So, I don’t know how your day has been going, but mine just got a little more intense.

The rain hits me. Icy cold drops pour across my flesh and steal my breath. I shudder but hold on tight to Fennel’s reigns as he sprints through the darkness. I can’t see anything, but he can, so I lean in close to his body to avoid any branches. Beneath me I can feel his muscles moving, hear the pounding of his hooves as they tear at the mud.

Lightning tears across the sky, and I catch a single glimpse of my surroundings. At least a dozen of the bandits are all around me, marching towards my house. They raise their hands with shouts that I can’t hear, but it doesn’t matter because I’m gone.

Fennel knows the way; we’ve taken it hundreds of times. His horseshoes clack on the cobblestone as we hit the main road headed towards the village. I glance behind as another bolt illuminates the sky, and all I can see of my home is its dark silhouette, and a single golden window.

To be honest with you, in all my daydreaming of one day running away and becoming a knight, I never really thought this would be how it happened. I don’t think I ever really believed any of those dreams, never expected them to actually happen.

I close my eyes. It’s wet and cold, and uncomfortable. I try to block it out but I can’t, I keep seeing my house, my family, even the grumpy goats. I try to push away the thoughts, because I’m not allowed to feel bad about what I’m leaving behind. Why would I be allowed to feel that way after all that time spent wishing that I could get away.

No… I open my eyes and embrace it all. This is what I wanted after all. Maybe its not the way I thought it would go down, but for so long I wanted to be a knight, to go on missions just like the one I’m on right now.

I don’t think I’m allowed to feel bad, not for myself anyway. I am worried about my family, are they still alive? Or are they being murdered at this very moment? Now that’s a thought that churns my stomach.

I have to trust Hastings though. I have to because there’s nothing I can do. If I went back, tried to be a hero I know I’ll be cut to ribbons before I take two steps. Can’t even hold a fayring knife…

Hastings is a ranger, a highly trained Northern ranger. If anybody can take care of my family, it’s him. Maybe, after all of this is over I can find him, maybe he’ll train me, put in a good word at the barracks or something.

I smile to myself at the idea. Looking ahead I can see the lights of the town, little squares of gold and yellow against the dark shapes of buildings. Fennel snorts as he sees them, and gallops even faster. I jerk him to a quick stop, and hurriedly walk him around the back of the Moonlight Inn. I don’t see any of the stable boys waiting around in the rain, so I just pick a stall and tie him up in there. The inn keeper won’t be too happy about it, but I have no choice.

I go back around and enter the building. Inside I’m immediately greeted with warmth and light. The bottom floor is full of round wooden tables, men and women eating and drinking, some even laughing as they play cards.

A few faces turn my way, but I don’t recognize anyone, nor do I care. I go towards the bar across the room, and stand there for a moment, waiting as the heavyset bartender finishes making a drink. She turns around with two large mugs of beer, and hands them to a patron before turning to me.

“Goodness, lass, you trying to make a pond in here?” She says loudly. I look down and realize that I’m standing in a puddle of water, dripping heavily.

“I’m sorry,” I say, “my… my farm was attacked.”

“Say what?” Her eyes narrow and she leans over the bar towards me. “You say you were attacked.”

“Yes ma’am,” I nod, sending water dripping from my hair, “a bunch of bandits, they were fighting nearby or something, I don’t know, but they came, and I had to run. There was a ranger there and-“ She holds up a hand to stop me, and I clench my fists in frustration.

She’s not going to believe me is she? Fayr, why would she? I hadn't even thought of that. I’m just a soaking wet farm girl, she probably thinks I’m just here to get a free meal or something.

“Come with me,” she says, and I do a double take.

“Wait, what?”

“Come with me lass,” She says again and gestures for me to follow. We walk up the stairs to the second story where the rooms are. “I recognize you; you’ve got that hair like your mother. You’re Laura’s daughter ain’t you?”

I nod under her quizzical look, and she opens up a door at the end of the hallway. She steps inside and sets one of the lanterns alight.

“Smallest room I got, this one, but it’s what you got.” She sets the lantern on a small table, “now what happened at your farm?”

I begin to tell her everything, from getting trapped in the barn by the rain, to meeting Hastings, and then seeing the bandits.

“Ranger huh?” She nods, with a thick finger to her chin. “You know I saw a group of them come this way a couple weeks back, wondered what they was doing so far from the North, then again, they’re the rangers, I suppose that is what they do. I hear a lot of people talk, here at the inn, but I tell you now I ain’t heard nothing about a resistance against the empire.”

“But you have to believe me, I saw them.” I say and she holds her hand up again.

“Your mother is one of the most honest people I know,” she says with a smile, “I know you’re telling the truth. Now I’ve got to get back downstairs before my patrons get too upset. You’re welcome to stay here if you like, but I’d like to talk with you tomorrow, after you’ve had some rest.”

“Thank you,” I say, and as she leaves, I ask, “Hey, what’s your name?”

“Folks call me Tyra,” She says with a smile. “Get yourself a warm bath, and get some sleep, we’ll talk again.” She closes the door and I’m left in the little room, no more than a closet with a table and cot. It’s something though.

I close my eyes and say a quick prayer to the gods above. I almost can’t believe that she gave me a place to stay so easily but here I am. Maybe I’m supposed to be here, or it’s destiny or something, I don’t know, but it’s worked out.

For now anyway.