Author's note: This is a story that just popped into my head today. I really like the concept and I hope others will too. This story is about Tristan, a simple farm boy who is thrown into a war through the tragic death of his family. He is not put in the job he wanted, but he can't turn back now.

Characters Introduced in first chapter:

Tristan: main character. Good with bow and confident with throwing knives. Life on the farm has strengthened him for combat. He has dark brown hair, blue eyes, and is 17 at the start of the story.

Trent: Tristan's father. Tristan really looks up to his father and learned all his skill with a bow from him. He has dark red hair and kept it in a ponytail. He has brown eyes and has a past in the army.

Garnet: Tristan's mother. Garnet was beautiful by everyone's standards and had the most gentle and melodious voice in the town. She had long dark flowing brown hair and was good with medicine and herbs. She would help the sick and the weak. She had blue eyes. She taught Tristan how to ride a horse.

Millet: Tristan's sister. She was adept as a mage. She could ride a horse better than Tristan. She had long red hair that was the envy of every girl in town. She had the most beautiful green eyes. She was 11 years old.

Kaid: Tristan's best friend after he enlists. He is proficient with a sword and is only in this to raise money for his family. His father died fighting in the last war leaving his mother to starve herself to feed him and his two sisters. He has black hair and is built. He has gray eyes like no other person Tristan has ever seen.

DESERTERS

There is a group in the army that isn't dedicated to fighting the enemy but to hunting; hunting those that run from the war. These people are called deserters. They enlisted to fight but then ran away from duty. It is against the law and it is the job of this special group called the Trackers to find and kill them. They don't like to call it killing though. They are taught that their job is to bring these cowards to justice. This is the account of Tristan. He is a member of the Trackers.

"Tristan!" A familiar voice called my name. I slowly started to wake up from a very quick nap. We were always on the move. We are trackers, that is what we do. You think I would have been used to zero sleep by now.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm gettin up!" My closest friend in this group, Kaid shook me.

"We ain't waitin no more Trist, ya lazy fool!"

My eyes were so tired I could barely keep them open. "I'm up!" I yelled annoyed because I felt like we just stopped to rest and now we are already on the move. This life of tracking was taking its toll. I had no choice in the matter. I was a good shot and had skills in hunting. I wasn't used to hunting people though. I ask myself sometimes why I even joined the army but the nightmares remind me.

It was only a year and a half ago when I lost everything. The Mildoans invaded our land and began killing citizen and destroying villages. I was out hunting with my father and when we came back we could see smoke. It was our house and barn burning. I wanted to run toward it but my father told me to stay quiet and hidden while he went back. I did what I was told.

He left me and I stayed hidden even though I heard his screams and wails of pain. I knew that I would never see him again. I closed my ears and rocked back and forth until the screaming stopped. How badly I wanted to drown out the screams! After about an hour of sitting there in the darkness and crying I walked up to the farm. All of our livestock was taken. I came upon my father's body first. It was mutilated beyond recognition. They must have taken their time torturing him. How strong he must have been through the pain. Beside him just a little ways past was my mother. Her beautiful face was bruised and unrecognizable. Her long brown hair was matted because I assumed they grabbed a hold of it and used it to drag her out of the house. Then the worst came, my young sister Milly was dead. She was naked and her body was bruised all over. She was innocent! We all were! I held her small hand and put my jacket over her. I know it didn't do anything to warm her but I just wanted her to be in comfort. I held her hand in mine. It was so small and frail.

"What did we do! Why us!"

I buried my whole family that day, but not before I lay with them and told them this was all a dream, that we would play together in the fields and do the chores. When it was time for bed mother would sing Milly and I a song. I wanted so bad for it to be all a horrible nightmare. It wasn't though. After I had buried them I made a vow that I would join the army and kill as many Mildoan soldiers as I could. I said a prayer for them and went to the capital to enlist.