Don't worry. . .He's coming ;)

It had been three weeks since she escaped The Kurgan. In that time she came across a small cottage where she saw a family of three children, a father and a mother roughly her size. When they were all out she crept into the home and rummaged through their things until she found a simple dress and animal skin boots that she was happy to find fit her. She took them both and ran. When she found a clearing she put them on and found that while everything was a tad too big it would do. She left the shift from The Kurgan's castle lying in the dirt, if he ever found her trail he'd lose it now due to her change in scent.

She would travel by night to avoid being seen and at first was terrified but after finding a heavy enough stick to use as a club she found a little bit more confidence. She survived off eating berried and water but when the need for meat came she searched for, and found, another cottage. She would have gone to a market but the chances of being seen and caught frightened the wits out of her. She found a dagger and a bow with arrows, without knowing how to use either she took them and ran.

Nadia was a clever, and naïve, girl. She had to stare at the bow and arrows for over an hour before she figured out how they worked, she used them easily enough. It was by pure chance than she came across a sleeping stag in the woods where she traveled, and it was by the grace of God that she managed to hit it. With a foolish heart she had to look away while it died.

When it passed she stood over it, staring at the dead body and wondering how in God's name she would skin it. She picked it up and after a few minutes of pulling its dead weight around, the weak young woman dropped it in frustration. There was no way she would be able to drag it to anyone to help her and she was not about to attempt to skin it on her own. She had no choice but to dig a hole until it was deeper than she was tall and bury it. She hoped no animal would find it and took off to the village she saw.

She walked into the tavern, dirt smeared over her face and looked around. There were plenty of men around but since her time with Him she could hardly pluck up the courage to so much as speak to one. She simply took a sit and kept telling herself that she would eventually speak to one of them, hopefully a weaker looking man would come. As she sat and looked out the window the bar maid, a young woman with bright blonde hair and deep brow eyes, couldn't help but notice the poor girl at the back. She smiled and made her way over to her.

"Hello!" She greeted brightly. The dark haired girl looked at her curiously. "Name's Cara. Can I help you with anything?"

Nadia looked at her before it clicked in her head; this was a peasant girl, she would know someone who could help her. She rolled her shoulders as she felt the arrow tip that was loded between her shoulder blades scrape against her and then answered, "Uh, yes. I actually need help with something."

Cara looked at her expectantly. "Ask anything."

"I uh, I'm new at hunting you see." She started rather pathetically. "And I have a stag buried in the woods, but I. . .well I. . ." She suddenly felt weak and helpless and it brought back memories.

The blonde seemed to feel her sadness though and helped her, "I see. You bagged yourself a catch but don't know what to do with it." Nadia nodded sheepishly, Cara grinned kindly. "I can help you, my brother will know what to do. Stay here." She bounded off out of the bar and to the stairs where people slept upstairs.

Nadia shrugged and stayed put, she had nowhere else to go. She turned her attention back to the arrow head in her back. She suppressed a groan, after breaking the shaft off at the castle she was forced to leave the rest of it where it was because she couldn't reach it and she feared but someone would think if she asked them to help her remove it. It would be a dead give away to who she was and if he was searching for her it would mean the end of her newly found freedom.

Cara came back with an older boy who looked nearly identical to her. She introduced him as Orion but when she went to introduce the girl she stopped for a moment and then turned to her.

"I know naught your name," she said. "It would be?"

Nadia's face paled and she looked terrified, Cara showed concern. "My name? It's. . .Aimee."

The other girl smiled, "Orion, this is Aimee. We've just met. She has a wee bit o' a problem." She winked at her brother. He was silent but looked kind, he looked at Nadia in curiosity. "You see Aimee has herself a right good catch out in the woods she says but doesn't know what to do with it. So I says we can help her."

Her brother nodded and gestured for Nadia to lead the way. She gratefully did. When she showed them where she hid her catch they helped her dig it back up and Orion went to work helping her skin it while Cara built a fire.

"Would we be able to join you for a bite?" She asked.

Nadia smiled and nodded, it had been so long since she had a friend she was happy to do so. Cara sat and motioned for Nadia to do the same. She looked around and then at Nadia.

"You don't carry much do you?" She asked, the dark haired girl shook her head and partly watched Orion work. "Well I'll have to help yeh with that. It seems you be a traveler and if you're gonna travel you need certain things, like a blanket and a pack for carrying your meat and weapons there." She looked at the fine bow Nadia carried. "We also have an old mare in the stables. She isn't strong enough to plough or work in the mill so she just in the stables or grazes in the pastures most of the time, yeh can have her if yeh want. She's of no more use to us but I think she can help you. Aint that right brotha?"

She leaned back and the two girls looked at Orion, he simply nodded and concentrated on his work. Cara went back to talking endlessly and Nadia watched her brother, it didn't seem like the blond noticed. When he was done he put it over the spit and began roasting it. He cut thinner strips and laid them out on a rock to dry, Nadia had never seen it done before and was curious.

She turned to Cara, "What is that he's doing?"

She laughed kindly. "Ye've never seen jerky before? Yeh dry it out and it makes for meat yeh can take with you with long periods of time. Better than carrying raw meat, and it doesn't attract other forest animals."

Nadia liked the idea. It was sunset by the time the meat was either eaten or dried. The brother-sister duo stayed with her and Cara was kind to her, Orion was quiet and when he did speak his voice was soft for a man. As night fell they began to leave.

"Would ye like to come with us?" Cara asked, Orion looked slightly hopeful.

Nadia had to think. These people were so kind to her, and she wanted a proper place to sleep. She nodded, "Alright. For tonight. I must be on my way some dawn."

As they began walking back to the village with her catch bagged and the skin rolled, something she gave to Orion, they made their way back. Along the way Orion walked close to Nadia.

"Why must ye go so soon?" He asked gently.

She shied away from him as a natural instinct now, "I have to be somewhere quickly." She looked apologetic.

He nodded.

She turned to Cara for another question, "Could you, well could you tell me what year it is?"

Cara looked amused and nodded, "Tis 1451 it is."

Nadia's heart stopped, "Five years?! I had been locked up in that castle for five years! Not ten. . ." She had to force herself to keep walking instead of fainting.

They gave her a room along with things she would need since it was obvious she didn't have the proper things to travel; a pack for her food, a proper walking stick, a belt for her dagger. She took them with graciousness. She asked about the mare and they showed her which one it was. Like they said it was old but it seemed strong enough to help her along. When they were all asleep she crept down the stairs and out of the tavern, she went to the stables and saddled her horse before leading it on foot out of the stable and back onto her original path.

When she crested the hill that over looked the village she looked back sadly at the tavern where she had been shown any sort of kindness in five long years. She kept walking for months without stopping, along the way getting better at bow and dagger throwing. The day finally came when she climbed high into an unknown mountain range and found a cozy sized cave carved by nature out of a rock face. Upon exploring it better she found it to her liking. Not caring where she was she decided to call this new cave home.

Poor Orion...I think he liked her. Even though Nadia doesn't know it yet, she made the right choice to leave him behind. . .