"Don't go… please Eva think about this!" Eva's mother pleaded, her eyes full of pain. Eva of Gather's Bridge couldn't stand to hurt her mother this way, but her mind was made up years ago.
"Ma, don't make this harder than it needs to be," Eva begged, taking a step back. "This isn't the life I was meant to lead." Eva was born on a tiny farm in the southern part of Tortal. Gather's Bridge was a chunk of land between Queen's Hill and a small town called Omilder. There was nothing special about Gather's Bridge, and Eva didn't even see much point in giving it a name at all. The land was flat, and the weather never varied much other than the hot sun that beat upon their backs every day.
"Eva you'll never make it to Corus unscathed. You've no idea the danger that you'll encounter before you even take three steps out of Omilder. Even with the Gift running away is never-"
"I'm not running away," Eva hissed through clenched teeth. "And I told you, I'm heading to Tramelet to travel with those delivering goods to Corus. Once I reach Tramelet I'll be fine, you've always said there's strength in numbers."
"What of the forest between Omilder and Tramelet? You'll never be able to cross by yourself!" Eva's mother wailed. But Eva was beyond hearing her. All her life she had tried to train herself to be a fighter. It wasn't easy. Her father and many brothers could teach her a few basic skills of battle, but she needed a real teacher. There was so much that she didn't know that she was desperate to learn. Every night she dreamt of one day becoming a knight, and being able to defend her country. But whenever she attempted to speak to her father about her dreams he always told her that the Gods didn't smile on women who wanted to become knights.
"For Mithros' sake, mother! I'm strong enough to get through the forest on my own. I'll send word to you once I reach Tramelet," Eva promised. She turned around and began taking the first steps of her new life.
"Eva, wait!" Her mother called, but Eva didn't stop. She walked past her brothers and father tending the beans that they grew with her head held high. Her family knew what she was planning to do, and in response they had all started acting as if she didn't exist. All except her mother. Unfortunately for Eva, she would be walking to Corus. Her family wasn't very wealthy, and it was all they could do to afford proper clothes for everyone considering how quickly her brothers grew.
Eva's family hadn't originally been from Corus, her parents were born in Sarain and the way they told it they had come to Tortall with a group of others for a chance at a better life. Her father said that they were all ready for a change in the way they were living, and an entire town's worth of people all just decided to emigrate to Tortall. But Eva knew better. The people had escaped to Tortall because Tortall was against slavery. Those that came from Sarain all had dark skin, and were treated worse than dirt where they came from. Eva thanked the Gods every day that she was born in Tortall.
Omilder was only a day away from Gather's Bridge traveling by foot. The sun was only just beginning to rise up, and Eva planned on walking all day so that she'd make it to Omilder by nightfall. She needn't worry about bandits so long as she stayed on the road. Besides, she wasn't carrying another of worth anyway. Just some dried fruit and a few coins she managed to obtain from her mother. She needn't be alert, so her mind wandered to what she thought her journey would be like. Eva knew that being a knight wasn't all glory, and there would be many years of hard work involved, and she was willing to do it.
Working on a farm her whole life, Eva didn't tire easily. When she finally arrived in Omilder, Eva was barely tired at all. She even considered not stopping for the night and continuing onto Tramelet, but that would be foolish, and if Eva wanted to make it to Corus she would have to keep her wits about her.
Eva had been to Omilder many times before, and she knew exactly which tavern to go to spend the night. When she got there, no one looked especially surprised to see her. She paid for a room and hurried to bed. She would have to rise early tomorrow if she wanted to cross the forest in two days flat. Sleep didn't come easily, though. She tried hard not to think of what she was about to do tomorrow, but she couldn't help it. Finally she became so tired that she just shut down with no warning.
Eva rose at dawn, as excited and full of energy as she could hope for. She stopped only to wash up and eat, and then she headed out of Omilder and to the forest.
Eva stopped in front of the solitary path that led into the forest. For the first time on her trip, Eva felt a wave of fear wash over her. None ventured into the forest lightly; it was the perfect hiding place for thieves and bandits. Not to mention all of the wolves that lurked in the shadows. But Eva had one thing that she knew would always be there to protect her. She had the Gift. There wasn't much that Eva knew how to do, but she knew how to call up a shield to defend herself if need be. But Eva's Gift drained quickly, and she swore to herself that she would use it in emergencies only. With that in mind, Eva started into the forest.