The kingdom of Arya: present day The village of Northwood was about as backward as one could go.

Especially in a country like Arya, where the general consensus was that the gods themselves walked among them and blessed the land abundantly. While the rest of the country was a picture of the perfect dream, where even small villages were paved and built with marble and white stone, poor Northwood seemed to have been transplanted from some backward country that had only just recently moved out of the Stone Age. The houses were made with wood (that would sort of give some understanding as to the choice of name) and it was located in the middle of a dense forest. The perfect setting if one intended on total and complete isolation. The people there were peasents but got by with what they had, and as such, the village had managed to thrive in isolation for six generations. It was normal for people to move out of the village, migrating to the big cities and towns, but for one to move in was another matter. Nearly twenty-eight years ago a mysterious young woman and two babies had moved into the hunters cottage on the outskirts of town. The village had been intrigued but had politely refrained from prying into her affairs. The village had watched the small family grow over the years until the two babies had transformed into two incredibly handsome young men. Damien and Justin had grown up as brothers but they knew they were not. That was a secret they kept to themselves. All the villagers saw were two happy brothers who practically did everything together. They even became hunters together, which was to be expected as they had grown up in the forest. Now, almost into their 28th year, the young men were the village hearttrobs. Every marriage crazed mamma was out to secure the two aloof boys for her daughter. They were not without reason. Damien was a very tall and muscular man. That alone would have made him noticible but of course it was not the only thing. He had piercing, vivid blue eyes that were the envy of all the ladies. However it was his hair that stood out the most. He had a long straight mane of shocking white hair. Rather than make him an oddity in the eyes of the villagers, they were intrigued and attracted even more. Where Damien was fair, Justin proved to be the opposite. Flowing brunette hair, with dark, almost black eyes, Justin seemed to challenge Damiens fairness. Like his brother though, he was also tall and muscular. The men knew of their heart-throb status but they ignored it, preferring the solitude of the forest. They were known to spend days out in the forest doing the-gods-knew-what, leaving their mother to her own devices. It is one of these days out in the forest that their lives were to change forever. *************** I feel kind of guilty right now. Justin said Oh? Why? his brother asked disintestedly. The two men were deep in the forest with their travel packs on their backs and bows and quivers of arrows slung across their shoulders. Though it was the beginning of autumn and one would not be expected to find any profitable game, the brothers had decided on this foray into the forest on the off chance that would get lucky. Well, that was the excuse they had given their mother the day they had left. The real reason was simply a need to get away from their unwanted fans.

Well, I feel bad that we had to leave Mother to face those annoying villagers. Justin replied. He seemed to be pleading with his brother to understand his predicament. Damien however was nonplussed. She wont mind. At least people will be visiting her for a change. But still- Would you rather have stayed? No, but- But nothing! This is for the best. Besides well just be gone for a few days. Its not like were running away or something, right? I guess youre right. The way those matchmaking sharks are closing in, I dont think we can evade them forever. Damien shuddered in agreement We need a plan. Gee, you think? Justin retorted I for one do not intend on spending the rest of my life living in fear. Why dont we just tell them that we dont want to marry. I think it will save a lot of time. Yes you would think that, but I dont see them backing down just because of that. The walked in silence, each contemplating their situation. They had no real reason for not wanting to marry just that they absolutely did not want to get tied down by a wife and children. The forest, which was known as the Dark Wood by the locals was unsually silent. There were no chirping birds or the ever-present sound of rustling leaves in the bushes and trees. The Wood was just too quiet today. Hey Justin, Yes? Does the forest seem a little quiet to you today? Damien asked, nervousness creeping into his voice. Justin stopped and stood stock still, listening. The forest did indeed seem too quiet, unnervingly so. The silence was like the absence of sound, so quiet it seemed like the world of the deaf. Damien liked the forest mainly because of the pleasant sounds of nature and so it disturbed him greatly that those sounds were absent now. He turned to his brother, intending on asking a question when he heard a sound. Running. Running feet. Running feet? Here? Who could- He never finished his sentence. A rather small shape hurtled straight into Justins back, knocking him forward. The momentum from the crash toppled him over and he soon found himself tangled in arms, legs and bodies. He also found himself eating a lot of hair. Soon however he found some respite as his brother lifted the other body off him and helped him up. Both brothers turned to regard the newcomer curiously. Are you ok? Damien asked the figure, which was tangled up in a dark cloak. I got knocked around a bit but Ill live. Justin quipped. Damien just rolled his eyes at him and ignored him as he watched the figure extricate itself from the cloak. The figure sat up and flipped back the longest and blackest hair they had ever seen to reveal-

A woman! the brothers exclaimed in unison. What? Never seen one before? the woman retorted irritably before getting up and dusting herself. She suddenly froze, before grabbing both their hands and dragging them along, in the opposite direction at a dead run. HEY!!! They both yelled. Whats going on? Damien yelled indignantly. He tried to make her stop but she ignored them and continued to run. For such a small person she had a very strong grip and they found that they could not let go, even if they wanted to. Time faded into the distance as they ran, without knowing why until, suddenly she stopped, making the boys crash into each other while trying to avoid crashing into her. For the second time that day, Justin found himself tangled in arms and limbs and hair, only this time the hair was white and the limbs were not something he wanted anywhere on his person. After untangling themselves the two got up, now very vexed indeed. Ok, stop! What the hell is going on here? -And who are you?- -And what the hell are you running from-? -Yeah, and why drag us along too?- -And WHO ARE YOU?! The woman simply rolled her eyes and pushed her hair out of her face. She regarded them seriously and seemed to ponder the barrage of questions. Wow. Thats a lot of questions you got there. But do you mind if we answer them somewhere safe? Is there house nearby or some form of shelter or a way out of this forest? she asked, a note of fear creeping into her voice. Whatever was chasing seemed to really terrify her and the two men decided that whatever it was maybe was an actual threat. So before we help you, can at least tell us your name? Justin asked, a strange gleam coming into his eyes. My name is Mira. Are you happy now? she snarled in frustration. Can we go now? Please? Yes! they replied in unison.