The rain fell steadily across the Romanian mountainside. The rain is icy, utterly frigid and each drop is a knife slash against my skin. Elise was soaked through, her dark grey riding cloak water logged stuck unbearably against her slender arms and shoulders. Under the meager shelter of a pine tree, she gazed through the mist and continuous curtain fall of rain. It is so heavy she can see it clearly coming down in dark smoky sheets from the thundering sky. I had to find some form of shelter quickly. If not, the young woman might as well be dead. Eventually she would die from starvation or hypothermia if she continued like this. Once again, she looked for any form of shelter but her only surroundings was the black forest of pine and ash and the cragged mountains of Bran.
Elise coughed and tucked her cloak around her tighter, shivering from the cold. With the best of her ability, she tried to keep warm, wrapping her arms around her body and tucking her legs underneath her chin. Brushing away stray pieces of her chestnut locks she wished with all her might she could disappear. Driven out of her home due to her alluring beauty, her possession of 'The sight' and her occupation as a wise woman had encouraged the wrath of the townsfolk. She was lucky to escape with her life. However, now she was here, frozen and overcome by exhaustion, was there much point in her running away? A quick painless death, the gallows to be precise would have been a more favourable way to die.
Mustering up all the will and strength she had in her, she stumbled her way deeper into the forest, hoping to find an abandoned bear cave. A more significant shelter then the pine trees. Blindly, she staggered in the mud, using the trunks and branches to balance her body weight. She was so cold, her feet and hands completely numb. Her vision fading into darkness, she was so afraid she would lose her bearing and fall over a cliff.
Elise lost her footing and collapsed. She braced herself for the fall, expecting to land in the sludge and grime. Her head met the hard surface of darkly polished stone. Red and black suns flashed in front of her from the force of the impact, her head throbbing with a dull ache. She couldn'tt pick herself up, weak from the cold and hunger. It took every fibre of the young woman's being just to lift her head in order to view her surroundings.
A fortress towered above her, dark and sinister as the forest that surrounded it. The spires and turrets were sharp and menacing. Elise wanted to cover in fear. Inside of her mind, a small part of her thanked the Lord God. Shelter at last. She was so desperate for warmth and heat. With all her might, Elise crawled her way to the heavy oak doors. She reached for the looped metal door pulleys, heaving herself up. With slight difficulty, she knocked the heavy painted knocker against the wood of the door frame.
Elise was astonished to discover the door opened for her immediately, creaking slightly. Inside, was disturbingly quiet. The hallway was dimly lit by candle-light and she could make out the shapes of beautifully decorated furniture and antiques. She must have stumbled into a Lord's manor house. Hung up on the west wall was a large portrait of a young man, a few years her senior perhaps. He had an incredibly handsome face and unusual strawberry blond hair. A wave of exhaustion swept through Elise's body, her feet giving way and landed on her back. This time she had no strength left to move. Her body was completely frozen, her limps stiff and numb. Was this the place she would breath her last breath? Somehow, she didn't seem too frightened by that prospect. At least she would die peacefully.
Through her fading eyesight, a bright vivid pair of red eyes appeared before her. Elise's heart quickened. What were those? She whimpered with fear, unable to move as the continually grew closer and closer.
Something warm was placed over her eyes, completely relieving her from being able to see. It was body warmth.
"It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you little one. I am the master of this house. You're safe now. Sleep and be still"
The voice of a young man, soft and gentle yet at the same time commanded respect.
Elise could do nothing but nod her answer. She did not disobey the stranger's order. She was drained of energy, her body weary and sore. Within moments, she fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.