She woke up at the middle of the night, Tricia couldn’t sleep at all. She tried laying down again and closed her eyes hopefully drawing her back into a deep sleep but that didn’t do the trick as well. She opened the window, she looked around the empty streets of Brimhood to the clear night sky above.

The moon light shone brightly this night, in fact she got her notebook along with a quill and ink bottle from her bag. And began to write.

Tricia would compose of songs that were sometimes in the style in the Age of Plight. She also wrote stories in her book. The old things she wrote were to be described as jolly and joyous but the newer things she wrote was getting grim and dark but she was still in fact a happy person.

The dark and grim things she jot down. And compose of some depressing songs. Tricia remembered one time she showed Rowlan her works on grim and dark stories and songs.

‘This isn’t grim and dark at all!” he said sarcastically.

‘And how so” Tricia replied in the same manner.

‘It’s all just whining. Really and this part “it hurts so badly, I lay down to my grave feeling cold and empty”. I’d rather see you write something positive’ he spouted out.

‘Okay then what in your sense is dark and depressing’ Tricia replied

‘An absent of hope or you’re in a situation where you’ll have no choice to do a bad act’

‘Okay…..I’ll admit that is pretty dark, but you that means you also can’t make a fun and happy story but I’ll take that advice its good.’

I’ll take note on that.

Tricia concentrated on her poem she was writing ‘Flee’. It the idea shot through her head while they were still traveling towards Brimhood. She jotted down a few verses in it but still had trouble completing it.

Making some progress she finally had the urged to sleep again and drifted off quickly into a deep sleep.

When morning rose it was time to leave Brimhood, everybody was packing their belongings and was about to leave. Tricia was glad they were now leaving but still enjoyed a few days stay at Brimhood. The journey to Union’s Rising was just a long straight road to the city, along with towns to past by to get some rest.

Tricia was just almost done preparing to leave, she was done preparing her stuff she was just helping others. Alisa was already done and waiting to leave, Elis and his family were down as well thanking the inn keeper for the generous stay.

Along with her was Paco who was assisting her, bringing down belongings. Tricia always knew Paco to be a supportive type of friend, though he did act differently when she is in front of him. She fixed the last bag needed and Paco took it saying that he’ll handle it. Tricia did know he was always supportive, she was the one who entirely helped him during his first time in Summit’s Chest. He wasn’t adapt to the city and had no friends, added to that Rowlan hadn’t treat Paco friendly, in fact they completely hostile towards one another.

They were enemies at first and by the first couple of weeks they hated each other, Tricia saw he was a bit lonely and cheered him up. In turn that she didn’t expected he was always ready to help her out.

People of the caravan was already set to leave. Once the few remaining preparations were done they left the nice country city of Brimhood and back unto the road.

Once again she was staring back into the landscape of the land, it was boring filled and nothing much else to do. The trip to the capital was just a long straight road there, passing only a few towns to get some rest. Keintic town was the somewhat the nearest town to arrive at, Owl Ford a large town almost near Union’s rising known for its schools and scholars, and Wycombe is the nearest to the capital and is famous for is trade.

Tricia along with Alisa, Jindagee, Elis, and Paco were all in the same carriage, Elis’ family was in another. All of them were silent and just either stared out the window of the carriage, stay silent or slept. For Tricia she had gotten her journal, she had started writing a journal ever since the night of the attack. She flipped the page were it says what happened during the majority of the night of the attack in her perspective.

‘It lasted until morning, from the distance I heard the shots of firearms. I stay where I am, I feared for my family and friends that time. I was separated from my father and mother when it all began. I was scared, so scared. All around me people were huddled into the safe area, Crying and shouting.

Defenseless, scared, and felt dark’

The words she jotted down brought her a stung of pain, she could still linger the feeling on the night of the attack. But she distracted herself from it during in Brimhood. But this reminder brought again pain.

She put the journal back into her bag.

Silence was happened still during the travel to the Keintic town, none of them spouting a word from each other, just to have quiet and calm travel to the next town. Though it was boring to say the least. Tricia could not help but still dwell on the night of attack, she contemplated on it and looked at it rather re-experience it. She found herself lost, scared, and felt dark. Worse of all defenseless which felt a tang pain in herself. I’m not the physically strong, I’d accept that. But the sense of being useless and frail in danger. Stung a nerve in her.

She stared out onto the landscape of the country, just kept staring. Tricia could at least learn to defend herself. Maybe she could ask Paco in teaching her in firearms, Thomas as well. It would lighten her up to know some form of defense. She could maybe own a firearm of herself, Thomas had one maybe she could ask him to make her one.

“How long till we reach the next town?” Jindagee asked.

“Still hours away” Elis replied.

Jindagee gave a sigh of disappointment.

“Elis, question. What the things we to do once we reach Union’s Rising?”

“Can’t think of anything, I rarely go there. I do recall there’s a Blacksmith’s forge. You could accompany Thomas there.”

“Don’t much know about Blacksmith Work?”

“How about explore the city a bit. You and me exploring the city” Jindagee asked Paco.

“No” Paco said firmly “I don’t want to get lost in a city, you’ll probably leave me somewhere”

“Then fine go with Rowlan, explore the city try and find someplace interesting for me to go to” Jindagee commanded Paco in a joking manner.

“That’ll be even worse, he’ll most likely get me into trouble. You know how he mostly wanders about a place”

Alisa joined the conversation as well about the things to do in Union’s Rising but Tricia herself kept quiet.

Tricia turned her attention back to her journal, she found one page written by the looks of it fromsomeone she knew. Tricia knew the penmanship it was her younger brother who the youngest of her family. It says about a town up north located near a massive forest surrounded by an open meadow then a rather long small stone wall separating it from a land beyond it, people of the town called it ‘The land beyond the wall’ then after that is the country of Scotiterran. Tricia was still a young girl when she went there and she thought of visiting there again someday.

She remembered stories about the land beyond the wall; witches, faeries, and other tales that grown people tell children. Apparently they forbid people going past the stone wall, only few people would venture out into the land beyond the wall either going to Scotiterran or for some unknown reasons. There were rumors and folk lore about the dangers that held beyond the wall but some people often say there weren’t and they were towns existing in the land beyond the wall as well.

Strange and mysterious tales were a talk: Witches cursing and kidnapping people, faeries tricking travelling folks; leading them astray and lost, and even folks from the towns beyond the wall have visited the town telling them unbelievable stories such as there’s a secret kingdom that les hidden in the land.

Then she shifted back going through her journal; numerous things she jotted down during the attack. The aftermath was how she remembered it and wrote it down.

‘I passed down again back where I stayed safe for night. The town region looked so bad, I hadn’t experience this before. I looked around to see people cleaning the ground of blood and saw people taking away the dead bodies. From the report from the local town crier that they have rounded all of the surviving criminals of the attack and now being taken away.

I had the chance to saw the prisoners and being taken off into the prison as well as someone of them fleeing from the guards but quickly stopped by the people. The damages done to the buildings were nothing sort of a fire starting in the city and it could still be repaired.

The sight I did however stumble upon is the execution of the criminals, I was there at the gallows at the back of the crowd. I heard the shouts of people screaming death again to them, I couldn’t hear what the criminals were saying but I had the notion to believe it was mercy but they got none instead in one swift motion they were hanging from the ropes. I could say justice was serve.

But I’m conflicted if what the people did to the criminals before the guards came to take them away was right, groups of people beating them. I was looking at it from a far, I couldn’t help but feel disgusted yet I felt they deserved it’

The revisit to the past had made Tricia think on it, She felt the criminals deserve justice yet to the people didn’t view the right kind of justice; Beating on the ground all of blood and bruises they were receiving. It was savage and barbaric but even then Tricia couldn’t blame the people from doing what they did.

She continued on thinking about it and took a nap after some time, as the carriage moved forward to Keintic town.

Time passed, they finally arrived at Keintic town. While Elis’ parents and Janiah went to rent an inn. The town was nothing much special, it just a fortunate town for travelers to get a rest from travelling either up north or down south.

Dusk began and people travelling already set up some of tents while others were in the inns. Tricia herself decided to go and see the town. She went from the far end and back to the middle and took in the sight. She even went further to go past the town’s boundary and out.

She continued on walking till night began to loom over. Tricia found a nice view of land and could partially see towns ahead. The view was tranquil and Tricia decided to stay here for a little while.

Tricia began to return to the town she had heard voices from afar. She turned from left to right and saw nothing. She hurried her pace back into the camp not being mindful of the situation at hand. Tricia’s thought were frantic and rushed, she felt danger and fear.

Then she someone a faint voice, “An uninvited guest”

Bandits? Thieves? Or something worse.

She began to run.

Until she was stopped and before she knew it ropes began to tie her hands. She lashed out in defense and was almost about to scream but was stop by a cloth to her mouth. Tricia saw who captured her, the man wore a white shirt, brown vest and leggings. His hair shaggy and messed. The face of her captor had a long face and a beard that complimented his shaggy hair.

Am I going die

Just the thought had scared her and panic. She had wished she never left the town, her heart was racing and her mind into sheer chaos. Nothing but fear has taken Tricia.

The captor had brought Tricia to a small open area were a campfire was present. She was laid down sitting and leaning at a tree. From across the campfire she saw Johnathan Douglas, the colony man, tied to a trunk of a tree.

The captor strolled around a bit and turned his attention towards Johnathan.

“You could have left the girl alone” spat Johnathan to the captor.

“I couldn’t take the chance, John. This would have happen if you had just given us what we had wanted and accepted your fate. Or the best one if you didn’t leave us”

“Jeffrey, leave the girl out of this. She doesn’t know what’s going on.”

The captor took a knife from the bag he wore and pointed it at Tricia’s throat.

“You killed Henson back in Stoke’s Crossing. We were all brothers till you left”

“He didn’t give me a choice neither as all of you, untie the girl and I’ll give the order what they want”

Jeffrey looked at John with his eyes as they both stared back. Jeffrey agreed and asked for it. But John wanted to let Tricia go first. Jeffrey agreed and nodded and unbounded the rope holding Tricia in her place. The moment the ropes were gone her instincts told her to run but something stopped her again as she just sat. She looked up to see a gem of some kind and it glowed. The gem seemed to have such a hold of Tricia as if it commanded to stay down. Jeffrey held the gem to Tricia a bit longer and turned his attention back at John.

“I unbounded her now keep your word John”

“I didn’t mean to that!”

“Felt betrayed John now you know the feeling. If you’re wondering how I’m allowed to use this” Jeffrey showed the gem to John. “It’s all the simple reason because they have decided that ever since you’ve killed Henson. They allowed me to use a gem, though it’s not as powerful just enough for simpletons to be brought down”

Why can’t I move, it’s like my own body is resisting me.

“You were never gifted in the Jeffrey, that’s why they gave that simple gem” John insulted Jeffrey to which Jeffrey remarked with anger.

“Continue! I’m clumsy, out of control, and not focused. But know this the blood of everybody you’ve betrayed is on your hands. Henson looked up to you. What did he say when he met you?”

John had looked down and spoke in solemn

“When I meet him at Stoke’s Crossing, he was a mess. Henson was broken and angry. He told me the things that happened and how I left it in ruin, He looked me in the eye with all of his hate, told me how he trusted me. Then he in a swift draw he drew out his flintlock but he wasn’t fast and enough. I struggled with him till he just purely just enrage. That was when I had the chance to stick a knife in his throat and ended him. I regretted killing Henson but he didn’t give that the choice not too”

Jeffrey in a fit of rage threw the knife away, got closer to John, and punched him repeatedly. All the while Tricia watched as her captor repeatedly beating John. She struggled to break free of the trance, moving her hands, feet, and body.

“You left us to dust! You left us in pieces!” Jeffrey angry shouted at John as he continued punching him.

“If you want to kill me, at least stand on my own two feet and fight you. See if you’re the better brother” John insulted Jeffrey.

Jeffrey held the gem and it glowed bright, as Jeffrey felt an agonizing pain that he expressed in a grunt. With a powerful tug he untied the rope holding John and with one swift punch he sent John flying into a tree. John shad struggled to get up from the punch but he did manage.

“What you had to use a gem to beat me, you were always a coward” John insulted again at Jeffrey.

“Call me what you will John, but everything your receiving is as much pain you’ve inflicted on all of us”

Tricia watched herself while struggling to get out of this trance. John was dodging all of Jeffrey’s attack but he didn’t dodge all of them, he tried to block it but the force of Jeffrey’s punch sent him flying a short range. John got up and gave punches back at Jeffrey which only angered him.

Tricia in her mind frantically tried to break free of the trance, she was struggling in the inside, and she could partially move her toes and fingers but nothing else. She continued while watching the fight between the two. Jeffrey was furiously attacking John leaving him out any chances to counter-attack.

In haste of speed John manage to snatch the gem away from Jeffrey, but even that move was in vain as Jeffrey grabbed John’s arm and flung him around, leaving John landed near the tree were Tricia was. John was bruised and beaten but still he manage to get up, he held the stone and it glowed to which Jeffrey rushed to John before even giving him the chance, casting the gem away from his hands.

Tricia’s frantic struggle was working as she could now feel and control parts of her body.

John managed to punch Jeffrey in face with the same force as he but he fell down to his knees breathing heavy. “You didn’t get enough power, John, it’s time to pay for your betrayal”

John stood his ground and wait for the coming attack that too soon as he received a kick, leaving him to lean at the trunk of the tree. Tricia finally manage to have full control and no longer in the trance that held her in place. Panicking, not mindful of her surrounding, and out of instinct she had grabbed something in both of her hands.

Jeffrey took notice of Tricia and proceeded to throw John away with his strength, He approached Tricia with a deadly stare. Fear still gripped her heart and left her motionless to move. Jeffrey motioned to attack Tricia but was interrupted by John from behind with the same strength before but somewhat weaker, Jeffrey now enraged had punched John which he blocked with his arm, he fell on the ground with his left arm is heavy damaged.

Enraged and hate filled he swiftly turned his hate to Tricia.

But felt the stream of warm flowing blood coming out of his throat. Tricia had stabbed Jeffrey in the throat with his own knife and in the other hand she held the gem which dimly glowed. The force she applied to the knife had left it sunk into deep into his throat. In one swift motion she removed the knife letting a river of blood leave Jeffrey’s throat and fell down to the ground.

Tricia now realizing what she had done dropped the gem and the blood stained knife, what have I done, I didn’t mean too. She suddenly felt biting feeling at the back of her head and her body weakened. This was the day she was never going to forget.

She got herself up and ran back into town. She’ll never be the same person after this she thought. As she headed off to the inn and never telling anyone what happened.