There was something about him, the way he looked at me he could tell it to. A rush of pins and needles shot through my body as my head started to spin furiously. No, not now. Anytime but now. I already know my past I don't need to know anything else. Trying to break free of this guy's grip I was stumbling as my whole vision was a haze. I could barely stand up on my own, I felt his arms wrap tighter around me, sending my head hurting around in a mad frenzy. I was doing my best to fight it off, this can't happen again.

I was fighting, trying to force my eyes open and quicken my breathing. Anything that would delay the dreams, otherwise I would be as good as dead right now. Without even seeing them I could tell we were being surrounded by bandits with every second that pass. This will probably be my end.

"Ryan, great job getting the intruder, but she would have died either way. You know what to do. Kill her!" One of the bandits threw a knife to him.

Landing on the ground the knife was only an inch away from me. Should have thought about it, of course he is one of them. "Do anything to her and you all die in two seconds." I heard Senjore, and the familiar straining of a bow and arrow. "This arrow is dipped in a powerful neurotoxin, and trust me, I never miss."

"Ryan! Just kill the girl, this buffoon is nothing but a peasant with empty threats." The bandit ordered. "I mean what's a man who can't even hold a bow and arrow properly going to do?"

A roar of laughter strutted around me as I struggled to get free and stay awake. Able to get one solids blow to the jaw, the bandit Ryan dropped me to the ground. Never before have I ever felt so useless, Senjore just get out of here.

"No. And sorry to burst your bubble but I don't need to even hold it rights to be able to kill every last one of you with ease." Senjore felt proud.

"Carl, you took me in when I was lost. You raised me when I had nothing left, I owe you my life." Ryan began. "But no matter how much I owe you, I will not kill anyone for any reason."

"So Ryan, after all these years. This is how you finally repay everything I've ever sacrificed for you? Alright then, kill all three of them." Carl started to walk away.

"Sorry but assassins don't get killed by mere thieves lurking in the woods." Senjore started sending arrows into the chest of every single one of about twenty bandits. He did so like rapid fire as they feared their lives, but they were too slow to react and Senjore has practice this same tactic for years.

The last arrow was aimed at Ryan but he fire Senjore could release, I used my energy to push myself off the ground and in front of him. "Ter what are you doing! This one nearly killed you!" Senjore was angered.

"For one let one person live, he didn't and he said he wouldn't. He also saved my life and threw away what he had. Put the arrows away." I could barely speak, gasping for air.

Usually Senjore would've fought back, but I fell back to the ground yet again. Ryan knelt down next to me, confused looking unit me eyes. "Why do you seem so familiar? Why did you try to save me from him?" He whispered.

"Bandit, get away from her!" Senjore spat at him.

"Bandit? You're going to criticize me, you're an assassin. You kill for fun!" Ryan stepped towards him.

"You don't know nothing of what we do or what we have to endure." Senjore stabbed his voice.

"Sure, living in a cushy cave instead of out here with nothing but what we can get. Sorry that your cushy life isn't enough for you." Ryan sassed back.

"Will you children knock it out! Bandit or assassin, doesn't matter anymore." I was able to mumble, luckily they heard.

Senjore quickly ran over to me, trying to pick me up bridal style. Failing with all the weapons he mysteriously had around him. Where on earth did he get all of these weapons?

"Hey, you are carrying all of those things. I'll carry her. We can go to the river not far from here. It's one of the few places with a nice hiding place. Also patrols will be coming through here soon, I don't think we want to be here when they see all of this." Ryan gestured to all the dead bodies.

"You're not take her ...."

"Senjore just don't." I shut him up. Ryan scooped me into his arms and started trudging north, with Senjore right behind him.

Pure uneasiness was sent between them as the deafening silence made me wonder what they were thinking. Senjore would know I'm sure. I wanted to say something, to be able to be able to move even my pinky, but I was way to weak. Still trying to fight off the intrusion I could tell I was losing. Senjore didn't like Ryan, what did he have against bandits?

"How much farther?" Senjore asked, knowing I wasn't well.

"About thirty paces, not far at all. Don't worry we'll get there no problem." Ryan didn't understand, he didn't know what was going on. Though I could feel him getting a little dizzy as well.

I could feel a rush of energy flush through my veins, I finally found the strength to overcome the memory. "I can walk." I looked up at Ryan.

Stopping quickly he was able to put me down. Still a little unstable Senjore placed one of his hands on my shoulder, reassuring me that he'd be there if I fell or needed him. Ryan led the way, getting a little slower, "Ryan, are you feeling okay?" I asked walking a little closer to him.

We had just reached the river, Ryan's eyes were distant. I placed my hand on his forearm trying to get him attention, he jumped and fell straight into the river. The current was so rapid and strong, I instantly grabbed his hand trying to pull him back to land. A quick picture of too little kids doing the same thing flashed in my mind, and the intrusion flooded in with a massive hit. Sending me hurtling into the water with Ryan.

"Ter!!!!!!" I heard Senjore scream before I fully lost all consciousness.

~~~ * • * ~~~

Running endlessly through the forest, panic surged through my veins. Nothing but adrenaline was keeping me going. Weak, tired, alone, and helpless, I just kept running faster and faster. Tears streamed down my cheeks with my heart racing faster than a shooting star. A loose under dress was saturated clinging to my young figure, torn and mangled. My black hair was in a loose bun with little hairs sticking out everywhere.

A single twig snapped behind my was enough to put her on edge. Diving quickly under a nearby bush I trembled awaiting the end.

"Alteria! Alteria! Are you out there! Please answer me!" A boy bursted out behind a tree.

"Ezoryn!" I jumped out of the bush and ran straight into his arms.

"You're alive, I couldn't find you after we went over the waterfall. What happened to you?" The boy was relieved.

"Someone snatched me out of the water, I ran as soon as I hit solid ground. I don't know who it was, they weren't very grown up, maybe around your age." I explained.

Embracing each other in a big hug we refused to let go. I may have been nine and the boy about seventeen we may be alone and terrified but we found each other. From the looks of it he must've been some sort of knight. "Come on, we must get to Lord Cralmon's castle. Lord Cralmon will meet us there, he will protect you don't worry.." Ezoryn told me.

"What about Ann? What happened to her?" Alteria asked.

"I haven't seen her since we fell in the waterfall. Thank you by the way, for trying to pull me out. You shouldn't have though, you fell right in with me." Ezoryn helped me to my feet. "Let's go before anyone finds us that we don't want to find us." He unsheathed his sword and started to lead me through the forest.

We started walking hand in hand, heading north for Lord Cralmon's castle, to the Lord that was just assassinated. "Alteria, you must promise me one thing."

"Yes?"

"If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to leave me behind, leave me behind. If I tell you to hide, hide quickly. You must promise to listen to whatever I say, we're in the bandits and assassins woods, we have no place here. If we get caught nothing good will happen to us. Promise me to do whatever I say." Ezoryn stopped and looked at her.

"Always." I smiled. "Just please don't make me leave you behind."

"I can't make any promises, you are our future, not me." Ezoryn answered.

Silence echoed between us. Continuing to walk on, careful to leave no trials or broken twigs to be followed. I didn't want to argue with him about the future, knowing he was wrong but not wanting him to say anything more discouraging about himself.

"I knew we'd find something today." A low voice bones behind them. Spinning around the bandit Carl was standing over them. Wasn't he just dead covered in his own blood? "Come on guys, we found little ones this time."

Bandits flooded in, most of them faces that resembled those of the dead ones under the crow's nest, how could they be walking now? "Alteria, remember what you promised earlier?" Ezoryn held the girl behind his back.

"Yeah." I whispered.

"Leave me, run!" He ordered while unsheathing a sword and running. Straight for the bandits. "Go!"

Terrified I ran to my little heart's content, hearing fighting behind me but knowing to listen to what he said. Looking back slightly I didn't even notice until I ran straight into a tree. Once hitting the ground, what I thought was a tree was actually a large man in a red cloak. "Aww how cute, a little girl." He grabbed my arm and started dragging me.

"Ma'am, we found one of them." He threw me into the center of red cloaks.

One figured stepped forward, taking off her hood, she looked down at the me. "Who are you?" I whimpered.

"My little one, my name is Madame Aliska, and you will learn to call me nothing but that." She grabbed my face.

"Hand me one of those vials, it's her alright. The perfect prize, the one that will leave the throne empty. Wait to see the looks on their faces." Madame Alsika took a crystal blue liquid and poured it down my throat.

"She'll forget all of this before now, when she wakes up she'll be a new girl."

I instantly screamed as loud as I could, an earpiece ing shriek of pain. Echoing back came his voice, "Alteria!"

The assassins grabbed me, Madame Alsika used the hilt of her knife to knock me out. As my flailed on the ground, a small little ankle bracelet fell off my ankle and I was dragged away.