1 Prologue

In the spring, the woodland was breathtaking. Birds chirping in the warming breeze and butterflies dancing between pink blossoms. Hope's morning stroll had been perfect, but she wanted to get home before her mother began plowing. She was the only help her mother had, and she was trying her best despite her usual laziness.

Hope could still act like a child even if she was twenty years old. She loved playing with her animals and strolling through the woods.

She returned to the village and commenced the ritual of friendly greetings. Everybody knew each other, so it was only polite to exchange greetings along the way. Hope had many acquaintances but no real friends, except for her animals, which she didn't consider pets at all. They were more intelligent and loveable than human beings.

"Finally, you are back," her mother, Ona, greeted her when she arrived on the field near her house. The moss on the slanted roof the same color as the grass at Hope's feet. "I will plow, and you will come after me and sow." Ona went on with the task while Hope rested against a tree. It was so good to stay in the shade and enjoy the day. Hope opened her jacket and took out her squirrel, Josephine.

"Jo, please take this," Hope whispered, giving the squirrel the bag with seeds. "These are not for you. Just go after my mother and drop a little bit along the way. When you finish it, come back for another. If you manage to do this five times, I'll reward you with a huge bag of nuts."

Hope had found Josephine in terrible shape two years ago. A red-tailed hawk hunted her down. He swooped down and carried Josephine into the air. The squirrel fought him mid-air, and he dropped her on the ground. For months, Hope healed her with herbs and love. Now, the squirrel squeaked happily and took off with the seeds. Hope sighed in relief. Finally, she could take a morning nap.

"Hope, bring me a glass of water. I am parched," her mother shouted.

"Oh, alright!" Hope put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. A colossal grey curly-haired dog appeared next to her. "Max, good boy! " she said, reaching down and scratching his back. "Follow me, boy!".

Hope went into the kitchen, filled a glass of water, and put on Max's special harness, the one she had made, especially for these kinds of emergencies. Two straps grasped the glass of water, and she tied it perfectly. "Excellent! Max, go to my mum and give her the glass. Oh, and walk slowly, or the glass will be empty when you arrive." The dog left, tail wiggling.

Like any good parent, Hope didn't want to have a favorite child, but Max was definitely her favorite. The dog had appeared in the village one day, beaten and starving, too afraid to trust humans again. But he was forced into the human settlement by his ravenous hunger. It took him almost a year to trust people anew and to become this happy, beautiful dog.

Hope was preparing to go back to her nap when she heard a sudden shout. A full-blown commotion had started in the village, but she couldn't make sense of what was happening. She ran towards the point where the shout originated.

A frightened little boy was weeping in the middle of the road, and no one was coming to his aid. Tom, the butcher's kid, was a nice child who frequently came by to pet Max. Hope wasn't a huge fan of children, but she couldn't understand why no one was helping Tom get up. His cries would have melted even an ice golem.

Hope ran towards the boy and took him into her arms. That was when she saw the giant monster in front of her. The beast was twice as tall as she, and its glowing yellow eyes were petrifying. The huge opened snout, along with the extreme drooling, clearly indicated that it desired to consume the youngster. Its paw was huge, and its three sharp claws came straight towards her.

"Go away! Don't hurt us!" she screamed. Her heart raced inside her chest, and her feet shivered.

Complete silence arrived after her scream. To everyone's amazement, the monster turned around and walked away into the woods. She hadn't thought it would actually work. The whole village burst into applause. Everyone came to congratulate her courage, and without ever expecting it to happen, she became the village hero.

The town found a hero, but that was not what Hope wanted. She only wanted to take a nap. This kind of reputation could bring only more trouble and undesirable problems. A hero is always in peril and frequently pays the price with his life or loses something essential.

Hope didn't realize how right she was until a few weeks later when armed guards appeared on her doorstep. They were looking for the girl who had tamed the beast, and they weren't going to leave without her. Ona started crying, explaining that Hope was her only daughter and she couldn't live without her.

The officer in charge of the squad interrupted Ona. "Your daughter will come with us either way. That is the only possible outcome. It is your decision if we take her nicely or we beat both of you, and we take her unconscious." He was an emotionless wall, and any other argument would have just bounced back.

Hope refused to stay quiet and let her mother be beaten. There wasn't any other option than to go with them. Hope kissed her mother on the cheek and held her tightly, not knowing when she would see her again.

"Mum, take care of Max and Josephine. They will also be alone, and you guys will need each other." These were Hope's last tearful words before she was shoved in a carriage and taken away, not knowing the destination or the purpose of this voyage. This could be the last time she saw her mother.

At least, Ona was safe, along with Max and Josephine. But who was this important person who wanted her so badly? Who was this man, this tyrant, who sent his guards to beat mothers and steal girls away?