Prologue
The End
The end, that's what this was. This was the end. She'd thought of everything and still there was no way out of it. Surviving was the first requirement of being in a war. So why was she admitting defeat so early? She wasn't even supposed to be here! She should have been married off to a rich lord, not fighting in the Holy War!
"There's no way out, is there?" Aiden's voice rang like a bell in her mind.
"No, not this time." She murmured quietly looking at her hands in dismay.
"There's always a way out, Tempest. You taught me that. You always manage to get us out of trouble!" Aiden's voice was bordering on hysterical now.
Tempest sighed deeply. Her younger brother shouldn't be here either, but he had no choice. Their family had no honor and in order to gain any they needed to come back to England as heroes. Aiden was pacing in front of her, a habit he knew she hated. His light brown hair ruffled making him look even younger as he moved, his bright blue eyes flitting back and forth.
"We can't both make it out alive." Tempest whispered quietly.
"What?" Aiden questioned turning to look at her.
Tempest's expression was painfully serious. Her bright emerald eyes gleaming in the evening light, long auburn strands of hair had come out of her braid and Aiden was reminded of their childhood summers in England. Yet, her expression made him wary, it was the same as what she'd used in the past to get him out of trouble, by taking the fall herself.
"I said we both couldn't make it out alive. You could, Aiden. You could make it out and back to England." Tempest said quietly.
"No! I would never leave you!" Her brother yelled defiantly.
"Aiden, I have nothing to live for! I would simply become the wife of some rich old lord. I'd rather die on the battlefield and you know it. Go. Make me proud and go." She stated as she stood up from the log she'd been sitting on.
"You know I can't leave you." He whispered tears pricking his eyes.
"It wasn't a request. Go." She commanded, her voice a bit sharper than she'd meant.
"I can't-" Aiden started.
"I SAID GO DAMN IT!" Tempest screamed at him in frustration.
Aiden looked at her imploringly before dashing off into the forest. How she hated forests. She turned away, hoping beyond hope he would make it home safe. She walked a few paces to the edge of the hill and unsheathed her sword. Oncoming hordes of Moors were racing across the field. Soon they would scale the hill and be upon her. She would not die for her country. She would not die for her brother. She would not die in vain. She would not die at all.