Seven Sisters

Prologue

The silent figures slipped through the night covered in dark cloaks: the final gift from their mother. There were seven of them, but two were so small that they had to be carried. The figure in the lead was the tallest in the group and carried a large, heavy pack slung across her back, a sword at her hip, and one of the smaller figures in her arms. But in spite of her heavy load, she walked gracefully and silently in between the trees and over the leaves.

The leader suddenly stopped and held up her hand for the rest of them to do the same. In the sudden silence, they could hear the soft footsteps pursuing them. The leader quickly handed her burdens to the other members of the party. Then she silently drew her sword and slipped into the trees towards the noise.

After a moment, the rest of the group continued their quiet march through the night.

.......

The leader slipped through the trees like a wraith, sword in hand. She didn't stop until she could see the torches from her pursuers. Her breath came in sharply as she recognized the hunters. Her hands shook as she sheathed her sword and removed a small device from her pocket. It had a strange shape, with a short leather bound cylinder for a handle and a smooth metal ball on the end. She took deep, steadying breaths and closed her eyes for a moment, desperately trying to find inner solace in what she was doing.

"This is treason." An quiet voice in her head whispered.

So be it.

As the torches crept closer, the woman felt her breath even out. A tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away so fast she slapped herself. Muttering a curse, she recomposed herself into the person she needed to be. She knew the moment they saw her; all sounds stopped.

Then a voice called, "Sister, what madness is this?"

A dry laugh echoed through the trees. It took her a moment to realize that the laugh belonged to herself.

"Madness? Oh no, brother, you brought the madness. You and that fool of a king. Did you really think you could control such a storm? Don't try and stop me. We both know what would happen if you did." She barred her teeth in a terrifying attempt at a grin. "I would hate for you to get hurt." Her voice dripped with sarcasm and malice. "But I'm leaving, so tell your king that he can find a new champion."

Her brother took a step toward her and she attacked, slamming her small device onto his temple. She was onto the next assailant before he hit the ground. She was a blur in the shaky torchlight, moving from one soldier to the other, leaving them all slumping to the ground, unconscious, in her wake.

She came back to herself as the last one fell to the forest floor. She studied his face; he was barely more then a boy, and she had cracked at his head without a second thought. Her hands were shaking and the world started to blur. Forgetting all conscious thought, she turned and fled back the way she had come. No one has seen her, or her companions, since.

A/N: Hello! Thank you so much for reading. I will (hopefully) be making regular updates. Most likely once every one week/two weeks. Feedback is extremely appreciated. And thanks to Laurel for being my Beta.