The black sky was all that could be seen for miles, the moonless night shrouding the landscape in an endless blanket. Above, the stars glistened like dewdrops caught in the moonlight. Everything was still. Not even a breeze tickled the trees.

One man fought through the darkness, fleeing an unseen enemy. Sweat dripped from his pale face onto the bundle in his arms. Branches slashed at him, but his only concern was to protect the child. A root stretched up across his path. He tripped over it and fell to the ground, rolling to keep the bundle off of the forest floor.

Panic pulsed through his veins. He had to escape. He had to save the child. Rising to his feet, he glanced at the face of the baby in his arms. The child looked up at him, silently, as if he, too, knew the danger they were in.

Nearby, the search hounds bayed in the forest. The man looked in their direction before entering the glade. The soldiers were too close. He would not make it out of the forest alive.

A small settlement of twenty buildings littered the glade. The man ran out into the clearing, praying for safety for the baby. Behind him, three hounds exited the forest. Shortly afterward, five men on horseback followed.

The man weaved through the houses and posts, desperate for escape. To his dismay, his pursuers continued to close the distance between them. He ducked into a barn.

He fell to his knees, gasping for breath. The baby was asleep. A single tear slid down the man's cheek. This child was their future--their only hope of survival--yet only a few months old. If he could survive to adulthood...

A noise outside pulled the man back to the present. This child had to survive. The guardian found a basket near the door and gently laid the baby inside. After a quick look around the barn, his eyes fell on the blanket over the horse stall. He grabbed it.

He peered through the cracked door. No shadows moved in the darkness. He shoved the door open as silently as he could, but it still issued forth a low groan. There was no time to ponder whether the soldiers heard. He hoisted the basket and darted for the nearest house, stumbling beneath the awkward load. At the door, he set the basket on the ground. Gazing at the child's smooth, baby-soft skin, the man wished he could know what kind of a man the baby would become if he lived long enough.

The soldiers shouted to each other. Any moment he would be seen. The man pushed the baby up against the house. With a deep breath, he ran away from the child, the horse blanket bound up in his arms like the bundle he had carried out of the forest. Careful to be seen, he took off toward the soldiers. He couldn't let them find the baby or the family he was left with. He had to keep running away from the house for the baby's safety. They had to follow him, or his country was doomed.

One soldier spotted the man in the darkness. He called out for his comrades to give chase. The hunted man ducked into the woods with the horsemen and hounds on his trail.

All hope was in the child.

Vala was a petite girl, but that worked to her advantage. It helped her glide through the woods and sneak around unseen. She stood still as the wind rippled through the leaves around her, conveying the impression that there were many people out in the darkness. Although the late evening sky was dark, she preferred it that way when she hunted. It helped disguise her. For if she weren't disguised, she would go hungry. Or worse.

A loose, mid-thigh-length tunic hung over tight trousers with a leather belt about the waist that cinched the tunic in place. Her green cloak flowed freely and covered her entire frame, the cowl pulled over her head, completing her disguise as a boy. She carried only two weapons: her bow and her dagger in her belt.

After hours of roaming the forest, she finally found the deer she was trailing. Vala set her bag on the ground and withdrew an arrow from her quiver. Notching the arrow into her bowstring, she pulled it taut and waited for the right moment to release.

The deer turned to drink in the brook. She released her breath as she let the arrow fly. The buck fell to the ground. She picked up her bag and approached the fallen deer. He didn't stir.

"Well, well, well...look what we 'ave 'ere."

Vala whipped around with her dagger in hand, her hood falling from her head. Two men approached her from opposite sides. Her eyes darted between them.

The one on her left spoke as he circled her. "Looks like this 'ere boy is tryin' to steal our buck. What d'ya suggest we do with 'im, Jonk?"

Jonk answered, circling her, too. "Looks more like a girl to me. I say we skin 'im alive and feed 'im to the dogs. 'ow about I start with 'is fingers? 'ow would ya like that, boy?"

Vala rose slowly, clenching the dagger, her fingers white against the handle. She could feel the color drained from her face. The beating of her heart pounded like a drum in her ears, accelerating the longer she stood there. She licked her lips, trying to bring some moisture to her dry mouth. She couldn't speak. She didn't trust her voice for fear that it would betray her gender or her fear. She remained tall, trying to keep both men in her sights. The one closer to her was a head taller than Jonk who was about a head taller than she was. The first was hefty and brawny with an evil snarl on his face. Jonk, who was just as tough looking, had a more malicious glare.

The first one spoke again to his accomplice. "Looks like we 'ave us a mute 'ere, Jonk. What d'ya say we 'ave some fun with 'im first?"

He made a quick move to grab her.

Vala sliced with her knife, nicking his forearm. She jumped back from the two of them.

"Now ya gonna pay for that!" he exclaimed as he covered his wound.

Jonk let out a laugh. "Looks like 'e got the upper 'and on you, Daryn." His smile instantly disappeared, replaced with his former snarl. His eyes narrowed. "Now what're ya gonna do to make 'im pay?"

Vala crouched as she watched both men draw closer. She backed away, keeping both eyes glued on them. She tumbled to the ground, letting out a yelp. She had forgotten about the deer behind her. She tried to roll back to her feet, but she was too slow.

Without delay, Daryn pounced on top of her, kicking her knife away. Jonk rushed at her from behind.

She cried out in desperation, anxious for someone to help her. Anyone who could beat these two ruffians.

Too quickly, Jonk's hand covered her mouth, snuffing out any hope that someone would save her.

She was on her own.

She struggled against the hold on her, fighting to break free. To fight for her freedom. To claw their eyes out if need be.

An arrow whizzed through them and landed in the head of the deer.

The two men turned to see who shot it.

A third man emerged from the trees and approached them. His cloak fully concealed him--his hood covering his face as he came forward. He carried a bow in his hands, an arrow notched in the string and aimed at the man closest to him.

Daryn jumped off of Vala, backing away from her. "Whoa, man! Watch where ya point that thing!"

The mysterious man kept his bow and arrow trained on Daryn. "I see exactly at what I am aiming. Now tell your partner to get his hands off of the boy."

Daryn eyed the stranger, staring down the shaft of the arrow. He swallowed. "Jonk, do as 'e says."

Vala and Jonk had frozen when the stranger approached, Jonk still gripping Vala's shoulder. She felt him press down on her as he rose to his feet. Now free, Vala scurried off of the deer and toward her knife. She grabbed it and faced the three men.

The stranger remained rigid with his bow still pointing at Daryn. "Now leave here and do not return."

Without another word, Daryn ran off into the night. Jonk, on the other hand, backed away slowly until he had reached the tree line. He then turned and walked away.

Finally rid of the threat, the stranger lowered his bow. Speaking over his shoulder, he said, "I suggest you take your kill and get out of here before they return."

Vala turned toward him, but he was gone. A tear slid down her cheek. She had wanted to thank him.

Finally alone, the tears flowed, completely out of her control. Vala tried to finish preparing the deer, but her hands shook too much for her to accomplish anything. She had dropped the knife twice before finally stopping to compose herself.

She had never let anything like this get to her before. She had heard stories about villagers being robbed and left for dead, but she'd always thought she could handle herself. Her mother had warned her that danger lurked in these woods, but this was the first time Vala had come face to face with this threat.

She wiped the tears away from her eyes. She would control this situation. Just like always. She could control herself. Tears were only a weakness that never needed to be seen.

With the deer in her bag and the bag over her shoulder, she headed for home. Her thoughts roamed as her feet carried her closer to safety. A warm bed. Sleep.