Chapter One
I shivered through my thin shawl as another gust of wind blew. This was by far the coldest night so far during the bitter Winter, and Chione, the Goddess of snow, had already worked her magic on the sleepy village. Snow covered all the roofs and the roads; ice made every dorrstep slippery, and now I felt frozen onto ours. Word had arrived that some of the soldiers would return by the crack of dawn. My thoughts drifted back to the fateful day two years ago, when my older brother left to join the army to fight against Sparta alongside many other brave men. I choked back my tears; what if he didn’t come in the morning? What news would his friends bring? The full moon’s light now filled the town with an ethereal light.
“Are you afraid your beloved brother has passed away like your father?” asked a scornful voice. I looked up to see a regal-looking woman as pale as unsoiled snow. She was dressed in a pale blue tunic held together by a delicately woven silver belt. The tunic cut off at her knees, emphasizing her lithe, athletic figure, and her long, black hair trailed behind her like the wings of the Night.
“Who…who are you?” I stammered. My blood froze when I saw a quiver of silver arrows and a bow slung over her shoulder. A hunter…, I thought, but they are supposed to be mythical....
She held out a silver circlet, “Why worry about him? He has discovered his destiny, and now so must you.” She started walking closer and closer. Out of reflex, I scrambled to my feet and I tried to step back. My foot slid on the ice and I fell backwards, banging my shoulder on the door’s frame. The excruciating pain made my vision go blank as the lady gently placed the circlet on my head. Before I completely blacked-out, I heard her say,
“Discover your destiny, choose your fate. Travel South by night, the Moon be your guide, it is never too late."
