"This is the greatest threat any of us have faced," strong John reminded the crowd. "The strongest of us must fight, you cannot deny me this."

Rowan held Annad who clutched at his waist and listened to the people argue.

"We will not deny your strength strong John," Zeel assured him, speaking for her father who was too ill to attend the meeting. "But we must travel far and quickly, you will slow us down."

"She is right John," Jiller backed up the young girl. "With your leg we will not reach the coast on time, and we cannot guarantee you will be healed when we arrive, you will be a liability in battle."

The strong man glared at his wife, "I can help Jiller," he persisted.

"Unfortunately John you are as useful as I in this situation," Lann's weak, croaky voice spoke up as she leant heavily on her cane, her age catching up with her.

"You must sit out of this fight strong John of the orchard." Zeel spoke again, her face stern. "Remain in the village and we shall soon return victorious." The young woman assured him.

"We will need strong fighters to protect the children," Jiller appealed to him. "Stay here with the young, old, and weak, they will need you should we fail."

"We are wasting time," a traveller man named Omal spoke up.

"He is right," Zeel agreed. "We have no time to argue, those who are coming come now, we can delay no longer."

Travellers and people of Rin alike all climbed into the caravans to leave for the coast to join the Marris people. Allun, and the other adults remaining filled the caravans with as much food as could be spared. "John," Jiller addressed her husband. "Look after Rowan and Annad, I will return soon," she assured him and strong John nodded gruffly.

"I will protect them as they were my own," he replied dryly, clearly mad at the woman before him. "Although it should be you staying Jiller, given your condition." His wife placed a hand over the slight bulge in her abdomen.

"I am still able to fight," she assured her husband.

"Jiller, we must go!" Bree called angrily to hurry the woman who nodded in return.

She turned back to John, unshed tears in her eyes. "I love you," she told him in parting. The big man did not say it back.

And so it came to be that the fall down the stairs strong John had suffered but days before was all that had saved his life. Had he known for certain that all those who left for the coast would never return, he would have told her he loved her.


It had been four years since the Zebak had invaded. Four years since the strongest and bravest warriors were killed in battle. Four years since those who remained were taken into slavery.

Rowan still remembered the day the Zebak came to Rin. All those, both traveller and Rin, who could not fight had stayed in the small village, thinking they were safe. Ogden, who was still recovering from his illness was the first to take up arms. "If they are here, all those who went to fight are lost," he had said and everyone knew he spoke of his own daughter Zeel, who all knew would sooner die than become a Zebak prisoner. He had been cut down immediately, followed quickly by Lann, who could not watch her home be taken. Many had lost their lives that day, but it was when the Zebak started killing children that the rest surrendered.

Strong John had wrapped his arms around Rowan and Annad, covering the young girl's eyes so she could not see the boy barely older than herself cut open with his blood pooling into the once beautiful cobblestone road.

Everything had been destroyed, and everyone who refused to serve their new Zebak masters was killed, and the rest were made to watch. And so they had watched, as bit by bit their home and the land on which it had been were torn up, and the Zebak city was constructed.

The Marris did not make good slaves, without the appropriate ammount of water those who were taken prisoner died working. They were forced to work, to grow crops upon which the Zebak would feast, and anyone who did not make themselves useful was tied to a post and left there for days until finally they died of hunger. Their bodies remained in what was considered the town square in their little prison village with walls so high it blocked out all else. Their corpses remained on the large posts for those remaining to watch them rot, to smell them decompose, and see the birds feast upon them.


~SophieAngel69