With a groan I rolled out of bed and onto the soft dirt. That is, if you could call the mess of blankets and hay tossed haphazardly on the ground a bed. I trudged to the other side of the worn down tent to Miyah, my younger sister, who was curled up in the corner. The weak morning light streamed in, lighting up her dark brown hair. I sighed as I beheld her, dirty, skinny and cold on the ground. She was too young for this - too young to be without a home. But then again, we all were.
I decided to let her sleep a little longer and begin the day without her. I opened the patched up flap of the tent and beheld the sight outside.
Thousands of worn out tents littered the rugged mountainside, disappearing into the pine trees beyond - all of them the same shade of muddy brown. We were camped out at the bottom of a giant mountain, the beginning of the Staghorn Mountains, in a cold and frigid part of Terrasen no one dared to visit. No one but a desperate band of rebels willing to face the frigid cold in exchange for the safety of unwanted eyes. I pulled my shawl tighter around my starved frame as a savage wind ripped through the camp, a few cries of protest echoing down the mountain side as tents were ripped from their pegs. With a tired sigh, I grabbed the metal bucket thrown on its side and wiped the cold mud off its dented exterior. I then began my journey to the stream, starting my list of chores to be completed today.
As I passed through the maze of tens I could see others waking up and beginning their chores. The women were grabbing buckets to collect water while pockets of men began to gather as they formed hunting groups to find breakfast. I smiled as a pair of girls ran by, screeching about some stolen doll.
This was my family, my only family, and we protected each other at all costs. For many of the people here, this was the only family they had left. I was fortunate enough to have Miyah, but many others here had no surviving family left at all. They had all been slaughtered when Terrasen had been invaded a decade ago. A memory of blood and terror threatened to creep into the corner of my mind, but I pushed it back. I could deal with it later- right now I had to get water for Miyah and I.
I reached the edge of the camp and trudged up the hill, enjoying the way the frost covered moss tickled my toes. I finally cleared the hill and slid down to the rushing river on the other side, my metal bucket clattering against the rocks as my feet scrapped against gravel. I landed with a squelch in the freezing mud, my disgust manifesting as a grimace on my face. I bent down and brought the bucket to the lip of the water, trying, and failing not to get the bottom of my dress wet.
"Yazmen", a gruff voice said as a way of greeting behind me.
I whirled, my hand going to the tiny hunting knife I kept strapped to my thigh.
"Oh you scared me, My Lord" I replied, as I beheld Ren Allsbrock behind me.
He scratched his head uncomfortably, obviously embarrassed by the title.
"Ren is fine" he replied.
He was dressed in chain armor, a variety from the iron he usually wore. He noticed me surveying him and explained,
"I'm overseeing those with magic again today." His face became hopeful as he continued to speak "Not much luck, but hopefully we will see some improvements soon. Herrace moved a rock yesterday, did you hear?"
I smiled in spite of myself - we had been trying to train the magic wielders for a month now, and the most any of them could do was move a rock.
It had been a shock when magic had returned a month ago. We all felt it, even those who didn't posses any magic. We felt the trees groan, and the animals that called in response as the land once again came alive. Among the ten of thousands who were in our camp, only about a hundred or so possessed any magic. And those who did only had small magic; such as the ability to move a droplet of water or help grow a vine. Probably the most impressive magic wielder was a little girl named Gemma, who could send whisper breezes floating through our camp. Even her magic was not enough though: we needed powerful users if we ever stood a chance at fighting thieves and bandits before Aelin arrived.
Aelin.
Her name was an answer to a prayer we had all been chanting for eleven years. A hope we had not dared to dream, until several months ago. And when news had arrived last week that the King was dead, that she had killed him, no one could really believe it.
There had been shock for a day, then the celebrations, and now the waiting. Waiting for her to come home, waiting for her to tell us what to do. Waiting for our queen to reclaim her throne.
You could feel the excitement in the air; it was everywhere.
Even now, talking to Ren, I could see the energy in his face. He was more upbeat than he had been in months, talking and planning and making arrangements as if the queen was going to walk in any day now. I could hardly blame him; I myself had run into the trees far away from everyone and cried when I first heard the news of her.
"Well, better get back to it. See you around", Ren said, jerking his chin in farewell.
I realized I had completely zoned off, and mumbled a farewell in response. I watched him stroll back to the small group of magic wielders upstream, probably to yell at them some more for not practicing while he was away. I snorted; he could really be an ass sometimes.
I lifted the now-filled bucket out of the stream and swung it around, readying myself to make my way back to camp.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream filled the quiet air, causing a mass of screeching crows to take flight. My heart stopped as the sound of clashing metal and yelling came from the camp.
And without thinking, I was running. I dropped the metal bucket to the ground, the water forgotten. I pumped my legs up the hill, trying to get back to camp.
Miyah, oh god Miyah.
I had left her completely alone and undefended in camp.
I was vaguely aware of Ren and those with magic crashing through the trees next to me, all trying to make it back to camp.
Ren had drawn the sword at his hip, and was yelling commands to the small group for everyone to spread out.
I broke through the trees and stopped dead in my tracks, as I beheld the absolute massacre before me.
Blood, blood was everywhere. And there were men in black atop horses laughing, LAUGHING, as they drove their swords through women and men's chests and raided our food supplies.
"Bandits" I breathed, as Ren came to a skidding halt besides me.
He growled, his body tensing to fight.
He issued a warning to stay back, but I was already gone, sprinting through the bodies and blood towards my tent, the knife strapped to my thigh now in my hand.
Miyah, Miyah. I had to get to Miyah
I dodged a sword as a man in black swung blindly, cackling as he watched everyone run in fear. A dead man lay before me, his neck twisted at an odd angle, but I was jumping over it before I could see who it was. I finally reached our tent and barreled through the flap that was concealing the inside from all the savagery going on outside.
"Miyah!" I screamed.
At first I thought I was too late, and that someone had found their way into the tent and taken her. I felt the panic rush into me, the despair of losing a family member, but then:
"Yazmen", a sob, barely distinguishable from the screams outside.
I rushed to the corner of the tent and grabbed her, pulling her to her feet.
"Cmon, we gotta get outta here!" I yelled as I took her into my arms.
She whimpered, but complied as I clutched her too-light frame to my chest. I ran outside, squinting as my eyes adjusted to the light.
I was about to break for the trees when a blood speckled hand clapped down onto my shoulder.
"Well hello, pretty thing"
A leering face greeted me as the bandit swung me around to face him.
"Two pretty girls shouldn't be out here alone, its dangerous", he smiled, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth. I shrinked back, my free hand clutching the small knife. I could aim for his face, and sprint with Miyah towards the trees while he was distracted. I tensed, ready to slash the knife across his face. Just then, he lunged towards Miyah who was trembling in my arms.
"NO!" I screeched, as his hands clamped onto her waist.
But then everything went silent.
The fighting stopped and everyone froze, as three hooded figures entered into the camp on horseback. They seemed to pulse, glow even. Everyone held their breath as the entered slowly, the horses whining at the smell of blood. The Bandit let go of Miyah, and
turned to look at the otherworldly strangers, and I took a tentative step away form him.
I saw Ren in the corner of my eye, covered in blood and lifting his sword in apprehension as they approached. The figure in the middle, the smaller one, came forward and stopped. She threw back her hood to reveal hair like the sun, ethereal features, pointed ears, and elongated canines. Her blue eyes scanned the massacre around her, and she and snarled softly. She slowly lifted her finely crafted leather gloved hand in front of her, and clenched down her fist.
Then the world exploded into fire.