The hoof beats of her mount were the only sound as she raced down the dirt track, her long, blonde hair flowing behind her, tangling with the mottled brown and green rangers' cloak that billowed out from the wind whipping past her. The rain stung her face as she raced through the trees. She bent in close to the horse's neck and urged him on to greater speeds. She risked a quick glance back. There was no sign of pursuit but that meant nothing. She wasn't safe here anymore. She had to get away. The trees seemed to press closer beside the track she was now fleeing down, crowding her like the thoughts in her head, engulfing her, drowning her in guilt. If only she had…She pushed the negative thoughts away. Right now she had to concentrate. She could lose her pursuers if she could just think. She burst out from the tunnel of trees and onto a large plain. Her mount barely paused before thundering across it. A flash of gratitude washed over her. She knew he would run until he dropped if she asked him to. They raced past the mounds of freshly turned dirt that littered every open space. The grass was only just growing back from where it had been disturbed only months ago. So many had died they were forced to bury the dead in mass graves in plains just like this. She shuddered at the thought. Hundreds of bodies poured into holes and dirt shovelled over them, forming mounds like these ones. She shook her head, banishing such thoughts.
The plague had been the worst anyone had ever known. It had struck with no warning, killing thousands. Her family had died from that. Most of them. Those that survived the plague had been killed by… she shook her head again. There was no use dwelling on those facts now. He was dead and gone. She couldn't do anything to him now. He had got what he deserved in the end. The thoughts of her family evoked strong memories inside her and she felt salty tears trickle down her face, merging with the rain splattering against her skin, before they were whipped away by the wind. Gone. Just like her family. The Ranger Corps had been the only family she had ever known. Now they were gone. She still couldn't believe that she couldn't go back. Back to the cabin she had called her home, with the people she had called her family. They had all been ripped from her. Just like her voice had been. Her hand ran over the scar at her neck that bore testimony to her muteness. He had taken everything from her. Everything. If only she had kept quiet… she smiled mirthlessly. She didn't have much of an option now.
It took her a while to realise that the horse she was riding had stopped. She looked around. She was at the top of a cliff. It shone a ghostly white in the pre-dawn light. She judged it safe to stop. Her pursuers would have turned back hours ago. She dismounted stiffly, wincing as she put weight on her injured leg. Looking down at the blood seeping through the rough bandage she had fixed on it, she decided that would be her first priority. "Then supper..." she whispered. Or tried to. Her crushed voice box let out nothing more than a harsh croak. Tears of frustration built up behind her eyes and she blinked furiously to get rid of them. Whipping the bow off her shoulders she turned, loading an arrow onto the string and firing faster than most people could blink. The arrow flew through the air and buried itself into the centre of a tree that grew near the edge of the cliff. Two more arrows thudded rapidly into her designated target, clustered around the heart of the oak. Slowly the frustration died down and she limped over to the tree to retrieve her arrows. She pulled them out and placed them back in her quiver. She sunk to the ground, her back against the trunk. She buried her face in her hands and sighed.
"That's a nasty wound you've got there" a voice said. It was only the girl's ranger training that stopped her head from whipping round to where the sound had come from. She lifted her head slowly, cursing herself for letting herself be so easily taken by surprise. Dully, she realised she had been wrong when she decided that her pursuers had given up. Now she had to pay for her mistake. She struggled to stand in a vain hope that she may be able to get to her horse and escape again but realised the futility of such an act. The horse was exhausted.
"So am I" she thought grimly. She couldn't even run with her leg like it was. Not that she'd get far. "Well if they thought she was going down without a fight they had a shock coming" She unslung her bow from her shoulders ready to shoot the men down if they decided to attack her. She looked up defiantly and stopped. Facing her was a boy about her age. He had a shock of tousled black hair and piecing dark brown eyes. Over his right eye was a jagged scar that stretched down along his cheek. But it wasn't just this that shocked her. It was his clothing. He had a long mottled brown and green cloak that fell to ankle length and slung over his shoulder was a quiver of arrows. In his hand he clutched a longbow that was about the same height as him and pinned to his tunic was a bronze oak leaf, the symbol of a ranger's apprentice. Her mouth dropped open in shock, mirroring the face the boy was wearing.
"You're a girl" he said finally. She realised that when she was sitting down the cowl of the cloak had been hiding her hair and identity. She nodded, looking at him sarcastically. He cocked his head to one side, wondering why she wouldn't speak, until he noticed the wicked scar on her neck. "Did they do this to you?" he asked, pointing at the scar. She nodded again. His face darkened in anger. She pointed at his own scar in return, a question in her eyes. The boy shook his head, relaxing a little. "I got that in a wolf hunt with my mentor" he replied in response to her unspoken question. He winced as he recalled it. "It wasn't pretty…" he shook himself out of his reverie. "What's your name?" the boy asked. He winced again. "Sorry" he muttered. "I forgot that you couldn't speak" she shook her head in understanding. "I guess you were chased out like me. Am I right?" he asked. The girl nodded in confirmation, then to the confusion of the boy, she bent over and did something on the ground. She straightened up and the boy realised what she had been doing. In the dust at their feet were the words written "My name is Zada"
"Zada…" he said. "Mine's Theo" he held out his hand, grinning. The girl shook it, a ghost of a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. "I guess we're all that's left" Theo said, his grin fading. Zada tossed her head angrily, glaring at him.
"We can still beat them" her expression seemed to say. He nodded.
"I know we can" he whispered in agreement. The girl turned, standing at the edge of the cliff and looking out over the sea. Her hair whipped back from the wind howling round the cliff. No matter what had happened or what was going to happen she knew she could get through this, because now she had a friend to help her.
"Friend…" she whispered to herself. She ran a hand over the scar on her neck in surprise. It was the first time she had spoken properly since they had taken her voice from her. She shook her head, her hair flowing and swirling out behind her seeming to become one with the wind. She took a deep breath as she relaxed. She knew now, everything was going to be alright.