After Robin Book 1: The Burning Testimony

Chapter 1

The kids were all quiet, none of them wanting to make a sound in fear of disturbing the atmosphere. Most of them felt like talking. They felt excited and somewhat nervous, but none of them wanted to be the first to speak. The only sound was the repetitive crunch of the rocky road under the tough, wooden, wheels. It sounded similar to someone walking on a floor covered in shards of glass. Most of the children in the wagon had never known their parents. They had been orphans all their lives, but one of them had known her parents. Both of them had died only a few days before. Her name was Samantha Raymond. She alone, didn't feel like saying a word. She felt like a vase that had once contained beautiful roses and was now empty, with only the thorns left to torment her for the rest of her life. The orphanage in their fief had been closed down and now they were being moved to castle Landly. Castle Landly was known for it's beauty and elegance. They were very fortunate to be living there.

"Just over this rise." 

The drivers voice came like the awakening bell at the orphanage, cutting through the silence like a whip.

The children all stood up to see the, tall, elegant, spire appear above the rise. As the wagon slowly climbed up the hill more of the castle came into view. It's stone walls rose high above the moat that was protecting it's sacred halls from destruction. It had four towers with pointed blue flags blowing in the wind. The children started to chatter excitedly. It was the biggest, most beautiful thing they had ever set eyes on.

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Samantha walked slowly through the palace garden, daydreaming as she went. Though it was a beautiful day, she did not feel happy. She was empty and alone, with no friends or relatives. She sat down on a stone bench by a small pond. A tree swallow flew down from a branch in the tree that hung above her, looking around and eventually flying up into the tree again. Samantha sat there for a good long while before two boys came walking down the path. Samantha didn't notice them...But they noticed her. It was simply bad luck for Samantha that these boys just happened to be the ward bully-boys. They seemed to feed off the torment of the unfortunate, like vultures.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here, Aland." Said the eldest of the two.

"Looks like one of the orphans from that filthy hubble they call a fief." Answered Aland.

They sat down on either side of Samantha but she ignored them and stood up, walking abruptly away. She didn't understand why they wouldn't leave her alone. They got up and followed her down the path, jeering all the way. After about five minutes of this, Samantha finally clenched her hands into fists and stopped instantly, turning in her tracks.

"Why don't you just leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"

But it only served to their purpose.

"Oh, Kevin I think we riled her up a little." Aland said.

"Is the little orphan scared?" Kevin jeered.

"I don't know about her but I know a couple of boys who should be." Came a voice out of nowhere.

It was the voice of a man and it sounded rather relaxed. When Samantha looked in the direction of the voice she saw not a man, but a teenage boy. He couldn't be older then 19. He was tall and had a head of sandy hair with deep blue eyes. Behind him was a girl, also quite tall, with long brown hair tied up in a messy ponytail. She seemed to be placing something on a birdbath but Samantha didn't have time to see what it was before Kevin started talking again.

"Go away Callum, this is none of your business. And it has nothing to do with that patient of your's either." Kevin said, shooting an evil glance at the girl.

"You see, that's where you're wrong, Kevin." The girl said, walking closer to them.

"This is our business. We were assigned to this girl here to show her around the castle...And you're the ones who are about to be the patients. Dax!" 

Out of the blue a ferret leaped onto Kevin's face and started clawing and scraping. Kevin fell on the ground, screaming and wrestling with the ferret. This went on for several minutes before Callum finally put a stop to it.

"Alright Em, that's enough." Callum told the girl.

"Dax!" The girl said again and the ferret immediately stopped. The girl knelt down on one knee and stretched her arm out to the ferret, making sort of a ramp for the animal. The ferret quickly climbed up and made itself comfortable on the girl's shoulder. It was then that Samantha realized that the thing the girl had placed on the birdbath was the ferret. Kevin quickly scrambled to his feet and ran off, Aland not far behind.

"Thanks." Samantha said gratefully.

"No problem." The boy answered, smiling warmly.

"I'm Callum, and this is Emmalina."

-Hope you liked this chapter. Sorry again about it being so short, I didn't have a whole lot of time. And sorry about it being so choppy. Again, I didn't have much time. Hope it didn't bore you :D - Anna