Raven ate a strip of pork, she lay across a dark field of weeds, until she saw a couple shadows in the distance dashing towards her, Cambria and Stephen. Her younger siblings, Cambria was blond and intelligent, Stephen was just the opposite, he had thick black hair and was stupider than a stalk of grass. “Raven come back,” Cambria commanded. “Father has heard word from the Wild Lands.”

“What has he heard this time?” She asked them.

“Come he said,” she said. Raven got up slowly and brushed the grass off her. She followed them back to camp, finding the clan huddled in the central tent, talking and discussing a serious matter. Raven crept inside. Her father stood in the center of the tent giving a loud speech to the fellow clansmen and women. Raven kneeled down next to the door with Cambria and Stephen by her side.

“What’s happening?” Raven questioned. “Tell me.”

“Listen,” Cambria said. “He has got a letter from… the gods only know.”

Raven heard a person mutter something about the North and the South. She looked around to spot her father looking at her. Her father was the head of the clan in the Deep Forest and her oldest brother sat next to him.

Ash, he obtained blue hair on his head a few years ago and bright green eyes. All the fellows of the tribe dyed their hair obscure colors, like a coming of age ritual, and then they’d trekked a tree across the long forest. Raven would be married off to someone in the South or North and leave her home behind. To never come to see the Deep Forest again.

“Little bird,” her father insisted. “We are in a far bigger matter than yourself and if I go your brother will take care of you.”

“What are you talking about?” Raven asked astonished. “You’re leaving us.” She stood gaping and stunned by the sudden reality.

“War has come,” he said and stepped back. Raven sat back down next to her two younger siblings and pondered over her father’s words. He can’t leave them, never, she told herself. He’d be so selfish to leave me. Raven’s spine shivered by the thought of him leaving and leaving her to her brother. It had come so quickly it was too soon. Abruptly someone poked her with a stiff piece of paper on the shoulder. She slowly, confused, took the paper and studied the words.

Dear, Lord of the Deep Forest, King of the Sands, Son of the Trees,

There has been grievous news consisting the North, the Princes and Princess of Lorton Stronghold have seemingly been slaughter in their sleep, including the knights and all other individuals.

Sincerely, King Amapheil of the South

Raven stared at the letter until someone tapped her on the arm and snatched the paper from her. She ignored their rude action, too distracted by the sudden tragedies and calamity around her. Raven tucked her legs up and leaned her head on her knees. Ash looked at her and smiled. She ignored him and left.

The tents surrounded the central tent with a couple fires were still lit creating enough light for her to get to her own tent. She crawled inside and stripped off her dirty boots and put on night garments. The night was creeping up on the day and soon the moon replaced the sun. There were no dreams that night.

Raven leaped up out of her sheets in a pool of sweat and fell onto her knees out of breath. What happened? She wondered exhausted. I had no dream. Raven peeled off her clothing like wax on a letter and put on better clothing. A blue thin dress so the wind could blow through it and so the cold air hit her skin. Raven stepped outside to find the sun high in the sky and everyone walking around doing their duties.

Cambria and Stephen were playing with a small roll of hay. She waved for Raven to come over. Raven frowned and followed her command. “What do you want?” Raven asked annoyed.

“Can you play with us?” Stephen asked. “Please please please.” Raven made a scowl of disapproval and glared at them.

“No,” she said harsher than she intended. “Go find someone else to play with.”

"Please sister," Stephen pleaded and tossed her the hay. Raven took it and kicked it far into the forest. She let out a loud laugh and strolled off. "Raven! How dare you, I wish I had a different sister."

"You do," Raven replied. "Cambria."

They both ran away to find it. Raven walked past the central tent and past the circle of tents to the training fields. She watched the men and boys clash in a huge training sequence. They wore heavy armor and yielded long battle swords. The swords made loud clanking noises each time they met. Raven observed their every move as they battled each other like a real war. The men clashed, two sides fighting, a couple boys got trampled and beat.

Raven ate a bowl of stew at lunch with her fellow friend. Her only friend, the rest were scared of her and her father. She tried to go over and talk but they would just laugh and slowly edge away from her.

Raven played games in the dirt and beat her friend at board games. Demetria was a girl of ten, she was beat up by the other girls and mocked for her curly hair and brown skin. Raven played ball with her and helped her do her chores. Demetria was scorned by many for her dark skin and black curly hair. Most in the camp had brown, blond, or orange hair. But not Raven or Demetria. Raven had black hair and pale skin.

“Hey,” she said to Demetria as she threw the ball at her. “Watch out.”

Demetria caught the ball and threw it back high into the air. Raven ran back and caught it tightly in her arms.

“Great catch,” she yelled to her. “Throw it back.”

Raven threw it will all her strength and watched it soar as the ball flew through the air and got snatched by a high branch. She sighed and looked up at the ball thirty feet high. “I’ll get it this time.” Raven mounted her foot on the highest branch and pushed off. Grabbing the branch up top and heaved herself up to the next until she reached the top where the ball rested. Her fingers brushed the bottom of the ball as she reached up towards it.

“I almost got it,” she yelled down. “Watch for it.” Raven launched herself up and punched the ball out and down. It snapped the branches below as it fell. Raven carefully lowered herself down.

“What are you doing up there?” She heard a deep voice come from far below, her father. “Get down here this instance.” Raven scurried down the tree and stood before her father. He scowled at her and crossed his arms. “I… don’t do that ever again, I don’t even have the words to speak… you could have got hurt.” He frowned and his face got red. “Or died.” He grabbed Raven by the arm and dragged her back to camp. She looked back at Demetria who was following as far back as she could.

Demetria waved and dashed off through the woods back to her family. Raven ran by her father’s side to keep up with his walking pace. He was big and burly with dark black hair and deep green eyes like Raven.

“You have to be more careful little bird,” her father said. “It may cost you much more than you think.” He turned and left into the central tent. Leaving Raven standing there all alone in the large yard of people.

She looked around and found someone cooking a steaming bowl of stew with beef and carrots. Her favorite. Raven walked over and looked at the cauldron.

“That looks very good,” Raven said probing the idea of giving her some. “What’s in tis'?”

“Beef, carrots, the common,” the woman said. “Would you like some, Princess?”

“Yes please, my favorite,” she bent down and took the bowl. “Thank you, anon.”

Raven scooped some up with a spoon and walked away. The taste of carrots and beef and vegetables overwhelmed her taste buds. She sat down on a stump outside of the camp and ate her stew. A couple of shadows ran through the forest in the distance, crunching the leaves as they darted past the trees and into the shadows of the trees. Raven stood up and looked around. They had completely disappeared.

Suddenly something flew over them. A tan creature with bat wings and a spiky tail. A Manticore, she dropped her bowl and hastened into the trees. She laid in the leaves, behind the tree and shook at the sight of it’s face. Three rows of teeth, a scorpion tail, and it’s giant leathery bat wings carrying a fierce lion. The lion had a brown mane around it's neck. Raven watched as it soared high above the camp and out of sight behind the trees.

People were panicking, they ran, zigzagging and meandering through the camp trying to get away. The Manticore came back and dove down into the camp. Raven rolled into a ball and leaned into the shadow of the tree.

The Manticore dove and scooped up a pig roasting on a fire. In the distance a few men and boys rolled out a large hwacha. They heaved the machine into the center of the camp and lit the arrows with a torch.

The arrows flew threw the air, striking the Manticore in the leg and flank several times. It let out a loud screeching noise and went limp. The Manitcore swayed up to the left then down to the right before almost collapsing. Raven watched as it went soaring forwards into the center of camp and slid into the ground with enough force to rip up the dirt.

The Manticore lay several steps at her feet. She stood up and bolted away in fright into the dark forest. The sharp branches and thick leaves cut her skin as she ran threw the trees.

She came upon a small clearing about ten steps across and wide. Raven squinted as she looked into the dark trees in front of her. She counted three figures standing not too far away from her. They were mingling around, perhaps it was just another tribe from another side of the forest or travelers.

Raven crawled around the clearing and approached the strangers. She peeked around a thick tree and watched the three figures. The three men were walking around, she looked more closely and noticed their odd height.

They stood at two feet high and wore a bright red pointed cap that you could be spotted from a mile away. The little men were eating potatoes and peas. She investigated them, they wore small white boots, blue shirt, and a belt. One held a short little knife in his belt and a small shield that was bigger than himself.

Suddenly one turned around to look straight at her. The little man threw his potato in the air, in surprise, and ran. The others looked at her and dashed away in a flash. They were gone in a glimpse. Leaving their clothing and food behind. Raven slowly went over to their camp and picked up a red cone hat one had left behind. She held it in one hand, the top flopped over, it was so small it barely fit on her fist.

Raven ran back to the camp where she found her father his sword drawn and blood seeping off the blade. She ran out to him.

“What are you doing?” He questioned. “Where were you in this crisis? What’s that ya’ got there?”

“Tis is just a hat,” she answered. “I found it.”

“That is a gnome hat,” her father bent down and took it from her. “Don’t think it’d fit on your head.” He put it on her head like a crown and smiled. “They’re quite small fellows”

“What’re they doing?” She asked.

“Gnomes live in these woods,” he said. “They’ve been here for thousands of years and lived off of these trees for longer than we have.” Her father slapped her on the shoulder and strolled off. “Come tis' is time for dinner.”

Raven followed her father into the dining tent. A large cut of meat sat upon the center table, it was the meat of the creature, the Manticore. They killed it, she thought. Raven reluctantly brought herself to sit down with Demetria at the far table. Tiredness hit her as the sun came down and dusk fell rapidly. She held the red pointed cap like a trophy. The other kids stared at her with curiosity and wonder.

She took a bowl of pea and beef stew and sat down.

“What’s that?” Demetria asked, with an interested expression on her face. “It looks so nice.”

“A gnome hat,” she replied proudly. “Ain’t this cool?”

“Yes, tis' is very fascinating,” Demetria stared at it, she reached and picked it up, “why’s the cap so small? Art gnomes this small?”

“I saw one… three,” she said. “Tis left tis behind when they ran.”

Raven scooped up mouthfuls of peas and meat until it the bowl was empty. The dinner felt like a whole moon long, but finally the room was vacant, and the only one left was her and Demetria. “Tis is getting dark,” Demetria noticed. “Shall we go?”

“Lets,” Raven stood and followed Demetria on her heels out the entrance. She made it to her tent and waved back at Demetria as they departed ways. The night was dark and cold. She changed into her night gown and laid in bed; she set her gnome hat on her chest full of clothes. Finally she laid in bed and closed her eyes.

*