What scared her the most about this entire ordeal was not the fact that she was facing imminent death, nor the forest she was standing in that would surely make death a reality, but the painful silence that accompanied her as she walked among the dense undergrowth, carefully untangling leaves and twigs that got caught in her hair with each step she took. The only thing keeping her from going mad was the feeling of her handmade bow nestled comfortably in the palm of her hand, the smoothness of the wood against her skin, and the warmth it emanated as she trudged through the thicket. The quiver of arrows resting on her back was soothing enough, although she feared it would be of no use except defense in a few moments. The price, she reflected, of becoming a Feyan Knight was high, but the rewards and the pride of protecting her homeland were well worth the effort.
Named for a weapon of war, it was apparent that Katana was destined for battle at a young age when, accidentally, she murdered a sheep with a few quick maneuvers while playing with her father's old battle axe. A lashing and a scolding followed, along with the retirement of the axe to the mantle above the fireplace, collecting dust and oohs and aahs from visitors through the years. Although her father was indeed angry, he was also secretly impressed that Katana, being a woman, would possess the skill and swiftness of a male soldier, especially at the tender age of six. Thus began Katana's education in the art of swordplay and battle tactics, as well as archery and hunting, and, at the request of her mother, who was still a bit skeptical about her daughter's battle training, needlepoint and cooking, along with other household tasks. Katana excelled at both, and by the time she was sixteen, her skills greatly exceeded those of men.
The Feyan knights were first brought to Katana's attention at the harvest moon festival during her sixteenth year. The normally quiet streets of her village were bustling with traders, shopkeepers, magicians, gypsies, dancers, and the like. Katana had been given the freedom to roam the streets and a few copper pieces, while her father bartered with the traders. Striding along the dirt roads, she had admired the various booths with little interest, except maybe for the one with the hot, sweet cinnamon buns she had loved as a child. As the came to the market square, a low chanting and a slow drumbeat caught her attention. A large crowd gathered around a group of about fifty or so women, each one lean and muscular, performing what looked like a mixture of dance and sword fighting without swords in time to the beat. Their eyes were closed as they chanted and danced around the square, and yet they moved fluidly, anticipating and blocking their opponents' every moves, and executing a few of their own, always managing to meet their target, even when they were parried. Katana stood captivated, even when the show ended and the crowd dispersed in their own varying states of wonderment. A tall, dark-haired woman with almond shaped eyes turned slightly upward noticed Katana standing there, and slowly walked up to her, moving nimbly, gracefully, almost catlike. Coming to stand beside Katana, she murmured in a deep voice that flowed like molasses "So, you enjoyed the show then?" Startled out of her trance, Katana replied "I- yes, it was lovely. H-how did you do it?" Smiling, the woman replied "The hard way." Katana laughed, and all traces of awkwardness vanished into the cool of the day. The woman continued "The Feyan Knights are trained not only in strength and battle tactics, but also in focus and concentration, and clearing one's mind of all outside thoughts so that the only thing that is going through your head is the sequence of moves your opponent performs. You learn your opponent's strengths and weaknesses to better tailor your attacks toward your opponent, greatly increasing your chances of coming out on top."
A fierce longing grew in the depths of Katana's soul, like a small flame burning brightly amidst the darkness of her insides, kindled more and more with each word the lady knight spoke, until it was a roaring bonfire burning every other desire Katana had. She wanted to be one of them, one of these graced women, wanted to belong to them, and live and train and eat with them. She expressed this desire to the woman with much fervor. At this the woman grew sober. "Becoming a Feyan Knight is not for the weak at heart. You must train every day, working on the things you know you need to improve, and even then you always feel you are not prepared, that you could be better. Then you must pass a single ordeal, one that the Knights have chosen for you. Although there is only one, it is very difficult, and most do not survive. There are some, though, who come out of it alive, and those are the ones we accept into our army. Are you sure you want to go through with this. Consider the odds."
Katana did, and although they were not promising, the will to try flared inside her and she insisted that she was ready. The woman nodded, and asked to speak to Katana's parents, whom she obediently summoned. The Knight presented her case, and although they were not happy, Katana's parents agreed that this was the right thing for her. Her skill at running a household, they said, would never have sufficed, for becoming someone's wife was not part of her itinerary and never would be. And so the day of the ordeal arrived.
Katana had met the woman, whose name was Mira, at the edge of a dark forest, along with a few other Feyan Knights clothed in black. Mira had permitted Katana to bring one weapon of choice with her, although she argued that Katana may not need it. Katana had chosen her bow, for although it was old, it had served her well more times than she could count. "This," Mira began "is the Forest of Temptation. You can probably guess by its name what purpose it serves. Many a man has been lost in these woods, fallen victim to his own petty desires. Your task is to navigate these woods, all the while resisting your own temptations. If you succeed, you become one of us. If you fail, you become one of the many corpses rotting in these woods. Are you sure you want to proceed? There is still time to turn back if you are unsure."
"I am," Katana replied, sounding more confident than she felt.
"Very well. We place our blessing upon you. Go."
Taking a deep breath, Katana strode into the thicket.
Now, about halfway into the woods, Katana was fearful, mainly because she was halfway through and nothing had happened yet. She was starting to wonder if something would come out and tempt her before she went mad, when she was startled by a rustling behind her. An arrow was nocked and ready to be fired before she had even finished her pivot. The leaves parted to reveal... her mother? Katana ran to her. "Mother," she cried "what are you doing here? This is the Forest of Temptation! You will die if you go further!"
Her mother smiled and took Katana's hand. "My dear Katana. Why are you so intent on becoming a warrior? The battlefield is no place for a lady," she cooed softly. "It isn't?" Katana replied, feeling her mind becoming cloudy, as if some unseen force was taking over. "No, my darling, it isn't. Come with me. We will find you a nice husband, and you can settle down, away from the worries and strife of army life." She tugged Katana's hand gently. Katana pondered. It did sound nice. After all, who would want to live in fear of getting killed anyway, when you could have a nice warm home and a loving family to care for you?
Something flickered in the back of Katana's mind, and for a fleeting moment she was brought back to reality- but that was all Katana needed. "Mother, I thank you kindly for the offer... but that is not what I want!" With lightning speed, Katana pulled an arrow from her quiver and plunged it into her mother's heart. With a scream of agony, her mother turned to dust, which floated to the ground, but by the time it reached the carpet of leaves, Katana was gone.
With the swiftness of a deer Katana ran through the forest. Voices screamed out at her from the shadows, completely incomprehensible, yet something was slowing her down, tugging her backwards. Numerous figures promised wealth, good fortune, and perfect health, like merchants at the festival. Their screams resounded through the woods, and the farther she ran, the harder it was to resist. It felt as if her mind was being torn in half, and with each step she slowed more and more until she felt as if she was running through molasses. Just up ahead she could see that the trees were thinning, and light filtered through. Pain exploded behind her eyes, excruciating pain. She was falling apart. Her mind was broken. She was losing consciousness fast...
Suddenly she cleared the trees and fell into Mira's open arms.
