PROLOGUE

Athenasia

They thought she was dead.

Athenesia Sigrid calculated her next moves carefully. Her eyes were intently focused on her target, a group of Illegal hunters, that minutes earlier tried to bring her body up their trail. She wondered how they hadn't noticed what she looked like, that although she could easily hide in the snow, everyone was familiar with her sparkling platinum white hair, with her blue eyes, blue like the ocean, with her skin, white as ice.

She hid behind a thicket of pine trees. From this angle she saw the hunters perfectly. She positioned herself at the point where the light was fading a few meters away from her on the soft snow, They couldn't see her.

Athenesia takes off the leather bag on her back and gently places the bag on the fluffy ground. In the masterly silence of an experienced hunter She opens it slowly and pulls out her water.

She was ready. Her sword lies on the refined snow, Her hand is ready if one of the hunters makes an unexpected move, She can quickly pick up her sword and strike.

Her senses were accurate. One of the hunters began to move quickly through the thicket where she was hiding.

"Did you see something?", an unfamiliar voice broke the death silence of the forest. Probably one of the other hunters.

"Something's moving," his voice was closer, She could swear he was just feet away from her. She didn't expect that.

One of the other hunters grinned. "If a dead body could move, then I am prince Sheval from Shiratteros."

"Things have already happened. Maybe she's not dead even dead" pleaded the hunter closest to her. "And we can't find her body, damn it."

A sharp laugh pierced the forest and made Athenasia raise her head suddenly. of course. They should have already thought about it.

She decides to take advantage of the opportunity. She bends her leg and stretches her other leg. She uses the momentum she has gained and jumps like a ram on the hunter. Clinging to one of the branches that were in her way and finally inflicts the final blow on him with her sword, Lands softly on the ground as behind her his bloody head rolls until he gets stuck in one of the trees and stops.

The hunt began, and she enjoyed every moment.

So she stood in front of them, a 14 year old girl with a special appearance the likes of which was not seen in Eadera: her platinum white hair was gathered in a ponytail, her blue eyes like the sea and her skin was as light as snow.

And when they realized that, it wasn't a long way in their minds to realize that this was their end.

Their legs could not move a meter before she charges at them with the sword that was filled with their friend's blood. They realize they are fighting for their lives now, But even though they manage to draw their swords, Not a single second passes before their heads fall in the same place as their friend.

They really though they could kill her?.

After confirming the kills, she bends down and examines their loot: several bottles of water, several bows and a pile of arrows, a leg trap for wild animals and a thick rope.

"So they're dead at least?" Dan's voice meets her as she enters the corridor in my head in the castle. She ignored him and took off her bloodstained coat.

"You don't need to ask that," she murmurs as her light steps tread softly on the wooden floor.

"Maybe not," he showed no sign of noticing that Athenesia was trying to avoid him. "Keith dropped by to visit. He has reports from the south", he said casually.

Athenesia stopped. What?

Keith, her 17 year old eldest brother, was known for his excellent skills and for being cold hearted. He killed hundreds of people by the age of 14. He is a war machine, who rarely remembers his family that was waiting for him in fear of the worst.

This time his travels took him longer than expected. Somewhere, three years ago, he left without saying and left behind a note with 6 words: I left.. I"ll be back soon.

What made him come back just now?

A flash of her brother's black hair caught her eye right as she entered the armory of the castle. Dan, tactlessly, jumped on him with a hug and ruffled his hair that had grown since the last time she saw him.

But Keith, despite the surprise, and maybe you could say something expected, remained calm. His green eyes like an animals settled on his sister's face.

"There is an attack of illegal hunters in the forest near the meadow" he said professionally, doesn't take his eyes off her.

"I know."

Be sure to kill them. It's the wolves' breeding season, the cubs will be an easy target."

"They're already dead." she moaned.

She was never good at conversation, and neither was Keith, whose social skills were a crime to talk about. Therefore, none of them were surprised when there was an eerie silence in the room. Luckily for them, Dan had something to say.

"The bodies, sister. Did you buried them?".

The shocked look on her face was enough to give Dan an answer. "Come on. It's like an unwritten law, to bury the bodies after the crime."

"For God's sake, Dan. They were trying to hunt me down."

"And you still killed them. They're your responsibility, their bodies and all. And their heads. You just love taking heads off, sis."

She wrinkled her nose. "I hate you."

He winked. "Why? I'm lovely."

"Where's mom?". Athenasia expected to hear this question sooner or later. She opened her mouth to answer, but then realized that she actually had no idea where their mother was either. She waited for Dan to answer, but as the seconds passed, she realized he had no idea too.

"She needs to hear about it," Keith's confident voice brought her back to reality. "I was in Shirattros the other day, and it was terrible to infiltrate there" - by this he meant that it was terribly boring, of course, because no border guard knew how to deal with a terrifying and diabolical being like Keith - "Something is happening there. You can feel it in the air."

This time she answered first. "Its not new that something is happening in Shiratteros. "But what is so terrible that you decided to come back here for a change?".

So yes, this may not have been the reunion with him as she had imagined. But what could she expect? for a hug? for a good word? When she was with Keith she only felt like a professional tool.

He knew she was angry, but he showed no change in his mood. On the contrary, he remained as indifferent as she remembered him.

"I think there's a war brewing there. The Red riders are back training, and Consentia is more active than ever," he grinned and leaned back heavily on the sofa. "It's serious this time, Dan."

He completely ignored her existence.

silence. Then he stood up with a sudden jerk and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm moving. Watch for bounces in the next few days. Maybe it's time for you to finally get out of the barrier."

get out of the barrier. Sounds like something her mother would never approve of. The barrier, which surrounded and protected Eadera, was the kingdom's only defense system.

"And I expect more from you," Keith now turned to Dan. "If you don't have plans soon, be ready too."

Dan took less than a second to respond. "I scheduled a nap in two days in the next week. I'll be ready by then, bro."

She didn't want to ask him.

She admitted that she did, but she was afraid. The previous times she asked him when he was coming back he didn't even looked at her. Although she had two older brothers, she was to herself. Keith is not home. Dan acts like a 6 year old boy. She is alone in the battle.

"I hope it's nothing serious," she said in a whisper, a voice she hoped was weak enough that they wouldn't hear her.

But it was loud enough to reach Dan's ear. So either she was speaking louder than she expected, or his sense of hearing had really improved in recent years. She was pretty sure it was the second option.

"I hope so too."