Chapter 1. The Raid on Oakvale

Deep in the forest of Albion, lay the small town of Oakvale. Unchanged by time and untouched by the sword. Here lived a boy and his family. A boy dreaming of greatness. Of one day being a Hero. Sometimes he imagined himself as a noble Knight… Or a powerful Wizard. And other times he dreamed he'd be an evil Worrier. But in all his dreams of greatness he could not possibly imagine the power of his destiny that lay before him.

Swords were clashing, the sound of steel on steel was deafening. Yet my strength never failed me. I looked into my opponents eyes, searching for a sliver of what his next move would be. Then, ever so swiftly, I saw his eyes dart to the left. The dagger I had spotted earlier on hung on his left side and I knew his next move. I twisted out of his way, avoiding the slash of the dagger. I pivoted and found myself behind my enemy. A vague murmur could be heard behind me and suddenly I remember the crowd around us. What a spectacle. My whole world moved in a blur and I was its centre. Nothing could beat me. I gave a sharp kick to my opponents behind and he fell. I jeered and the crowd joined me. With my opponent cowering on the ground before me I allowed myself to look at my adoring fans. It was then I spotted a familiar face amongst the crowd. Brown eyes found my blue ones and I saw a disapproving frown that tried to hide slight amusement. The man was talking to me, but I couldn't make out what he said. Everything around me started to fade away, until only those familiar brown eyes remained. And suddenly I could hear his voice clear as day.

"Come on, wake up!" I jolt from my sleep and look around to what roused me from my dream. My dad stands looking down on me with a disapproving smile.
"Daydreaming again, weren't you? Just like your mother, mind always wondering." He says. I know he doesn't really mind my daydreaming, but when it gets in the way of my chores, he always tries to put on his best disciplinary face. I wonder if I am in trouble and wait for him to continue.
"Well, let it wander off to find your sister won't you. She is out playing near the Barrow Fields gate."
Ah. I just have to find my sister. An easy task, maybe I can get another daydream in before I run into her. I started to walk away when I hear dad call out again.
"And remember, you haven't given her a birthday present yet!" I halt midstride. Birthday present. Ah crap! I forgot. Again!
"Don't tell me you forgot to get her one." I look at him with a sheepish smile, but he just shakes his head at me.
"Well, I'm not bailing you out this time, son." What? He always bails me out. I tried pleading with my eyes. Dad lets out a heavy sigh.
"Tell you what, I'll give you a gold piece for every good deed you do around Oakvale. That should be enough to buy her a present. Now get moving and stay out of trouble." Haha, success! I knew I could always count on dad to help me out. He tries to put up a tough front, but in reality he is just a big softie. I love him for that. No matter what I do, or what kind of trouble my sister and I get ourselves into, he is always there for us. And I know he will always be.

First I go back inside our house. Maybe I can find an odd trinket of some sort to give to my sister Theresa. I step into our one-story house and start rummaging through the cabinets. Books, hers of course. Clothes, nope no good. What's this? An old belt of dad's? Oh well nothing in here. But then something catches my eye. A little tattered notebook. "Diary". I better put this back. I should not be reading my sisters diary. I sit down on my sister's bed holding her diary. I really shouldn't read this. But my curiosity gets the best of me. Maybe I can find a clue as to what kind of present she wants? Yes, I'm just looking for a present idea, I tell myself as I flip through the pages.

The book is red and the pages are full with drawings and little stories about our day to day life. She thoughtfully has marked the dates so it is easy to find the right date. I really shouldn't pry too much so I skip to the last few pages of her diary.

Harvest Day 15
Mother is away again. She never tells us where. I think father is a little sad when she does.

Harvest Day 18
I had a nightmare again last night. There's a big room and right in the middle of it there is a big swooshing light that feels like it's going to suck me in. I still couldn't see what was in the middle of it. I don't think I ever want to.

Harvest Day 19

I had another dream. I was opening birthday presents and I was so happy. Then something happened, and it was so horrible it woke me up. I think that part was only a dream though.

Harvest Day 21

It's my birthday! I bet my brother forgets again, but at least mother will be back. I got up early to look out over the sea, and now I'm going to play in the top field.

I remember Theresa waking up with a scream last night. She used to have a few nightmares every now and then, but lately, they have been more often and more intense. She assured me everything is fine. I worry about her sometimes, but she is strong and always puts up a brave face. She is not so bad, for a girl that is. She always makes time to play with me and often joins in on my mischief. She also takes up most of the chores in the house, since mother is away so often. I too miss her a lot.

Unfortunately I couldn't find any ideas for a gift, so I put the diary back in her drawer and close it. Giving the house one last look I walk through the door and start down the path to the village centre. I bet I can do a few good deeds there.

There is always stuff to do and see in Oakvale. As I walk down the path I pass our neighbours houses, and soon my mind starts to wander again. But before I can engage in another daydream, I almost run into someone. A young girl, she lives a few houses over with her parents and older brother. Emily her name was, I believe. I look down at her. She is wearing a red skirt and a blue shirt that is a bit too big for her. Probably her brother's old shirt. She is a few years younger than I am, her brother is around my age. She looks up at me and I can see tears in her eyes. I hadn't noticed she'd been crying.

"I've lost Rosie! I left her and I can't remember where." Her voice breaks as she tells me this. I have no idea who Rosie is though.

"Her stuffing needs changing today and I can't find her, please help." Her what needs changing now?

"She's a lovely, little, furry bear, with a blue patch on her back." Ooh, stuffed bear. Right, that makes sense. I remember her walking around with the toy and her friends. I smile at her and she runs off again. I'll try to keep an eye out for it as I continue down the road. The sounds of the village surrounds me and I find peace and comfort in it. The clucking of the chickens running amok awakens the mischief maker in me. I spot the chicken to my left softly clucking to itself. I stroll by casually and when standing next to it I gave it a good kick.

They say a chicken is a flightless bird, but not when I'm around. I threw my head back and let out a roaring laugh at the fluttering chicken. Mom and Theresa always scold me when they catch me kicking chickens, but seeing them run around in a frenzy is just too much fun to give up. Many of the villagers laugh at it too, some even call me a chicken chaser. Some of the men say I will become a chick-chaser, though I have no idea what they mean by that. They always laugh when I ask them about it. Saying I'll find out when I'm older.

I had just passed the third house on our street when I heard soft moaning and whispered voices. I've heard those noises before but usually after my parents kick us out of the house saying they need to do some grown-up stuff. Looking around I start to investigate. The sound seems to be coming from behind the third house. Slowly I stalk around the corner and there I find two people. A man and a woman embracing each other. The woman has blond hair cascading down her shoulders and wears a beige blouse. She also wears some loose trousers, and I notice the man had his hands down her trousers. That's a weird place to keep his hand…

"Come here my little pumpkin" the man says. I give the man a better look and I recognize the balding husband of Mrs. Gown. But the woman he is holding is not Mrs. Gown. I don't think he is supposed to be holding her like this. I don't think I am meant to see this, but it is too late now. The woman turns her head slightly and Mr. Gown buries his face in her neck. Then he looks up just for a moment and he spots me. I gasp softly and his eyes grow wide. Suddenly he lets go of the woman and begins to ramble.

"What?! I was just… I'm… I've never even met this woman. Who is she?" The woman jerks away from him, giving him a confused look. Then she follows his gaze and finds me, her face changes from confused to annoyed. She has brown eyes and a very thin nose, I don't think I have seen her before. She waves her hand dismissively at me.

"Run along. We're busy." Ignoring her I keep staring at Mr. Gown, I can see him thinking, his eyes shifting left to right and back again. Then he crouches down to meet my eye.

"Look, sonny. Keep your mouth shut about this, right? My wife's at home with our little ones and I'm supposed to be working. But a man should be entitled to do what he likes, don't you think?" I have never thought about it like that before. I like the thought of being able to do what I want and not get into trouble. I think he can see the doubt in my eyes, since his face lights up a bit.

"Tell you what, if you keep this little secret, I'll give you a gold piece. Just don't tell my wife about this." I think about his offer for a moment. It's not like he is hurting anyone with what he is doing. The woman seems to like it a lot. Maybe I should take his coin. No harm in keeping a little secret. Theresa and I have tons of secrets we share with each other. Mr. Gown takes a gold piece from his pocket and presents it to me. I could use the coin to get Theresa her present. I take the coin and put it in my side pocket. Mum had fastened it to my trousers last week. Mr Gown smiles down at me as I accept the coin.

"Good lad! Here, have this gold piece. My advice to you, don't get tied down to one woman. Look after yourself. Forget everyone else!" Mr. Gown turns back to the mysterious woman and again his hand disappears in her trousers.

I really do not want to know more, so I turn around and make my way to the centre of the village. Emily's there too, probably still looking for her toy. In the town centre we have a tavern, a blacksmith and a goods trading post. Most of our daily supplies can be bought at any of these shops, but today they are closed. A few people are sitting on the bench enjoying the warm summer sun. Others are chatting or gossiping, mostly just going about their usual business. A Town Guard stands by the tavern entrance.

That's probably my fault. Well mine and Emily's brother, Mike. We broke into the tavern a few weeks ago and tried to steal a few of his pies. But instead Mike found a few barrels of drink. We tried a bit of the stuff the adults seem to enjoy so much, I nearly chocked on the burly flavour. Mike seemed keener on the stuff and downed a whole glass of it. He challenged me to drink a full glass too. Calling me a chicken. A few hours later one of the Town Guards burst into the tavern to find the both of us laughing hysterically about nothing at all. I don't remember what happened exactly but I do remember feeling really ill the next day. Mum and dad were very disappointed in me and I was no longer allowed to hang out with Mike anymore.

The town was bustling with noise. People talking birds chirping, the terrified screech of a chicken running away from me, the guards telling people to mind their own business and a trader shouting about. That's odd, most traders stay in Barrow Fields, the Traders camp next to our village. Maybe he was new, or hadn't sold enough so he came to the village instead of having them come to him.

"Many lovely things!" he yells. He's sporting the trademark Trader moustache, big and glorious. I guess I must have been staring again because his eyes land on me and a look of recognition crosses his face. He waves me over.

"Hello lad! I'm a trader, I wander the world buying and selling wares, especially to fine folk like your good self." I snort at that, of course he only talks to me so I'll buy his wares. Dad taught me not to buy stuff from strangers so I eyed him warily.

"Some little girl I saw said that you have a sister, and it's her birthday. And it seems you haven't got her a present yet." Probably Emily who told him about Theresa's birthday. She is such a trusting sweet girl. Unlike her older brother Mike. He is a bully, kind of. Maybe part of the reason why I'm not allowed to hang out with him anymore.

"It just so happens that I have a rather nice box of sweets here. Guaranteed to put a smile on any sister's face, for only three gold pieces." The trader continued. Three gold pieces! I only had one. But dad said he'd give me a gold coin for every good deed I did. So I only needed to do two good deeds. That should be a piece of cake.

I know I shouldn't take things from strangers, but what can be wrong with a box of chocolates. Besides, he already knows for who they are. With a look of determination I turn around. My goal is clear now. Making sure I earn at least three gold pieces so I can buy Theresa some chocolates. Looking down at my new pocket, my I smile, Theresa would love the chocolates. Dad always said there was no girl alive who could resist chocolate. Another voice interrupts my thoughts. I recognized the yell as Mrs. Gown's.

"Honestly, where's that filthy layabout husband of mine?" she yells. I walk over to her. She looks really angry. But then again, she almost always looks angry, most of the time at her husband. She continues talking to no one in particular.

"Hmpf. With some woman I don't doubt!" I see a flash of hurt cross her face. She too has blond hair, like the other woman. But Mrs. Gown has her hair in a ponytail. She always works very hard around the house and the bun keeps her hair out of her eyes. She spots me and her ranting grows in volume.

"I run his house, bring up his children, and what do I get in return? Nothing!" I feel bad for her. She does always work very hard. She has two young children and makes sure the house is spotless. Mr. Gown is supposed to be working, he had said. That himself. But if he isn't working, that means there will be no money. Suddenly I feel a little guilty about accepting his gold coin to keep my mouth shut. Mrs. Gown looks me in the eyes and for a moment I think she sees the guilt in my eyes.

"If you find him, let me know, won't you?" This is my chance. My chance to make it right. I know I don't always make the best decisions but now I knew what to do. Slowly I nod my head.

"You have?" She sounds surprised. Again I nod, and I point her in the direction of her husband. A flash of anger crosses her face but when she looks back at me she smiles softly. Then she runs off. I hear her scream something about turning Mr. Gown into Balverine food. I know it is a figure of speech, but still I shiver. Balverines are vicious wolf like creatures who can eat a man whole, at least that's what dad always says. I have never actually seen one before.

I run after her towards the third house on the street. For a moment I wanted to have a look and see if she really will turn him into Balverine food, but I decide against it. I should tell my dad about this first. I run past the house and still I can hear Mrs. Gown yell at her husband. As I pass, I catch only a few things of what she says to him. Something about chopping them right off. I don't know what she means with that. As I expected, dad is still waiting for me at our house. Smiling I increase my speed, but when I reach him I see a frown on his face. Uh oh. Perhaps I am in trouble after all.

"Hmm. I'm a man of my word, so here's the gold for your good deeds." He says as he hands me a gold coin.
"But if you think I'm turning a blind eye to your mischief, you're very wrong!" He must have heard of my deal with Mr. Gown. Again my dad sighs and looks down at me.

"Look, try to keep out of trouble, please. For me." Dad hates it when I get myself into trouble. With mum away all the time, he has to take care of Theresa and me. I show him my brightest smile and I can see a hint of amusement on his face. He knows I'll try harder. Once again I set off to find some chores. As I pass the tavern, the barns come into view. The stable boy runs up to me.

"Oh, thank goodness. Listen lad, listen could you do me a favour. I've got to… er, you know, answer a call of nature. Stay here and watch this stock for me, there's a good lad. Just stand between those two stacks and don't move! I'll put in a good word for you when I get back. Right won't be long!" He runs off before I can actually agree to help him and I'm left standing in front of the barns. I don't know what he's on about with his call of nature, but it is an easily deserved coin when he gets back. A young boy, around Emily's age, maybe 5 or 6 years old emerges from behind one of the barns and smirks at me. Creepy little kid.

"My cousin says that the barrels in these warehouses might have stuff in them. Quick while he's away, smash his barrels up and see what's inside. Unless you're too scared, unless you're just a big blubbing girl." the kid challenges me. I try not to give in to his teasing. Calling me a big, blubbing girl. He obviously never had to deal with my sister when she's angry. Or my mother, for that matter. I attempt to ignore him, but he continues to try and persuade me.

"Come on, let's go and break stuff." Maybe if I pretend I can't hear him he'll go away.

"Are you just gonna stand there like a lemon?" Yep, just like a lemon, a simple lemon who will not get into trouble.

"But being good is so boring. Ah you're no fun at all." he scoffs at me. The little brat. But I can already see the stableman returning. The brat scampers off again before he is seen. Perhaps he's gotten into trouble before.

"Excellent! Thanks, lad. You've done me a big favour. I'll let your dad know what a splendid watchman you made." The stableman smiles at me. All right another good deed done. Now I need to find dad again and I'll have enough money to buy those chocolates.

As I walk back towards the centre of the village I can hear mike yelling.
"Stupid little idiots! I want more pocket money!" Maybe I should stay out of this. But I hear Emily crying and another boy whimpering, so I decide to see what the fuss is about. When I reach them I can see Emily crying behind a boy, Benny I think his name was, or was it Billy? Mike is standing in front of them in a threatening pose. He is almost 9 and rather big for his age. The boy sees me and both him and Emily run towards me.

"Get him off me! Please help! He goes around the town beating up anyone smaller than him. But you look strong. I bet you could scare him off for good!" Emily is nodding in agreement. Her face is stained with tears. I don't like to see her cry. It makes her blue eyes a puffy red and her mouth coarse. I turn towards Mike to hear him out. But mostly to gather up my courage to stand up to him. A real Hero is brave. I should be brave too if I want to become a Hero, like in my dreams.

"What do you want? I'm just dealing with this brat. He was irritating me, playing with my sister and her stupid teddy bear. Now he won't give it to me, just because I said I'd rip its stupid head off. I told him, if he doesn't do what I say, I'm going to make his life a misery." I begin to see why mum and dad don't want him around Theresa and me. He really is just a mean bully. Emily and the boy are behind me, though Emily has stopped crying and is looking at me with hope in her eyes. I walk up to Mike and draw a deep breath. Then without warning I hit him hard in the face. He screams and I hit him again, this time in his stomach. Again he cries out, he isn't even trying to stop me. Maybe he is not used to people standing up to him. I hit him a third time before he changes his mind and beats me to a pulp. He is bigger than I am, and I'm sure he could beat me up if he puts his mind to it. Mike puts his hands up and for a moment I think he is going to lash out at me, so I give him my hardest kick and he drops to his knees.
"Ow that hurts!" He cries out as he stands up again. I take on another fighting pose and I can see him ducking. Hah, I win!

"I'm sorry, I'll leave him alone. Just please don't hit me again!" Mike gives me one last careful look before running off. The boy tugs at my sleeve catching my attention.

"Thank you! You stopped him good! Thank you." The smile he gives me is contagious and I can feel myself smiling back at him. My chest swells with pride and I puff it out to look more buff than I really am. Then he hands me something, a bear. A bear with a blue patch! Rosie!

"Here I'll let you look after Rosie. She'll be safe with you." So he had Rosie all along? But why didn't he just give it to Emily? I turn around but Emily is nowhere to be found. Maybe she ran off when I started fighting her brother. I should look for her and return Rosie to her. I'd like to see her smile at me again. Maybe it'll make up for hurting her brother. The boy waves at me as I run off.

The village centre is the safest place, with multiple guards around, so it is my best bet as to where Emily might have gone too. As I reach the centre I can see her behind the big tree. Slowing down to a jog I stop in front of her. She looks scared but her face lights up when she sees me. I smile down at her and present her the bear.

"You found Rosie! Thank you so much!" The smile she gives me is absolutely worth it.

Her whole face lights up and her eyes sparkle like the sky. The soft blue no longer holds any of the redness from before. Suddenly she jumps to me and her small arms are wrapped around my waist. She is hugging me tight. For a brief moment, I am not sure what to do, so slowly I pat her on the back. She lets go and looks up with a bright smile still on her face. Then she smiles down at her beloved toy and walks off whilst talking to it.

"Come on Rosie, let's change your stuffing" she no longer has any thoughts for me, all forgotten now that she has been reunited with her toy. Satisfied I turn towards my home. I can't wait to tell dad about this. I feel like a Hero.

With great haste I reach my house and I can see dad laughing at my enthusiasm. He must have seen me with Emily down the road. Apparently he views standing up to Mike and returning Rosie to Emily as good deeds too. So that leaves me with three more coins. One from the barns and another two from Emily and her friend.

"Well I think you may have enough there son. Have you spoken to the Trader yet?" I look up at him in confusion, normally I am not allowed to buy from strangers. But now he is actually telling me to go to this Trader. Maybe they know each other. I really shouldn't waste more time. Mum will be back later this afternoon so I should hurry up if I want to find Theresa before her party starts. As quickly as I can, I run towards the Trader. Hopefully he still has those sweets.

When I reach him, he greets me with a smile.

"You're lucky, I've still got these sweets. Quickly. Give me three gold pieces now and they're yours." I hand him three of my 5 gold pieces, and accept the chocolates.

"Young sir, they are yours. Wish your sister a happy birthday from me now, won't you?" He asks me to whish Theresa a happy birthday, but I still don't know who this man is apart from being a Trader. Maybe he does know my parents after all. No matter, I have my chocolates, or should I say Theresa's chocolates. I should hurry to her. She is probably still in the farm fields near the Barrow Field gate. She plays there often, so she can see mother first when she returns.

When I reach the gate I can see Theresa playing in the fields, she doesn't seem to notice me walking up to her. Just when I'm about to touch her shoulder, she turns around and faces me. A knowing smile lingers on her face and her red hair shines bright in the sun. Her hair is up in two pigtails and is a vibrant red, just like mums.
"Hello little brother, I hope you haven't forgotten what day it is, like you did last year." I cringe at that. Why will nobody ever let me forget that? Maybe because I will. Hah! She purses her lips and her eyes darken for a split second.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up last night, it was another of those dreams. I was standing in this field when something happened, but I can't remember what." She apologises for her nightmares. Truth is, they scare even me sometimes, I only wish I could help with them. But she is so quick to dismiss them. And just as quickly her worried look is replaced with a smile once again.

"Never mind that though, I'm still waiting for my present…" Oh right I almost forgot. I have been holding them behind my back so she wouldn't see them. When I present her the sweets her smile widens.

"I knew you were going to bring me chocolates! It's just like my dream, come on let's go home, mother will be back for my party any minute now." Wait she knew?! Typical. The one time I think I can surprise her and she knows. Oh well. I shrug as I turn around leaving the fields. I turn around to Theresa, willing her to hurry up, but the look on her face stops me. She looks confused, scared even. Then her wide eyes find mine.

"Wait. There's something wrong…" she says as she walks towards me, reaching out as to hold me back. It is then I hear him. A man from Barrow Fields comes running towards us screaming.

"Bandits!" he has almost reached me as he looks back to what is behind him. Suddenly he stops, his eyes wide and an arrow sticks out of his chest. I hadn't even seen him being hit. But before I know precisely what is going on he falls down before me. Theresa's voices jerks me back to the here and now, her voice sounds higher than I remember, more scared.

"It's really happening! There here! You've got to hide!" She does not have to tell me twice. Reaching for the fence I jump over it and hide behind a bush. The leaves give good shelter with their dark colour and thick growth. The summer has been kind to the flora around the town. I peek through the dark green leaves and I can see the man still laying there. Another man approaches the… the corpse and gives it a good kick. I can also see a woman who had run up to see what the commotion was all about. I try to warn her but the words are caught in my throat. Before I can regain myself a flash of steel connects with the woman and suddenly all I can see is red. It takes me a moment before I realize that it is blood. The woman falls to the ground, her lifeless cold eyes staring into mine. I hear a small gasp and I frantically look around to find its source, only to find out I made the sound. I clasp a hand over my mouth to silence myself. I can't let them find me!

Evil had come to Oakvale, bandits wielding torches and steel, slaying and burning all in their path. Blood red flames lit the night, as the villagers screamed and begged for mercy. And soon their bodies filled the streets. Then the raiders reached the last house where the boy and his family lived. It was them they had slaughtered so many to find. The father fought to protect his kin, but he was no worrier and fell mortally wounded. The bandits ripped the house apart, but could not find the boy. Through torture and threats his mother and sister remained silent and their furious raiders took them both. From the nearby woods the boy watched as all he knew was taken away

His whole life was crushed to ashes. He was alone.