Prologue – The Radiant Dawn

"Leona! It's cold, you must wear your cloak correctly or you are going to freeze." Her mother told her as she closed the clasps of the cloak. "Leona, are you listening to me?" Her mother sighed as she looked at her daughter, whose eyes were trained on the sky above.

The child furrowed her brows feeling somewhat strange. Her mother had always talked about the constant cold but she had never felt it as much as she described. Despite the biting winds that howled through the village she was always quite warm.

"Leona." Her mother's voice held warning as she finally looked down at her mother's concerned face and frowned.

"But Ma," she protested, "I don't feel cold. I don't understand why I have to wear something like this." She tugged tightly on the inside of her cloak. It was made of a thick hide with soft fur lining the inside of the coat. It was heavy and it restricted her movements. She didn't like it one bit.

Her mother sighed, "I don't want you to get sick," she began, "I'm used to this cold. You however, are not, understand?"

Leona's frown didn't move from her face; instead, she pointed a finger at some patrolling guards. "Are they used to the cold as well? I don't want to wear this!" She whined. "I want to wear that!" Leona pointed at the guard's uniform.

Her mother chuckled and brushed some stray red hairs away from her face. "You need to train to earn that kind of armor, my child. You have just begun your training and your exercises."

Leona furrowed her brow and shifted in her warm coat. "But I want to wear it now!" She pouted, "I'm old enough. I can fight! I've fought nearly all the boys in the village!"

"Oh, I know you have." Her mother laughed softly. "But you are only four, my dear child, one day you will be able to wear that armor, but as for now you are to wear this kind of armor. It will protect you from the cold." She flipped the hood up onto the child's head and then adjusted the cloak on her small body.

Leona looked on at the guards before trying to drag her mother over so that she could get a better look. "Can I go see?" She tugged her mother's sleeve.

"Perhaps, another time, child." Her mother smiled gently before a great horn rang through the village. Leona had always heard the horn every year and she knew what it meant. Leona frowned again.

"Do I have to go this time, Ma?" Leona tugged at her mother again. Her mother looked down at her and swooped her up in single motion and smiled.

"Yes, love, you do. You must learn what it means to be part of the village." She said as she started to walk towards the arena. Leona looked at the barred fence, the jagged iron pillars and felt her stomach turn into knots. She hated this time of year and she had hoped that the village elders would forget this year.

"I don't want to see it." She admitted quietly. Her mother gave her a stern look which made her shrink into her mother's shoulder.

"Leona, one day you will not have me or your father; one day you will have to fight for yourself. You must learn while you can. Do you understand? The Rite of Korr is an essential path every warrior must take. One day you will understand."

"What does essential mean?"

Her mother adjusted her grip and pushed back her red hair, knocking down her hood. She could hear the loud sounds of the cheering in the back but she kept her eyes on her mother waiting for her explanation.

"Essential means something that it is very important." She answered, gently smiling.

"Did you do it then?" Leona asked craning her neck to see the first couple contestants.

"Yes, child, I did."

Leona's eyebrows furrowed once again. "Why do we have to do this?"

Her mother was quiet for a moment and in that moment Leona thought she had won the argument. But when she looked at her mother with her victorious eyes she was met with ones that were sad. She couldn't comprehend what it was or what had made her so sad but Leona turned her gaze and looked over at the arena just as the elder yelled to begin the fight.

Author's Note

Hey guys! I hope you've enjoyed this one chapter! More to come soon!
Kudos to my housemate who has taken time to read this and edit :)

Please Review! Till next time!

xSC