• Misty stood on the balcony, her silvery blond hair hanging loosely down her back quite unfashionably, staring out at the woods, waiting. There was a knock on the chamber door, but she didn’t bother to turn. "Please enter," she said softly, and the door opened.
    "Miss Misty, your father has finally decided who you shall marry. He has decided on the Lord Regan to be your husband." And with that the man left the room. Misty felt a numbness spread through her, then anger, even though she’d known it was only at matter of time before her father found someone to foist her onto. Another knock, and her maid, Lillian, walked in.
    "I've heard the news miss, so now what do you intend to do? Nothing stupid, I should hope." She said.
    "Nothing stupid! I would rather die than marry the man! He is the most horrid man, and father picked him! He is over sixty, and should be dead by now!" Misty shouted, amethyst eyes flashing. Lillian crossed the room and gave her a quick hug.
    “I’m sure everything will turn out alright my lady.” Lillian replied.
    “No, it won’t! ” Misty yelled.
    “Then what do you propose to do?” Lillian asked.
    “I have not decided-maybe leave this place…I don’t know, Lillian…I just…” Misty says, tears streaming down her face.
    "Then leave." Lillian said quietly.
    "But for where? Father would find me no matter where I go!" Misty said sadly.
    "Go into the woods, and follow the creek, no one would find you then." Lillian said. Misty stared at Lillian, shocked. Of all things she had expected her friend to know, a place for her to go was the last.
    “But what awaits us when we get there-supposing we don’t meet our end on the way?” Misty asks.
    Lillian hesitated for a moment. “I doubt that you would believe me if I told you, or have me burned at stake.” She says.
    “You worry too much, now tell me.” Misty says.
    “This will sound like an old wives’ tale, but there exists this…rip, in the sky, I guess you could say. It hovers there, and in it exists wondrous, amazing things! Little metal boxes that show things that are happening far away called televisions-it’s something else!” Lillian says enthusiastically, clasping her hands in front of her like a child, her big blue eyes shining.
    "Only if you will come too." Misty replied. Lillian hesitated, and then nodded.
    "We'll leave at midnight, so be ready." Lillian said.

    * * *

    Misty slipped out of bed, wearing the faded gray breeches and loose cotton shirt Lillian had given her earlier, her hair half up. She grabbed her saddlebags from under the bed, and hurried out of her chamber. She slowly crept down the stairs, halting in the front hall. Should she go? If she left now, there would be no turning back to the rich life she had always known, yet to stay was to be married to a horrid old man, and she was only ten and nine-maybe older then whence most maidens were married or betrothed, but the thought of being expected to bear a man’s children when he was older then her father was more then she could accept.
    Misty shivered, and then opened the front door slowly. A hand grabbed her shoulder, and she froze.
    "Calm down, it's only me." Lillian whispered. "The horses are over by the edge of the woods." Misty noted that she also wore breeches, and her dark hair was bound tightly. They crept towards the woods, and Misty looked back frequently, with the strange feeling that someone was watching her. At the beginning of the woods Misty paused while Lillian went ahead and brought forward two horses-a pure white one for Misty, and a charcoal one for Lillian. They mounted, and with one look back, they disappeared into the woods.
    A man with gray hair stood in a window, watching them. He turned around. "My Lord, they've gone into the woods." The man said.
    "Follow them, and bring them back no matter what it takes." Said a cold, chilling voice. “If you have to, kill them-they’re better off dead then alive runaways, but do try to bring back my daughter-the maid is completely worthless though-do what you see fit with her if you catch her alive.” The voice said from in front of the hearth, in a large scarlet velvet chair. The man in gray laughed, his steely eyes glinting as he glanced out the window once more, lacing his fingers together.

    * * *

    "Lillian, are you sure that you know where we are bound?" Misty asked, looking around her.
    "Of course, all you have to do is follow the creek." She said, pointing at the creek. Misty shivered, rubbing her arms for warmth. An owl hooted overhead, and Misty nudged her horse a bit faster.
    An arrow whizzed past her, hitting the tree next to Lillian, and Misty screamed as both her and Lillian’s horses bolted forward, Misty's slightly ahead. She heard a bow twang, and heard Lillian’s cry.
    "Lillian!" She cried, turning around. She dismounted, running towards Lillian. An arrow was embedded in her stomach, and blood was pouring out of her leg as well-Lillian’s horse must have stepped on her when she fell off.
    "Listen, Misty." Lillian said weakly. "Follow the creek and just keep heading straight until you see a place where the air shimmers, and wait for a tall man with short dark hair to come, and tell him what happened-when he asks what befell me, try to make it light, please, do you understand?" Tears ran down Misty’s face as she nodded, knowing Lillian had precious little time left. Lillian slowly pulled off her necklace-a silver rose and heart.
    "Take this with you." She said her voice faint. Misty took it from her, and with shaking hands fastened it around her neck. Yells drew nearer. "Go now!" Lillian said forcefully, and Misty fled back to her horse, tears blurring her vision, knowing she’d never see Lillian again. She quickly mounted, then rode off, and heard Lillian’s heart-rending scream pierce the still night air, then nothing.
    She urged her horse faster, not caring about roots and holes that could make the horse break a leg. The world was dead to her, and she vowed that one day, she would come back and kill those who had killed Lillian.
    An arrow caught her in the shoulder, knocking her off her horse, into the creek. The current pulled her under, and she scraped against a rock, driving the arrow's shaft in deeper. She screamed, but no one heard her underwater. She clawed towards the surface, getting one gulp of air before she was dragged back under. She was smashed against rock after rock, her lungs ached for air. A tree bent over into the water, trailing branches and leaves into the water, and she latched onto a branch, slowly pulling herself onto the grassy bank. She took a step forward, the world spinning and the pain pulsing through her, and collapsed, the so called rip in the sky right before her, twinkling in the night, then merciful darkness swallowed her.

    ***

    Cal stepped through the rip as usual, glancing at his watch. Lil should be here soon. He thought to himself, frowning. Silver, royal purple, and sapphire sparkles enveloped him, and he stepped out near the creek, and his heart nearly stopped. A woman in torn clothes was spread out on the bank, and her one shoulder was bleeding heavily. He went to her at a dead run and lifted her up into his arms. Her head lolled to one side, revealing her delicate, elfin features-and the necklace. Cal’s throat closed up-it was the one he’d given Lil, which meant something serious had happened to her, and in a split second he decided what to do -he ran as fast as he could back through the portal, the woman cradled up in his arms, the sparkles fluttering around them, blowing through their hair, and Cal prayed it wasn’t too late.