The car came to a screeching halt and its occupants all came forward with the momentum. One of the two in the back went to ask why they had stopped so suddenly, but his voice betrayed him. All three conscious people watched in horror as a girl burned on a pyre right in the middle of the street before them.
"We need to help her!" the only femme spoke up, rushing out of the car and towards the burning girl. She muttered a spell but found it did nothing. She muttered another one, this one stronger than the one before. This spell did not affect either. The girl clicked her tongue in distress and agitation, her mind racing to find some way to save the girl. But a sudden crackle disrupted her concentration. The fire on the pyre crackled loud for all to hear and then tendrils of fire shot out towards the femme, faster than she could react. Four tendrils came, each one grasping a limb. Then came another tendril, bigger and thicker than the four before it. This one wrapped itself around the femme's middle. All five pulled the femme towards the flames. The girl with auburn hair tried to fight it, tugging and pulling against it. But the more she pulled, the stronger the fire pulled her. In the end, all she could do was turn towards the car, watch the other two rush towards her, and then absolute darkness.
With a gasp, Hope Mikaelson woke to stare at whiteness. The winds were howling and the cold stung her painfully. She pushed herself to stand, finding her limbs protesting the act. But she stood, feeling something fall off her body. When she was fully standing up, she was looking at people dressed in armor. They were all looking at her as if she was some sort of an alien. Like they were not expecting her there. She couldn't blame them, she did not plan on being here either.
"The Lord of Light blesses us with more than we hoped!" she heard a woman shout. Even as the winds were howling, she heard the woman as clearly as if she was shouting right in her ears and not from a few paces in front of her. "He sends us a sword for this war! He sends his champion a hand to represent his own!" Hope found herself confused as she watched the woman preach and the men in the army respond with hearty shouts. "Let us pray to our lord for his blessings and show him how devoted we are!" the woman called and everyone followed suit.
"Lord of Light, look down upon us." the woman called.
"Lord of Light, defend us." the men responded.
"Lord of Light, protect us in the darkness."
"Lord of Light, shine your face upon us."
"Light your flame among us, R'hllor. Show us the truth or falseness of this man. Strike him down if he is guilty, and give strength to his sword if he is true. Lord of Light, give us wisdom."
"For the night is dark and full of terrors."
As the women led the men to prayer, all Hope could do was watch them dumbly, hugging her nude body and trying to make sense of it all.
