I hide under the slight indent under our house. It was first built as a cellar for crops and meat. It was only just big enough to fit me and Mercie.

I had my hands clamped over her ears and her face hidden against my chest. She couldn't see or hear what was happening to our home. I watched as bandits ran about, mindlessly killing everyone they could. Either that or locking them up in the houses and setting the thatch on fire.

I was being forced to watch as my people were being burned alive. I feel the floor above me grow warm. I knew it had been only a matter of time before this one was lit too.

I wait until just the right time that I don't think anyone is looking when I burst out of my hiding place with Mercie in tow.

I feel a sense of undeniable guilt but remember my promise to my mother. I would do anything for the safety of Mercie. It was my oath. My promise. And I never break a promise.

Mercie and I run as fast as we can from the village that is our home. Or was. Mercie stops and tries to catch her breath. I stand beside her and cannot resist the urge to look behind us at the place I had called home for seventeen years.

Nothing but screams, flames, and smoke. Mercie coughs violently and I kneel beside her and rub her back soothingly. She looks up at me with teary eyes that look far wiser than any six year olds should ever look.

"Fallon? When will we go home?"

I look at her and force a smile,

"Not for a long time, ok?"

"Does that mean never?"

I laugh a little and carefully make sure that she couldn't see that I want to cry,

"No, it means not for a long time. Not never ok?"

She looks at me and smiles a little,

:Now wipe those tears all right? We're going to be fine. I promise."

I reach over and gently wipe her tears with my sleeve. She laughs a little and I grab her hand and we begin to walk, quickly, away from the burning village.

We are about halfway through the forest that had always surrounded our village and blocked us away from all other civilization when we hear the sounds of people. Hunters presumably.

We hide just to be sure and wait until we see the men coming. There are two and are dressed strangely. In mottled cloaks of the like I have never seen before.

Then again I have rarely been allowed to leave the village from which I came. Mercie whimpers a bit and I clamp my hand over her mouth.

The men stop and hear them talking about how the trail they had been tracking suddenly disappeared. Then i hear one of them say that they found it again. I hold Mercie still under the brambles in which we lay and grab a stone and toss it in the direction opposite from us.

The men turn to see what made the noise and then look in the direction opposite from where the stone fell, which meant they were looking at the now empty hiding spot.

Mercie and I are already running through the woods. Or rather I am, Mercie is riding on my back.

I run silently a skill an old loon had taught me years before. The silly old man and his wife had taught me many things. I could move silently and shoot the bow on my back with unerring accuracy.

I thought back. He and his wife had died a few years before and had been buried next to a man I had never known. A man who was apparently the reason for the kind old man to stay in the quiet village.

He had been buried with the same type of cloak as the men earlier had worn. I tried to think what the old man's name had been.

Will. And his wife, Alyss.

I remember now. The man who had been the reason for Will's staying had been named Halt. He had died there and Will hadn't been able to make himself leave. Will had always had the craziest most charming stories. And even at an old age he had still been strong and mischief still twinkled in his eyes.

Will had always said that he had one more mission he had to see through to the end. I always wondered what it was. Suppose ill never know now.

I slow my run and duck low, depositing my sister on the ground with orders for her to lie still. She complies quickly. I stalk back in the direction I had just run and soon find the two men looking troubled.

I clear my throat and they turn to find themselves at the mercy of some seventeen year old with a bow pointed at them.

"Who are you?"

I smile grimly. We ahd all three spoke at the same time.

"I believe I have the advantage here so I suggest you answer me first."

I see the one on the left visibly gulp. The one on the right shifts nervously. I look at their eyes. They are practically harmless, but I do not trust that to be true.

I ask again,

"Who are you?"

They glance at each other and look back to me,

"We are king's rangers. Ranger Jetrun and Ranger Malon."

The one on the left indicates who is who. Gulper is Jetrun and Shifty is Malon.

Jetrun studies my bow for a moment then,

"Drop the act Malon. The kids not even shaking. She's trained well."

He gives me a congratulatory nod and I see them both suddenly turn into men who look worthy of a king's anything. Maybe a meal. That sounds good. A king's meal. I haven't eaten for days.

I don't know what all this ranger business is but I find that I no longer care.

"Got anything to eat?"

They look mildly surprised and I see them glance at each other curiously,

"Ye-es."

"Give me enough for two and I'll be on my way."

Malon looks full out curious now.

"Two? Is there another with you?"

I give no indication of an answer. Jetrun elbows him.

"Food."

Malon grabs his pack and rummages inside,

"I've got cold rations, bread, or stuff that I can cook if you'd like to sit down and stop pointing the bow at us."

He pulls out each item as he says it and I know that Jetrun can see me shaking now.

"We won't do anything to you. I promise."

I can feel my mouth watering.

"Food and then we leave."

I let out a shrill whistle and Mercie appears behind me.

We both cautiously approach the men and sit down. We watch as Malon prepares a meal, oblivious to Jetrun setting up bedding for the night.

Malon finishes quickly and as soon as the soup lands in our bowl we are eating as much as we can in as little time as we can. After our first and then second bowls we slow down and try to appreciate the food.

I am aware of Jetrun and Malon gaping at us and numbly filling our bowls. Malon looks delighted while Jetrun looks like he is wondering how anyone could eat so much disgusting soup.

I must agree with Malon. My sister, however seems to have been born with wayward taste buds.

Eventually all three of us are staring at Mercie, wondering how she could eat such stuff – and so much.

Malon has to make another pot. Or rather for the sake of all other travelers, Jetrun does.

Jetrun looks closely at us both as my sister begins to look and act tired. I myself am fighting to keep my eyelids up. I must succeed because no one says anything.

"What are your names?"

I look at Malon who is looking at me quizzically,

"None of You Business and Never Will Be."

I point at myself for None of Your Business and at Mercie for Never Will Be.

He seems to find it amusing. He rattles on for a pointless amount of time. I find myself slowly drifting off to sleep.

Jetrun rolls his eyes at Malon and hits him in the side of the head after more pointless minutes of mindless chatter and points to me and Mercie. Both fast asleep.

Jetrun notices my small bag and pulls out something Will had once given me.

"Seems we have something to bring to Gilan's attention."

Malon looked up at Jetrun and found himself looking at one of the two lost oakleaves.

In her bag they found a gold leaf and a silver leaf along with a bronze.

Only one ranger had been known to keep both the silver and the bronze oakleaves. That one ranger had disappeared with a ranger of a golden oakleaf.

Halt and Will had been found.