Sixteen days have passed since Kisa’s departure from the main city of the Dragon clan and now, fewer towns were there for her to rest as she kept going to the untamed, less populated parts of her clan’s territory. It sometimes caused her to sleep in the wild but on she went, as happy as she ever was. However, dark rumors had begun to spread in each town she visited, rumors of thieves who took everything and left no trace of their existence, thieves who kidnapped people and supposedly sold them to other lands as slaves. She had been warned several times by kind innkeepers and patrolling soldiers to be careful, it was not a good time to be traveling all on your own, especially for a young girl. Even so, she kept going, her undying trust in her father’s map, her traveling papers (not in her true identity of course) and her own combat skills kept her confident in walking lonely roads where danger could be lurking anywhere. At last, she came to the boundaries of the Dragon clan and here a decision long put off was to be made…

“Wolf or Serpent?”

Kisa sighed moodily as she sat on a small boulder, facing a decision she found hard to make.

“I want to go to the Wolf but… otousan told me to go to the Serpent clan first.”

She pouted, “I don’t want to go to a slave-driving, evil clan. They treat their people like animals!”

Looking at her hands, she started debating to herself. “The Serpent still hold some of my clan’s secrets and culture and my uncle does live there so I will have a place to stay, but I always wanted to visit the Wolf clan…” She pouted again and watched the leaves rustling from nearby trees. Sighing, she threw her decision to the wind and stood up saying, “The Serpent clan can wait, I’m going to the Wolf first!”

Consulting her map, she turned west and continued along. Night fell quickly and the ground was growing softer, marshier. Trees loomed at her sides and an eerie silence hung in the forest.

“Creepy… Why’s it all so quiet?” she whispered as wolves howled in the distance. Nearly tripping on a tree root reminded her that the hours of darkness is not a good time to be walking around. A fire was lit and she settled down for the night.

Shadows flittered from the branches of the trees, observing and studying her every minimal movement as she slept. Whispered orders came quickly into effect and before she fully woke up, chains and ropes had her captured and detained. She twisted and cried out whereupon a black, cloaked figure appeared beside her and stuffed a gag into her mouth, effectively silencing her. All she could do was but watch as hands pilfered through her things, grabbing her father’s map, her food and clothes, and when one came near to take her sword, she lashed out as best she could tied up. The hand withdrew and the figure backed away a bit and spoke to who seemed to be their leader for he was the only one bearing a strange, red symbol on the tassels of his cloak. It looked like a creature of some sort. The shadowed form came near and peered down at her, glancing at the gold band of her sword glinting by the light of her campfire. Without warning, the figure kicked her hard in the stomach. She groaned before losing consciousness, lastly seeing him reach for her sword before the darkness overcame her.

They loaded her into a cart along with all her possessions, still bound and gagged with a guard at either side. Their leader whistled and with that, the troop disappeared into the night, only leaving behind the charred remains of the fire.