Prologue:
What Must Be, Must Be
In front of her was darkness. She dared not look behind at the mass of flames that engulfed what had once been her home. Her face was stained with tears, her hands with blood not her own. She felt as if her mind was about to go at any moment. In fact, she couldn't be certain she hadn't lost it already. Though she knew she must keep running, as her very life depended on it, she had to stop and take stock of the situation. Her parents were dead. The words in her head didn't make sense. How could that be? how could any of this be?
Just then Erlinda, finally noticing the absence of her lady, doubled back, letting the soldiers in front run off ahead. She saw her lady standing with a look so tortured it wiped clean her usual graceful beauty. Erlinda ran to her " My lady we must keep moving" she said to her, as she pulled at he noble woman's arm. Elissa didn't move, nor did her expression change. Erlinda pulled harder, her voice becoming ever more desperat. "Please my lady, please, we must keep moving". This was beginning to be too much for Erlinda to bear. From the first moment she had realized what was happening, that the castle had been stormed, that everyone inside was being massacred, though terrified, she had persevered. She had been found by Ser Gilmore, they had in turned found her lady and the Teryna. They were now safe outside the castle; her, her lady, Ser Gilmore and two soldiers of Highever. Somehow, by the grace of the Maker, they had managed to escape. But Erlinda had looked on as Elissa held to her dying father, whom they had found lying bleeding on the castle larder floor, desperatley pleading him to stand and flee with them. She had seen her lady's heart break even more when her mother had told her she was staying with her father, submitting herself to certain death. All this she had borne, she did not know how, but the thought of her lady suddenly giving in was what was bringing the gravity of the situation down upon Erlinda. If she couldn't make it, there was no hope for any of them.
Finally, Elissa Cousland turned to Erlinda, dropping her expression for one less anguished and haggard. Erlinda heard a few small staggered breaths and saw her lady look at her with eerily vacant eyes. "There dead" she said, with a voice almost completely devoid of emotion, and with that she resumed her running.