Author's Notes: Ok, so I am expecting that a lot of you want to throw flames and daggers at me for bringing out a NEW story when I have at least three that are on Haitus or just taking their sweet time to update… FORGIVE ME! I'm finding it a little difficult to find inspiration for 'So It's Not a Mummy This Time?' but I promise you, it will be updated soon…

This is my new story. I guarantee you will love it. Without a doubt. It's got adventure, romance, magic and a little swish of a new world so please give it a try because I promise by the fifth chapter you WILL BE HOOKED I am confident enough to say that. I have been doing it for the past week and really enjoyed creating it so I just kept going until today, when I started my new job. I hope you will let me know if I'm wrong and you DO actually despise it! Cheers loves.

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The sunset rain hammered down upon the poor girl as she wandered hopelessly through the silent forest. Golden rays of a tired sun shone through and cast dapples on her muddy, tear-stained face, while attempting to warm her chilled body; all she wore was a long, white dress (now stained and tattered) and some sandals. Her long, red hair was half-pulled into a disarray of curls and twists but it was wet, scruffy and limp with no usual glow or bounce. The girls' hazel eyes were filled with misery and fear as she marched on through the woodlands, stepping over branches, mushrooms and ponds and dipping underneath tree arms, vines and curved trunks.

"Run, Faye!"

"Cease her!"

"Murderer!"

The girl came to a quick halt and leant against the damp, mossy trunk of a nearby tree; her pained eyes closed momentarily as her mind flooded with voices and screams. They echoed to her, scratching her memories. She couldn't lose them.

"Look at what you have done!"

"You killed him, Faye!"

"Catch her!"

The redhead, Faye, let out a small sob and brought her hands to her pale face in sorrow. Emotions rushed through her and caused her knees to become weak; she had to sit down and, perhaps, find some shelter from this freezing rain? Her sobs merged with the pattering of the rain as she slowly moved around the large tree to find comfort beneath its branches. All she wanted was to forget everything, if just for a moment. But as the young woman went to perch herself on the ground, her foot suddenly slipped between a covering of bushes and her entire body was sent tumbling sideways from lack of balance. Faye found herself whizzing down a muddy, watery slide in the hillside which was hidden away by the greenery with flowers and bushes flashing past her face. It all happened so fast that Faye had only comprehended the end of her surprise journey when she felt her body immerse in water and her access of oxygen disappear. Kicking her arms and legs, she pushed herself upwards and broke the surface to inhale a large breath and wipe her eyes free to look around her. What she found certainly wasn't what she had expected…

"Well, well," A man chuckled from beside his horse, "look what dropped in to say hello."

Faye bobbed on the surface of the average sized pool and just blinked up at the group of three men apprehensively, not knowing what to do. They all appeared older than her and wore dark clothes with hooded capes and boots and their horses were strapped with sacks of supplies and weapons; one sack revealed the tip of a golden candlestick poking out and Faye deduced who they were - bandits. The man who spoke smiled curiously and walked to the edge of the pool, where he crouched down to earn himself a closer look at the girl. As he studied her, and their eyes locked, his eyes seemed to soften - almost unnoticeably - and Faye feared it was because he had recognised her… but no… he didn't.

"She put a spell on you, Kian?" One of his bandit friends snorted.

At hearing his friends' mockery, Kian blinked a few times before pushing aside whatever strange feelings had just stirred within him. This was just a poor, simple girl who had luckily fallen right into their hands. Sighing, he rose to his full height once more and placed his hands on his hips authoritatively. He had fluffy brown hair, pulled into a tiny ponytail, with a bandana wrapped around his head and his ocean green eyes were beautiful to Faye in such wicked, gloomy times. He was tall, muscular, and handsomely tanned from long adventures in the sunshine, unlike Faye.

"Come on then," He sighed to Faye, "out you get."

Faye remained bobbing in the water where she was and just stared at him worriedly. Kian arched a weary eyebrow at her and then looked to his friends behind him, who snickered and nodded. Suddenly, they were both marching down into the water and coming for Faye with their large, grubby hands and dirty grins. Faye gasped and attempted to back away, but she was soon blocked in by the walls of the small waterfall around her. One of the men, bald and smelly, grabbed her wrist and the other, blonde and toothless, took her forearm.

"No!" Faye gasped at them, "unhand me!"

The two men restraining her laughed lightly and looked up at Kian, who stood on the bank as he watched in silence.

"Unhand me, she says!" The bald, chubby man scoffed, "who'd you take yourself for - the Queen?"

He laughed with his blonde bandit friend and the two of them continued to drag Faye back towards the earthy land where Kian waited. Faye opposed their force with all her might, alas, to no prevail. They were too strong for her. As she staggered up onto the grassy bank Kian's eyes lingered on her body as her wet and slightly transparent white dress clung to her slim body, highlighting her curves and nipples. At once, he returned to his horse where he whipped out a warm, heavy cloak.

"Stop it!" Faye screamed at the men, "you have no right!"

The blond brute laughed in her face and Faye nearly vomited from the stench of his stale breath, but instead, her instincts acted out and she kneed him hard between his thighs. His eyes almost popped out of his head, groaning, and he slowly slumped down onto the floor in agony while his chubby friend just laughed at his misfortune. Faye, now tearful and panicked, turned away to make a quick escape and bumped straight into the front of Kian and the cloak he had outstretched in his firm hands.

Faye gasped, freezing, and looked up at him with her frightened and inquisitive eyes. He didn't seem as mean and rough as the other two - he seemed different. There was something in his eyes that showed Faye of his humanity and grace.

"Put this on," Kian told her, offering the cloak, "you'll catch a cold."

Faye's eyebrows lowered in confusion and resistance as she studied the cloak, as if it were a trick.

"You're coming with us now," Kian informed her calmly, "you may as well take it, or freeze."

Still, Faye didn't accept his offer; if she took that cloak, it meant she would be admitting defeat. She was going to stand her ground. No one could simply kidnap her! Kian finally lost his patience and decided to wrap the cloak around Faye without her permission and, despite her struggling, he then managed to lift her up and fold her over his shoulder.

"Stop!" Faye screamed, hitting his back with her fists, "put me down! How dare you!"

"Sorry, red," Kian sighed to her, "I don't make the world the way it is."

He folded her over his horse on her stomach and just as Faye was about to shoot back up again, he had saddled behind her and pushed her back down again. Faye was stuck, trapped - stolen.

"Come on, you two," Kian grunted to his foolish friends, "we need to get to Ridian before nightfall."

His two bandit friends had been in the midst of a clumsy wrestle on the floor, no doubt after his injured friend grew angry with the other for laughing at his pain. Ignoring Kian only made him angry and he removed a copper coin from one of the sacks on his saddle and threw it at the back of his fat friends' bald head.

"Oi!" The man shot round to glare at Kian, "what was that for?"

"Get on your horse, little fat man," Kian sighed tonelessly, "we're going."

With that, Kian nudged his grey horse with his heavy boot and started trotting onwards through the forest with Faye folded over his lap. She watched the grass and flowers dash past and tried to ignore the threat of dizziness and nausea as her body bounced about at such an awkward angle. What was going to happen to her? Could she have faith in the spirit she saw in Kians' eyes, or was he just as wicked as most men in the world?