Chapter 1

Ren glanced behind her. The forest lay quiet. She was still ahead of them. She pushed a strand of damp hair from her face and climbed over a fallen tree trunk crossing her path, praying to the ancestors they wouldn't catch up with her.

The autumn drizzle soon turned into rain, and soon she was soaked to the skin. She pushed through another growth of shrubs and almost stumbled. The thick foliage had made the trek cumbersome, and her journey had been slower than she had expected. How many more days until she arrived? She stopped and tugged her cloak loose from a thorny vine. If needed, she would sleep less, and get a couple more hours of walking each day. She drew the cloak closer and hoisted her bag to the side before continuing.

It was hard to believe it had already been two weeks. Sometimes the days blurred together, making it difficult to distinguish one from another. Only the memories were as clear as yesterday. Her mother calling her for dinner, her brother running ahead of her, and her servant carrying the tray of food. The sound of drawn swords and once they attacked, it had been too late. That day, the rival clan had finally crossed the borders and her father's Kingdom had fallen. She'd stood by the forest border, watching as they swarmed the palace, and sworn they would regret the day they entered into her Kingdom.

She glanced behind her. Had they lost track of her? Or did they lay in ambush, waiting to strike? She wiped the mud from her face, almost losing her footing when a startled fox shot out from the nearby bushes. Every snapped twig made her heart jump and her head had been on a swivel ever since she escaped, but so far the land had been quiet. She knew that whoever they sent would be trained warriors, older and more experienced than her. She could only hope she was faster and lighter than they were. She pushed through another thicket of foliage.

It took her another three days until she saw the hill in the distance. She halted and watched the dark tower standing at the top. She'd made it. Now she could only hope that the stars were aligned and that the witch would agree to teach her magic. She'd decided her path that first night as she lay on the damp forest floor and the last images of her mother, father, little brother and uncle floated before her mind's eye.

It wasn't a path she ever thought she would choose. Magicians were a shy and rare lot, and most people regarded them with suspicion. Some would even say it was foolish to ask them for anything. Ever since she was a child, she'd heard the stories of what they would do to you if they met you. But she had no other choice, and she felt the trepidation rise as she stood there, watching her destiny. She whispered a prayer to her ancestors, asking for courage, and continued walking.

The hill rose higher and higher in front of her, and as she arrived at the foot, she halted. The tower shone ominously dark, and she wondered if it was meant as a discouragement and a sign not to approach. She shook her head. She couldn't turn back, not when she'd come this far. The grass was wet from last night's rain, and she slipped as she began to climb, but she pushed herself up and continued.

The gates rose tall as she arrived and above them, the tower rose even higher, and she felt her chest tighten. What if the witch wouldn't teach her? No, she didn't want to think about it. She had to. She took one last breath and knocked on the door.

Nothing moved. She knocked again, but the tower lay quiet.

"I've come to learn magic, please open!" Something stirred behind the window, but the next time she looked, there was nothing there.

"Please, teach me! I need to avenge my family!" She heard something behind the gates, but no one opened. She knocked again, harder this time.

"Please!" Snow was starting to fall, and soon she was covered in a thin layer of white. She fell to her knees.

"Please...", she murmured. She drifted off, exhausted from her travels. The last thing she saw was the still-closed gates.