A/N: Hey everyone. I know this game is super old and that I have several other projects underway, but I just can't help it. I have been in love with Aveyond since I was 12 years old, and I played all of Aveyond 3 again recently, prompting another wave of love for this series. I have always been slightly pissed off about the ending of the first Aveyond and the confinement that comes with it, so I'll be taking Rhen's story down a path a lot of us have wanted.

Enjoy!

...

Rhen lived a serene life.

What wasn't there to be happy about in Clearwater? She had her ma and pa, whom she loved with all her heart. Their work in the fields was laborious, but worth the trouble as their harvest was plentiful. So plentiful, in fact, that after the chores for the day were done, there was plenty of time left during the day to do whatever they wanted.

By all means, she should have been content in her joyous life. But she found herself bored. There was something restless in her that longed for something more than a peaceful life in her sweet village.

But, Rhen pushed these feelings aside whenever they arose. Her life was here with her parents and friends. And it was a wonderful life, shattered only by the appearance of the mysterious woman in white.

Her pa had whisked the woman away after Rhen had found her, leaving the girl of 16 to stare at them dumfounded as they left. She walked after them, mind whirring with theories as to who this person was. A long lost princess escaping her captives. No, a witch who is luring us into a trap with a beautiful appearance. A dragon? No matter who or what she is, how could Pa know her?

She passed by her friend Peter near the entrance to the village. He was bouncing excitedly with bundles of pink flowers in his arms. "Rhen, who's that woman with your father? Everyone's talking about her!"

"I don't know. You'll be the first to know when I find out." Rhen rubbed the back of her head, smiling sheepishly at her friend. Everyone she passed in the village seemed to be in the same state of curiosity as Peter. Stuff like this never happened in Clearwater.

She entered her house to see her mother sweeping the kitchen, her ruby hair bound up tightly. "Darling," she smiled sweetly upon seeing Rhen.

To Rhen's frustration, her father was all but mute about the stranger, who was passed out on a bed. Rhen retrieved Dyonna, the herbalist who lived on top of the hill, and was rushed out of the room with no explanation. Her mother gave her a chore to distract herself, making her tired enough to collapse on return to her room.

Whatever, the next day was the spring equinox, and with that came the Maypole Festival that everyone had been hurriedly preparing for the past week. Rhen put on the pretty blue and white dress that her mother had left out for her and twirled around in it, watching the skirt flare around her. Her mother only let her wear her rouge on special occasions, and this was one of them. Rhen walked out of the house with rosy cheeks.

The woman in white was waiting for her. "Ma'am, are you feeling better?" Rhen asked politely.

Her eyes gleamed as she nodded. "Please, wait." She said as Rhen moved to excuse herself. "I understand that you all are busy today, but for now, take this as a sign of my gratitude, o chosen one."

Clearly a nutter. "Oh, there's no need. Alright, if you insist…" Rhen said warily as the woman adamantly held it out. Rhen slipped on the silver ring the woman gave her. The blue gem glowed gently as she moved her hand to catch the light. It was certainly pretty and unlike anything she'd seen before. More importantly, it matched her dress. "You're not going to join?" Rhen indicated to the people beginning to gather in the square. "Everyone wants to meet you."

"No, I believe I need more rest." The woman bowed to her and entered Rhen's home, shutting the door behind her softly.

"Weird." Rhen shrugged. The woman and her ring left her thoughts as she caught wind of the rest of her age group coming out of their houses. The festivities commenced at the mayor's announcement and Rhen lost herself in laughing and dancing.

"Look!" Ella nudged Rhen with a sharp whisper. "Ask him to dance."

Rhen flushed furiously at the sight of the dark haired boy. "No way," she hissed.

The others laughed at her flustered state, but dropped the topic. At one point of the day, Danny caught her eyes and smiled. Rhen was proud to say that she didn't gape, and managed to smile back at him. It was progress.

Some of teenagers grew bored as dusk fell, and began to scatter, leaving the adults and children still in the square. Rhen noticed Peter waving at her from the cave entrance, and she made her way to him, making sure her parents weren't watching. "Hey, Jenna and I are gonna go chase Billy Harker's sheep. You in?"

Rhen eyed her parents quickly, and grinned to see they hadn't noticed her leave. "I'll meet you there." Peter laughed and ran off. Rhen pulled up her skirt and tied it to make it easier to run. They'd need to if the old man caught wind of their mischief. She also discarded her heeled shoes, relishing in the feel of the warm grass under her feet. More comfortable, she followed Peter.

Only to run headfirst into a portly, well-dressed man. Rhen had never seen him before and his clothing looked foreign. "Excuse me, dear, is there a village around here?"

"Yes, down that path." She pointed to the cave leading out to Clearwater that she had just come out of. She didn't see the greed in his eyes as he caught glimpse of the ring on her finger.

"What a lovely ring. May I see it again, sweet girl?"

Rhen hesitated. "I guess so." She made the fatal error of showing him the ring at his honeyed request. The man laughed cruelly and snapped a metal bracelet around her delicate wrist. "Let me go!" Rhen screeched, struggling in his grasp.

"No use pretending, Priestess. I know the look of your signet"

"PETER! Someone help, PLEASE!" Rhen screamed feebly for help, paling as her echoing voice was the only response to her plea.

"No one is going to help you." And with that, Rhen felt a sharp blow to her head, knocking her out cold. The last thing she registered was the man pulling the ring off her finger with rough hands.