Chapter 1
Merella ducked down low to the injured sparrow and looked it over.
'Poor little thing.' She whispered looking at it's mangled wing and foot.
She fumbled with her belt pouch and brought out her pestle and mortar and an assortment of herbs. The bird chirped painfully as Merella made a sleeping paste. She put a little on her finger and fed it to the bird. Slowly the bird drifted into an eternal sleep. She carefully buried its stiff body and spoke a prayer. She gathered her mortar and pestle and closed her belt pouch.
Merella was a healer preferring to use more herbal remedies opposed to her Gift. She had deep blue eyes and short, wavy brown hair. She was looking for some special herbs for a healing potion when she heard shouts and screams. She hitched up her skirt and untied her quarterstaff from her pack. She ran to where the screams had come from and saw an outlying village being ransacked by raiders. She ran as fast as she could towards the village running through plants and dodging trees. She came to a steep hill, which led down to the village. The raiders had already started to torch the houses; she would have to slide down the hill.
She carefully dug her quarterstaff into the hill and used it to help her down but near the end of the hill she lost her footing and went head first down the hill ending up at the bottom. Luckily she wasn't too hurt and got to her feet. The raiders had left their horses nearby the village. She ran over to them and started to untie them. What she didn't see was that they had left a huge, burly man to guard the horses.
'Stop what yer doing and I won't hurt yer much, lassie.' He grunted.
Merella spun around and forced her quarterstaff upwards into the man's nose, forcing it into his skull, breaking it. Red blood came oozing out of his nose and he went red with anger. With one hand he held his swollen, bleeding nose with the other he started swinging a huge mace at her head. She decided it was best to run into the village and lose him in the confusion of the villagers and raiders.
She started to sprint away as fast as she could. She chanced a look backwards the huge man had mounted a horse and got out a long spear. She choked backed a cry and kept on running towards the chaotic village. She heard thundering hooves behind her but she kept on running, she finally ran into the village and ran into the inside of a house. She drew her quarterstaff and got ready to defend herself, strangely he didn't follow her in and then she realised why; they were torching the house!
Merella couldn't escape outside and couldn't stay inside. Suddenly the roof caved in sending burning embers everywhere setting everything alight she was backed into the corner of the room the flames almost licking her face. She felt like she was being cooked, the heat was unbearable. Then she noticed a small child at the opposite end of the room curled up in a little ball crying loudly. She would have to get across there and try to get that girl out. She used her very weak Gift to stem the tongues of flames enough for her to get through to the little girl. She picked up the little girl in one hand and held her quarterstaff in the other and attempted to make her way to the door. The door was only a few metres away surrounded by a wall of flame. By now she could hardly breathe but managed to edge closer to the door her legs screaming for coolness and tears streaming down her blackened face. Above the roar of the flames she could make out voices and horses hooves.
'HELP!' She screamed with all her strength, 'HELP!' All of a sudden a huge jet of crystal blue water doused the flames and allowed Merella to get out of the burning building. She breathed in gulps of pure, fresh air and placed the little girl down on the charred grass.
'Are you okay?' A voice came from behind her.
'I'm fine but I'm not sure about the girl.' She answered turning around, her eyes met with a 6ft tall knight with black hair and dark eyes.
'Was that your house?' he questioned.
'No, I was just passing the village.'
'What about the girl?'
'I don't know she was just in there. Her mother must be around somewhere.' She sat down exhausted and looked around at the village. There was nothing left but burning remains and dead bodies. She gulped back a sob. She had never seen so much carnage in all her life.
'My name is Raoul of Goldenlake, and you are?'
'Merella' she said. He offered her a hand and he pulled her to her feet. 'Thank you for everything, but I really must be going.' Raoul nodded and walked off to check for survivors. She liked him immensely and felt all strange inside but she had more important things to do, she gathered up her quarterstaff and her pack, had a quick drink of water, cleaned her face and set off northwards towards Corus.
Merella ducked down low to the injured sparrow and looked it over.
'Poor little thing.' She whispered looking at it's mangled wing and foot.
She fumbled with her belt pouch and brought out her pestle and mortar and an assortment of herbs. The bird chirped painfully as Merella made a sleeping paste. She put a little on her finger and fed it to the bird. Slowly the bird drifted into an eternal sleep. She carefully buried its stiff body and spoke a prayer. She gathered her mortar and pestle and closed her belt pouch.
Merella was a healer preferring to use more herbal remedies opposed to her Gift. She had deep blue eyes and short, wavy brown hair. She was looking for some special herbs for a healing potion when she heard shouts and screams. She hitched up her skirt and untied her quarterstaff from her pack. She ran to where the screams had come from and saw an outlying village being ransacked by raiders. She ran as fast as she could towards the village running through plants and dodging trees. She came to a steep hill, which led down to the village. The raiders had already started to torch the houses; she would have to slide down the hill.
She carefully dug her quarterstaff into the hill and used it to help her down but near the end of the hill she lost her footing and went head first down the hill ending up at the bottom. Luckily she wasn't too hurt and got to her feet. The raiders had left their horses nearby the village. She ran over to them and started to untie them. What she didn't see was that they had left a huge, burly man to guard the horses.
'Stop what yer doing and I won't hurt yer much, lassie.' He grunted.
Merella spun around and forced her quarterstaff upwards into the man's nose, forcing it into his skull, breaking it. Red blood came oozing out of his nose and he went red with anger. With one hand he held his swollen, bleeding nose with the other he started swinging a huge mace at her head. She decided it was best to run into the village and lose him in the confusion of the villagers and raiders.
She started to sprint away as fast as she could. She chanced a look backwards the huge man had mounted a horse and got out a long spear. She choked backed a cry and kept on running towards the chaotic village. She heard thundering hooves behind her but she kept on running, she finally ran into the village and ran into the inside of a house. She drew her quarterstaff and got ready to defend herself, strangely he didn't follow her in and then she realised why; they were torching the house!
Merella couldn't escape outside and couldn't stay inside. Suddenly the roof caved in sending burning embers everywhere setting everything alight she was backed into the corner of the room the flames almost licking her face. She felt like she was being cooked, the heat was unbearable. Then she noticed a small child at the opposite end of the room curled up in a little ball crying loudly. She would have to get across there and try to get that girl out. She used her very weak Gift to stem the tongues of flames enough for her to get through to the little girl. She picked up the little girl in one hand and held her quarterstaff in the other and attempted to make her way to the door. The door was only a few metres away surrounded by a wall of flame. By now she could hardly breathe but managed to edge closer to the door her legs screaming for coolness and tears streaming down her blackened face. Above the roar of the flames she could make out voices and horses hooves.
'HELP!' She screamed with all her strength, 'HELP!' All of a sudden a huge jet of crystal blue water doused the flames and allowed Merella to get out of the burning building. She breathed in gulps of pure, fresh air and placed the little girl down on the charred grass.
'Are you okay?' A voice came from behind her.
'I'm fine but I'm not sure about the girl.' She answered turning around, her eyes met with a 6ft tall knight with black hair and dark eyes.
'Was that your house?' he questioned.
'No, I was just passing the village.'
'What about the girl?'
'I don't know she was just in there. Her mother must be around somewhere.' She sat down exhausted and looked around at the village. There was nothing left but burning remains and dead bodies. She gulped back a sob. She had never seen so much carnage in all her life.
'My name is Raoul of Goldenlake, and you are?'
'Merella' she said. He offered her a hand and he pulled her to her feet. 'Thank you for everything, but I really must be going.' Raoul nodded and walked off to check for survivors. She liked him immensely and felt all strange inside but she had more important things to do, she gathered up her quarterstaff and her pack, had a quick drink of water, cleaned her face and set off northwards towards Corus.