She was being chased. She didn't know who or what was chasing her, or why they were. All she knew was that she had to get away. She could not fight this enemy. Sharp branches and sticks tore at her leggings and sliced through her exposed skin as she ran through the forest. A huge flying beast crashed through the treetops above her. The beast laughed maniacally at her before swooping off to leave her alone with her unknown enemy. Her legs ached and her chest burned but she did not care, she just needed to run. As she ran faster and faster still, her flaming red hair bounced around her face, obscuring her vision. An exposed tree root sent her sprawling across the forest floor as her boot caught on it. Her ankle sprained and unable to run any further, she stood gingerly with her back to the trunk of the tree and the unseen enemy grew closer. The undergrowth before her began to rustle, a dark humanoid shadow just visible beyond the bushes. Terrified now, she drew her sword only to find it was gone, instead holding in her hand a hideous clown doll that she felt she recognised but could not quite place why. She could not attack. She could not hide. There was no escape. And the hidden enemy pounced.
Jane gasped as she awoke suddenly in a cold sweat. Relieved to be awake, she jumped out of bed, opened the window and began to pace around the circular room. If anyone had been watching Jane it would have been quite apparent by the look on her face that the dream had worried her. Sitting down at the small desk opposite her bed, Jane pulled her squire's journal and a quill towards her and began to write:
"I had that dream again tonight. This time Dragon laughed at me as I ran, taking pleasure from my terror. I cannot decide if this is better or worse than the last time. And that INFERNAL clown! I hate that horrible thing! I just wish I knew what it all means, if it even means anything at all. I have thought about asking Sir Theodore about my dreams but I am sure he will say it is only anxiety for the final squire challenge which takes place in two days. This may be the case, but I am not so sure."
Putting down the quill, Jane began to glance through the last few entries in her journal, all of which concerned the nightmare. Sometimes in the dream, like tonight, she would be running through the forest. At other times she and Dragon would be flying together when the danger appeared. Often Dragon was shot through the heart with a flaming arrow, sending them both crashing to the ground. The nightmare changed often, but two things always remained the same: the feeling of terror while fleeing from an unknown yet invincible enemy, and that horrid clown. Jane hated that clown. Jane put down the journal and sighed. Through the open window she saw the sun slowly light the navy horizon to a deep salmon pink and decided to get dressed and train for a few hours before the rest of the castle awoke.