Chapter 1
"Habika one day we will get out of here, and we will be the heroes that every one needs." Habika rolled her eyes at her brother. He was always saying things like that, and it was getting old. No one could go against the King, an one who tried would be killed. That was the last thing she wanted. She shook the vision of her brother hanging from a tree and started to ask him for another story when their mother called,
"Devlin! Habika! Dinner!"
"We'll be right there mother!" Habika age 15 and her bother Devlin age 17 live on the out side of the city Cathmor. They have a farm with a cow and two horses. Habika loved to hear the stories that her brother would tell her about the time of dragons and dragon riders, but she just wished that she lived in that time and that she was one of the brave riders who saved the country and every one chanted her name. However, she did not know that today, her life would change forever. It would be the day that she would learn to expect the unexpected.
"I wonder what it would have been like to live with the dragons." Devlin said to his little sister as he played with his knife.
"Me too. I would have loved to be a dragon rider" She replied.
"You would have been a good dragon rider." He says to seriously and she can't help but laugh. He frowns at her then shakes his head. "You could have stopped the King!" She wasn't expecting him to yell like that and looked down to not meet his eyes. "How he kills Elf's and Nymph's every day and any one who has Elvin blood! Because of him Nadezda is falling!" His little sister bit her lip and said, "Is that what happened to father? Mother said he went away and hid so they would not kill him." Devlin looked down at his sister and said, "Yes, Habika. That's what happened. Come on lets go eat." He put out his hand for his sister; she grabbed his it and they walked home.
"Children, where were you?" Asked their mother, their mothers name was Maliha; she was a very beautiful woman. She had taken care of Habika and Devlin by herself since her husband left, yet she never talked about him with them.
"Mother were hardly children anymore." Devlin said with a smile.
"Oh to me you always will be. Now go wash up for dinner." They went to the well as they all ways did and when they came back dinner was on the table and mother was sitting waiting for them.
When they were done with dinner Habika washed the dishes as Devlin split wood for a fire. When she was done with the dishes, she went to her mother by the fire Devlin was making.
"Mother."
"Yes dear."
"Can I go to Clays tomorrow?"
"No." Devlin said bluntly.
"Shut up Dev. Mother, can I?"
"Why do you need to over there again? So you can kiss on him?" Devlin said turning to look at her.
"No. For your information I have never been kissed. Maybe there is something you want to say to mother about Chloe?" She lets him glare at her and turns back to her mother. "I just want to go to town and see him, we hardly go to town anymore and I miss seeing him."
"Alright, you may go," Said their mother.
"Thank you."
"But you have to take Dev."
"What? Why?"
"Because no girl should just be out on her own."
"Oh but I wont be I'll have Clay."
"Habika, don't argue, I've said what I have and your not going to change my mind." Habika closed her mouth and looked at Devlin, he was looking at her with a smile and playing with his knife again. Habika stuck her tongue out at him, then she gave her mother a kiss and went to bed.
Habika got into her bed and lay down. Few minutes later Devlin came in the room and got into his bed on the floor.
"Why do you do that?" Habika asked.
"Do what?" Habika hung over the bed and looked down at Devlin and said, "You know what I'm talking about, why do you do it?"
"I'm just playing with you, you don't really hate it that much do you? You know I'll just go to Chloe, right?"
"Yeah, I know, sorry. I like Clay, he's nice."
"I don't. There's something wrong with a boy who wants to marry you."
"Dev! Shut up!" she said with a laugh. "I'm worried about mom though. She has been looking really sick lately."
"Yeah, I've noticed that, she has been more laid back too. I hope she isn't sick."
"Me too, good night Dev."
"Good night Habika, sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams."
Later that night there was a knock on the door that woke Devlin and Habika.
"Did you hear that?" Habika asked her brother.
"Yeah, who do you think it is?"
"I don't know but you should go get it, don't make mom."
"Right, I'll be right back." He got up and ran out of the room. She waited and heard the door open, and then she heard.
"Habika! Come quickly!" She jumped up and ran to the door. When she got there she saw Devlin standing in the doorway looking at her with a depressed look on his face. She walked up closer to him and looked out the door.
"Wendell? What are you doing here at this time of night?" She walked up to her and brought her inside. She sat her by the fire and her mother got Wendell some hot tea. Habika sat next to her and said.
"Why are you hear, Wen?" Wendell held her cup in her hands and said.
"My house was attacked by Weylin's. My mother and father are dead, and I don't know where Jo is." Jo was Wendell's little sister.
"What? Oh my god Wen, Devlin go get mom. When did you last see Jo?"
"We were running in the woods, I told her we were going to go to your house cause it was the closest one to our house and we knew that with Dev and you and your mom hear the Weylin's would wait to attack and we could go to town."
"That was a smart thing to do." Devlin said as he locked the door.
"How did you lose her?"
"I don't know one minute she was next to me and the next time I look she was gone." Then Wendell started to cry and Habika hugged her as she cried Devlin and their mom sat next to each other, Devlin put his face in his hands and her mother looked at the floor.
Soon there was another knock on the door. Every one jumped, Devlin stood up and looked at his mother.
"Should I open it?" For a moment, she said nothing but then she nod. Devlin slowly walked over to the door, and stood there, doing nothing. Habika could tell he was scared to open it. She was too, until they all heard a voice.
"Please Devlin, open the door, I'm scared out here!" Said a small crying voice. Devlin's eyes widened and he swung open the door. Jo was standing there, and as soon as the door opened she ran in and grabbed Devlin crying uncontrollably. Wendell stood up and ran over to her sister as Devlin shut the door and locked it again. Wendell tried to get Jo off Devlin, but Jo would not let go. Wendell stopped trying and looked at Devlin. He had always been very good with Jo, so he picked her up and rapped her in a blanket. He sat down close to the fire and held Jo saying, "It's ok Jo, everything's ok." Wendell sat back down next to Habika and said, "She has always liked Devlin." She gave Habika a week smiled then went back to sipping on her tea. Habika stood up, walked to her mother, and pulled her into hers and Devlin's room.
When they were in the kitchen Habika turned to her mother and said, "What are we going to do? They have no where to go and they need to stay safe, and you know this is not the best place for them to stay."
"I know I'm thinking Qasim will take them in, when you go to town tomorrow take them with you and ask around you know who will be best for them."
"Yes mam. I just hope they stay safe tonight."
"They will with Devlin here." Habika smiled then walked out with her mother. She sat back down next to Wendell and said, "We are gong to town tomorrow and we will see who will take you in."
"Habika, I want to stay with you."
"You can't stay here, it's not safe here."
"Then you should stay there too."
"No, I gotta stay with Dev and my mother. They need me."
"But I need you right now, you are my best friend and I would not want to stay with any other person than you. Please." Habika looked at her and said, "You can stay, but Jo has to go."
"No, I wont go anywhere with out her."
"You can't put her life in danger because of your choices. She will stay with Lakota. He and Chloe can take her in. Devlin and I will be going there anyway." Wen looked at her sighed.
"Your right, she can't stay here." Habika nod and stood up. She took the sleeping Jo from Devlin and Wen to her and Devlin's room and mad them beds. She gave Jo her bed and slept on the ground with Wen and Dev. Once Wendell and Jo were sleeping Habika turned to Dev and asked, "Do you think the Weylin's will come here?"
"Not to scare you, but I do. I think they will just make there way to the town."
"No one is safe then."
"No, but they will be safer in town more men and weapons."
"I agree, but I don't think that Jo will leave you."
"She will have to. She can't stay with me."
"I don't see why not."
"What? You don't see why? Habika here she is in danger."
"I know but don't you think that she should chose who she wants to stay with?"
"No, she is only 7 Habika. She should be told what to do in a situation like this."
"I guess your right. OK, she will go with some one in town."
"OK, lets get to sleep. We have a long why to go tomorrow. Sweet dreams…again."
"Sweet dreams."