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I was all alone, I suddenly realised I snorted at the irony of it All I’d ever wanted was a moment of peace, to be truly alone, and now that I was, I was terrified This land before me was alien and unknown I didn’t know the people, I didn’t know the towns My ether, that and the coat that was protecting ht air I had never known it to be this cold at night during the su the horses’ face, I leaned over and ainsta little snort He was ready then I sh Silverian Valley – named so because it was the one area in Alvernia, other than Arrana, that was closest in temperament to the Capital City… in Alvernia that wasn’t really saying much I reckoned it was called soof the reports frorown h it inconspicuously, in a hurry

With a jerk of the reins we took off, the horse steady on his feet as we took the steep trade road down into the valley Once on level ground we took off at a faster gallop, hoping to put as much distance betweenI needed was hi up to me

In the dark I didn’t see much I wouldn’t have even if I’d wanted to, I was so deter to those her in Alvernia, less travelled, and we stu the way until I realised I had to pull the horse into a less frantic pace I’d wear him out if I didn’t stop soon anyway Exhausted and tense, every little noise that I heard over our gallopingcold sweat slide down my back, I was thankful when the sun broke the horizon It burst out over theplains of the valley beca over the valley in the distance, ht trees the Alvernians called the Arans, covered what appeared to be every inch of the reen trees a sharp contrast to the sickly pallor of the plains I was passing through Thethose trees, their homes shrouded by their darkness, and their lives sheltered in ignorance and uncivilised isolation

My stomach lurched and I pulled the horse to an abrupt halt Thankfully I made it off the poor horse and to the side of the road before I voht’s fish

After a quick… break… I was back on the horse, racing him faster than ever as the mountains drew closer I didn’t see much from the trade roads, only a farm or two visible fro to huh me the closer I drew to the Soe; most of Alvernia was covered by those mountains It could be crossed in under a day, and ascrept past, the horse and I finally drew into the shade cast by the mountains Up close they were utterly ma the trees Disappearing forever

I rolledmaudlin," I hissed

Soon we drew around a bend in the road and the Aran trees stood beforeI slowed the horse and trotted forward The horse snorted again, feeling ainst him in my fear My sto over and touching an and urging it to react in kind When we drew closer I could n nailed to one of the trees, the words:

ALVERNIN MOWNTINS

TRED WIF CAYR

carved crudely into the wood I closedto draw in breath and cal him over to a huround was another sign in the saht coottenhim into a jolt up the lane where hopefully the Hever’s would find him and take care of him I couldn’t take him up into the steep mountains It would slow me down and be unfair to hi up the hill into the gloomy inside of the forest I could hear the crick and twitch of the woods the Insects buzzed around s, and in the far, far distance I even thought I heard the howl of a dog I shivered I iht calrass s beneath the heady scent of rich, dark soil It onderful But I was still quaking

With another deep breath I straightened my shoulders and took my first step into the mountains

"Only for you, Haydyn," I whispered, and continued on in resignation

The cliround began to tilt upwards There were nome directions to towns or settlements or whatever it was these people had in here, but I was following h track that already wound its way up through the an to wonder where the people were My ears were practically pinned back,at every little noise I must have stopped and spun around a hundred tins of life So on edge, the nerves into sleep tonight

I cli to blister inside theto think about it, thinking only of the growing darkness within the woods, how cold it was becons of life My ic told me the Pool of Phaedra was still days off yet and I had hoped to find soht Safe I snorted Was that even a word in the Mountains of Alvernia

I stopped suddenly,noise in the distance set ain Surely where there ater, there were people! I followed the noise, tripping over a thick root and taking y leaves and da ot back up, deter no one had seen me The noise drewsure it didn’t pull ic

Surprise rippled throughout of the trees and into open mountain This part of thebefore me, encircled on all sides by the Arans, was a town Shacks, I gathered were houses, dotted here and there, some by the stream, some further off until they looked like little black squares frohts shier shack, soht my eye

"Can I be helpin’ ye, son?"

I jerked and then froze,open,into cold sweat Slowly, afraid of what I’d find, I turned to confront the gruff voice with its strange burr A huge ht ‘mountain man’, stood before me; burly, tall and suspicious of me He rapped up warulped at the sight of the huge axe laid casually against his shoulder

I felt threatened by ht I was a woedown atthe boy’s cap on ht I was a boy I deepened h accent