She is what legend and story calls the 'Marbled Fawn'. The being who was to bring peace to the world of Albion after too many long years of war. A great deal more of time has passed since the last Marbled Fawn, the horrors are greater, the evil more powerful than ever. Over two hundred and fifty years of war and destruction.
And she,
She is just a girl.

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"But Mamu, I don't understand. How?" The white-haired girl said, being pushed by an old woman she called her grandmother.

"There is nothing to explain, child. You are it. The one." She spoke, her figure hunched. She insisted on being called Mamu, not the child's grandmother, she wasn't. "You are the Marbled Fawn."

Running…running...panting…

"I can't be!"

"Sori! Stop this foolishness! You are!" She turned the girl to look face to face, staring at her green eyes. Mamu grabbed a lock of the girl's white hair, a tell-tale mark of the Marbled Fawn. Sori had only a few moments to look at the wrinkled, leathery skin of the woman who had taken care of her for so long before being whipped back around. "And they found out! They know! They are coming for you!" Mamu wheezed, opening the back door of the small house.

No rest…only running…her heart was pounding…

"What about you, Mamu?" Sori asked, thoroughly worried.

"Do not worry about me, child. I am not as young as I once was. You, you must run until you can't go any farther, there are many whose destinies are entwined with yours. You must find them, they will help you on your journey as well as find out their own fates."

She looked outside the door, first right, then left. With a whistle, a man appeared at the door. "Sori, this is Jovo, he is the first to join you and will be responsible for protecting you." His hair was as black as night, and his robes reflected that he was a wizard of fire, they were as red as blood with a tinge of gold around the hood. He nodded to Sori.

They're coming…coming after you… run… run faster!

"How will I know who comes with me?" She asked.

Mamu tossed an old brown cloak at her. "Put this on, and keep your hair hidden." She said coarsely, shoving her out of the house and placing a necklace in the palm of Sori's hand. She clutched it tight.

A commotion sounded in the village, Aziv's soldiers were here. Mamu turned back to her. Worry… no… not worry, it was fear in her eyes.

"Run!"

Jovo was ahead of her by a few feet. He was clearing a path through the thick forest. She didn't need to be told what was happening, the village smoke could be seen for miles, and would be able to be seen for many more as it continued to burn.

Run!

It seemed like they never stopped. Her heart was pounding, she felt like her insides were going to explode, her breathing was becoming more laborious.

Finally, finally they stopped. She collapsed on the ground, exhausted.

"We'll have to keep going soon." Jovo spoke. His voice was deep, like a young adult's would be. She looked up at him. He had bright blue eyes that really stood out against his jet black hair.

Sori nodded meekly before flopping her head back down in the dirt, her hood falling flat over her. The necklace was still clutched tightly in her hand.

Sori sniffled under her coat; she was on the verge of tears. There was a pain in her ankle, and she just realized she forgot the most beloved thing to her. Her appaloosa-Arabian filly, Kikay. She couldn't hold back any longer, and let the tears fall. The only sounds she made were the occasional sniffle and small gasps for air.

Jovo looked at her, he had been making a small fire- small enough where it wouldn't attract attention but could keep them warm, and poked the logs with a stick to make sure they burnt well. "What's wrong?" He asked. Sori could tell by the tone of his voice he didn't really care.

"M-my ank-ankle hurts." She choked out, leaving the horse part out. She didn't want to sound foolish or childish.

Jovo walked over to her and lifted up her leg, taking off the small, intricate shoe. Sori lifted up her head a little to watch him. He was surprisingly gentle, and his hands felt soft. He ran a hand over her ankle and she cried out in pain.

"It is swollen. You have sprained it." He replied, putting her shoe back on and setting her leg down.

"What do I do?"
"You need to keep your weight off your foot. Getting away is going to go considerably slower." He sat down, his black hair falling about his eyes. He rubbed his forehead while he thought.

'Kikay…I need you…' Sori thought, laying her head back on the ground with a thump.

*~*~

"We have to go." Jovo finally said.

Sori moaned.

"We have to." He walked over to her, offering a hand up. "Use me for support." He said, bending over slightly to match her height more. She was 5'5" and he was just shy 6'2". She slung an arm around his neck, and he put an arm around her- above her waist so they could scurry fast.

"Where will we go?" Sori asked, hobbling along. She winced from her ankle, the necklace dangling from her hand she held out for balance.

"There's a village about a day or two's travel from here. If we are lucky, we will be able to make it in a day and a half with no trouble."