"The enemy will always cheat, Isla, you need to be prepared for anything."
Isla and her siblings have lived in a cave for as long as they can remember with no memory of how they got there or who they were before. They only remembered two things...
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This picture was taken on the Mountain Tryfan in North Wales. It overlooks the Ogwen Valley.
I wake in the middle of the night. Something is wrong. Very wrong. Without waking my siblings, I walk slowly through the pitch black as we have no flame lit. There is nothing but darkness, but I know my way around so well that I can navigate my way through the tunnel without a problem. I come out to the ledge and frown. There is no moon or stars, just a thick layer of black cloud. I can only just see the black outlines of the trees below. It is a very dark night. I walk slowly back into the cave and wake my siblings.
"I am going into the forest," I tell them.
"Are you sure, is it safe?"Serenity asks.
"I don't know, but I can sense something is wrong and I need to see for my self. I will travel fast and quiet," I tell them. They nod their heads. I collect my weapons, knowing I may need them.
"Be ready," I tell them, then walk back out of the tunnel. Toryn lights a flame in the centre of the room. On the ledge, there is no trace of a flame inside the cave, the tunnel is too long and the cave too deep into the side of the cliff or any light to escape or get drawn in.
I step off the ledge, the world falling slowly around me. My feet land on the ground softly and I look around me. I silently swing up into the trees, my heart beating loud in my chest. The forest is very silent tonight. I can only see rough black outlines as I slowly make my way across the branches. My bare feet walk slowly over the bark and my movements are completely silent. I come to a stop. I can't hear anything. That scares me. I can feel something near, but I can't see. I can only see shadows and darkness. I slow my breathing, even that feels loud in my ears. I close my eyes and allow the night vision of the dragon to come forward. When I open them, I almost scream. The world is black and white, but I can see perfectly. What I can see are hundreds of people below me. They all stand perfectly still. I can see their long coats of leather with large belts around their waists. Large metal black pads sit on their shoulders and around their arms and legs. Metal skeletal masks sit on their faces but their eyes glow behind them. They glow because of the night vision. On their waists are huge longs swords with thick metal as well as long silver sticks which are smooth and pointed. They stand as if they are waiting for something, their bodies spread evenly through the forest. There are so many. Slowly, I walk along the branches above them, not making a sound. They are evil, I can sense it. I watch as they begin to move. A man walks through the lines. I watch in amazement at how he walks. He wears a long black coat, though not leather. Over it is a thick black metal breastplate as well as metal pads over his shoulders, arms and hands. His trousers are black, but his legs have yet more metal, covering most of them. His boots are huge and with more black metal, yet he manages to walk without making any sound. Around his head is a large black hood, showing only darkness behind. He is huge, with a large sword hanging from his hips. I don't get to see it properly. He walks with such power and control. He comes to a stop, then looks around.
