Chapter One

Here it is! Please let me know what you think!

The snow fell in thick, heavy flakes the way it does only when the temperature is well below freezing. My breath came out in short puffs, the small clouds lingering in the air. There was a stillness in the trees. Though the silence was deafening, I felt a deep calm that could only come in these solitary moments. Outside of the quiet woods was real life, and there was nothing peaceful about real life.

            There was a time, so I had heard, when it was peaceful. Sectors united, food and water were plentiful, and everyone contributed to each other’s wellbeing. When I was born, this way of life was crumbling. Recently under new leadership, the Aboresian sector began applying new sanctions. They cut off all trade with the Nydoellan and the Aroanian sectors, and stated that anyone caught associating with them would be sentenced to execution with no chance to appeal. A wall was built and anyone seen trying to cross in either direction was to be shot on sight.

            With the trade routes gone, food grew scarce in all sectors. War broke out everywhere. Originally the Nydoellan and Aroanian sectors remained united against the Aboresian tyranny. Eventually supplies grew too scarce, and Nydollea had to cut ties with Aroania in order to be able to sustain their own community. It was every sector for themselves, and the land was united no more. Nydollea tried to remain neutral, but they now had enemies everywhere and war could not be avoided.

            Ida and Jon Romanov were the leaders of the Nydollean army and the entire sector. They were in charge of the toughest of calls, and because of this they had a high price on their heads and a lot of enemies. When Nydollea closed the gates to the outside, Ida and Jon were now the most wanted people in the land.

            I knew them as mom and dad.

            I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply before hoisting my bundle of firewood and the days catch of rabbits over my shoulder. I began to retrace my tracks from my sanctuary back to my village. I walked slowly, mostly meandered through the trees. The crunch of the snow under my boots was the only thing that I could hear in the woods, along with the occasional scurry of a creature trying to retreat to safety. There was always such a peaceful feeling in the forest that came with the stillness. Here, there was no war. Here, I wasn’t Magdalena Romonov, next leader of Nydollean and the only daughter of Ida and Jon. I was just Magda, 19 year old girl.

            As I approached the village, the calm peace in the air tensed and began to feel suffocating. Something was not right. I walked with a little more urgency. The first thing I noticed as I approached the edge of the wood was the black tendrils of smoke curling their way into the gray sky. That was when I heard the screaming. I dropped my goods and approached the edge of the woods, crouching. I unsheathed my hunting dagger, but remained hidden.

            The last thing I wanted was to run in and try to play hero just to get captured. “Always stay out of sight, Magda. Stay safe and trust us to do the rest. You’ll know if you’re really needed, but you must worry about your survival. If something happens to us, you’re the heir. Without you, the community falls apart.” I could hear my father’s stern voice in the back of my head.

            I found good cover behind a cluster of shrubs. I could still see the gate rising right in front of me. I saw two soldiers standing at the entrance, their backs turned to me watching the village. They were adorned in royal green coats; Aboresian. I slowed my breath so there was minimal sounds and condensation and adjusted my crouch so that my ankles wouldn’t ache. I had a feeling I would be here for a while. Another soldier approached the gate and addressed the other two.

            “I think we’ve got all who didn’t manage to escape during the raid. There’s a patrol that’ll go into the woods to see if they can track down any others.”

            One nodded with a grunt in response. My breath caught.

            “What about�"ah. Good, mission accomplished then.” I heard more footsteps approaching.

            “You’re not going to get away with this, you b******s!” My heart stopped.

            “Oh now, is that any way for a lady to talk?” The dirty soldier cupped my mother’s chin.

            “You get your hands off of her!” My father yelled as my mom spit in the soldiers face. The back of his hand met the side of her face with such force she fell to the ground. The soldier grabbed her hair and pulled her to her knees. My mother didn’t make a sound, but spit and the snow turned red. Another soldier kicked my father behind his knees and he fell to the ground next to mother. I couldn’t find my breath.

            “Ida. Jon. This can all be avoided, all of this horrible trauma spared, if you just do as we ask.” The general, Levi Norring, crouched in front of my parents, looking back and forth between then expectantly.

            “Irreversible trauma has already been done. How can you expect anything of our compliance when you’ve burned our village and slaughtered at least half of our people?” My father spat viciously. My hand covered my mouth. Half of the village?

            Levi clicked his tongue. “Now, now Jon. You know I could do worse. Your darling Ida is still here breathing next to you. If you’d like to keep it that way, I suggest you do as I ask.”

            “You obviously don’t understand the bonds of family.” My mother’s voice was strong and unwavering.

            “Well, I know the bonds a child has with her parents. I know that you’re in no position to refuse, or those bonds will be severed. If you tells us where dear, darling Magdalena is hiding now, she will remain unharmed and so will you. We’ll just take little Magdalena back with us, and leave you to rebuild your city in peace… for the time being.”

            My father laughed. One of the guards connected the hit of his sword with the back of his head, my father cursed under his breath.

            “Jon, Jon, Jon. I suppose we can do this the hard way. Liam?” One of the guards lunged forward. I saw a flash of sliver and then there was a blade at my mother’s throat. Liam jerked her head back by her hair and pressed the blade in slightly. I was shaking all over. My father tensed.

            “Jon, here are the options. You can tell us where Magdalena is, or you can watch your wife die now in front of you. Then, if you still refuse, Magdalena will become an orphan before you can even blink. No one wants their daughter to become an orphan now, do they?” Liam pressed the blade harder and I saw a speck of red emerge on the porcelain throat.

            “Don’t you dare, Jon.” My mother half choked out through clenched teeth. I could tell my father was desperate as he searched the snow for answers. “Jon.” My mother’s voice sounded afraid for the first time. “I will always love you.”

            The sound pierced the air and time slowed. She choked and gurgled as red spurted from her throat like a fountain. Liam stood and placed a boot firmly on her back, then nudged her while he cleaned his ruby blade on his handkerchief. Time stopped all together as her face hit the snow, red pooling in the pure white all around as her raven hair splayed around her open eyes.

            I head the end of my father’s scream and then everything was in motion again. He had broken free of his restraint and was shoving men as hard as he could. I gripped the hilt of my dagger so tight I couldn’t feel anything anymore. By the time I tore my eyes away from the lifeless form with a crown of ruby, one green coat was lying on the ground in a grotesque position. I could only hear my heart beat. My father had taken out three guards and was turning on Levi when the rest of the raid party joined. They managed to wrestle him to the ground.

            It was just another flash of sliver and a grunt from Levi. Then the party stood and looked down. My father was still, the hilt of a dagger protruding from his temple, red beginning to pour down the side of his face, eyes fixed open and locked on my mothers.

            I couldn’t hear anything. Not my breathing, not my heart beat. I couldn’t feel the cold of the snow. I couldn’t feel the cold hilt of my dagger. I couldn’t stop the scream before it erupted. I saw four pairs of eyes fix on me in slow motion. I saw the command roll of Levi’s lips, and saw the finger point in my direction. The men moved in slow motion towards me.

            Then everything was in motion and the trees blurred past, tears freezing on my face as I ran with all of my power, instinct taking control where reason had failed.

            Tree branches whipped my cheeks, slicing the skin as I pushed myself to run as fast as I could. I made a couple of turns at random, hoping to lose the guards. I didn’t know how long I had been running when it occurred to me that they would be able to follow my tracks like a map. I took a sharp left and slowed my pace. I needed to get to the river so that they wouldn’t have footprints to follow.

            I stopped for a moment, placing my hands on my knees and hanging my head down, panting and willing the fire in my chest to ease. I heaved and felt the contents of my stomach rush up, filling my mouth with the acidic taste of bile. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and began running again. I couldn’t allow any more time for them to catch up when I didn’t even know how much distance was between us.

            I finally reached the river and stepped in without thinking. The water was cold enough that I could feel its icy fingers through my boots. I began heading up river, thinking that my search party would probably head the opposite direction. I slowed my pace a little, I had to due to the water. I figured I could afford to. I had a feeling I had put enough distance between us.

            I continued upstream for I didn’t know how long. The sun began setting and I thought I could now rest. There had been no sign of the soldiers since I had met the river. The water was to my waist now, and I had grown so cold I couldn’t feel anything. I waded to the edge of the river and trudged out. I could instantly feel the water on my clothing turning to ice.

            Once out of the water, my body began feeling hot and a wave of nausea hit me. I felt hotter and hotter, and my hands began shaking. My whole body was weak and I collapsed to my knees. I willed myself to breath as darkness overcame my vision. Struggling, I laid back on the snow. I could feel the world spinning and the sounds of the river turned into a ringing in my ears.

            I woke with a start, as if I were having a dream where I had been falling. I felt very disoriented and dizzy. My limbs felt as if they had been filled with lead and I felt like my blood had been replaced with the icy water from the river. I opened my eyes and saw a fire crackling next to me. I was wrapped in a blanket. I didn’t move as I willed the memories to come back to me. They slowly did. The woods, the smoke, the screaming, the pool of red against the white snow. The running. I had fainted. I remembered that now. So where was I now, and how was this fire made?
            I heard footsteps crunching in the snow behind me and I tensed up. I slowly pulled my dagger from its holster on my hip. I moved as slowly as I could and shallowed my breathing so that I seemed to be sleeping still. The person in question made his way over to the fire in knelt next to it in front of me, setting a bundle of wood in the snow at his side. He began poking at the fire with a long stick. I could tell his shoulders were broad, and definitely those of a male. Gripping my dagger tighter, I forced my muscles to cooperate. I realized I was too weak to get to my feet, so I reached out and balled the back of his coat in my fist and yanked hard. He fell back onto me and I pressed the dagger to his throat.

            “Who are you.” I half growled through clenched teeth, more with effort than intimidation. The man held both hands up in innocence.

            “Woah woah woah! Calm down! It’s alright! I’m not here to hurt you.” He sounded scared.

            “Don’t make me repeat myself.” I stated firmly.

            “Okay! No need for such hostility. My name is Harrison Heathfordshire. I’m a hunter. I was fishing when I came across you by the river. You were unconscious and your clothes were frozen and your lips were blue. I thought you were dead. When I felt your pulse, I brought you here and set up camp and that’s all.”

            “How long was I unconsicious? Were you followed?”

            “What? No. I wasn’t followed. Why would I be? Look, this really isn’t necessary�"“ I pushed the dagger a little closer to his throat.

            “How long was I unconscious?”

            “I don’t know by the time I found you. A couple of hours maybe? I found you two days ago. You really can let me go. If I meant hostility, I could have acted upon it thousands of times by now.” I hesitated for a moment, but decided he had a point and let him go. He rubbed at his throat.

            I felt prickling head encroaching again and a small moan escaped. “Okay, okay. Easy now, killer. Lay back. You’re still too weak to exert yourself like that.” Harrison eased me back into the pillow and tucked the blanket in closer.

            “You’re sure you weren’t followed?” I panted out through clenched teeth as my vision went black around the edges.

            “Take deep breaths. I’m sure. Focus only on breathing.” I closed my eyes and listened. In a few breaths I felt the buzzing in my head subside and the heat died down. I opened my eyes again to see Harrison’s concerned face. “You better eat.” He helped me sit up and tucked the pillow behind me so I could lean against it and a tree. He handed me a hunk of what I recognized as cooked rabbit and I began eating. Only once the food entered my mouth did I realize how hungry I had been. Ravenous, really. Harrison smiled and turned by to his fire, continuing to stoke it.

            Once he had gotten the fire to a satisfactory size, and I could feel the warmth envelop me, he sat across the fire with his own hunk of rabbit. “I would offer you more, I’m sure you’re hungry. But if you eat too much too fast, it’ll just come back up.” I waved a hand. I knew this already.

            “Thank you for your hospitality.” I was annoyed with how weak my voice sounded. “I’ll only stay until my strength is back. I’ve used enough of your resources already.”

            He chuckled a little. “How about we just focus on getting your strength back first. It should only be a few hours, maybe a day at the most, before you begin feeling better.” He wiped his fingers on his pants and stood. “Here, let me help you lay back down.”

            “No.” I said, shaking my head. “It feels good to sit up. To be awake. My head is starting to feel less cloudy.” He nodded and sat back, tossing me another hunk of rabbit. Although I wanted to swallow it whole, I ate it slowly. Mindful of throwing it up. “So,” I said once I had finished. “Who are you, Harrison Heathforshire? You look… Aronian?”

            He smiled and looked at the fire. “I am. Well... I was.”

            “Was?” His eyes met mine for a second before returning to the fire.

            “My family… was murdered by someone in our village. I knew who and I was young. So I got revenge. I was due to be hung, when a friend helped me escape. They didn’t come looking because everyone knew the story and knew the reasoning. They were going to hang me out of procedure, a formality. I’m sure you know of the laws.”

            “I do. Which is why I know he would have swung for his crime. So why did you not tell, if you knew who was responsible?”

            “As I said, I was young. 16 at the time. I couldn’t control my temper, and I wasn’t very logical. I wanted his blood for myself.”

            “Why are you being so honest with me, a stranger?”

            His eyes met mine. They were emerald, and the orange flames of the fire made them glow as they danced in them. “I don’t know. I’m not ashamed, and I guess I feel as though I can trust you.” We were quiet for a moment. I couldn’t make my eyes break the gaze. His finally did, and I felt as though I had been released from a spell. “What about you? You must have a story if you’re worried about being followed.”

            What was I supposed to say? I didn’t feel the same trust that he did, and I knew I couldn’t tell the truth. Not to him or anyone. It was just easier if Magdalena Romanov just disappeared entirely. I cleared my throat and looked at the fire, as if the answers would be glowing in the coals.

            “My name is Juliet Frank. I am escaped from the Aboresian sector. They were doing a slave raid and my village was chosen. I managed to escape, but I was followed by some guards. My family was taken, but I knew they would want me to live.” My voice caught in my throat at the mention of my parents. Silence fell between us as the darkness grew deeper around us.

            “What was your plan? You know that there is nothing out here.”

            “I do. But I was hoping to make it to Aronia and seek solace.” His face grew hard at my mention of Aronia. “What about you? You said your escape was when you’re 16? How old are you now?”

            “I’m 23.”

            “How have you made it so long? Surely you found solace somewhere.”

            He chuckled. “The rebels.”

            I froze. “I’m sorry? Did you just-”

            “Yes. The rebels. I found their camp while wandering and told them my story. They took me in. First I stumbled upon a group of crouchers. I made it with them for a couple of years. Then they were taken when we stumbled upon a soldier camp. I’ve been with the rebels for a couple of months now.”

            “But… the rebels aren’t supposed to exist.”

            “I know. They’re merely a breath of rumor, but I assure you they’re alive as ever. They’re making plans too.”

            “Plans?”

            “They long to take down Aronia.” My pulse quickened.

            “They’ve never done anything though.”

            “No. Not yet, but they have great plans. They’re simply waiting to have the right amount of people. They’re small in number now, and lack training. But their spirit is strong.” He smiled a little, and I thought I saw something dark in it, but just like that it was gone. His eyes met mine again. “You won’t find solace in Aronia. They don’t take in strays. Everyone knows that. They only have enough to provide for themselves. But you can find solace with the rebels, as I have. They happily take in anyone needs security.”

            “Oh, I don’t know. I feel as though my journey is one I have to do alone.”

            He flat out laughed at this. “I’m sorry, Juliet. But these woods are crawling with soldiers whose only order is to kill or capture everyone they meet. Whatever it is you need to do, doing it alone is a death wish.” I knew he was right. My jaw set in defeat and he noticed. “It’s settled then. We can see how you are in the morning, and then we can decide when to head out. The camp is located two days to the east.”

            I knew he was right and that I couldn’t go alone. I didn’t fully trust this man yet, but perhaps I could find help among the rebels. Anyone with the interest in defeating Aronia could prove to be a useful alliance. And, he had a point when he said if he had ill intentions he would have carried them out. At the very least, he could help me by providing protection.

            “We should rest so you can get your strength up for the journey.” I nodded and laid down, I had already begun to feel more myself. He followed my lead. I watched the flames until my eyelids grew heavy and closed of their own will.

            Sometime as the sky was turning pale with dawn I stirred. My eyes opened to see Harrison writing on a piece of parchment. He finished and folded the paper in thirds, as if it were a letter, and then began coaxing the fire again. I rolled over and fell back asleep, hearing his footsteps retreat into the forest.

            I woke again to him returning. It must have been sometime later, as the sun was up now. I eyed him skeptically as he dropped a bundle of fresh wood and two rabbits. We cooked the rabbits in silence and once they were ingested, he spoke.

            “How are you feeling today?”

            I began to stand in response. “Strong and my head is clear. I think I can make it fine.”

            He smiled, totally thrilled at my response, and began packing up the camp. “Right, well we can take it slow for a while to make sure your strength will hold. We don’t want to wear you out right away. The sooner we make it to the camp, the better.”

            I nodded in response and began to extinguish the fire. Probably a half an hour passed and we were on our way east.

            “You said your family was take in a slave raid? In Aboresia?”

            I nodded.

            “I hadn’t realized that they were making slaves of their own people.” He cast a sidelong glance towards me.

            “Well, does it surprise you? They are the most ruthless sector.” I couldn’t help the hate that escaped with my words.

            “Hm. I suppose that’s true.”

            “Why did you say I wouldn’t find solace in Aronia? They’ve always been known to be a kind people.”

            “Kind, yes. Selfish, yes. They can only provide for those within their walls, and though they would like to, they can’t let anyone in without the suffering of their own. It’s interesting, how you guessed Aronian by my looks alone. I must not have as keen of an eye.”

            “Why do you say that?”

            “I would have sworn you were Nydollean.” My steps faltered and he caught me by the elbow. “Are you alright?”

            Our eyes met, and something was strange in his. Just as last night, though, it was gone as soon as I noticed. My paranoia was getting the best of me. “Fine. I just stepped wrong on a rock.” He let go and we continued on our path in silence.

            We walked in silence for a few hours until we sat for dinner and to make camp for the night. Harrison built a fire as I retrieved the bedding and food. He expertly skinned and gutted his catch of fish and had placed it in a pan over the fire.

            “Why would you say I was Nydollean?” I asked, watching the fish sizzle.

            “I only meant you were far too beautiful to be Aboresian, and I knew you couldn’t have been Aronian, so that only left Nydollea.” He smiled and I felt my heart in my throat.

            “I see.” I looked down, unable to keep the smile from showing through,

            “I mean that, Juliet. I don’t think I’ve ever laid eyes on someone so beautiful.”

            “Oh, stop now,” I threw a chunk of snow at him and he laughed as it his his arm. “It isn’t polite to flatter someone you don’t even know.

            “Well, I did save your life. I think I deserve the pleasure.”

            “That’s fair.” Our eyes met again and I smiled. He retrieved the fish from the fire, placing them on two plates and bringing mine to me, sitting on my bedding with me.

            “You know, you’re the only person who hasn’t thought differently of me after I voiced my story.” He said, not meeting my eyes.

            “Well, we’re both fugitives. And, had it been my family…” I trailed off as images of their cold faces filled my mind. I cleared my throat. “I would have done the same.” I meet his eyes for a fleeting moment before diverting my gaze.

            “You miss them?”

            “Very much.” My voice shook slightly.

Harrison placed an arm around me comfortingly. “Well, you’ve been through a lot. But you’re not alone now. And you don’t have to face any of it alone.”

            “Thank you.” I whispered as a silent tear escaped down my cheek. Harrison brushed it away without saying anything and we fell into silence again.

            I awoke the next morning with my head on Harrison’s shoulder, his arm still around me. Seeing his face, peaceful and handsome with sleep, I smiled to myself. His dusty blonde hair was falling across his forehead, resting slightly on his eyelids. I gently pulled myself from his embrace and stood. He looked innocent and vulnerable. I shook my head and found the pail that I knew he had with him and went to the river.

            When I returned to the camp and situated the bucket of water over the fire, Harrison stirred.

            “Well, good morning beautiful.” He mumbled. “You should wear your hair like that more.” I had taken it out of its braid and it was falling down my back. I smiled, feeling the heat creep into my cheeks. He must have noticed this, because he chuckled before stretching and rousing himself to gather breakfast. Today it was a handful of berries and two apples each. The water was steaming, and I splashed some on my face and over my neck. Drying myself with a cloth, I sat back and bit into my apple.

            Harrison met my gaze and looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry if I overstepped my boundaries by staying with you last night. You fell asleep and just looked so peaceful I couldn’t bring myself to disturb you.”

            I shook my head in response and I swallowed my mouthful of berries. “It’s fine. Combined body heat is never a bad thing.” He smiled at this and began packing the camp again.

            “We should reach the camp by sundown tonight. Then we should have a proper meal and proper mattresses.” I smiled at the thought of that. It was truly the most glorious I could imagine at that moment.

            We began walking again with a little more haste now that we were sure I could manage without collapsing. We had been silent for probably an hour when Harrison cleared his throat.

            “I assume you’ve heard about Nydollea.” His voice didn’t sound as sad as you would imagine.

            “Um. Yeah. I have.” I looked at my feet.

            “I heard there were no survivors.” He cast me a sidelong glance as if to gauge my reaction. I felt my face harden as I suppressed any sign of emotion. I wasn’t from there anymore. The time to grieve was when I was alone.

            “Pity.” I said lifting my head and looking straight ahead, only allowing a hint of sympathy creep through.

            “I can’t imagine what it must have been like.” Suddenly his voice was trembling with anger. “Strangers just storming in and destroying everything in their path. An entire sector, destroyed. For what? I heard Ida and Jon were the last to die… I imagine they didn’t mind. I wouldn’t even have the will to carry on. I heard a rumor that their daughter escaped. Now the king is scouring the land for her. I suppose he won’t rest until she’s found. I can’t imagine what he would want from her though.” He spit in the snow at his feet as it passed.

            “You seem to care a lot for someone who didn’t even know them.” I kept my voice steady.

            “They’re still people. Mothers, fathers. Children.” He trailed off with a shake of his head and we fell into a tense silence. Neither of us wanting to break it, we remained that way until we saw the tents pop up in the distance.

            “That’ll be the camp.” Harrison quickened his pace as he spoke the words, and I matched them. We reached the camp in twenty more minutes, and I arrived out of breath from jogging to match Harrison’s long strides. People began to gather around us.

            “Margie.” Harrison strode up to a small, elderly lady. “This is Juliet. She needs protection and shelter.”

            “Hello, child.” Margie’s voice was frail and strong at the same time, like wind chimes. She grasped my hand. “What’s your story? I see pain in your eyes. What have you gone through that brought you here?”

            “She-” Harrison was silenced with a raise of Margie’s hand, her almost clear grey eyes never left mine.

            “I escaped Aboresia.” A hush fell over the gathered crowd. “My family was being taken for slaves. They hid me, and I managed to escape. I was followed and ran for… god only knows how long. I finally evaded the party of soldiers, but I fainted. From exhaustion, I assume. That’s when Harrison found me. He saved my life.” I cast him a side long glace. He smirked and looked at his shoes. “I was planning to seek solace in Aronia, and then Harrison told me about you.”

            Margie squeezed my hand reassuringly. “All strays are welcome here.”

            “Margie.” A small, slight but strong figure was pushing her way to the front of the curious crowd. Margie rolled her eyes slightly. A shock of red hair, and pail freckled skin emerged. “I don’t think that’s smart.”

            “No, Veronica? Pray tell, why.”

            “Well, mister. Handsome over there has only been here for a few months, and we STILL haven’t decided if her trust him.” Harrison glared at the girl who was shoving an accusing finger at him. “And now, he just shows up with some chick. How do we know we can trust her? They could be in on something together, and they would be more powerful together. It’s pretty weird that he goes on a hunt, disappears for longer than needed, and then shows up with her.”

            “Veronica, we’ve decided we can trust Harrison. It’s you that hasn’t. We have always been a community that offers help. We live by the codes and morals of the old world, and so long as I’m in charger everyone will be welcome unless they prove undeserving.”

            “But-” Veronica was silenced by a stern look from Margie. She mumbled something and crossed her arms over her chest, shooting me a glare.

            “You’re welcome here, Juliet. Let me show you your tent. I’m sure you’re exhausted.” Margie took my by the hand again and led me to a small tent. “You rest now.” I smiled gratefully, and with a squeeze of my hand she turned and left.

            The tent had a bed, and some other furniture that I didn’t focus on. I collapsed onto the soft bit of heaven and pulled the heavy quilt up to my chin. I closed my eyes, and fell into a deep sleep in seconds.