Chapter 2

A Warning from the East

By sunrise of the next day, the caravan and an 8th of the townspeople were packing frantically for their long journey ahead. Anyone headed straight to the keep would be on the road for weeks. The coming winter could prove difficult for families rushing to abandon their homes. The shells of residences with most of their belongings left behind painted an eerie backdrop.

The following days after the caravan had stopped through brought a significant drop in traders and travelers. The townspeople were uneasy, and the lack of imported goods made some production of certain goods difficult.

Thistlebrand was known for being a high volume trade center. It's low walls and open markets were inviting to any willing to sell their wares. Through the history of his life here in the town, the colder months usually had less travelers willing to march through several feet of snow, however there had never been such a long time without at least one trading caravan.

Since the appearance of the desolate travelers, a blanket of dread fell over those who remained and the willingness to stay waned. Link and his family had also grown restless, and his father stayed later in the evening discussions with the other leaders on the best move forward. Link had joined in on some of these discussions, but was not very savvy with the details and often would lose interest mid way through. They never did go anywhere, it seemed.

For days he had trouble sleeping, with dreams of many troubling things. Dreams of dark unending storms, vast windswept deserts, and deep thick forests. Though he had grown used to strange dreams, he was not so fond of their recent frequency. Since the travelers had left it was seldom a night passed without him waking in cold sweats from his terrors.

After waking from a strange dream about an endless ocean, Link thought he would try to move locations for some better rest. His family was asleep, and he was left to warm himself alone by the hearth. He wrapped himself with his blanket and made his way into the living area.

The coals from the nights dinner burned low, but remained hot enough to catch dry wood aflame. Link tossed a few logs in and stoked it until it was breathing again; crackling and spitting smoke from the soft piney wood. He pulled up his father's chair close to the fire and settled himself into the cushions, blanket wrapped around him in a tight cocoon of down and warmth.

He watched the fire with heavy eyes that were weighed down with the stressors of the day. After a bit, his body settled, and he was finally starting to relax.

Just as he began to drift off, he heard a strange sound from outside. It was faint, much like the wind whistling through a window or a sad distant howl, but loud enough to jolt him from his rest. He listened for a moment in the quiet cracking of the fire and stillness of the falling snow. After a bit he figured it was nothing but a breeze, and settled back into the cushion of the arm chair. A few more moments passed and he was falling back into sleep until, again, the sound pierced through the silence. Moaning, and howling a sad cry. He thought it was wolves, oer perhaps the wind. After a moment the soft cries then sounded like the sad groan of pain.

Link

He shot up from his relaxed position alert to the sounds. This time he was sure he heard someone speaking. The voice was sad and slow, as though the wind itself called out to him. Almost immediately, he turned towards the door. He gathered himself, wrapped tight in his blanket, and walked over to the entrance of his home.

He peeked out into the night, the frigid air burning his face and eyes. The night was pitch black and the flurry of ice made it almost impossible to see past the faint spilled light from the hearth. Link he heard again out from the darkness.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He almost whispered, trying to stay quiet enough to make sure his family didn't wake. He stood in silence for a moment before noticing in the distance a flickering light moving towards him.

Slowly, a figure moved through the snow, cloaked in a heavy and dark shroud with a lantern in hand.

Link, you must go to the Kingdom in the east. The wind blew across him with the words floating into his ears. The same voice that said his name in such a soft, sad way spoke again. Their tone was much more urgent this time, but the sound came from every direction. His chest became tight like he had heard someone he hasn't heard in a long time.

The time has come, Link. Go east towards the Kingdom near the sea. Find Alondria and you will find me. He has never heard of Alondria before and if there was a kingdom in the east, why wouldn't he have known of it?

"The east?" He said, his breath making clouds of as he spoke. He had trouble gathering the air to speak. "How do I find a place I know nothing of? Why do you awant me to go there?" His chest tightened again, with every word. "How..do you know my name." He struggled to breath as the fridged air piercing his lungs, filling them like freezing cold water. He felt like he was listening to someone far away as he spoke.

There are things you must learn, and things I will teach you. Find me. Find Alondria. The answers you seek will be revealed. The figure had stopped but a foot away from him. Close enough to see two glinting red eyes from behind the hooded shroud that covered most of their face. A small, delicate hand, finger pointed, moved to his forehead. The hood moved back a bit and he could see that it was a woman whom strangely he recognized, like someone he knew from a long time ago. He felt their finger, warm to the touch, press between his eyebrows.

I will see you soon. She pushed her finger harder, and almost instantly, the world fell away to darkness and everything was cold.

Link woke, gasping for air still sitting in the chair he had been sitting in before. His blanket still tightly wrapped around him, but the fire had died down and the winter chill made the air fridged. He figured he might have dozed off and had another one of his strange dreams. Alondria. The name echoed in his head but he shook it off. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed the light of the morning peeking out from behind the heavy curtains that covered the windows. With a loud yawn and stretch, he was off to his morning chores.

He made his way to the cutting stump, picked up his ax, and started to work. Alondria. He might have to ask his father about it. The name sounded familiar, and he couldn't shake the voice he heard from his mind. It was like someone he knew; Like someone he has always known..

The sounds of the morning were quiet and the first snow had settled over the yard in thick rolling sheets. The snowfall had stopped in the early morning and covered any evidence of his strange night visitor, however the idea of it being only a dream still did not settle with him.

The cold chill on his face, the pressure of the woman's finger on his forehead; unlike his other strange dreams, this one he could feel.

He missed a swing and the axe hit the stump with a thud, knocking over the block of wood. Link lost his balance a bit and Link snapped into reality. He shook his head and wiped off the beads of sweat that settled on his brow. He figured a break would be appropriate, and made his way over to the stables.

His mother and sister darted in and out of the barn and storage house as they prepped the family's winter reserves. She kept herself busier than usual within the last few weeks, and her change in mood was apparent. His mother and younger sister didn't seem to notice him as he entered the barn and escaped the possibility of being asked to help with gourd stringing or storing the silo. If there was anything he hated more than chopping wood in the cold, it was gourd stringing.

He walked to Luna who nickered gently as he came into her view.

"Hello to you too, my friend!" He ran his hand over her muzzle, to which she pushed against it. He pulled a brush from off the wall and started to groom her. He needed something to keep his mind off of these strange recent events. Luna snorted, tugging at the saddle that hung over the stall. Link laughed.

"You know how to cheer me up, aye?" Perhaps, he thought, a ride would be more relaxing than a stuffy barn. As Link brushed his horse, he heard the barn door creek open. He peeked over the stall and noticed his younger sister.
"Link, you here?" Her voice was so soft. She had just gotten over a cold and was still weak from the bug. Link leaned out of the stall and waved his sister over.

"Well hello, young lass! Leaving your duties to come and enjoy some time with your big sister, aye?" He tousled her hair. The girl, giggled

"Link, did you forget? Today is the first snow!" The first snow was a tradition Link was raised on, by his parents, and when his sister was born, he made it his personal duty to continue the tradition. The town will mark the first snow by setting up a sort of unplanned pop up farmers market. It was the first time to enjoy the hot food and winter wear vendors of the season. Though the tradition in town never seemed to have the event planned, it always ended up being delightfully festive for being so impromptu.

"Well I don't mind takin yeh into town! But we need to be fast or mum will try and stop us. She won't be too happy losing another hand on the gourds."

"But I hate the gourds, brother!" Link laughed a bit. He was sure his mother didn't enjoy it too much either.

"Alright lass. Lets go!" he strapped the gear to his equine partner, lifted his sister on to the rear end of the saddle, and slowly made his way out of the stables.

Before his mother had the chance to stop them, Link had jumped on the saddle and sped off down the snow-covered road.

"Hang on, Reigh!" The wind whipped around them as they plowed through the rolling snow banks.

The afternoon sun glistened off the snow capped trees and the roads leading to and from town were covered in rolling sheets of white. Link ran his horse down the paths he knew from memory, and made his way around the forest and up past the rolling He was eventually going to make his way towards town for the first snow. Link had quite an affinity for soup and was excited to take a break for a hearty lunch and to get his mind off last night. He needed to ask his father as soon as he could.

When they arrived in town the streets, usually bustling with street vendors and performers on the day of the first snow, were nowhere to be found. The alleyways and vendor areas normally bustling with shoppers were quiet and eerily empty. No carts with large bubbling cauldrons, or warmly dressed bands playing their instruments for coin.

"Where is everybody? Are they late?" Link didn't think so. His sister, still not yet 7 winters old, might not understand that the recent events have many in their homes packing to leave their town. The lack of traveling merchants, the whispers of towns falling to unknown evils, and the possibility of them arriving here has been more than enough reason for several to head directly to the stronghold in the north.

"Don't worry little lassy. There's got to be someone who's sellin something around here!" Link pulled the reigns of the horse to his right and rode off towards the back end of town to the Willikins shop under the clock tower. If anyone had something hot and bubbling in a cauldron, it was Mrs. Willikin.

As he got closer to the town center, he noticed a large gathering near the town hall, similar to the one a few nights prior. The doors were open and several townspeople crowded around it's entrance. It seemed loud and full of anxious energy much like the night when the traveling refugees arrived. His sister shifted with a bit of unease as Link moved his horse in the direction of the crowd.

"Link! Boy! Ah and you brought the wee little pea you did. Something good in such a time is a blessin." A voice from behind him shouted. Mrs. Willikin who, despite Link's immediate hopes, was not currently making some delicious soup at this moment and was here at this gathering.

"Mrs Willikin. What's happening? Why are all these people here?"

"They want to move the whole town, lad. Mayor says that he received a direct order from the king. We might be in for dark times, my dear sweet boy." Mrs. Willikin light pinched at his cheek with cold weak hands. She looked tired and her usual cheery glow was shrouded in sunken eyes and a gaunt face. Link noticed the deep folds and lines on her cheeks and brow for the first time. These past weeks have been hard on her since that night a few weeks back, and Mr. Willikins recovery hadn't improved.

"I can help pack up!" The little one chimed in without a beat. Mrs. Willikin winced and smiled immediately afterwards. Had Link not been paying attention he would have missed it.

"Thank you, deary. Of course." She squeezed the leg of the girl with a bright smile that didn't seem to match the sadness behind her words. Link figured it was a subtle way of saying she was staying behind and decided not to let his sister in on it. "Link, your father is inside the hall with the Mayor and all the others of the council. I think you should go speak with him and see if he needs your help."

"Thank you Mrs. Willikin. Stay safe." He gave her a warm smile and rode off to tie up his horse.

The hall was a mass of worried and anxious adults all trying to make sense of the new order from the Kingdom. Link noticed some crying children and wives as he and his sister made their way through to the stage area. His father stood above the crowd at the stage and answered as many questions as he could to those not willing to accept leaving. The moment Link arrived at the area, his father switched his attention and left the stage to join him.

"Have you heard the news, then?" Theo said, leaning down closer to his son to speak over the boom of the crowd. Link nodded. "Good. Come with me, lad." He gently pushed Link and guided him and his sister towards a small room off to the right of the stage. Inside, some of the council sat on small stools and chairs discussing their next move. The discussion died down when Theo entered.

"How are they taking it?" One of the men said, clutching a flask in a shaking hand. Theo shook his head.

"Too many refusing to leave. We'll be at least a few hundred short when we move tomorrow.

"That's their problem then!" A large, wide, hairy man leaning against a wall shouted. His arms stayed folded tight against his chest making the rolls under his chin more prominent. "Why waste anymore time arguing with idiots. If they want to stay, let them stay. One less mouth to feed on the road."

"Keep your venom in your mouth, Agot!" A man sitting near Marell snapped back. His eyes glared "The last thing we need is a damn riot in the streets because one of our councilmen is fine with the idea of leaving our people to die."

"It'd be best if you leave to pack." Theo was calm in his words, but his tone was dark and authoritative. Link was familiar with this voice and it usually wasn't good. The man looked as though he was going to protest, but stopped and left the room without another word.

"This is getting to all of us and we are running out of time. I have told the townspeople enough. The time is now to get back to our families and prepare for a long journey." Theo looked around the room. His voice remained in the tone from before. "We will have to accept that the old and the sick will not be joining us and move forward." The other men stayed silent as an uneasy tension fell on the room.

"For all we know, we could be turning this town into a graveyard if we leave them." The Mayor's voice was pained as he shook his head.

"We all know we don't have the time or resources. The caravan will be leaving l by tomorrow morning before sunrise, and no later. It will take three weeks on the road before we arrive and the snows will get worse from here. Theoretically, it is the only choice that has the least casualties." Again, Theos voice struck the room with an uneasy silence. The Mayor stared at Theo, wringing his hands trying to grasp at anything that would rebuttal this decision, but soon his eyes fell and he nodded solemnly in agreement. Link wasn't sure if his younger sister knew how serious all of this was. He wasn't sure, either, if he should try to explain what any of this means. This might have to be a discussion for the long trip.

"That settles it then." Theo looked around the room. "The half of your who were to assist in the reserves, stay behind with me and we will plan out getting our food and livestock stores ready for the trip. Link," He paused to turn to him and placed a heavy hand gently on his shoulder. "Run home lad. Tell your mother everything you heard here and ready the wagons. We will speak more tonight." Theo leaned in, his face stern and serious. "Tell ya mum, the time has come."

Link nodded and without another word left to his horse. There wasn't much else that he needed to clear up with his father. He trusted his judgement and figured it would be best to leave out some information from the ears of his sister. However, there was something unsettling that he couldn't quite catch about all of this. Something that seemed as though his father was prepared for this to happen, eventually. He wasn't sure if it was just his father's nature to remain calm in times of stress, or if his father knew something he didn't. He trusted that all things will be made clear in time and he would be able to speak with his father about Alondria when they were on their way to Terrimekki.

Link arrived back to the house quickly and made his way to the food store room. He found his mother stringing gourds as she was before. There were many to string and not having the extra help made the process that much longer.

"Ah, so ye decided to be helpful today. How kind 'a ya." She spat the words at them like fire, all the while keeping her eyes focused on her work. Link winced. She was rightfully angry at them, and knowing what he needed to tell her wasn't going to be that much easier now that she was already in this mood.

"I am sorry, mum. Truly. We went to town to enjoy the First Snow festival, but there was no festival and just sad people." His younger sister said pushing past Link. The girl wasn't one to leave out much information and had a knack for storytelling like her father.

"Sad people?" Her demeanor changed and she was genuinely curious, if not still slightly annoyed.

"Father wanted us to get the wagons ready." Link said lightly as if to place the information as easy as he could on to her. His mother looked up quickly from her work, her face twisted in mix of concern and confusion.

"What wos that?" Her voice matched her face. It was like she had been expecting it. "He wants us to prepare the wagon? Why?" She stopped moving entirely.

"From what I could make out, we got word from the king saying we need to leave." Link didn't know exactly why, but he did overhear someone stating that the kingdom might need more soldiers in their ranks. He decided it best to leave that part out. "He said to tell you, the time has come." He watched her take in the words and her expression relaxed and her eyes lowered.

"Ah, I see." She spoke softly and quickly shifted her tone. Link wondered if he might have said it wrong. She was quiet and still for what felt like a long time before she sighed and smiled at her son. "Let's get goin' then, lad. We can bring the gourds with us to string on the trip." A forced cheerfulness croaked out of her. She got up from her work table and made her way out of the storehouse to gather the wagons and barrels, patting Link on his shoulder as she passed.

Links parents were somewhat of a treasure in the community. Both played a role in the day to day affairs, and both held positions of leadership in some way or another. This town was in many ways part of them, and Link could only begin to imagine what it meant for them to upend their lives.

On the bright side, he looked towards the adventure of it all. This would be his first time so far from his home or seeing Terrimekki outside of his own imagination, and hoped that this ordeal would be over soon. Despite everything though, he couldn't seem to shake a sense that there were a few layers of context he was missing.

He helped his mother fix up the wagon and carriage, taking as much as they could. Link begged to ride Luna and not have her tied pulling the carts. Through protest, his mother agreed. The wagons were packed with their essentials; enough food stores to last them the trip, enough of their clothes as well as they figured they could exchange some extra good for cloth, and other things that fit in the wagon without slowing it's movement or making the travel to hard on their animals; At least the ones they were taking, anyway. His sister was completely oblivious to the situation and made light of the events. Link wished he had her resolve in this moment.

The wagons were finished being packed up well after the sun had gone down. Bits and bobbles hung from the sides, tarps flew over the top to keep anything from spilling out or getting too cold during the journey. The ride wasn't hard, as far as Link understood, but the trek was certainly long and with the change in the season, the chance of fairing bad weather during the trip was much higher. It was a dangerous ride to take on your own in the winter, so the stories were told.

Link, his mother, and sister sat at the table quietly eating their dinner after their long day. There wasn't much conversation since Link had told his mother what his father had directed him to, and he was growingly uncomfortable with so many questions he still had no relief for.

After dinner and clean up, the two went off to bed as they knew they would have to leave early in the morning for their trip. It was difficult to sleep with so many unanswered questions swarming his head. His sister, however, was unphased by all of the commotion and let her exhaustion take over. Within minutes she slipped into a deep sleep and Link was glad for it. Link, however, stared into the darkness. The shadows in the ceiling formed into monsters and heroes as his eyes adjusted to the low light. He wondered if the Willikins would be okay, and if maybe he had seen one of these things everyone had been talking about. Link wondered if they were perhaps very brutish and ugly humans? He sort of felt bad for thinking it and instead thought of the woman he met in his dreams. He wondered if he might have caught a bad cold, and he was hallucinating. It wouldn't be the first time, he thought.

At some point in the night Link heard the creek of the front door, breaking the silence of the sleepless night. His fathers large frame creaked the boards as he walked across the front room.

"Theo?" His mother's tired voice cracked. "Wots is happening?" She seemed to perk up a bit, still at a whisper. "Do you...do you think it has something to do with them." Link stayed still and listened in to the hushed voices. The closeness of the rooms made for an easy eavesdrop, but the parents were aware and stayed nearly inaudible. He cupped his ears.

"Beasts and creatures are the words on their lips. They speak of armies of them moving here from the east."

"Theo, it's been a long time. D'yah think it would happen now? After this long?"

"We can't take any chances to think this is anything but what you were told could very well happen." There was an urgency in his father's voice he has never heard in all his years. Both of his parents were speaking in a way that sounded like they knew something very important that he didn't, yet somehow should have known by now.

"We need to tell the boy, Theo. We must." His mothers voice shook in whispers. There was a long pause of silence. The pause was so long, Link assumed they might have moved the conversation quietly outside.

"Tomorrow we will be on the move north." His father spoke, finally breaking the silent tension. "I promise we will tell him then." Straight and to the point, however with a err of exasperation. The cold resolve on his words made for a definitive plan, which no protest from his mother was heard. They were quiet again and Link was left to lie with his thoughts. After what felt like about an hour or so, he closed his eyes to attempt again to fall into a sleep that would successfully escape him.

Link rolled over to face his window. The town was so quiet with the festival being canceled. The festival's end was usually marked with the tradition of floating paper lanterns into the sky. He looked on at the town, imagining the hundreds of orange lights floating slowly upward. A sadness overcame him as his memories filled him with a longing and nostalgia he wasn't prepared to face so late in the night.

His eyes adjusted back, as he became aware again of his surroundings. It was then, he noticed something glowing along the skyline of the town and what he was sure looked like a pillar of smoke. He figured the townsfolk that were leaving might be working late into the night. He positioned himself on his bed so he could continue to watch the town in his attempt to both solve his curiosity, and relax into a sleeping position for any rest he could snag at this point of the night.

As he looked out, he noticed a horse moving quickly through the snow with a lantern held ahead of it. That's odd. He didn't mind anything of it and closed his eyes.

The sound of movement shook him back from sleep. He heard very clearly what sounded like the front door opening again, this time much more frantic than before. Link shot up and listened in.

"Brandon? It's so late, lad. What are you doing here?"

"Theo!" The man shouted, nearly breathless, "We're under attack!" It sounded like the Mayor, and he was frantic. Link immediately got up from his bed and put on his clothes. He slung his father's sword onto his shoulder and made his way to the front room. Theo looked over to see his son ready for battle. His mother came out of her room, dressed in her nightgown. She looked terrified.

"Wot'cha mean by it? Are ya serious?" She clutched at her collar. "The child. Theo we have to leave now!" She sounded terrified and desperate.

"I'll stay and fight with father." Link said. He was ready to defend anything if he needed. Sword handling skills notwithstanding. The thought sent a cold chill down his spin that was quickly doused with his willingness to protect his family.

"No lad. You three need to leave now." His voice was strong and direct.

"Theo! Please don't do this. They don't need you." His mothers eyes welled with tears.

It was almost instant; first the sound of a rumble and almost immediately after horns blasting. Without much thought, Link ran outside with his sword in hand towards his horse. As he stepped outside his eyes fixated on the town. Burning roofs and billowing smoke and embers could be seen from their quiet spot on the hill.

"LINK! Boy get back here!" His father tried to catch him, but Link was much faster. In a flash he had made it to the stables and rode off towards town. There is no time for thinking when it comes to saving lives. Words from his own fathers mouth.

As Link got closer to the town, he saw the attackers swarming the buildings and streets. It was there he saw them; large monstrous creatures with pig-like faces and gnarled human-like bodies storming the streets of Thistlebrand.

The scene was chaotic. The entire town was scattering for their lives. Wagons attempted to leave the town quickly going off in different directions with the hopes the monsters wouldn't catch them. Flaming arrows flew through the air, targeting the wagons almost at random. Link's heart pounded as he struggled to make the next move. He was being pulled every way and wasn't sure who to help. His horse, not familiar with all of this kind of tensionq, began to move and shift about anxiously. Link struggled to control Luna as he formulated a plan of action.

He heard screaming and looked over to see a woman struggling with a group of the strange pig people. Link managed to control his horse enough to quickly make his way over. Sword in hand, he readied his swing. Just like the axe.

He hopped off his horse and prepared to battle the creatures. They were much larger up close, and extremely fast. He moved quickly towards the woman and moved in for an attack, swinging his sword down like an axe. The creature moved off to the side in a jerking motion, just missing a hit to its arm. Link snapped up quickly to go in for another attack.

Almost immediately, a sharp flash of pain hit him on the side. Link looked down to see an arrow sticking out of him and fresh crimson staining his tunic. Luna, already highly anxious in the situation, bucked and attacked the nearest pig people before full gating off into the night.

The pain of the arrow was blinding, and he soon realized how deeply in over his head he was. He stood his ground on the blood soaked snow as the surrounding pig beasts made their way towards him. The girl who he tried to help managed to escape on her own as the beasts turned their attention to the foolhardy blond wielding a sword. He pulled the arrow from him and held his side tightly to slow the bleeding.

Link winced and took a swing at the nearest one, missing entirely. The creatures held crude weapons made of wood and scraps of metal, but were exceptional fighters in comparison to a man who splits wood for a living.

One of the beasts jolted at him with a wooden club, screeching and snorting. Link, without thinking, quickly sidestepped the attack, leaving the backside of the Beast exposed. His arms moved the sword deftly, and swung forward to stick the end into the back of the Beast. He pushed the sword into the creature deep, and then quickly pulled the sword back. The creature fell into the snow lifeless. Link could feel the rush. He took a life that wasn't an animal, however he isn't sure he could really call these things human either. The other four noticed their fallen friend almost immediately and rushed at Link with bloodlust.

His head was foggyadhis eyes began to lose focus. He wasn't sure how much he was bleeding but he had a feeling it was a lot. He needed to get his bearings or his first time using a sword would be his last. Link stepped forward, and his knees buckled.

Just as his knee hit the snow, a group of men on horseback surrounded him and the creatures, his father leading the charge. The horses stomping out the pig people, and their swords chopping down the remains. Link watched their own archers knock out those who were picking off the wagons trying to escape. Everything happened in a matter of seconds, but to Link it felt like time was slower than ever. He watched on as the men defending the town made quick work of the beasts. They weren't very good fighters, the pig people, but they had several in their armies.

Waves and waves more came at the men in droves. What was a sort of reprieve was shattered as he watched the men slowly become overwhelmed. Link frantically whistled for his horse, realizing he was in no shape to fight as the pain to his side was nearly unbearable.

As his eyes scanned the area for Luna, Link felt a violent crack to his head. Almost immediately, his world and the chaos around him faded to black as he slipped into darkness.