Chapter One:

Torvi Remkin was not having a good day. He'd been traveling for hours, tired and bored. When you travel at full speed on a powerhorse you tend you feel like your entire bottom half has turned to jell-o. Now Tor was hungry and wanted to stop for the night. They were still three days away from Rochetol deep in rebel territory. They needed to find someone who was friendly to the empire before they could settle down.

Tor was traveling with his personality lacking 'bodyguard' Jabgo Naif and he was desperate for some real company. Naif never said a word, and never had any expression on his face other then the permanant scowl on his face. Tor had always secretly wondered if he even knew how to smile. It was his goal to one day find out what had put that scowl on his face.

"Let's stop." Tor said to Naif. "There's bound to be someone loyal to the Empire around here." Naif only nodded and slowed his powerhorse down. Both men dismounted and began to walk into the woods. If there were any houses they were hidden from the road.

***

Damlia Vandoreno pulled the bow taut as she perched in the tree. She had excellent balance, she could sit on the slender limb for a while and not fall off. It was useful when she needed to hide, or to hunt. Now there was cause for both the former and the latter. Someone was trespassing, and she needed to make sure that there wasn't any danger.

Two men walked into her line of sight, although she knew where they'd been the entire time. Lia had heard their powerhorses on the road and then heard their footsteps on the undergrowth of the forest. Both men were tall, although exact opposites of each other.

One was light haired, with nicely even tanned skin. He was built, but not as much as the man with him. He was dark, his skin hinted at a southern origin, his shoulders were broad and muscular. He would be difficult to take down if necessary, but not difficult.

Lia sent the arrow to the ground right at the men's feet. The larger of the two pulled out a small crossbow from, where? She hadn't seen it. It would be harder then she anticipated. "Who are you?" She called in a crisp clear voice.

"We're just passing through. We're looking for lodging. Where's the nearest head house?" The lighter man said. He was handsome, he seemed very charismatic.

"You'll need a guide to get to the head house." Lia said. The head houses were mansions that were open for anyone loyal to the empire to rest a few nights. Normally the head family lived there, it was also their job to keep the village or town in line. Lia just so happened to be the last remaining one of the head family in this particular village.

"A guide?" The lighter man asked, confused. "Why would we need a guide?" Lia rolled her eyes, this man was a complete moron.

"Do you have any clue where you are?" She asked as she returned the arrow she'd nocked to the quiver attached to her back. She jumped down from the tree right in front of the men. Lia loved seeing their reactions. Even the larger one, who had shown now emotion when the arrow had lodged itself at his feet showed a flicker of surprise.

"About three days from Rochetol." The lighter one said a slow smile creeping up on his face. Oh yeah, Lia thought as she studied him, he's definately a member of a high family. 

"You're in Retloe." She said. "Retloe Forest to be more exact. There are more rebels in the surrounding area then there are in the entire south! If you want to make it to the head house alive, I would suggest a guide." Lia smiled a little at the men. She had little tolerance for people like them. She delt with pricks like them all to often.

"Are you, by chance, availible for guide purposes?" The lighter one asked. Lia was beginning to wonder if the brawny one ever spoke.

"I'm the only person in this clearing who won't kill you because you're from the empire. In fact I believe I'm the only person within two hundred miles that wouldn't kill you." Lia smiled sweetly. "Keep up." She said and turned and walked the familiar path through the forest.

She could feel the eyes of the villagers on her as she led the two men through the forest. They were all begging her to let them take them out. It would be a major victory for them to do so. Unfortunately, Lia needed them. She had a reputation to uphold, and she couldn't let any empire maggots die on her watch. Her goal was to be a memorable hostess so that when they arrived in Rochetol they would sing her praises to someone important.

The rebels of Retloe had the advantage of a head family member loyal to them. Lia's entire family had been rebels. That's why she was the only one left. Over the years her family had dwindled away slowly in their expeditions to bring justice to the world. Because of their actions she'd been orphaned by eight, and alone in the world by fifteen. She understood, though. They died so that others would live. So that their future generations would be able to live in an ideal society. Or, at the very least, a society without the major corruptions that the current one had.

How could she be angry wtih them for fighting for a cause when she believed in the cause herself?

***

Tor had been pleasantly surprised when the goddess had jumped from the tree. She was positively gorgeous. Long blond hair that brushed her hips, curling slightly at the ends, gold eyes that missed nothing, perfect skin and cherry red cupid's bow lips. She was taller then the average woman. If she were to stand on her tip-toes she would be eye to eye with him. He'd never seen anything like her before.

She moved through the forest with amazing grace and speed. Every movement was like watching a dance. Tor could sense her agitation that Naif and he were slow at making it through the underbrush and the low hanging branches that kept getting in their way. She must have had a lot of patience to deal with them.

Finally after what seemed like forever, they arrived in a clearing. The house that stood there was more like a shack. It had one door, two windows, and heavy dark curtains behind each window. "That's the head house?" He asked incredulous.

"Yes," The godess said, "Not all of it, but part of it." She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at his obvious confusion. "Living here in rebel territory we have to take extra precautions. If I lived in a house with five levels, great big windows and lots of doors it would be like saying to the rebels, 'come on in and kill me and my guests!' I'm not going to risk giving out an open invitation. Of course," she paused, "If you would like to stay out here and see for yourself what rebels do to people from the empire, be my guest." The door was open and she was halfway through it as she said this.

Tor couldn't be sure, but he thought he heard rustling of bushes and the soft muffled laughter of someone. He shook himself, that couldn't be possible. It was just the wind, he told himself. Taking one last glance around him, he stepped inside the tiny shack, having a bad feeling about the woods.

Author's Note

Please ignore the spelling once again. It's not my strong point! Just tell me your thoughts on the reading. I love to hear feedback! Enjoy! :)