HI people! I hope you liked the last chaper.. But basically this chapter includes a bit of Ilene's past. I want to keep most of her past a mystery to keep all of you in suspense and keep reading the story. Ilene is a complicated, but caring character, I hope you guys grow to love her as much as I do. But don't worry the next chapter I'll bring it more full circle with more Merida, Elinor, and Fergus.

Chapter 2: Old Wounds and Open Doors

Ilene had lived in the Scottish Forest for a few weeks. Hunting, gathering, and fishing, life was great. It was not easy, but it was great.

On this particular day Ilene got up early to bath in the river. She looked down at raggedy clothes and realized that they won't last much longer. Ilene was still wearing the old boys' clothes that she wore before she boarded the ship. They were already raggedy and torn before she left, within another few weeks they would be completely rags.

At that moment she realized that if anybody did find her, or saw her that they'd know she was from a different country. The country wasn't the problem; it was the people she came from. She sat down next to the river, a knife, and a stick in her hand. As she whittled away, she began to ponder on why she was there. She finally accepted the fact that the past could never be ignored.

She flashed back to a few weeks before on the shores of Ireland. She and a group of rouge warriors were traveling together wanted criminals who could never leave a war behind. She's been living with these men, and a few wounded spirited women all her life. She's scene death, trained in war, and even on ordering had to end lives. She's only twelve.

The day before she got on the boat she and the other boys were sleeping in bundles near some rocks. Suddenly somebody kicks her and yells "Get up and move your lazy carcasses!"

Eyes squinting she looks up and see's there leader. Ciaran, tall, strong, and feared by all, his fiery red hair almost glowed when he yelled. Blood stained animal skin clothes covered his body, while the rest of his followers shivered in the cold. Some of the followers would say he wrestled a bear with his bare hands, and ripped the skin on its flesh. Did she believe that story? Yes, yes she did.

"Get up and move!" he yelled again. Brushing her long wavy hair out of her face she rose to her feet. The four young boys rose as well. Ciaran kept them around for future warriors, and they could easily sneak into enemy territory because they were small. But, he did not treat them any different just because they were children, he didn't even address them by name, he called them weasels.

Strapping on their weapons they headed out. They trudged along the muddy land all day. Around sunset they stopped to camp by a ridge. Temperature was dropping dramatically, winter was coming. Ilene saw the few women huddle together to keep warm. She walked over to them "Are ye all right?" she asked

"Keep away from us ye monster!" yelled on of them trembling.

Ilene couldn't blame her; she did feel like a monster. On that remark she immediately ran over the ridge she had to get away for a while. "These women don't deserve to be here." she thought "They should be in their homeland with their families." She knew they were only there to keep Ciaran satisfied.

She came to the edge of a forest where she saw herbs. Immediately she began collecting them, smelling them, and remembers a special person, her mother. Her mother was the best herbalist and healer anyone could have known. Even though her mother and her lived under Ciaran there whole life, Ilene learned a great deal from her mum. With all the death that was around her herbs to her meant life, she needs that right now.

"Weasel!" she heard. She whipped around quickly and put an arrow in her bow before you could bat an eye. There stood Ciaran who just laughed.

"I taught you well." He said "Now get back with the rest of the group."

Ilene put her bow around her shoulders and replied "I'm just gathering herbs for medicine. Many of the women are becoming ill."

"He, you're just as useless as your mother." He said coldly

I took every ounce of strength not to lunge at him. Instead she replied "Useless? If I'm so useless how come you've kept me around? Aren't I the best young fighter you have? Face it master, you need me."

With that he grabbed her hair and dragged her back to camp. When they got there he threw her in the center. "We travel tomorrow to the castle of the duke and duchess. This Weasel will sneak through the sewer and open the gate." Hey said point to Ilene. "Once inside we will raid, take what we can. I personally will kill the duke and duchess, and plant evidence behind that it was done by those filthy Scotts. We will once again declare war!" the men and boys cheered, the women cried, and Ilene was in shock.

Ciaran looked toward the weeping women. "Rid of them" he told a few men "We have no more use for them."

The women screamed in terror, Ilene was boiling over, this was too much! She ran up to Ciaran. "Ye can't! Ye can't do this!"

The whole camp fell silent. They knew she just signed her death wish. Ciaran grabbed her by the front of her clothes and lifted her to his face. "I can do whatever I want!"

"I won't do it!" she yelled

Ciaran paused for a moment stunned "I won't let you in to the castle quarters. I'm the only one who can fit through the sewers. I won't let you in, if you kill the women."

"You'll do what I say! And it's time you learned some respect!" he screamed, and marched toward the women. He firmly set her on the ground and held her shoulders tightly. "Kill them." He said silently.

Ilene screamed as she had to watch as the women she grew up with were slaughtered. After it was all done Ciaran let her loose. She whipped around and stared at his eyes with hatred. "We leave tomorrow." He said coldly, and walked away.

Hours past, Ilene couldn't sleep, how could she? She just stared at the moon and wished her life was different. She put her head into her knees and whispered "I want freedom."

Anger rose inside her. She wasn't going to let war happen. Quickly she looked around to make sure no one was watching her. She grabbed her bow, quiver, and dagger, and looked to the night watchman. He was quickly falling asleep after a hard day of walking. She waited until he fell asleep and then ran. She ran until she couldn't run anymore, and trudged on through the night.

As the sun rose she came across a harbor where boats shipping off. She got an idea. She hid behind some rocks, whipped out her dagger, and sliced her hair. She didn't care where she was going, but she had to get away. Looking down she was thankful to only own boy clothing.

She snuck over to the loading dock and jumped into a barrel with apples in it. She was so thankful that she was small. The cargo was loaded and the ship was off.

"It will be good seeing the great land of Scotland." Said one sailor

"Scotland!" Ilene thought "I'm heading to the land of my mum's!"

It wasn't too long before the sailors found her in the barrel. Thinking she was a runaway, and a boy she was put to work on the boat. Once they reached the land Ilene snuck off the boat and ran towards the forest.

Ilene flinched, as if she woken up from a bad nightmare. She looked down at the stick she had been whittling and it was in shreds. She sighed and stood up. "It's time to move." She told herself

Suddenly she heard a noise behind her, and turned ready to fight. To her amazement she saw a little blue creature floating in the air. "A will'o the wisp." she whispered her mum told her about them.

She began to follow them, not knowing where they would lead her. She didn't know that fate has a funny way of turning her life around.