Priorities
Chapter One
Evie Leygrave tightened her hold on her little brother Dylan's shoulders to stop him falling from the wagon as it went over a pothole in the road. Despite the disturbance the boy slept deeply still. Evie wished she could sleep like that but she had been having trouble sleeping since her parents were killed three months ago.
Scanrans had attacked their village, it had all happened so suddenly. Evie was sitting in front of the house watching her mother walk towards her. She was smiling and waving merrily to Evie when she fell to the ground. Evie jumped up to go to her mother when she saw an arrow embedded in her mothers back, she stood still, in shock and the next thing she knew her father was running out of the house his battle axe from his days in the army in his hand. He told Evie to get her brother and run and hide then he ran to his wife as fast as his bad leg would carry him. Out of the trees came a monster Evie would remember in her nightmares for a long time. It was about seven feet tall; its whole body was metal from the long, black, curved shape that must have been its head to its long knife-like fingers and claws. It had a long snake like tail that was tipped with a ball of spikes. Evie was backing towards the door as her father blocked a strike from its wicked claws but as he was recovering the things second claw shot out and slashed her father length ways. Terrified, Evie stumbled through the door and ran to where her brother was sleeping. She scooped him up and ran for the back door and the woods. She glanced back to the village and saw people screaming and running as they were chased down by mounted Scanrans and the metal monster. Somehow she managed to escape; she and Dylan spent the night in a small, well hidden cave. In the moring they trekked back to the village. When they arrived the village was empty, apart from the bodies on the ground. Evie covered Dylan's eyes and took him to the house, which though not burnt was ransacked. Though Evie knew her parents were dead she hadn't cried- shock had prevented emotions. She walked out to the street running through the middle of her small village steeling herself for what was to come. There they were, laying next to each other. Her mother and her father. She walked over to them and promptly vomited as the smell hit her. Stormwings had gotten to them. She looked around. There were people laying dead on the street, Stormwings had gotten to them too. There was the miller Shawn, the Smith Detric. As she searched, looking for survivors she recognized every last person dead, little children, babies, women, men, girls, boys and her best friend Brighid. She was standing in the middle of the street when her brother ran up to her crying out "What Happen? Where Mama and Papa?"
She sunk down to her knees to hold him as he cried and before she knew what she was doing she was crying to. After a while they both stopped crying and Dylan fell into an exhausted sleep. Evie sat rocking Dylan staring into space and thinking of nothing in particular when a horse's neigh brought her to attention. She leapt to her feet pulling Dylan with her, wincing as her knees complained the action. She rushed towards the nearest house but not before she was spotted by an incoming rider.
The riders turned out to be members of the Kings Own riding through on their way to Giantkiller. Evie helped them bury the dead, including her parents then she rode behind the Squads Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle. Evie was mostly silent and the men were quiet around her, not knowing what to say.
They had parted at Giantkiller and that's where Evie had stayed for the past three months, her and her brother the sole survivors of a tiny village called Green oaks.
Evie was startled from her daydream by a voice.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" She asked Fanche Weir who she was sharing the wagon with.
"We should be there within the hour lass." Fanche said. Then she started going on about the commander of the Camp. A newly Knighted girl of eighteen, only a year older than Evie. Evie was interested in meeting this Keladry of Mindelan. One of the realms only two Lady Knights. She was also in a similar situation to Evie suddenly thrust with the task of commanding a refugee camp. Evie had suddenly found herself being a mother, father and sister to her four year old brother. Keladry's job probably wouldn't be easy, Evie thought, so many people protested a first year Knight, a girl Knight being their protector. Especially Fanche, though she's not a bad old stick Evie thought, just a little rough around the edges. Evie settled down and closed her eyes to rest as she waited to arrive at her new home.
Evie was unloading the belongings she had managed to salvage after the Scanrans attacked her village when a tall young woman walked up to her.
"Good day, I'm Keladry of Mindelan." She held out a hand. Evie took the hand rough from work like Evie's own. So this is Keladry Evie thought.
"Evie Leygrave, nice to meet you. This is my brother Dylan." Keladry bent down to greet Dylan.
"Hello Dylan, I'm Keladry." Dylan tentatively smiled at the stranger.
A dark grey, almost black dog yipped quietly.
"And who's this?" Keladry asked smiling at the dog.
"That's Jasper; he kind of adopted us at Giantkiller. Is, is he allowed to stay with us?" Evie asked tentatively.
She and Dylan had become fond of the dog.
"Of course he can stay." A troop of mounted warriors rode in the gate. "Excuse me but I must be off. It was nice
meeting you." Keladry said then strode of to the soldiers.
She's awfully polite for a noble. Evie thought. She's probably one of the decent ones.
Okay so that's first chapter. Review and tell me what you think.
Thanks