses became more and more eligant and pompos before finaly leading me down and ally way and doing a spicific knock on the side door of an inn/tavern.

the door opned a fraction and vin just shoved his way in "it's just me *****" tossing the what could only be discribed a kid a coin he dragged me to the servents stairs and pushed me up them " go on we're almost there" when we had climed to the 3rd story he grabed my elbow again and lead me to the door that had a yellow crown painted on it and shoved it open. Vin then pointed a finger in my face "stay" I sat there stunned and gased around the very richly decorated room. There was a fireplace crackaling on one wall with a fir rug and sofa in frount of it. paintings and tapistries coverd the walls and deep red drapes coverd the large windows. on the wall opisitte the fire place there were three doors that vin crossd to and knocked sharply on before murming somethin i couldt quite catch, and steping to the side as the door opned and a thin and pointed mad steped out of the ajoining room. He smiled in a way that almost put me at ease "welcome!  shall we sit?" jesturing to the soafa. glancing at Vin he raised an eye brow and gave me a pointed look. knowing that i was out numbered i caushisly m oved twards the sofa and perched on the edge very aware of how expence the soaf must be. the thin man settled himself into the sofa and turned to me a small smile playing at the edge of his mouth "thres no need to be so stiff'

"this sofa cost more then i could earn in a lifetime, so parden me for not wanting to dammage it"

he chuckled at this "if you sayed in you curent position mayby, but that wont be true if i have anything to say about it"

'and who are you exactly?

'ah i forget that not everyone knows my face i'm the Princable Advisor to the Crown, but you may call Mendacious' I balked this was the second mosst powerfull man in the kindom. he could probobaly do absoultly anything he wanted and i was sitting on his sofa 'what the hell do you want with me?" i said now very aware that i was beond traped

his fave soffend 'just to give you an offer, i apligise for they way i had to go about meeting with you, but it wouldt be very accepible for me to have gone to you and well you were not very copritive the first time Vin tried to bring you to see me"

i just stared at him attenmpting to under stand what he said and hoping that if i played my cards just right i might be able to get out of here.

"now my offer is simple i am currently looking for another spevernt to help in my household, I know' as ha patted the air with his hands 'isnt that a house keepes job to keep in order, it is but truth be told i can be a bit parinoid and i like to do the hiring proscess myself. it also helps to not advritise that i an in need of another servant because it makes it much harder for anyone to infatrate my staff.

if you are to accept you would live in my home and all of your earthly needs would be provided. you would have a warm bed to sleep in. three hot, nutritious, and filling meals every day. sevral changes of high quality clothing, and a small stipand to use however you wish.

ill admit i was intreged. to not have to worry about if i had a next meal, if i would freaze in my sleep tonight, and the work coulnt be any harder then what i was doing now. the secricy made sence too with his position he realy coulnt afford to have anyone snooping around. but then i remembered manny, i couldnt leave her to fend for herself. at her age she probabaly wouldnt make it long. and what about Ian what would i still be able to be with him. this wasnt the life that i had nvistiooned for myself and i didnt know if it was one i wanted. my life was hard but it was also filled with people that i didnt want to leave behind. but the alure of this offer was also strong "what about my family?"

"ah yes you call her Manny i belive' shock ran throught me how did he know that? a sly smile apered on his face at my shock "i have eyes and ears all over this city, and i may have asked them to check that you are a good citicin before extending my offer' the smile droped to something more serous 'i realy dont take cicurity lightly' 'that makes sence' i mumbled. well as for Manny i think there may be room for her as well. it might need to be at my summer house ill need to check but im sure we could find a place for her"

'theres one other thing to.......'

'what is it child? you can tell me'

taking a deep breth because not even manny knew this one "im expectring to to get praposed to this summer and i intend to say yes"

' well we cant prevent that now can we? altho no one has mentiond seeing you with any one......"

'thats because he dosent live here, he apart of the Frolicing Frenzies'

well i'm sure we could figure something out by the time they arive this summer'

was this really going to happen? 

'so do we have a deal?"

it wont be a proble to find manny a job? she won't survive the winter without me"

not a proble at all

whith a short sigh "okay, i would love to come work for you. Gods manny is going to be so thrilled to hear about this!"

im sure she will. Vin, find out from mrs Sitllwater if there is an avalibilty in the kitchens here or if Manny will need to be placed in the summer home. you will then colect manny and transport her and her belongings to her residance where aver that may be. you may go"

wait why cant i tell her?

his face sofend from the stern ness that he had had with vin "im afraid thats not posible, we have other things you and i need to do this evning and it will be more convient for everyone if Vin takes care of this part."

"i promice ill be gentale" vin said with a wink as he sliped out one of the other doors

"what kinds of things do we need to do" tuning back to Mendacious

in responce he stood up and pulled a cord on the wall a far away bell cound just be heard. "first we pamper you" he said while spinning around "my people deserve the best so the best you shall have"

pamper me how?

youll just have to be suprised" he said with a play full wink

the same door that i had entered opned and a woman cursied "you called my lord"

using the same tone he had with Vin 'yes bring water for a bath and send a runner with this message to my estate"

with a 'yes my lord" she disapred

it was such a strange feeling being pampered. I had been treated like roalaty. i had beed washed in a warm bath by two seving girls who used soft sweet smelling soaps whos fragrance still lingered on my skin. every inch of me was messured in preporation for my new wardrobe, and i had on a pale blue dress that had a simple but eligant disine. the enge of it just brushed the floor, sleaves ending just above the elbo with little ruffles on them, and a waist line that acsentuated curves that i didnt know i had. my hair had been scrubed brushed and aranged gracefuly in a bun of sorts. i stared at myself in the mirror stunned. was that really me? someone might actualy call me bueatiful now.

"you look stunning my dear" Mendacious's said huskly, startling me at his suden aperance. spinning around to face him 'thanks i dont feel ... plain any more"

'you most certanly are not anything close to plain" hes eyes looking almost hungry. I turned back to look in the merior attemting to hide the blushing, very confuesd about the afeect that his gase was having on me.

i was saved from srespnding when a soft knock sounded on the door and one of the two girls from earlier curtcied in the partialy opned door "supper is ready my lord'

'well shall we eat?" Mendacious said ofering his arm

i stared at him cofused 'but im the servant shoulnt i be seaving dinner not eating with you?"

' i do have servants that fufill that roll, but i have something difrant in mind for you. I have hired you to be a compaan for my daughter.

i dont have any kind of skill set for that! i was under the inpretion that i was to cook and clean whick i can do pleanty well, but i dont even know how to read or wight my own name let alone how to function in high society

it didnt help when he smiled in amusment at my panic "don't worry, you will have tutors to teach you all you need to know. I want a friend and a companan for my daughter, not someone who will see this as a chance to grow the sanding either sociataly or to the crown. you will not faill, i wont let you. now let us go eat.

later that night laying in a bed so soft i thought i might fall through it. i played the events of the day over and over in my mind. i had awoken this morning as one of the lowest in the socal totem pole and now i was attempting to go to bed as one of the highest positions a commoner could hold. i wasn't complaning, but it was all so suden. sudenly the lavish sweet that Mendacious had insisted i sleep in seemed like an endless cavern and this bed felt far to large without manny at my back. I hope shes doing okay. i kicked myself for not fallowing up on her. part of me wished that she was also missing me but anothe part hoped that she wasent. it hoped that she was sleeping well in a warm bed and excited for tomarow. i tried to close my eyes and let sleap take me but i was far to ressless. sighing heavaly i strugled to the edge of my much too soft bed and slumped criscros on frount of the fireplace staring into the embers for i dont know how long. ' i had it all planed out and it was perfect" i mumbled to myself 'i hope i didnt just fuck up everything" sleep finaly began to tug on my eyelids and i obliged it curling up on the hearth and drifting off

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was floating

not quite floating

I was flying

flying through the sky nessled in a soft fluffy cloud. the crisp brese flowing though my hair and sending goose bumps acrost my skin. I felt free, almost wild, giggling and spreading my arms wide i relished the feeling. i inhales deaply as i flew through another cloud and got peppred with tinny doplets of water. Shimmers in the clouds to my left caught my eye, but when i looked i couln't see them, it was probobly just the sun cathing on the water i soared thought the skies for what felt like both forever and no time at all before swoping down to a famelear lush high mountan pass, and landing just outside the small village that was nessled there.

it was a small village only a dosen or so familys. they made a living mostly in growing there own food foraging in the mountans and trading there high quality jewlry in the towns below for the things that they couln't make them selves. I skipped through the center of the village waving to everyone. i didnt know them well but they still felt like family in a way. as i neered the village elders house i slowed this was a somber place. as i aproched the village elder excited her house and sat in her place on the porch. pressing my hands together and bowing my head 'elder'

"Casandra, come, sit. for we must talk" her voice holing some consern that set me on edge

'elder whats wrong? is everything okay?'

no my child. the parts begin to move and you are in danger'

already?! you said there was more time

we were wrong we thougt we had more time. but you are in danger. the shadow aproches, do not be decieved dear child for tho the shadow feels warm it takes joy in the pain of others. and tho he serves the empress his true master is the monster that lives within.

confused i tried to blink to clear the fog, but the world only continued to fade 'wait! elder i dont understand!"

'keep your wits about you child' the elders words carried on the last bits of brease as the world fully faded to black.

'Miss' a voice called me out of the blackness 'excuse me miss, its time to wake up' i groned and tried to fight my way awake, those dreams were alwase so dificult to wake up from. i had never had one quite like that one tho. "miss well need to hurry to get you ready in time to leave.' i sat up and rubed my eyes "im up im up" slowly opning my eyes the lavish room swifly brought me back to reality, and i looked up into the face of the girl who had awoken me. my face burning red as i relised i had slept on the hearth insted of the lugsuous bed that i had been tucked into last night. scambng to my feet 'sorry'

'nothing to be sory about miss, is everything okay? was the bed not to ya liking?"

'no, no the bed is wonderfull, im just not used to a bed quite so soft'

"i see miss, shall we get you ready for the day?

"of couse lead the way" after being dressed up in another pail blue frock and having my hair elabrotly piled on my head the girls draped a heavy cloak around my sholders and led me to main area of the sweet. they sat me on the sofa, and disapred though the door that i had originaly enterd the sweet through. feeling wildly out of my deapth i had no idea what to do so i sat there just staring at the fire. a short time later one of the doors behind me opned and as i turned to look Mendacious steped out dresed in a simple black tunic and with a matching black cloak, and with a brillant smile when he saw me 'good morning! I hope you sleped well'

i slept just fine, thank you

well should we head home?' now waiting for a reply he walked around the sofa and helped me to my feet and ajusted the hood on the cloak so that it hid most of my face. after doing the same for his own hood he placed my hand in the crook of his arm and without a word led me out of the sweat and down a long hall down 2 flights of stairs and into a large tavern common room. it was early enough that the room was nerly deserted. Mendacious didnt hesitate at all keeping the saame quick pace though the comon room and outside. as we excited the inn a footman opned a carrage door and i was helped into it which was good because i nearly fell, but some how mannaged to get safely seated inside.

the ride didnt take very long and we were soon travling throught the most well to do nerborhoods in the city let alone the country. i stared out the window at the ornate displays of welth, there were homes that could have been castles in there own right, lavish gardens behind tall iron fences, the homes were decorated in intricut wood and stone work and they all had at least on or two outbuildings that were visable from the road. a light chuckel brout my attention back to Mendacious 'never been to this neioberhood before i take it?" 'no, id only ever been to the edge of the second ring.' Mendacious nodded 'what brough you to the second ring?' 'we did the washing for the cliflows, thats actualy where i was coming back from when Vic found me again.'

he chuckled 'yes, ill admit i was quite frustrated with him when i returned empty handed, but it was amusing to see him come crawling back to me tail tucked betwen his legs. and he did intuduce us in the end so all's well that ends well i supose.'

you migh have more luck if you didnt just strait up kidnap people ya know.

he was right about your tongue, it could carve out a mans heat if he let it

i rolled my eyes' Manny's alwase telling me it ganna get me hurt one of these days, speking of wich how is she?'

i spoke to Vic late last night. there unfotunitly are no opnings here, but i know that they planed to leave for the summer house first thing this morning, if weather contiues to be good they should arive there by the end of the week.' i knoded

the carrage pulled to a stop and i could hear the scrape of a metal gate being opned. wide eyed half excited half terrified i looked at Mendacious. he smiled amused and leaned back content to watch as the carrage slowly moved through vast gardens, they were gray and cold now, but i could immagin how they would look in the spring. there little paths winding there way around, statues and fountans scatred about. it was absouly stunning. the carrage turned a corner and the house came into view. the sicze of it was absoutly stagering! i would have asumed that it was the palace if i hadnt known better. it was 4 storys tall made of stone with sevral wings, spiters, and a tower that rose above it all. i stared opned mouth at it all as the carrage came to a top outside the fround door, the caarrage door was opned and Mendacious steped out. turnign back he helped me out wich i mannaged to do much more gracefully this time.

we walked up the short steps and through the massve doos into a stunning entry way, it was two storys tall with a ornate staircase winding up to the second floor, and a balcony around the upper edge over looking the first floor. it had been lavishly decorated. i sudenly relised that Mendacious was washing me with an amused smile on his face 'as much as i would love to spend all day wating your reactions, i do unfoutunly have work that i need to attend to. Mrs. Stillwater will show you wour rooms and get you settled'

i nodded as he gestured me twards an older woman, ands left excited though one of the doors next to the stairs. with out a word Mrs Stillwater turned and lead the way up the staircase and to the right down a halway making sevral turns i wasnt sure i would be able to retrace sh stoped infrount of a set of doors and selecting a key she unlocked and opned the door.

i just stared i couln't do anything else. i has thought that the inn was the closest to a clastle one could get but this room made the inn look equal to my home by the docks. there was a large 4 poaster bed with shere fabric draped over it in a canopy, large windows draped in more sheer fabric overlooked the garden, there looked to be a blacony and on the opasit wall two doors off the main room. when i took my first tentive steps into the room the carpet was so soft it felt like i was walking on a blanket of fresh spring grass. had she unlocked the right room? this felt like a lot for a companion.

"well here you are' mres stillwater broke though my thoughts 'its not much but itll do'

not much! 'spinning to face her 'this one room is more lugtury than i new excisted in the hole world!'

something flashed acrost her face before i could catch it 'well then i sugest you enjoy it. the bathrooms through there and the closet through there, i expect you wardrobe to be delivered this after noon so youll have something to where tomarow. the tutor will be along shorly to asses you and then you will be brought lunch.' with that she turned to leave pausing only at the door 'please dont go wandering around the house for now, i wouldnt want to have to send a search party looking for you' and with that she was gone. \

looking around i couldnt quite belive that this was my live now. i lived here. i sliped out of my shoes and let my feet sink into the carpert. i dint know things so soft excisted outside of the forest. leting the heavy cloak fall of my sholders i spun avcroset the room to the windows. the view was amzing! it tooked twards the back of the property and i could even see a greenhouse that still managed to look warm and green even thou we would soon have snow. i just copuldn't belive that this room was mine the bed looked just as soft as the one in the inn which might be the only thing i would change about the room. it was going to be an ajustment learning to sleep on something so soft. i doudted that me sleeping by the hearth each night would be looked favorably on. as i bent to pick up the cloak i a discarded, there was a gentle nock on the door. 'come in' i answred as i lay the cloak on hte back of the chair, the door creaked open and slender man steped through. bowing slighly and said in a quiet way 'good morning Mis'

good morning! your the tutor i prasume?

yes mam,' gesturing to the chairs 'shall we begin?"

everythiny was going perfectly. waling brisklly to my ofice i settled myself behind the desk and pulled the cord, moments later vin steps into my ofice "my lord'

'report'

'everything is as you left it my lord. the busness contiue tto do well, the house runs smothly, and the kings disposition has not changed.'

'excalnt! how fairs the girls mother?

she has responded as we expected, and had been able to do about as much as we expected.'

i gave a curt nod 'keep an eye on her all the same we dont need any suprises, also bring me my lunch here' with a 'yes my lord' and a bow he left. i fliped throu the new papers on my desk mostly profet reports or lists of bandit atacks i skimmed through htem trashing some, and filing others. frezing when one causght my eye the massage was scribbled/scaled on a scrap of parchment that look like it had both caught on fire and goten wet as some point. 'fuck' sl;aming my fist on the desk' not everything was going perfectly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

thank  the gods that was done. i realy hated the touting. it wasn;t the toutre at all he was one of the people that i liked better. the content just alwase made me feel stupid. he said i need to give it time that i 'just had to be patient' but i was just ready to not feel like an idiot trying to wright my own name and have it not look like a child wrote it. it was so frustrating that certan movements like danceing were so simple and easy for me to gracefull, but things like wrighting i just could figure out. sighing in frustration a colapsed into one of the chairs in frount of the fireplace. it realy was the cosest place in my rooms. it had been sevrall weeks sence i came to the manor and i was nearly going stir carzy. i only interacted with my toutr, and my maid neither of which were a terably good conversationlist. i missed the fresh air and running though the crouded streats (the slow walks through the garden just didn't cut it), i missed manny;s scoldings and i missed her in genral, my maid had brought a note one day that my toutle had to help me read, that was from Manny. she had had someone else help her rright it and it said that she was doing well. it was hard work but she was warm, well fed, and was making friends. (something manny had alwase been good at) with the help of my toutre i wrote a responding message that i was doing well, behaving myself, learning so much, and hopeing i cold see her soon.

a soft knoch was all the warnign igot before my maid entered. with a small curtcy 'we need to get you ready for much mis. the master has requested your presince for lunch'

this was new, and i wasnt going to complain about the brake from what had become the very tedous routine. twenty minits later i found myself faloing my maid down the hallway, dressed in one of my nicer dresses a light yellow one with bits of lace decoratring the botice. my hair had been piled up on my head with little pins toped with perls holding it in place. as we reached a spicific door she stoped and gestured to the gards to open the doors and genstured me inside. the room was small for this house was still larger than the entire house on the docks was. there was a small round table in the midle where Mendacious sat. he grined amd stood as i walked in 'ah what a butiful ray of sunshine on this dark and cold winters day' i blushed at his complament 'please have a seat' as ji sat he rang a bell on the table and nearly instantly servants loaded with trays of food enterd placed the food on the table, removed the covers and disapered. 'please dig in' i did my best to eat polightly as my edicit tutor was quite insistant that i eat like a rabid dog sometimes, so i did my best to bring the food to my mouth not my mouth to the food. i dont know how well i sucseded, but Mendacious didnt make a coment so hopefly i did alright. 'how are you likeing it here?" Mendacious' voice broke into my  thoughts? 'are your studys going well?" i grimised without thinging, and he gave a deep belly laugh 'not a scollar at heart i see'

'its not that i dont want to learn, im just wofuly bad at it. i cant even right my name beter than a chicken could.'

learning is hard, i know its not this simple but try to be patchen with your self, the repots from your toutr are that your doing eceptanaly well! your not goint to learn to read and wright in a fortnight or two. it takes most people years, so dont wory there's no way you could have failed yet.'

but i thought i needed to learn all this before i could meet your daughter? i want to be able to do my job, i dont want to be taking advantage of your hospitality"

oh my dear' smiling sweetly and looking like i was the best thing that he had ever seen 'i dont expect you to be perfect befor you meet her, and you are not taking advantage, this was all expected when i hired you.' i nodded even tho i didnt quite believe him ' also you have a bit longer than i origanaly thought. my daughter is curently spending the winter with my wifes family in the far south, i had anticipated her to return for winterfest but i  recieved word a few days ago that she had decided to stay there untill the wamth returnes here.' i knoded a pit forming in the pit of my stomic  the converszatioon continued to flow but i was stugling to stay present in it. the thought that this would be my life for the next 6 or 7 months was nearly unberable.

'well i must get back to work first i have one final question, over all how had your stay been? is there anyone who needs reminded of that there job is?

no! its been lovely, everyone is...... wonderful'

i sence there is a but.....

i stared at my lap this was all a lucury i wasnt sure i deserved. startled i looked up when his hand covered mine. his face held porly conceled conseern, 'whats wrong darling? has somethig hapned?' i jsust stareed at him trying to gather the currage to speek, his hand felt warm on mine, he squeesed it jently 'please i cant help if i dont know.

taking a deep quwavering breath 'nothing happned im just a bit lonly' my voice quavered  DONT YOU FREEKING CRY!!! 'Im not criticising your people at all they really are wonderfull at there jobs its they just aren't very good for conversation' i had gotten going and i just couln't stop the words now 'and i miss things about my old life. im gratefull for everything that youve given me i truly am, but i loved my other life to ya know.

Mendacious looked at me so kindly and gently wiped the trador of a tear that had escaped. 'what do you miss?" he softly asked

voice quavering i pulled my hands into my lap ' i miss city, i miss running through the streats hurring to be ontime for deliveries, i miss dancing and working out to be able to silks in the summer, i miss Manny i know she is doing well at your summer home but i still miss her, i miss sharting a bed with her my bed here feels to big with just me in it. I miss the casual human interaction, just wih other people in the city. i miss bunding yp to go wandering in the woods. i even miss the hard work, it wasnt alwase fun but i miss the acomplisment of having done it anyway. my life sudenly got to easy and i didnt do anythiing to earn that' sudenly feeling very vunrable i just stared at my hands as i twisted them in my lap.

'your just fulll of suprises arent you?" i looked up at him incredibaly confused "most people ive met from any back ground rich or poor would be glad to be rid of all the worys in life and avoid the hard work, never wanting to do it again. but you crave it. if im being honest, and i must ask you to keep this just beteen us, you remind me of myself at your age. did you know i started as a scolar in the kings court? but i learned my craft well, and with a bit of persistace, patence, and pleanty of hard work, i inproved my life and the life of my family. and ill be honest i;m inpressed with you, and i do reather enjoy your company. i also didnt expect for it to be so long before you would be able to begin your duties and i can udersant your lonlyness' he paused for a moment 'what if we made this a regular thing this lunch i mean?'

are you serious?' not wanting to get my hopes up 'you have already been more than genrous and i dont want to take advantage of you.

i am compleatly serous, i have ebjoed our conversations emencly and would love to spend time with someone who dosent fawn over me contantly, it really dose become bothersom. how dose twice a week sound?' all i could do is nod i really did enjoy the conversations that we had. this was easly going to become the best part of my week

it was now properly winter and the snows had truly set in. at least soem of the pathways in the gardans were cept clear so atleast i was still able to come out here even tho my maid insisted that i were so manny layers that i was nearly a round ball. i still loved to come out here and enjopy the burn of the cold air in my lungs. it had been a mounth sence i had broken down at lunch with Mendacious  and he had sugeded haivng lunch togeter twice a week. and my lonlyness had been much more managabal. i felt as if we were becoming the most unlikely of friends. i gigglel sighed at the notion as i reach my favot bench and sat. it truly was a strange freindshof of sorts the second most powerful man in the county and a serf, but i couldnt denigh what was hapning. i sighed and watched the steam disapate form my hot breath, as i heard a pair of boots come crunching through the snow twards me. glancing twards the sound i supressed a groan at the sight of two of the house gards marching twards me. the time that i was alowed in the gardens just never felt like long enough. draging myseld to my feet 'i know, i know im heading back now' the gards nodded and fell in behind me probobaly glad not to have to drag me back to the house. i wasnt really looking faward to an afternoon of edicit lessons and embrodry but they would be inportant things for me to know come this spring. at least i got to have lunch with Mendacious tomarow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'that lunch was delitious as alwase that you Mendacious' i sat back absouly stuffed the food at our lunches was alwase much more grand then the normal meals that i had

of coursr my darling! but before we go our seprate way i have a suprise for you. fallow me' with my curoscy thuroly peeked i falloed him out of the small dining room and down the hall back twards my sweet.  the gards falling in behind us. as we passed the door to my rooms i couldnt stand the supence any longer 'do i atleats get a hint?" i asked looking up at him

a mochevous glint danced in his eyes "no but ive been dying to show you, it took some time to prepare, but its finaly finished" and with that he stoped in forunt of a set of double doors that the gards hurred to open. the room was a large one. it stood nearly two stories tall, the domed cealing reminded me of a green house filled with windows looking out onto the cold winter sky. the walls of the room had largre windows cavering the walls, but the most notibal thing about the room was the two extremly large pieces of silk htat hung down from the center of the celing as well as a large hoop that was suspended by a sturdy looking a frame. i stood there in udder shock. i had a gym, Mendacious had built me a gym. i was aboultly floored. i have no idea how long i stood there slack jawed before Mendacious finaly broke the silance 'do you like it?"

like it?!? like it?@? i couldnt have immagane anything more perfect. you did this all for me? Why?

mostly for selfish reasonds honestly. i do love your reactions, but i also had a hunch that this would mean a lot to you and i can see i was corect.' he paused and i turned back to him having goten distracted looking around the room. his eyes held the most cinserity that i had ever seen 'i want you to be happy here. ive grown very attached to you Cassy.' he tucked a loose stand of hair behing my ear and i felt my face heat up 'i dont know what i would do if you wernt in my life anymore' i stared up into his eyes and the moment seemed to last for an eternity but then the moment broke and the twinkle returned to his eye 'now why dont you go explore, i do unfortuntly have to leave but ive instucted everyone to leave you alone for the afternoon so please gnjoy the gift and mayby i can get a show later' he winked and excited the room the doors closing behind him.

i slowly turned and gased around the room drinking it all in again, wandering twards the far side of the room where sevral shelfs sat i let my hands deag throught the soft silks hanging from the cealing. the shelves it turned out where full of all sorts of treashrues. one shelf heald sevraly kinds of hand chalk, hand and foot wraps, a first aid kit, and leaning next to it were two very large mats. when i opned the doors on the other shelf i gasped. there were prfomace outfits haning on a rod and when i peeked in the bins at the botom they held sevral rehersal tops and botoms. they were so manny difrent colors and all of them so soft and strechy. i gently ran my hands acrost the outfits that were hanging. they, were soft, with rich colors and some of the fabriks even glittered in the light. i was stunned. no one had ever givin me shuch a wonderfull present. grabing a set of rehersal cloths i nearly sprinted to the screen in the corner to change. the cloths fit me perfectly huging my body perfectly. the cotoms were a pair of shorts that ended part way down my thigh and the top was a crop tanktop, i really diddnt want to but i did a quick warm up anyway there was no point in njuring myself imeditly. after running a few laps of the room and doing my dynamic streaches i reteved a water bottle off the sheelf and debated wherer i wanted to try the silks or the hoop first.

deciding on the silks i drug the mats over to them and started with a quick Rushen climb, and a half twist into the first of the seven falls that created the basic structure of this routine, each one becoming bigger and more dangerous as the routine went along. As I ran through my routine my mind left and traveled to a place where nothing was impossible and happily ever after’s really do come true. A place where I would marry Ian and we would have our happily ever after with our children touring around the country performing for everyone, both the rich and poor, bond and free. We would bring joy to so many people’s lives. My mind snaps back to the present as I begin the set up for the seventh drop. The infamous quadruple star drop. I start the drop suspended 10 feet in the air wrapped in 12 feet of silk. Time pauses as for one precious moment I revel in the feeling of being in complete control of both myself and the silks. Time jump starts as I release my hold on the silk above me and go spinning crazily towards the floor, I spin almost out of control flipping over and over myself plummeting towards the floor at the last second, the silk pulls tautly over my knee, catching me as I nearly plummet into the floor. Hanging there upside down arms spread in a triumphant pose, I relish in the feeling of adrenaline racing through my veins.  i sliped out of the silks and colapsed on the mats staring up at the sky that was beging to dim. i dont know how long i lay there but when my heart finaly retuned to a more normal pace. i pulled myself off the floor and began to pull the mats back to there palce against the wall. before doing some wind down streaches to attempt to prevent being sore tomarow, not that i had much hope that it would prevent it compleatly. i changhed backinto my normal clothing that felt much stiffer than it had this morning and placed the used workeout clothing in the hamper. there was a large part of me that never wanted to leave this room. i wanted to stay here for the next 3 months just working out, but i also knew that wasnt realistic i needed food and sleep and i coulnt abandon my studies i coulnt let Mendacious down not after a gift like this. i excided the gym and made the short walk back to my sweet, as i colaped on the sofa the exaustion hit me hard i hadent had a real workout sence coming here and the silks alwase took a lot out of me they were diceptivly intence. i swear i only had closed my eyes for a second before my maid was shaking me informing me that supper was here. she placed it on the small table by the sofa and left. i really didn't want to wake up to eat but the smell of the warm stew was just tempting enogh. after scarfing down the food i waked to my bed and colaped on to it. as sleep called me back to it's imbrace.

another few weeks passsed and my live was sagnificaltly better that when i had first come to Mendacious home. i was slowly inproving in my tutoring and i didnt get nearly the amount of lextures from my eticit teacher as i useto. I now had two aftrernoons a week to myself in the gym and Mendacious had uped our lunched to three times a week. he had even said that he was considering not sharing me with his daughter when she reutrned. the thought still made me blush. i honestly wouldnt have minded it either. we had wonderfull conversations about everything. we talked about life, the things we wanted to do, the ways we wanted to help. i told him about my childhood running around in both the forest and the streets. he loved to hear about my time dancing and what it felt like to use the silks and the hoop. he in turn told me about his life the woods near his childhood home at the bace of the mountans. he even told me about the death of his belovad wife. she had been killed in a bandit atack while they were out camping. it was so sad i didnt know anyyone could look like the pain would kill them. but he did i felt so badly for him. i could imagin loosing ian. i didnt know if i believed in sole mates bit if they did excist then Ian was deffeintly mine. i coulnt wait to see him this summer and tell him everything that had happned this past year. my life had changed so dramaticaly and i really realy wanted to show him the gym ....... and use the gym with hhim. the thought making my blush wildly as i stared at the parchment infrount of me math is so much harder when on paper than it is in your head it was so much harder to consentrate when it was on paper and not just preventing someone froming cheeting you out of you money. ugh this probolm was so difcult, tossing my quill on the table and leaning sighing in defete my tutor looked up form the brick of a book he was studiying and raised an eye brow at me "i dont understand it" rolling my eyes ' why do i even need to understan this i can do enough math to not get over chared or under payed for something, whats the point of anything more? i understand the reading a wrighting, but this math is just pointless!"

'its not pointless. besitds just learning how to do it the spcifivc problum it also teaches you problom solving skills, critical thinking, logical reasoning, and shows determanation to not give up when the problum is dificult.

i rolled my eyes, 'i can do all of those things when its not in prasute of pointlness'

he sighed in frustration 'whell then what about that it is a part of your curiclum because the master decided that it should be included.' i just pouted and glared at him "now would you like me to explain it again?"

'sure mayby it will magicaly click the 17th time you exlain it' ignoring my sarcasum he placed his book down and began again to explain it.

it took half an eturnity but tuting finaly ended and it was finaly time for my lunch with Mendacious. i hurried down the hall and nodded to the gard who opened the door for me. i curtcied to Mendacious and sliped into my chair.  there was a scowl on his face as the food was delivered and we ate the majority of the meal in silance. after the desert had been delivers i finaly gathered the currage to speek 'is everything okay? ive never seen you so upset before'

he sighed as he scrubed a hand acrost his face 'everything will be fine my dear, im just stressed about some of my busnesses, but its nothing for you to consern yourself with. i'm sory iv been such poor company today'

its really okay, no one has a perfectr day everyday. is there anything that i can do to help?

his face sofend when as i spoke 'no sweetheart' that coulnt be true there had to be some thing i could do. i racked my brain trying to think of something when it hit me. 'would you like to see the silk routine that ive been working on?'

his eyes lit up 'i would love that! mayby go for a walk around my persoal garden afterwards? i nodded excitedly 'ill need to go tell everyone that ill be indisposed untill dinner, but it souldnt take long, about 15 min id say,

thats perfect ill need to get set up and warmed up anyway'

'perfect' he said while standing' ill see you soon then'

i quickly fallowed him out of the small dining room and hurried twards the gym. thankfuly i had been focasing on the solo routine that Thorin had come up for me last year. it wasnt perfect but it looked good enough if you didnt know what it was supost to look like.the first thing i did when i reach the gym was thro on some practice closes and start my warm up. as my heart rate picked up so did my nerves, draging the mats into place under the silks i then tured to the closet with the costumes. thats when the nervrs really hit me. i had never prafoemed by myself before it had alwase been me and Ian or sometimes Vin. attempting to facas i tried to decisd whice costume to where. they were all so pretty but i decided on one that was nearly identical to the practice outfits (i didnt need a skirt or some other enbelashment that i had never danced with before geting in the way) it was a dark blue color that shimered slightly in the light. i grabed it and nearly ran to the partition to change. i heard the doors open as i sliped into the shorts 'im almost done give me just a munit'

no rugh my dear" as i walked out from behind the partition while twisting my hair up into a bun, a watched several gards left the room closing the doors behind them, and judging by the fact that Mendacious sat on a sofa, i assumed that the gards must have brought it in for him. Mendacious looked up and smiled at me 'you look stunning my dear!' i blushed 'thank you my lord'

'are you ready? i dont mind waiting if you have more that you need to do'

i shook my head 'no' taking a deap quavering breath 'im ready'

Mendacious stood and walked ofver to me placing his hand under my chin and tilting my face up twards his, 'theres no need to be nervous, it's just me.'

turing my face away 'i know'

'then whats the problum sweetheart?'

ive never realy praformed alone before. and i might be a little bit nervous.

grabing my chin again and he made me look into his eyes full of compation and something that i couldn't quite place 'you have to start some where, will you try? if only because i ask you to?"

my heart raced and it wasn't from the nerves. feeling unable to talk i simply nodded. the expretion that i coulnt place greww and he releced my jaw 'that's a good girl, now get stareted when you are ready' and with that he returned to his spot on the sofa. i took sevral deap breaths trying to still by body.

"just pretend its just you and me' Ian's voice rang out in my head 'were at camp and no one else is watching it's just you and me"

it was what he had said to me just before out first public praformance. i had been so nervus that i had been nautious for days. but it had worked then and mayby it would work now. so i closed my eyes and consentrated. it was just me and Ian here, and all was right in the world. taking a final deap breath i walked to the silks and began my routine. climing, twisting, and falling agiain and again. i travled to the specal place that i could only find while wraped in silk. as i reached the climax of the routine and wraped mysef in for the final fall i looked out over the gardens, let out a deap breath and removed the foot off the silk and alloed meyself to tumble and spin as i experenced an almost free fall twards the grownd. before the silk tightned around me and i stoped inches from the ground. holding the pose for only a momet as i relisished in the feelinng of adrenalin corscing though me, before i reliced myself from the silk with a few flurishes and took a bow. as i stood up fom my bow i looked at Mendacious who just stared at me. i couldn't hold back the amused smurk as a walked to sit next to him. he blinked sevral times as if tring to focas his mind, 'darling i dont have words'

'did it help your mood?

'yes' he nerarly scofed 'i didn;t know you were a profetonal. from the way that you discribed it i thought that this was just a hobby for you'

it is. i before you gave me this' i jestured around the room 'i only got to practicce on silks or on a hoop for two weeks in the summer when Ian and his family visited the capital and one of thoes weeks was mostly praformances. i mean i spent the rest of the year staying in shape and doing strength training, but its not the same as having regular accsess

that's even more inpressive!" i looked away attemmpting to hide my blushing, Mendacious rested one hand on the back of the sofa and grabed my chin with the other tuning my face back to him 'theres no need to hide.' he scooted closer to me on the sofa 'ill admit i do enjoy making you blush." which only made my cheeks heat up even more. 'theres something diffrent about you, i cant quite figure out what it is but im drawn to it like a moth to a flame' i didnt know quite what he was talking about but the sincarity in his face told me that it affected him to his core. 'now would you like to go for that walk?' he said as he gently releced my face 'im assuming you would like to change into something a bit warmer"

'i would' ibreathed out still out of breath from his words

'it wouldnt do for you to be getting sick going out in weather like this' he stood and ofered me his hand i took it. as he pulled me up right and lead the way towards the doors. 'lets get you changed into something more aproprat then.'

having changed into a pale pink dress so pail that i was almost white and draped in a heavy fir lined coat. Mendacious and i walked though his personal garden. it was a lovly garden even in the dead of winter and coverd in snow, i could only imagin how stunning it would be in the spring or summer. we made small talk as we wanderd around the paths before coming to the greenhouse that i had first noticed from the carrage on my first day here. that day felt so long ago i could hardly belive that is was only 2 months sence i had arived. i felt like such a diffrent person that i was when i arrived. it was warm inside the green house so warm that it was nearly hot. but the flowers in here were gorgous so of them sill in bloom evne tho the world outside was coverd in snow. Mendacious led me to a bench where we shed our outer layers, and fell into a comfotable silance just lising to the softness and freshness around us.

'darling?" his voice was rough, i looked up into his face that held that same unfimalar exprestion that i had seen earler but this time there was something else too. he took a deep breath that wavered slightly was he nervous?!?

'i got this for you' he pulled a small wooden box from a pocket and handed it to me. glancing at the box, then at him, and back at the box i slowly opned it. in side sittling on a bed of soft cotten was a necklace. there was what looked like a dragon scale made of glass that seemed to swerle blue and green in the light. it was wraped in vines and leaves made of gold and it hung from a goldedn chain. i gasped when i saw it 'its stunning' i stared up at him 'is it realy for me'

he smiled gently 'yes, the relationship we have isnt normal cassy, and ive ignored it for as long as i could but im a selfish man and i dont want to share you. i want you to be mine and mine alone. i know that our realationship dosent fit into society very well but i cant denigh how i feel about you. you are the smartest. kindest, haredest working, most compationet person that i know. i have been so lonly sence my wife died, but i didnt think it was posibal to find a companion that was anythign close to what she was, but youve managed to.

i sudenly felt conflicted. was he implying that he wanted more than a friendship? "you know im loyal to Ian'

with suprise in his voice 'of corse! i just want a friend to sheare this life with. someone to talk to on the bad days, someone to confide in, someone to take care of.' he brushed the back of his hand along my cheek. and heat rose involantary to my cheeks.

swaling hard 'just wanting to make sure were on the same page here'

of corse my dear!' paused and for a moment he looked like an adolesant working up the nerv to ask his crush out for the first time 'so would you like to be my friend? truly? and not just in title but in actuality too?

i nodden my head ' of corse! i feel like were most of the way there already'

his face broke into the bigest smile i had ever seen 'i'm glad that you feel that way too'

Trauma that still needs written

the sky was dark. not even the shine of the stars could penitrate it toningt. i stared out the glass sealing i had been up here for hours. the sun had long sence set and the even the moon did not dare show it's face. i sat nessled in at the top of my silks. hiding. trying to hide from the monsters that now lived in my brain. i felt so numb like nothing excissted inside of me anymore and in the exact same moment i felt so full of emotions that i was scared that they would rupture out of me and tear me apartt in the prossess.

Why?

the single thought plaged me.

Why?

why me? Why now? Why?

i thought we were friends

i thought you cared about me

i thought......................

i didnt want to think anymore. i didnt know if i wanted to exsist anymore. i checked for the hundrith thime that i had pulled the tails of the silks up to me. checking again that i couldn't be reached. when i had woken up i had run here. someone had changed me into a nightgown, i hoped it had been my maid, i didn't want to think about the other posability.

was she involved? did she know? did anyone know? would she belive me if i told her? would anyone belive me? or would they all call me a liar, an ungratefull brat who just couldnt accsept her situation in life.

what would 'i nearly spat at the thought of his name' what would he say if confrounted?

would he outright deni that anything happned? would even agnolage that he knew me apart from the other servants on his staff. or would he lie and say that i came on to him? what else had been a lie? had any of it been true? or was it all just lies to ensnare me?

why?

why didn't i see it? why didnt i see what was hapaning?

why didn't i do something before it got this far?

shrinking into myself i tried to sleep i knew i needed sleep, but when ever i closed my eyes i couldn't keep the images away. so insted i sat there and stared at the sky.

i hadnt cared who say me as a ran here. no where else in this house felt safe. this was the only place that i knew of that he coun't reach me. i tried to blink back tears crying would only dehidrate me make me have to come down sooner

slowly the sky had begun to lighten in the east. morning was coming. how could life continue on after what had happned? but the sun did not stop not for anyone. my eyes where heavy from the lack of sleep, and the sunlight some how made the world leess threating. i was so tyired. my eyelids drooped, and then fluttered back open. i dint want the drams to come. but my eyes slowly closed without my permission. and sudenly

i was flying. the clowds felt cold as they brushed against me. the sun was hidden by dark clouds.  shivering i srank into the smallest ball i could be. as i flew down twards the familer mountan vally, i waited for the familler sounds of the village but everyone must have been hiding inside on such a dreary day. landing gently on the ground i looked around as rain began to fall around me almost as if the world was morning this day as well. taking a deap sigh i began the walk to the elders home. it was a slow trudge and it sudenly felt like the walk up the hill was worse than climing a mountan. i colapsed to the ground sobbing. it was too hard. i couln't do it.i just couldnt

a soft hand was placed on my sholder and i jumped away from it terrified. the elder was neeling in the mud besid where i had colapsed it shocked me as i had never seen the elder leave her home before. 'im sorry my dear i did not intend to frighten you' here eyes where full of compation as she held out her arms. my eyes welled up with tears and sobbing i flung myself into her arms. she held me tight and wispered soft things to me as she just held me rubbing my back, and smothing my hair. my sobing eventualy subsided, as i lay there in her arms. 'Cassy?" i looked up into her face that held so mugh remorse and pain 'im so sorry, that should never have happned to anyone. you didnt deserve that' i heard the words that she said but i didn't quite belive them, i nodded anyway and the elder gave a half chickul 'i know you dont belive me but one day you will, but for now i must be serous. Cassy you are still in danger.' i looked away trying not to cry again 'cassy he will not stop, you need to run. running from most problums is not helpfull, but this one is. you need to run. run as fast and as far as you can, and dont look back. you were raised in the woods and you must return to them. Run cassy, Run and hide. your safety is more inportant than anything else.' 

'i dont know if i can' i almost wispered 'i couldnt even clime the hill to you home.

'you can, because if you do not this will eat you up inside, and that is not an option. she leaned around so that she could look me in the eyes 'you have to find the strength. i know you have it' i nooded 'good now it is time for you to return. do not forget. you are loved, and you are strong enough' and with a kiss to my forhead the village began to faid.

i fluttered my eyes open to the bright sunling streaming down through the cealing and the silks swaying softly. i replayed the dream over in my mind willing myself to remember the eldsers words. she was right i had to get out. i din't know where i would go, but i couldn't stay here. And I needed to not raise any suspicion about my plans. It was going to be hard enough I didn't need madatious to tighten security around me anymore than it already was. I needed my body in top condition too. I would need to subtly collect supplies. Food would be of the up most importance because foraging would be scarce this time of year.

The hardest part would be putting my emotions on hold until I was safe. I couldn't crack yet. I needed to get away first. And unfortunately that started with coming down from the silks. Taking a deep breath I stretch and flexed my tired muscles, and steeling my nerves I tossed the silk tails down and slowly fallowed them. I had to take another steading breath before I put my foot on the ground. Focusing on just my breathing I walked to the door and left the gym

Craling into my bed I hid under the covers. I didn't know how I had managed to do it but I made it through the first lunch with madatious since the insadent. I thought for sure he would say something about how different I was acting, but he didn't. He just rambled on and on about nothing. I don't know if I could survive another one of those. Unless I got lucky somewhere I would need to endure at least 3 more. That just wasn't going to work. I also didn't know how long I had before he decided that he wanted more. A shiver ran through me I really couldn't risk that. I needed to go soon. I had tomorrow off from my studies so maybe I could see a way of the grownds from the top of my silks. But after that I wasn't sure. I couldn't stay in the city  I didn't have anyone to go to and vin would find me anyway. I did have some coin from my allowance to bye supplies. That would mean that I could leave here sooner. I already had enough bread to last me a week. If I could get some dried meat in the market and maybe a flint, I just might be able to make it till spring. If I can make it till spring I was confident that I would be okay. Foraging would be possible again and I would be able to figure something more permanent figured out before winter came again.

I didn't have much to take from here. I didn't want anything that reminded me of this place, but I didn't have a choice I needed some of it. I planned to where several layers of my warmest clothes and my second warmes cloak. The warmest had to meeny ornamentations and I would be painting a target on my back in the market. I did thankfully have a sachel that was big enough to cary just about everything. There was also a dagger that was more decor then practical , but it had a steel blade so it would work till I could replace it and either sink it in the river or pawn it if I needed the coin.

Now I just needed to decide when I was going to attempt my escape. I knew I was only going to get one chance. If I was caught for any reason I wouldn't be given a second chance. I would be locked away and death would be better than that. The options that I could think of where right after lunch, right after I went to bed, or first thing in the morning. As soon as I thought it I discarded the last option. I would have not eaten in Many hrs, I probably wouldn't sleep very well from nerves, and it would be very long before someone came looking for me. So that leaves the other options at night or in the afternoon. Both would be right after a meal. It would be much colder at night but with a little luck I wouldn't be missed till morning. On the other hand the market wouldn't be open till morning. But if I leave in the afternoon it will be only a couple of hours before I'm missed, and I have no idea how long it's going to take for me to walk to the market.

There was one other possibility that I didn't really want to consider but it might solve the issues with leaving at night. I could steal the things I need. I would have to find them tho, and I wasn't sure if that was something I could do. At least not without being able to scout the places out.

Pressing my fist to my mouth I willed myself not to brake. If I gave in and broke, if I gave into the dispare I was dombed. I didn't have a choice I had to keep it together. I took several shaky breaths as I shoved all the emotions deep down inside. A nock sounded on my door before my maid entered "the etiquette toutre sends word that she has been summoned elsewhere and the master has approved for you to have the rest of the afternoon off from your studies"

I sat up and let the blanket fall off of me "thank you for letting me know " I wiped the tractor of a tear off my cheek. My maid cutsied and left. i let my head fall into my hands i needed to huury, i wasn't going to be  able to hold it togeter much longer. i draged my self out of bed and hurried the short distance to the gym. i didnt even bother to warm up i just climed to the to of the silks and nessled myself in. this would be a good time to study the gardens. i hadnt been off the property sence i had arived and i wasn't sure exactly how far i had to go before i was off the estate and how much farther the market was from that. thankfullly the top of the silks gave me one of the best vantage pionts of the estate. i know that the martet is two the west but that would also me the most likely path to run into some who was coming or going from the estate. what i really needed to decide is if stelth or speed would be preferable. speed i decieded on. atleast untill my disaperance would be dicovered. then stelth, and mayby just bunkering down for a while untill the heat dies down. and if speed and distance is the name of the game then leaving at night might be the better option. there would be fewer people out and about to see me and i could be at the market right when the stalls opned and i could then quickly leave the city. i would be much harder to find in the winter. Manny alwase said that i could move though the forest like a dear never leaving a trace that i was there. i smiled at the thought of her  and then froze Manny, she worked at his summer home. would he fire her if i ran away? would he hurt her? mayby hold her captive as a way to lure me back in? would i stay if it meant that manny was safe? i didnt know. how could i even think of leaving Manny in the cluches of him. I didnt know how i would survive but i had to stay i coudn't abandon her like that. looking around at the gardens i suddenly haited the view. it taunted me with the chance at freedom that i couldn't take. feeling heaver than i had ever felt in my entire life i decended back to the floor and headed for my bed to cry and brake because there was no point in trying not to anymore. as i neered my room i slowed at the sight my doors open wide creeping fawarrd silently i could here two women talking and giggling 'its just so funny, how could she be so dence?" '' i know right!" 'shes either bone stupid or extreeminly nieve, and i dont know which is worse' as they both broke into a fit of giggling 'like seroulsly as summer home, she actualy belives it? where on earth dose she think the summer home is. this hole contry has the same god damb weather" "ya i know, but she asks after her presstious Manny constantly' 'and you defeinitly not pulling my leg?' 'No i couldnt come up with something half as funny if i tried' as there voices aproced the door i sliped back and around a corrner. thankfully i guessed the right direction and they tured away from me, i carfully peared around the corner and watched as my maid and another womoan i didnt reconise wispered and giggled as they walked down the hallway away from me.

hurring back to the gym i waked in and nearly slammed the door. No summer house, was there fucking anything that he hadn't lied about. " i bet he dosent even have a fucking dausghter' ahh i just wanted to punch something. i was just as stupid as theythought i was, but i had been given a rude awaking and i wasnt about to ignore it. i would be leaving tonight. i couldnt stand another day here. and if there was no summer house, then manny didnt live there. which ment that she was either still living by the docks, or she was dead. but either way i couldnt go find out, i didnt need to spend that extra time in the city, and i coulnt go to her even if she was alive, becuse if she was then that would be the goons first stop when they notice im missing. no i  just had to leave. mayby one day i could come back to the city and find out what happpned mayby even apoligise for leaving with out saying goodbye. now i just needed to wait for tonight, and i needed to not think. pushing myself off the wall i stated to jog around the room. dancing would be the perfect way to not think for a while.

it was finaly time to go. i looked around my room one last time. the fire was slowly diying in the fireplace, and the closes that i had stuffed under the blankest looked realalistic enough. they woulnt pass any kind of reall instpection. but if someone just peeked in they would do the trick. i was dressed in two layers of my warmest dresses, and three pairs of socks. the over the sholder sachel that i had held the food, water, knife, and extra clothes that i was able to squirl away. there wasnt much food just a few loves of bread and a couple apples, they didnt really serve me food that would stoore well. i would have to  get enough in the market to last me till i could get to the next town and be able to earn more. as i stood by the blaconay racking my brain for anything that i forgot to bring, the strangest thing happned. it was is if a brease appered inside my room and i heard the elders voice floting to me on it 'take the neclace the wicked man gave you' before it all faded. i stood there frozen. what the hell was that. i knwe it was the elder. i would recogonise there voice anywhere, but how had i herd them now? i wasnt asleep, i had alwase thouth that they where a pice of my imagination, that it was how my brain prosses beg shit or something like that. because the other posibility was that soming freeky and supernatural was going on and i wasn't sure about any of that. shaking myself i tried to put it out of my mind and focas. i was on a countdown that was literaly life or death. i could contemplate reality later. i didnt even question the advice of the elder, i trusted her with my life and she had never steered me wrong before. crossing the room quickly to the vanity i opned a drowr and fisshing out the pendant necklace, and stuffed it into the sack, before grabbing most everything that didnt sit on top of it and also stuffing it in. they would be usefull in extending the small amount of coin that i had. looking around the room a final time i walked to my balcony sliped the cloak on and sliped out into the freezing night.

closing the balcony door behind me, i pulled the cloak tighter awround me, and loked out over the gardens, it was compleatly dark save for the light of a cressent moon. i sliped over the edge of the balcomy , my bed room faced away from the city center and market and so i began to make my way around the house. i decieded that for the grounds i would trade most of my stealth for speed, there was no way not to leave trackes in the snow anyway and any one tracking me would loose the train once we hit the cobled streats anyway. even if i manned to leave no trail at all it woulnt take much guessing to corectly assume that i would first run for the city. so speed was the name of the game here. run fast to the market wait for the first of the meat sellers to open, and then run for woods. hide and decide where to go and what to do next. it sounded so simple but i doughted it would end up being that way.

the gardens where just as dark on this side of the house, save for a lantern by the gate. pulling the cloak tighter still i huried away from the house twards the gate. its light would help me not loose my direction as i wove though the garden avoinding shubes, flower beds, and frozen over ponds. as i neered the edge of the estate i slowed this was going to be tricky. there was a tall brick fence that ran the entirety of the perimiter of the estate the only opning that i knew of was the main gate and that would be garded. looking at the wall as i neared it, it had brick that extended probabaly ten feet up with another two feets worth of iron spikes on top of that. the spike sthat would have been the down fall of so manny others were my ticket to freedom. i didnt have the ability to climb a rick face, but i did know how to clim fabric. i untied the fabric from where i had attached it to my back, and unfolded it. i had stolen it from the gym actulay using the same method i thought with a giggle. i quighly made a loop in one end and tossed it over a spike. it took me a few tries but i eventualy got it. steding myself i pulled on it a coulple of times to make sure it was sucure and begian to climb. it was definitly not pretty my extra bulk and the cold that had settled into my hands and feet make it dificult, but i reached the top all the same. stepping over the spikes, and flipping the silk over to the other side. i hurried down the other side of the wall. and landed on the soft snow on the other side. continuing to head west i took of twards the city center wanting to put a s much room inwetwen me and the wall lest someone where to find it and rais the alarm. i angled twards the main road and and felt relife when my feet finaly hit cobble stone.waisting no time i hurried on

it was so cold. i stood waiting down a side street for morning to come. it had taken me most of the night to get here as i had to sacrifice speed for stelth once i hit the second cercle. there were just two meny people who where still out and about and i didnt for anyone to see me or to decide that i looked like an easy target. i had made it tho and i was fairly sure it was undetencted. it was almost worse tho to be stuck here waiting. every noise made me jump, and every flicker out of the corner of my eye made me terrified that i had been found and i was going to be draged back to my own personal prizion. i knew that a second escape would me magnitudeds times harder. i wouldnt put it past magness to actulay shalkel me to a bed if i was caught. i shudderd and attempted to forced the thoughts away. i didnt need to think about being totaly powerless his hands, because i wouldn't be, i would die before i let that happen. but it wouldnt come to that i had to belive that i would make it. i would get away toning and he would never find me. i promised myself that he would never find me.

the sky began to slowly lighten and with it came the true cold. i tucked my hands into my arm pits as i crouched in the ally way, trying to stay warm. thudding footsteps and the gingling of mail from the other end of the ally, made me freeze. i held my breath as the foot steps and the gards atached to them thudded past my hiding spot. they continued on there patrole, seming not aware of my pressance, i let out a slow wavering breth as i attemped to not panick and get my nervs under controle again. as the sun rose futher in the sky and began to kiss the tops of the tallest buldings, there began to be more movement in the square as more stall owners came to set up for the day. i stood slowly and tried to streach the stiffness out of my bones, as the early mornign errand boys began to run around the market both placing ang picking up orders for the masters. i sliped out my ally way and made my way to the my regular meat stall. shifting the hood of the cloack so that the Sally would be able to recognise me. i aproched her stall "good mornign Sally' she looked up and her jaw dropped 'Sally' i said slowly 'i need you to stay distcreet, I'm not supposed to be here" Sally blinked several times and swelled hard. "you gave me such a start, your aunt has been worried sick about you?! Where have you been?"

Relief and sadness filled me Manny was alive at least. "Sally I don't have time to talk I need to by some of your meat"

Of cours! How much?

I placed half the coin I had on the table " as much as this will bye." Sally's eyes went wide at the sight of the coin I knew it would set her family up for the rest of the winter. It's why I chose her stall instead of the others. I knew she could use the coin. She quickly scooped the coin out of sight and begen to package up the dried meat. "sersoly Cassy your aunt has been so worried, what happened. She said that you just never returned from a delivery. And now you just show up out of the blue? Your dressed so nicely too? This isn't like you Cassy what's going on?" I faught back tears as she passed me the packaged up meat "I'm so sorry Sally" I placed the package in my bag "I have to go. Please just forget you ever saw me. It will be better for everyone." Resisting the urge to look back I hurried out of the market and towards the main gate. It would be busy enough this time of day that I could slip out. It wasn't like the gards cared who left the city they where only consernd with who entered it. I walked thought the gate without with our reviving so much as a glance. As I walked down the road I looked up at the sun position. I didn't have much more time before my disappearance would be noticed if it hadnt been already. Keeping my pace quick but not like I was hurring I tried to decide where to go. The only people that knew that didn't live in the capital was Ian and his family,  but I couldn't go to them. I couldn't put them in that danger, even tho all I wanted was a hug from his mother and to wander in the forest with Ian just forgetting that any of this had happened. But I couldn't. I just couldn't. I couldn't face him after what had happened.

Taking a deep breath I tried to remember what else I had learned about life out side the city. It wasn't much, most people were either farmers, fishers, or loggers. So it didn't matter where in the country I went I would always be doing house work because those are the skills that I have. And if it doesn't matter where I go I would rather go somewhere very far away from the capital. I had studded the large map in the touting room and thought that my best bet would be to cross the river and then go north. I could find a place to settle down until evening calmed down. And I could apologize and see if things could still work with Ian. If he even still wanted me. I turned right as the road spit and began to walk west. The road was still wide enough for two sets of wheel ruts and I picked my way along them. Most of the crowds has been left behind and I began to feel very exposed on the open road. I would be easy to spot and easy to remember all alone out here. The sound of a wagon from up ahead pushed me into the trees on either side of the road. Crowching down I watches as an old mare and her wagon full of hay slowly trundled past. The drivers face full of boredom as he bounces on the seat. Once they where out of sight once again. I slowly returned to the road, and continued on my way. I passed several smaller splits always sticking to the larger road. It was probably nearing noon when I finally allowed myself to stop and eat. I was starving having not eaten since supper the night before. I left the road and found a spot in the brush to sit and eat. I made sure that I was not visible from the road, and that I was far enough off that I wouldn't be heard as long as I was quite. I pulled out the bundle of meat that Sally had packed for me and opend it up. And stared, she had given me nearly double what I was expecting. And she had even slipped in a few of her sweets. I couldn't help it I cried. How long had it been since someone had been so kind to me. kind to me without thought of what they could get in return. i felt so broken, sitting here crying, over what looked like something so small from the outside but but i knew how big it was. Sally didnt have much to give, but she still gave everything that she could to me. she didnt even know what was wrong, but she still did everything that she could. when the tears finaly subsided i rmoved two strips of the dried meat and a roll and returned the rest to my pack. when i finished eating i stood and continued my way down the road.

my afternooon walk had sevral more instances of hurriedly hiding in the brush whenever a cart or group of people passed me. Near dusk there was even one carriage that raced past me back to the city, it ocupents probably wanting to sleep in there own beds tonight. The light wained and I needed to find somewhere to sleep. My body was exhausted and ached from the lack of sleep, i found a patch of fir trees that where especaly thick. i shoved my way into the interour of them. the trees sat so closely together that the branches on the inside of the stand didnt recive enought sunlight to grow and so it left a little hallow that was nearly free of snow and well protected from the wind. i practicaly colapsed against the tree and the center of the stand. i coundt sit down yet tho, i needed to have my bed ready because once i sat down i wasnt geting back up untill morning. using a combonation of shoving with my feet an carring fist fulls i piled the fallen pine neetles and assorted leaf litter into a small pile in the center of the space. i flattened it into an even layer i then wraped my cloak around me the best that i could and curled up on my makeshift bed. i used my pack to suport my head and curled up into a tight ball and without waithing for an invitation my body and mind fell into the sweet imbraces of sleep.

it was midmorning before the light penitrated the the thick strands and woke me from my sleep. as glad as i was the i hadent frozen, there was a part of me that wished i had. it would have been so much easer to have just no woken up. at least the sun had had time to begin to warm the world and the worst of the cold was now gone. i slowly sat up my body protesting the movement. streaching the kinks out of my neck, i slowly crawled to my feet shaking the nettles off me the best that i could. pushing my was out of my sleeping spot i was startled to find that it was actualy late afternoon, addrenalin rushed though me thinking of all the time i had lost. how could it be afternoon already?!? how did i sleep so long? i hurried to the rode and after checking to make sure it was empty, tured and walked quickly down it i had to make up for lost time! i need to get far away and fast. i needed to run, braking into a jog i hurried. the drive to get away wasn't something that i could have adiquitly explaned to anyone. it was almost as if instinct drove me to run and hide. i did eventualy have to slow my pace, as much as i wanted to run the entire way i would get farther if i paced myself. i took out a stick of meat and one of the apples an nowed on that while i walked. i wasnt that i was hungry but i knew i had to eat inorder to keep up my strengh.

i only had to hide in the undergroth once before the sun began to set. i didnt want to stop again so soon but my body begged to differ, sighing i tured off the main road know that i needed to find a place to sleep before i lost the light compleatly. i eventualy found a small cliff that faced away from the wind. i wouldnt be nearly as nice as the trees had been last night but the light was basicaly gone and it was the best that i could find so it would have todo. i again piled the assorted leaf litter into a small bed to protect me fromt he cold of the earth and currled into the smallest ball i could with my back inches from the face of the rock. sleep clamed me as quickly as it had the noight before.

sitting bolt upright my heart pounding in my ears. my eyes darting all around, frozen in fear. my breath coming short and fast fogging up the air. i pressed my back against the cliff face and tryed to think. i tried to figure out what woke me? I didnt see anything in the forest around me. nothing moved, and the only thing that made any sound was the slight russle of the tops of the trees as the brease moved though them, pulling my cloack closer i tried to slow down, i tried to think, i tried to be logical. but my body refued. insted it panicd. i sat in the forest surounded by snow, my back pressed against the rock face my knees pulled up to my chest, and my head berried in my arms. i cryed, as my body shook, my heart pouded in my ears, my though burned by the cold air as my breath came in sharp ragged gasps. and while it felt like the pain in my soul would tear it in two. eventualy my body seemed to tyer and the next thing i new i was opning my eyes again to the pale sky as the sun began to rise. i let my head slump before stugling to my feet and heading back to the road. i didnt want to think about what had happned last night. so i wouldn't i would just walk so far today that i would be able to do nothing else but sleep come tonigh. i was just because i had over slept the prevous night that i didnt sleep well tonigh, but i would solve that problum today. besided if i keped a good pace i might make it to the edge of the bridge today. the great bridge was a giant bridge that spaned nearly a half mile, of the (rivername) river. a river that divided the county nearly in half. the second largest city in the kingdom was also just on the otherside of the bridge. i would hoefuly be able to rest there and mayby find some odd jobs to do for some extra coin. or even just a place to sleep out of the wind would be apreaceated. i could probalby find a stall or something simalar to hide in at the least.

the day proceded pretty much as the days before i ate a midmorning meal as i walked and hid from the ocational paserbys. i considered abandaning the road all together but untamitly decided that i the ocational interuptions were werth the speed boost that i got for not fighting thought the forest. especaly thought the briars patches that had begun to crop up as i neared the river. the the sun was just beginging to dip down behind the trees behind me when i turned a bend and the bridge came into view. Ian hadnt done it any justice when discribing it to me. i was made of stome with arches suporting the top of it. the legs of those arches discipering down into to the turbulant and what i knew would be icey cold waters. the river its self was bueatiful, in a terifing way. the water splashed and formed white waves and it tumbled down twards the sea. it was so vilant but in a mesmerizing way that i could have watched for hours. but insted i tured away from the water and walked back into the woods i would cross the bridge in the morning and i needed to find a sleeping spot before it got to dark i ended up settling on another small clif face altho this one was nearly surounded by bushes and had hardly any snow that i would need to clear away. i slumped to the ground a was asleep nearly before my head had hit my pack.

i woke up the next morning not feelining very rested at all. i had been plaged by dreams and panic atackes all night and i did not feel rested at all, but the day waited for no one and i needed to get going. it would be easest to get into the city first thing in the morning with the crowds of farmers that where ariving to sell there goods. i had been coming up with a story while i walked and i thought i would be good enough, i hoped it would be good enough. i would say that i was coming from the capital that i was trying to find my extended family that lived here, because my family had dyied and i needed a place to live. i hoped it would be passable i had even come up whith a very common fake name to provide should i be asked. as i neared the road i could hear the rattle of wagon wheels over the fozeen ruts. and when i reached the road i tried to join the persesstion with out being noticed. i had decieded to remove my cloak this morning because i feered that it would prevent me from blending into the croud of farmers. i wasnt woried about my dress as it had goten quite dirty over the last few days and looking around at the otheres i didnt seem to stand out too badly. as we started our was acrost the bridge i missed the warmth of my cloak as a bitter wind bit right though my dress. the view was amazing tho as i looked to my right i could just make out the shile of the sun on the sea. as we neared the edge of the bridge the walls of the city rose up and my heart began to pownd i had manovered my self right behind a wagon that happned to be loaded with potatoes and turnups. i hoped that i could just fallow it in, and then to the market. as the cart aproched the gate the driver slowed. 'just the usual farkus?' "yes sir" and with that the gard waved him though the wagon not even coming to a full stop. i keped my head down and thankfully the gard let me pass without insadent. thankfully most of the wind was blocked by the city walls and i was relived to be out of the wind even if just for now.  i fallowed the wagon down the streat to the market. it felt so good to be back in a city again. the market was just starting to get busy for the day, and the hussal and bussle of the croud was comfoting. i abandond the wagon and found a stack of crates that had been stacked in an allyway, that provided a good vantage point for me to be able to get the lay of the land. the only city that i had ever been to was the captle and i had no idea if it was set up the same way as evereywhere else and i couldt just wander around looking lost thats how you made yourself a target. from my vantage point on the top of the crates i could see that it was set up very simalar but not quite exactly. the main part of the market was situated around the well in the center of the square, with little branches heading off in difrent directions wich as far as i could tell held mostly the same kinds of products, it made searching for what you needed much easer and it also made it easer to compare prices and the such if they were all clumped together. it took me longer then i thout i would to spot what i was most looking for mostly because it was much smaller then the one in the capitle. whech made sence now that i thought about it. on the north end of the plaza was a message board that would hopefully have some odd jobs posted that i could do. i would even work for a hot meal and a stable to sleep in at this point. the clowds that were gathering in the southern sky made me want to find somewhere out of the weather to sleep. i really didnt want to be sleeping in the woods in a blizard. hopping down from my lookout i ignored the odd looks that i got and headed for the message board. as i got closer i could see sevral scrapes of paper under the heading labled "Help Wanted" but what really caught my attention was in the center of the board was a roal decree. the parchment had a gold border around it and large scalling script. but thats not what made my blood run colder then the river that i had crossed this morning. printed on the parchment was a picture of me. there were sevral other people gathered around the board as well, and i stayed quiet and tried to over hear what they were saying. nothing much stood out till one very round and burly man fought his way to the frount of the crowd. 'carl what dose it say reed it to us' carl grumbled clearing his throut

Wanted

picture of cassy

for treason, espionage, and crimes against the king. report any sightings to you local patrool. anyone found helping or hiding the fugiitive will be charged with the said crimes.

reward 5000 coins

the crouwds mumering went up as he finnished i just stared 5000 coins? treason? my sences returing for the moment i turned and left the croud. i did not need to get noticed. sliping down an ally way i slumped tho the ground out of sight. that was so much money. i couldnt blame anyone for turning me in. what treason had i done? i didnt know what esp-enoge was. the word was even dificult to say. what was i going to do tho? could i even spend one night here or did i need to leave now? how quickly would word spred thou town. i scofed at myself very quickly with the reward being that high everyone will have herad about it in an hour or two. there was no time i needed to leave now. pulling open my pack i stared at the contents inside. i had enough meat for anouther week, i silently thanked Sally again. i was out of apples, and my water skin was geting low, altho that i could refill at a streem if needed. bread was the issue. it was the best way to keep my body fuled, but i only had a day and a halfs worth left. did i risk spending the last of my coin for some. the news will have spreed though the plasa the fastest. was there some way that i could diskise my self? looking around i saw nothing and no  brillant ideas came to me. i heaved myself to my feet and took my hair down out of its tail. the picture of me had been taken when i was all dolled up for the prick so maybe it beeing a tangled mess would help. i wasnt sure how much it would actualy do but it was beter thean nothing, at least thats what i told my self.

leaving the ally i did my best to move quickly twards the bakers without drawing any attention to myself. i slowly aproched the first baker from the side of his stall trying my best to look younger and a bit more lickly than i was, altho it wasnt much of an act. she wasn't as round as Carl the man who had read the dreaded poaster, but she wasnt thin either. she looked over at cassy and a soft kind smile spred oveer her face. 'please miss do you have any stale bread that i could purtus? i dont have coin enough for much'

 i could see the pitty in her eyes as she continused to smile at me ( i didnt like expoiting peoples emothions, but something about desprit times) 'my deer of course i do, how much coin do you have?'

'2 gold, but i need it to last me for the next 2 weeks till i can get to [destanation city] where my momma sister lives" that was pushing it. it would be an incrediball price if i mannage to get that much bread. but i felt desprit and i hoped it would show in my face too. it semed that i had picked the right stall tho as the womans face some how sofened even more. 'i can help ya deeerie" she began wraping up the loves that she pulled from underneeth the table as i stared around paranoind that any moment i would here the clanking of the patrole coming to drag me away. as she took the coin and handed me the bundle she cover my hands in hers and looking strait into my eyes it felt like she could see my soul 'if you going to [destanation city] i would leave though the western gate' she nodded in the direction 'and mayby stay off the main road for a bit'  fear griped me as i stared up into her eyes did she know? would she send the gards after me? she patted my hands 'i wish you the best of luck on your jurney, now go my neibours do not have the moral backbone that i do, and the gard will be along shorly"

i nodded and quickly turned and made my way in the direction that she had indicated. i was all i could do not to sprint but that would jsut call attention to me and that was the last thing i needed. i felt like i held my breath untill i left the city though a much smaller gate and was once again on the road west. the gards hadnet given me a second glance as i left the city. as soon as i was out of sight of the city i ducked into woods and retreved my cloak. colapsing to the ground i pulled it around me and panicked. a trator? me? what had i done? was medatous realy that desprit for me that he would pay 5000 coins? even tho i might not be much mony to him it still seemed like much more than i was worth. hanging my head on my knees i tryed mostly in vain to calm myself. was there anywhere in the kindom that i would be safe? anyone who wouldnt betray me for that much money? it would set most people in the kindom up for life. could i really ask anyone to give up that much, just for me?

what would manny think? a sob escaped. i slaped a hand to my mouth trying to hold back the tears. what would she think? would she belive them? would she .......... would she hate me? think that i had decived her? that i had left her on purpos? stumbling to my feet i grabed my bag and headed deaper into the woods away from the road. stumbing i tried to keep the tears from blocking my vision but they would not be halted. and i triped over an espetioaly narly root. i cried out as i pushed my hands out to catch my self as i fell. a sharp cry left me as a rock sliced the ouside of my right hand. i pulled it clocse crising at the gods and crying uncontrolabaly. i dont know how long i lay there before waking up freezing.

it was dark out and from the lookes of it it had been for a while now. my chest acked with a hallow ness that in a kinof poetic way meriored the expance of darness that now excisted around me. pushing meslf up to a seated position my hand throbed while i pulled my cloak close attempting to get warm again. i tried to look at it to asses the damage but with the small moon and the thickness of the branches above me i coulnt make out much other then i wasnt very good. from what i could feel it was only a couple inches long but if felt like it had but deep. it was slightly warm which was a really really bad thing. i wasnt a healer by any meaning of the word but i knew the basics. heat ment that it was bad and i was going to need a healer if i was going to survive this. i leaned againd a tree, but where was i going to find a healer that would treat me and not so they could just ransome me off. i couldnt just go back to the city i would be spotted for sure. i felt like cring again but i had aprently used up all of my tears earler and so i just sat slumped against the tree feeling numb. i blinked my eyes open and fount the sun was just beging to touch the tops of the trees. my stomic grumbnllied reminding me that i hadnt eaten sence yesterday morning. reaching for my pack with my good hand i pulled out the packagre from the baker to asses how long i could make the bread last it was cold enough that it would spoil till spring so that was good at least. it was kinda tricky to untie as the finers on my right hand were espectial stiff. but i got it eventualy. i counted the loves as i moved them to the drawstring bag that i had taken from the palace. fourteen excatly as manny as i said i needed. pulling out the last half of my original bread i began to naw on it as i noticed something on the inside of the paper that had been used to wrap the bread. i did my best to smoth it out with my good hand. it was a drawing as well as a note.

This is a safe place to resuply. present this paper for entrance

and a crudly drawn map that marked a location off in the woods that if i guessed right was about a week's walk away. i was puzled, why did i need a safe place to resuply? and then i remembered and the weight of yesterday hit me with full force. i was a trator and fugitive from the law. if anyone caught me i would be at least killed and at worst sent back to live with menonia. my head began to spinn how had things gone so badly? was it really only a coulple of months ago that i was living by the docks with manny the only worry cloding my mind is if Ian would actualy prapose this summer? Ian would i ever see him again? i had been branded a crimainal would me and ian ever have a chance to be together again? the throbing in my hand reminded me that i had a bigger problme tho and if i didnt fix it soon i woulnd need to worry about anything else ever again. stubling to my feet i grabed my pack and after giving the map another once over i stuffed it all in my pack and set off thought the woods. if i left the main road and cut acroust to one of the off shoots i would sove myself time. i just hoped it would be enough and that my gamble would pay off in the end.

waklking though the woods was much more dificult than on the road. there were manny more things to avoind triping not to menttion that it made it almost imposeibal to walk in a strait line, and i was staring to get more and more conserned that i was geting turned around and was going to miss the road entirly. i stopoed at a small stream that i found to refill my water skins. the water was fridjid but when i drank it it seemed to send breath life and energy back into by acking body. i did eventualy find the road and continued down it. my heart sank as i rounded a bend in the road and could now clearly see the sky to the north. i had reconised the chill that had grown as the day had progressed, but i had been eger to ignore it and what it ment was coming. but i couldnt ignore the low dark clouds that were rolling off the mountans. there was going to be a storm tonight and it was going to be a bad one. i was out hear and there wasnt much i could do about it. i consitred just laying down and leting the storm take me, but my stuborn feet kept walking. cursing at them i tried to come up with a moticum of a plan. if i wanted to stay alive i couldnt sleep tonight, but insted i needed to keep movng. i left the road and pulled out the map. by my best guess i was about a 3 days walk from the place marked on the map, but i really was just guessing. but regardless i wasnt going to be able to get there by tonight. the only other option that i could see was to take a nap now so that i could walk all night to hopefuly not die of hipotherma. seeing as my body seemed hell bent on surving. so i ate a quick meal and after stuffing everything back into my bag i curled up and tried to sleep. key word there tried. i hadnt been sleeping well in weeks. not sence the insadent. it was hard to fall asleep and when i did the nightmares came. working my body to exasution help me fall asleep but it did nothing for the nightmares. my hand was acking and most of it was swolen and red. i needed a healeer soon but i had no idea where to find one. let alone one that would help me. i lay there for an hour before deciding that i wasnt going to get any sleep so i might as well keep walking. it was a strugle to do almost anything with out the use of my dominant hand as it was funtionaly useless.

it was just before dusk when the first snow flakes began falling. it was a wet snow that was almost rain and before long i was soaked though, and even tho i knew i needed to get dry i didnt have anyother choice but to keep waking, as the sun set and the temiture droped the percipatation tured fully to snow and i was soon walking though sevral inches of the stuff. it seemed i was getting colder every second. much colder than i should have been. i stumbled on tho not carrign if anyone saw me on the open road. i walked for what seemed an eternity the snow was now sevral feet deep, and it took a lot of effort to walk though my progress slowed to a snales crwal. i could really feel the exaustion as my bones seemed to freeze. looking up i could just make out a light ahead thogh the nearly blinding snow. hope reignited in me as i stumbled twards the light that seemed to wander though the foid of the storm. then i triped over something hidden by the snow. crying out as i caught myself with my injured hand. the pain shot up my arm. i lay there fighting to find the strenglth to get back up but i didnt have it. the weeks without proper sleep, and the intencive hicking that i had done had taken its tole on my body. i didnt have the energy to go on 'how fitting' i thought 'that im going to freeze to death right hear within sight of somewhere warm.' i was just too tyired. my vision swamm as i faught to keep my eyes open. the light seemed to dance in my vision and i grow larger, my brain stuggled to comprehend what i was seeing. there were shouts as the light got even bigger and then gabled speach that i couldnt seperate into words. the last thought before the darkness consumed me was 'gods i really hope they dont recognise me'

it was dark but warm when i opned my eyes. i looked around the room i was in. it was small bairly enough room for the bed i was lying in and a chest aginst the opsit wall beside the door which i could see firelight flickering underneeth. what really got my attention was the smell coming from under said door. sitting up i fallowed my sutmock to the door and quietly cracked it open. if these people wanted me dead i already would be. the door opned on to a room with a large open fireplace in the middle of the room. on the other side of the fire there was a seeting area and on this side a kitchen. it wasnt anything nearly as fancy and i had ecperenced living with manatious, but it was still much more then manny and i had ever had. a woman was bent over the fire place stiring a pot. SLAM i yelped as i jumped. the frount door smacking the wall behind it as another woman entered carrying an arm full of fire wood and accompanied by a gust of snow. the woman at the fire place first looked up and the woman who had entered before looking at me. i froze. as she looked back to the other woman 'Felicity' she said sharply 'weve talked about this!" the woman caring the wood who was aperently named Felicity rolled her eyes and gave a shurg as she closed the door and set the wood down. the woman by the fire place tured back to me and crosed the short didtance to me where she pulled the door open more 'now there darling come on out' she ofered a hand to me 'were not ganna hurt ya' i hesitatnly put my good hand in hers. and let her lead me to a pile of blankets on the oterside of the fire 'how are you fooling darling?'

im fine, just a little confused

oh dear ive forgon my manners. im Celeste and that 'she jerked her head at the other woman 'is my lovely wife Felicity. she the roudy one of us if you know what i meean'

hey i heard that!

celeste rolled her eyes. 'were friends of Mis Carol and she sent word that youd be coming and might be in need of some help. so when you hadent arived and the storm hit we dicided to go look for you. and its a good thing we did you wouldnt have lasted the night out there.

i stared at my hands who was mis carol? did they know about the ransom? would they turn me in if they did? i felt a soft hand on my thye and looked up into celesstes worried eyes 'you okay girly?'

who is mis Carol?

ah i tought you knew her name, she a baker in [smaller big city] im assuming that you ran into here there.' i nodded. 'well she tends to be an excialent jusge of chariter so im not worried about ya'

me nither' Felicity said ploping down next to us. 'mis C never gets it wrong.' my stomic then thought it was the perfect time to protest how long it had been sence i had last filled it. i blushed but celeste just smiled rubbed and got up. while she grabed 3 bowles from a shelf and began to spoon out the soup felicity said 'hows you hand felling? any better? you had a pretty good fever when we found you'

i then glanced down at my hand that i had kind of forget about. it was still red and angry, but it wasnt as hot as before and the pain had started to go down. 'its much beter.' looking up at her 'are you a healer?"

she laughed 'no not really'

dont let her lie to ya. shes the best healer for miles she just aint got no formal training.

felicity just shruged 'i just learned what my mamma taught me. it comes in handy when you live so far fome a proper city. may i look at your hand?' i nodded and held it out twards her. she took it gently and felt around making me wince when she got close to the cut. she muttered some things to herself and noding she passed it back to me. 'itll heal up just fine. you might have some weekness in you hand for a bit, but that will just need some work for that to return. im glad it my medicin helped. i was a bit worried that it had progressed beond the point of healing. how long ago did you cut it?

i think it was 3 days before the storm. i dont remember how long excatly' felicity nodded and took the bowl of stew that celeste offered her. celest then handed me a bowl that made my moouth water. it smelled soooooo good. it had been nearly two weeks sence i had had hot food and boy did it smell good. i dug in and nearly groned at how good it was. in no time i was drinking up the last bits of broth. looking up i was greted by two amused smiles. 'would you like a but more?' celeste asked i nodded and passed her my bowl which she refilled and passed back to me. 'eat up theres pleanty and im sure your starved after sleeping for almost two days' the spoon frose half way to my mouth 'two days?!'

Ya' celeste said smling 'but ya needed it. you were about to die of both hypotherma and yer infection. your body needed rest and to let the medicin that Felicity gave ya to work' it made sence but i still was shocked that i had slep for so long without waking up from the nightmares, going back to my stew i did agnoige that i had need the sleep. i finnished the last of the second bowl, declining a third as i might burst if i ate that much. i sat there on the soft blackets feeling hallow as the firelight dannced around and celeste and felicity chatted in the background. i felt so empty. i didnt know what was missing what had i lost, but i certenly could feel its absence. i jumped and scooted away fear racing though me when a hand was soflty placed on my sholder. i stared terrified up at felicity 'i didnt meen to frighten you. i sorry' i blushed embareced at my over reaction 'do you not like being touched? i wont touch you again without your permission. and i know celest wont ether if you dont want us to'

'sorry....i.....um.....' i sighed and took a deap breath 'its fine'

felicity sat down next to me 'i dont meen to assume anything about you, but it dosent seem like everythings fine. its okay to not want to be toughched. we'll respect that. we'll respect you.' i nodded looking at my hands 'and cassy' i lloked up' im ganna say this because you strike me as an over thinker, but i need you to hear me out and not jump to any conclutions till the end alright' i nodded 'we know about the ransome, but we arent ganna turn you in. and i need you to belive me on that we aernt. weve also been judged by that systom that has alterour motives,' she looked up at celest and a somber understanding past between them before she looked back at me 'and were not about to judge someone before we get to know them. tho i dought you could convince us you are as terabale as they are trying to convince us that you are. ' she said with a sly smile and a wink. 'now do you think you could seep some more? im suer you still tired'

she was right i was. with a warm belly full of delitious food i was exausted. 'i am tired, im ganna head to bed. that you for the food' i said loking at celeste, and then looking at felicity 'and the kind words,' i stood and walked back to the room i had woken up in. crawing under the covers and pulling them around me i lay there thinking. for some reason i trused felicity that they wouldnt turn me in. the pain in her as she had looked at celeste was evedent and i wonderd if they were 'wanted crimanals' too. as i drifted off i smiled slightly to myself. the tea helping to make me sleepy. i jsut might survive the first winter.

the sun rising though the trees woke me from a peaceful sleep. looking out the window there was nearly 3 feet of snow blankating everything. i shutered to think about what would have happned if i hadnt been found by the two women. even without my hand injury i would have strugled to survive a storm that bad. speaking of my hand i flexed and proded it finding minamal pain. there was still an angry red line running diagnal on the outside of my palm and i would probably have a deacent scar when all was said and done, but it hadnt killed me so i would take a scar. glancing around the room in the growing day light i noticed thintgs that i hadnt the night before. there were little flowers and birds that had been painted on the walls. i also spoted my pack sitting on the floor in frount of the chest. sliping out of bed i grabed it and set it back down on the bed. when i opned it it was still packed the same as i had when i had finished with my 'nap'. i took out the bread, dried meat, as well as my last apple and set them aside. i pulled out a clean ish change of cloths and after checking that the couple of valubals where still hidden at the botom i closed it up and placed that back back where i had gotten it. i changed quickly and grabing the food left the bedroom.

celect looked up from her pot as i walked in. 'good morning, how did ya sleep? the second half anyway?'

'beter, this is the food that i had. its not much but i want to help where i can' i said while handing her the food. she set the bundels and looked over the apple excitement glinting in her eyes 'i know just what im going to do with this' opning up the smaller of the two bundels she found the dried meat 'ah never can have too much of this. do you know when it was dried?' i shook my head 'no matter' she opned the larger packaage and stilled 'is this mis carols bread?' she asked looking up at me 'yes the map she gave me is drawn on the inside of the paper there' there was a soft smile on her face 'thank  you cassy' 'your welcome' i responed not sure what was so note worthy about Mis Carols bread, but glad it was worth something at least. 'would you stir the pot?' celest asked me nodding i went over and stired the porage that was simering on the fire. using the pocker i ajusted the coals underneth the pot to give it an even heat. i stired it acationaly while celest put the food away and diapered into the only other room of the house. which i assuemd to be there bedroom. i wondered what they did for a living that gave them this much luxury. a stone house with two seprit bedrooms. sugar, and meat for stew they were not pore by any means. i assumed that they did something elegal, because why else would they hide me from the athorities. they hadent thought twice about labling them selves trators to the king and they would be beheaded same as me if they where ever caught. who else would take that risk unless they were already hiding from the law? i couldnt imagian either one of them doing something that would be punished by death. then the immage of celest barging into my room last night sword drawn looking ready to kill poped into my mind. who was i living with? i know the elder said that they could be trusted but i wasnt quite so sure. what where these women really capabal of. i tried not to look too frightened when they both emerged from there room. 'good morning Cassy' felicity said brightly as she grabed bowls while celest took over the pot fome me. she then ladled me a large bowl that had my stomic grumbling and shoed me off to sit. digging in to the plain by comforting and filling porage that was basicaly identical to the kind that manny and i would make. it was satisfing in a way that none of medatios's manny lavish meals never were, because this tasted like home. my bowl was quickly empted. taking it to the sink i rinced i quickly before returning to my seat 'what?" i said as felicity looked at me with a smerk on her face 'nothing, just thinking that someone raised you right. and it defenetly wasnt where ever you got that fantcy dress.'

i blushed 'everyone knows porage bowls need rinsced imeditly or its a pain to get them clean' i shifted uncomfortabaly 'and ya i can work hard. its the only way to survive in this world if you didnt happne to be born into vast amounts of wealth. which i wasnt' i hasent to add 'regardless of what my dress would sujsest. ive lived most of my life as one of the porest. you two are downright wealthy compared to how ive lived most of my life'

well it hasent been easy but weve carved out a good place in life for us. but i am curous' she looked at celest 'i dont mean to pry but we do want to know why youve been labled a trator to the corwn?

celest added 'remember we have no intenton of ever turning you in'

i nodded and tried to decide if i could trust them. the elder said i could and she had never led me wrong before, but i was so ashamed of what had hapmed that i didnt know if i could tell anyone. i tried to stedy my breathing that had goten out of contole. how did it do that so quickly? 'i dont know' i finaly stutered out 'i dont know why they think im a trator. i cant think of anything that i did wrong. im a runaway, but nothing else' they exchnged a pregnant and knowing look

'cassy' celest finaly said 'is it medatious that ya ran away from' my eyes jumped to hers suprised 'yes, how could you have known that?'

felicity was the one who ansered 'because my little sister was taken from us by him and when she ran away he did the same labled her a trator.' she took a deap breath as celest wraped her in her arms comforting her 'she told us of the teribal things that he would do to her, but when the gard came they didnt care and took her from us anyway.'

im so sorry felicity'

she looked at me and it felt like she was looking at my very soul 'me too cassy, no one should have to endure that kind of treatment' we all sat there for i dont know how long each sitting with our thoughts, and at leat personaly i was having a full blown pitty part about why my life had gone so wrong. it was felicity whomoved first. 'need to get some more herbs, ill be back in time for lunch' seh kissed celeste and was out the door quickly. 'ya wanna help me with the chores today?" Celest asked i nodded. so we spent the morning working in relitive silence i sweept the floor, while celest did the dishes. then i learned that it was laundry day. we melted snow over the fire and it felt so good to use a washer bored again and work out some of the frustrations that i had. the only bad part about it was that while it kept my hands busy it game my mind plent to think about. and that was not helpfull right now. i tried to scrub out the feelings like they were a stain on a dress, but it felt like they were a wine stain on while linnen.

'ya know' celest said sitting down beside me 'ya cant wash away feelings like ya can dirt' i sighed heavaly sitting back on my heals 'i know, i wish i could tho' celeste laughed her bubaly laugh 'i know ya do, i wish that to sometimes ya know, but life is better when we feel the feelings insted of trying to thow them away.' and with that stood and left me to chew on thoes words.

screemeing woke me from a dead sleep. i sat bolt up right in bed not realising that i was the one screeming untill i paused to gasp in another breath of air. a moment later celeste burst thought the door dressed only in a night gown and a shining steel blade in her hand. when she had determend that there was no one to murdre she lowerd the sword as Felicity pushed past her and neeled next to the bed. 'Cassy' she said softly 'Cassy can you look at me?' the screaming had stoped  and was replaced with sobing. i was still drenched in sweat and shaking like a leaf that was holding on to its twig with pure spite. i just sat there shaking when i heard Felicity begin to softly sing.

frome high apon a moutan top

and deep beneth the sea

a single thought reached though the hase that was my mind. i knew this song, but i didnt think i had ever heard it before. but i definity knew it.

 from forests green with summer leaves

to vallys filled with snow

there watchfull eyes *******

*************

as the song finished i reached out still shaking and grabed Fellicity and tried to pell her twards me. climing on to the bed she wraped me in her ams and just held me stoking my hair and contiuing to hum the lulaby. my sobs and shaking slowly left and as i berried myself in her arms and tried to forget the nightmares that riped me from my peacefull sleep. celest return notabaly without her sowrd and this time with three cups filled with something steaming. felicity took one and ofered it to meand i took it hesitantly

'its just warm milk it will ya insides feel calmer' celest explaned handing felicity another one and taking a sip of hers she sat on the flore leaning on the bed. 'if you wanna talk about it were here to listen, but if ya not ready thats alright too'

i took a sip of the milk it was warm but not hot, and had a slight sweetness to it. i could feel the warmth spread though me as it travled down to my belly. 'celest did you add suger to this?" felicity said with a playfullness to her voice. i thought i could almost see Celest blush 'mayby a bit' felicity gave a little scof of a laugh and celeste hurried to explain 'i thought it would be a nice little treat just for tonight' she pocked felicity 'so dont get useto it' they both laughed and i strangly faund myselft laughing too. how long had it been sence i did that? we then fell into a comfortable silance as we siped or milk. i was a bit sad when i finished mine. i stared down into my cup that now looked as empty as i felt. but no that wasnt quite right i didnt feel totaly empty. there was something there in the corner that didnt feel quite as dead as all the rest. mayby its just the warm milk i thought.

'how are you feeling now?" felicitys soft voice broke thoght my thoughts 'beter thank you'

absoulutly any time. do you want me to stay till you fall back asleep?

i nodded my head 'would you sing the song again too?" Felicity broke into a big smile 'of course' Celest gathered up the cups and left the room while felicity and i reajusted so i could lay down. she began to sing again. stoking my hair in a way that seemed to almost magicaly make me sleepy. soon i closed my eyes and was flying thoght the clouds. it was a warm sumers night as i sailed though the cool clouds familear mountans racing past below me. it felt so good to be back here. i hadnt had this dream sence the night that the elder had told me to run. i was worried that i had displeased the dream in some way and that it was hiding from me. i had never gone so long inbetwen having the dream. but i was back and i wasnt going to complain about its absence i was just glad to be back. the town was busling as normal when i arived an i pracrticaly skiped to the elders house. waiving at all the familer faces. the eldser was siting in her usual place on her proch waiting for me when i arived and bowing low i took my normal place beside her. 'it is good to see you again elder'

im glad you made it cassy' she looked at me pride shining in her eyes 'i knew you had the strength'

i looked at my hands 'i almost didnt make it. i almost died'

but did you?' i looked up at her confused 'did you die? i didnt think you were coming to stay with me so soon

that made me even more confused 'come stay with you? is everyone here dead?!

she gave a soft chuckel 'not in the way that your thinking of my dear. but my point still stands. you didnt die you survived and made it saftey, and managed to find the organization that would be the most helpfrull to you too. its quite a feat.

now i was even more confused 'i dont know what you mean elder'

'i cant tell you everything yet child the deus deorum has decided that it is not yet time to exolain everything and i can not disrespect his wishes. what i can tell you is that you are moving in the right direction the prestices you are staying with can be trusted absoultly. you are safe. for now rest take the time to heal both your mind and body. do not mistake this as an easy task for it will be one of the most dificult one you will face, but it is also the most vital. your jurny is far fome over and you will need the strength of a sound mind.' the village began to fade around me 'do not lose hope for you are less alone than you feel

The three of us soon fell into a comfotable routine, and the days began to pass more quickly. felicity even took me out to help her forage for herbs on ocation. they made there money on felicitys ability as a healer and were selfsafitient for the reast of it. i helped chop firewood the familer burn of sore muscled was a something i hadent relised i misssed, but i had missed it all the same. the nightmares began to slow in frequency, and felicity said that my hand had healed better and quicker than she would have ever expected it to, but i wasnt about to complain about that! i couldnt belive that spring was already almost here, and yet i sat on the frount perch with a cup of warm tea and looked out over the yard that was baren of snow and there were even small shoots of bright green scattered here and there.  spring would be here in ernest in only a coulple of weeks. 

i felt lighter today. it was one of the warmest days that we had had all winter, and i felt like i was one of the green shooet peaking up thought the earth. springing back to life after the cold and dark winter. felicity ploped down next to me, 'i cant wait till the flowers start blooming'

'me neither' celeset said sitting down next to celest 'the crocasas are already beginging to show there faces again it wont belong before the yard is filled with flowers again' i sat there and smiled contentatly watching botht of them got so excited for the floweres to bloom. i also felt a paing of sadness two. usualy i was extactic for spring to arive because it ment that Ian would be ariving soon, but i didnt know if i would ever get to see him again. i tried to push the thoughts away, but the heavyness still lingered. i tried to focas on the focas on the bright green shoots and find the lightness that i had earlyer this mourning. 'how long till the flowers bloom?"

"Its been a warm winter so probly in another 3-4 weeks, everything will be much greeneer by then" celeset said

'i cant wait for the strawberiies to ripen" felicity said nearly bouncing in her seat cenest rolled her eyes 'well mayby if you don't eat them all this year we can make some jam and have them all winter too'

'but there so much better fresh!!' they staied at echother for a long moment before devolving into laughter

a pounding almost like far away thunder cought my attention as a young boy on a galloping horse apered at the far side of the clearing. who out here could afoord a horse they were reserved for only the most wealthy. the taxes on them alone were a foutune. the rider slowed and jumed off the hourse. he looked even younger standing on the ground. he was lanky and covered in freckels with  wild wind blown brown hair. celesst stood her face drawn 'Mayson whats wrong? whats happned?" the boy stood there panting "i don't know ma'mm  Master Devon just asked me to come ask you and Custos Felicity to meet him at Vita Vere. He said to tell you lamplight and to hurry............ dose that meen anything to?"

felicity and celesest shared a long look full of somethign that i didnt understand. before celest nodded and felicity hurred inside. tuning back to mayson 'ya unfourtnaly it dose. please return and let devon know that i understand, but theres no need to run the hourse the whole way. thank you for bringing this message" looking at me she nodded inside and i fallowd her inside the house.

"whats going on?" i asked as celest went to the large chest in the corner and began removing empty sacks. she turned and looked at me 'do ya trust me girl?' and nodded and found that i did. "then i need ya to just do as i say for now. I prommice that i will explain everything eventualy, but for right now we need to hurry. i need ya to go pack up ya room leave nothing behind we wont be coming back" my eyes grew wide as i nodded and hurred to my room. i retreved my napsack from the bottom of my trunk and began filling it. i put the  one fancy dresses left at the bottum and my more practical clothing on top. i retreved the jewlry that i still had and placed it in the outside pocket before looking around the little room and exciting to the caos that had over taken the main room. there were sevral bags places next to the open door and celest was bussy filling anothere with the rest of the food. she then tied it off and looked up "ah good ya done. ya can put the bag by the door, then go stip ya bed and bring it to me" when i had done so we folded them neatly and placed them in another sack that was full of other bedding. felicity emergerged from there bedroom right as we finished they looked at eachother and felicity nodded. 'ill go grab the carts' she said before hurring out the door. celest tured to me 'lets get all of these out side. by the second trip outside felicity had pulled two hand carts to the foront of the house and was starting to load the first with the sacks that we were bring outside. in less than an houre we had compleatly emptied the house of everything but the firepit and shelves. I had never seen ether women act as somber as they had sence mayson had arrieved, and it was especaly unsetling to see felicity so somber. I stood by the wagon with my sachel at my feet as they stood infount of the house and seemed to say goodby. as they turned around i saw felicity wipe tears from her cheeks before hurrieng to one of the wagons, picking it up and starting down the path to the main road. celest falloed at and i traid behind felling especaly strongly that there was so mung about these wemen that i didnt know.

I quickened my pace to catch up with felicity 'felicity what's going on?" i wispered she sighed 'it complicated. Master Devon is the closest thing the church has had to a priest. he is whats called a Susurri he can recive wrrighten messages from the gods.'

how dose that work?' i inerupted

felicity shruged "they just apere for him. aperently they just fade in from nothing. there usualy pretty vage, but its the only leadership the church has gotten sence the last of the dragon dreamers left over three thousand years ago. any way, he me must have gotten a conseming message to recall everyone. thats what lamplight is code for. it means that he recalling eveyone and were to meet at the mentiond location.'

'why do you look so worried?"

"because its really dangerous for us all to meet and stay in the same place. the church is still tecnicaly illegle and with the death of the queen and the prince bing pined on us we dont meet together anymore. I have no idea what Devon could have learnd that would be so consening he didnt just need to call a meeting but to recall all of the church members to one place."

i nodded slowly it wasnt that long ago that i had hated the church becasue of what they had suposidly done. 'how long will it talke us to get there?"

hopefullly well get there late tomarow" felicy relpied and then seem to sink back into her own thoughts as we fell into silance as we walked along the road. when noon came we paused to sit and eat some dried meat and bread washing it down with water. as the sun stared to set that evning felicity who was in the frount now, pulled the her wagon off the road and into one of the manny small clearings that littered the edge of the road. they both began removing things from the wagons flicity sevreal small bags and and armfull of fire wood and celest a cooking pot and tripod. feeling like there wasnt much for me to do I began looking for tinder and had gathered plenty by the time for the fire to be lit. celest looked up as i aproced with the tiner and smiled 'thank ya derrie' she soon had a fire going and supper cooking. felicity had denied my help with setting up shelter for the night and so i sat and stared at the flaims. felicity soon sat down next to me having finnished arecting the tent. dinner fallowed quickly and soon we were all sleeoing in the tent.

I was flying

the misty  clouds cool and gental on my skin. the tall pillar like mountans apeared infrount of me and i sailed down to the village nessaled in one of the high passes. today i found the elder sitting on her pourch a steeming cup sitting on the table next to her. she jestured to the seat on her right."How are you doing my child?"

'im doing better elder"

she fixed me with a hard stare 'are you doing better or have you just pushed it all down, and barried it deap inside? dont lie to me child but more inportantly dont lie to yourself. because if you do that for longenough you wont be able to tell it apart from the truth.

"i ..... I just dont know how to. life cant just freese while i figure this out.

you correct life wont stop, but its like an infection. you didnt refuse the herbs and salvs for your hand? often even a laseration is nessisary to drain the infection. what im trying to say is that ignoring it will only make it worse and sometimes we must cut it open drain it. its a painfull but nessasry proscess. do you understand child?

i nodded 'i think so'

'good, because the forces working against us are gathering momentum and the time of praperation is running low. i wish that you had more time to heal your mind before your quest begins but alass i do not have that controle. however ' the elder touched my sholder promting me to look into her eyes that seemed to stare into my very soul and understand everything they saw. 'evene with out perfect ceercomstances i an confadant that you have the ability to sucseed. there is no one else that could do a better job.

the world began to faid around me. almost as if turring to mist, but the elder staryed clear for a moent longer 'never doubt that'

the next day was very much like the prevous one. we walked for many miles stoping for lunch at a crossroads before turrning down the smaller road that had a brook running along side it and continuing on. just as the sun was beginning to slip behind the trees the road began to widen out into a large clearing. it was a bueatiful place. the clearing was large with a small pond in the center that fed the brook and a hill that curved around the far side of the pond that was already covered in wild flowrs. there were tents manny tents set up on this side of the pond almost mirring the shape of the hill on the other side. I looked at felicity who i had been waling next to both women having denied help in pulling the wagons 'i didnt know that there were so many people in the church!"

felicity gave the closest thing she had to a laugh in two days 'ya and theres more coming id say this is probaly only about a third of everyone' i nearly triped there were already well over a dozen tents in the clearing if tripple the amount of people would be arriving they would fill the clearing. still realing from the number of people that would be arriving, i almost didnt notice a lanky girl with a face full of freckels hurry up to them she bowed slightly 'Custos Felicity, Custos Celeste thank you for arriving so quickly. please set up you camp where ever you wold like, but please be mindfull of how manny still need to arrive. when you are settled Master Devon would like to see you' her voice trailed off as she noticed me. the aw that she looked with me uncomfortable. she just stood there and staired as if her shock had turned her to stone. eventualy celeste placed a hand of the girls sholder "Maddy, is everything all right?" the girl shook herself and blushed bright red 'yes, yes everything is fine" and with that she hurred off back the way that she came. while we stared after her

'well that was amusing' felicity said with a smirk celest glared at her 'all right lets go set up camp, i dont know about yall but i have some questions for Devon." we moved to the left twards an empty spot right next to the beginning og the hill and began to unload the waggons. felicity put up two tents this time and i helped fill them with piles of blankets for beds, before helping celest set up our makeshift kitchen. we left the firewood and the food in the wagons covered in tarps before seting out to find Devon's camp. waking though the camp we passes manny more like our own most of them with younng children running around them. everyone we passed smiled and waved at felicity and celest, but no one trriedd to chat with them. when we had made it nearly halfway around the lake i noticed the first solid building in the sea of tents. as we aproched the building that sat back from the water a wase i wondered why no one had set up there camp in the space there, but i shruged off the thought as celest knocked on the door. it oponed and the same freckled faced girl from before peeked out and then quickly opned it the rest of the way. "please come in custodes, thank you for coming so quickly Master Devon is eager to see you" when she say me she paused but didnt freesse like she had before. "please this way" we fallowed heer down the small hallway and thought the indicated door. the room we walked into was a small room with a large table in the center with sevreal chairs around it. a plump man stood and we entered and smiled. he had a kind face that had manny wrinckles arond his eyes and mouth from a lifetime filled with smiles. 'Felicity, Celest' he had a deap almost booming voice that was filled to the brim with his smile. they all embraced before he noticed me standing nervosely in the doorway. both of the women assuered me that i should come and that devon would want to see me, but i still wasnt so sure. 'and who are you?" Devon asked

"My name is Cassy, felicity was adament that you would want to see me"

"and she was right, but please everyone take a seat there is much to discuss" when we had all taken our seats he continued "now first of all I will answer you questions, i know you have them'

'why are we here Devon? what message did ya recieve that has watanted such drastic action? we havent gathered in these kinds of numbers in well over three thousand years" said celeset pointidly.

Devon sighed and scrubed a had over his face 'alwase so strait to the point Celeste, the truth is i dont actualy know why were all here' everyone stared at him in disbelief 'now now i didnt do this on a whim i am fully aware of the dangers. i recieved a message two days ago' he shuffled though the papers in forunt of him. 'ah here it is' he passed celest a piece of white parchment. leaning over i looked at the lines on the page and before i even relised what i was doing i said "what dose it say?" when everyone at the table looked at me i blushed bright red and stared to mutter an apolagy but devon cut me off 'no need to feel embareaced child, i often forget that most others can not read. it says

the time has come to name the semideus

gather all my people unto me so that i may chose

Tanwen the Founder

the silence was heavy at the table while celest and felicity sharred a heavy look before felicity finaly spoke 'its really time?' devon nodded solemnly. 'it aperes so, i agree with Tanwen that there dispite the risks there is safety in numbers right now.'

i cant belive that its actualy happaning" celset muttered almost to herself. everyone else contiued to murmmer to getere but i wasnt listning anymore i had absently picked up the piece of parchment that was getting my first good look at it and i stared. I could read the last line on the paper. works had only ever been scribbles to me and medatious tutors had had tragic luck in making me learn to read, but i could read the last line on that paper! what was going on? sudently the others at the table fell silent and as i looked up to so what they why found them all staring at me. i then relised that i had uncontustly stood up 'i can read this' i mumbled

celest looked very worried 'what was that derrie i couldnt hear ya" I licked my lips trying to get a handle on myself  'I can read this" everyone jsut looked more confused "I cant read, but i can read this last line" devon started "what? your sure?" i knodded 'i dont know how ive never seen letters like these before but it says 'Tanwen the Founder' clear as day" Devon leaned back in his chair his hands folding on the table infrount of him 'how interesting' my head snaped up meeting his eyes "what?" he motioned for me to sit. 'now it is my turn for questions. you are new to the church if i am not mistaken" i noddded as i say back down "you know the legand of the founding?" I knodded again the story was told to every child how dragons had concard the land and the 7 year war was fought for our freedome. "well we tell a slightly difrent tale. in the begining mankind was a people without kindness or hope. we faught with echother constantly and there was no relief from the evils of the world. this is the land that the dragon explores found. as they rested on this land before there jurny onward they receved a most desprit plea form a woman whos name has been lost to time. she was the first known dragon dreamer and she plead for the dragons to save her children form the war that was destroying her village. she offered them anything that she could give even her life if it was nessisary. her heartfelt plea moved the dragons and they decided to help her. the price she would pay was to share her kindess and hope. the dragons took her kindness and hope and shared it with all of humanity, and founded the empire that they called Arrvmond. they ruled this land for manny generations and eventyaly establishing a church. a new dragon dreameer was born each genereations to lead theis church. the world was a peace for manny years but the old nature of men began to grow inside of them and they began to yearn for power and wealth. in the year 4568 the last of the dragon dreamers Somnium Justin declared that the church and goverment leaders were courpt. He disenvowed the church and refused to be there profet any longer. Any who asked would be told to follow the original commanmt and to do there best that was all that mattered. The Somnium's dismissal of the church though the empire into caos and the 7 year war stared with many rising up to try and take power and wealth. The church was forced underground as the new goverments vilified it. The small factions that did survive voed to learn from the mistakes of the past and remain focused on the first commanmt to be kind and have hope. We have stayed hidden preserving the church and meating in small groups and spreading the gift of the dragons as often as, and as far as, we can. There has not been another dragon dreamer since Somnium Justin and no one is sure why, there are many therys everything from they just dont make themselvs known anymore to the gods being displeassed with mankind and withholding there gydance, to there not being anyone being worthy of the gift. it is said that only the Somnium can read the dragon runes."

you think i might be a dragon dreamer?!?"

"i dont know, but i do find it piculuar that you can read the dragon runes."

i let me head fall into my hands. there was just no way that i could have some mistical ablility that no one had had in over 3500 years, it just wasnt possible. Devons placed his hand on my shoulder "cassy we dont know anything for sure, and theres no need to jump to any conclutions."

'and even if ya are' celest enterjected 'its not like we expect ya to lead the church or anything like that' i gave a breathy laugh and responed 'will thats good because i dont think id do a very good job'

dont be so sure" felicity said "but we dont need to ague about it now. i did have one other question for you devon your neece when she met us at the edge of the clearing she had an odd reaction to cassy here. do you know why?"

devon leaned back in his chair "i do, now this is something that dosent leave this room, but i belive that cassy deserves to know what maddy saw. Maddy had the gift of sight. she sees more than most when looking at someone and she discribes is as being able to see the color of someones soul." felci8ty gasped while celest just looked stunned "i didnt knwo that ther was a Videnties alive" felecity said while devon scrubed a hand acrost his face "that is because i am trying very hard to not let the secret get out. i beleve it will be a useful advantage in these dangerous times"

well perhaps maddy should be a bit more discreet when she find something that she wasnt expecting" ceneslt said pointetly

"she ususaly is, when she left you she came strait to me and nearly couldnt stop talking about what shed seen. ive never seen her react to anyone like that, but she keppt on about how she couldnt discribe wheat she sees when she looks at you Cassy. she said that you have a soul like nothing shes ever seen. she said that it almost dosent look human, but i have no idea what that is supose to mean. I dont think that it is any cause for consurn, but like the ablikty to read dragon runes its just something to make note of. perhaps we shall find an answer in the future but for now i dont think we sould worry our selves about it. we have lots of other things we need to discuss."

thay we do" celect said "but cassy you look right done in. do ya wanna go back and get some rest? we can fill you in tomorrow?"

i nodded and stood up i was exauseted. 'i htink i will, ill see you all in the morning" and with that i  turned and left. after i left the house i made my way though the now dark camp. cralling into my tent i currled up on the bed and tryed to fall asleep, buth there was so much new information that i learned i couldnt fall asleep. it all of a sudden felt so overwhelming. how had my life gone so wrong in just one year? it was all so perfect before and now it seemed like i was tangled up in bigger things that i didnt understand and all i wanted was for everrything to go back to the way it was. I wanted Ian close, but would he even want me back? not only had so much happned, but it had chnaged and broken me in so manny ways would Ian even still love the person that i am? or would he want the person that i was? Was i too difrent now? I didnt know and i didnt know if it mattered. I would probably never see him again any way.

the next morning as i was walking to the spring to fetch waater i couldnt get last night out of my head. i had visited the elder again and she said a whole lot with out really saying anything. it was strange as when i visited her she always had something inportant to tell me, but not last night. even when i asked her out right about why i could read dragan runes she danced around answering. i shook my head id ask her again when i saw her next. i turned and headed back to our camp with a bucket full of cristel clear water. thankfully it wasnt a far walk, and celest was quickly turning part of it into proage for our morning meal. "so whats the plan?" i asked a felicity joined us at the fire. celest and felicity shared a glance "you cant tell me im not a part of this. i have a right to know whats going on. keepig me in the dark wont help anything!"

"i know darling, ya involved in this some how, and i wager that youll make all the difrance." celest said "its just that well...."

" we love you cassy like you were are own." flelicity finnished "I dont have an explanation for why we both feel so strongly as quickly as we do."

"i'm not a child you dont need to protect me" i said pointedly

ya we know, but it dosent mean that we dont wanna" celest said as she handed out breackfat.

"well im not ganna stop asking so just tell me. whats the plan?"

"its not much of one" felicity muttered into her porage earning her a stern look from celest. before she rolled her eyes "its not"

"simple dosent mean that it wont be inafective. shes right tho that there isnt much to the plan. untill everyone arrives we are to wait. Devon has Maddy greating everyone and notating down who has arrived. mayby she'll find something. and if not we will figure something out. Devon may recive a new charta giving further instruction, or perhaps Tanwinn will make his will known another way." celest said

"we talked for hours last night and came up with basicaly nothing. everytthing that can be done is being done so we must just have hope that it will all work out in the end" celest added

"how long will it take eveyone to get here?"

"not sure probably over 3 weeks wouldent you say celest?"

"at least, it might be even longer if the rains come early this year"

"so what are we ganna do till then? i dont really fell like everying feels like doing nothing for nearly a mounth."

celest smiled slyly "na we wont be bored, I have manny things to discuss with Devon. Mostly borring church bisness, so celest here will be working on ya education on her own. ya dont get out of you lessons that easy miss" as she winked playfuly at me

well so much for that hope. it was a long shot but at least felicity was a better tuter than my last one had been. i shuttered at the memmoryu of that sturn face.

i rolled over in my bed as just as the sunlight stated to trickel though my tent flap. i sighed and tried to go back to sleep. unforutunatly nearly 15 years of geting up at dawn conspired to against me. shighing heavaly i sat up. i really didnt want to be awake yet. it was my day off from my  studdies, and after over a mounth of camping by the spring i had done everything that was in the leaset bit entertaning. and now the days seemed to drag on. no one new had arrived in days and i had no idea what the devon and the otheres where planing, i hadent been invited to the meetings sence the first day. and even tho celest insisted that they where borihng affairs that mostly resulting in them talking in cercles that might be preferable to sitting by the fire all day mending on studying. groning i got to my feet and began to dress.

i hadent really made any friends here either, no one was mean but they didnt want to be friends either. it wasent entierely suprising i had never had manny friesnds and when i did they were really frends of manny. a stab of pain hit me as i thought of manny. i had never been apart form her for this long and i missed her. but it wasnt like i could just go running back to her with my luch we'd probably both end up dead. there was a part of me that thought that might not be the worst thing to happpen, but a smaller but stonger part of me snaped at it and refused to die. sliping out of my tent i sat next to the fire that celest was stoking. felicity sat down next to me a moment later. "whats wrong cassy?" i scruubed my hand acrost my face and pulled my fingers though my hair "just bored out of my mind.'

felicity half laughed 'ya me too, at least the rain seems to have let up for a bit'

i groaned 'dont remind me i was ganna go insain if i had to spend another day in my tent'

everyone laughed at that. "I know its not much but you could go get us more water after brackfast if youd like.' celest offered. i shrugged 'it better than nothing' after the standard bowl of porrage i grabbed our two watter buckets and set of for the streem half way there i changed my mind and headed for the pond insted. the water wasnt any diffrent but the extra time it would take would be apreachated. it took nearly twenty minnits to reach the side of the small lake, becauseee of the weving path that i had to take around others campsights. most smiled and waved before retuning to the work that they were doing. when i reached the lake i walked a bit farther north to a spot that had a small clif that was more under water then above and it made it so that i wouldnt need to walk out into the water to fill the buckets. summer was fast aproching but the morning chill was not gone quite yet and honest i mostly just didnt want a lecture about catching a chill when i got back to camp. as i was just dunking the second bucket into the water "Cassy?" I was so startled by that voice a voice that i knew who it belinged to before i tured around "Ian?!" i tured and stared into the bright green eyes of my best friend.

"cassy' he seemed so dum founded "i didnt expect to see you here"

i... i... ' i blinked trying to prosses that he was right here 'i didnt expect to be here ethere" i glanced away as i remeberd why i was here and not in the capital. he took my hand and i looked back at him, a small smile on his lips "well im glad your here" he said softly kissin the back of my hand. my face flushed purfusly and i looked away again trying to hide the fever now corsing though me. my eyes landed on the bucket full of water at my feet and i sudenly remembered the second bucket and turned to look at the bucket that was sloly bobing away frome me twards the  center of the lake. curssing under my breath i took a step to go retreve my bucket when Ian pulled on my hand "no let me. i did make you drop it after all"

i rooled my eyes at him "its fine i shuldnt have been so clumsy." i pulled my hand out of his and steped of the short ledge into the water

'no i insist ill get it for you!" he laughed playfully

"not if i beat you too it!" i turned and attempted to run in the knee high water. i laughed as i heard him splash along behind me. lossing my ballance i landed on all fores only to relise that the earth was shaking. looking back at Ian who had also fallen over we stared wide eyed at echother. what was going on? i had never heard of the earth shaking before. glancing around the ripples in the lake seemed to eminate from the center. as i watch, or more stared, somehting began to rise above the serface in the middle of the lake. it was about ten feet widde and when it had risen to nearly twenty feet tall the fround stoped shaking and silance settled over the clearing even the normaly chatty wildlife was silent. i felt amost mesmerised by stone that had rissen it was made of a dark almost black stone, and the shape reminded me of an esecaly fat sunflower seed tapered on both ends but it appered to be more spherical than your avrage seed.

a soft and deep voice filled the clearing. "dreamer, keeper" the voice wispered from everywhere and nowhere "come and partake'

Ian and i stared at eachother. as the shaking subsided we both slowly got to out ffeet.

"dreamer keeper" the voice wispered again

did you hear that too?" Ian wispered at me. still dumbfounded i nodded

"what the hell?"

"dreamer, keeper, come partake"

ive never heard anything like it what is making those sounds?" i wiped my head around to stare at ian now "what sounds?"

"dreamer keeper"  the voice spoke again "those sounds?" i nearly demanded 'ya ive never heard anythink like them before why are you staring at me like my head is on backwards?"

"come partake"

thoes are words not sounds"

what are you talking about?

there words? what do you mean? i can hear them just as plainly as i do you

all i here is random noizes what do you hear? as if on comand the voice filled the clearing again and this time i repeted what it said dreamer dreamer, keeper keeper, come come, partake partake,

what the hell?

"come take" spinning back around i stared at the pillar the pull lit up like a firecracker i took an uncontious step twards it before Ian grabed my arm "what are you doing?

I need to see what it wants.'

are you insain this is how people get killed! leave the creppy stone alone we should go get Devon

i shook my head i dont think it wants to hurt us it wants to give us something, please trust me on this." she sied heavaly loking back twards the camp before turing back twards me 'fine lets see what it wants, but its all on you if this goes to shit"

as we waided twards the center of the lake the voice continued to wisper to us i felt like i was nearly in a trance. i recognised that voice. who was that? where had i heard that voice before? the water contiued to rise till it coverd my waist and i could hear voices shouting but they sounded so far away and the wispers where calling me closer, faster, i stoped and stared up at the stone. lines of what looks like purply blue ore are swirled acrost the surface eminating from a central cecle with an indentation right in froint of me and seamed to shimmer when the dappled light ffrom the trees caught on them.

Ian grabs my arm 'are you sure this is a good idea' the terror in her voice is evadant, but something else in side of me is more sure. grabing her hand 'ive never been more sure it wants to give is something'

looking back at the stone i studdied the carving in the center of the stone. when my fingers brushed the surface of it felt like i had jumped in too a cold spring and thousands of tinny bubbles raced acrost my skin, and the world went totaly silent. ian squeded my hand 'what was that?'

im not sure, but why did everything freeze?

and where did evryone go?" ian asked and looking around the area was deserted not a leaf fluttered, or animal moved around the lake. i was totaly silent and the camp was no longer there just geem gass ans purple flowers wheere all that filled the cleatring.

children" a deap rumbing voice came from behind us. we both jumped and spiun. where one end of the cressent hill ended there sat a man. he was tall and well bilt like he spent his days working hard on the docks. a soft smile sat on his face and he becond us over 'come my children you have nothing to fear from me' as we left the water behind and aprocched him he jestured to a log and sat acrost fom us on another.

"where are we"  Ian asked "where has everyone else gone?"

we are in the inter spatium or the in between space. this is where we i am able to speack wiht you. it is inparitive that i do as we have less time to prepar that i would have liked.

prepare for what?" i asked

 was it my imagination or did his eyes soffen as he looked at me 'mors anima and the end of the world as you know it, we canot fail.

'and what are we suposet to do about it? we arent even adults yet?" the anxsiety in ians voice was evadant. i squeeded her hand trying to help

"belive me children i know, and i wish that this could wait till you are both grown, but the forces working against us will not wait. you are the too that the proficy has spoken of the dremer' he nodded twars me 'and the keeper' he nodded to ian. it is proficised that you will save the world from mors anima."

how do you know that its us? why us?

i wish that i had time to explain all to you now, but my power to keep us here groes short. i will speek to you again, but for now you must take this" reaching into the frount of his robe he romoved a pendant that hung from a gold chain and held it out to Ian

i gasped as my eyes buged out of my head ' where did you get that?!"

":it is the twin to the one that you have, when seperated they are but butifull bobbls but when used together there power is as powerfull as the conecton. i wish i had more time children, but we must go our sepreate ways for now.

but theres so much we dont know ! who are we even fighting?

all will be made clear in time my children, be brave, be kind, be cautious, and love one another

as he spoke another rush of bubbles and soon the chatter of the birds and the flicker of sunlight danced around us again. looking at ian who was staring at the neclace like it might burst into flaimes at any moment. i layed my hand on her arm, "what was that" i wispered as she looked up to meet my eyes

she shruded "how should i know" she looked up and i fallowed her gase to the edge of the lake where is seemed that the entire encampment stood is shoked silance, manny of them with children on hands clasped tightly to themselfs, others with slacked faces as they stared at us, and even a few that had fallen to there knees. Devon stood a little of center with maddy standing behind him and cluching his arm for what seemed her drear life. felicity and celest were cluching to eachother off to the right and i noticed ian's family off to the left. "what has them so freeked out i wispered

theres only one way to find out she wispered back as she took my hand a steped farward. no one did anythins but stare at us untill we reached a few feet from the edge of the water when devon untangled himself from Maddy and steped moved to the edge of the water "what happned girls?

Ian squesed my hand and i felt the same trepadation, "im not entirly sure devon

a thoughtfull expretion came over his face and he gestured to the meeting hall, "come let us talk in private"

it was kinda dusturbing to walk thought the gathered croud to the meeting hall no one made so much as a wisper the trees seemed to be doing all of the wispering now. the faces of the people that they passed held awa, confution, and some (most disterbingly) fear. when we reaching the building we went into the same office that i had visited on that first day we had arived here.

"cassy, darling" celest sounded like she was moments away from tears, and when i tured both she and celest wroaped me in a hug that felt like they were trying to smother all the fear away with. when they finaly pulled back and felicity looked me all over checking like she expected to find some grevous wound. "im fine really" i turned to look at Ian and found her sourounded by her parents as well. i wlaked over and was engulfed in anohter round of hugs, "i didnt expexct to see you here, but i am glad to see you." her mother wispered into my hair.

Devon cleared his throut and every one looked his way "we should probably discuss what has happned"

we all filed over to the table and sat with deavon at the head and Ian and myself on either side our parents on either side of us. "why is everyone so freeked out? what could you see?"

celest layer her hand on my arm. everyone came running when the gound shook, when felicity and i got to the lake we saw the two of you " she loked at ian" standing infround of the rock that now juts out of the lake and as we wached you touched it and a....a...

it looked like ball of pure bubbles rose up from the water and incercled you " ians dad discribed

"ya, but it was also full of collered lights, and swirles of gold" felicity added

it was almost hypnotic "celest continued" there was also sounds that came from the bubble sounds that were almost like voices but in the same way like nothing that ive ever heard. then the lights in the bubble began to glow brighter and brighter till they were nearly brighter thatn the sun, when the ball of bubbles exploded and the two of you were standing there holding hands and shining like you were made of sunshine.

Like you were make of light" ians mother said the aww still evident in her voice" its like nothing i could have ever imaganed

Its called a spatium* orb and ive only ever read about the therory of them" devon said finaly speeking "untill now i would have dismisted them as a pice of lengend and notheing more. but i cant deny what i saw. what happned girls?

I glanced at Ian and she nodded at me, and so i explained everything that had happned sence running into her untill i came to the part about the neclace where a part of me balked and so i skiped it and " and then we walked to the edge of the water and came here"

devon had sat back in his chair his faca a mixo of emotion that i couldnt place. "who was this man? did you recognse him? did he not give his name?"

i stared at ian from acrost the table the blank look on her face confermed my own thoughts 'i didnt even think to ask," why hadnt i thought to ask??" i didnt recognise him either' ian shook her head aggreging with me.

"hmmm, well considering where where at and the power it must have took to forme the spatium i belive for now that we can trust that the intentions were true. the grater danger are these aposing forces that he spoke abot as well as mors anima there are old legonds that speek of such things, but there closer to bedtime stories than anything more substantal. i will need to do some reashurase.

"i might be time for bed tho, "celsest added "yall look done in" i felt it too i was tired in a way that i had never experanced before.

"you can use my room" Maddy said quietly from the doorway and from the way everyone reacted no one esle had hreard her aprotch either. 'its the last one on the right' she said while pointing down the hall. a few momentls later Ian and i entered a small but cozy room with simple woden furnishings there was the obligitory bed, night stand, chest, and even a small book shelf. the bed was covered in a multi colored quilt and the sun filtered thought green curtans casting dapples shadows acrost the foor. Ian sat on the edge of the bed looking for all the world like the weight of it all was crushing. i didnt feel much better. sliping out of my boots i sat next to her "you look about how i feel"

"what are we supost to do? where just kids"

i dont know' i admitted 'our best? i dont know what else we can do?" i thought i sounded confadant, but inside i didnt feel like it at all. ian nodded solamly tho 'you didnt tell devon about the necklace....."i sighed "i know i dont know why"

she finaly looked at me "im glad you didnt. i dont really know why either, but somehting in me screamed not to tell anyone about it too."

i let my head fall into my hands "im to tired to figure any of it out right now. mayby we can fugure it out after we take a nap" ian gave a breathy chuckle and scoted to lay down and i fallowed. darkness mercafuly swallowed me almost before my head hit the pillow.

ya know' Ian said ' he didnt really tell us much. just that were specal and that "time grows short" the mock serous of the last bit made me bite out a laugh. but then i thought about it "he really didnt did he."

so what do we do?

what can we do?" silence fell over us. what can we do? the question rattled around my head like it was an empty jug. "should we try touching the rock again?"

Ian shrugged "it cant hurt right?" and then after a long pause "are we the parvus-deus, what ever that is, that devon was supost to find? is that us?" i met her eyes filled with the same emotions that were roiling in me, before staring back into my porage "i dont know, mayby tanwin will tell devon? what dose it meen if we are?"

i dont know, ive never heard of a parvus-deus, and i was raised a cultist*"