Hide & Seek: The Beginning

7... 8... 9... 10!! Ready or not, here we come...

Isollde pulled her tiny legs into her chest, attempting futilely to keep the warmth in her body. The damp stickiness from the mud had seeped through her thick cloak and underclothes. Shivering almost uncontrollably, Isollde peeked through the leaves of her hiding place. The screaming had died down now. The charge of running footsteps had quieted. Almost everyone had been caught.

I hope, I get to be it soon. I don't like all this hiding. Isollde thought to herself, sourly. She readjusted herself, trying to warm up, and bring circulation back to her limbs. Maybe it was safe to move now... no. She shook the thought from her mind. Isollde had promised her mother, before she left.

"You're not to move from this spot. Do you understand, Lala?" Her mother's words echoed in her mind softly. "A promise is a promise." she mumbled, dejectedly.

It had been nearly a day since, Isollde's mother had left to find her brother, and father. They had been split up, back in Li'ein. That's where The Game had started, three days ago.

1 Day Ago...

Low branches whipped across Altia's face, leaving stinging little scratches across her face and neck. She didn't flinch or falter in her steps; there were more important things to worry about then a few scrapes and cuts.

"Mom..." and exasperated little voice, whispered from behind her."Mom... please... "Isollde was struggling to keep step with her mother. Her small fingers clutched onto her mothers hand.

"Just a bit further, my love. We're almost safe." Altia returned her attention to maneuvering her way through the dense forest. It had been a little over two days, since the attack on Li'ein. It had come early in the morning, catching the entire city by surprise. Their family had been separated in the panic, Tornin and her son had run to the Northwest village of To'ladr hoping for a safe place to escape.

Altia couldn't think of that now. There were orc's roaming these woods, looking for anything and everything that may have escaped. "Lala, there should be a place to rest up here. Just try and keep up please."

Her small daughter heaved breaths tiredly, doing her best to keep the pace her mother was setting. Altia barely noticed the branches scraping against her skin now. The cold air, and on constant stinging had made her body almost completely numb.

Altia sucked in oxygen as fast as her lungs could handle without giving out on her. The thick under brush of the forest was finally starting to give way, and open up some. The canopy above them was spreading out. She could see hints of early morning sunlight poking through the swaying branches. Altia slowed her pace a slightly, studying the area around them looking for a place to finally stop.

"Mommy... please... I... can't..." Isollde stopped running and fell onto the forest floor. Her breaths staggered and gulping. Altia looked away; she had hoped her children would never see this day. "I ... thought this... was...just a game..." she managed to say in between breaths.

A shaky smile crossed Altia's face. "Yes, but isn't the point of any game to win it?" She looked down at Isollde. She looked much younger then 5 years old. Dirt and mud covered her clothes and face. Her usually neat braids were lop-sided and filled with twigs and leaves.

"But I like being It! Being the Seeker is much more fun then hiding." Altia laughed. Her daughter's squeaky little precocious voice always made her smile. Isollde believed her logic was unfaltering.

"I'm afraid it's not as simple as all that, dear. When you get a bit older, we can discuss this more. For now, please, let's move to a safe spot." She picked Isollde up, and carried her to a near-by clearing she had spotted.

Pacing the clearing a few times, Altia finally found a place to hide her daughter. She needed to get to To'ladr to find her husband and son before anyone else did. She let Isollde down in a large bush. "Now, don't move a second. I want to make sure you aren't seen."

Isollde, nodded to her mother, and stayed completely still. "Can you see me?" Altiastepped back and looked hard at the bush her daughter was laying in. She was so small. You couldn't see her if you tried.

"No, an expert hider, as always Lala!" She heard a soft giggle as she walked back to Isollde. "Now, this is very important sweetheart. You're not to move from this spot. Do you understand, Lala?" Isollde nodded obediently. "Yes ma'am."

"I'll be back when I've found your father and brother, I promise. Just wait for me, and stay hidden." Altia looked into her daughter's large dark brown eyes. She memorized every speck of dirt on her face, every dimple, every scratch. "I love you, Lala."