• I cried out to her, begging her not to risk her life. She leaned in close, and I smelled a faint scent of flowers in her hair... It was sweet, but did not comfort me."You, child," she told me, her violet eyes reflecting the fire behind me, "Must keep going on. This is no matter for you children to worry about." I opened my mouth to protest, but she pinched my lips closed with her fingers. "Hush," Her voice was even quieter. "Go into the woods and climb the special tree I showed you. About 10 meters up you will find a carving, the shape of the village crest. Take the other children with you, and find the hidden door. There should be enough food to last all of you for a week inside that tree..." She paused and took her fingers away from my lips, and I rubbed them, listening intently to the directions given to me. "If none of the adults or elders come in that time I want you to take everyone and head south." There was a crash and another house went on fire. "Look for the Ice Maiden, and whatever you do, don't succumb to greed." Were her last words before she snuck behind an unsuspecting enemy. As I herded my peers to the woods, I looked back at what used to be a village -- our village. When I turned away, I saw at the corner of my eye, my mother stabbed in the back and fall, never to get up again. Tears pricked my eyes, threatening to spill and I remembered the words my now dead mother told me. "Look for the Ice Maiden, and whatever you do, don't succumb to greed." If I must look for the Ice Maiden, I will do whatever it takes to do so -- even if I have to die getting there. If I cannot succumb to greed then I will not succumb to any emotion. This is my vow I wish to keep.

    To Be Continued...?