725 A.D
Five-year old Atara Di Vantorica sat patiently on the ground playing with small -carved horses and soldiers. She loved to have the soldiers go on an adventure, fighting evil and destroying evil castles. Atara would sometimes even go outside to play in the sun, but whenever her mother, Lakatora, caught her, she was severely scowled.
"You must stay inside girl," Lakatora said sternly.
"Why?" Atara asked.
"Because you must, tis not save for thee."
One day a strange man came into their small house and talked deeply with Lakatora who soaked the information with a frown.
"Can it be true?" Lakatora asked.
"Tis my lady," the man said.
"I must leave then Boaz."
"You must."
Atara, who had been listening, rushed into the room and screamed: "Dont' go mother! Please don't leave!"
Lakatora didn't scowl Atara for listening, instead she scooped up Atara and hugged her. Lakatora smiled and then said gently: "You must stay here my dear."
"Please don't leave!" Atara cried.
Atara never liked her mother leaving that would mean she would have to be alone for the night until her mother got back.
"I shall be back little one," Lakatora said reassuringly, "But when I am gone, Boaz here will take care of you."
Atara craned her head to look at the man and gazed at him with half fascination and half fear. He had thin white scars trailing up and down his bare arms. A knife was strapped to his side and a sword was strapped to his back. He had leather armour on and a black scarf wrapped light around his head in the form of a hood. A smaller scarf encircled his neck for protection. The man bowed politely to Atara who hugged her mother tighter Lakatora laughed at this.
"Do not worry little one," her mother said joyfully, "I will return as soon as I can. Boaz will protect you."
"What about the Defensive spells mother?" Atara asked.
Lakatora pursed her lips, "So you did tamper with those spells didn't you?"
Atara blushed and nodded.
"You must never do that again."
"Can you teach thee magic?"
Lakatora stiffened and then said sharply, "No, you are not of age to learn."
Atara hung her head as her mother picked her up off her lap and placed her on the ground. Atara watched hopelessly as Lakatora and the man, named Boaz, walked out together.
Back in the living room, Atara continued to play with the soldiers and horses until she could hear the clopping of hooves from her mother's horse race away from the enclosed home in the forest. The door opened again and in came Boaz. The scarf around his head was dripping wet, indicating that it was raining heavily, Atara hoped her mother well wherever she was going.
"You like soldiers and horses?" Boaz asked, he sat on the ground beside Atara.
Seeing Boaz's size made Atara terrified but she sucked in her fear factor and nodded. Boaz waved his hand over the carved figures and the soldiers and horses immediately came to life. The small carved figures turned and then took sides on the different sides of the woven grass carpet. The tallest of the wooden soldiers on each side gave out a small battle cry and the different sides charge. Atara watched in amazement as the soldiers clashed together on foot and horses. The fallen soldiers soon resurrected by having their missing body part woven back in place by a thin line of wood or thin sticks of wood intertwine in the holes. It was endless entertainment.
"Do you like magic?" Boaz asked.
Atara looked up at the man and she nodded eagerly and the man roared with laughter.
"Same as your mother."
"She won't let me learn," Atara said dully.
"Nonsense."
Boaz held out his palm and a green flame burst in his open hand and started to dance gracefully across his fingertips. Atara looked in amazement at this flame and then Boaz looked at the girl's expression.
"You want to hold it?"
Atara nodded eagerly and held out her palm as if she were accepting a very delicate gift. Boaz tilted his hand until their fingertips were gingerly touching and the green flame slide with ease onto Atara's hand. But once the flame reached Atara's palm it quickly vanished leaving a puff of green smoke behind. Atara frowned at this.
"Your mother didn't give you your castor yet I assume," Boaz said.
Atara shook her head miserably and Boaz said, "Do not worry, you are still too young I suppose."
They watched in silence and awe as the battle of wooden soldiers continued on.
Later through the night, Atara was suppose to have gone to bed but she slipped out and walked along the cold wooden floor to the living room. There she saw Boaz in front of a misty screen, which projected an image of a man.
"She bares no castor Mordred," Boaz said, his voice changed from the kind to low and rough. The mask was off.
The figure in the misty screen clenched his fists and then said, "Does she trust you yet?"
"I think so, she is very young my lord, do you wish to truly use thee?"
Mordred nodded, "If that stupid traitor doesn't do something first!"
Boaz said, "The girl is of only five and thy will be coming for her."
Mordred stood straight revealing his full height and growled, "Yes, thy is coming soon."
"You want me to…,"
"NO!" Mordred's voice made the whole misty screen shake and flicker. The man straightened himself and cleared his throat, "No, the girl is five you say? No, she is still young. We must wait till the right age, tis only the best thing to do."
Boaz nodded, "You are right my lord, how foolish of me."
Mordred was about to say something and then stopped and listened. When whatever he heard was over he said: "My father is looking for me now, he is not pleased."
"You must go," Boaz said ready to disperse the connection.
"Do not breath a word of this to Lakatora!"
The man disappeared and Boaz sat down as if done a hard and difficult task then he straightened and took out his dagger.
"Who is there?" Boaz growled angrily.
Atara gave a small gasp at the wicked dagger and dashed back to her room where she cascaded herself in there for the rest of the night.