Saviors of Deflorna

Fahnora

I am in the forest picking herbs. Some henroot, blackcrout, and some Anise. I need to take these home and dry them. My alchemy abilities are what I use to make money. I also use them to cook. Ahead of me flies my beautiful bird, Aldara. Aldara means winged gift. I believe that her name represents exactly what she is. She has been with me for the longest time. She has ideal eyesight and helps scout for herbs and injured people. Her grey and white feathers reflect the sun. She is a kite bird, which is traditionally trained to hunt for prey. I found Aldara when she was a little older than a hatchling trying to fly. She had fallen from the tree and I healed her. The scent of me made her mother abandon her so I took her in and trained her to help me. The trees are tall and provide protection and shade. The branches intertwine and twist together in beautiful ways. I pass other herbs I can collect but I need lunch and to fetch my basket.

Walking back to the little cottage my parents had cleverly hidden I hear moaning among the bushes. I place my herbs down and move the bush aside. I see a man sitting there holding his ribs. I can't feel anything from him. He looks hurt but he doesn't feel hurt. Fear suddenly strikes me and I run. I don't even pay attention as I trample the herbs I just collected. I duck under the bush. I am looking for something to give themselves away. They are here again. They have come to finish the job they started. Silent tears roll down my face as I think about my parents, I have been alone for four years. I am now seventeen years old. Men came from the forest claiming to be hurt and killed my parents, I was hidden in a room unknown to anyone but those who lived there. They thought I was gone. Aldara hadn't warned me so she must have thought they were fine too.

The stress was making me hungry and tired, a man walks by the bush I was hiding in. I know how to kill a man if I have to but I don't want to. I could also get Aldara to attack him if I need her to. I am a healer, I can feel others pain and I gladly accept it so that they don't feel it anymore. He walks past and I let go of the breath I was holding. I wipe the tears that were still wet on my face. Looking up at Aldara I ask her with my eyes if she can see the others. She cocks her head as if she was confused. I slowly creep out to go in the opposite direction. Then I feel someone, more than one person. They jumped from the trees and grabbed me from behind.

"What is a pretty lady like you doin' all alone in the forest? How's about you come with us for a bit before we send you off to Crystallin?" He laughed as he held me tighter. Chills of disgust run through me.

"My husband will not let you do that. I told him I was out collecting herbs in the forest. He is expecting me back so if you don't let me go he will find and kill you." I am not really married but I need him to let me go. I am at an eligible marriage age so this could very well be true.

He just laughs in return. I elbow him in the ribs and twist his arm until I hear a crack. He screams and it hurts me inside. "You witch! I know who you are! You can't outrun us. It only gets worse for you! "

No! That means he isn't just some lowlife. Why hadn't Aldara warned me? I don't understand, it seemed as if she couldn't see him. He wasn't bluffing. He is here for me. I run as fast as I can away from him. I know that I am getting close to the village. I haven't been there since the last trading post. The jingling of my bracelets must have led them to me. I start to take them off. Holding them in my hand to stop the jingling I throw them in the hollow tree. I feel like I dropped one but I don't have the time to retrieve it. Now I am at the edge of the village. There was a lot of commotion so maybe I won't be noticed. I run into the fray of the crowd. Catching the end of my skirt so I don't trip, I readjust myself. I start to walk farther into the crowd. I see streamers and people dressed up. It must be a Festival of some sort. The sight was calming me down, nobody would dare hurt a lady in town.