Breathe.

She didn't know where she was now. She could be on the other side of the Shadow Kingdom for all she knew. She ran as fast as her little legs would carry her, so fast the night around her turned to smears of gray and the trees bled together in a sea of green.

Would they find her? She could hear the horses stomp in fury behind her, as the ground seemed to tremble in fear. But she was not afraid.

"Breathe," she spoke softly to herself.

She could never fear them. The vile and disgusting things they did to her while she was imprisoned warped her mind and twisted her thoughts in a way that there was only one outcome. And fear was not it. Bloody and painful revenge was her plan. But not yet.

First she had to get far away, and regain her strength.

Just when she thought she had made it through the dense forest, with the vines and thorns nipping at her heels, a powerful blast knocked her right on her bottom. It took all the air from her lungs, and she lay writhing in the muddy leaves.

"And what do we have here? A woman? We can't eat a woman, she will ruin our bellies for months to come," a raspy voice breathed at her.

"Load her up anyway," she heard a sweet voice ring out. "Maybe Low will know what we can use her for."

Before she could put up a fight, she was cloaked and lifted off the ground with a haste. What seemed like a burlap sack enveloped her, and she was bumped along as she was carried the rest of the way through the cursed woodland.

She could hear running water, like a sweet babbling brook singing a night time lullaby.

She was so calm in a situation to panic.

She just wanted to sleep. So, sleep she did.

And wonderful dreams of home entered her mind , with sweet visions of orange trees and strawberry fields. Her mother smiling at her in the bright sunshine, and then storm clouds rolled in. Thunder and lightning crashed, as she tried to make out a dark figure in the distance.

Electricity dance around him in the air, as he stood with his raven black hair over his one eye.

His milk like skin glowed in the darkness of the storm passing, and he just stood there. An entertained grin on his face. He brushed the wet hair from his face, to reveal the most enticing violet eyes she had ever seen. And he sat them, straight on her with an inquisitive smirk. "Where the hell did you come from?", he asked as he started to approach her.

The images of her mother and the fields warped and twisted into purple and black smears, but the stranger remained, slowly making his way to where she was, his eyes never leaving hers.

He slowly approached her like a wild cat stalking his prey, and reached out his hand to touch her cheek. He let his hand slide down to the necklace she wore, spinning the red heart crystal around his finger.

"And how did you get this?," he asked as he leaned closer to her face. The electricity dancing and cracking around him as he fixed his jeweled eyes upon hers. They looked like emeralds to him, and he was surely curious about this strange woman.

His image slowly started fading as she began to wake from her dream. The last words she heard spoken from the strange man was ," dont worry, my sweetness. I will come for you."

She woke up to cold water being splashed in her face. The voices from the forest gave way to a short, rugged looking creature. Who looked like a man but wasnt, standing over her with a clay water pot.

"Sinscy, she's awake!"

The sound of dragon fly wings entered her senses as she saw the tiniest, most beautiful woman she had ever seen. With tiny little silver wings that fluttered effortlessly in the air, sending out little silver glittery sparkles.

She was smaller than his clay water pot!

She danced through the air and came to rest on the ledge next to her, dangling her tiny shapely legs over the edge.

"Dont be afraid. I am Sinscy. And we wont hurt you. I took the time while you were sleeping to heal your wounds. You look like you've been through hell, girl! ", her sweet little voice rang out. "What is your name?".

"I dont remember my birth name. People I know call me Ashe.", she replied as she wiped the cold water from her brow. "Where am I?".

"We are in Quinn, right outside the cursed woodland. This is one of our many hiding spots along the route to Jennan. We were looking for food, but found you. Why were you running?".

" I only know that I cant go back, and I cant let the horsemen find me. I have to get far away and to the coast.", she answered. She had faith her mind would come back to her once she reached the coastline. She slowly started to shuffle and stand up, he knees weak from exhaustion and hunger.

Her head barely cleared the small mud hut, her hair tangling in the straw roof. She stood and looked around the small building. It was earthy and comforting, and the fireplace was inviting.

She moved closer to the warm fire, heating her icy hands on the flames.